Chandigarh, August 4
Resentment prevails among Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leaders after the party released its first list of candidates from 62 Assembly segments. But the tougher task is to decide the candidates for the remaining 28 seats.

The party decided to drop sitting Israna MLA Krishan Lal Pawar and former Speaker Satbir Kadian from Panipat rural and instead fielded new faces. It faces a revolt and a spate of resignations in Sirsa, Karnal, Sonepat and Yamunanagar.

Among the seats yet to be announced are Kalayat, represented by sitting MLA Rampal Majra; Uchana represented by the INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala; and Kaithal where the party is looking at fielding a new face.

Majra is keen on contesting from Kalayat, but the party leadership wants to field him from Kaithal against sitting MLA and PWD Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala. Sources said Majra was the obvious choice because the party, with its limited options in terms of senior leaders, wanted to field a candidate who could be a match 
for the minister.

But Majra having limited himself to his constituency since the last elections is learnt to have turned down the offer. Sources said that on the day the INLD announced its first list, state INLD president Ashok Arora met the leader at his house in Kalayat to make him accept the ticket from Kaithal.

Majra, however, is learnt to have told Arora that he has no base in Kaithal and stands little chance of winning the seat unlike Kalayat where he is confident of a win based on his work in the constituency.

Sources said Majra was digging in his heels to contest from Kalayat. He has told the party leadership in no uncertain terms that he was willing to opt out of the contest if an “unfavourable” constituency was thrust on him.

After finding his name missing from the list of 62 candidates even after having told the leadership of his intention, Majra met party supremo Om Parkash Chautala to apprise him of the goings-on, sources said.

Party insiders maintain that the senior Chautala did not outrightly reject Majra’s claim for Kalayat which the INLD is viewing as a “safe seat”, but he has asked the Kalayat MLA to give a thought to contesting from Kaithal or Uchana.

The INLD, meanwhile, is still undecided about whom to field from Uchana with the choice being between the senior Chautala’s wife Sneh Lata and Abhay Cautala whose candidature has already been announced from Ellenabad.

Dabwali MLA Ajay Chautala’s wife, Naina, could be fielded from his seat if there is a legal hitch in the two contesting the elections. Both Om Prakash Chautala and his son, Ajay, are serving sentence after being convicted in the JBT teachers’ recruitment scam. State INLD president Arora, however, dismissed these as “rumours” and said the party chief would contest from Uchana and that “winnability” had been the only criterion for allotting tickets.

Faridabad, August 4
The revolt in the INLD continued on Monday, with two prominent leaders of the region announcing their decision to leave the party.

Ex-minister and senior party leader from Palwal, Subhash Katyal, exited the party to protest “ill-treatment” by some senior party leaders. Claiming to be a loyal party worker for several decades, he said his claim for the party ticket was ignored. Katyal was a state cabinet minister between 1987 and 1991.

The INLD has announced the names of six candidates for the polls in the Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency that has nine Assembly seats. Senior INLD leader Ram Rattan also resigned from the party. He was a former MLA from Hassanpur (1991-96). 

Karnal: Enraged over the denial of ticket for the upcoming Assembly elections from Gharaunda segment, senior INLD leader and ex-MLA Rekha Rana today quit the party. She will join the BJP in Delhi with her supporters tomorrow. The INLD retained MLA Narinder Sangwan from this segment that led to Rana's exit. She was elected MLA from this segment in 2005. Her husband Ramesh Rana was two-time legislator from the same seat in 1996 and 1999. Rana said, "I was ignored by the party and not given ticket. My family did a lot for the party, but it did not consider our loyalty, which hurt my sentiments." She said her family has been serving the party since 1985. "Last time, too, the party ignored me and gave the ticket to Narinder Sangwan," she said. Without naming anyone, Rana accusing the leadership of ignoring grass-root party workers. She said resentment was brewing in the party any would affect the party adversely. — TNS

Karnal, August 4
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate from the Karnal Assembly segment, Manoj Wadhwa, has hit out at the Congress government for bias against people of the city in terms of jobs and development.

“The INLD will correct the wrong trend set by the government by ensuring inclusive development in Karnal,” he told the media here today.

New Delhi, August 4
Though speculation that BJP president Amit Shah made a “last offer of around 20 seats to” HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi and his brother, Chander Mohan, last night in Gujarat Bhawan is being denied, sources did confirm that state BJP leaders, on directions of Shah, have asked Bishnoi to come up with a “ workable proposal keeping in mind the current situation”.

