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Local killers pick up foreign ‘suparis’
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Contract with greed, sleaze and mistrust
Illegal colonies’ residents rue lack of basic amenities
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Local killers pick up foreign ‘suparis’
A gunshot. Yet another gunshot. And a life snuffed out. Money exchanges hands stealthily. But there’s no time to stop. Must move on to a new “supari”. This is not a lift from a Bollywood flick or a crime thriller. It is an unvarnished account of the seamier side of the city that is often touted as the city of NRIs.
Contract killing, with killers being offered hefty amounts to commit crime, has given the city an unenviable distinction of being contract killers’ haven. The NRI factor adds a sinister dimension to it. Many a time, the NRIs fight out their rivalries at the home turf, employing contract killers to finish off their rivals, says G.P.S. Bhullar, SSP, Jalandhar. “The conspiracy, in such cases, is hatched out of the country. The funding, too, has its roots abroad,” he explains. Sometimes, property disputes, marital discords, too, are sorted out at trigger-point. And in most of the cases, the trigger is pushed without any warning, as the person committing the crime is only an “agent” hired by a party that is ready to pump in money to get the “work” done. In May 2002, the Jalandar Police arrested seven members of an organised gang of contract killers. Some interesting disclosures that came in the wake of this arrest included the trend among affluent NRIs to use money power to settle personal scores through contract killers, the active role of PCO owners, hawala agents and smugglers in such crimes and the use of mobile phones in planning, executing and escaping after committing the crime. Most of the contract killers are small-time criminals, who graduate to contract killing to earn easy money. It’s a case of perfect fit. If NRIs and other moneyed people want to settle scores using wads of notes, they have at their beck and call ready “agents”, who are more-than-willing to carry out the “task”, provided they get the “big” money. “A typical profile of a contract killer is easy to glean. He’s usually an unemployed man with criminal background. He wants to earn easy money to live a luxurious life complete with electronics gizmos, bikes, cell phones and big houses,” says Mr Opinderjit Singh Ghuman, SP, Operations. In the cases, where contract killing has been carried out at the bidding of an NRI, there are certain additional complications. The extradition process of the culprits is a long-drawn-out procedure, so much so that the culprits may never be brought to the book. Of course, the culprits are declared proclaimed offenders back home. “If an NRI gets a murder executed to settle property dispute, he would not be able to return to the country to reclaim the property without inviting a legal action against him,” says Mr Ghuman. The NRI Sabha, Punjab, however, says that such cases involving the NRIs are not statistically significant. “The NRI Sabha has not taken up the issue so far. Neither has anyone approached us with the issue. And such cases involving the NRIs are rare,” says Mr Avtar Henry, Vice-Patron, NRI Sabha, Punjab.
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Contract with greed, sleaze and mistrust
Most of the cases of contract killings are stories of sleaze, greed, hatred and mistrust. In a recent case involving the murder of an NRI who had come to the city, it was the estranged wife who allegedly conspired to have her husband eliminated. The deceased Balbir Singh was married to Tejinder Kaur. They were living separately in the United States. They had filed for a divorce also. But something else was brewing. Balbir Singh was murdered in cold blood on the nigh of June 18, 2004.
A slip of paper, bearing an ASI’s name, was found in the hand of Balbir. The needle of suspicion pointed to the ASI. The investigation was getting off track. However, soon startling facts tumbled out. The ASI had taken a lift from three Maruti-borne youths. It was during this journey that he had given them the slip bearing his name, in case they faced any problem at nakas. Later, investigations revealed that the alleged killers were the cousins of Tejinder Kaur, the estranged wife of the deceased. Preliminary investigations revealed that the conspiracy to kill Balbir had allegedly been hatched by his wife, brother-in-law and mother-in-law. They had allegedly taken the help of their relatives to carry out the killing. What’s even more sordid is that the carrot of “helping these relatives immigrate” to the USA was dangled. In 2002, NRI Joga Singh was murdered allegedly by his close relative. Property dispute was stated to be the reason for the murder. In another case, contract killers who had killed Joga Singh, an NRI from Uppal Jafir village, had allegedly got a tantrik murdered after paying a supari of Rs 4.6 lakh. The NRI’s reason: The tantrik had used black magic to kill his son at the behest of another person with whom he had enmity!
