J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

3 killed in mishaps
Tarn Taran, August 19
Three persons died in two road accidents and a rickshaw-puller sustained injuries on Friday. Two persons identified as Pritam Singh (60) and Sukhdev Singh (25) of Thathian Mahantan village died in a road accident that took place near Sarhali village, Rickshaw puller Heera Singh, a resident of the same village, also sustained serious injuries in the accident.

Traffic violators beware!
Jalandhar, August 19
In its effort to tighten noose around traffic violators, especially to curb the menace of drunken driving and over-speeding of vehicles, the police started a trial run of alchometers and radars here today.
ACP (Traffic) DS Dhillon conducts a trial on a driver by using a breath analyser to check drunken driving in Jalandhar on Friday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

One cop for 731 persons
Jalandhar, August 19
With just one policeman for 731 people and 14 police stations for 20-lakh people, the residents are fortunate enough not to have witnessed any law and order problem all these years.

Bid to rob bank, 1 held
Jalandhar, August 19
The city police has succeeded in arresting one of the accused after an attempt was made about 10 days ago to rob a State Bank branch located at Fantonganj. Two of his accomplices, however, are absconding.

3 killed in mishaps
Our Correspondent

Traffic violators beware!
Police begins the trial run of alchometers and radars
Bipin Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 19
In its effort to tighten noose around traffic violators, especially to curb the menace of drunken driving and over-speeding of vehicles, the police started a trial run of alchometers and radars here today.

The initiative was taken under the World Health Organisation pilot project ‘Road Safety 10’. The WHO has selected two major Indian cities -Hyderabad and Jalandhar- for the launch of this pilot project. The cities have been selected on the highest rate of deaths in accidents due to drunken driving and over speeding. The WHO has listed 10 cities across the globe where the project would be implemented.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic), DS Dhillon, said the police personnel from the traffic wing had undergone a three-day training session from a team of WHO officials.

The city police has procured 22 alchometers and 22 speed-radars to enforce the project in the city from September 1 onwards. The project has been launched in Jalandhar and Hyderabad on a trial basis and would be enforced other cities of the country after verifying its results in the city.

The ACP revealed that there is provision of a penalty of Rs 2000 and imprisonment of six months or both for the first time offender of drunker driving. The amount of penalty will rise up to Rs 3000 with a imprisonment of two years or both in case a person is caught violating the rules for the second time.

In case of over speeding, the offenders have to pay a fine of Rs 400 for the first offence. The fine amount will be Rs 1,000 in case of a second time offender with a provision of six-month imprisonment. The offence of over-speeding with rash driving amounts to a fine of Rs 1000 and six months imprisonment for the first timers which would be raised to two-year imprisonment in case the person caught violating the traffic norms second time, he said.

One cop for 731 persons
Bipin Bhardwaj/TNS

Jalandhar, August 19
With just one policeman for 731 people and 14 police stations for 20-lakh people, the residents are fortunate enough not to have witnessed any law and order problem all these years.

In fact, there are just 2,735 policemen (1,762 constables, 447 head constables, 50 special police officials and 275 jawans of Home Guard) in the city to maintain law and order. Top brass comprises five Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), four Additional Deputy Commissioners of Police (ADCP) and a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) led by a Commissioner of Police.

A large number of police personnel are often deployed to man VIP routes or engaged in departmental cases being heard in the district, High and other courts. They can’t be deployed for normal policing duties.

At least 325 men are guarding politicians, bureaucrats and other protected persons. Forty-five others are deployed with pilot vehicles for escorting VVIPs, VIPs and politicians passing through the city every day.

Sources in the police department revealed that sanctioned strength of 2,805 personnel is insufficient for effective policing. The department is short of five ACPs, 23 Sub- Inspectors (SI) and 23 Assistant Sub-Inspectors.

The police department, however, has 2,100 constables against its sanctioned strength of 1,762 posts. The department has also deployed 296 cops with the PCR vehicles. At least 166 personnel have been deployed to regulate the traffic in and around the city which, too, is on the lower side.

ADCP (Headquarters) Navjot Singh Mahal said more persons need to be recruited for affective policing in the city.

“Till the time the state government recruits more cops we will have to make do with what we have,” Navjot added.

Bid to rob bank, 1 held

Jalandhar, August 19
The city police has succeeded in arresting one of the accused after an attempt was made about 10 days ago to rob a State Bank branch located at Fantonganj. Two of his accomplices, however, are absconding.

The accused is related to one of the bank employees who along with his accomplices had tried to rob it. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police RL Sharma said the accused had been identified as Sandeep Gill, a brother of Santosh Gill, a peon with the bank. The police, while questioning bank employees, found that Santosh was the custodian of the keys belonging to the bank. It found that Santosh Gill had been keeping the keys at his home. His brother, Sandeep Gill, got hold of the keys and opened the main gate of the bank on August 8. But, he failed to break open the vault.

They had even disconnected wires of CCTVs installed in the bank. A case has been registered at the Baradari police station against unidentified persons on the basis of a complaint lodged by the branch manager of the bank. — TNS