Mohali, May 2
In what may come as an embarrassment for the ruling SAD government, Mahilpur MLA Sohan Singh Thandal, the Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Agriculture), was today sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case.

While convicting Sohan Singh Thandal, Mohali Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajinder Aggarwal also slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on the convict.

With his conviction, the Mahilpur MLA has become the first Akali leader to be sentenced in a corruption case, registered by the Vigilance Bureau on April 29, 2003.

Last year, the Mohali court had acquitted Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his Deputy CM-son Sukhbir Badal and wife Surinder Kaur along with others after the prosecution failed to prove the charges in a similar case.

However, the court accepted the bail plea of Thandal, thus giving him time to appeal against the judgment in a higher court. The trial in the case lasted four years, as the Vigilance Bureau had presented the challan in 2007.

Thandal was facing charges of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. The Vigilance Bureau had shown an unaccounted income of Rs 35 lakh. While he was able to prove income proof against assets worth Rs 31 lakh, the court did not accept his plea regarding the rest.

A case in this connection was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act under Sections 420, 468, 467, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.

Amritsar: The Director, Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation, and senior SAD leader Sardool Singh Sham on Monday submitted his resignation to the government. There is speculation that he may join the Manpreet Badal-led People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) any time now. In his resignation letter to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sham has alleged that disappointed with undue promotions to sychophants, he had decided to quit. “I was pained to see that those who were junior to me but good at sweet talk prospered without guilt and fear... I chose to put in my papers. Yet I will continue to work with the SAD as an ordinary worker .” — TNS

Amritsar, May 2
While foodgrain is rotting in the open due to paucity of storage facilities, in Amritsar a modern grain storage silo is lying unused. The project was conceived in January 2010 on a PPP (public-private partnership) basis for bulk storage.

Accordingly, tenders were floated by Pungrain, bids invited and LT Foods Limited entrusted with the task of building a steel silo complex in Mulechuk village for storing 50,000 tonnes of wheat. The cost of the project was about Rs 36 crore.

Nevertheless, the memorandum of understanding between the government and LT Foods Limited could not been signed till date.

Deputy Commissioner KS Pannu said the project could not be made operational due to a disagreement over reimbursement amount.

“We have raised the issue with the Food Ministry to expedite the proceedings regarding the concession agreements because the procurement of wheat is in full swing. When the plant can store wheat from this year’s harvest, then why not make use of the facility,” he said.

It is learnt that while LT Foods has demanded Rs 1,400 per tonne per year, the government is willing to pay Rs 600 per tonne per year (this is the rate normally paid by the FCI to warehouses). “The issue could not be resolved due to the net difference of reimbursement amount of Rs 800 against a tonne, for which neither the state nor the Union Government agreed,” Pannu said.

Meanwhile, this superstructure consisted of four cylindrical silos with a capacity of 12,500 tonnes each. Each of these silos is 88 feet in diameter and 105 feet in height. According to an estimate, the production capacity of the state is 18 million tonnes, of which storage is only available for 13 million tonnes. 

Amritsar, May 2
The city police has arrested three Railway Protection Force (RPF) constables in connection with the abduction of two Chinese nationals late last evening who were later rescued after a massive manhunt.

The two victims — Zeng Zia Li and Yaung Lu Lu — were taken around the city for a long while by the three Railway Protection Force cops and an accomplice.

Following her rescue, Yaung Lu Lu was brought to the Amritsar railway station at around 1 am where she was questioned by senior police officials, including Commissioner of Police Parampal Singh Sidhu.

The trio was presented in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate who remanded them to five-day police custody. The girls were also produced before the CJM and their statement was recorded.

Recounting the incident, the Commissioner said that the two girls, who came to Amritsar from Jaipur, met Shivdev Singh and Surinderjit Singh, both constables in the RPF posted at Ferozepur.

The cops had boarded the train from Ludhiana and were escorting the cash for the salary of the railway employees at Amritsar.

During the journey, they befriended the victims, who sought their help to get accommodation and hire a taxi to visit the Golden Temple.

On reaching Amritsar, the two accused called a colleague Amandeep Singh and another person, Yadwinder Singh, to bring a vehicle.

