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May 11, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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Man alleges torture, police
denies Ludhiana, May 10 The Latala village police has been accused of beating up Ranjit Singh, alias Kauda, instead of taking action on the basis of his complaint. The complainant, who claimed to have represented the district a number of times in junior-level state football championships, alleged that he, along with his friends Devinder Singh and Tarsem Singh, had gone to the Latala police station yesterday afternoon to lodge a complaint of beating up of his two friends by four unidentified persons. The police allegedly took Kauda to a separate room, where he was beaten up by three cops and his legs were stretched. He claimed that he could not walk properly now. Denying the allegation, the police claimed that the story was a concocted one. The SSP of Jagraon said the complaint was false and the alleged role played by a doctor of Pakhowal, who was fighting their case, was under scrutiny. He was baffled as to why the attackers had beaten up only Devinder and Tarsem and had not touched Kauda. The complainant had accused some persons of the same village of being behind the incident, but the police suspected that the complaint had been lodged to settle scores. According to the complainant, the incident took place yesterday afternoon on the bridge of a drain passing near Bhaini Arora village. Four scooter-borne persons stopped the three, who were working as carpenters in the clinic of Dr Devinder Singh of Pakhowal village. The four unidentified persons asked who was Kauda and told him to stand aside. They allegedly started beating up Devinder and Tarsem. The attackers were allegedly referring to the dispute the victims had with some villagers. The complainants returned to the clinic for treatment. The doctor took them to the police station, where the SHO, ASI Ashok Kumar, allegedly ordered his staff to take Kauda aside. The doctor and the other two then heard Kauda’s shrieks from the next room and objected to this. According to them, Kauda was tortured for being involved in the incident as the attackers had spared him. The doctor and the other two claimed that they convinced the police and brought back Kauda, who was facing difficulty in walking. They alleged that the attackers also robbed the two carpenters of Rs 10,000. According to the SSP, Kauda admitted before the police that no money was robbed and they had alleged this to strengthen their case. Though he was doubtful about the allegations, the SSP assured them that he would get a probe conducted into the matter. He added that as he had received contradictory versions about the events, he had directed the police to locate the owner of the scooter (PB-10-4702), on which two of the four attackers were travelling, as per the statement of the complainants. He said the identity of the owner could help in solving the case. |
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Get booked for complaining against
police Ludhiana, May 10 According to him, he had a quarrel with his neighbour on February 11, 2000, who hired the services of an Assistant Sub-Inspector, Kashmiri Lal, and beat him up severely. He was also taken into custody and detained in the police station. When his brother came to offer him food, he was also beaten up by the police. ASI Kashmiri Lal was reportedly removed from the police station and sent to the police lines, but Mr Ashok Kumar was still threatened of dire consequences. The inquiry was handed over to the SDM (East). Mr Ashok Kumar was allegedly again attacked by Kashmiri Lal on March 29, 2001, after the court hearing. He again approached the SDM, who advised him to report it to the police station division number 5. Although he lodged a complaint at around 6 pm, a police official in the police station informed Kashmiri Lal about it, who allegedly got an FIR registered against Mr Ashok Kumar at around 9 pm. The next morning, he along with his family members and some neighbours, approached the Senior Superintendent of Police, who assured him help. He obtained bail from a court and approached the Punjab State Human Rights Commission in Chandigarh. Appearing before the Deputy Commissioner at the sangat darshan today, he alleged that no action was being taken against Kashmiri Lal as one of his brothers was a Deputy Superintendent of Police in the city. Mr Ashok Kumar said he had approached the Chief Minister, but no action was being taken against Kashmiri Lal, who was continuously threatening him. |
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Long wait for
