H A R Y A N A   E D I T I O N

Dead youth’s father commits suicide
Fatehabad, February 15
The father of a youth, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances recently, committed suicide here today. However, his family held the police responsible for the death. Niranjan Dass (50), whose son Gagandeep’s (25) body was recovered under mysterious circumstances near Dhangar village on Sunday, committed suicide by hanging from a fan hook at his residence this morning.

State SGPC starts dharna outside Tanwar’s house
Sirsa, February 15
Activists of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), who have been demanding a separate gurdwara body for the state, started an indefinite dharna outside state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar’s residence here today.

Activists of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on a dharna outside state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar’s residence in Sirsa on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Hooda visits Samalkha amid tight security
Samalkha (Panipat), February 15
Elaborate security arrangements were made for Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's visit to Samalkha subdivision. This was his first visit to Panipat district after the February 2 bid-to-slap incident.

Youths have tough time in Army recruitment rally at Ambala Ambala, February 15 Inadequate stay arrangements and untimely showers have caused inconvenience to thousands of unemployed youths who were here for an Army recruitment rally. The recruitment process was begun at Rajiv Gandhi stadium on February 10. A youth falls while taking part in a race during an Army recruitment rally in Ambala on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

17 ultrasound machines seized, 2 held
Gurgaon, February 15
The police have arrested two persons and seized 17 Chinese portable ultrasound machines from a warehouse in Manesar today. These machines are illegally used for conducting gender determination tests in the state.

3-yr-old pulled out of well after 10 hrs
Narnaul, February 15
A three-year-old boy, Mayank, fell into a 100-foot-deep well near Hanuman Temple here yesterday. He was pulled out by villagers with the help of the police after 10 hours.

XEN caught taking bribe
Hisar, February 15
An executive engineer (XEN) of the Municipal Corporation (MC) was caught accepting bribe from the son of an MC member for releasing work order here today. According to information, XEN RK Sharma, who belongs to the Panchayati Raj Department, was sent on deputation tothe MC recently.

Two missing youths found dead
Yamunanagar, February 15
The bodies of two youths, who went missing under mysterious circumstances a few days ago, were found today. The body of Piyush (19), a student of BCom and a resident of Shiv Colony, Radaur, was found from a canal near Tasango village in Karnal district.

Dead youth’s father commits suicide
Upset over police ‘inaction’ after son’s death
Tribune News Service

Fatehabad, February 15
The father of a youth, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances recently, committed suicide here today. However, his family held the police responsible for the death.

Niranjan Dass (50), whose son Gagandeep’s (25) body was recovered under mysterious circumstances near Dhangar village on Sunday, committed suicide by hanging from a fan hook at his residence this morning.

His wife and other family members alleged that Dass was upset over the role of the police in the investigation of his son’s death.

While the family had lodged a complaint of murder, the police have been terming Gagandeep’s death as a road accident.

Relatives and local residents had blocked the National Highway-10 near Lal Batti Chowk here yesterday to press for the arrest of his “killers”.

However, the police registered a case under Sections 147, 149, 283 and 341 of the IPC and Sections 8A and 8B of the National Highway Act, 1956, against more than 100 persons for rioting, obstruction and wrongful restraint.

The police took the body to the General Hospital for postmortem. However, angry relatives refused to claim the body.

Activists of social, political and religious organisations headed by Rajinder Chaudhary of the HJC, Atam Prakash Mehta of the Congress, Darshan Nagpal, a municipal councillor, Deepak Bhirdana, Jitender Chaudhary, Shalen Bhaskar and several others sat on a dharna at Udham Singh Park here.

The protesters demanded arrest of the Gagandeep’s killers and action against the police for showing laxity.

It was only after hours of mediation by Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh Gillankhera that the family agreed to take the body for cremation.

State SGPC starts dharna outside Tanwar’s house
Tribune News Service

Sirsa, February 15
Activists of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), who have been demanding a separate gurdwara body for the state, started an indefinite dharna outside state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar’s residence here today.

Led by Jagdish Singh Jhinda, president of the ad hoc Haryana SGPC, between 25 and 30 Sikh activists went to the MP’s house and sat on a dharna outside it.

Tanwar was not present as he was on his way back from Chandigarh. His supporters said he would return tonight.

“Our dharna will continue till our demand for a separate gurdwara body is accepted,” said Jhinda. He said the Congress had said in its last two election manifestos that it would set up a separate Sikh gurdwara body, but was going back on its promise.

He claimed that the Congress would try to fool the Sikhs again as elections were around the corner. “We are not going to be believe the Congress now,” he added.

