Life term for seven
FARIDABAD, March 3 — Mr P L Goyal, Additional District and Sessions Judge, today sentenced seven persons — Chanderpal, Nepal, Omprakash, Rakesh, Shiv Kumar, Sunder Singh and Anangpal — to life imprisonment for murdering Megh Shyam in 1996. Both the accused and the victim belonged to Sotai village.

'Give priority to senior citizens'
YAMUNANAGAR, March 3 — The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajiv Sharma, has directed all head of departments in the district to be more polite and courteous towards senior citizens.

Two arrested for dowry death
FATEHABAD, March 3 — The mother-in-law and sister-in-law of a deceased woman were arrested in connection with her alleged murder at Nangla village, in this district yesterday.

Teachers to launch signature campaign
YAMUNANAGAR, March 3 — School teachers will soon start a signature campaign to impress upon the government to accept their genuine demands immediately.

Hooda mourns Amba's death

Holi festivities claim two lives
From Tribune Reporters

ROHTAK, March 3 — Two persons were murdered during the Holi celebrations in the district yesterday. Barring these incidents the festival of colour was celebrated with enthusiasm.

Ajit Singh, son of Daryao Singh, was stabbed to death at Ghilore village allegedly by four brothers of the same village while playing Holi.

The body of Surinder (25) was found by the police from near the Gurunanand school at Quilla Mohalla here. He was allegedly killed with sharp-edged weapons. No arrest has been made so far in both the cases.

One person reportedly lost his right eye during the Holi celebrations at Singhpura village. A thick rope hit him in the eye while he was being chased by women during the celebrations.

Few unidentified miscreants snatched gold-chain and cash from women returning after performing Holi pooja near the Gaur Brahmin school here.

No untoward incident was reported from any part of the adjoining Jhajjar district during the Holi celebrations. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, said that the festival passed off peacefully.

SONEPAT: One person was killed and 13 injured, one of them seriously, during the Holi celebrations in this city and other parts of the district yesterday.

According to reports Rajbir of Khewra village assaulted his neighbour with an iron rod who sustained serious head injuries. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital here where from he was sent to the medical college hospital at Rohtak for further treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries there.

The police has arrested the alleged assailant and a case has been registered under Section 304, IPC against him.

According to another report, Karamvir of Garhi Brahmanan village sustained bullet injuries when he was fired at by Kartar Singh of the same village after some altercations during the Holi celebrations yesterday.

The police has arrested the alleged assailant under Section 307 IPC, and further investigations were in progress.

In the city, about 12 persons were injured in minor incidents of hooliganism and all of them were discharged from the Civil Hospital after first-aid.

HISAR: Holi was celebrated in the town and its adjoining areas with enthusiasm on Tuesday. Almost all markets and commercial centres were closed and the roads deserted as public transport went off the roads till afternoon. Reports from Hansi, Adampur and other towns in the district also informed of Holi being celebrated peacefully.

REWARI: Lakhs of devotees from various parts of Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and several other states visited the annual fair held in memory of saint Baba Mohan Dass at historical temple at Bharawas village, seven km from here on the occasion of Holi and Dhulendi festival on March 2 and 3.

BHIWANI: Holi was celebrated with gulal, abir and water colours here. People enjoyed bhang kulfi and bhang on the occasion. A Holi milan function was held at Ram Kunj where the Minister of State for home, Mr Ram Bhajan Aggarwal, welcomed the people.

Hooda mourns Amba's death

INLD will back 'independent' govt
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 3 — The President of the Indian National Lok Dal, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, said here today that his party would support any government at the Centre if it is not led either by the Congress or by the BJP.

Talking to newsmen Mr Chautala, however, made it clear that his party would have no objection in extending support to such a non-Congress or non-BJP government even if it was supported by either party or even if the either party joined the government.

Mr Chautala said the Lok Dal had extended its unconditional support to the Vajpayee Government in national interest and to keep the Congress away from power. The party withdrew its support when the Vajpayee Government refused to rollback anti-poor and anti-farmer measures taken by it. He said: "The BJP misconstrued our support as a surrender."

