Jalandhar, November 11
The daylight robbery at UCO Bank here yesterday has left the police clueless about the identity of the robbers. Investigations could not reveal much, though the police managed to get computer-generated sketches of two of the three robbers.

The sketches were released today and a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh was announced for providing information about the robbers.

Police sources said one of the robbers had a glass of water and later asked bank manager S.K. Chawla to wipe out the fingerprints from the glass. During the one-and-a-half-hour incident no customer entered the bank.

The SP City (1), Mr S.K. Kalia, said the modus operandi of the robbers was the same as that in the branch of Punjab National Bank at Bholath on October 10, but ruled out any connection with terrorists.

The SSP, Mr Ishwar Singh, said no breakthrough could be achieved so far.

Meanwhile, many questions remained unanswered like: Why no new customer entered the bank during the time when the robbery was taking place? Why did the siren fail to alert anyone outside? and Why no one saw them entering or leaving the premises before and after committing the robbery?

Hoshiarpur, November 11
We are not in a position to face the public. She has not only brought bad name to our country but also to her native village Chabbewal. These were the words of Mr Parshotam Lal Bedi, uncle of Monica Bedi, a Bollywood actress and second wife of underworld don Abu Salem, prime accused in the Mumbai blasts case.

Talking to The Tribune, Mr Parshotam Lal expressed his concern on Monica’s connivance with Abu Salem. He informed that Monica was born in Chabbewal village, 12 km from Hoshiarpur. Her father Mr Prem Kumar Bedi along with his wife Ms Shakuntla Bedi and elder son Bobby Bedi migrated to Norway in mid 70s. He claimed that the family members, relatives and villagers were not aware of Monica’s marriage with Abu Salem.

“Monica was never married. Had she been married, at least the family members should have been aware of it, said Mr Parshotam Lal, younger brother of Mr Prem Kumar Bedi. He recalled that Monica was just 10-month-old when her father migrated to Norway.

She had been to the village in 1998 to attend Bobby Bedi’s marriage. Bobby Bedi was married in a Tanda-based family, 32 km from Hoshiarpur. Monica remained in the village for three days and returned to Mumbai. A large number of locals had thronged the place to have a glimpse of her that time and got their photographs clicked with her. But nowadays villagers feel ashamed when someone points out that Monica Bedi belongs to Chabbewal village, said Mr Parshotam Lal.

Presently, Mr Parshotam Lal, a member of Chhabewal panchayat, and his sister Ms Kanta Bedi, a retired teacher, reside in Chabbewal with their families. It is a joint family, as their land and other property has not been distributed.

Pooja’s father had been practising as an RMP in the village, before migrating to Norway in 1976, claimed Mr Surinder Pal Singh Sandhu, a member of Zila Parishad and a neighbour of Mr Parshotam Lal Bedi.

Ms Manjit Kaur, sarpanch of the village, said Monica had brought fame to the village after working in Bollywood. But after her relations with underworld don Abu Salem, not only villagers but also the state was feeling ashamed.

Enquiries by The Tribune team showed that a majority of villagers were disappointed with Monica. They were of the view that if her connivance with Abu Salem in anti-national activities was proved, she should be punished as per the law.

Meanwhile, a battery of mediapersons converged on the village after the news of Abu Salem’s arrival in India was known. The family members tried to give a slip to the mediapersons while the womenfolk of the village were reluctant to say anything about Monica’s conduct. Those who had got their photographs clicked with the actress even dumped their photographs.

Bathinda, November 11
Nearly 120 policemen deployed on security of VIPs and other influential persons, including former Punjab minister Chiranji Lal Garg, have been withdrawn after reviewing threat perception to them, said Bathinda zone IG Rajinder Singh while interacting with mediapersons here today.

He said at present 700 policemen were still absorbed for security, out which 79 were head constables and 577 constables. He said he himself had cut down his security staff from 22 to 12 at his office-cum-residence. He said the decision to withdraw security to any individual was reached after carefully reviewing the threat perception to him and in some cases patrolling parties were also asked to take care of his security.

“Some people misuse securitymen and exploit them for purposes other then security,” he averred. He said they were trying to cut down the number of policemen deployed for security purpose in the wake of staff crunch, as their services could be put to better use in traffic and other routine work.

The IG advocated the need to limit number of probes into a case so as to ensure swift justice to aggrieved people.