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Menace of eve-teasing growing, say city women
Parents told to manage their ‘wayward’ sons The city police has rounded up more than 30 eve-teasers in the past few months. According to police officials, most of the eve-teasers are let off with a warning. Those in the younger age group are told to bring their parents. The officials add that their endeavour is to maintain vigil near educational institutions and often plainclothes cops are posted near these institutions to keep a check on eve-teasing.
It may not exactly be eve-teasers' paradise, but city girls have their share of "unnerving" experiences. Though there are no official statistics to throw light on the number of actual eve-teasing cases, the experiences of city women are a pointer towards the menace of eve-teasing.
"It is evening. I am driving my scooter. A youngish man comes up to me and starts passing vulgar remarks. Then he thinks it's his bounden duty to follow me right up to my next stop. It's rather disgusting," says a student of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts here. But she has a suggestion. "Girls should learn the art of self-defence. It's important, as it not only helps them to deal with any untoward situation, but also makes them self-reliant. The parents, too, don't get goose-pimples that their daughters are out and dusk is approaching," she adds. Another student says that sometimes, when she is on her way to college, she has to face inane comments with an obscene word thrown in. "It seems some men derive malicious pleasure out of this. You should see the smirk on their faces when they shout out vulgar comments. Some eve-teasers brush past you, and while doing so, they hold your hand or squeeze your arm. It's there for a split second, so much so that you are not even sure what exactly happened. By that time, the man has melted into the crowd," explains the girl. Though colleges and schools are the most vulnerable points, yet eve-teasing is not restricted to these places. "It may not be a big deal for the men indulging in eve-teasing. It may just be one of their time-passes. But for a woman who has to go through it, things may not be so simple. For one, it deprives her of her dignity and instills a vague sense of insecurity in her," says Ms Sonia, MA Part 1 student of HMV College here. There is, however, a class of people that thinks eve-teasing is no problem at all. And that "good" girls don't get eve-teased. "When girls flaunt their skimpy clothes, it's all right. But if a boy happens to make an observation, it gets 'unnerving' for the girl. Believe me, there are some girls whose outfits screech out for attention," says a young man, who is a computer professional. All these arguments about girls asking for "it", is plain rationalisation, retort city women. No one asks for salacious comments, they argue. "Just see how warped the reasoning is. I would like to ask — Is sartorial inappropriateness an excuse enough to mouth obscenities? And isn't sartorial decency a matter of social milieu and individual preference? Moreover, it surely does not fall on the eve-teasers to tell women how to dress decently," says Ms Shefali, administrator with NIFT here. Perhaps, sensitisation of people to the menace of eve-teasing is the only way to stop it. But this sensitisation would need concerted efforts of women's groups, social workers, educationists, police personnel and public at large.
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Today is World Disability Day They have been shunned by their family members, relatives and the society. Their only fault is that they were physically disabled either by birth or after they met with some accident. Over 400 persons of this region who had no shelter, no one to feed them and no one to look after them, have found a home. A home where they have got a heeling touch, a home where they can interact with persons with similar disabilities and a home where they can look forward to be economically independent. Situated on the Gulab Devi Hospital Road and run by the Lotus Bawa Group, the Pingla Ghar is a home to as many as 400 disabled homeless persons. Many of the inmates of this ghar were brought here by the police after they had been thrown out of their homes, left on footpaths, railway stations and outside the gates of the Pingla Ghar itself by their family members. The inmates have now found solace in the institution. There are specialist doctors attending them round-the-clock. They get medicines and proper meals at the right time. They are made to exercise every morning and evening as per the instructions of two physiotherapists visiting the Pingla Ghar. Ask them and