In future his party would not enter into an alliance with either the BJP or the BSP. "We will strengthen our organisation and will prefer to enter into an alliance with the voters to form the government on our own," he added.

Explaining why his party opposed the resolution ratifying the imposition of President's rule in Bihar in the Lok Sabha, Mr Chautala said when many of the BJP allies had demanded the abrogation of Article 356, his party had supported its retention in the Constitution. He said it was his party's considered opinion that if Article 356 was abrogated the states would become autonomous, leading to balkanisation of the country.

He said the Lok Dal opposed Central rule in Bihar because the BJP Government had misused Article 356 in Bihar for political considerations. Law and order situation in Haryana was worse than that in Bihar. The Lok Dal had even given a memorandum to the Home Minister in this regard and yet the Centre did not intervene in Haryana. His party voted against the resolution because it was against "double standards" of the BJP.

Answering a question Mr Chautala said the Opposition would continue its efforts to dislodge the Bansi Lal Government. "God willing, the next endeavour in this regard will be successful because earlier we required the support of 12 MLAs but now we need only one more MLA because 11 HVP MLAs have already taken a pledge to dislodge Mr Bansi Lal," he said.

The INLD chief criticised the BJP for not solving the river waters dispute between Punjab and Haryana and for not taking any steps for the completion of the SYL Canal to bring Haryana's share of river waters from Punjab, though the BJP was in power at the Centre, as well as in the two states.

Describing the Union Budget as "an effort by the BJP to please the World Bank and the IMF," Mr Chautala said the reduction in the import duty would ruin the domestic industry. The Budget was anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-employee and anti-small trader.

He said the proposed rally by his party in Delhi on March 6 in protest against the hike in the prices of urea, PDS items and cooking gas would be a historic one. A former Prime Minister, Mr H.D. Deve Gowda, had been invited to speak at the rally.

Cong Jind rally unnerved Chautala
Tribune News Service

HISAR, March 3 — The last minute volte face by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, on the issue of President's rule in Bihar is being viewed in context of growing pressure on him from within the party and a visibly eroding support base. Mr Chautala is now pinning hopes on his party's March 6 rally being organised at Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi.

For past one year, the INLD, despite its good performance in parliamentary elections, has been finding itself at the crossroads. It had extended unconditional support to the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre "in the national interest". But moreso, with a definite view that, the BJP might ditch the HVP in Haryana for the INLD. The things did not take expected turn for Mr Chautala.

Since the INLD had nowhere to go, it continued to side with the Vajpayee government. The party seemed to have reconciled to its fate. But the Jind rally organised by the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, rather Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on March 13 has caused concern among the rank and file of the INLD. The instant plan to hold a farmers' rally on March 6, was a political rejoinder to the Congress rally.

Mr Chautala, reportedly is not just banking upon its cadre for the success of the March 6 rally, but also on the dissidents within the PCC. The subtle understanding between the Bhajan Lal faction and the INLD is understandable. They may not have any common goal, but they definitely have a common enemy in Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. While for Bhajan Lal he is posing a tough challenge for controlling the PCC, for Mr Chautala, he is proving to be the alternative Jat leader, with considerable clout and influence.

INLD sources pointed out that Mr Chautala did not want to oppose the Bill on the ratification of President's rule in Bihar. He had, on several occasions, made it clear that he neither wanted the fall of the Vajpayee government nor would he let it fall. Moreover, he had also clarified that he would not like or let the Congress to form government at the Centre and his party would also support all those Bills, which would be in the interests of the farmers and the weaker sections of the society.

But, he was reportedly pressurised by some senior leaders of the party to spell out his position vis-a-vis BJP led coalition government at the Centre in clear term. This group of leaders was of the opinion that the ambiguous stand taken by the INLD on the issue was cutting into the support base of the party and was benefiting the Congress.

Now having taken a clear stand against the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre and also having maintained a distance from the Congress, the INLD hopes that it may be able to mobilise the farmers for March 6 rally.