They took the gullible visitors for a ride and instead of taking them to the Golden Temple, they took them to different places in the city and then to hotel Sohal, situated near the Jalandhar Bypass Road on the main GT Road.

“At the restaurant, the accused offered them beer and had drinks and snacks till 7 pm. However, the hotel owners refused to give them a room,” said the commissioner.

The suspects then took them to desolate areas on the Mehta Road and stopped at a gas-filling station where Zeng Zia Li went to the washroom,” the commissioner said.

“There, they were spotted by a police patrol party whose suspicions were raised on finding a Chinese national at a secluded place.

“On sighting the police party, the accused panicked and sped away leaving Zeng Zia Li at the petrol pump. She later raised an alarm,” he added.

The patrol party led by in charge, Vallah police post, immediately informed senior police officials who sounded a high alert in the city.

“A massive manhunt was launched to nab the miscreants and rescue the girl. Succumbing to the pressure, the abductors left the kidnapped girl Yaung Lu Lu near Guru Nanak Niwas in the Golden Temple complex and fled away,” the Commissioner said.

The police has arrested three constables while their accomplice Yadwinder was still absconding. A case under Section 363, 366, 120-B of the IPC has been registered at the Civil Lines police station.

“We are now contacting the Chinese Embassy in order to report the matter to them. Necessary police protection has been provided to both Chinese nationals,” said the commissioner.

Interestingly, the police has also registered a case against the owner and staff of hotel Sohal under Section 3, 4, 5 of the Immoral Act besides the 68/1/14 Excise Act. Those booked include Amarjit Singh Sohal, owner, Pawan Kumar, Dinesh Rana, Harpreet Singh and Gurpreet Singh.

Sangrur, May 2
Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal today accused the Congress of allegedly finding unnecessary faults in the SAD. He said, “It seems the Congress has put vendetta at the forefront.” Badal was responding to Union External Affairs Minister Preneet Kaur’s statement. She had said that on assuming power, the Congress would reopen all corruption cases that were lodged against the Badals

Badal, who was addressing the sangat darshan at Munak, said such meetings were planned to bridge the gap between the common man and the government whereas Congress was finding faults even while addressing the masses. He said the government was spending Rs 9 crore to lay the underground drainage system.

Chandigarh, May 2
Punjab is becoming a retail outlet for several small arms factories in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. These factories fulfill the Punjabi yearning for arms with ‘made to order’ Webley Scott, Smith and Wesson or Colt revolvers and pistols.

The Mansa police has busted an inter-state gang and recovered 270 revolvers and pistols, all of them illegal but with inscribed names and numbers of foreign manufacturers.

It has arrested 15 persons, including seven police personnel, for allegedly supplying cartridges from police armouries to gang members who would sell these to Maoists in other states. As many as 6,000 cartridges stolen from police armouries and shown as expended during training exercises have also been recovered. The gang sold hundreds of small arms weapons to unsuspecting Punjabis at rates varying from Rs 80,000 to Rs 2 lakh. The weapons cost the gang members around Rs 35,000 each.

Punjab police chief PS Gill said the state would get in touch with the Union Home Ministry to ascertain if the gang had operatives in other states as well. This needed to be investigated by a central agency. The state on its part would check the records of arms dealers to determine the extent of the racket.

The racket was unearthed by Mansa SSP HS Mann, who was the hero at the police headquarters here with ADGP (Intelligence) Suresh Arora offering him his chair at a meeting addressed by the DGP. The DGP said Mann started investigating complaints that illegal weapons were freely available in Mansa and eventually zeroed in on gunhouse owners sponsoring the racket in league with those running illegal factories in UP.

The police have arrested gunhouse owners Mahesh Kumar (Indian Gunhouse, Mansa), Anil Midha (Hindustan Gunhouse, Sirsa) and Nand Kishore (Tammana Armoury, Moga) besides Arvinder Singh Pappu of Ludhiana.

After buying fake weapons these gunhouse owners would get the documents and bills forged from Chiranji Lal and Sons (Thanesar) and Harkamaljit Singh (Avtar Gunhouse, Amritsar).

