Forest Dept move to acquire land stalled
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 29
Despite the interim order of the Supreme Court directing the Forest Department to take over encroached forest land, the move of the Divisional Forest Department to take over hundreds of acres in 39 villages along side the Sutlej river has come to a naught for want of police security.

After facing violence from certain villagers during the acquisition process, in which some forest employees had suffered injuries, the department officials had stopped the acquisition and written to the district administration to provide police security to the staff facing threat from agitated villagers. The villagers will be dispossessed of the land they have been cultivating for many years.

Much to the disappointment of forest officials, the police in the Jagraon block has not provided security to them, despite various reminders by the former. On December 13 at least three forest guards were attacked and injured at Kot Umra village while undertaking plantation in the area acquired.

The Supreme Court in its judgement on November 27, 2001, had directed the Forest Department to remove encroachments on the forest land and plant trees in the area. It had ordered that neither any court nor the state government could interfere in the matter.

Department sources said around 197 acres had already been acquired and tree plantation was being done in various villages, including Kot Umra, Mand Charaudi, Mand Aslanam, Mand Hadiwal and Mand Khanpur. Land has been acquired at Gaur Sianh Khan.

Sources said after the Kot Umra incident, when three employees sustained injuries, the Forest Department had postponed the plantation drive and asked for police security. But due to non-availability of police, the drive has been stalled. Officials state that the villagers were ready to hand over the land to the department, until a politician incited them. They say ‘vote politics’ is playing a major role in the process.

The officials say they will restart the work when they are provided with security. Mr Jaspal Singh Dhanoa, SP (D), Jagraon (officiating SSP), says he has not received any communique from the Forest Department asking for security.

It may be mentioned here that the Ludhiana Vigilance Bureau had registered a case against Gurdev Singh Badal for illegally occupying 197 acres of land in Kot Umra and 245 acres in Gaur Sianh Khan Mohammad village. However, later it came to light that apart from the relatives and friends of the former Agriculture Minister, several Rai Sikh farmers were earning their bread and butter solely from this land.

CRIME ROUNDUP
2002 saw rise in burglary, theft incidents
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

DIG Rohit Chowdhry and his team brought laurels to the city by nabbing two terrorists of Lashkar-e-Toiba from the city. They were held responsible for the Doraha railway blast case.

The Ludhiana police also had several cases to boast about. Among these was breaking the illegal den of Jagdish Tangri in Gur Mandi that shook the rampant illegal business of duplicate CDs in the city. The police effected a cleanliness drive in the city by registering more than 100 cases of defacement of property. A crackdown on the menace of beggars, resulting in the arrest of over 300 beggars, brought relief to the commuters in the city.

The police nabbed over 1000 proclaimed offenders. It won several hearts by saving six-year-old Himanshu from the clutches of a kidnapper. The dreaded sodomy and murder case of another minor boy Sanju was also solved within days.

The police, however, has failed to solve the murder case of Nirmal Jain, killed early in the year and the murder and robbery case of industrialist Rakesh Gupta, last month. The mystery of the year remains the brutal killing of 16-year-old Ritika, an Industrialist’s daughter, who was found stabbed to death in a secret chamber of the house. The dacoity incident at Asa Ram Ashram also remains unsolved.

While there was a decrease in cases of murder, dacoity and robbery, the increase in burglary and theft incidents was a point of concern for the police. The police achieved success against drug-peddlers. While 80 cases were registered under NDPS Act last year, as many as 152 cases were registered this year. In this category, a case is registered at the recovery of the drug or arrest of the accused.

The number of cases under the Excise Act also showed an increase. While 239 cases were registered last year, as many as 464 cases were registered this year.

The unsavoury controversy between former Ludhiana DIG Rohit Choudhry and SSP H S Sidhu at the end of the year was a sorry reflection on the state of affairs in the Police Department. The involvement of some police personnel in property dispute cases was also an issue bothering cops.

Despite ups and downs, it can be safely concluded that the Ludhiana police succeeded in providing a sense of security among the residents. 

Assault on public servant (read cops) 44 83

Recovery

case straced	321	622
Stolen property	4.75 cr	3.92 cr
Recovered property	2.55 cr	2.57 cr
Pistol	41	39
Cartridges	144	105
Knives	142	179

(Figures available up to November 30)

Oswal’s gesture to native village
Tribune News Service

Jodhan Ludhiana, December 29
Eightyfive years ago, an 11-year-old boy left this village in search of livelihood. And over a period of time he created a business empire of over Rs 2000 crore. After 85 years he returned today to his native village to show his gratitude by way of getting a concrete road constructed which joins the main road to the local gurdwara.

Vidya Sagar Oswal (96), patriarch of the Nahar group, inaugurated the link road constructed in the memory of his mother Akki Bhai Oswal and a chowk in the name of his father Assa Ram Oswal outside the gurdwara.

Mr Vidya Sagar memory had not faded with age. He could still recall that he was studying the fourth standard when he lost his father to plague, which had spread in the area at that time. He was the eldest son in the family. He decided to move out to Ludhiana. There he started an arthiya shop and then a provisional store. But he suffered losses in both ventures.

