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CM wants death penalty for gang rape
9 days after challan, court awards 10-yr jail to rapist
Govt strikes gold in mining auction
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Staff crunch to blame for Amritsar jailbreak
Hold MLAs accountable, Navjot pleads with Badal
6 months on, police yet to nab rape accused
Govt sets up probe panel
Crime up yet CCTV cameras in border belt lying non-functional
SGPC flays beheading of Sikh in Pak
US Sikhs seek stern action
5,811 suspected cancer
patients in Ludhiana dist
Few takers for high security
number plates in Muktsar
Vigilance Bureau received 3,249 complaints last year
2 Bathinda villages shed cancer stigma
Seminar on martyr turns into political event
Standing tall: Job aspirants found with pebbles in socks
HC closes petition against govt houses to riot victims
SC rejects Vigilance SP’s bail plea
HC: Lay down procedure for appointing VB chief
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CM wants death penalty for gang rape
Chandigarh, January 10 In his suggestions to Justice JS Verma Commission, the Chief Minister emphasised on speedy investigation, prosecution and trial and enhanced punishment in all such crimes. Supporting life imprisonment without parole, remission/pardon for the offence under Section 376(1) & (2), Badal proposed that death penalty be made mandatory where the rape was followed by murder. He suggested that offences in the nature of aggravated sexual assault be made non-bailable with a minimum punishment of two years and a maximum of seven years. In cases of aggravated sexual assault in custody, the minimum sentence should not be less than three years and at the most 10 years. Badal also said that in cases of custodial aggravated sexual assault, the benefit of parole, remission/pardon should not be made available to the accused, a press note said. Stressing quick dispensation of justice to the victim and her family, the Chief Minister observed that High Courts should be asked to set up dedicated courts for expeditious trial of such cases. Badal said that these dedicated courts must conduct and conclude trial in a time-bound manner, preferably on a day-to-day basis. The Chief Minister said that prosecution in all such cases should be conducted by experienced prosecutors specially nominated for the purpose by the prosecution Heads of each district. They should be assisted by a woman prosecutor. The Chief Minister said that investigation in all such cases should be conducted by a woman police officer and supervised by a gazetted officer. He reiterated that no complainant should be called to the police station. Rather, her statement should be recorded at her residence in the presence of her family members. Underscoring the need for a periodical review of crime cases against women, the Chief Minister said that the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) should monitor every such complaint on a daily basis and the officer of the level of Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) or Inspector-General (IG) of Police should review all such complaints on a monthly basis. He also said that Additional Director-Generals of Police (Crime) need to review the complaints once every quarter of a year.
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JUSTICE ON FAST TRACK
Chandigarh, January 10 Jai Prakash Diwedi alias Pawan Dubey, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, was convicted for kidnapping and raping a minor girl, a resident of a village in the Garhshankar subdivision of Hoshiarpur district. Narvir Singh and Roshni, both residents of Delhi, accused of aiding Diwedi in the crime, were let off on the victim’s statement that the two had actually helped her. The victim, working in a Ludhiana factory, was kidnapped and taken to Delhi in May last year. She was raped for days. She was threatened that her brother would be harmed if she did not relent. She was later abandoned at a bus shelter in Delhi. A couple found the victim in a gurdwara and took her to Narvir Singh and Roshni’s house. The couple got the girl married to a Delhi resident in court on September 28 last. The police had filed a charge sheet on January 2 and the judgement was pronounced on the ninth day today. The order held that “merely because the victim was more than 16 years of age cannot be a ground to hold that she was a consenting partner. The consent, which was got under fear, is no consent under Section 90 of the Indian Penal Code.” Diwedi has been sentenced to five years under Section 363, seven years under Section 366 and 10 years under Section 376.