justice Ludhiana, May 10 She claims that she has come to sangat darshans umpteen times but is yet to get justice. She is fighting three influential brothers who have allegedly grabbed her one and a half acre plot. According to Amarjeet Kaur, the uncle of her husband Amar Singh, who was a bachelor had bequeathed one and a half acre of his land to her. She was cultivating and managing the land till recent past. She had also harvested wheat crop on the land this year. However, three brothers — Sohan Singh, Kesar Singh and Ranjit Singh of the same village grabbed her land allegedly with police assistance, even though she possessed all documents and had two
judgments in her favour. Amarjeet Kaur appeared in the sangat darshan held on April 19 when her case was referred to Jagraon police by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr S. R. Kaler. She disclosed that despite the ADC’s directions the police was helping the three brothers under the influence of some Akali leaders. Today she was again told that her case will come up for hearing next week after the officials concerned file their reports. Amarjeet Kaur is fighting a lonely battle as her amritdhari husband had allegedly been picked up by the then SHO Raikote Ajeet Singh and constable Devinder Singh on March 8, 1993 on the charges of sheltering to terrorists and nothing is known about the whereabouts of Surjeet Singh since then. She alleged that although the complaints were pending against Ajeet Singh and Devinder Singh, both of them had been promoted. She pointed out that even the police was feeling helpless as the persons who had grabbed her land were using the influence of some senior Akali leaders. “Even if the police wants to help me, it may not be able to because of political pressure,” she said. |
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DC orders farmers to register migrant
labour Fatehgarh Sahib, May 10 According to highly-placed sources, the administration has decided to start the process of registration to keep tabs on anti-social elements. The sources said it had been brought to the notice of the authorities that the migrants had been involved in many criminal cases and thus it was important to keep a check on their antecedents. Giving details of the proposed plan, the Deputy Commissioner said it would be the responsibility of the employer to register the labourers in the nearest police station along with complete address and bio-data. He said the Police Department would also be asked to establish contact with the employers to collect basic information about the employees that they had employed. Under the plan, the DC said, it has been decided that the police would also get the labourers photographed either separately or in groups, so that identification becomes easier later if somebody was wanted by the police with regard to some crime. Mr Kanwarjeet Singh Sandhu, SP, Detective, said proper verifications had become mandatory for labourers in the present times. He said in order to ensure that the address provided by the workers were authentic some mechanism would be worked out by which the same could be checked from here without physical verification of each and every address as it would not be possible to use the force for personally examining all information. Mr Sandhu suggested that one way was to send a registered letter or a
money order at the address and use acknowledgement receipts as proofs of authenticity and pursue further investigation if registered letter/money order was returned. He was of the view that a separate computer section should be established in the Municipal Council in which the address and bio-data of every migrant labourer should be fed. After this the MC can issue identity card to them. When asked how it would work for the seasonal migrant labourers who were employed by the farmers in villages, he said similarly gram panchayats could issue such identity cards. But the sources revealed that it would not be logical for the gram panchayats to register and make record of the migrant labourers who came in large numbers in the villages during the harvesting season. Moreover, the gram panchayats have no such infrastructure and manpower to cope with such type of functions. Mr Sandhu said in order to build confidence among the people, especially in rural areas, the police had started operation “Night Dominance”. Giving details he said the operation starts at 11 p.m. and goes till 4 a.m. He said it would yield good results and the crime rate would be brought under control. He said the district had been divided into four zones and nakas were laid at various points. He said from 10 pm to 1.30 am incoming vehicles, especially Sumos and Canters, would be checked and from 1.30 am to 4 am out going vehicles would be checked. Apparently, such an exercise was necessary as there was widespread terror, especially in rural areas, after a gang of looters struck recently at Nabipur village situated on the G.T. road. The police says that seasonal gangs of looters in the guise of migrant labourers, who mostly active during the harvesting season, are allegedly behind such strikes.
