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| Monday,
December 9, 2002, Chandigarh, India |
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Traffic problem takes violent turn Ludhiana, December 8 At least four shopkeepers were injured in police lathi charge. Two of these suffered blunt injuries while the other two required stitches on their wounds. Three of the injured persons have been identified as Ashok Kumar, Honey and Surinder Mohan Singh, a son of Mr Manmohan Singh, president District Akali Dal Patiala. The fourth injured person could not be identified. The incident took place at about 12:30 when a team of traffic police started challaning persons, whose vehicles were parked outside the yellow line demarcated for parking purposes. This angered the shopkeepers as some of the
challaned persons were either loading or unloading a supply order. A large number of shopkeepers came out on the road and protested against the police move. The road got blocked and additional police force was rushed to the area. The situation took an alarming turn due to the heavy presence of the police force and the shopkeepers. A team of the additional police force led by the PCR squad started lathicharging immediately on its arrival. The police move triggered panic among the mob as people ran helter-skelter to save themselves. Four shopkeepers were injured in the lathi charge. Some vehicles were also damaged in the process. A curfew-like situation prevailed in the area for some time then. The market looked like a police cantonment due to the heavy presence of policemen. At lest 20 PCR bikes were used in clearing the road blockade. The Calibre Plaza Shopkeepers Association and the police officials concerned with the operation traded charges on the issue. Mr Mann Singh and Mr Pritam Singh Bhatia, president and general secretary, respectively of the association, said the shopkeepers were beaten up without any provocation. The shopkeepers said they acknowledged traffic flow on the road was affected due to the parking of vehicles on both sides of road by either customers or traders of the AC market. He said this issue had remained a bone of contention between the shopkeepers, the traffic police and the Municipal Corporation ever since the market started functioning. He said as per a recent agreement between the traffic police and the shopkeepers, the vehicles were to be parked behind the yellow line and this was being followed. Talks were under way to allow parking of cars or four-wheelers at a vacant space adjoining the Central Post Office on the same road. However, they alleged, today morning, the traffic police team even challaned people whose vehicles were parked within the line and were not violating any traffic laws. They claimed the police even challaned some traders who had just stopped for few minutes outside the market. This angered the shopkeepers who started protesting. Mr Mann Singh claimed that no shopkeeper had blocked the road. They were just talking to traffic police officials when some PCR cops and a police team from Kotwali led by a DSP descended on the scene and suddenly started the lathi charge. The police official concerned said the shopkeepers, traders and their customers were regularly causing traffic blockades and bottlenecks in the area. Even though the market had its own parking space and the MC parking was nearby, the road was freely used for parking vehicles. The police had received complaints from the city residents, other
shopkeepers and offices in the area about the traffic problem. The AC market shopkeepers were requested to cooperate in this regard but they did not oblige. Due to this the police has started the massive challaning spree, the official added. The police officials said the shopkeepers had lined up rickshaws and rehris on the road to block it. The road was one of the major roads and a blockade for few minutes had caused huge traffic jams. The shopkeepers, meanwhile, have decided to approach SSP Harpreet Singh Sidhu in this matter. |
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Hidden camera catches mystery thief Ludhiana, December 8 The incident took place in Upkar Nagar here last week. An industrialist’s family became friends with the family of a trader that was living in a rented accommodation in the neighbourhood. As the relationship grew, the industrialist’s family invited the trader’s family to live on nominal rent in a portion of its house. The families shared joys and sorrows, but gradually, cash and household items started disappearing mysteriously from the landlord’s house. First, it was small cash or little, insignificant things; then, expensive items and heavy cash started vanishing from the house. The owners always ensured that
