H A R Y A N A   E D I T I O N

BJP is opportunist, keeps changing its colours: Speaker
Karnal, November 16
Under attack from the BJP for his “rubber shoe” remarks against the party, Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Sharma today not only remained firm on his remarks but also went a step further, describing it as an opportunist party, changing colours like a “garden lizard”.

Hisar student booked for abduction, rape
Hisar, November 16
The police has registered a case against a 17-year-old student of plus one on charges of abduction and rape of his classmate, who happens to be his cousin in Salemgarh village of the district today. The police also booked nine other persons, including a schoolgirl, for helping the accused and entering into a criminal conspiracy with him.

SIT to probe fake vote case against Kataria
Gurgaon, November 16
The police has constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police to investigate the alleged fake vote case against Haryana Sports Minister and Gurgaon MLA Sukhbir Kataria and five others. The SIT follows an FIR against Kataria and five others, including an officer of the rank of ACP, last Thursday on the orders of a local court.

Will get shady land deals probed by Khemka: Abhay
Rohtak, November 16
The INLD has castigated the Congress-led governments in the state as well as at the Centre for allegedly coercing Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials to get a flat belonging to former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala attached.

VB books teacher hired on basis of fake documents
Hisar, November 16
The state Vigilance Bureau has registered a case of forgery against a schoolteacher who was found to have been recruited in the Education Department about 16 years ago on the basis of fake documents in Hansi town of the district. Hisar Vigilance Bureau inspector Gyan Singh said the preliminary inquiry revealed that Bharat Bhushan, a postgraduate teacher (PGT) in English, got the job in the Education Department by submitting fake documents in 1997.

Man hacks wife to death in Sirsa
Sirsa, November 16
A 50-year-old woman was allegedly hacked to death by her husband at Rattakhera village in Sirsa last evening after a squabble over his drinking problem.

Karnal Apna Ghar case: Gen secy acquitted
Karnal, November 16
Karnal Apna Ghar general secretary Manav Dass, accused of molestation and maltreatment of three minor girls living in the home, was today acquitted by the court of Additional Sessions Judge RK Jain due to lack of evidence. A case was registered at the Sadar police station against Dass under Sections 376, 323, 342, 506 and 120(b) of the IPC on August 7, 2012, on the complaint of the girls’ father, who alleged his daughters were being molested. — TNS

ASI caught ‘taking bribe’; held
Faridabad, November 16
An Assistant Sub-Inspector posted at Mujesar police station here has been arrested on the charge of taking a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a local resident. ASI Sua Ram has been remanded to judicial custody after registration of a case. He had demanded Rs 35,000 from Sonu, a local resident, to get him absolved in a case registered against him by the police in July. — TNS

BJP is opportunist, keeps changing its colours: Speaker
Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 16
Under attack from the BJP for his “rubber shoe” remarks against the party, Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Sharma today not only remained firm on his remarks but also went a step further, describing it as an opportunist party, changing colours like a “garden lizard”.

“The BJP is ideologically handicapped and has been reduced to a political creeper with no support from the public and I have no regrets about my ‘rubber shoe and universal socks remark’,” he said while talking to mediapersons here today.

“I stand by my words which I said in an individual capacity and I am ready for a public debate with the BJP on the issues of ethics and conduct,” he added.

Taking a dig at the BJP for its “dual character”, Sharma said it was ironical that the BJP was having an opportunistic alliance with the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) in the state but party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi not only attended the Samman Rally of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) on November 1 but also addressed the gathering.

Attacking the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for referring to Congress election symbol as ‘khooni panja’, using intemperate language against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi and addressing Rahul Gandhi as ‘shahzada’, Sharma said, “Modi is suffering from oral diarrhoea”.

Urging the BJP leaders to do some introspection before raising accusing finger at others, Sharma said: “We disapprove use of indecent and intemperate language but sometimes it becomes essential to give a befitting reply in the same language”.

Hisar student booked for abduction, rape
Tribune News Service

Hisar, November 16
The police has registered a case against a 17-year-old student of plus one on charges of abduction and rape of his classmate, who happens to be his cousin in Salemgarh village of the district today. The police also booked nine other persons, including a schoolgirl, for helping the accused and entering into a criminal conspiracy with him.

According to information, the girl's parents had lodged a complaint of a missing person on September 30 when the girl did not return home from school. She, however, returned home along with the accused on October 2.

