M A I N   N E W S

Allow 8-hr sleep to Langah: court
Counsel permitted to meet him twice daily
Our Correspondent

Kharar, July 30
Mr Roshan Lal Chouhan, Judicial Magistrate, Kharar, today extended the police remand of Sucha Singh Langah, a former Minister for Public Works, Punjab, till August 1 and ordered that he should be produced before the court at 2 p.m. on that day. The judge also ordered that counsel for the accused should be allowed to meet him between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. daily and a register should be maintained regarding such meetings and it should be signed by the counsel.

The judge ordered that the accused should be kept at the Phase VIII police station, Mohali, at night and should be allowed to sleep for eight hours.

Mr Jatinderjit Singh Punn, Public Prosecutor, and other senior officers of the Vigilance Bureau pleaded for a 10-day police remand to the accused. Mr Punn alleged that the accused had links with international terrorists and he remained in Pakistan for one year.

He said the accused got a fake passport which was yet to be recovered and information was yet to be collected regarding the countries he travelled on this passport.

He alleged that the accused collected crores through promotions, transfers and postings of officers of the rank of JE to that of Chief Engineer, and amassed “nami” and “benami” properties worth crores. Mr Punn gave details of properties purchased by the accused. He alleged that the accused had illicit relations with some women.

Counsel for the defence opposed the demand for police remand and said there were no specific allegations against the accused and only vague allegations had been levelled.

The counsel said the allegations of his links with terrorists and women were rumours and the visit to Pakistan was no offence. The counsel said the case was registered with an ulterior motive as the Congress wanted to defame loyalists of Mr Parkash Singh Badal. The counsel alleged that the accused was tortured by a team of police officers from Gurdaspur, which was against the law.

He alleged that the Vigilance Burean was playing into the hands of the Chief Minister who wanted to take revenge on Langah. He urged the court to call for the case diary and the daily visitor diary of the bureau. The counsel said they had already filed a complaint about “excesses” committed upon Langah during the police remand before the Punjab Human Rights Commission and the commission had issued notice to the State for August 14.

The counsel said Langah had done a lot of development work in his area and if the police had not stopped his supporters from coming to Kharar, thousands of them would have reached here today.

Meanwhile, tight security arrangements were made in and around the Judicial Complex, Kharar, today.

The police arranged nakas at Balaungi, Khanpur, Landran, Morinda and at many other places. SAD workers were prevented from reaching Kharar courts.

Missing school students traced
Tribune News Service

Ropar, July 30
All 35 students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya situated at Sandhuan village near Chamkaur Sahib, who fled from here yesterday, were traced at 7 p.m. today by the police at the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib.

The tracing of the missing students was also confirmed by Mrs Seema Jain, Deputy Commissioner tonight. She said the students were being brought by a team of officers from Anandpur Sahib who would reach here tonight and later they would go to their school.