J A L A N D H A R

Home guard jawan’s torture
PSHRC seeks probe, report
Jalandhar, October 2
Taking stern note of the alleged torture of home guard jawan Harbans Lal, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has directed the district police to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit the report by November 2, the next date of hearing.

A tale of Deceit
Remarriage gift for a widow: AIDS
Phillaur, October 2
Harpreet Kaur (name changed), a widow, got remarried in the hope of leading a rosy life. Instead, she became an HIV positive patient, who is now being looked after by villagers and the Phillaur police after being disowned by her in-laws.

Gandhigiri via satellite
Jalandhar, October 2
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh breathed the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi’s mantra of non-violence into officers of the Jalandhar district administration today via video conferencing.

Centre plans pension scheme for ruralites, poor

Jalandhar, October 2 The Central government is mulling on a decision to start pension scheme for rural, poor families from November onwards. A draft scheme is being prepared by the UPA government so that it can be started soon. Union minister for labour and employment Oscar Fernandes in Jalandhar.— Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

2 held for fraud
Jalandhar, October 2
The district police nabbed two persons, Bassan Singh, alias Joga, resident of Nangal Manohar falling under Maqsoodan police station, and Rajneesh Kumar of JP Nagar, for cheating. The SHO of police station number seven, Kulwinder Singh, said the accused had got encashed two cheques worth Rs 92,000 of a local branch of the Union Bank of India issued in the name of Ramesh Khurdi of Sheikha Bazar.

Home guard jawan’s torture
PSHRC seeks probe, report
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 2
Taking stern note of the alleged torture of home guard jawan Harbans Lal, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has directed the district police to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit the report by November 2, the next date of hearing.

In the one-page order, PSHRC acting chairperson Justice R.L. Anand and its member K.K. Bhatnagar, have directed the state principal home secretary (human rights cell), ADGP IVC-cum-human rights and the SSP of Jalandhar to get the matter thoroughly inquired.

It has been stated in the order, a copy of which is with The Tribune, that the PSHRC after going through the complaint considered it a fit case for scrutiny under the protection of the Human Rights Act, 1993.

In his complaint submitted to the PSHRC, Harbans Lal, a resident of the Nurpur Dhogri road in Jalandhar district, stated that constable Sukhbir Singh’s mobile phone set and his purse containing about Rs 4,000 were stolen last year.

“Sukhbir submitted a complaint to the general railway police (GRP) Jalandhar SHO against constable Bhupinder Singh,” said Harbans, alleging that instead of arresting Bhupinder Singh, the local police, along with GRP munshi Mohinder Singh, Rajinder Parshad and Slinder Singh, caught him and later subjected him to torture.

The home guard jawan further alleged that they had also took his signatures on some blank papers.

Harbans Lal stated that now the local police was pressurising him to withdraw the complaint and also to submit an affidavit before an executive magistrate to the effect that he had reached a compromise in this matter with the officials of the GRP.

When contacted, SP (City-I) S.K. Kalia said the matter was being inquired into and a report in this regard would be submitted to the PSHRC by November 2.

A tale of deceit
Remarriage gift for a widow: AIDS
Our Correspondent

Phillaur, October 2
Harpreet Kaur (name changed), a widow, got remarried in the hope of leading a rosy life. Instead, she became an HIV positive patient, who is now being looked after by villagers and the Phillaur police after being disowned by her in-laws.

A resident of Gurdaspur, Harpreet lost her first husband Malkiat Singh to blood cancer four years ago.

Following the pressures from relatives for remarriage, Harpreet agreed and entered the wedlock with Mukhtiar Singh, a resident of Ramgarh village, near Phillaur, two years ago.

Soon after marriage, Harpreet came to know that Mukhtiar was an AIDS patient. Mukhtiar’s first wife Suman had died after contracting the disease from him.

However, when Harpreet confronted Mukhtiar on this issue, he admitted being an AIDS patient. But it was too late as by that time Harpreet had contracted 
the virus.

Troubles further increased for Harpreet when Mukhtiar died a few months ago. After being deceived by her second husband, Harpreet was harassed by her in-laws and thrown out of the house.

Counting her last days, Harpreet was now being looked after by villagers and the Phillaur police. A case has been registered against her mother-in-law Harbans Kaur and sisters-in-law Jaswinder, Joginder and Nashattar Kaur for allegedly physically and mentally harassing the 
complainant. 

Gandhigiri via satellite
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 2
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh breathed the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi’s mantra of non-violence into officers of the Jalandhar district administration today via video conferencing.

He administered them the oath of Gandhi’s “My ideal Indian”. The Prime Minister further said the Mahatma dreamt of building such a nation where poorest of the poor felt he belonged to the country where his opinion counted. A classless society, where all communities existed in harmony, where there was no social evil of untouchability and no drug abuse, he added. DC Ajit Singh Pannu called on all officers to follow in Gandhi’s footsteps to make his dreams come true. Officers paid floral tributes to the Mahatma before the function. It was an emotive moment as the officers led by DC Pannu, SSP Arpit Shukla, ADC (G) S.P.S. Murar and ADC (D) S.K. Sikka stood up to pledge their dedication to Gandhi’s ideals.

Centre plans pension scheme for ruralites, poor
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 2
The Central government is mulling on a decision to start pension scheme for rural, poor families from November onwards. A draft scheme is being prepared by the UPA government so that it can be started soon.

Union minister for labour and employment Oscar Fernandes said this while talking to mediapersons on the occasion of a Diocesan youth festival, which was held to mark International Day for Non-Violence, organised by Catholic Yuva Dhara at St Joseph’s Boys School here today.

Fernandes urged the youth to spread awareness among the underprivileged about various incentives that the central government was bringing out for them. “Nearly 90 per cent of the rural labourers work in a hazardous environment. We have started an “aam aadmi bima yojna” for them under which all accidental death and injury cases leading to handicap will be covered. I and finance minister P. Chidambram have inaugurated it at Shimla today,” he revealed, citing reasons for arriving late by one and a half hours.

“We have also introduced a scheme under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) under which 100 days of employment a year would be assured for the poor sections from the rural areas.

2 held for fraud

Jalandhar, October 2
The district police nabbed two persons, Bassan Singh, alias Joga, resident of Nangal Manohar falling under Maqsoodan police station, and Rajneesh Kumar of JP Nagar, for cheating. The SHO of police station number seven, Kulwinder Singh, said the accused had got encashed two cheques worth Rs 92,000 of a local branch of the Union Bank of India issued in the name of Ramesh Khurdi of Sheikha Bazar.

They somehow got the two cheques and got opened a fake account in the name of Ramesh Khurdi after producing some fake documents, the SHO said, adding that, however, when the branch manager, Prem Nath, came to know about the fraud, he informed the police.After investigation, the police identified the accused and succeeded in nabbing them. The involvement of some bank employees was not ruled out, said police sources.

A case has been registered. — TNS