J A L A N D H A R

One arrested in NRI murder case
Jalandhar, December 24
The police has arrested one person in connection with the murder of NRI Mohan Singh belonging to Phillaur. Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Verka village, has been arrested in this connection. Giving this information, Inspector General Zonal, Mr H.S. Dhillon, said the police had made a major breakthrough in the case, but due to the sensitivity of the case it could not divulge any further details.

Phagwara DSP transferred
Phagwara/Jalandhar, December 24
DSP, Phagwara, Mr Navjot Singh, has been transferred. He takes the charge of DSP Headquarters, Jalandhar. ASP Sukhchain Singh Gill of Shahkot has been posted as the new DSP of Phagwara.

Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat function to be held in Gurdaspur Hoshiarpur, December 24 Lakhs of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat from across the world will participate in the foundation’s 114th annual function, Jalsa Salanaat, to be held at Qudian in Gurdaspur district on Monday.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad

MERRY CHRISTMAS: Santa Claus shares his gifts with children in Jalandhar on Christmas eve. — Photo by S.S. Chopra

‘Punjabi youths trapped in Kuwait’
Jalandhar, December 24
Many Punjabi youths were trapped in foreign lands like Kuwait and were crying out for help. Claiming this, the Lok Bhalai Party acting President, Mr Avtar Singh Mullanpuri, today said the party had received a faxed letter from as many as 60 youths from Kuwait, who wanted help for their freedom.

Malaysian Airlines defers flight from Amritsar
Jalandhar, December 24
Malaysian Airlines has suspended its plan to begin flights between Amritsar and Kuala Lumpur. Talking to The Tribune, the regional manager of Malaysian Airlines for South Asia, Mr Christopher Yek, said the plan was changed because of the change in the management of the airlines.

Experts for changes in education system
Jalandhar, December 24
The seminar on “Total Quality Management in higher education” being held at the Hans Raj Mahila Vidyalaya concluded today. The delegates stressed on improving the educational set -up in the country.

Bahujan Samaj Morcha criticises Mayawati
Jalandhar, December 24
The Bahujan Samaj Morcha President and former MP, Mr Satnam Singh Kainth, today criticised Bahujan Samaj Party leader, Mayawati, for the “attitude” she had adopted over the death of Kanshi Ram’s mother Bishan Kaur.

Young woman raped
Phagwara, December 24
A woman was allegedly raped and assaulted by her father-in-law on Friday night. The woman, Paramjit Kaur (20), a resident of local Tibbi Mohalla, was married to Lakhwinder from Veerowal village in Nawanshahr district about six months back.

One arrested in NRI murder case
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 24
The police has arrested one person in connection with the murder of NRI Mohan Singh belonging to Phillaur. Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Verka village, has been arrested in this connection. Giving this information, Inspector General Zonal, Mr H.S. Dhillon, said the police had made a major breakthrough in the case, but due to the sensitivity of the case it could not divulge any further details.

According to sources, the police had so far rounded up four persons in connection with the murder. The police authorities, however, declined to comment on the same, saying that any further divulging of details could go to the advantage of the accused.

The case is very sensitive and the British authorities have shown special interest in it. The case is being handled by senior officials of the police, including SSP Ishwar Singh, DIG Paramjit Singh Gill, SSP, Hoshiarpur, Mr Lok Nath Angra.

The police party has been dispatched to arrest the main accused in the case, reveal sources. The accused is suspected to be in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. The police also suspects that the accused might have fled to neighbouring Nepal.

The NRI Mohan Singh’s murder has acquired importance because of the interest of the British authorities who came here to meet senior police officials in the state, including the DGP, recently. Mohan Singh was killed in a dhaba near Phillaur.

Phagwara DSP transferred
Tribune Reporters

Phagwara/Jalandhar, December 24
DSP, Phagwara, Mr Navjot Singh, has been transferred. He takes the charge of DSP Headquarters, Jalandhar. ASP Sukhchain Singh Gill of Shahkot has been posted as the new DSP of Phagwara. The transfer of DSP Navjot Singh came in the wake of the recommendation by the committee headed by Inspector General Zonal, Mr Hardeep Singh Dhillon, into the incident of alleged scuffle between the police and the Zila Parishad Jalandhar member Sukhwinder Singh Sukha in Phagwara.

DGP S.S. Virk had on December 9 ordered an inquiry into the incident and had entrusted the inquiry to Mr Dhillon.

The report recommending the transfer of the DSP and the suspension of as many as five police personnel was submitted yesterday.

Mr Virk has accepted the IG’s recommendations in this regard. The IG had recorded all evidence, including the video film, in the case.

The police had registered an FIR on December 8 against Sukhwinder Singh Sukha based on the statement of the chowki in charge, Chaheru, ASI Suneel Singh. The evidence collected by the IG also included the photographs taken on the occasion as well as the statements of the eyewitnesses present.

Mr Dhillon confirmed that he had recommended the transfer of the DSP and the same had been done.