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MC panel rejects
works’ estimates Ludhiana, May 10 Sources said estimates worth about Rs 1.25 crore for works related to surfacing of roads from Cheema Chowk to Samrala Chowk and Dhuri Phatak to Kalsian Road on Link Road, Rakh Bagh, Officers Colony, Pahwa Hospital Road near Gill Chowk, Street No 12 in Dashmesh Nagar, Club Road, Link Road to Sidhwan Canal on Dugri Road and Dugri Road to Dhuri Railway Line (along Leisure Valley) were put before the F&CC for its approval, which were rejected. According to the information available, some members of the F&CC alleged that these works had either already commenced or had been completed without any sanction, which was tantamount to denigrating the authority of the F&CC and other elected representatives of the civic body. It was further alleged that the MC top brass had shown undue haste and had acted beyond its competence in going ahead with execution of some of the development works at the instance of senior functionaries of the ruling party or to please influential persons. The F&CC members further put their foot down on a proposal for granting extension to traffic adviser for 2001 at an enhanced monthly salary of Rs 11,000 per month. The MC had employed a traffic adviser on ad hoc basis at a salary of Rs 5000, which was later increased to Rs 10,000 for 2000. The committee members were of the view that this post was hardly serving any useful purpose. While refusing further extension to the incumbent, the members asked the MC administration to create a regular post after taking permission from the state government. Extension to a local courier company, retained for distribution of water and sewerage bills, was another item which failed to get the nod from the F&CC. The MC administration had sought approval for an expenditure of Rs 11.84 lakh to be paid to the courier company for delivery of water and sewerage bills in the city during next two years. The members felt that going by the increasing complaints of the people about non-delivery or wrong delivery of the MC bills, the policy of entrusting distribution of bills to the courier company needed a review and further extension should be kept in abeyance. That certain members of the F&CC refused to tow the official line and dared to assert themselves was a manifestation of the cold war between bureaucrats and elected representatives of the MC, with the latter strongly feeling that the officials were not missing any opportunity to undermine the authority of the councillors and were trying to usurp their powers. |
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Telecom dept directed
to pay compensation Ludhiana, May 10 According to the complaint, Mr Manpreet Singh had applied for a new telephone connection on February 14, 1997 to provide telephone at 88, Madhuban Enclave Extension. The consumer stated before the forum that the department issued an advice note (No 1009) on March 14, 1997 for the installation of the telephone but he received a letter on October 18, 1997 in which it was mentioned that he was not interested in having new telephone connection. The consumer further stated and he never told the department either orally or in writing that he was not interested in a new telephone connection (NTC). After that the consumer requested the department vide letter (dated October 24, 1997) to provide NTC immediately but he was not provided telephone even by end of August, 1998 and after pursuing the matter for a long time, the telephone was installed finally on October 9, 1998. The consumer stated that the respondent was required to take the said fact in black and white if he was not interested. It was alleged that there was clear deficiency in services as the telephone was installed after a long delay. The department pleaded that the telephone was to be provided at 88-A, Madhuban Enclave as per the address given in the advice note but the consumer could not decide as to whether he had to install the telephone at the said address or at 143, Ashpuri (the present residence of the consumer). The respondent further stated the delay was due to the indecision of the complainant and not due to the deficiency in services on the part of department and accordingly the complaint was liable to be dismissed. The forum observed that the department had written a letter to the consumer mentioning that he was not interested in the telephone connection at the address given in the application and the complainant in reply to that letter, had requested the department to install the telephone at the address given in the application. The forum further stated, “It appears that there is delay in providing the telephone due to some correspondence between the parties regarding the place.” |
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AT THE CROSS ROADS Poet with global appeal TO
be rooted in the soil is one thing and to attain an imposing height, where winds from all sides waft around, is an other. In this manner the aroma of creativity is mingled with the fragrance of interaction. One is brimful with ideas when one embarks upon the journey towards new shores, but on return one feels laden with singular experiences of human existence. At that time, the whole world appears to be a global village. the unifying factor is the human nature that acts like a prism. Surjit Patar is a poet of the global village and not merely a Punjabi poet. Hardly a week ago, he returned from his visit to Australia where his admirers had invited him. In the exotic surroundings, he rediscovered himself and viewed life from different perspectives. The admirers in Australia were nostalgic about their motherland and found in Patar’s poetry an echo of their own hopes and aspirations. His visit infused them with a new resolve while the poet found his sensibilities heightened. In December last, he went to China on a two-week visit with Indian writers delegation sponsored