Kalasa: Forest officer assaults guard; video goes viral
Kalasa, February 14: An incident of a senior forest officer abusing and assaulting his subordinate for not signing on an unknown file containing fake mahazar documents on regularization of land under Akrama-Sakrama scheme, occurred at the town forest department office here on Thursday.
It is said that forest officer M Veerabhadra of Balehole branch of Kalasa Range of the department assaulted Balehole beat forest guard Keerthan and a video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
A resident of Balehole in Kalasa hobli applied for cultivation deeds of bagair hukum land under 94C. To issue cultivation deed, the forest department was asked for mahazar report. But forest officer Veerabhadra prepared a fake mahazar report on the land and forced forest guard Keerthan to sign the document without showing the report as it required his signature. But Keerthan said that he would not sign file without seeing the report and the documents. Enraged over this, Veerabhadra abused Keerthan with foul language in the office and assaulted him physically, it is said.
Now, the video clip of this incident has gone viral in social media and netizens expressed their anger against the forest officer. It was recorded in the video that the officer was forcing Keerthan to sign the file, while Keerthan declining to sign it. Scenes like pulling the guard, abusing and assaulting him and forcing him to give in writing that he would not sign the file were recorded in the video. Sources said that the incident has reached the higher officers of the department. Though no complaint was lodged against the incident, the higher officers have asked RFO Ravikumar to give a report on the incident, sources said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
