Chandigarh : Keeping its commitment to Jats, the Haryana Government began the process of withdrawing cases registered against them in connection with arson and violence during the 2016 pro-reservation agitation that left 31 persons dead.

Sources say the Home Department has sent off a directive to Deputy Commissioners of seven worst-affected districts for withdrawing 398 cases that are at various levels of investigation or trial.

Since the trial is in progress in district courts, the Deputy Commissioners will write to District Attorneys to move applications for withdrawal.

The state government is empowered under Section 321 of the CrPC to withdraw cases before a judgment is pronounced, but the final decision rests with the court.
Sources say the Home Department had, in June last year, written to the DCs for withdrawing 137 cases. Two more directives were issued — one in February to withdraw 81 cases and another in March for taking back 180 cases.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) SS Prasad confirmed the DCs had been directed to withdraw cases. But he added, “We have no power to withdraw cases being handled by central agencies.”

About 2,100 cases were registered for the 2016 agitation, he added.
Sources say most of the cases being withdrawn pertain to violence, road blockades and hampering government officials from doing their duty.

The Haryana Police Department, though actively involved in deliberations involving the withdrawal of cases, is tight-lipped about the fate of the remaining cases or the nature of crime in cases being withdrawn.

The police top brass chose to keep mum when asked for details of cases being withdrawn as also those which had been decided by the court. All they said was details of the cases were “very dynamic and keep on changing, making it impossible to provide data”.

The BJP government, which has repeatedly assured to the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) of withdrawing cases, has finally taken the first step in honouring its word, while the Police Department keep the details close to their chest.
This is probably because the HC is monitoring several cases of the 2016 violence and the government, by divulging details about withdrawn cases, does not want to get a rap by the court, sources say.

Yashpal Malik, AIJASS president, said withdrawing cases was not enough. “We will hold a meeting in April-end to decide the future course of action since the promises of reservation under the OBC category and jobs to relatives of those who died during the course of dharnas are unfulfilled,” he said.

Lucknow : Atul Singh, brother of BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, has been arrested in connection with the death of Unnao rape victim's father in jail. Three other people have also been arrested.

The father of an 18-year-old woman who claimed she was raped by Kuldeep Singh and his brothers died in custody here on Monday, prompting the victim to charge that he was killed inside jail at the behest of the lawmaker.

Pappu Singh, around 50, was rushed to a hospital from the district jail last night and died during treatment on Monday morning.

After her father's death, the gang-rape victim alleged that he was "killed at the behest of the BJP MLA" inside the jail.

"We were getting threats and they killed my father," she told reporters.
Pappu was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act after he was allegedly beaten up by Anil Singh, the MLA's brother.

The victim tried to immolate herself near the chief minister's residence in Lucknow on Friday, claiming she was raped by the BJP MLA and his brothers.
The immolation bid was, however, foiled by the police.

Sengar represents the Bangermau constituency in Unnao district, around 90 km from the state capital.
The police inspector said the girl was made to appear before Rajiv Krishan, the Additional Director General of Police, Lucknow, who ordered a probe by the Lucknow police.

When contacted, Sengar refuted the allegations against him and said: "It is a conspiracy hatched by my political opponents to tarnish my image and damage my reputation...I have no problem with any probe. Let a probe be conducted, and the guilty be given the stringent punishment. If I am found guilty in the probe, I am ready to face punishment".

Mumbai : At least 18 labourers were killed and 15 others injured when a speeding truck overturned in western Maharashtra’s Satara district in the early hours on Tuesday, a police official said.

The condition of three of the injured labourers was reported to be critical, he said.
The police suspect that the driver “dozed off” and lost control of the vehicle while managing a difficult turn, leading to the accident.

The truck, carrying construction labourers from Bijapur district in Karnataka, was going towards Pune when it met with the accident around 4.30 am on Mumbai-Bengaluru highway passing through the district, around 250 km from here, Satara’s Superintendent of Police Sandeep Patil said.