The Mansa police has also unearthed an illegal gun factory in Firozabad, which was supplying small arms to Anil Midha, the kingpin of the gang. Midha possessed six specially designed vehicles, which were used to supply cartridges outside the state and bring back weapons.

Midha brought cartridges from a number of gunhouse owners at Jalalabad, Moga and Abohar. The cartridges were purchased for Rs 8 each from police personnel in charge of armouries and sold for Rs 30 each outside the state.

The police has also arrested a woman for preparing fake bills for the arms.

Amritsar, May 2
Noted ghazal singer from Pakistan Ghulam Ali today expressed his intent to set up music academies to save classical music. He added that the government should also make efforts to help him realise this goal.

Talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of a cassette release of US-based Raagi Bhupinder Singh Khalsa, Ali said, “Classical music is like the eternal truth and that is why people like it. However, efforts should be made to keep alive the rich musical traditions of various gharanas.”

On whether classical music will get lost in today’s culture of pop and rap music, he said good music will never die, but at the same time, you need the right people to hear it.

According to him, if the old style of music has to be kept alive, the government must open academies. For this, it can also rope in private players.

He said he would set up music academies in countries like India, Pakistan, Canada, the US and Pakistan. He said that singers like Gurdas Mann, Hansraj Hans and Wadali brothers were doing a great job to keep musical traditions alive.

On his forthcoming music venture with former Hazuri raagi Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa, Ali said he could not devote much time to it as he was unwell, but they will surely sit together soon to work on the project.

Jalandhar, May 2
Lovely Professional University has suspended five students for the violence on the campus following the murder of a Mizoram footballer on April 26.

University officials are examining the images captured by the video cameras installed on the campus to identify students who went on the rampage, pelting stones and smashing windowpanes of the hostel on April the intervening night of 26 and 27.

Chancellor of the university Ashok Mittal said: “Our disciplinary committee is already on the job. While we are also getting information from the police, our own team is also investigating the matter.”

Ramandeep Singh, in charge of the Chaheru police post, was injured as the police resorted to a lathi charge on the rampaging students.

The university has already expelled 12 African students, two Tanzanians and 10 Sudanese, who have been booked by the police. Three of them are in judicial custody on murder charges. Mizo student Johny was kicked to death during a football tournament on the campus on Tuesday last. The university re-opened today after having remained shut for four days.

Patiala, May 2
Notwithstanding the fact that Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) today started the Energy Conservation Fortnight, an exercise to spread awareness about conserving power, the power experts felt that preventing power theft was the one area that needed maximum attention.

Speaking to The Tribune, Padamjit Singh, who retired from erstwhile PSEB as chief engineer, said, “Observing the Energy Conservation Fortnight is good but the main emphasis of the PSPCL should be to prevent the power theft.”

Notably, as per the figures available, from April, 2010, till February 28, 2011, a whopping amount of Rs 192 crore was imposed as penalty on those found guilty of stealing power.

“The penalty figures itself makes it clear that several lakh units of power are being stolen annually. Rs 192 crore penalty has already been imposed. There must be additional several lakh units of power theft that remained undetected,” said a senior official of PSPCL, on the condition of anonymity.

However, Padamjit asserted that PSPCL must intensify its anti-power theft drive.

Patiala, May 2
An application moved by Kamaljit Singh, the main witness in the murder case of Harpreet Kaur, daughter of former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur, that his statement be re-examined has been accepted by the court of Special Judge (CBI) Balbir Singh.

Kamaljit’s counsel Arun Singla said he was yet to get a copy of the court orders.

On March 21 this year, Kamaljit had moved an application in the court, pleading that he wished to be re-examined as his earlier statements had been made under pressure from the accused.

Kamalijit’s counsel said: “The accused wield immense political influence and are powerful people with connections with the ruling party in Punjab. Kamaljit could not depose truthfully before the trial court due to pressure from Bibi Jagir Kaur and the co-accused.”