cupboards and lockers were kept locked, but this did not help. The industrialist, first, thought his wife was taking money from his pocket or cupboards to save for the rainy day, as women usually do. The woman, on the other hand, thought her husband had spent the money somewhere and was, now, harassing her to hide the fact. However, when large amounts continued to disappear, the owners suspected their servants. They, however, did not question them openly, but kept an eye on their movements, after which, they found them to be innocent. By this time, Rs 2 lakh had disappeared from the house, so, the panic-stricken family called their friends for help, who advised the family that seeking police help would be useless. Even if the thieves were caught, the chances of recovering the stolen amount and goods would be slim. On the advice of its friends, the family decided to install hidden cameras at strategic places in the house. When they finally got the pictures, the identity of the thief shocked them. The thief was a woman, wife of the trader tenant. She was captured on film, opening doors and locks with duplicate keys, rummaging through cupboards and pocketing whatever money she found before neatly stacking the clothes back. The landlord’s family, then, called the tenants and showed them the video recording. The woman was given a sound thrashing, at which, her husband begged mercy and returned most of the stolen goods and cash. The family said it was elated at the success, but also wanted other landlords to take lesson from their case and install hidden cameras. The family said it felt betrayed. It had thought about handing the thieves over to the police, but decided not to do so. The police, too, might have solved the case, but there could always have been complications and questions asked about the source of the stolen cash. |
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PCC berths: raw deal upsets local leaders Ludhiana, December 8 The district has found only two of its persons on the panel, besides four executive members. Ludhiana being a Congress stronghold, the local leaders were expecting an adequate representation on the PCC. The reconstituted body has no representative from the Youth Congress, too. A number of local leaders are learnt to have given representations to the PCC president, Mr H.S. Hanspal, and the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, resenting the manner in which they have been treated. There are two general secretaries in the PCC from Ludhiana — Mr Isher Singh, a former minister who lost from the Koom Kalan Assembly segment, and Ms Harbans Kaur. The four executive members include Mr Gurdeep Singh Bhaini, Ms Gurdial Kaur Khangoora, Mr Shyam Sunder Malhotra and Ms Asha Kailey. None of the other senior leaders have found place on the PCC and the District Youth Congress, too, has not found any representation either. The other District Congress Committees and the district units of the Youth Congress have received a better treatment. When contacted, a number of Congress leaders said they had expected a better deal and the party high command should take note of the representations made by various local leaders of the party. Several Congress men of the district had lobbied intensely for getting berths on the PCC; now, they have shifted their focus to the DCC. Since there are growing expectations that the DCC (rural and urban units) will be reconstituted soon, a number of leaders left out of the PCC have started eyeing these posts. Some of the leaders who had been promised plum posts before the Assembly elections in lieu of withdrawing in favour of the party candidates have also been left out. This has made these leaders feel betrayed. They would, now, meet senior party leaders in New Delhi to know how the party had made the appointments. Lobbying for posts of the presidents of the urban and rural units of the DCC has begun, but the presidents incumbent, Mr K.K. Bawa (urban unit) and Mr Gurdev Singh Lapran (rural unit), look confident that they will continue to be in the chairs. The local front has become quiet for the time being, as most leaders have left for Gujarat to campaign for the party there and use this opportunity to score points to cash on during the DCC reconstitution. |
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Search for greener pastures landed him in cell Ludhiana, December 8 Nirmal Singh’s is a typical case of how an ambitious youth leaves his country in search of greener pastures abroad and lands in trouble after being cheated by a travel agent of his own country. He has, however, returned to his ailing mother, thanking his luck for uniting him with her, although he had lost all hopes to meet her again. Nirmal had gone to Hong Kong about two years ago with a travel agent, who had taken him along on a visitor’s visa after taking Rs 1 lakh from him. He made him work for six months on his own identity card and duped him of all money earned by him. This was not all, the travel agent also handed him over to the police when he demanded money from him and received Hong Kong $ 7,000 as reward from the police. The youth, who