none of them would want to go back home. In fact, the love and the care that they get at the Pingla Ghar has made them forget their homes. Ms Rukmani (25), who has a slight deformity in her legs, was just three years old when her parents left her outside the ghar. She does not know who her parents are and she neither likes to discuss that. “I may not have my parents, but I have definitely found scores of my siblings among the young girls and boys in this home. My parents probably could not bear my burden as I was disabled. But the caretakers of this home have been very generous with me. I could not walk till I was six years old. Then I was operated upon here and I started walking, though I still limp a bit. They sent me to school also. I have recently passed Plus Two from HMV College. I have learnt art and craft from an ITI. Now I am hunting for a job. I have applied at Ludhiana as well as Chandigarh and I am waiting for a response,” says Ms Rukmani. When asked whether she was interested in getting married, she replies coyly, “The ghar authorities are looking for a suitable match. They have brought me up, they are also shouldering the responsibility of getting me married”. Mr Satpal (50) was just 28 years old when he lost his arm in an accident. Badly injured, he was brought here, but his arm had to be amputated. “After I recovered, I started taking care of my fellow inmates. Away from the heartless people in this society, I found love among the inmates here,” he says. A few years back, he was married to a woman with borderline IQ. She, too, was from the Pingla Ghar. They have two children. But the most pitiable state is that of two children, Aditya and Kiran, both of them nearly three years old. Though born very fair and with beautiful eyes, Kiran’s parents turned her away from home as she was epileptic. The Maqsudan Police personnel brought Aditya to the ghar when they found him lying abandoned. Aditya cannot speak and walk, for he has speech problems and deformed feet. The caretakers of the Pingla Ghar said that the monthly running cost of the institution was about Rs12.5 lakh. They said that even though the major expenses, including those of maintenance and renovation, were borne by Mr Atamjit Singh Bawa of the Lotus Bawa Group, other expenses such as those of medicines, salaries of 125 employees, meals and clothing depended largely on donations by some good Samaritans.
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Looking at world through the child’s eye Stars shining in a roadside puddle. Sequins of raindrops pattering on doll-houses. Joys of playing in open under the canopy of sky. Clouds spiriting away the last vestiges of sadness. It's children's world - simple, sans any adult complications and teeming with possibilities. It is the world that Mr Atma Singh Chitti tries to explore through his poetry. Mr Chitti, however, does not write about children; he writes for them. "Writing for children is not easy. You have to think like them. The grown ups take so many things for granted, but for children everything is a treasure trove of possibilities. For adults, it may be scorching summer, but for children, it's time to lick 'ice-rolls' and frolic about in water," says Mr Chitti, who is a teacher by profession. His anthology of poems include Aike Dee Khushbo, Phullan Dee Mehak, Tehkade Bol, Suno Bachio Geet Sunawan, Van Suvanne Phull Mehkade. Two poetry books Mehkaan Bhari Changer and Bol Sajjre Sandhoori are in the pipeline. Most of his poems are simple, rhythmical descriptions of everyday life. They speak of seasons, rain, patriotism, hygiene, festivals, harmony, pollution and beauty. "I try to portray the sights and sounds of our own culture. If you speak to children about something to which they cannot relate, you have failed in your job," he explains. Mr Chitti's contention is that it's the onslaught of television that is taking children away from books. Children prefer to watch meaningless serials, but they are not willing to spend time on books. He's also against Westernisation that, he feels, has impinged on the Punjabi culture. "Children are forgetting their cultural heritage. They are aping Westernisation, without understanding that it is rooted in another milieu. This is unfortunate," he rues. It's the sheer satisfaction of writing for children that sustains him, he says. "Though recently I received the Kewal Vig Award for the 'Best Writer of Children's Literature', I find my fulfillment when I see children reciting the poems I have penned," he adds. Many of his poems have been prescribed as part of syllabi for school students. This poet's cherished dream is to keep writing for children, with his "child-centric" view intact!