The police produced her in the court on returning home where she denied any wrong-doing with her and stated that she had gone with her cousin of her own free will. She, however, expressed her unwillingness to go with her parents and was lodged in the shelter home here.

A police spokesperson said the girl had approached the Superintendent of Police two days ago and revealed that she had been lured by her cousin with the help of some other persons. She said her cousin had taken her to Bhiwani, Jaipur and Delhi and had raped her before returning home.

The case file

• The victim’s parents had lodged a missing complaint on September 30 when the girl did not return home from school
• She returned home on October 2 with the 17-year-old accused
• The girl, who also happens to be his cousin, said he had taken her to Bhiwani, Jaipur and Delhi and raped her before returning home

SIT to probe fake vote case against Kataria
Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, November 16
The police has constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police to investigate the alleged fake vote case against Haryana Sports Minister and Gurgaon MLA Sukhbir Kataria and five others.

The SIT follows an FIR against Kataria and five others, including an officer of the rank of ACP, last Thursday on the orders of a local court. It had directed the police authorities to submit the investigation report to it on December 23. The case was listed for hearing on the same day.

The petitioner had alleged that forged documents were used to get voter cards made on the minister’s insistence. The former had petitioned the court for registration of a case against the accused under Section 420, 468, 471 and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, and the Representation of People’s Act.

According to the police, as per the court order, the minister’s hand-writing will be forensically examined. Kataria has not been interrogated yet, a police officer said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition today stepped up its demand for removal of Kataria from the post of minister following the formation of the SIT.

Will get shady land deals probed by Khemka: Abhay
Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service

INLD leaders Abhay Chautala (extreme right) and Ashok Arora (centre) address a press conference at Rohtak on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Rohtak, November 16
The INLD has castigated the Congress-led governments in the state as well as at the Centre for allegedly coercing Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials to get a flat belonging to former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala attached.

Talking to mediapersons here today, INLD leader Abhay Chautala said they would challenge the move in court and were confident of getting stay orders on the “threatened” attachment.

On being asked about the possibility of an umbrella coalition of the anti-Congress parties and groups in the state, he said Kuldeep Bishnoi’s Haryana Janhit Congress was a B-team of the Congress, though there was hope of the INLD joining hands with the BJP.

In response to another query, Abhay said the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in Haryana was mistreating senior administrative officer Ashok Khemka, which was unfortunate. He said if the INLD formed the government in Haryana, they would get the Hooda government’s “shady” land deals probed by Khemka.

VB books teacher hired on basis of fake documents
Tribune News Service

Hisar, November 16
The state Vigilance Bureau has registered a case of forgery against a schoolteacher who was found to have been recruited in the Education Department about 16 years ago on the basis of fake documents in Hansi town of the district. Hisar Vigilance Bureau inspector Gyan Singh said the preliminary inquiry revealed that Bharat Bhushan, a postgraduate teacher (PGT) in English, got the job in the Education Department by submitting fake documents in 1997.

Hansi-based lawyer DP Chaudhary got suspicious about the authenticity of his documents and filed RTI application with Magadh University in Bodh Gaya (Bihar) in 2011. The university said no certificates of undergraduate or postgraduate course was issued to Bharat Bhushan in 1996. He lodged a complaint with the Vigilance Bureau, which started a preliminary inquiry and found Bhushan’s documents to be fake. Bhushan and his father Dharampal, who was then the block education officer and had testified that his son’s documents were valid when he applied for the post, were booked under sections 420, 461 and 472 yesterday.

The bureau is in the process of informing the Education Department about the case for further action.

Man hacks wife to death in Sirsa
Tribune News Service

Sirsa, November 16
A 50-year-old woman was allegedly hacked to death by her husband at Rattakhera village in Sirsa last evening after a squabble over his drinking problem.

The victim Gurmeet Kaur died on the spot. The police have booked her husband Kala Singh (53) under Section 302 of the IPC on the complaint of the couple’s 20-year-old son, Sukhpal Singh. The couple was working at a brick kiln in the village.

Sukhpal told the police that his father was in the habit of consuming alcohol and his mother used to stop him from doing so. Last evening, the two had a tiff over this issue. After a heated exchange of words, Kala Singh allegedly picked up a spade and hit his wife with it repeatedly till she died and fled.

Sukhpal raised the alarm and other labourers from the brick kiln came and informed the police.