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Five murders rock Majha, Doaba
Batala, February 2
Some unidentified persons murdered a couple along with their grandson on Dera Road here.

VAT hike triggers anger among traders
Traders during a meet in Jalandhar on Tuesday. Jalandhar, February 2
Up in arms against the Punjab government for increasing the value added tax and move to impose surcharge on the VAT amount, members of the Federation of Jalandhar Industries and Traders Association have threatened to launch a protest.

Traders during a meet in Jalandhar on Tuesday. A Tribune photo

Crime: Theft case cracked, 2 held
Phagwara, February 2
The police has claimed to solve a copper wire theft case after arresting two persons, identified as Dharmendra and Tilak Raj.


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Goindwal Sahib power project achieves financial closure
Amritsar, February 2
The ambitious 540-mw thermal power project at Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran district achieved financial closure yesterday. The Rs 3200-crore project is expected to be completed within 36 months.

Man killed in mishap
Pathankot, February 2
One person was killed when a vehicle hit his car on the Pathankot-Jalandhar highway this morning. According to information gathered, Kuldeep Kumar Sharma (29) of Jaini Pura, Jammu, was on his way from Jammu to Chandigarh for some official work of his company on his Swift car (JK-02-AH-0425). As soon he neared Mirthal, about 15 km from here, a vehicle hit his car, resulting in on-the-spot death of Sharma.





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Five murders rock Majha, Doaba
Tribune Reporters

Batala, February 2
Some unidentified persons murdered a couple along with their grandson on Dera Road here.

City police station Inspector Puran Chand told mediapersons here today that the unidentified persons murdered three members of a family - Prem Nath (85), his wife Shama Rani (75) and their grandson Paras (22).

Inspector Puran Chand said their belongings lay scattered all over the place.

The city police has registered a case under section 460 of the IPC.

Amritsar: A jeweller, Surinder Singh Bhatti (60), was killed by several unidentified persons in the New Kot Atma Ram area late last night. The incident came to light when his relative went to his residence and found the doors open.

Senior police officials, including district police chief P.K. Rai, visited the spot.

According to information, Bhatti used to live alone here while his family lived in Chandigarh and ran a showroom there. Before committing the crime, the accused threw red chilly powder in his eyes. They then covered his face with his jacket and slit the throat.

The police did not rule out looting as the motive behind the murder. A case has been registered at B-Division police station here.

Jalandhar: Old rivalry cost a Lidhran villager his life today. A 21-year-old boy, who was attacked by certain youths on the premises of Government High School, Lidhran, last evening, succumbed to his injuries this morning.

Navpreet Singh was attacked by certain armed youths when he was exercising in the gymnasium hall of the school at about 6.30 pm. An old rivalry is said to be the cause of the attack.

Maqsudan SHO Jaimal Singh said Navpreet Sinigh, son of Jaspal Singh, was admitted in a private hospital with multiple injuries. The doctors referred him to the CMC, Ludhiana, after his condition deteriorated.

Struggling for life, Navpreet died on his way to Ludhiana. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination this evening.

The SHO said a case of murder, under section 302 of the IPC, has been registered against Sukhbir Singh, alias Sukha, of Kahlwan village of Kartarpur and 10 of his accomplices on the complaint of Jaspal Singh, father of the deceased.

No arrest has been made in this regard as yet. The police claims to have been conducting raids on the hideouts of the suspects.

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VAT hike triggers anger among traders
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 2
Up in arms against the Punjab government for increasing the value added tax (VAT) and move to impose surcharge on the VAT amount, members of the Federation of Jalandhar Industries and Traders Association have threatened to launch a protest. Members of over 30 trader associations assembled here today and lodged a protest against the Sukhbir-Kalia committee report on resource mobilisation and warned the government of a protest if the decisions were not reviewed.

Federation president Gursharan Singh said representatives of different industries and trades would hold a meeting in Ludhiana in a couple of days to plan their future course of action.

While addressing a gathering of about 250 traders from different sectors, Gursharan Singh said the decision of the Sukhbir-Kalia committee had disappointed trade and industry that had already paid almost Rs 8,000 crore as VAT last year.

Submission of C and F forms to the Excise and Taxation Department with the annual return was proving a major hurdle for the traders. This had not only blocked huge funds with the government but had also led to a downfall in business, claimed Raj Kumar Sharma, president of the Jalandhar Traders and Manufacturers Association.

The traders criticised Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Industry Minister Manoranjan Kalia for deciding to hike VAT to 5 per cent from 4 per cent from January 29 onwards without seeking expert opinion. The traders flayed the government for its “anti-industry policies” that had been forcing them to shift to adjoining states.

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Crime: Theft case cracked, 2 held
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, February 2
The police has claimed to solve a copper wire theft case after arresting two persons, identified as Dharmendra and Tilak Raj.

The police has also been looking out for gang kingpin Manjit Singh.

Phagwara DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said Dharmendra had confessed to his crime. A case under section 420/406 of the IPC has been registered.

Giving details, the DSP said Dharmendra along with his employer Pankaj Beri of Megna Fibre Pvt Ltd came to the police on January 19 to lodge a complaint of a robbery and told the police that he was driving a truck when some unidentified robbers in a Toyata Qualis stopped the truck and beat him mercilessly. He was pushed into the Qualis and a robber drove away the truck loaded with copper wire.

According to the Dharmendra’s version, he was tied with ropes and thrown out of the vehicle near Birr Bansian village in Phillaur sub-division.

DSP Khakh said after some investigation, the police rounded up the driver and during interrogation the truth came to light.

The driver drove towards Phillaur where his other accomplices Manjit and Tilak reached on a motorcycle. Dharmendra handed over the truck to them.

He said though the truck was located, the wire might have been sold. The accused have been sent to 2-day police remand.

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Goindwal Sahib power project achieves financial closure
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 2
The ambitious 540-mw thermal power project at Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran district achieved financial closure yesterday. The Rs 3200-crore project is expected to be completed within 36 months.

Punjab State Electricity Board Chairman H.S. Brar supervised the documentation process at a meeting held here.

Brar said the project was financed by equity of Rs 800 crore and debt of Rs 2400 crore. The debt, syndicated by IDBI Bank Ltd, was financed through a consortium of 13 banks.

He said GVK Power Limited was tasked with setting up of the plant.

The company entered into a power purchase agreement with the PSEB for the sale of power. The contract for the boiler turbine generation (BTG) package has been awarded to BHEL and the balance of plant (BoP) package to Punj Lioyd.

Coal for the project is sourced from the company’s captive coal mines, GVK Coal (Tokisud) Company Private Limited and Seregarha Mines Ltd situated in Jharkhand.

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Man killed in mishap
Our Correspondent

Pathankot, February 2
One person was killed when a vehicle hit his car on the Pathankot-Jalandhar highway this morning. According to information gathered, Kuldeep Kumar Sharma (29) of Jaini Pura, Jammu, was on his way from Jammu to Chandigarh for some official work of his company on his Swift car (JK-02-AH-0425). As soon he neared Mirthal, about 15 km from here, a vehicle hit his car, resulting in on-the-spot death of Sharma.

SP Bhupinderjit Singh Virk said the police had registered a case under sections 304-A, 279 and 423 of the IPC against the unidentified driver of the vehicle. The body of Sharma was handed over to his father Subhash Sharma after a post-mortem examination.

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