Hoshiarpur, January 8
Inhabitants of Kaloa village along with activists of the district unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by their state general secretary Onkar Singh Jhamat, district president Sumitter Singh Sikri and city president Dinesh Kumar Pappu burnt an effigy of the SSP and later staged a dharna and blocked vehicular traffic from 10 am to 1 pm in front of the mini-secretariat in protest against the firing incident in which Surjit Singh of Kaloa village got a bullet injury in his shoulder on the night of January 6.

Head constable Devinder Singh, driver of the SHO of Sadar police station, had allegedly quarrelled with Surjit Singh and others on the night of January 6. It was alleged that Surjit Singh and others allegedly assaulted Devinder Singh with sharp-edged weapons and the latter fired shots from his service revolver in self-defence and a bullet hit the shoulder of Surjit Singh. Surjit Singh was admitted to the Civil Hospital.

The Sadar police had booked Surjit Singh and four others in this connection under some sections of the IPC, including attempt to murder.

The agitators were demanding the registration of an attempt to murder case against constable Devinder Singh, his immediate suspension and cancellation of FIR registered against Surjit Singh and four others. They also demanded the transfer of the SHO of Sadar police station.

Later, SP Randhir Singh Uppal intervened and on his assurance about action in this regard, they lifted the dharna and blockade.

SP Randhir Singh Uppal said departmental inquiry would be conducted into the incident and if driver Devinder Singh was found guilty, action would be taken against him.

Jalandhar, January 8
Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) will look into the causes which led to the committing of suicide by junior engineer (JE) Sukhdev Singh Gill.The JE clearly stated in his suicide note that he was committing suicide as the Executive Engineer concerned had stopped his salary some months back.

Expressing his sympathy with the victim’s family, the Director, Administration, PSPCL, G.S. Bachi, told The Tribune that a senior official would be deputed to look into the cause of his suicide. He would be asked to hold a time-bound inquiry and proper action would be taken against any employee found guilty in the case after getting the report in this regard, he added.

To a query, he said he would bring the entire matter to the notice of PSPCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) K.D. Chaudhary on Monday. Subsequently, it would be decided which officer would be deputed to probe the case, he added.

Earlier, a deputation of the Council of Junior Engineers, led by its state senior vice-president Raj Kumar Chaudhary, also met PSPCL Chief Engineer Ashok Goel for taking proper action against the Executive Engineer in the case.

Meanwhile, the Executive Engineer said the department stopped salary of JE Sukhdev Singh Gill along with some other JEs for a few months as they had not submitted any account for material worth several lakhs of rupees withdrawn from the store.

Chaudhary said there was no rule to stop the salary of a JE even if he failed to submit account.