by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. There he dreamt of the philosopher confucius whose sobbing could still be heard in the winds that blowing in the land. He found that country to be culturally confused and the people groping in the darkness of misery. The eight-fold path that Buddha propagated is still for them will-o’-the-wisp. He realised that people in China love Tagore when an interpreter Ms Wang quoted some lines from his poems. In return Patar composed a poem “The Wang Goddess.” His visit to Columbia in June 1999 also has a special place in Patar’s mind. He had gone there to attend International Poetry Festival in which he had participated as the sole representative from India. While recalling his visit he said, in all 50 poets from different countries had come there to sing together of the glory that is associated with human life in general. There were seven venues in the city and in each of them seven poets participated. The venues were changed on the subsequent days. It was amazing and unbelievable to see the auditorium packed to capacity and a hundred persons waiting outside. Many a time the poet after reciting his poems in the hall would come out to face the eagerly waiting persons on the road. The poems were read in English and then translated into Spanish by the interpreters. The people there listened to the poets as rapturously as we do when the singers regale us with folk songs. On the concluding day, the poets reached the venue late by one hour due to heavy rain. But the audience was already there with wine and beer bottles tucked in their long coats. Those who could not get inside had positioned themselves but in the open under umbrellas. Lyricism is the hallmark of Surjit Patar’s poetic creations, be they
ghazals, nazms or geets. He thinks with his whole being, every fibre attuned to the symphony emanating from the interplay of emotions. For him it is not the word that matters but its tone and tenor that imparts it with unique identity. In his hands, words become pliable and the overall effect is that of ecstatic feelings, subliminal undertones and the keatsian “teasing us out of thought as doth eternity.” He loves words for their sounds but their meanings he understands in the stillness of his mind. Nature for him is the mirror in which he sees his emotions reflected. He avers that to be in tune with nature is the ultimate attainment of the human mind. Trees remind the poet of the goodness of the earth, the outward manifestation of truth in this universe. Unlike Toru Dutt’s ‘Casaurina Tree’, he is not in a hurry to christen the tree of his choice. The very presence of a tree is soul-stirring for him and its sight transports him out of himself to ‘The realm of gold’. Nature makes him oblivious of the demands of human nature and he finds the social impositions as impediments to the marriage of true minds.’ In his latest collections of poems, ‘Lafzon di Dargah’ (the shrine of words), Surjit Patar is in search of his true self. He is face to face with a being who is so very intimate with him but at the same time is assertive like a stranger. In mist of his poetic creations, the intimate in him is trying to come to terms with the stranger in him. He is engaged in the process of striking a balance between the demands of his body and these of his soul. There is no conflict to be resolved by the effort the assimilation of one with the other has to be made. Jism di ret te ik lafz likhiya hoya Paun de rahm te ikhlaq hai tikiya hoya Khud hi maile ne sadachar de zaman shishe Koi chehra na jinhan vaaste ujla hoya Bus bahaar aun di der hai ke phull khirne ne Merian badian nun patjhar ne hai dhakiya
hoya. |
Ex-serviceman’s
widow seeks justice Ludhiana, May 10 Presenting her complaint before the Deputy Commissioner, she said that her husband was drawing a monthly financial assistance of Rs 300 from the state government. However, for sometime he had not been able to draw. After his death, when she became entitled to draw the assistance, she learnt that Rs 17,000 was pending against his account, which was not being paid to her. However, the Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare Board, Wg Cdr M.S. Randhawa (retd), said the amount had been refunded to the state government. According to him, Mal Singh was one of the thousands of soldiers who had been declared as surplus in 1947. The assistance was being paid to these soldiers by the state government. These soldiers were being paid a monthly financial assistance of Rs 300. He said it was to be confirmed whether it was the assistance amount which was pending in his name or he had deposited some of his own money into the account. He assured that the case would be solved soon and all the due payment would be made to Gurdev Kaur. In another case, Nahar Singh, a farmer of Bila village, near Kila Raipur, was denied payment by an arhtiya, Hoshiar Singh of Kila Raipur. He alleged that he had sold his paddy to Hoshiar Singh in October and had received a cheque (044613) dated October 10, 2000, of the Bank of India worth Rs 50,000. However, the cheque was not honoured. Nahar Singh alleged that when he approached Hoshiar Singh he straightway refused to pay the money and dared him to approach anyone he could. |
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Phone subscriber
harassed Ludhiana, May 10 The present case in question relates to a subscriber who is receiving bills for a telephone that has been disconnected since over a year. Mr Ram Krishan, a resident of Guru Arjan Dev Nagar, has complained that his telephone number 651421 was disconnected as it had to be shifted from Vishkarma Nagar to Guru Arjan Dev Nagar in April 2000. The telephone could not be shifted due to a non-feasible area. He was also issued a non-feasibility slip. But it seems that the BSNL officials did not consider that reason enough for not issuing the bill to Mr Krishan and they have been diligently issuing the same to him. He received a bill for July and August 2000 which was brought to the notice of telecom officials who admitted that the bill had been sent by mistake. But now again after six months, the complainant received the bill for February and March 2001. Mr Ram Krishan alleged that the department officials were unnecessarily harassing him by sending bills time and again instead of shifting his phone. The complainant has requested the authorities concerned to shift his telephone from Vishkarma Nagar to Guru Arjan Dev Nagar as new lines have already been set up and are functioning in the area. |
