The Tribune – Canada-based NRI’s death; Not satisfied with probe, says brother

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 20. Annoyed with the “lousy” probe by the Jagraon police into the death of his brother and Canada-based NRI Amanpal, Tajinder Singh has decided to return to Canada.

Tajinder had recently contradicted the police theory of suicide by his brother and claimed that the latter was murdered and his body was thrown into a canal. He said he was facing a tough time for getting magisterial permission for DNA sample.

He alleged that Jagraon police officials kept asking him about his return to Canada. “I think the police is in a hurry to close the case. Such queries are very discouraging. I am here to seek justice, but I am disillusioned due to the negative attitude of the police,” said Tajinder.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120521/punjab.htm#11

The Tribune – Police claims to foil honour killing, 4 held

Manish Sirhindi, Tribune News Service

Karnal, May 19. The district police today claimed to have foiled a bid to kill a girl of Sneek village in Panipat district for having eloped with a schoolteacher of the same village by arresting four persons, including the girl’s father, who had procured a country-made pistol from Muzaffarnagar in UP to kill the two.

District police chief Sushank Anand said a special police team arrested four persons from Meerut road in the morning and seized a country-made pistol from them.

On being interrogated, the four told the police that they belonged to Sneekh village in Panipat district.

They said the daughter of Rajinder Singh had recently eloped with Surinder, a teacher at a private school in the village. This had not gone down with the villagers, who, in order to teach the two a lesson, had decided to kill them.

The SSP said though the girl had returned to the village, the whereabouts of the school teacher were still not known. The villagers were planning to first trace the teacher and then kill them both.

Incidentally, neither the girl’s family nor any of the villagers had informed the police about the elopement of the two as they intended to settle the matter among themselves.

The SSP said a case under various sections of the law had been registered against the four persons who had been placed under arrest.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120520/haryana.htm#5

The Tribune – Prompt police action foils bid to abduct 2 sisters

Our Correspondent

Jhajjar, May 14. Swift action taken by the police today foiled an attempt to abduct two teenaged sisters at Kherka Gujjar village here.

The police not only apprehended both kidnappers near Mundakhera village located on the border of Delhi and Haryana but also recovered the girls.

Devender Dangi, PRO of the Jhajjar police, said the incident took place when Nikki (15) and her younger sister, Mamta (13), were going to their school this morning. “As both sisters reached near the school, Ravi and Paramjeet of Dulhera village who were waiting for them there, overpowered and bundled them into a car. On hearing the girls’ screams, someone informed the Police Control Room and the police immediately launched a search operation.

Dangi said the police took over an hour to nab the accused after locating their car in the Bahadurgarh area and rescued the girls. Later, both girls were handed over to their kin after getting their medical examination done at the Civil Hospital in Bahadurgarh.

The accused would be produced before a court tomorrow.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120515/haryana.htm#9

The Tribune – High Court halts construction around Sukhna; Jolt for Tata’s Camelot project, others as court moves to save Chandigarh’s skyline

Saurabh Malik. Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 14. Tata Camelot’s ambitious plan to raise skyscrapers in the vicinity of Sukhna Lake has run into another legal hurdle. Taking up the Save Sukhna case, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed Punjab, Haryana and the Chandigarh Administration to not just stop construction activity in the lake’s catchment area, but also demolish, without notice, any construction being carried out against the high court mandate.

“We direct Punjab and Haryana as well as the Chandigarh Administration to put their enforcement agencies in action and construction activities going on in the catchment area as per the map of the Survey of India should be stopped immediately; and any construction raised in violation of the directions issued by the court be demolished without issuing any notice,” the Bench of Acting Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Alok Singh ruled. The development is significant as the Survey of India map says Camelot project is in the catchment area.

