Firing in Vienna, fires in Punjab

Two persons were killed and more than a dozen injured in violence across Punjab and parts of Haryana today after Sant Ramanand of Dera Sachkhand, injured in an attack in Vienna on Sunday, died in hospital. Angry Dera followers took to the streets, torching at least 11 train coaches and an engine, stoning buses, blocking traffic and clashing with police at several places.

The Army was called out in in Jalandhar, Phagwara and Hoshiarpur — curfew was imposed in the three cities and in Ludhiana — and placed on standby elsewhere. Cable operators were told to stop telecast of channels beaming pictures of the violence in Jalandhar.

Firing was reported from several places in Punjab as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal appealed for peace.

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Alleging rape by cops who held husband for theft, woman ends life at police headquarters

After two months of struggle for justice, a 25-year-old woman who was allegedly raped by two policemen committed suicide at the Haryana police headquarters in Panchkula today.

Sarita, 25, came from Rohtak with her daughters, five-year-old Muskan and three-year-old Heena, submitted a written complaint to the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) V B Singh and committed suicide in his office.

She was allegedly raped by head constable Balraj Singh and constable Silk Ram of Rohtak crime branch on April 10. She had complained that the police refused to register a case and harassed her instead.

“It was around 12.10 pm that Sarita came to the Police headquarters along with her two daughters. She was the third one in the queue to meet me in my office. The moment her turn came, she gave a written application alleging that she was raped by head constable Balraj Singh and constable Silk Ram on April 10.

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