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Govt strikes gold in mining auction
Chandigarh, January 10 The auction saw good participation by contractors from Haryana and Rajasthan, besides those from Punjab enjoying political patronage. With mining being banned in Haryana in 2010 and in Punjab in August last year, the e-auction was a hit among those in the trade. For, the Punjab Government had obtained the mandatory environmental clearance for these quarries. The green approval will ensure hassle-free extraction of sand and gravel by the successful bidder during his two-year contract. As the bids offered by mining contractors for extracting minerals from the eight quarries appear unrealistic, those in the field believe that it could lead to further increase in the prices of minor (sand and gravel) minerals. Punjab Industries Minister Anil Joshi, who supervised the entire process, said the auction had helped the state realise huge revenue. He claimed that the auction was held in a transparent manner. If revenue statistics are compared, it is for the first time that such a high amount has been generated. In the last auction of 241 quarries (all having an area of less than 5 hectares) held in 2011, the state had fetched Rs 14.75 crore. Then, there was a cap on the 'quarry site price', the rate at which a contractor is allowed to sell the minor minerals, something that used to prove beneficial for the common man as the rates of sand and gravel used to remain comparatively low. But with the cap on quarry site price being removed this time, the successful mining contractor will be free to sell sand at higher prices after taking into account his own profit margin. Doubts are being raised about the success of auctioning of two quarries, Chandiala in Mohali and Amritpur in Kapurthala, because of the huge difference in the bid amount. The initial bids received for the Chandiala quarry were in the range of Rs 2.50 crore to Rs 3.50 crore against the reserve price of Rs 90 lakh. But, the successful contractor made a bid of Rs 34.25 crore. For the Amritpur quarry, the initial bids were in the range of Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.50 crore, against the reserve price of Rs 11.57 lakh. However, the quarry went for Rs 20.12 crore. The Industries Minister himself admitted that the two bids appeared doubtful because of the huge difference in the bid amount. "But, the successful bidder will have to deposit 50 per cent of the bid amount with the state government by tomorrow evening (25 per cent as security and 25 per cent as first quarterly installment). In case the successful bidder fails to do so, we can forfeit one-fourth of the earnest money that he has deposited to participate in the auction," he clarified.
Digging into mining mess
Last auction had fetched
Rs 14.75 crore
2 bids surprise all, but Joshi sees no wrong
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Staff crunch to blame for Amritsar jailbreak
Amritsar, January 10 In the absence of the required staff strength, drugs and mobile phones continue to find their way inside the jail.
The Amritsar Central Jail houses as many as 3,600 inmates against its maximum capacity of 1,500. A large number of prisoners are either on drugs or are notorious smugglers who continue to run their business with from inside the jail. Sources say over 350 international smugglers caught by various agencies and 22 Pakistani nationals and hardcore criminals with links with Pakistani-based smugglers are lodged in the jail. To keep a watch on them, there are 221 jail wardens (guards) against the mandatory strength of 400. Of these 221 guards, usually 20 to 30 guards remain on leave. More than 100 inmates are ferried daily for court hearing. Norms say at least three guards should escort one prisoner. With over 300 inmates enrolled everyday for a meeting with their family members, there are fair chances of a lapse. Jail Superintendent Amrik Singh Waraich said: “We have been grappling with acute staff shortage owing to which lapses do occur during search operations. We have apprised the higher authorities about the problem.”
IG visits jail Amritsar: The Inspector-General of Police (Jails), Jagjit Singh, today inspected the Amritsar Central Jail to look into the circumstances leading to the escape of three undertrials on January 8. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had asked the DGP (Jails) to ask the IG (Jails) to probe the incident. An inquiry report is to be submitted within a week. — TNS
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Hold MLAs accountable, Navjot pleads with Badal
Chandigarh, January 10 “Everyone should be made accountable for the job they get paid for,” she said. While giving details about the ‘Healthcare at doorstep’ project, Dr Navjot said 35,000 residents were covered under door-to-door survey in Verka, Vallah and Rasulpur Kallar areas of Amritsar. The month-long camp also saw installation of 1,300 streetlights (at a cost of Rs 35 lakh) and an expenditure of Rs 2.5 crore on roads, Rs 1.5 crore on street flooring, Rs 70 lakh on sewerage system and Rs 40 lakh on water-related works. The Chief Parliamentary Secretary also asked the government to declare Amritsar as a dry city so that drug and liquor menace could be checked. She said there was no coordination between various departments at ground level, which was to blame for delay in various projects. Citing an example, she said in case an encroachment was to be removed, they had to seek separate directions from the sanitation, roads and forest wings of the Municipal Corporation. “The story is no different for other official works,” she said. Dr Navjot also pointed out that there was no government control over chemist shops in the state. “Unqualified staff is openly distributing wrong medicines…. I have demanded that all doctors should be given the powers to check chemist shops. Another shocking fact that has come to light is the unholy nexus prevailing between the police, doctors, paramedics and even politicians in making fake settlements in medico legal cases. We will soon provide details to expose the illegal practice,” she said.