Life term for seven
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, March 3 — Mr P L Goyal, Additional District and Sessions Judge, today sentenced seven persons — Chanderpal, Nepal, Omprakash, Rakesh, Shiv Kumar, Sunder Singh and Anangpal — to life imprisonment for murdering Megh Shyam in 1996. Both the accused and the victim belonged to Sotai village.

They were also ordered to undergo prison sentence for two years under Section 148, IPC, six months under Section 323 IPC, one year under Section 324, IPC and two years under Sections 325 and 452, IPC.

According to prosecution, on July 11, 1996, the accused along with Rajender, Jeeta, Bhisham and Devinder entered the house of Man Singh and shot dead Megh Shyam and injured Man Singh, Surender and Gian Singh. The motive behind the incident was the revenge for kidnapping, rape and murder of Asha, sister of Sunder Singh by Surender and others.

Rajender, Jeeta Bhisham and Devinder were acquitted.

The accused were also fined Rs 1 lakh which would be given to the parents of Megh Shyam.

Mr Goyal directed the Superintendent of Police to take appropriate action against the investigating officer, ASI Ram Avtar, in this case. The ASI had shown the recovery of a country-made pistol from the possession of one of the accused, Jeeta on July 15, 1996 during the investigation and according to the police, Jeeta had also used this pistol in firing shots upon the deceased Megh Shyam. Strangely enough this pistol was found to be already examined in case FIR number 325 of 1989 under Section 395, IPC police station Sadar Palwal.

Mr Goyal thus observed that this crude padding was resorted to by ASI Ram Avtar so as to falsely implicate Jeeta in this case and this false plantation could not be taken lightly because if undetected the same could result into conviction of Jeeta under Section 302, IPC. Direction was, therefore, issued to the Superintendent of Police, Faridabad, for taking appropriate departmental action against ASI Ram Avtar.

Two arrested for dowry death
Tribune News Service

FATEHABAD, March 3 — The mother-in-law and sister-in-law of a deceased woman were arrested in connection with her alleged murder at Nangla village, in this district yesterday.

According to Mr Rajbir Deswal, the district police chief, Nand Lal, a resident of Patan village in Hisar district, had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that his sister, Sunita, had been killed by her in-laws for dowry.

Sunita was married to Krishan Kumar a resident of Patan village. The complainant had named Sunita's mother-in-law, Shanti and sister-in-law, Chhabili, besides her husband in his report.

The police had registered a case under Sections 498A, 304B and 34 of the IPC and had arrested Shanti and Chhabili in this connection.

'Give priority to senior citizens'
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, March 3 — The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajiv Sharma, has directed all head of departments in the district to be more polite and courteous towards senior citizens.

Prof S.P. Rana (retd), spokesperson and Executive Member of the Senior Citizens Council (regd), Yamunanagar and Jagadhri, said here on Monday that a delegation led by Mr R.K. Jain, president and Lt-Col Jaswant Singh (retd), general secretary, of the council and other members met the Deputy Commissioner and demanded due respect and priority for the senior citizens.

The meeting on Monday was addressed by Mr Ajaib Singh, Regional Senior Programme Adviser, "Helpage India", Chandigarh. He felt deeply concerned over the increasing number of senior citizens and attributed this to factors like family planning and average span of life. He explained various projects being undertaken by "Helpage India".

Teachers to launch signature campaign
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, March 3 — School teachers will soon start a signature campaign to impress upon the government to accept their genuine demands immediately.

Mr Mohan Lal Bhardwaj, district president of the Haryana Rajkiya Adhyapak Sangh, in a press release here has said they will launch an agitation if their demands are not accepted immediately.

Mr Bhardwaj said the signature campaign would be completed on April 15. He said 35,000 teachers would join the campaign. Afterwards a signed memorandum would be handed over to the President of India.

Their main demands include bonus to all teachers, regularisation of the services of those teachers who have completed two years in services etc.

Hooda mourns Amba's death
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 3 — The Haryana Congress President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has mourned the death of Ram Prakash Amba, younger brother of Mr Chuni Lal Amba, permanent secretary of the party, who died here yesterday.

Mr Amba (45) is survived by his wife and a son.