Nawanshahr, October 29
The police busted a notorious sisters’ gang here by solving a case within a few hours of the incident in which Rs 1 lakh was snatched from district SAD president Jathedar Mohinder Singh Hussainpuri.The inter-state migratory sisters’ gang was busted at a naka at Rahon bus stand last evening. 

The police arrested six persons, identified as four sisters Varsha, Dala, Pooja and Sangeeta, belonging to Gulkheri village in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pardesh (presently living in Ludhiana), Mandeep Singh, alias Kaka, and Jatinder Kumar, alias Ravi, both residents of Bhamian Baddian, Tajpur Road, Ludhiana. It recovered the snatched cash and a sharp-edged weapon from them.

DSP Satpal Singh Bhangu told mediapersons here today that Hussainpuri, in a complaint had stated that after a purchase from a seed store near Baradari Garden, he was walking towards the Rahon road.

Suddenly, a three-wheeler (PB-10-CM-7550) stopped near him and four women, in the age group of 22 to 28 years, encircled him and snatched Rs 1 lakh along with a money gram receipt from him.

When he tried to raise the alarm, a boy accompanying the women tried to attack him with a sharp-edged weapon. After snatching the money, the gang sped away towards Rahon in the three-wheeler.

The DSP said after receiving the complaint, ASI Mohinder Chand registered a case under section 397 of the IPC and followed the accused. He also informed Rahon and Aur police stations. The SHO of Rahon put up a naka at the bus stand where the police party intercepted the three-wheeler and nabbed the accused.

All the accused women are sisters and hail from MP. They have been operating in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Phillaur, Phagwara and Nawanshahr areas of Punjab and Ambala of Haryana.

The modus operandi of the sisters' gang had been that they sneak into marriage parties to commit burglaries.

Besides, they camp near banks and financial institutions and keep an eye on persons coming out after withdrawing cash. The gang hires autorickshaws or taxis at hefty rates and also promise them a share in the booty. 

Amritsar, October 29
Different Panthic organisations, including the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), have supported Dal Khalsa’s Punjab bandh call for November 3 to mark 25 years of anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other parts of the country.

In a statement, DSGMC President Paramjit Singh Sarna announced that all of educational institutions and other offices falling under the management of the committee would remain closed on November 3 to pay homage to all the innocent Sikhs who were killed in 1984 riots.

Similarly, Manjit Singh Calcutta, chairman of the Shiromani Panthic Council, said the massacre of Sikhs was a big blot on the face of India’s so-called secularism. He said 25 years had passed but the country’s justice system had failed to bring the perpetrators to book.

Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, head of Damdami Taksal and chairman of Sant Samaj, took a dig at the Congress for engineering the mass murder of Sikhs in Delhi. Giving a clarion call to all communities to observe the bandh, he said the 1984 events left a deep scar on the psyche of the Sikh people. He called upon the international community to take notice of the plight of the Sikhs who had been denied justice.

In a separate statement, SGPC executive member Karnail Singh Panjoli too backed the bandh call. He said his party had always been on the forefront to oppose the “high-handedness” of the Congress.

Khalsa Action Committee chairman Bhai Mohkam Singh made a fervent appeal to Hindus, Muslims and Christians to observe complete shutdown on the day to show solidarity with aggrieved Sikhs. He said people should unite to deliver stern warning to all those political forces which had been pursuing divisive politics.

Echoing the same sentiments, Akand Kirtani Jatha head Gaini Baldev Singh called upon the people in the state to close down their business establishments, shops, banks, industry and transportation in memory of all those killed during the carnage. 

Amritsar, October 29
The Amritsar administration has initiated to protect the property rights of mentally challenged and ensure education for them.The administration has already started the process of identifying such persons who are 18 or above and fixed their responsibility with their guardians in an official manner while complying with the norms of the National Trust Act, 1999.

After such persons attain the age of 18 it becomes the liability of the administration to designate their legal guardians within 45 days who would be responsible for taking care of their rights.

Nevertheless, official figures speak that till date as many as 952 persons, who were either mentally challenged or suffered from other multiple disability, have been identified in the district. Besides, around 1,350 such special children between the age group of 6 and 14 years have been spotted to be brought in the mainstream through extending free education under the Sarv Shikhia Abhiyan.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Paramjeet Singh said that a special committee had been constituted at the district level to execute special privileges enshrined under the National Trust Act.

“Around 270 such persons have been issued certified identification which would entitle them to the privileges reserved for them under Central schemes. Special committees have been constituted which would recommend the matter to the higher authorities for a final nod,” he said.

According to the Act, special arrangements should be made for their access to library, sports stadiums and public offices.

“It was focused that these persons need to have an easy access to the private as well as government offices. For the purpose, it was decided to make sure that all these offices should have ramps, extra wheel chairs, etc,” told Paramjeet Singh. 

Jalandhar, October 29
Members of the Pendu Mazdoor Union, Punjab, today held a meeting to protest against the alleged high-handedness of the Kapurthala police for picking up union activists who blocked the GT Road at Dhilwan village, demanding action in the Roor Singh custodial death case.

Officer-bearers and other activists of the union assembled at Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall and criticised the police for conducting raids on the houses of activists, booked under the National Highway Act by the police for blocking the highway. Talking to The Tribune, union president Tarsem Peter alleged that the police had rounded up four persons to exert pressure on them despite the fact that a magisterial and police probe is under way to reinvestigate the incident. He warned that in case the police did not stop the raids and harassment to the activists, they would be forced to intensify the agitation and even knock at the doors of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. — TNS