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Illicit relations lead man to
commit double murder LUDHIANA To cap it all, he became complainant in both cases. It was a chance clue, given by an eye-witness to the alleged accident of the father-in-law, that led the police to the real brain behind the two deaths. The police has arrested the accused Jagmohan Kumar, a resident of Shimla Puri area in the colony. According to Mr Parmod Ban, SP (city-two), the two other alleged conspirators in the crime, Sonia, a sister of the wife of the accused, and Aasa
Rani, the accused’s mother-in-law, would be arrested shortly. The interesting but disturbing case revolves around the alleged illicit relations between the accused Jagmohan Kumar and Sonia . According to Mr Parmod Ban and Mr Balwinder Singh Sekhon, the former was married to Rajni Devi, daughter of Shiv Lal, and used to live in Shimla Puri in the city. Sonia, sister of Rajni, was married to Ashok Kumar and lived in Delhi. However, after some time Jagmohan and Sonia came close and developed illicit relations. The accused Jagmohan has admitted to the police that he and Sonia wanted to live together and considered Sonia’s husband as an obstacle in the way. Conspiring together, Jagmohan killed Ashok Kumar in cold blood and dumped his body near Talli Wallah
Chowk. Later, he reported to the police that Ashok Kumar had died in an accident. The focal point police registered a case of accidental death and the matter was almost forgotten. However, as they say, evil cannot be kept in wraps for long, Shiv Lal the accused’s father-in-law got the wind of the whole episode. Family members also knew about the closeness between the accused and Sonia. Later, Jagmohan brought Sonia from Delhi to the city and bought her a house in
Haibowal. He also bore the expenses of her boarding and lodging. The father-in-law used to drink a lot and even began speaking openly about the relations and the murder after drinking a few pegs. The police said that considering him as a threat, Jagmohan egged on, interestingly by her mother-in-law, killed Shiv Lal with iron pipes. He then dumped the body on a roadside and reported to the police that it was an accident. However, as fate would have it, an eye-witness also saw a motor cycle passing from near the body which was found later. He could see some part of the motor cycle number but reported it was brand new. The police traced the number of all new motor cycles in the area and found that the son-in-law, too, had a motor cycle of similar make and almost the same number. Further inquiries from the residents of the area and the relatives led the police to the accused. |
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Avtar cremated; fresh FIR lodged LUDHIANA The police has formed a three-member committee for expediting the arrest of the alleged culprits and speedy disposal of the case. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu, and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Kuldip Singh, have assured the public of impartial handling of the case. In a hurriedly convened press conference here last late evening, they denied reports of any tampering with the post-mortem report. Expressing sympathies with the aggrieved family the officers said that the guilty would be brought to book shortly. Sources in the Police Department revealed that the arrest of some of the accused was imminent as the police has rounded up certain persons close to them. Two of the accused (not Pinki) have sent feelers to the police expressing their desire to surrender. The Superintendent of Police (D), Mr Gurkirpal Singh, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Harmanbir Singh, and the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Gurmail Singh, are the members of the committee formed to look into the case. Meanwhile, tempers among the family members, relatives and friends cooled to some level today when the police decided to register a fresh FIR in the case. According to it, the main accused, Gurmeet Singh Pinki, has now been charged with firing the shot that hit Avtar Singh and ultimately caused his death. In the earlier FIR registered on the complaint of Mr Amrik Singh, father of the slain youth, Pinki was charged with firing a shot at the father while his gunman, Bittu Gill, was accused of injuring the deceased youth. The gunman has now been accused of injuring the father. According to the police, the father said that when he made the first statement he was not in a proper frame of mind and thus wanted the FIR to be rectified. Meanwhile, heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the house of the deceased youth. Wailing woman and sobbing men presented an unbearable sight. There was some delay in the cremation as anguish prevailed among the relatives and the residents. They were demanding registration of a fresh FIR. A large number of persons attended the funeral procession. Mr Sandhu and Mr Kuldip Singh attended the cremation. Shops in Ghumar Mandi, Maya Nagar and the adjoining areas remained closed for the first half of the day. The police had made elaborate security arrangements in the city, especially at Arti Chowk and Maya Nagar, to prevent any untoward incident. The cremation passed off peacefully and no untoward incident was reported. |