Hooda visits Samalkha amid tight security
Tribune News Service

Samalkha (Panipat), February 15
Elaborate security arrangements were made for Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's visit to Samalkha subdivision. This was his first visit to Panipat district after the February 2 bid-to-slap incident.

Chief Minister Hooda laid the foundation stones of some new projects and addressed a public meeting.

A police official said security personnel were also called from other districts, including Sonepat, Jhajjar and the Madhuban police academy, in a large number and as many as 10 DSPs were deployed.

Addressing the rally, Hooda said his government had always worked for the welfare of farmers and Dalits.

Hooda also announced to make Bapoli a tehsil and Sanauli block on the demand of Karnal MP Arvind Sharma and Samalkha MLA Dharam Singh Chhokhar.

Earlier, Hooda laid a foundation stone of a civil hospital. He also laid stones for building community centres at Samalkha and Bapoli.

Besides, he inaugurated the Mini-Secretariat and a sewage treatment plant.

Youths have tough time in Army recruitment rally at Ambala
Suman Bhatnagar

Ambala, February 15
Inadequate stay arrangements and untimely showers have caused inconvenience to thousands of unemployed youths who were here for an Army recruitment rally. The recruitment process was begun at Rajiv Gandhi stadium on February 10.

A joint meeting of the Army and the civil administration was conducted to evaluate arrangements.

The district administration made transport arrangement for the youths. There was no arrangement for the stay of a large number of youths last night.

Hundreds of youths did not get space to spend the night. Some of them forcibly entered vacant houses at the Housing Board Colony near the stadium. Many others spent the night under sheds outside shops.

The untimely rain worsened the situation. The ground at the stadium became muddy and slippery. Several youths fell and around half a dozen sustained injuries while taking part in the race during the physical test.

Joga Singh of Babain village sustained a minor fracture in the leg. He said he was not provided first-aid. He said he would never attend such a recruitment rally as he had a bad experience.

There was no bathing arrangement for the youths at the stadium. They bathed in pits where water had collected in the fields nearby.

Recruitment office director Col U Mukherjee stated that all necessary arrangements had been made for transparent and merit-based recruitment.

17 ultrasound machines seized, 2 held
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, February 15
The police have arrested two persons and seized 17 Chinese portable ultrasound machines from a warehouse in Manesar today. These machines are illegally used for conducting gender determination tests in the state.

A team of the National Rural Health Mission, Food and Drug Administration and the police conducted a raid at the warehouse of CINOFORM company and arrested its manager Satnam Singh while selling two machines.

During search, the police seized 17 such machines from the premises and arrested Gautam, who led them to the company's head office in Saket, where documents confirmed import of 65 such machines and sale of 39 machines in Haryana.

3-yr-old pulled out of well after 10 hrs
Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service

Narnaul, February 15
A three-year-old boy, Mayank, fell into a 100-foot-deep well near Hanuman Temple here yesterday. He was pulled out by villagers with the help of the police after 10 hours.

Mayank’s family members were busy preparing for his cousin’s wedding in the Mali Tibba locality here when the incident took place.

“He was playing with other children outside the house at around 10 am. After that, we couldn’t find him. We searched for several hours but to no avail. Thereafter, a CCTV camera installed at a private school showed that he had gone towards Hanuman Temple but did not return,” said Pramod Tarediya, a social activist.

“After getting the exact location of the child, we launched a rescue operation with the help of the police and managed to take the child out at around 8 pm safely,” said Tarediya.

XEN caught taking bribe
Tribune News Service

Hisar, February 15
An executive engineer (XEN) of the Municipal Corporation (MC) was caught accepting bribe from the son of an MC member for releasing work order here today. According to information, XEN RK Sharma, who belongs to the Panchayati Raj Department, was sent on deputation tothe MC recently.

Manish Kumar, a contractor and son of a woman councillor, complained to the Vigilance Bureau that he had got a tender for carrying out various development works. The XEN, however, demanded a bribe to release the work order as per the tender awarded to him.

A Vigilance team, led by Inspector Bhupinder Sharma, laid a trap and caught the official red-handed.

The XEN was arrested and charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Two missing youths found dead
Our Correspondent

Yamunanagar, February 15
The bodies of two youths, who went missing under mysterious circumstances a few days ago, were found today. The body of Piyush (19), a student of BCom and a resident of Shiv Colony, Radaur, was found from a canal near Tasango village in Karnal district.

He went missing on February 7. Subham (17), a resident Azad Nagar in Yamunanagar, had gone missing on February 10.

His body was also found from a canal near Thaska village in Yamunanagar district.