Singla said: “Since, the entire trial in the Harpreet murder case is based on the statement of Kamaljit, a re-examination is very important”. Harpreet Kaur was found killed in the wee hours of April 21, 2000. A few days later, Kamaljit Singh of Begowal village in Kapurthala claimed that he was Harpreet’s husband and the father of Harpreet’s still-born child.

However, on February 25, 2010, Kamaljit turned hostile before the court. Now, Kamaljit has backtracked from his statement again, stating that he had been under pressure from the accused. 

Amritsar, May 2
Dejected by the ‘vague’ replies to his queries, put forth on April 15, regarding the proposed conversion of Khalsa College into a private university, Raj Mohinder Singh Majitha, Chancellor of the college governing council, today shot another strong-worded letter to the Chairman and the Honorary Secretary of the council.

In this fresh questionnaire, the Chancellor has asked the duo - Chairman Satyajit Singh Majithia and Honorary Secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina - to clarify their stand within a week on various points.

The prominent among them are as follows: (1) Under which resolution, the proposal to convert the movable and immovable property of Khalsa College into a private university was mooted? (2) Under which resolution, an amount of Rs 1.12 crore was deposited with the government exchequer to establish a private university? (3) When was the proposal to forgo the grant-in-aid (which rolls in crores) passed in the House?

The Chancellor has asked them to furnish copies of the resolutions and the details of the governing council members who attended those meetings in which these resolutions were passed.

He also demanded the copies of the correspondence made with the state government and the GNDU for getting a nod to ‘go ahead’ with the conversion proposal.

While pointing out an advertisement making serious allegations against some governing council members, the Chancellor has asked them to spell out their positions immediately.

“If all these allegations were baseless and false, why hasn’t any cognisance been taken against the person who released this derogatory advertisement?” he asked.

The Chancellor, when contacted, said, “I, in my capacity as Chancellor of the governing council, have every right to know about the exact circumstances under which such a sensitive issue was deliberated upon. I expect that this time, they should come out clean on the issues that I have raised today,” he said.

Meanwhile, the teachers submitted a memorandum to the Chancellor to ‘use his position’ to find an appropriate solution to safeguard the status and identity of the college.

Teachers observed a chain fast according to the agitation agenda of the PCCTU and PFUCTO. Five teachers - Dr HS Atwal (Area Secretary, GNDU), Prof SS Rangi (President, KCTU), Prof Daljeet Singh (Secretary, KCTU), Prof Navneen Bawa (KCTU), Prof Anupam Sandhu (KCTU) - observed a fast today after performing ‘ardas’.

Bhag Singh Ankhi, former honorary secretary, Kanwarpal Singh, Dal Khalsa leader and Mohkam Singh, KAC chairman, too joined the agitating teachers in their peaceful sit-in.

Selbrah (Bathinda), May 2
As many as 30 villagers, including nine women, were arrested today for the Saturday night incident in which a mob attacked a police party, leaving two persons seriously injured and setting an official vehicle on fire.

On the other hand, police sources informed that more than 150 persons, including 36 women, were rounded up till this evening after raids were conducted at Selbrah and some nearby villages.

The clash had taken place late on Saturday evening when a police party had come to the rescue of a resident of the village in whose house a liquor shop was to be opened.

The furious villagers, who were opposing its opening, resented that the police was making efforts to keep the vend running.

After the incident, the district police lodged a case against one Surmukh Singh, a leader of the Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari), along with over 250 persons for assaulting a policeman, snatching his service SLR and burning a police vehicle under Sections 353, 186, 333, 427, 307, 392, 148, 149 and 342 of the IPC at Phul police station.

During a visit to the village, The Tribune today noticed a curfew-like situation. Some children informed that a large number of policemen had come to the village in the wee hours today and had taken a large number of villagers into custody.

The villagers alleged that the policemen not only damaged household articles, but also dragged the villagers on the floor. If anybody resisted, they had to bear the brunt of the cops’ fury, who didn’t even mind pulling women by their hair.

Denying the charge of torturing the villagers, Vinod Kumar Chaudhary, DSP, Phul, said that the police rounded up some persons on suspicion, but after interrogating them, most of them were released.

The main accused in the violence Surmukh Singh and Mahavir Singh were still at large.