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Pinki was terror of colony LUDHIANA Those who could not afford to do so had altered the structure of their houses in a way that helped them avoid confrontation with the accused. Enquiries at the Maya Nagar colony showed that this harassment had been continuing for the past six months. The gates of the houses of Pinki’s neighbours had been closed and new ones had been opened on the other side. The neighbours had done this to avoid Pinki. Residents of the colony and some property dealers, on the condition of anonymity, said many residents of the colony had put their houses for sale recently because of Pinki’s terror. |
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Rural sport meet at Phallewal postponed LUDHIANA A meeting between the organisers and the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu, which was held yesterday, remained inconclusive. Consequently, the organisers fearing some legal action against them have opted for postponing the games. The insiders in the DC’s office revealed that the yesterday’s meeting, which was hurriedly arranged, was stormy as the DC felt that the organisers were trying to pressurise him to get the ban lifted. The next meeting would be organised tomorrow and the organisers are quite hopeful that something would be done in their favour. The conduct of these games assumes significance as they are considered as a run up to the world famous rural Olympics at Kila Raipur. Earlier the PFA and the district administration had stalled the conduct of such games at Sarabha village. However, the next rural sports at another village were allowed to be held as there was confusion regarding the ban on the games. Reportedly, the PFA had also given in writing to the press that it did not want a ban on the bullock-cart race and greyhound race when the organisers had threatened to file a suit against the organisation demanding compensation for the losses suffered by the organisers due to stalling of the games. The ban on the use of animals in sports was imposed by the former Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Goyal, after he received instructions from the Union Minister, Ms Maneka Gandhi, after an animal had died in Kila Raipur games last year. The present DC, Mr S.K. Sandhu, had although denied that he had not seen any such circular, but he himself imposed the ban last month. While the ban was not made public and no copy of the order was issued to the press, the PFA was sent a copy at that time. The DC had issued an official release on November 24 last with some altercations in the order issued by Mr Sandhu’s predecessor, Mr Arun Goyal, banning the use of animals in sporting activities. A recent order by the DC came on December 8 banning all such sports till further orders. The recent orders stated that all contests involving animals are completely illegal under the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals Act, 1960. The orders further stated that the organisers, participants and the persons providing space for such activities would be liable for punishment under Sections 11A, N and O of the Act. |
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PAU career scheme runs into rough
weather LUDHIANA According to reliable sources of the university, the board of management held deliberations on the CAS for the varsity’s teachers at its 189th and 190th meetings held in Chandigarh on June 14 and July 28 last year and approved the statutes of the said scheme to be introduced retrospectively from January 1, 1996, for inclusion as Chapter IV C in the PAU Act and statues. Following the board’s decision, the Registrar issued a notification on August 11, 2000, containing details of the rules and procedure for the promotion of teachers under the new scheme. Subsequently, the teachers were asked by the Registrar to submit their applications for promotion/placement in the higher cadres in the prescribed proforma to their respective heads of department by September 25 last. According to sources, as many as 532 teachers submitted applications for promotion to the rank of Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor selection grade and Assistant Professor senior scale. However, some teachers of the varsity found fault with certain clauses of the university’s notification, particularly those relating to the criteria for computing years of service for promotion as Professor and Associate Professor, and alleged that these clauses marked a clear departure from the ones contained in the ICAR notification of July 19, 2000, which, according to them, was mandatory for the PAU to follow. As their efforts to convince the varsity authorities of their point of view did not yield any result, they filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in November last year, praying for the abrogation of controversial clauses. The petition, according to the sources, is pending adjudication in court. The registrar of PAU, Mr Alok