They say that Bishnoi has been categorically told that his aspirations — 45 seats in the 90-member Assembly and the post in CM based on old arrangement — will not find any takers in the BJP.

“The BJP’s offer ends at the maximum of 20 seats. Bishnoi has been asked to draw up an alternative plan, which is workable and acceptable to the BJP, keeping in mind the current situation. Any meeting between the Bishnois and Shah will be on the basis of that proposal,” they say,

Apparently, Shah is also working at some behind-the-scene arrangement with the Chautalas-led INLD. Whereas the party is not likely to go in for an open alliance with the INLD, sources say there can be an understanding of sorts on some seats with the Chautalas — something NDA ally, the Akali Dal, is also quite keen on.

Given its performance in the Lok Sabha elections (seven out of 10 seats), the BJP is hopeful of winning at least 55 seats on its own, they add. BJP workers are not in favour of continuing the alliance with the HJC.

In Rohtak, Anil Jain, leader in charge of the Haryana BJP, said here today that the terms and conditions of the alliance agreement had to be revised in the wake of the dismal performance of the HJC in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

“Hence, if they want to continue the alliance, they had to come up with revised terms,” Jain told reporters after a meeting of BJP workers here today.

Responding to a specific query on the BJP stance towards the continuance of the alliance, Jain asserted that they were in favour of continuing the alliance, but if the HJC remained adamant on demanding 45 seats even in the current conditions, it would be unfeasible.

He advised Bishnoi to come up with a new proposal in accordance with the changed circumstances.

“Giving 45 seats as well as the Chief Minister’s post to the HJC have become illogical in the prevailing situation,” he maintained.

In response to another question, Jain quipped that Bishnoi had been complaining that the top BJP leadership was not giving him appointment to meet and discuss alliance affairs, but he should understand that alliance is a state subject and should be discussed with state leaders.

Karnal, August 4
Amid rising speculation over the future of the BJP-HJC alliance, Captain Abhimanyu, national spokesman of the BJP, today made it clear that the BJP-HJC alliance was intact and it he was confident that they would form the government in the state, after the Assembly election

Addressing a public meeting in Indri, Abhimanyu said they would win more seats, courtesy the alliance, which would help in dislodging the Congress from the state.

He hit out at Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for being biased towards a particular region of the state and said discrimination was a key issue in the development of the state.

He called upon the party workers to work hard for the party in the upcoming election and ensure the victory of the party’s candidate. Earlier, he was welcomed at Karnal by senior deputy Mayor Krishan Garg and senior party leader Advocate Vedpal.

Interacting with the mediapersons, he said if voted to power, the party would initiate a probe into “shady works” of the Hooda government.

Ambala, August 4
Observers from the BJP today visited the four Assembly constituencies of Ambala to take stock of the ground reality ahead of the October elections.

The team comprising senior BJP leader Bharat Bharti and former state unit general secretary Ghansham Das Arora held meetings with office-bearers and workers in all four constituencies where secret voting to select suitable candidates was also held.

The two observers said that party would give the ticket to candidates with clean image with a high winnability quotient. The candidates would be fielded after taking local workers into confidence.

Even if outside candidates were fielded from a particular seat, the viewpoint of local workers would be taken into consideration.

The BJP observers coaxed the party workers to reach out to the voters, especially in the rural areas to consolidate the party’s base ahead of the Assembly poll. They said the high command had prepared a ’46-plus’ programme aimed at repeating its Lok Sabha performance in the Assembly elections.

Jhajjar, August 4
A group of Jan Chetna Party (JCP) activists barged into the Mini Secretariat to protest the interview system in the government jobs.

The protesters also got into an argument with Jhajjar SDM Satyender Duhan when he resisted their entry into the premises stating that protesters were not allowed and to maintain law and order, hence they should wait for the administrative officers outside the building.

The protesters had arrived at the Mini Secretariat to submit their memorandum to the Governor through the district authorities in the concluding phase of their protest march. Since no official was present at the entrance gate hence the protesters barged inside the secretariat.

Jhajjar SDM Satyender Duhan got infuriated after seeing the protesters with their party flags roaming inside the premises and he intercepted them after coming out from his office.

The protesters argued with the SDM when he opposed their entry, but they later returned after submitting their memorandum to the SDM. — TNS

Faridabad, August 4
The district Congress received a major jolt today with the resignation of senior party leader and ex-minister Ch Harsh Kumar.

Kumar, a Cabinet Minister in the Bansi Lal government in 1997, said the Congress had become a rudderless organisation following lack of firm decision-making and implementation of public interests policies and programmes.