The high court has already taken on record the map prepared by the Survey of India defining the catchment area falling in Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana. As per the map, villages of Kaimbwala and Khuda Alisher in Chandigarh, Nayagaon and part of Kansal in Punjab and parts of Saketri and Mahadevpur in Haryana form part of the catchment area. The Camelot site, located in Kansal village, falls in the Sukhna catchment area.

Otherwise also, amicus curiae or friend of the court Tanu Bedi has all along been insisting that Tata Camelot housing project would affect the fragile catchment area of the lake.

Going into the background of the controversy, the Bench asserted: “In the order dated March 14, 2011, directions were issued to restore the old glory of the lake by observing that no housing colony or building activity took place in the catchment area, either within the forest area or agriculture area. We have been apprised that despite the direction, construction activities are going on….

“Both the states, as well as the UT, shall submit their report with regard to the violation of the directions issued in the order dated March 14 last year and the action taken against the violators”.

The Bench asserted that the minutes of a meeting on the Save Sukhna issue reveal that the Survey of India map has been accepted in principle by the UT Administration.

But Punjab has adopted an “unacceptable attitude and is still making submissions that the map is unacceptable”.

The Bench added the state had endorsed the authenticity of the map during the proceedings of another petition. “Now, it cannot go back on the stand taken,” the Bench ruled.

The Bench further observed that it did not feel the necessity of experts’ sub-committee to prepare a fresh map. “The Administration shall give wide publicity to the catchment areas as depicted in the map prepared by the Survey of India and adopted by the UT Administration as the map of the catchment area so that the general public is made aware that no construction is permitted in the area,” the Bench concluded.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120515/main1.htm

The Asian Age – Farmer generates power from poultry waste

Tanveer Thakur, Asian Age Correspondent

Chandigarh, 14 May 2012. In a rare initiative, a farmer of Haryana, Ramehar Singh of Silani village in Jhajjar district, has installed a 50-KW capacity poultry litter-based biogas power plant at his poultry farm using poultry waste as feed material.

Showing the way to other farmers by his enterprise by running his 65 KVA (50-KW) biogas plant for 14 hours a day for the last three months, this self-reliant farmer now saves about `1 lakh per month. Confident of meeting his power needs, he has got his state electricity board connection disconnected.

Mr Ramehar Singh has been running poultry farm for 20 years on power supplied by state electricity board and on a diesel genset and paying monthly charges of 45,000 apart from diesel bill of 1.2 lakhs every month. However, after the installation of power plant he does not pay any electricity bill and his diesel cost has been reduced by half.

Mr Singh’s initiative to convert litter into fuel for power plant has helped him save about `1 lakh every month. He installed three biogas digesters of 85 CUM each at the cost of `30.3 lakhs.

Keeping in view the success of litter-based power plant and available potential in the state, the state government has organised a one-day visit of about 100 poultry farm owners from various districts last week to the farm of Ramehar Singh for first-hand experience of power generation from poultry litter and to enable them to gain from Mr Singh’s experience.

As per government information, there are about 30 million poultry heads in Haryana.

http://www.asianage.com/india/farmer-generates-power-poultry-waste-681

The Tribune – 12 die daily on ‘killer’ roads in Haryana; Gurgaon leads with 1 death daily

Pradeep Sharma, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 11. Haryana’s “killer roads” claim a life every two hours while one person is injured every hour. Roads in the state have claimed 1,461 lives while 2,962 persons were injured in the past four months.

Haryana’s millennium city, Gurgaon, has reported the highest death toll of 151 though it has the least number of accidents at 41. The number of injured was the highest in Gurgaon with 311 persons reported injured during January-April this year, revealed data with The Tribune.

Sonepat with the highest number of 255 road accidents reported 127 deaths and 213 injured. Rewari with 211 accidents reported 105 deaths and 212 injured. Panchkula with 34 deaths in 82 accidents, Narnaul with 39 deaths in 122 accidents and Kurukshetra with 44 deaths in 88 accidents were some of the safest districts in the state.