Sekhar, confirmed that the university’s board had resolved in the last meeting to follow the guidelines/rules issued by the ICAR in its notification of July 19, 2000, on the career advancement scheme in toto. He also acknowledged that the notification issued by the university on August 11 had been rendered almost redundant. Mr Shekhar also disclosed that the new scheme would become operative not from 1.1.96 as the board had decided earlier but from July 27, 1998, i.e. that date on which the notification about the revised scales of pay for university/college teachers was issued by the central government. A number of teachers to whom this correspondent talked about the supersession of the PAU notification strongly resented the deferment of the date of implementation of the career advancement scheme from January ‘96 to July ‘98. They argued that since their pay scales had been revised retrospectively from 1.1.96, the scheme of promotion should also be implemented with effect from the same date. Dr A.S. Joshi, vice-president of the PAU Teachers Association (PAUTA), said that the association would oppose the supersession of the PAU notification. He maintained that the PAUTA would insist on the implementation of the notification in its entirety. He also said that there was no communication from the ICAR regarding the deferment of the date of implementation of the career advancement scheme. In fact, he added, at least 10 teachers had been allowed promotion w.e.f. January 1, 1996. The teachers of the university say that the board’s decision to follow the ICAR notification of July 19 would mean radical changes in the notification of August 11. A vital change, according to them, will be in the composition of selection committees for assessment/elevation of their work. For instance, the PAU had stipulated in its notification that the selection committees for promotion as Professor/Assoc. would comprise experts from within the university and two eminent experts from outside the university. The VC (preferably) or any other person nominated by him would act as chairman of such a committee. As for the placement of teachers in the senior scale/selection grade, the PAU notification specified that a committee of internal experts would only evaluate the performance of the teachers concerned, adding that the dean/director concerned would act as the chairman of the committee. Interestingly, the ICAR’s notification clearly stated that “The selection committees for career advancement shall be the same as those for direct recruitment for each category.” This already implies that the VC himself will be the chairman of every selection committee which will comprise both internal and external experts as well as a nominee of the chancellor of the university. The board of management, it is important to mention, has recently amended the statutes regarding the constitution of selection committees for various teaching posts. The PAU notification also envisaged that the teachers seeking promotion under the career advancement scheme could hold personal discussion, if he so desired, with the members of the selection committee. The ICAR notification, on the other hand, makes it obligatory for the teacher concerned to present himself for selection committee with the record of his achievements and publication such as books, research papers etc. In addition, the PAU notification stipulated that a teacher could apply for promotion under the career advancement if he had put in at least two to for years service in the PAU itself. The ICAR notification, however, does not prescribe any such condition. |
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DMC comes to aid of
Kargil martyr’s widow LUDHIANA The DMCH Management today provided her with a cash assistance of Rs 50,000 in the shape of Kisan Vikas Patra at a function, which was attended among others by the members of the managing committee. Besides, the management has decided to meet the medical expenses incurred on Harbans Kaur’s treatment. She has been suffering from some stomach disease for quite a long time. Mr Prem Nath Gupta, secretary, Managing Society of the DMCH, said that management had taken up some welfare measures for the family of the Kargil war heroes and it will be a continuous process. Dr S.C. Ahuja, Principal, DMCH, and Dr G.S. Wander, Medical Superintendent, DMCH, were also present on the occasion. |
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Police station phone
bills not paid LUDHIANA According to sources, the police does not have money to pay the whooping bill of about Rs 1.5 lakh which had grown to this figure due to the non-payment of the previous bills. Interestingly the Telecom Department has allowed the police to have a one-way connection (calls can be received only). |
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2 thefts reported LUDHIANA, Jan 10 — Two incidents of theft were reported in the city during the past 24 hours. In one incident, a theft took place at Nagesh Exclusive Hosiery at Jalandhar bypass road, while in the second incident cash and jewellery worth Rs 75,000 were reported to be stolen from a house in the Haibowal area. According to a complaint lodged with Sadar police station by Mr Nagesh Kumar, some persons broke the lock of the safe of the hosiery and took away some cash, mostly the money meant for the salary of the labour. In the second case, Mr Onkar Nath Gupta complained some unknown persons broke into his house last night and decamped with cash and jewellery. |