remained in a prison in Hong Kong for one year, wrote back to one of his friends in Halwara to help him get out of there as he had already served the prison sentence for eight months. His friend, Mr Harjinder Singh Ahluwalia, who received the letter in November, took up the matter with a local leader of the Lok Bhalai Party, who in turn wrote to the Consulate General of India in Hong Kong. The Indian Consulate then contacted the Hong Kong government and he was then sent back to India on December 2. Narrating his tale of woes, Nirmal Singh said he was lured by the travel agent, who belongs to Jagraon and is living in Hong Kong these days, when he was on a visit to India. He asked him to accompany him. He assured him that he would get him a job worth Rs 50,000 per month. The youth decided to leave his country to earn money. The travel agent charged Rs 1 lakh from Nirmal. But poor Nirmal did not know that he was going there only on a visitor’s visa. When they landed there, the travel agent gave him his identity card and got him a job. His earnings were deposited in the travel agent’s account as Nirmal was working on his identity card. For around six months Nirmal was not given a single penny by the travel agent. One day he gathered the courage to speak to the agent. After he demanded the money, the police came to arrest him stating that he was staying illegally in Hong Kong as the time period for which he was allowed there had already expired. He was sentenced to eight-month imprisonment. In the prison, he came to know that the agent had even taken a reward from the police for giving it information about him. He said living in prison was like living in a hell. Nobody could understand his language and other inmates, who were mostly gangsters, used to misbehave with him. They even used to beat him up and throw him off his bed. That difficult time had left a mark on his psyche and he would spend his life advising the youth not to leave their country in search of greener pastures abroad, he said. |
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PSEB engineer faces probe Ludhiana, December 8 According to PSEB sources, the said vigilance inquiry has been ordered by the board on the basis of an anonymous complaint against Mr Bajwa. The inquiry was reportedly ordered by the PSEB on November 11. Although Mr Bajwa was not available for comments, sources said the inquiry against him had been ordered following his refusal to oblige a DSP (Vigilance) of the PSEB, who wanted that the board should shift a transformer from in front of the house of one Mr Yashpaul. A few months ago, Mr Yashpaul had applied for shifting of a transformer installed in front of his residence. After the required procedure was followed, the PSEB engineers estimated that the transformer would be shifted by five metres. However, Mr Yahspaul reportedly wanted the transformer to be shifted by 15 meters. Mr Yashpaul reportedly approached Mr Bajwa, along with the DSP (Vigilance) and another person, who claimed himself to be a nephew of the ADGP (Vigilance), PSEB. Mr Bajwa reportedly explained to them that it was not possible to shift the transformer by 15 metres. The DSP and the said youth reportedly threatened Mr Bajwa with a vigilance inquiry. Mr Bajwa had already brought the matter to the notice of some members of the PSEB and the ADGP (Vigilance), PSEB. However, much to the surprise and shock of the engineers, recently they learnt that the management had ordered an inquiry against Mr Bajwa on the basis of an anonymous complaint.
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BJP rally to focus on govt’s anti-farmer policies Ludhiana, December 8 Addressing an emergency meeting of the morcha in Grain Market at Gill Road here yesterday, the kisan morcha president, Mr Jaswant Singh Chhapa, apprehended that with the closure of Land Reclamation Corporation, more than 1.75 lakh acre land in the state would be rendered barren, simply because a bag of gypsum, being provided by the corporation at Rs 30 would cost something like Rs 120. ‘‘If the government went ahead with its intended move, the farmers will have no choice but to gherao the residence of Chief Minister for an indefinite period.’’ Criticising the government for lack of vision and a clear-cut policy on agriculture, he said the farm economy was becoming non-viable and the debt burden on farmers was mounting. The government had further added to the woes of the farmers by withdrawing the facility of free water and power. Mr Chhapa said the anti-farmer face of the Congress government was thoroughly exposed. Besides slapping the water and power bills on the debt-ridden farmers, the government had scrapped a scheme introduced by the previous government to provide a cash assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh to reduce the debt burden of crisis-ridden farmers. ‘‘No steps are being taken to solve the major problems of waterlogging in several districts and alarmingly low water level elsewhere in Punjab.’’ The Kisan Morcha chief claimed that the NDA government at the Centre had launched various welfare scheme for farmers and the rural poor but due to illiteracy and lack of proper communication, the farmers and other sections of the people in Punjab were unable to take advantage of these schemes. Last year, Kisan Credit Cards worth Rs 50,000 crore were released and during this year the target for credit cards was Rs 75,000 crore. He maintained that more than 25 lakh farmers had opted out of profession because of financial crisis. |
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Kanwaljeet