Expressing concern on the rising road accidents, he said there was a need to sensitise people on traffic norms. He said the Mansa SSP, Mr Amit Parsad, who was also present on the occasion, had come out with a book on traffic norms for children and appreciated him for his endeavour.

Sangrur, November 11
The police today resorted to a lathi-charge on the jobless ETT teachers, who were protesting under the banner of the Nav-Niyukat Elementary Teachers Union, Unemployed Elementary Teachers Union and the DIET Students Welfare Association, near a marriage palace here, where Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), was meeting the Congress workers and leaders of various Assembly constituencies of the district. They were protesting against the state government’s alleged indifferent attitude towards their demand with regard to regular appointments for 6,000 unemployed and contract-based ETT teachers.

The police also arrested about 35 protesters, including nine girls, while remaining protesters managed to flee when the police was resorting to lathi-charge in a bid to arrest them and bundled them into vehicles, parked nearby.

The police took all arrested protesters in two vehicles to an undisclosed place.

Earlier, around 60 ETT protesters reached the Barnala Kenchian chowk, near the marriage palace, to meet Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, the PPCC chief, at the marriage palace, but the police stopped them from going ahead. On this, they staged a dharna on the road and began raising slogans against the Punjab Government, Captain Amarinder Singh, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo.

Amritsar, November 11
The two-day International Seminar on Pakistani Punjabi Literature, held at Guru Nanak Dev University here, proved to be a damp squib as only one scholar from Pakistan could participate in it.

Interestingly, the lone scholar ,Mr Ahmed Saleem, an eminent poet and a visiting Professor of Oxford University, was already in India .The rest of the scholars who had reportedly arrived in India through the Sada-e-Sarhad Delhi -Lahore bus were not allowed to disembark at Wagah by the authorities concerned as claimed by the organisers . They included Mr Afzal Ehsan Randhawa, Ilias Ghuman, Iqbal Qaisar, Maqsood Saqab (Editor Puncham), Prof Faiza Saqab, Prof Ismat Ullah Zahid (Head, Dept of Punjabi, Punjab University, Lahore), Prof Sayeed Bhutta, Prof Nabila Umar, Sahed Masood (Columnist of Rozana Khabran), Afzar Sahir, and Masood Khalad (Chairman, Baba Farid International Society, Pakpattan).

The seminar was being organised by the School of Punjabi Studies of the University as part of the Punjabi week celebrations.

For these Pakistani Punjabi writers distance between Lahore and Amritsar would be more than 1000 km via New Delhi while it is just 55 km otherwise. The Pakistani writers had to undergo a lot of harassment, as the organisers knew the fact that passengers could neither board nor alight at Amritsar or Wagah.

Meanwhile, Mr Saleem, while addressing the seminar, made a scathing comment on Punjabi writers of Pakistan, alleging that they were indulging in plagiarism. “In many cases, complete texts of Indian Punjabi writers were lifted and printed under the name of some Pakistani writers”. The practice of plagiarism is not only unethical but creating a lot of problems for researchers. He quoted the example of late Dr Jeet Singh Sital, a renowned Punjabi critic whose research on ‘Heer’ was plagiarised by Pakistani writer. The main reason for plagiarism was that more than 80 per cent Punjabi writers of Pakistan know writing and reading in Gurmukhi, the script, used by the Indian Punjabi writers.

Earlier, Dr S.P.Singh, Vice-Chancellor inaugurated the seminar while Punjabi critic Dr. Joginder Singh Rahi presented the key-note address.

However, Mr Saleem felt happy to read quality literature being produced by scholars in Indian Punjab. He said the literature being written here had a true picture of social, political and economic conditions. On the other hand, the Pakistani Punjabi literature is missing the political and social perspectives of the time.

Ministers assail Badal
Debate on development
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 11
In a joint statement, leaders of the ruling Congress party in Punjab today criticised the Shiromani Akali Dal President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, for backtracking on the issue of holding a debate on development in the state.

The reaction of the Congress leaders was based on reports appearing in a section of media quoting Mr Badal of having said that there was no development in the state.

The statement was issued by the Local Government Minister, Mr Jagjit Singh, Irrigation and Rural Development Minister, Mr Lal Singh, PWD Minister, Mr Pratap Singh Bajwa, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister, Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Sardul Singh, Cooperation Minister, Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa, Finance Minister, Mr Surinder Singla and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Jails & Defence Welfare, Mr Malkiat Singh Birmi.