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Water supply
disrupted Doraha, May 10 Having no other option, residents are drinking the unhygienic and polluted water, that has been rendered unfit for consumption due to the discharge of industrial waste. Many persons have fallen sick due to drinking of polluted water. According to Manjit Singh, a resident of Jugiana village, “We are fed up with the supply. This is not for the first time, that the crisis has occurred.” “We have decided not to pay the water bill. The migrant class being in majority in these villages, the day is not far when the entire village will be engulfed in an epidemic,” says Ms Rajinder Kaur Bulara, a former MP. |
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Residents end dharna Ludhiana, May 10 The dharna was called off after the State Congress General Secretary, Mr Darshan Singh, announced the decision of the SSP and requested the people to end the dharna and wait for the completion of the inquiry. |
4 held in triple murder case Ludhiana, May 10 Briefing mediapersons, Warryam Singh, in-charge, CIA, said the four persons had been identified as Jaspreet Singh, Avtar Singh, Harjinder Singh and Bhagwant Singh. They were arrested from Gidri village, near Payal, last night. He said the main accused, Joginder
Singh, was yet to be arrested. Two of his sons were also absconding. The police has recovered a rifle, cartridges, swords and hockey sticks from them. |
Knitwear buyers, sellers to meet Ludhiana, May 10 He claimed that the APPEAL had received an overwhelming response from both the buying houses and the local apparel exporters. On the invitations of APPEAL, 28 buying houses had given their confirmation for participation in this event. |
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Brisk sale of umbrellas, sunglasses Ludhiana, May 10 With penchant and obsession for fair skin, a majority of Indians want to protect their skin. Others use such umbrellas to protect themselves from the harmful ultra violet rays. But with the fashion-conscious ladies, it has more to do with their sartorial elegance. The folding umbrellas of matching shades can be easily carried in a hand bag and when the necessity arises, with the flick of the hand, the matching coloured umbrella springs to life. The new variety of umbrellas are equipped with a torch, useful at night during a downpour. But the new transparent vivid coloured plastic umbrellas with the capacity to keep off the harmful rays are the in-thing. On inquiry from different shops, it was found that since they are very expensive, they are not commercially viable. Mr Ravinder of a classy boutique said: “Our clients hardly step out of their cars. So they do not carry umbrellas. It is the middle class women who have to do shopping for odds and ends that buy umbrellas. They want functional as well as good-looking umbrellas. So we have a wide range of umbrellas starting from Rs 100 and going up to Rs 750.” Another shopkeeper in Gur Mandi said: “The sale is brisk as no one wants to face the harsh sun’s rays. Moreover, doctors are advising one and all to use umbrellas when outdoors. We sell a lot of ‘kiddy umbrellas’. The mothers love to send their children to school with colourful umbrellas.” Dr Monisha Gupta, a skin specialist, says: “I advise everyone out in the open to either wear sunshades or carry umbrellas. The harmful rays of sun are neither good for skin nor hair. The skin loses its moisture and wrinkles
faster. The hair too become dry and brittle.” Her views were corraborated by Sue, a beautician of repute. The eyes are a beautiful gift of nature and have to be protected from the strong rays of the sun. So more and more people are beginning to wear sunglasses. Many peddlers are selling dark glasses on the road side. They are affordable for common people but the quality of the glasses is not good and they can do more harm than good. Ray Ban is a popular designer brand of sunglasses. Priced at Rs 2000 and upwards many people prefer to buy it for two reasons. Firstly, they are sure of the good quality glasses used and, secondly Ray Bans are a status symbol. One shopkeeper of Ghumar Mandi said: “We do not stock Ray Bans, and people like Police and Picasso brand of sunglasses too. In fact there is a large variety of sun glasses available and it depends on the affordability of the client. Some of them cost more than Rs 10,000.” A decade ago, probably the Indian ladies were not aware of sun blockers with the PH factor that saves the skin from tanning in the sun, but the awareness has come through advertisements and beauticians. More and more women go to beauty parlours these days and are advised the use of sun-blockers. A shopkeeper of Model Town says: “There are a large number of sun blockers available in the market. We have stocked brand name sun blockers. No doubt they are very effective but they are very heavy on the pocket. So generally the women go for Indian companies like Lakme and Lotus.” Many young girls and boys are wearing basketball caps to save themselves from the heat of the sun. These days the girls can be seen wearing elbow-long white cotton gloves to save their arms from tanning and some bold ones wear nice floppy hats too. The ferocious heat of the sun, and the urge to look fresh and beautiful has made people use umbrellas, sunshades and glasses as never before.
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