criticises Congress Amloh, December 8 He was here to assign duties to workers for the preparation of a political conference on December 26 at Fatehgarh Sahib. He has also called a meeting of Akali workers on December 14 at Mata Gujri Sarai, in Fatehgarh Sahib. He said the people of the state, including employees, farmers, traders, industrialists, and workers, had lost faith in the government. Instead of resolving their problems, the Congress was involved in infighting. Ridiculing the statements made by the Chief Minister that the Akali-BJP government had left the treasury in a deficit, he said the Congress government had not provided any relief to people despite having imposed taxes worth Rs 3000 crore. Others who addressed the meeting
included Mr Kashmira Singh, Mr Zora Singh Gill, Mr Tejwant Singh, Mr Randhir Singh, Mr Joginder Singh, Mr Davinder Singh Bhambri, Mr Harbans Singh, Mr Hari Chand, Mr Tejinder Singh and sarpanches of villages in the area. |
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Bhateja
cheat, not a victim of harassment: DC Ludhiana, December 8 He cited several acts of alleged dubious dealings to show that Bhateja, who claimed to be an industrialist, was, in fact, a swindler and an agent of a former Shiromani Akali Dal minister, Mr Sucha Singh Langah. The former minister is in the vigilance net on charges of corruption. He said Bhateja had come into public notice a few months ago after being arrested and interrogated by the Vigilance Department. He and some other alleged associates of Mr Langah had been suspected of having been involved in various cases of fraud and corruption, said the DC. Mr Aggarwal said the person had been an accused in several cases of fraud, forgery and corruption and his wife owed large sums to several financial institutions and private individuals. The DC said Bhateja had been facing charges of handling ill-gotten wealth of the minister and a vigilance charge sheet issued under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120 of the IPC. The bureau had filed this charge sheet in the court of the District and Sessions Judge at Ropar. Mr Bhateja and his wife had been facing a charge that they had availed themselves of cash-credit limit from Canara Bank on the basis of forged documents of collateral security and presented a bogus owner of the property in question. The other charges against the couple were that it had duped a Delhi-based private company of Rs 24 lakh and purchased old machines for a spinning unit floated by Bhateja, for which, a Rs 77 lakh loan had been taken from Punjab Financial Corporation. “Suspecting the promoter of doing dubious dealing, the PFC had formed an inquiry committee comprising the Additional Deputy Commissioner, the General Manager of the District Industries Centre, the District Manager of the PFC and a textile engineer to probe the working of the unit and the utilisation of funds. The factory has since been closed and Bhateja is not cooperating in the inquiry,” said the DC. Mr Aggarwal denied that he had intimidated or harassed Bhateja. He said Bhateja’s version to newspapers was part of a plan to shift the focus from the case and evade the inquiry. “Investigations are on in several cases registered against Bhateja and law will take its own course,” he said. |
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Martyrdom
day of Guru Teg Bahadur observed Ludhiana, December 8 On the occasion, ‘Guru ka langar’ were served in all major gurdwaras. A ‘kirtan darbar’ was held in Gurdwara Dukhniwaran in which Bhai Jasbir Singh Khalsa and others recited Gurbani. A declamation contest was also organised in which schoolchildren spoke about Sikh religion, traditions and values. Devotees, including women and children, thronged gurdwaras since early in the morning with the peak attendance being around noon. Martyrdom Day of Guru Teg Bahadur, was observed with devotion at Guru Teg Bahadur Memorial Charitable Hospital. Free medical check-up, family welfare and blood donation camps were organised in the hospital. Dr S.N. Tiwari, Civil Surgeon, inaugurated the camps. A team of senior specialists from different streams, headed by Dr Waheguru Pal Singh, Medical Superintendent, checked patients. Ultrasound and other diagnostic tests were performed free-of-cost for the needy patients. In the morning, a ‘prabhat pheri’, comprising more than 60 ‘kirtani jathas’, reciting shabads of Gurbani, was taken out. The ‘prabhat pheri’, passing through Shastri Nagar, Model Town and other adjoining areas, concluded at Gurdwara Sahib in the hospital, where a ‘kirtan’ was performed. ‘Guru ka langar’ was also served by the staff of the hospital. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tiwari said a real tribute to Guru Teg Bahadur, who had sacrificed his life for humanity and social values, would be to rededicate ourselves to the service of the suffering humanity. Appreciating the medical facilities being provided by the hospital at affordable rates, the Civil Surgeon appealed to other medical institutions in the city to follow suit. He assured the Health Department would extend all cooperation to the hospital in its endeavour. Dr Waheguru Pal Singh said more than 600 patients attended the camps. In the blood donation camp, nursing students donated 25 units of blood. As many as 72 family welfare operations were performed. Persons who underwent operations were also presented blankets by the hospital committee. Bakhshi Mohinder Singh, president of the managing committee of the hospital, while paying tributes to Guru Teg Bahadur, reiterated the commitment of the hospital to provide medical facilities at
