Amritsar, July 5
With the arrest of Dalbir Singh, alias Boxer, a boxing coach who provides coaching in many prestigious schools and colleges, the police today solved many case of looting, including getting some vital clues in the sensational Rs 37 lakh looting of bank money.

He along with four other persons had formed a gang, which was involved in looting of Rs 3.18 lakh from an employee of the Punjab State Electricity Board, near Central Bank of India, Khandwala, (Chheharta) branch, on March 26, 2007.

The other accused have been identified as Jasbir Singh of Guru Nanakpuram, Balwinder Singh of Noorpur Machhiwara, Ferozepore, and Lakhwinder Singh Khalsa Colony.

Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, SSP, said the gang was involved in many cases of robbery and dacoity.

He said more than seven cases of robbery, snatching and theft had been registered against Dalbir Singh. The police recovered three pistols of .12 bore, one pistol of .30 bore with live cartridges and Rs 40,000 from them.

The SSP said Boxer was involved in the bank robbery in which Rs 37 lakh were looted by four masked man from the bank van of the State Bank of India, Bhagtanwala Branch, on June 3.

The accused had shot at security guard of the bank Gurmeet Singh, who was seriously injured.

Jalandhar, July 5
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raked up the issue of land transfer to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board on the instructions of Pakistan intelligence agency ISI.

Terming the party and its leadership as “anti-national,” All-India Anti-Terrorists Front (AIATF) chairman M.S. Bitta alleged here today that the heavy flow of tourists and pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir had worried the ISI and the Pakistani agency had instigated the PDP to withdraw its support from the state government over the land row.

He said by withdrawing support to the Azad government in J&K, the PDP was playing into the hands of the ISI. He demanded that the PDP should be barred from politics and the ISI-PDP links probed.

Bitta alleged that Mufti Mohammed Sayeed during his tenure as Union home minister had hatched a conspiracy of kidnapping his daughter to manage release of a hardcore terrorist.

He also asked for an investigation into the leakage of documents during the whole episode.

Amritsar, July 5
Comedian and satirist Jaspal Bhatti has launched a drive against drugs and liquor. In a bid to catch the attention of the common man, artistes from Mad Arts, Jaspal Bhatti’s film school, organised nukkar natak “Thekeo Theke” to bring into focus the calamities of drug and liquor addiction at Nehru Complex, Lawrence Road, here. Health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla was also present on the occasion.

Bhatti said he had written the script which was directed by Anup Sharma to create awareness and to wean the youth off this menace and scourge which was harming the present generation. The satire was also directed against the government which was indiscriminately allowing opening of liquor vends in every conceivable corner of the state, thus tempting the youth to go astray and take to liquor and drugs.

The “natak” would also be staged at Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jalandhar in collaboration with My FM.

In his inimitable style, Jaspal Bhatti said Punjab, which was earlier known for five rivers and milk production, had now become notorious for the “sixth river” signifying liquor and drugs which flow seamlessly, creating a disastrous situation for the next generation. — OC

Phagwara, July 5
Thieves struck at local journalist Ashok Kaura’s house in Hargobind Nagar last night and decamped with Rs 4 lakh, 15 tolas of gold and other valuable items.

The journalist said he and his wife had gone to bed at around 1 am after returning from a family function.

“It seemed the thieves had sprayed some intoxicating substance to make us unconscious as we woke up at 6.55 am and realised that the house had been robbed,” added Kaura.

An FIR has been lodged in this connection.