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This IT-savvy student has high goals Aspiring to become an IT professional, Ms Chhavi Gupta of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts has been vying hard for the past two years to achieve the top rank in Guru Nanak Dev University. A BCA final year student, she scored the highest marks in the course in the first and the second years. Ms Chhavi brought laurels to her college on several occasions by winning prizes in various inter-college technical festivals. She participated and won several prizes in various cyber quizzes and exhibitions. A member of the Information Technology Forum of her college, she keeps arranging various IT-related activities in her college. Recently, she participated in an inter-college paper reading contest held at BD Arya College. She presented a paper on biotechnology and received an award for this paper. Currently, she is not just gearing up to do a hat trick by getting the highest marks in the university in her final year, she is also busy preparing for the MCA entrance test. "Every Saturday and Sunday, I go to Chandigarh to attend preparatory classes at a coaching centre. Though the schedule becomes quite hectic for me, I know that I have to do it." She would continue to attend her classes till the first week of June next year, when she will appear for All-India Management Entrance Test. After completing her matriculation, she took up non-medical stream, as at that time she wanted to become an engineer. "I somehow could not manage to get a very good rank. I was getting a seat outside Punjab, but my parents did not want me to join the course outside the state." "Then I took up BCA in this college. In the past two years, my parents' thinking, too, has undergone a change. They have agreed to send me to any good college outside Punjab for my higher studies," she added. The fact that the IT industry is now facing a slump has not affected the mindset of this IT-savvy student. "IT will be there always. There can be neither any office nor any institution that can work without computers. Almost every job, be it fashion designing, printing, accounting or networking of different branches of a corporate company, has to be done by means of computers", she says, pointing out that there can never be dearth of any computer-related jobs.
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Apeejay Management School has many ‘firsts’
This management college has many firsts to its credit. The Apeejay Institute of Management has achieved these firsts within seven years of its inception. This is the first and the only management college in northern India to get accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), claim college authorities. Besides, it is the first college to be made the innovation centre under the CII-TDBT Net programme for facilitating students and faculty members to join various research and development projects on management and computer science, add the authorities.
Since its inception in 1997, the Apeejay Institute of Management has set for itself the goal of adapting to the changing corporate scenario. The institute is a dream venture of Dr Satya Paul, Chairman of the Apeejay Educational Society, who started the mission of spreading education by establishing a school at Jalandhar way back in 1967. The institute is housed in a sprawling newly-constructed complex spread over six acres in lush green pollution-free environment on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road. Lord Swaraj Paul, Chairman of the Caparo Group, United Kingdom, formally dedicated the new campus to students on February 22, 2002. Apart from inculcating the spirit of competitiveness among students, the institute lays maximum emphasis on personality development of each student. The institute has a computer lab with 120 computers - 90 under NT network and 30 under Novell network, a fully-automated library equipped with "Alice for Windows" software and 500 monographic titles, project and training reports and other audio-visual materials, and seminar halls. The lecture theatres and classrooms have been specially designed to make teaching effective. The institute, affiliated with Punjab Technical University (PTU), Jalandhar, offers different management and computer applications degree courses, including bachelors in business administration, masters in computer applications, masters in business administration and bachelors in computer applications. Besides, the institute is credited to be the first one to introduce Ph. D in management to promote research work in this part of the region. The institute authorities reveal that a new course - B.Sc. (Airlines, Tourism and Hospitality Management) would be introduced from the next academic session. "We have so far the best placement record among all management institutes in this part of the country. We have a placement and training cell in the institute, which arranges presentations for leading national and multinational companies. It imparts training in interpersonal skills and holds interviews and facilitates campus recruitment. In fact, more than 90 per cent of the passing out graduates got jobs through campus interviews," Dr Balram Dogra, Director of the institute, claims. The institute authorities maintain that their students have excellent record in academics. "Three hundred and fifteen students out of a total of 433 students who took the May 2004 university examinations secured 70 per cent or above marks," Dr Dogra adds. "Keeping in view the changing global industrial scenario, we hold industrial-academic interface programmes to acquaint the students with the problems being faced by the industry. For this purpose, our students frequently visit industrial houses, besides working on cost-effective solutions for industrial problems. The technology transfer centre here, under the aegis of the CII, is aggressively promoting the research work," the institute authorities add. "We also hold interactive sessions under knowledge reservoir series, wherein heads and experts of major industrial houses and corporate sector share their experiences with budding managers," adds Dr Dogra. The institute has two units of NSS, each with strength of 100 volunteers. The NSS units, with the assistance of the Rotary Club and the State Bank of Patiala, organise blood donation camps, seminars on AIDS awareness and child labour from time to time.