Sources said laxity on the part of the Haryana Police to enforce traffic rules, particularly wearing of helmets for two-wheeler drivers, and unsafe driving behaviour were some of the major causes for the high number of accidents.

Since the usage of the national and state highways is one of the highest in Haryana, this is also one of the reasons for the large number of accidents, argued Harman Sidhu, brand ambassador of the Haryana Police on road safety. Driving habits and non-observance of traffic rules by motorists were also to be blamed for the high rate of accidents, he added.

On an average, 13 persons were killed and 26 injured on Haryana roads last year. The state had recorded 10,672 accidents in 2,011 — down from 10,804 in 2,010. The number of fatal accidents had also come down from 4,200 in 2010 to 4,145 in 2011.

Gurgaon has the dubious distinction of having the most unsafe roads with 462 deaths. Sonepat and Jhajjar with 291 and 271 deaths, respectively, were ranked next to Gurgaon. Fatehabad (102 deaths), Panchkula (120) and Kaithal (140) districts were considered to be the safest in the state.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120512/main7.htm

The Tribune – Four held for dumping NRI’s body in canal

Mohit Khanna and Jaswant Shetra, Tribune News Service

Jagraon, May 9. With the arrest of four persons, including a woman, the Jagraon police has solved mysterious disappearance of a 22-year-old Canada-based NRI, who came here to formulate a contract marriage.

With this, the police has also unearthed a state-wide nexus of fake marriage agents who were pocketing huge money through contract marriages.

Amanpal Singh, a native of Toronto in Canada, went missing on January 24.

The Jagraon police claimed that the dead body of Amanpal, who allegedly committed suicide, was stacked in a suitcase and dumped in the Sirhand Feeder Canal by Karamjit Kaur, Kulwant Singh, Aman and hotel owner Gulshan Rai on January 26.

Ludhiana Range DIG MF Farooqui said, “We have yet to recover the body. Perhaps someone might have fished out the suitcase from the canal thinking it to be containing valuables. We are inquiring from residents living close to the canal about finding of a suitcase.” The mystery behind the disappearance unfolded when Tajinder Singh, brother of Amanpal, who lives in Brampton in Canada, lodged a complaint with the Jagraon police a few days ago.

Tajinder stated that Amanpal came to India through a Brampton-based agent Robin alias Rob for formulating a contract marriage on December 16, 2011. The police said Amanpal came into contact with the accused persons through his NRI friend Hardeep.

On reaching Jagraon, Amanpal was made to stay in a hotel for a few days where he met prospective brides and their parents through the accused.

“But Amanpal was rejected by the girls whom he met for contract marriage during his stay in Jagraon. The family background of Amanpal as well as his physical stature foiled the marriage plans,” said DIG Farooqui.

After spending a few days at Jagraon, Kulwant Singh and Kamaljit Kaur arranged his stay at a hotel in Mullanpur Dakha where he met some other prospective brides and their family members, but he was again rejected due to same reasons. “The rejection drove Amanpal into depression. As he was a drug addict, he committed suicide by hanging himself with the ceiling hook on the night of January 24,” said SSP Ludhiana (Rural) Gurpreet Singh Toor.

The incident came to light the next morning when Amanpal did not open the door of his room till afternoon. After this, hotel employees Ram Bahadur and Captain Jaipal broke open the door and found the victim hanging with the ceiling hook.

They immediately informed hotel owner Gulshan Rai who further informed Kulwant Singh, Kamaljit Kaur and Aman. “Without wasting time, the four assembled in the hotel. They decided to dump the body as Gulshan Rai apprehended that informing the police would earn bad name for his hotel and cause unnecessary harassment,” said the SSP.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120510/punjab.htm#18

The Tribune – Restore Wakf Board to earlier form: Jamait

Chandigarh, May 6. The Jamait-e-Ulma Hind has demanded restoration of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh Wakf Board to its earlier form that existed before 2003.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Hazrat Maulana Arshad Madni, Jamait president, said the way Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal was advocating single Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for Punjab and Haryana, the Jamait also wanted that all these states be brought under single Wakf Board to effectively deal with problems of the Muslim community.