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WOMAN POWER LUDHIANA, Jan 10 — Pammi Sidhu is a remarkable woman. She has been a national-level player of hockey and volleyball who used to represent Haryana. Her training in sport has helped her remain fit and active. She is a singer, a dancer and full of compassion for the poor. She helps her husband, Mr Sukhjit Sidhu, manage Four Aces — a marriage palace. Being an excellent host, the hospitality business suits her talents. Pammi has boundless energy, so, she even finds time to run a boutique that is one of the most popular ones here. She is devoted to her 12-year-old son, Uday and has proved to be a good mother. She believes that she has a responsibility towards the society. She says, “I felt great when I was able to help a student who needed money for the kidney transplant. I raised funds for the operation and it proved to be successful. I am happy that the boy has regained his health and is pursuing his studies again. After this, I decided to devote my attention towards helping people like him. If each one of us shares the problems of some unfortunate person, it will enrich our own lives as well. Nothing gives one more pleasure than reaching out to the others and reducing their pain.” When she was a PRO of the Lions Club, she organised camps for eye-care and blood donation, besides donating blood. She was actively involved in the Pulse Polio programme, too. Her husband, Mr Sukhjit Sidhu says, “I met her in Chandigarh where we used to study. I find that she is talented, active, a perfect housewife and a good mother.” One wonders how does she find time for all these activities. She says, “One has to learn to manage time.” Her compassion for the others helps her overcome her problems and remain happy. |
Handicraft exhibition a big draw LUDHIANA,
Jan 10 — Delhi State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (A Government Undertaking) has organised an exhibition of handicrafts at Carnival Complex, Mall Road. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr Surinder Dawar on January 10 at 2 p.m. and will continue for the next ten days. The aim of the exhibition is to promote handicrafts of artisans who cannot afford to own showrooms and bear other expenses. The Central Government aids these artists by promoting their handicrafts through agencies like DSIDC. The artists’ travel expenses are borne by the government. The exhibits are beautiful and their creators had come all the way from Kashmir in the North to Kolkata in the East, Orissa, Bihar and Delhi. The Kashmiri artist’s exquisite craftsmanship can be seen, in a shawl where the base cloth cannot be seen for it is covered totally with embroidery. The shawl is priced at Rs 75,000. Of course, there are shawls that are within a very affordable range. This sort of exhibition gives the artists a chance to sell their stuff. Paper maiche stuff like wall hangings, candle stands, boxes had their own charm. The artisans of Delhi had brought exquisite glass necklaces on white silver strings, matching earrings and bracelets of a large variety. They have glass square pieces with alphabets inscribed on them. The customers can get key chains, necklaces, bracelets made to order. The artists are so skilled that they prepare the required things in no time. The artists from Kolkata have beautiful white metal lamps, cutlery, white metal bases for tables, small Ganesh, ash trays, pens etc. Different types of silk, Moga, Tussar, Mulberry, all hand-woven are available at reasonable rates in various shades. From Kolkata, one can choose from embroidered bedcovers and other linen articles. From Orissa, there are beautiful paintings on cloth and palm leaves. The delicacy of the paintings takes one’s breath away. The wood pieces are marvellously carved into candle stands and figurines. Moreover, the artist has carved beautiful statues out of coke stone. Attractive pieces like vases, coasters, trays, plates, agarbatti stands, soup bowls, plates are available in different sizes, patterns and colour schemes as part of Jaipur’s famous ‘blue pottery’. Their sheer beauty leaves one gasping and makes it difficult for the customer to make a choice. There are a variety of leather bags from Shanti Niketan. The bags have beautiful patterns are very different from other leather bags. The bead bags available in different shapes, sizes, colours also vie for attention. On the whole, the exhibition showcases the wonderful handicrafts of India and its artisans. Ms Surinderjit Kaur, the executive, who has brought this exhibition to Ludhiana said, “We take these artists to different parts of the country and help them to sell their wares. We have just come from Udaipur, where we had a good sale and we hope that in Ludhiana, we will have a good sale.”