The statement alleged that it was Mr Badal, who actually wanted a debate on development and the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, welcomed his proposal and readily accepted the challenge.

The debate on development will enable people to draw a comparison between the achievements of five years of the SAD-BJP rule and three years of Congress. They further assailed Mr Badal for allegedly making such irresponsible, and misleading statements.

The revival of a sagging economy coupled with significant achievements in the fields of agriculture, industry, cooperation and social welfare were examples to nullify the statement of Mr Badal.

Badal calls PAC meeting
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 11
The President of the SAD, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has called a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the party on November 21. The meeting, which has been convened to take the opinion of senior leaders of the party with regard to the election of the President of the SGPC, will be held here at Kalgidhar Nivas.

The election of the President of the SGPC will held in Amritsar on November 23. On November 22, a meeting of the SGPC members belonging to the SAD will be held at Teja Singh Samundari Hall.

Chandigarh, November 11
The Panchayat Union, Punjab, today gave an ultimatum to the state government asking it to accept its demands by November 20 or face an agitation.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Sukhdev Singh, president of the union,who claimed the support of over 12,000 panchayats in the state, said that all claims regarding the giving of powers to panchayati raj institutions were false.

Actually, no power had been given to the panchayats though the government had claimed that it had handed over grassroots-level functions of six departments to the panchayats. ‘‘ We have been burdened with several duties and responsibilities and virtually are playing the role of chowkidars without having any powers,’’ Mr Sukhdev Singh asserted.

Seeking the implementation of the Constitution 73rd Amendment through which provision was made to hand over the control and functioning of 29 departments to panchayati raj institutions at the village, block and district levels by setting up a three-tier system, the union said that successive governments in the state had been resorting to delaying tactics. These had been making false claims regarding the handing over of control.

Mr Sukhdev Singh said the union had held a dharna here on October 25. On that day the government had given an assurance on calling a meeting with the union leaders soon to discuss various issues. However, no meeting had been called yet.

Mr Sukhdev Singh said union leaders would go to Delhi soon to meet the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to inform them that the state government had done nothing in practice as far as the empowerment of panchayati raj institutions was concerned.

The union also complained about the large-scale exploitation of panches and sarpanches by officials of the Department of Panchayats in the field. ‘‘They treat us like their servants. Most of the officers want that panches and sarpanches should act as their touts to make a fast buck. Officials of various departments were virtually looting people in the countryside,’’ the union alleged.

Amritsar, November 11
For the first time after assuming the office of Jathedar Akal Takht, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, heading a special Jatha of 25-member Sikh religious figures, left for Pakistan here yesterday. He is likely to meet the president of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC), Mr Mastan Singh there.

Besides, a mammoth jatha of 1,610 Sikh pilgrims headed by Mr Makhan Singh Nangal, a member of SGPC, left for Pakistan yesterday by a special train to celebrate 536th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism.

The special jatha headed by the Jathedar Akal Takht would participate in the inauguration of Singh Singhnia Gurdwara at Nau Lakha Bazaar at Lahore. The place is famous in Sikh history for persecution of Sikh men, women and children by the then ruler of Punjab Mir Manu.

The new building of gurdwara was constructed by the funding of Sikh sangat (devotees) of England. Among the notable religious figures who accompanied the Jathedar Akal Takht were Giani Gurbachan Singh, Head Granthi, Golden Temple, Giani Tarlochan Singh, Jathedar, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Balwant Singh, Jathedar, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Giani Puran Singh, former Head Granthi, Harmander Sahib and Giani Baldev Singh, Head, Akhand Kirtani Jatha.

Patiala, November 11
Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta, Chairman, All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF), today accused a section of the Punjab police of not contesting the murder case against militants, Daljit Singh Bittu and Gursharan Singh Gama, in the Supreme Court. He said he would file an appeal against their acquittal by that court.

He alleged some vested interests had been trying to revive terrorism in Punjab.

Mr Bitta, accompanied by Mr Harpal Singh, vice-president, AIATF, Punjab, at a press conference here, said the debate on the origin of terrorism in Punjab held in the state Assembly recently due to non-participation of terrorist victims, was incomplete. He said that such debates should be held in the open and all people should be allowed to participate in it.