Ultimately he took up a job on a monthly salary of Rs 10 with Faqir Chand, a leading hosiery manufacturer of his time, with an assurance that he would be allowed to learn the technicalities of the job. The entrepreneur in him was always a live and vibrant and he picked up the nuances of the trade. His mother helped him by selling all her jewellery. He installed a machine and started manufacturing socks. The business kept on growing and within a span of few years he installed 10 more machines.

Then he never looked back. “Money came raining”, recalled a calm and complacent Mr Oswal, adding with pride that “today my brand is counted the top brands in the country.”

Villagers also acknowledged the noble gesture of the grand old man. They had come in equally great numbers to receive him and his family, which included his son, grandsons and great grandsons.

Kin of Kargil martyrs honoured
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 29
As many as 11 families of Kargil martyrs were honoured at a function organised to commemorate the death anniversary of Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, who laid down his life fighting the enemy in the 1971 war, by Nirmaljit Singh Memorial Trust in Mullanpur village near here today.

Air Marshal Manjit Singh Sekhon (retd) was honoured with the Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon Memorial Award for honesty and services to national security. A spokesman of the Trust said the function was held every year to pay tributes to the great soldier who belonged to Issewal village near here.

Various leaders, including Mr Tejparkash Singh, Mr Gurcharan Singh Ghalib, Mr Malkiat Singh Dakha, Mr Darshan Singh Shivalik, and Mr Mal Singh Ghuman attended the function. 

51 widows given monthly pension
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 29
Fiftyone widows were provided with monthly pension and ration by the Bhartiya Kalyan Jyoti at a function organised at Rajindera Model Senior Secondary School, Shankaracharya Nagar, here today.

The function was presided over by Mr Ram Kumar Jasra and Ms Shakti Lakhanpal, vice-presidents of the organisation. Mr Jagmohan Sharma, president, the Ludhiana Electrical Dealers Association, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Mr Hem Raj Aggarwal and Mrs Amarjit Kaur, both councillors, addressed the gathering. Mr Shashi Paul Joshi, Mr Deepak Rai and Mr Amit Arora also attended the function.

NRI woman found dead
Our Correspondence

Ludhiana, December 29
The body of Mohinder Kaur, 72, who had come here from Canada to sell off her land, was found in her Jamalpur house in a burning state by the police on Friday night. It is being feared that she was murdered after which killer(s) made an attempt to destroy evidence by burning.

According to information, the woman had sold off her land in Lohara village for Rs 1.10 crore recently and she had come to collect an instalment of the sale proceedings. The police has taken into custody Nand Lal, a 17-year-old boy, who had been employed as domestic help by the victim for questioning and registered a case on the statement of Mr Om Parkash, a retired clerk of the DC office, who lives on rent in the same building.

According to sources, the body was found lying in a straight position and a white combustible chemical was covering most of her body.

Theft cases: The Division No. 7 police has registered a theft case on the statement of Mr Manjit Singh, a resident of Neem Wala Chowk. Thieves entered his residence in Sector 32-A, PUDA, Urban Estate, and decamped with sanitary and electric goods.

The Basti Jodhewal police has registered a similar case on the complaint of Mr Jogesh Kumar, a resident of Madho Puri. The complainant alleged that burglars had broken open the lock of his shop in Sunder Nagar and taken away an electric meter, a ceiling fan and a tubelight from there.

The Sadar police has registered a case of theft on the statement of Mr Tejinder Singh, a resident of Netaji Nagar, who alleged that burglars took away cash from his shop in Ladowal village.

No arrest has been made so far in any of the cases.

Two boys hospitalised: Ten-year-old Neelu was injured when he fell from the roof of his house in Mohalla Taj Ganj while flying a kite on Saturday. He was admitted to the local Civil Hospital.

Anand, 14, was also injured when he fell from the roof of his house in New Shivaji Nagar. As his hand brushed against an electric wire while falling to the ground, it also suffered burns. He was admitted to a nearby hospital.

Man dies: Nirmal Singh, a resident of Lila Megh Singh Wala village, near Jagraon, who had been admitted to a private nursing home in the city, after getting injured in a property dispute allegedly with his brother on November 22, died on Saturday. Nirmal Singh, an ex-servicemen, was allegedly attacked by his brother Jugraj Singh along with her wife and son. He was first rushed to the Civil Hospital at Sidhwan Bet from where he was referred to the city. The police, which has registered a case of murder, is reportedly on the look-out for the accused.

One arrested: The Sarabha Nagar police has arrested a man in an attempt to murder case registered on the complaint of his wife. Ms Manjit Kaur, a resident of Model Gram Extension, had alleged that her husband, Ranjit Singh, and other members of her in-laws’ family namely Manmohanjit Singh, Manjit Kaur and Sukhbir Singh, all residents of Sarabha Nagar, subjected her to merciless beating with the intention of killing her.

Eve-teasing case: The Division No. 2 police has arrested Balbir Singh, a resident of Bulara village, and booked him under Sections 294 and 509 of the IPC on charge of teasing girls.

Four persons rounded up
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 29
The Sadar police today reportedly rounded up four suspects in connection with the escape of two persons from the lock-up room of the Laddowal police post two days ago.

Police sources informed the persons were being questioned and official information would be available only tomorrow.

Meanwhile, residents and shopkeepers of Laddowal, who were experiencing alleged police inaction for the past two weeks, have some reasons to cheer. The Sadar police has finally registered a case of burglary and theft against unidentified persons.