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From the Schools
The annual prize distribution function of Guru Angad Dev Public School, Rama Mandi, was celebrated on Wednesday.
The programme began with the lighting of lamp by Dr M.S. Grewal, Registrar of Punjab Technical University. Mr J.S. Pasricha, Secretary of the MGN Educational Trust, and Mr G.S. Khera, SDM of Nakodar, were the guests of honour. The function started with the singing of shabad, "Deh Shiva bar mohe", followed by various cultural items. The main attraction of the show was choreography "Sada virsa", in which the customs and rituals of marriage were presented by students. Ms Harjinder Kaur, Principal, read the annual report. The function concluded with the speech of Dr Grewal. Gurpurab celebrations To mark the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary, Gurpurab celebrations were held at CJS Public School, Amritsar Bypass, on Friday. Navjot of class IV recited the shabad, "Miti dhundh jag chanan hoya". Ms Harjinder Kaur, Punjabi teacher, delivered a speech highlighting the life and the teachings of Guru Nanak. The speech was followed by general knowledge questions based on the life of the Guru. The students answered the questions with enthusiasm. Ms Veena Katyal, Principal, addressed the gathering pledging to work hard with sincerity and dedication for the welfare of the society. She appreciated the efforts of the students and the staff in making the function a success. Cultural show The students of Hindi Putri Pathshala, Kapurthala, held a magnificent show in the honour of Ms Shiela Dixit, Delhi Chief Minister, who visited her alma mater on Monday. The school was bedecked with various rangoli designs at the entrance gates. The girls, carrying placards with a message "Welcome Ms Dixit", stood along the entrance path. As Ms Dixit came, she was given a warm welcome. Schoolteachers and principals presented her bouquets. The students showered flower petals on her. A cultural programme was held in her honour during which the students presented Saraswati Vandana. Short skits and musical items were also presented. The programme concluded with bhangra. Later, a prize distribution ceremony was also held during which Ms Dixit presented awards to students who had excelled in academics, sports and cultural activities. Prize distribution The 21st annual prize distribution function of Army Public School, Jalandhar Cantonment, was held on Thursday. The Chief of Staff of 11 corps, Maj Gen B.J. Gupta, was the chief guest. The Chairman of the school, Brig Sanjeev Anand, was the guest of honour. A splendid display of exhibits and models made by students was inaugurated by the chief guest. Ms Dia Gupta, President of the Army Wives' Welfare Association, accompanied by Ms Anita Anand, lit the ceremonial lamp. A colourful variety programme was presented by the students on the occasion. The items included a ballet by the tiny tots, a foot tapping qawwali, dandiya, mime, English and Hindi plays and a report on the school's activities. The cultural events were brought to a close with the performance of lively gidda. The programme was followed by a prize distribution ceremony during which meritorious students received prizes for their achievements. Ms Gupta gave prizes to the deserving students. A large number of parents attended the function. The Officiating Principal, Ms Shastri Bhatia, lauded the efforts of the students and the teachers in presenting a good show.
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Mughal court musician’s tomb at Kapurthala lies neglected
Call it paucity of state government's funds or procedural delays on the part of the archaeological department, the tomb of the famous flute player Mir Nasir Ahmed of the court of Bahadur Shah Zafar is in dilapidated condition.