The two-time MLA from Hathin Assembly constituency in Faridabad Lok Sabha segment charged the Hooda government with abject failure to live up to the expectations of the people since 2005.

Kumar won as Independent in 1996 and 2004 but lost in 2009 when he was the Congress candidate from Hathin seat. He was defeated by Jaleb Khan, an Independent, in 2009. He was considered a confidant of ex-chief minister Bansi Lal and was made Irrigation Minister in 1997 despite being elected as an Independent MLA in 1996.

When asked about his plans, he said he will be announcing his next move in a couple of days. He is expected to join the BJP.

Sirsa, August 4
The police today rounded up activists of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) who had planned to gherao Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on his visit to Chaudhary Devi Lal University.

The police swooped on them at the Vivekanand Bhawan in Chopra Wali Gali in the morning where they had assembled to plan their programme.

Utkarsh Chaudhary, a nephew of Union Minister Krishan Pal Gurjar, was among those taken into custody from a house on Court road. The activists were later let off after Hooda’s visit.

The activists, however, maintained that they had no plan to picket Hooda but merely wanted to meet him to submit a memorandum of their demands.

Protesting detaining of their activists, BJP workers of blocked vehicular traffic on Sangwan Chowk. The protesters demanded immediate release of their activists and action against the police officials responsible for their arrest.

The SHO of city police station said that they had taken preventive action under Sections 107/151 of the CrPC. 

Jhajjar, August 4
It’s an endless wait for 191 girl students to be honoured for securing first and second position in the board examination even after two years.

Announced by local MP Deepinder Hooda, the girls and their parents have been eagerly awaiting for the award but the authorities have no clue when the felicitation ceremony would be held.

The MP had in 2012 announced to award computer stream first and second position holders in 113 Government Girls’ Senior Secondary Schools of Rohtak and Jhajjar districts in plus two exams. “The DEO had shot off a communique to all Government Senior Secondary Schools in Jhajjar on July 18, 2012 wherein the authorities were informed that Hooda and his mother Asha Hooda would confer the awards said a school head on the condition anonymity.

The principals were also directed to ensure the girls’ participation in the felicitation function to be held at the auditorium of Vaish Engineering College, Rohtak, on July 21, 2012 but the programme was postponed, he added.

“Ever since, we have been waiting for the award but neither the MP nor the authorities seem to be in favour of re-scheduling the programme causing a huge disappointment among the students,” said Anand Singh, a student’s father.

Krishan, kin of another student, said “Deepender should pay special heed to felicitate the meritorious girls to motivate them for further academic achievement.”

Jhajjar DEO S.R.Rohila said “We cannot say anything about rescheduling the programme. The letters for the felicitation function were dispatched to the school heads following the MP directives.”

Sirsa, August 4
With Assembly polls in Haryana likely to be held within the next two months, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today launched development projects worth Rs 250 crore in Sirsa, the home district of Leader of the Opposition Om Prakash Chautala, in what appears to be an attempt to counter allegations of skewed development against his government.

The projects include the inauguration of a multipurpose hall-cum-auditorium built at a cost of Rs 28.5 crore, laying the foundation stone of a new teaching block for the Law Department for Rs 10.36 crore and a new girls’ hostel for Rs 8.50 crore at Chaudhary Devi Lal University, named after Chautala’s father.

Hooda also announced to start Departments of Hindi, Sanskrit and Punjabi languages, in Chaudhary Devi Lal University, and also asked Vice Chancellor Radhe Sham Sharma to initiate proceedings to start a Department of Foreign Languages in the university.

Besides, Hooda inaugurated a water supply project worth Rs 159.13 crore for Sirsa and Rs 18.75 crore waterworks project for Ellenabad town.

Both these projects were inaugurated at Panjuana village of Sirsa. Hooda’s Political Adviser Prof Virender Singh tried to contradict allegations of regional bias when he said that though the Chaudhary Devi Lal University was named after Chautala’s father, who contested parliamentary elections against the CM thrice in the past, Hooda was always generous in providing funds for this varsity.

“Even a village sarpanch does not like to construct the street where the house of his opponent is situated. But, Hooda’s heart is large enough to work for the development of CDL University named after his former adversary Devi Lal,” Virender Singh said.

Addressing students, Hooda said the world had become too small with the advancements in the modes of transportation and communication. He, however, said no person, who attained quality education, could ever lag behind as there are a plethora of opportunities in today’s times.