He, however, declined to comment on the suspension of five policemen in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, in police circles here, the proceedings are being seen as “demoralising”. They claim that the Zila Parishad member had “misbehaved” with the police personnel and this had allegedly led to the scuffle.

Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat function to be held in Gurdaspur
Tribune News Service

Hoshiarpur, December 24
Lakhs of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat from across the world will participate in the foundation’s 114th annual function, Jalsa Salanaat, to be held at Qudian in Gurdaspur district on Monday.

The fifth Khalif, a spiritual head of the community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad will address the gathering. Hazrat Ahmad is a grandson of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Jamaat and is presently based in London in the United Kingdom.

This is the first time that Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad will visit India and address the gathering at Qudian, where his grandfather had founded the Jamaat in 1889 with 73 followers. After completing his post graduation in Agricultural Economics, Mirza Masroor Ahmad served the Jamaat in various countries, including Ghana and Africa. He is the man, who successfully experimented to cultivate wheat on the soil of Ghana in the mid 1980s.

In the first week of January 2006, Mirza Masroor Ahmad will also visit a religious place in Kanak Mandi Chowk locality of Hoshiarpur, where his grandfather Mirza Ghulam Ahmad once did a penance (Chaliha) for 40 days.

According to Mirza Wasim Ahmad, Chief Secretary, Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya, Qudian, about 7000 Ahmadiyya Muslims from Pakistan and lakhs of Ahmadiyyas from all over the world, besides Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims, would participate in the three-day function being organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, India.

Mr Anurag Sood and Mr Rattan Singh Rajput, the conveners of the Sarav Dharam Sadbhavana Committee, Hoshiarpur, told The Tribune that the fourth Khalif of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahib, had given his consent to organise a Sarav Dharma Sammellan on the valedictory day of the annual function every year. The function would be aired on Muslim Television Ahmadiyya (MTA).

‘Punjabi youths trapped in Kuwait’
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 24
Many Punjabi youths were trapped in foreign lands like Kuwait and were crying out for help. Claiming this, the Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) acting President, Mr Avtar Singh Mullanpuri, today said the party had received a faxed letter from as many as 60 youths from Kuwait, who wanted help for their freedom.

“The youths have recounted their tale of horror in the fax. The party has decided to make all out efforts to rescue them. The LBP will represent them to seek help from the Punjab Governor, and even the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, in this regard,” Mr Mullanpuri said.

He alleged that the dubious travel agents were forcing the youths to get into war-torn Iraq to help the American forces by working as labour. The youths, they alleged, were taken to other countries by the travel agents and later sent to Iraq.

“The youths there are treated like animals and are made to do the things what they had never thought of in their lives,” he said.

“The local Iraqis are hostile towards them, ” he added.

He alleged that neither the state nor the Central government was doing anything to help the youths.

He said the LBP had demanded that the government book erring travel agents under human trafficking offences, spread awareness through intelligentsia, and screen the matter of ads which lure the youths for such jobs. 

Malaysian Airlines defers flight from Amritsar
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 24
Malaysian Airlines has suspended its plan to begin flights between Amritsar and Kuala Lumpur.

Talking to The Tribune, the regional manager of Malaysian Airlines for South Asia, Mr Christopher Yek, said the plan was changed because of the change in the management of the airlines.

“The new management has postponed the flights for the time being and is currently gauging the commercial viability of the flights,” he said.

Malaysian Airlines had earlier planned to start its flight from Amritsar to Kuala Lumpur from November 1, 2004.

Experts for changes in education system
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 24
The seminar on “Total Quality Management in higher education” being held at the Hans Raj Mahila Vidyalaya concluded today.

The delegates stressed on improving the educational set -up in the country. Principal, Mr P.P. Sharma, said the total quality management in higher education was the key issue facing the sector that needed to be dealt with utmost seriousness.

The conference passed a resolution to bring improvement in the field of education through the application of research.

Dean, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Dr A.S. Dua emphasised the need to adopt changes as a step towards excellence.

Bahujan Samaj Morcha criticises Mayawati
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 24
The Bahujan Samaj Morcha (BSM) President and former MP, Mr Satnam Singh Kainth, today criticised Bahujan Samaj Party leader, Mayawati, for the “attitude” she had adopted over the death of Kanshi Ram’s mother Bishan Kaur.

“The statements calling upon members of the Bahujan Samaj not to take part in the cremation of the mother of the BSP leader, Kanshi Ram, are most condemnable,” he said during a press conference held here today.

Young woman raped

Phagwara, December 24
A woman was allegedly raped and assaulted by her father-in-law on Friday night.

The woman, Paramjit Kaur (20), a resident of local Tibbi Mohalla, was married to Lakhwinder from Veerowal village in Nawanshahr district about six months back.

Paramjit Kaur, who has been admitted to the local Civil Hospital, said she was alone in her house when her father-in-law raped her.

A case has been registered. — OC