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Lohri — a festival dear to Punjabis LUDHIANA Lohri is celebrated in the month of Maghar, a day before Makar Sankranti. Some believe that the word “Lohri” was a combination of two words Til and Reori and it was earlier called Tilodi or Tilhari. With the passage of time, it changed to Lohri. Some people still call it Lohri. This festival has become important for the newly-weds and those who have been blessed with sons. They celebrate Lohri with gusto. Meena Bazar which runs parallel to Chaura Bazar has shops heaped with gur rewaris, batashas, munghfali, gachak and bhuga. Mr Ram Lal, the biggest stockist said: We have been so busy for the last one week that we go home only for three hours”. This year they have introduced round shaped gachak which was available only in Meerut. In Meena Bazar, the festive spirit prevails with a drummer constantly beating the drum. Halwais, cooks, tents, crockery, D.J’s, are all booked in advance. The newly-weds will be feted and given gifts by the near and dear ones. A big bonfire will be lit and the guests will dance around it. A liquor dealer said, “Whiskey is in short supply since the new year. The weather and the Lohri festival have made people stock the liquor well in advance. At a well-known rewari and gachak shop, the owners have no time to attend to customers. A customer said he had been waiting at the shop to buy bhuga for two and a half hours. “I have to buy from this shop as I have to present it to my sister who got married recently. They have heard about the famous bhuga of this shop and they would like to have a taste of it”. Lohri used to be a rural festival, but now it has become a favourite also with urbanites and they go all-out to enjoy it. |
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Unsafe school buildings
yet to be demolished LUDHIANA While scores of secondary schools here have huge crumbling complexes with nearly seven to eight rooms, there are hundreds of other primary and secondary schools with two to three unsafe rooms. At the entrance of Government Multipurpose Senior Secondary School, Cinema Road, is one such huge complex which was declared unsafe by the PWD in 1988. The roof of the complex has fallen and the walls are developing cracks with each passing day. The complex houses a hall with seven rooms on all its outer sides and it has now become a garbage dumping area for the school. The teachers said that they had repeatedly informed the officers of the District Education Department but no one had ever turned up to get the building demolished. They feared that even though they had warned their students, some naughty students could get inside it. They said that if the building was demolished, the space could be utilised for some other purpose. Another huge complex, occupying over 150 square yards of land at Government Senior Secondary School, Jawahar Nagar, which was declared unsafe five years ago, is yet to be demolished. The teachers of the school informed that the building started crumbling as soon as it was constructed. No repair was ordered and no demolition ever took place, they said. Ms Usha Sidhu, District Education Officer (Secondary), said that it was the duty of the PWD officers to get unsafe buildings demolished. She said that the Education Department had to play no role in the demolition of such buildings. Recently, the secondary wing of the Education Department has asked the school principals to send information regarding any unsafe buildings in their schools. The department has already received more than 30 complaints. Some of these schools are those of Government High School at Daad village with seven unsafe rooms, Government Middle School, Alamgir, and Government Senior Secondary School, Jagraon, with two unsafe rooms each. Similar complaints from government primary schools of the district have also been received by the department. These schools include those located at Bhanaur, Adiyana, Chankoiyan, Salempur, Basti Baazigar and Jeewanpur villages. However, sources in the department revealed that most of these schools have not received any grants from the Punjab Government for construction or renovation purposes this year. |
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Akali leader
attacked LUDHIANA The two alleged attackers, Jaswinder Singh and Mahesh Kumar Chopra, have been arrested in connection with the attack. According to an FIR registered at the Salem Tabri police station, the two persons allegedly attacked the Akali leader at his house at about midnight. The attackers who had come in a car called the leader out. They had some heated exchanges over some matter and suddenly opened fire. The leader was injured but is reported to be safe. He saved his life by rushing inside the house. The attackers fled from the scene but were soon nabbed by the police as the injured Akali leader claimed to have recognised him. The attack has once again brought to fore the intense rivalry going on between the rival factions of the district Akali party. Activists owing allegiance to the Avtar Singh Makkar and Amarjit Singh Bhatia groups have been locking horns with each other for attaining supremacy in the district. |