State Congress president Ashok Tanwar said the past 10 years of the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government were an era of development. He expressed confidence that the Congress would form the government once again.

Chandigarh August 4
The HUDA subcommittee has approved Rs 389.09 crore for various developments works at Faridabad, Gurgaon, Rohtak, Fatehabad, Panchkula and Karnal.

The 38th meeting of the subcommittee approved Rs 14.70 crore for Faridabad, Rs 199.49 crore for Gurgaon, Rs 17.84 crore for Rohtak, Rs 50.02 crore for Fatehabad, Rs 23.68 crore for Panchkula, Rs 68.50 crore for the Pinjore-Kalka Urban Complex and Rs 14.86 crore for Karnal.

While Rs. 14.70 crore has been approved for the construction of a dual carriageway and outer periphery road at Faridabad, Rs. 48.84 crore has been approved for six-lane underpasses in Sector 42, 43, 53, and 54 of Gurgaon.

The meeting also approved Rs 50.02 crore for providing external sewerage scheme in Urban Estate Fatehabad, Phase-I, and Rs. 68.50 crore for a 45-metre circular road for Sector 3, 4 and 5 in the Pinjore Kalka Urban Complex. Similarly, Rs. 23.68 crore has been approved for a multipurpose hall in Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex, Sector 3, Panchkula; and Rs. 14.86 crore for 264 dwelling units for economic weaker sections in Sector 14, Part-II, Karnal.

Ambala, August 4
HS Thakur, District and Sessions Judge-cum-Chairman of the District Legal Services Authority, Ambala, today visited Apna Ghar shelter home here.

Accompanied by Ravneet, CJM-cum-Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Ambala, and Nitesh K. Sahni, an advocate, Thakur interacted with the inmates, mostly old and infirm. He inspected the kitchen and bathrooms of the shelter home, which is run by the District Red Cross Society.

Though he expressed satisfaction over the living conditions there, he impressed upon the authorities concerned to ensure that no inconvenience was caused to the needy people coming there. He educated the inmates about their legal rights and urged them to contact the District Legal Services Authority, Ambala, in case they need any legal help.

As many as 12 persons are residing in the Apna Ghar. — TNS

Yamunanagar, August 4
Five members of a family drowned when their car skidded and fell into the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) near a Badi Majra bridge here on Sunday night.

The deceased have been identified as Anil Khera, his wife Chanchal Khera, daughter Tanya Khera (16), son Harshit (12) and niece Ahana (3). The bodies of Anil, Tanya and Harshit were recovered on Monday. The family lived in Madhu Colony of the town.

According to an eyewitness, the incident took place around 9.30 pm yesterday. The car was moving towards the bridge on a kuchha road along the bank of the canal when it skidded and fell into the WJC, the eyewitness said, adding one of the car occupants cried for help but, within minutes, the car drowned.

A passerby informed the police and two PCR vans and an ambulance reached the spot. The administration called the divers who searched for the car and the bodies throughout the night. The divers managed to locate the car in the morning. Three bodies were trapped in the car. The search for the other two persons was on.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mandip Singh Brar and Superintendent of Police (SP) Shashank Anand visited the spot in the night.

Anil’s younger brother, Harish, said his brother’s family used to visit Santpura gurdwara and a temple every Sunday. “They might have gone to visit the shrines yesterday too,” he said.

Anil was running a shop, while his wife was a Hindi teacher at Sacred Heart Convent Senior Secondary School, Jagadhri. Their children, Tanya and Harshit, were studying in Class XII and VII, respectively, in the Jagadhri school. The school management has decided to keep the institute closed tomorrow to express condolence.

The SP said a forensic team was investigating the incident and the cause behind the accident would be ascertained it submitted its report. 

Chandigarh, August 4
The spectre of drought looms large over the state with average rainfall deficit pegged at nearly 54% since June 1. Non-revival of the ongoing monsoon has affected the sowing of kharif crops as only 69% of targeted area has been cultivated.

The state government had prepared a comprehensive contingency crop plan under which farmers were advised to grow short-duration varieties of bajra, moong and urad, but the highly-deficient rainfall has hit kharif crops. As against a target of 30.71 lakh hectares, kharif crops have been sown only on 21.08 lakh hectares — only 68.6% of the total targeted area.

The widespread rainfall deficiency — ranging from 27 per cent in Faridabad to 86 per cent in Rohtak — is giving the Hooda government sleepless nights in the election year. Districts facing drought-like conditions include Panipat (81 per cent), Sonepat (76 per cent), Fatehabad (73 per cent), Panchkula (69 per cent), and Jind (65 per cent) Palwal (63 per cent), Kaithal (62), Hisar (58 per cent), Karnal (58 per cent), Bhiwani (52 per cent), and Sirsa (54 per cent).