“After crossing the Khambatki ghat section, there is a difficult turning of ‘S’ shape. It is an accident-prone spot. The truck driver probably dozed off and lost control over the vehicle, as a result of which the vehicle hit a barricade and overturned,” he said.
At least 18 labourers died, while 15 others sustained injuries, he said.

The labourers, carrying heavy and sharp equipment, were heading to a construction site in Pune, Patil said.

“They were carrying some sharp and heavy equipment in the truck. When the vehicle overturned, the equipment fell on the labourers. Many of them died due to head injuries caused by the equipment,” the SP said.

On being informed, the Khandala police rushed to the spot and took all the victims to the Satara Civil Hospital, he said.

Three of the injured labourers were reported to be in a critical condition, he said.
The bodies were sent for post-mortem and the process to identify the deceased was on, the police added.

Rohtak : Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced several sops for traders, including a free-of-cost accidental insurance cover, a scheme to compensate traders for the loss of stock or building, ownership right for legally occupied shops and rebate on collector rate for the registry of shops.

He made the announcement at a state-level convention here.

Under the free insurance scheme, the family of the trader will get Rs5 lakh in the event of his death in an accident. The insurance premium will be paid by the Traders Welfare Board and the state government. The traders, who get themselves registered with the board, will benefit from the scheme. District-level committees will be constituted under the board.

Khattar said traders would also be compensated for their losses of stock and buildings ranging from Rs5 lakh to Rs25 lakh. “Shopkeepers legally occupying shops for more than 20 years will get registered ownership of the units.”

A rebate of 20 per cent would be given to traders for the registry of their shops, he said, adding CCTV cameras would be installed at all market as well as mandis across the state.

Firing salvos at the previous governments in the state, the Chief Minister pointed out that traders were threatened and money was extorted from them at the behest of criminals lodged in jails under the patronage of then ruling parties, while the BJP government had created a trade-friendly environment in the state.

Khattar said that unlike the previous (Congress) government, when corrupt practices were rampant in the grant of change of land use (CLU) permissions, the power to grant CLUs had been decentralised by his government.

“Haryana was at number 14 in the ease of doing business when the BJP assumed power in 2014. In 2016, it jumped to the sixth position. At present, it is at number two. The government is striving for the top position,” he said.

Traders Welfare Board chairman Gopal Sharan Garg apprised the Chief Minister of the demands of the trading community.

Unnao : The father of a woman, who had alleged that she was raped by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and his accomplices, died in police custody, on Monday.
The woman's father was arrested on Sunday after the family attempted suicide outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's Lucknow residence.

"The man was admitted to the hospital on Sunday night after he complained of abdominal pain and vomiting. He passed away early on Monday. He was admitted to the hospital by the police,” said Dr Atul, District hospital, Unnao.

However, the relatives alleged that he was murdered in the jail by Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the BJP MLA from Unnao named as accused by the rape victim.

The woman and her family alleged that she was raped by the BJP MLA and his fellow accomplices, but no action was taken.

The victim also said that she and her family were threatened after they had filed an FIR, which the Police had registered after stalling it for a year.

The family alleged that the MLA's brother had thrashed the woman's father on April 3 for refusing to cancel the FIR, but the police booked the father instead, and locked him up for a period of one year.

When contacted, Sengar refuted the allegations against him and said, "It is a conspiracy hatched by my political opponents to tarnish my image and damage my reputation...I have no problem with any probe. Let a probe be conducted, and the guilty be given the stringent punishment. If I am found guilty in the probe, I am ready to face punishment." 

Meanwhile, six police personnel have been suspended and four accused were arrested for allegedly beating up a rape victim's father here.

“Two police officers and four constables have been suspended, while four accused of beating the rape victim's father have been arrested,” said Unnao Superintendent of Police (SP), Pushpanjali Devi.