reasonable rates to poor patients. He also thanked the doctors and staff of the hospital. Others present on the occasion included Mr Joginder Singh Makkar, Mr Joginder Singh Eros and Dr Harkanwal Sidhu. |
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Tributes
paid to Namdhari martyrs Ludhiana, December 8 Namdhari sangat, from all parts of the country and abroad, thronged the smarak of the martyrs to pay tributes. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kewal Krishan, Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, said the country was indebted to the martyrs. He said Guru Ram Singh was the founder of the freedom movement and launched noncooperation movement against the British and his followers made sacrifices while displaying exemplary spirit of patriotism. He said Namdhari Darbar had inducted discipline in the community and the sangat was following the preachings of Guru Jagjit Singh. He said the mission of Guru Ram Singh was relevant in today's world also. Following footsteps of Namdhari Darbar, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had launched a crusade to eliminate corruption from the state administration, added Dr Krishan. He also announced a grant of Rs 50,000 for the development of the shaheedi smarak. Mr Kushal Behal, Education Minister, while paying tributes to the martyrs, said Namdharis had remained at the forefront of the freedom movement and the Congress had its origin in the Namdhari movement and its philosophy. He said 25 lakhs Namdharis were still practicing the principles of Guru Ram Singh to eradicate social evils like dowry, female foeticide and use of intoxicants from the society. He said the state government, in its new education policy, had launched a campaign to revamp the education system. In schools and colleges, students would be given quality education so that they could compete in international-level competitions, he added. Mr Gurcharan Singh Galib, MP, said the country was indebted to Namdhari Darbar, which had initiated the freedom movement. He exhorted all to remember martyrs and follow their footsteps. Mr Anurag Agarwal, Deputy Commissioner, also paid tributes to the martyrs and assured that the administration would extend all assistance to beautify their smaraks. Guru Jagjit Singh said the sangat should work towards creating awareness against intoxicants and other social evils prevailing in the society. |
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LJP district unit reorganised Ludhiana, December 8 Prominent among others present at the meeting were Mr Ramanjit Laly, national vice-president of the Youth Wing, Mr Kali Kant Jha, chairman, Labour Wing, Mr Rakesh Garg, chairman, Traders Cell, Mr Raj Kumar, district president, Youth Wing (Urban), and Mr Pardeep Singh, district president, Youth Wing (Rural). Among the new office-bearers of the district unit of the party are : vice-presidents — Mr Kimti Lal Kashyap, Mr Baksheesh Singh and Mr Jaspal Singh Khalsa, general secretaries — Mr Devinder Batra, Mr Vijay Kumar Sherpuri, Mr Shobha Kant Tiwari and Mr Prem Lal; secretaries — Mr Chuni Lal, Dr Ram Avtar Thakur, Mr Munni Lal Singh, Mr Harinder Prasad, executive members — Ms Neelam Rani, Mr Prem Thakur, Mr Balwinder Singh Bains, Mr Nahar Singh, Mr Mohammed Din, Mr Abdul Gaffar, Mr Tarsem Singh, Mr Mukesh Kumar, Mr Angan Lal, Mr Parduman Singh, Mr Gurnam Singh, Mr Bhagat Singh Bagga, Mr Daljit Singh, Mr Mangal Singh Bagga, Mr Ginni Lal, Mr J. D. S. Bijoria, Mr Vijendra Singh, Mr Jagdish Singh Jassowal and Mr Paryag Raj. |
Truck driver held for cooking up robbery tale Ludhiana, December 8 The truck driver, Balwinder Singh, had complained to the police that two car-borne youths had at gunpoint snatched a bag containing Rs 19,000 from him and his cleaner near Bassian village. The money belonged to Surinder Kumar of Jagraon. The money was collected by the truck driver from some Ahmedgarh-based drivers. He had delivered a consignment of lime powder to the traders. However, police investigation has found out that Balwinder Singh along with the cleaner, Manjit Singh, had cooked up the tale to pocket the money. The police suspected his statement and the accused cracked under police questioning. A case under Section 182, IPC, has been registered against Balwinder Singh in this regard. He has been arrested.
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Financier’s family booked for fraud Ludhiana, December 8 According to the FIR, Mr Virender Kumar had complained that the accused had bought some goods from his firm and presented a cheque. But the cheque was returned by the bank which stated that the cheque had bounced. A case under Sections 406, 420 and 120, IPC, against the accused. |
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HDFC launches credit cards Ludhiana, December 8 Mr Aditya Puri, Managing Director of the Bank, said with the introduction of the HDFC Bank international credit cards, the customers in Ludhiana can now avail of the widest range of financial products and services possible. The credit cards offer features like global acceptance, revolving credit facility, balance transfer, comprehensive insurance, lost card liability, tele-ticketing, bill payments, discount programmes etc. |
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