He added he had with him documents to establish that a section of politicians and policemen had ‘strong bond’ with terrorists. “I will produce evidence and expose a section of politicians and policemen, their misdeeds during terrorism.”

Certain human rights organisations were working in India as paid agents of some foreign powers and these organisations were trying to disturb law and order in the country through different methods and channels. He was surprised at why no government could set up any commission for the welfare and rehabilitation of terrorists and riot victims.

The NHRC had initiated a move to order the Government of India to provide adequate compensation to the families of terrorists and this would be opposed. A delegation of the AIATF will meet chairman of the NHRC in this connection.

Mr Bitta demanded LoC, which was opened recently to send relief to quack-affected Pakistan, should be closed by the authorities concerned as Pakistan was a dishonest country and sponsoring terrorism in different parts of India.

On why some persons having shady past had been taken into the state Congress, he said he would not like to comment on it as he was concerned with national problem and his AIATF did not belong to any party.

Earlier, Mr Bitta went to the house of Mr Sushil Jain, National adviser, AIATF, to express sympathy over the demise of his mother.

Patiala, November 11
Director-General of Punjab Police, Mr S.S. Virk said it was imperative to change the Police Act of 1861 if the police was to deal effectively with crime today. The Act drafted during the British rule had become redundant in the present. Stressing his point, the DGP said 150 years back human rights were not taken into consideration, which are so important in the present scenario. The Act should have been reworked upon in 1947. The new Model Police Act-2003 was the need of the times, he added. The DGP was here for a meeting of officials of Patiala Range.

The Punjab Police has sent fresh draft of the Act to the Union Government for approval. “The draft has been referred to other states for comments but the implementation was still awaited,” he added.

Mr Virk said recruitments in the police would begin in a month. About 5000 persons are to be recruited.

Referring to the acquittal of Daljit Singh Bittu and Gursharan Singh Gama by the Supreme Court, Mr Virk said both were educated persons and the police would help them join the mainstream. He said there would be no problem with their release. In fact, Kukki, Sukhi and Ranjit Singh, who were active during terrorism in the state, were now living normal lives, he said.

On militants living abroad, Mr Virk said the Union and state governments had to deal with it. On law and order problem being linked to terrorists in the state, the DGP said that there was no direct link but criminals operated with similar bent of mind.

On dacoity at Jalandhar, the DGP said the dacoits appeared Punjabi as they were talking in Punjabi. Dacoits looted Rs 65 lakh from the bank and snatched the rifle of the guard posted inside the branch. 

Hoshiarpur, November 11
As many as 300 jhuggis were gutted when a fire broke out in the colony of migrant labourers at Chabewal village, 8 km from here, on the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road today.

On seeing flames, the people of Chabewal rushed to the spot and rescued the children who were trapped in the jhuggis.

Meanwhile, three fire-fighting engines rushed to the spot and after struggling for more than two hours extinguished the fire and saved more than 100 jhuggis from being destroyed. No loss of life has been reported in the fire. However, there was a complete loss of household articles and other valuables worth lakhs.

Mr Sukhwinder Pal Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, along with Mr Pritam Singh, SDM, and Mr Amarjit Hamrol, Secretary, District Red Cross Society, rushed to the site and monitored the rescue operation.

Mr Pritam Singh said the cause of fire was still unknown and the loss was being assessed. 

Chandigarh, November 11
Mr Justice Surya Kant of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the DGP (Crime), Punjab, to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) headed by an officer not below the rank of SP to investigate the alleged act of disappearance of a young girl.

In his order on the petition filed by Mr Santosh Kumar Goswami of Una district in Himachal Pradesh, Mr Justice Surya Kant observed that the issue was of a serious nature and it would be in the fitness of things for the police to constitute an SIT to investigate the matter. The SIT would submit its report within three months.

In his plea for the grant of a pre-arrest bail, the petitioner had stated that his son, Vishal, had been accused by Col Jarnail Singh (retd), in whose house the young girl, Ms Reena Devi, was staying as a maid-servant, of having kidnapped her. The Colonel had also told the Nawanshahr police that some cash and valuables were also missing.

Following the registration of an FIR, the petitioner had also been picked up for questioning by the police. He was later bailed out by the Additional Sessions Judge, Nawanshahr, on January 23, 2004.

