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Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: STF orders chargesheet against 2 senior doctors for dip in sex ratio
The special task force (STF) of the Haryana health department, set up to improve the state's sex ratio, on Tuesday decided to chargesheet the former chief medical officer (CMO) of Charkhi Dadri, Dr Rajvinder Malik, for 'persistent non-performance' in duties related to sex ratio monitoring, a government spokesperson said. Directions were also issued for a similar action against Dr M Nehra, officiating SMO of CHC-Gopi, Bhiwani, due to low sex ratio in his jurisdiction. The STF meeting held here focused on intensifying the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign. (HT Photo) The STF meeting held here focused on intensifying the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign and increasing efforts to curb illegal abortions and further improving the state's sex ratio at birth (SRB), which stood at 906 girls per 1,000 males on June 23 against the annual SRB of 910 recorded in December 2024. The STF, headed by additional chief secretary (ACS-Health) Sudhir Rajpal, also directed close monitoring of 'SAHELIs' associated with pregnant women, especially in cases where abortions have been reported. The spokesperson said that the ACS (health) ordered strict surveillance of community health centres (CHCs) and instructed that senior medical officers' (SMOs) accountability be fixed in areas where illegal abortions are being reported. The STF also ordered cancellation of the registration of an AYUSH doctor in Kharkhoda, Sonipat, against whom an FIR has been filed over illegal abortion practices. The ACS (health) further directed that any woman arriving at a hospital with bleeding symptoms must undergo reverse tracking and be tested for consumption of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) pills. 'If any violation of the law is detected, appropriate legal action must be taken without delay,' Rajpal said. Between June 17 and June 23, at least 28 inspections were carried out across the state to check the illegal sale of MTP kits. One shop was sealed and two FIRs were registered. The number of wholesalers selling MTP kits has come down from 32 to 3, and a significant decline in MTP kit sales was reported in 15 districts. The ACS directed officials to ramp up raids on ultrasound and MTP centres and increase birth registration drives, particularly in Charkhi Dadri district, where targeted interventions are needed. He also emphasised the need to expand the 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign to urban areas. Officials were instructed to identify SAHELIs who have played a key role in ensuring the successful delivery of girl children. These SAHELIs will be incentivised by the respective CMOs to recognise their efforts and encourage greater community participation in this important cause.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Latest in crackdown to improve SRB: FIRs against former CMO, senior medical officer
Gurgaon: The health department on Tuesday initiated penal and disciplinary action against its officials in Charkhi Dadri and Bhiwani for poor performance in improving sex-ratio at birth (SRB), and cancelled the registration of an AYUSH practitioner in Sonipat for allegedly facilitating illegal abortions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Officials said cases under sections Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act were registered against a former chief medical officer (CMO) of Charkhi Dadri and a senior medical officer (SMO) in Bhiwani after inspections showed that SRB in the areas under these officials was low. Another FIR was registered and the registration of an AYUSH practitioner in Sonipat's Kharkhoda was cancelled for alleged involvement in illegal abortions. The directions – the latest measures announced by Haryana govt to improve SRB -- were issued in a weekly meeting of the state task force (STF) headed by additional chief secretary (health) Sudhir Rajpal in Chandigarh on Tuesday. The STF was formed to crack down on any illegal practices that worsen Haryana's SRB. Last year, thirteen out of Haryana's 22 districts reported a drop in the number of girls born per 1,000 boys, bringing the state's overall SRB down to 910 — the lowest since 2016. ACS Rajpal, at the meeting on Tuesday, directed health officials to ensure strict surveillance at ultrasound and abortion centres, fix accountability on SMOs in low-performing areas and intensify reverse tracking in cases where women report to hospitals with bleeding symptoms, a possible indicator of unregistered abortions. The STF meeting also focused on facilitating awareness programmes under the central govt's Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign in urban areas. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rajpal directed officials to involve district administrations and RWAs in outreach programmes, and said CMOs can deploy staffers to organise campaigns in parks and other community spaces. "In addition, urban local bodies will be actively involved in efforts to curb illegal abortions. For this purpose, nodal officers from ULBs will be appointed to support awareness initiatives. Further, postgraduate students of social and preventive medicine in medical colleges will be engaged in urban areas to strengthen community awareness and outreach efforts," said Rajpal. The health department, between June 17 and 23, carried out 28 inspections across the state to curb illegal sale of abortion kits. It sealed one shop in Gurgaon and filed two cases for illegal sale. In April this year, the govt revoked registrations of 300 abortion centres and initiated action against over a dozen officials. These centres did not send weekly data on abortions and did not disclose reasons for allowing termination of pregnancy in some cases. Govt has also directed districts to register pregnancies and investigate any abortions beyond 12 weeks.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Now, cybercrime branch to monitor social media