Sources said the state government would soon approach the Central Government for a special relief package in view of drought-like conditions. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has gone on record demanding a bonus of at least Rs 300 per quintal and Rs 100 on other kharif crops to motivate and compensate farmers for the additional expenditure incurred on sustaining their crops using alternate means of irrigation. 

Sonepat, August 4
Resentment prevails among the CNG consumers of the region over the rise in gas prices in Sonepat by Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL). The government had given assurance that prices would not be increased for three months.

With the hike of Rs 3 per kg from August 1, the prices in Sonepat had gone up to Rs 49 in comparison to the prevailing prices of Rs 39.15 in Delhi and over Rs 40 in Gurgaon and Faridabad.

Dharmendra Malik, convener of the Sonepat CNG Consumers’ Association, said the CNG consumers in Sonepat were being charged around Rs 9 per kg more than what 
was being charged in Delhi and even in Faridabad and Gurgaon.

“CNG consumers of the Sonepat region are facing discrimination and we 
will protest against it,” said Malik.

He said with the increase, the Sonepat consumers were being forced to pay around Rs 36,000 extra to GAIL every day.

Raj Singh Dahiya, owner of the only CNG pump in Sonepat and president of the Sonepat Petroleum Dealers’ Association, said the average daily sale of the CNG was over 15,000 kg, but after the increase of Rs 3 per kg from August 1, the sale had come down to 12,000 kg. “We are being forced to bear the losses as the consumers prefer to purchase gas from CNG pumps located in Delhi or the adjoining areas,” he said.

The CNG prices in Sonepat in March were Rs 43 per kg. It 
was increased by Rs 1 in April, Rs 2 in July and finally 3 three per kg from August 1.

Jhajjar, August 4
Tall claims of the district authorities notwithstanding, residents of a majority of villages and Jhajjar city are facing an acute paucity of drinking water. They have to drink contaminated ground water following ‘failure’ of the authorities in providing them adequate supply of potable water. As a consequence, not a day passes when the people don’t protest against this grievance which is lying unaddressed despite spending a huge amount to ensure potable water to every village and colony in Jhajjar during the past decade.

While residents of Luksar, Gangadwa, Gubhana villages have approached the district authorities seeking availability of potable water, people of Chaudhriyan Mohalla, Bhatti Gate, Tilla Mohalla, Sita Ram Gate and Rahniya locality are waiting for supply of water for the past several days.

“Our children are not going to school for the past five days due to non-supply of drinking water. We have to arrange water from our own sources to deal with the situation,” said Sheela Devi, a resident of Tilla Mohalla.

Santosh said “We have to buy water from the market as the authorities have failed to ensure water round the clock. We have to pay Rs 10 for one water container while we have to buy at least three or four daily to meet out requirement. ” she added.

Chandigarh, August 4
The Haryana Government has issued transfers and posting orders of 17 HCS officers with immediate effect.

Dharmender Singh, sub divisional officer (SDO) (C)-cum-additional collector, Faridabad, has been posted as secretary, Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Rewari, and secretary, RTA, Jhajjar. Surender Singh, estate officer-I, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Gurgaon, goes as general manager, Haryana Roadways, Sonepat.

Mahabir Parsad, SDO (C)-cum-additional collector, Kosli, has been posted SDO (C)-cum-additional collector, Faridabad, vice Dharmender Singh. Hawa Singh, SDO (C), Sirsa, and estate officer, HUDA, Sirsa, goes as SDO (C), Tosham, vice Ajay Chopra.

Sushil Kumar-I, SDO (C)-cum-additional collector, Narwana, goes as secretary, Haryana Police Recruitment Board, Panchkula, vice Mahavir Kaushik.

Virender Singh Sehr-awat, SDO (C)-cum-additional collector, Bahadurgarh, has been posted SDO (C)-cum-additional collector, Jind, and estate officer, Haryana Urban Development Authority, Jind, vice Amrita Singh.

Ajay Chopra, SDO (C), Tosham, goes as managing director, Cooperative Sugar Mills, Jind, vice Amrita Singh. Vijender Hooda, city magistrate, Jhajjar, has been posted SDO (C), Beri, vice Jaideep Kumar.