In his petition, Mr Goswami claimed that the girl, whom the retired Army officer was claiming to have been treating as a daughter, had actually given a statement before a court that Col Jarnail Singh (retd) had illicit relations with her. He also alleged that the retired Colonel had been trying to make his son (Vishal) marry the girl as she was pregnant.

During an earlier hearing in the case, Mr Justice Surya Kant had ordered impleading of the Colonel as party to the case and also issued a notice to him, asking him why the matter should not be handed over to an independent agency other than the Punjab Police for further investigation.

In his order for constituting the SIT, Mr Justice Surya Kant also directed the Home Secretary, Punjab, and the SSP, Nawanshahr, to make arrangements for the safe 
stay of the girl.

Chandigarh, November 11
A PIL has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions to the Government of Punjab to prohibit online lottery trade and also set aside the permission granted to some companies to run online lotteries.

The petitioner, advocate A.P. Setia of Patiala, has also prayed that the entire record pertaining to the running of lotteries in Punjab as also the record pertaining to deposit of unclaimed prizes be summoned in court. He has also sought directions to the respondents to bring about transparency in the conduct of lottery business.

The petition filed through advocate Sanjay Kaushal, alleges that online lotteries are nothing but another form of gambling or “satta” being promoted by companies such as Abbott Agency, Sugal and Damini and Martin Lottery Agency.

Saying that the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998, which came into being following guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in 1994, clearly prohibits prizes being offered on single digits as also running of lotteries by private companies, the petitioner has also pointed out that no lottery can have more than one draw in a week.

However, in order to circumvent the rules, the lottery companies in Punjab, the petition claims, are operating lotteries on the basis of second-last numbers.

“Even now, the state is promoting the sale of single digit lottery. The only difference is that previously the last digit was the wining digit and now the second-last digit has become the winning number,” the petition says.

The petitioner has also pointed out that persons interested in buying lottery have to buy at least 10 tickets each. Mr Setia has also stated that though the Lotteries (Regulation) Act clearly allows only the state governments to conduct lottery trade, including publication of the lottery tickets and conducting draw of lots, the Punjab Government has appointed the respondent companies as retailers. These retailers, the petition says, are also themselves printing the lottery tickets and conducting the draws.

The petition also points out that though the Act says that the proceeds from the sale of lottery tickets must be credited into the accounts of the state government, in Punjab this is not being done. “This money is being pocketed by the private respondents by way of huge profits in connivance with officials of the sate government,” the petition adds.

Citing examples to buttress his claim, Mr Setia has also alleged that in may cases lottery companies have been conducting daily and, in some cases, more than once-a-day draws, which is a clear violation of the Act.

After hearing the petitioner’s counsel, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mr Justice D.K. Jain and Mr Justice Hemant Gupta issued notice of motion to the respondents for December 21 and directed the respondents to file their replies by then.

Patiala, November 11
Punjabi University, Patiala, of Patiala Zone won the overall title with 49 points as the three-day annual Inter-Zonal Punjabi University Youth Festival concluded here today. Government College for Girls, Patiala, was second with 33 points while Government Brijindra College, Faridkot, finished third with 22 points.

The students competed for 17 items in the Punjabi folk art competitons, which included making of guddian patole, pakhian, chhiku, tokrian, nale, chhkilian, peedhian, sewian and prandhian, wall paintings, clay toys and various knitting items.

The overall trophy for fine arts was received by Government College for Girls, Patiala. In the folk dance bhangra competitions, Guru Gobind Singh College, Sanghera, was first while PMN College, Rajpura, stood second. In the gidha, Government College, Malerkotla, got the first position and Government Physical College, Patiala, was second. Government College, Malerkotla, and Government Rajindra College, Bathinda, were declared overall winners and runners-up, respectively.

The Vice-Chancellor, Mr Swarn Singh Boparai, honoured Dr I.S. Brar of Government Mohindra College, Patiala; Dr Karnail Singh of Government Brijindra College, Faridkot; Mr Gurvinder Singh of Lincoln College of Law, Sirhind; Mrs Satwant Kaur Boparai; Prof R.K. Sehgal, Dean Academic Affairs; Prof Param Bakhshish Singh, Registrar; Dr B.S. Sandhu, Dean Students Welfare, and other officials of the university.

Dr Sunita Dhir, Director, Youth Welfare, said dates would be announced soon to conduct workshops for the students to further polish their talent for participation in the North Zone and national youth festivals to be held at Jammu and Kurukshetra, respectively. — TNS