Kolkata: Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma issued a directive on Monday transferring a bulk of social media surveillance responsibilities from the STF to the cybercrime branch of Lalbazar and the divisional cybercrime units, implementing round-the-clock monitoring of online activities. A new joint CP (cyber) is set to take charge soon, sources said. The STF will continue to monitor and track anti-India terror activities on the internet. The directive outlines comprehensive measures for monitoring social media platforms, including surveillance of communally sensitive posts, hate speech, and misinformation. The change comes following recent incidents where social media posts triggered law and order situations in various parts of the state. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ahead of polls, Bihar police gear up to check live bullets, illegal arms
With elections approaching, the fear of use of arms looms large in Bihar. In order to curb this menace, the Bihar police have sprung to action by scanning arms licences, controlling illegal arms, cracking down on manufacturing units of such arms and even reining in illegal possession of live cartridges. According to the National Database of Arms Licenses-Arms License Issuance System (NDAL-ALIS) portal Bihar has 82,326 firearms holders and 77,479 active arms licences. (Sourced Pic) In a latest catch, sleuths of Bihar's Special Task Force (STF) on Monday arrested six people, including a notorious arms smuggler and two women from two separate places, and seized a huge cache of ammunition from them, officials said. The joint team of STF, Nalanda and Kaimur police recovered 4,536 live cartridges of different bores, including those used in Self Loading Rifles. This huge recovery is significant because these cartridges can't be manufactured locally and are always stolen or smuggled. A senior police officer confirmed that the bullets were brought from outside as only illegal arms manufacturing units could be established locally and sophisticated cartridges could not be produced by local manufacturers. He said that it warrants a thorough check on entry of such cartridges into the state. 'The check on illegal cartridges would automatically bring down the cases of murder, attempt to murder, celebratory firing, extortion as well as illegal gun manufacturing units. In 2024 alone, Bihar police recovered 17,000 live cartridges and 3,600 illegal firearms, which could have found their way into the wrong hands,' he added. According to the National Database of Arms Licenses-Arms License Issuance System (NDAL-ALIS) portal Bihar has 82,326 firearms holders and 77,479 active arms licences. The move is significant as Bihar ranks only second behind Uttar Pradesh in seeing deaths due to bullet injuries. 'In 2024, 80% of the 2,700 murders that took place in the state were attributed to bullets. Once the availability of live cartridges will be checked, such instances will come down,' the official added. A senior officer of the police headquarters informed that a meeting of chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena with district magistrates and superintendents of police was held recently to ramp up arms verification exercise before assembly election and ascertain if the license holders were permanent residents of the state or not and if they were fit enough to carry arms. 'The authorities have also been asked to find out the annual purchase of cartridges. The gun shops will also be under scanner, as there have been growing instances of use of firearms in celebratory firing, particularly in Central Bihar and Shahabad region,' said ADG (headquarters) Kundan Krishnan. Krishna said that the STF in its investigation found that there were 141 gun shops registered in the state and out of which 30 did not even open. 'The license of such shops will be cancelled,' he added. Maintaining that there had been growing instances of firing in neighbourhood disputes, the ADG said that the police headquarters has submitted a proposal as to why the cost of cartridges should not be doubled to check their rampant misuse. 'At present .315 bore cartridges are available at ₹ 175-200. If the cost is fixed at ₹ 400 and instead of a quota of 200 bullets to a license holder, it is fixed at 50, with a provision that for additional supply empty cartridges would have to be deposited, the proclivity to open fire at one's whims and fancy would be significantly checked and that would also cut down the requirement of arms,' he added. As per the new proposal, an arms licence holder would get only 25 bullets at a time and the next lot of 25 would be given only after submission of 25 empty cartridges. 'The arms licence holder, if required, might also be asked about its usage,' said the official. The ADG said that .32 bore, 9MM and 7.65 bore are prohibited cartridges produced in ordnance factories and used by the army, paramilitary and state police only. 'To control their use also, we will correspond with the concerned departments so that proper stock verification could be done. In Bihar, arms licenses from Nagaland and J&K are also banned. The district magistrates are the licensing authority for arms. All individual arms licences not uploaded on the NDAL-ALIS portal, developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, are considered invalid, as per the rules,' he added. Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena said the state government is implementing changes to firearms licensing regulations to strengthen gun control measures.