Satish Kumar Singla has been posted estate officer-I, Haryana Urban Development Authority, Gurgaon, vice Surender Singh. Paramjeet Chahal has been posted SDO (C), Sirsa, and estate officer, HUDA, Sirsa, vice Hawa Singh. Jitender Kumar goes as SDO (C), Kosli, vice Mahavir Parsad.

Pankaj Kumar goes as SDO (C), Bahadurgarh, vice Virender Singh Sehrawat. Bijender Singh goes as city magistrate, Jhajjar, vice Vijender Hooda. Surender Pal goes as deputy secretary, Planning Department.

Ashutosh Rajan has been posted as secretary of the Housing Board Haryana, Panchkula, vice Mahavir Kaushik.

Alka Chaudhary goes as zonal administrator, HSAMB, Gurgaon, and Sumit Kumar goes as SDO (C), Narwana, vice Sushil Kumar-I.

Chandigarh, August 4
A tiny Haryana continues to a sports powerhouse of the country with sportspersons from the state bagging 22 of the 64 medals won by the Indian contingent in Commonwealth Games (CWG) at Glasgow.

The state’s sports policy’s objective of liberal financial assistance and a catchy tagline of padak lao, pad pao (bring medal, get job) seem to have paid rich dividends. Haryana sportspersons bagged five out of 15 golds won by the Indian sportspersons. Of the 30 silver medals, 14 were won by sportspersons from the state. As for bronze medals, three out 19 medals landed in the state’s kitty.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a keen sportsman himself, was quick to recognise the sportspersons’ achievements, unveiling a bonanza in the shape of a significant hike in the award money in the midst of the Commonwealth Games on July 31. The award money for a gold medallisr was increased from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 1 crore and for a silver medalist from 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. For a bronze medallist, the award money went up from a meagre Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.

The achievement of state’s sportspersons was all the more creditable as all medals expect one (silver to Sardara Singh in hockey) came in the individual events — wrestling, shooting, athletics and boxing.

All five golds came in the traditional sport of wrestling as Amit Kumar, Vinesh Phogat, Sushil Kumar, Babita and Yogeshwar Dutt bagged the top spot.

Geetika Jakhar (wrestling), Bajrang (wrestling), Saty-awrat Kadian (wrestling), Lalita (wrestling), Sakshi Malik (wrestling), Anisha Sayyed (shooting), Gurpal Singh (shooting), Gagan Narang (shooting), Harpreet Singh (shooting), Sanjeev Rajput (shooting), Seema Punia (discuss throw), Vijender Singh (boxing), Mandeep Jangra (boxing) and Sardara Singh (hockey) bagged the silver medal.

Pawan Kumar (wrestling), Gagan Narang (shooting) and Pinki Rani (boxing) managed to bring home the bronze medal.

Gurgaon
Days after a two-year-old was abducted from near her home, raped and dropped back, the body of an 11-year-old was found in an empty plot today. The police suspect she was sexually assaulted, strangulated and dumped at the spot.

The post-mortem confirmed rape following which an FIR was registered against unidentified persons under sections 302 and 376 of the POCSO Act. The girl’s family hailed from Rajasthan and stays in Wazirabad village. Her father is a ‘dhobhi’
in Sector 27.

Around 8.30 pm, she went to deliver ironed clothes to a client in the area and went missing. The family waited for her to return for almost an hour and then began searching for her in the area. They then informed the police.

The police suspects the victim was abducted on her way home, taken to another place, raped and then her body was brought back to the area, sources said. There are unconfirmed reports of a speeding car moving in the area yesterday. The occupants allegedly molested a domestic help, though no such complaint has been received by the police.

The victim’s brother-in-law said they had searched the area where her body was found twice. “We last searched the plot at 2 am. Her body was probably dumped there after that. We want the culprits to be nabbed,” he said.

The recovery of the girl’s body with grievous injury marks sent the police in a tizzy. Commissioner Alok Mittal and Vivek Sharma, joint commissioner of police (crime), reached the spot. The FSL team took evidence from the crime scene.

Jhajjar, August 4
Two sisters — Anjali (12) and Suman (8) — died after eating food laced with some poisonous substance in their house at Maaraut village in the district today.Their father, Naresh, who had the same food, is undergoing treatment at the PGIMS in Rohtak where his condition is stated to be critical.

The incident came to light when the condition of all three started deteriorating. They were taken to the PGIMS where Anjali and Suman died during treatment. “As Naresh is not fit for statement, no case has so far been registered. The bodies of the girls have been handed over to their kin after postmortem,” said Balwan Singh, investigative officer. —TNS