He demanded that instead of giving land for education and religious purposes on lease, the government should permanently transfer land in the name of the organisations concerned. He also demanded that encroachments on places related to the community be dismantled and further encroachments be checked.

He said in 2009, the Centre Wakf Board directed that the Punjab Wakf Board be reconstituted on the old pattern by bringing the boards of Punjab, Haryana, HP and Chandigarh under one umbrella. (TNS)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120507/punjab.htm#11

The Asian Age (Deccan Chronicle) – Haryana; Panchayat: No DJ, liquor at weddings

Tanveer Thakur

Chandigarh, 30 April 2012. With the intention to check alcoholism and DJs in marriages, which often leads to squabbles and fatal accidents, a village panchayat in Haryana has banned use of liquor and loud music in all marriage ceremonies taking place within the panchayat.

Padha village panchayat in Karnal district has decided to start this new precedent. In order to discourage people from following the practice of serving liquor and playing loud music, the panchyat has imposed a fine of Rs11,000 for any violator.

The purpose behind this new social norm is to change old mindsets and create a drug-free atmosphere for youngsters.

According to village sarpanch Ravinder, “There is no intention to encroach upon anybody’s space, but the purpose of the ban is to bring about healthy social practices. Many times, it has been found that youngsters after having drinks dance to loud and vulgar music and then pick up fights, we intend to stop all that at least in our panchayat.”

“At times, people have lost their lives during the brawls that take place in the marriages after consuming drinks, we don’t want such incidents to happen in our village,” he says.

The villagers here opine that serving of liquor encourage youngsters to take to drugs. The ban, in their opinion, would encourage young people to stay away from drugs.

“Our area is famous for producing sportsperson. We are known for our milk and ghee. There is no place for alcohol,” feels another villager Parminder.

The youngsters should burn their energies in sports rather then dancing to the blaring music and then behave like rowdies, he says.

http://www.asianage.com/india/panchayat-no-dj-liquor-weddings-526

The Tribune – Runaway couples cautioned; Think twice before ‘rebellion marriage’, says High Court

Saurabh Malik, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 12. Cautioning runaway couples against running down established social norms while racing towards the hymenal altar, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked them to “think twice” before according precedence to individual interests over that of society’s.

The assertion by Justice Rameshwar Singh Malik, aimed at easing tension between interests of individuals and a group as a whole, came while dealing with nearly a dozen protection petitions filed on a single day by runaway couples.

In one of the petitions, Kirti Goyal and another petitioner had sought directions to the State of Punjab and other respondents to protect their life and liberty on the ground that they “ had tried to persuade their parents and relatives, but in vain.”

Referring to Supreme Court judgments on the right to life and liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, Justice Malik asserted: “It is equally important to note that freedom of the individual is not absolute, but subject to the established and time-tested social norms of a civilised society.

“Co-existence of freedom of the individual and social control is sine-qua-non (an essential element or condition) for sustainable progress of society and this is also an integral part of our Constitutional philosophy.

“Therefore, though the petitioners are entitled to protection to their life and liberty in the given facts and circumstances of the case, but at the same time, it is also expected of them and other young citizens like them that before running away from their homes for performing this type of rebellion marriage, they must think twice, besides, listening carefully to their parents who are not their enemies, but genuine well- wishera.”

Justice Malik also said: “Let us welcome the dynamic social change and evolution, but only subject to the social control and moral values which are centuries old and have not lost their shine even today ”.

Before parting with the orders in almost all the cases on the issue, Justice Malik said: “It is also made clear that this order shall not entitle the petitioners for any protection against their arrest or continuance of any criminal proceedings, if they are found involved in the commission of any cognisable offence…”

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120413/punjab.htm#11