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Time of India
Most wanted gangster Romil Vohra killed in encounter, 10 arrested: Joint STF Haryana & Delhi special cell operation
KURUKSHETRA : In a major breakthrough against organized crime, Haryana Police's Special Task Force (STF), in collaboration with Delhi Police 's Special Cell, eliminated notorious gangster Romil Vohra in an early morning encounter on the Delhi-Gurugram-Faridabad route on Tuesday. Vohra, carrying a bounty of Rs 3 lakh on his head, was wanted in several high-profile criminal cases, including triple murder case of Yamunanagar and targeted killings. Addressing a press conference at the Kurukshetra SP Office, STF SP Vikrant Bhushan and Kurukshetra SP Nitish Aggarwal detailed the high-stakes operation. Romil Vohra, of Ashok Vihar, Yamunanagar, had been evading arrest for a long time. He was believed to be planning a major crime in northern Haryana and Delhi when police acted on a tip-off. Joint operation and deadly encounter You Can Also Check: Chandigarh AQI | Weather in Chandigarh | Bank Holidays in Chandigarh | Public Holidays in Chandigarh The SPs shared that the STF central unit, led by sub-inspector (SI) Rakesh Kumar, in coordination with the STF Karnal unit, swiftly shared intelligence with Delhi Police's counter intelligence special cell. Acting on the information, inspector Manjeet Singh of Delhi Police and his team launched a joint operation with STF Haryana. Police barricaded routes leading from Gurugram and Faridabad towards Delhi in the early hours, they said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Eat 1 Teaspoon Every Night, See What Happens A Week Later [Video] getfittoday Undo During the interception, Romil Vohra opened fire at the police. In the retaliatory action, STF SI Rohan and Delhi Special Cell SI Praveen sustained injuries, as did Romil Vohra. All three were rushed to the hospital, where Romil was declared dead. The injured officers are under treatment and in stable condition, said the STF SP Bhushan. Romil Vohra: A hardcore criminal Romil Vohra was a listed most-wanted gangster involved in at least eight heinous cases, including the Kheri Lakha Singh triple murder (on December 26, 2024) of Yamunanagar district involving disputes over liquor business and the recent murder (on June 13, 2025) of liquor contractor Shantanu in Shahabad, Kurukshetra district. The STF SP said Vohra's criminal activities included planned murders, illegal arms supply, organized violence, and gang operations across state lines. He had long eluded arrest, and his neutralization marks a significant win for law enforcement agencies, the SP said. STF nabs 10 in Shantanu murder case In another success, STF teams from Ambala and Karnal, under the supervision of DSP Aman Kumar, arrested 10 individuals linked to the Shantanu murder case. The accused played active roles in the murder conspiracy, reconnaissance, shooting, and logistical/financial support. While five were arrested earlier last week, the remaining five were apprehended on June 23 and 24. All ten have been presented before the court and are under police remand. "Criminals must choose: Leave crime or leave Haryana" SP Vikrant Bhushan emphasized the STF's ongoing commitment to dismantling criminal networks in the state. 'This operation is part of a sustained campaign against organized crime. As per the directions of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, we are taking strict action. Criminals now have only two choices—give up crime or leave Haryana,' he said. Warning to youth: Stay away from gangsters' social media Kurukshetra SP Nitish Aggarwal issued a strong advisory to youth, urging them not to follow or engage with gangsters on social media. "Following or glorifying criminals online sends a dangerous message and can lead to legal consequences," he cautioned. He added that anyone found promoting or engaging with gangster-related content would be subject to strict action under the law. A message of zero tolerance This high-profile encounter and mass arrests underscore Haryana STF's no-tolerance stance against crime. With intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency coordination, authorities reaffirm their commitment to law, order, and the safety of citizens.