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Six vehicles hit due to fog DORAHA According to the report, a Highway Syndicate Patiala bus (No. PB11M-7125) stopped at Doraha bus-stop at about 8.45 a.m. today in order to pick up passengers. In the meantime, a truck coming from behind collided into the bus. Four other vehicles, including two cars and two trucks hit the earlier vehicles, one by one, making a long chain of vehicles crammed into one another. However, no loss of life has been reported. Minor injuries were received by a bus driver and a truck driver, who were taken to Sidhu Hospital by a first-aid team. |
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Training programme at police academy PHILLAUR |
Dowry death: in-laws
booked SAHNEWAL According to the statement of Balwinder Singh, brother of the deceased and resident of Manki village in Samrala, Kulwant Kaur had been married to Jaspal Singh of Nichi Mangali village, for three years. She had a daughter and a son too. The brother complained that his sister was undergoing mental and physical torture, at the hands of her in-laws. Ultimately, when she felt desperate, she decided to end her life. She was allegedly being harassed for having brought less dowry. It was on the fateful day of January 8, in the house of her in-laws, when she got up early in the morning and poured kerosene herself, before setting herself afire. The fire engulfed her and she died on the spot. A case has been registered under Sections 304-B, 148 and 149 of IPC against her husband Jaspal Singh, her father-in-law Surjit Singh, her mother-in-law Gurdev Kaur, her sister-in-law Rano and mother-in-law’s sister Maya. While Jaspal Singh, Surjit Singh and Gurdev Kaur have been arrested, Rano and Maya are still at large. |
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Case of fraud registered
against three DORAHA According to an FIR registered at Payal police station yesterday, under Sections 406, 420, 120-B of IPC, Sadhu Singh of Bhadewal village and Gurbax Singh of Ajnaud village, were lured by Parminder Singh, Navtej Singh and their father Sikander Singh of Majara village into a financial agreement for a visa to some foreign land. All the three work as commission agents and took the passports of Gurbax Singh and Sadhu Singh, along with a sum of Rs 6 lakh some time ago. But when asked about the same, they expressed ignorance. The police is in search of the accused. |
Online trading, courtesy
SHCIL LUDHIANA This was disclosed by Mr B.V. Goud, MD and CEO of SHCIL. He was speaking at a function organised here today to launch Request Transmitting Machines (RTM), online trading via SBP network. He informed that the tie-up with the SBP would enable SHCIL’s full-fledged online training platform called Stock Direct. The investor could use this facility after opening a depository account with SHCIL and a bank account with SBP. The company would also have touch screen kiosks called Request Transmitting Machines(RTMs) where the investors could trade in securities. Under the system, when the client keys in the purchase order, the instruction gets transmitted to the bank where the fund position is checked. Subsequently, the broker would execute the trade on exchange. The investor would get confirmation simultaneously. The debit of money and credit of shares will take place automatically. Similarly the investor would be able to sell from his depository account, without any paper work. Stock Direct also provides the facility of digitial signature. Mr Goud claimed that it was the only online trading platform in the country that gave the facility of digitial signature. He added that most of the facilities available at other centres across the country would also be available here. These include depository services, selling of shares from their demat account with SHCIL and instant payment. The customers could also choose from and invest in 15 mutual funds through SHCIL, take a loan from nationalised bank’s by pledging their dematerialised shares or could apply for 9 per cent Government of India relief bonds. Mr P.C. Chauhan, Manager, SHCIL, admitted that the share prices of most of the Indian companies had crashed not due to factors concerned with Indian economy but because the Indian share market was globalised to a large extent. When asked about any specific measures taken by the company to safeguard the interests of the investors from dubious companies, Mr Goud said, “The customer should take precautions while investing in the shares, as we do can not provide any information about the past performance of the companies. It is true that there are number of companies in the market whose balance sheets and claimed achievements do not reveal the actual position. No doubt, the efforts of SEBI have improved the situation to some extent, but a lot needs to be done yet.” |
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