The tomb is situated on the Pir Chaudhary Marg, Kapurthala. The tomb was traced back to history in April 2001 by the local administration. The then-Deputy Commissioner, Mr V.K. Singh, had promised that the tomb would soon be renovated and preserved as a historical monument. Even though more than three years have passed, the tomb lies untouched and unattended. The tomb has wild growth all around. The area around the tomb was probably a burial ground at the time when the tomb was built. The gate is broken and animals move in and out of the place very frequently. Thorny bushes and their roots have started affecting the foundation of the structure, most of which is broken from various corners. The path from the gate to the structure is difficult to tread on. Till the year 2001, no one knew the significance of the structure till Mr V.K. Singh made relentless efforts to trace it back to its history. Several historians were consulted and shown the structure. Books of history were scanned to find out complete details. Finally, it was found that the tomb belonged to the famous musician Mir Naqsir Ahmed, who left the audience spellbound with his flute-playing in the court of Bahadur Shah Zafar. Later, when the British kept Bahadur Shah Zafar in captivity, Mir Nasir Ahmed was also arrested, for he, too, wore the symbol of the royal empire — the turban. It is said that Kunwar Vikram Singh of the Kapurthala dynasty used his influence to get the musician released on the plea that he was an artiste and could not pose any danger to the British. He took away Mir Nasir Ahmed with him to Kapurthala, where the latter spent the rest of his life. Mir Nasir Ahmed's two sons, Mir Kalan and Mir Rehmat, also grew up to become famous musicians of the Kapurthala gharana. The tomb lies in a town where scores of such buildings of historical importance stand, waiting for attention of the administration. The administration also seems to have given up its fight for the preservation of these historical buildings, for the authorities said that nothing was possible without an adequate grant for the purpose. Mr Rakesh Kumar Verma, Deputy Commissioner, said that the state government was reeling under financial crunch and that no funds had been granted to the administration despite several reminders. He said that the work of the archaeological department was rather slow and that many buildings of the district were waiting to be identified and notified for their renovation and preservation.
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Illegal colonies’ residents rue lack of basic amenities
Lack of coordination on the part of several government departments has left the residents of about a dozen residential colonies, situated on the Mithapur Road here, fuming. These residents, who have no access to basic civic amenities, have been forced to live in miserable conditions for the past one decade, thanks to the loopholes in the law.
However, the property dealers, who are responsible for carving out residential colonies on agricultural land in an unauthorised manner, are the real beneficiaries. They mint huge profits by selling plots to gullible customers, leaving the latter to wait endlessly for facilities. During a visit to the affected colonies, The Tribune team found that scores of residential colonies had developed, most of these in an unauthorised manner. These colonies did not have even an apology for civic amenities. These colonies include White Avenue, Friends Avenue, Dashmesh Avenue, Baba Makhan Shah Lubana Nagar, Punjabi Bagh, Karol Bagh, Raja Garden, Gurmeet Nagar, Kalgidhar Avenue, Ishar Colony and Harwinder Nagar. Interestingly, it is sheer lack of coordination between the government departments - Revenue, PUDA, Municipal Corporation and Town Planning - which has facilitated the mushrooming of such colonies. Sources maintained that usually PUDA authorities did not send list of unauthorised colonies to the revenue officials concerned. Revenue officials, too, failed to intimate PUDA and MC authorities about the carving out of new residential colonies. This is despite the fact that the revenue department has a large contingent of patwaris, kanoogos and other staff to supervise the land records. There are no roads, streetlights, and water and sewerage facilities in most of these localities. "I have been living here for the past 15 years. Though we submitted several memorandums to the municipal corporation authorities in the past, every time it was told that the colony was illegal. What's our fault? We had paid full amount to the property dealer for the purchase of the plot. Why doesn't the corporation or PUDA take action when some unscrupulous people start carving out a colony?" Captain Mann Singh, a resident of Makhan Shah Lubana Nagar, rues. Most of the residents in these colonies have set up septic tanks in front of their houses for the exit of sewage water. Besides, they have made private arrangements for the supply of drinking water. Streetlights and roads are still a distant dream for them, as they involve huge expenditure. "At least, the corporation should make arrangements for clean drinking water - a basic need," Mr J.S. Gill of Friends Avenue says. Dusty roads and lanes in the affected colonies cause further inconvenience to the residents. "We came to this locality about five years back. It was a grave mistake. Even a remote village would have better roads. It is very embarrassing for us, when a visiting relative or a friend advises us to shift to some other place," says Ms Karnail Kaur of Ishar Colony. While Additional Chief Administrator (ACA), PUDA, was not available for comments, the Superintending Engineer (B&R) of the Municipal Corporation here, Mr. A.K. Talwar, said that the state government had recently decided to provide civic amenities to such illegal colonies, if 60 to 70 per cent residents were ready to deposit development charges to the tune of Rs 8000 per marla. "We have recently identified 233 such colonies in the city and efforts are being made to persuade the residents, so that we may start the developmental projects", he added.
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