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6 months on, police yet to nab rape accused
Ludhiana, January 10
She alleged: "My daughter had gone to Sunny's house to apply henna on the hands of his sister who was to get married. She compelled my daughter to stay at her house. At midnight, Sunny offered tea laced with sedatives to my daughter and raped her. My daughter had to leave her studies after the incident". Kulwant Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Sahnewal police station, said Sunny was on the run since the incident. "We have conducted raids at his house and other locations, but failed to nab him," he said. On the other hand, the victim's family alleged the accused enjoyed police patronage and was roaming freely in Sahnewal area. "The police is telling us to find the accused and inform them about it," said the victim's mother. She had even complained about the police inaction to the Punjab State Women Commission on July 9. “I had written a letter about the indifferent attitude of the police to the women commission , but I failed to get any response,” she said. Jasbir Singh and Dharminder Kumar of the All India Human Rights Council (AIHRC) said: "We met the victim and her family a few days ago. They are devastated following the incident. They no longer have faith in the law and order of the land. Be it Delhi or Punjab, the attitude of the police is the same".
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Govt sets up probe panel
Chandigarh, January 10 HS Nanda, Special Secretary, Medical Education and Research, and Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor, Baba Farid Medical University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, will look into the matter. The minister said the committee had been told to submit a report at the earliest. Meanwhile, the Association for Scientific Research in Homoeopathy has asked the state government to affiliate homoeopathic medical colleges with Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, by de-linking these from Guru Ravidas Ayurved University,
Hoshiarpur.
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Crime up yet CCTV cameras in border belt lying non-functional
Gurdaspur, January 10 The need for these cameras is felt even the more because Gurdaspur district has the maximum arms licences — 35,297 till September 2011 — in Punjab. Senior police officials themselves admitted that with such a high number of arms licences, installation of CCTVs was the need of the hour. Four CCTVs were installed in Gurdaspur town in 2008 following an initiative by the then Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lok Nath Angra. He had roped in a few NGOs and the local Beopar Mandal to finance these appliances at Bata Chowk, Kabootri Gate, the Fish Market and the Old Bus Stand. All these cameras were connected by wires and were linked to the central observation room located near the Municipal Committee chowk, which was manned 24 hours by a team of constables. These cameras, however, stopped functioning two years later. Ever since, nobody from the Police Department cared to get them either repaired or replaced, an official said. Gurdaspur SSP Raj Jit Singh said he had approached NGOs to ensure that requisite finances were made available for new CCTVs. He also said the technology of these devices had become obsolete and his department was scouting for new state-of-the-art cameras. “The crime rate had dropped significantly when these CCTVs were operational. We need more such devices to combat crime. Alike the United Kingdom, where there is one camera for every 12 persons, we too need more such appliances. We will be going in for wireless cameras as the images generated by these gadgets are good for police investigations,” he said. Pathankot SSP SK Kalia said the police had asked the local Municipal Corporation to help them in making these appliances functional. He said there were four such cameras in the city and all of them needed to be upgraded. Likewise, Batala SSP Tulsi Ram said he had asked a few NGOs to fund the project to ensure a crime-free city.
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SGPC flays beheading of Sikh in Pak
Amritsar, January 10 “ This is not the first instance of attack on Sikhs in Pakistan and the government there should take all necessary measures for the security of Sikhs,” Makkar said. The Dal Khalsa has also criticised the killing. Mohinder Singh was reportedly kidnapped by a militant group from his shop in Tabbai village of Khyber on November 20 last year. Expressing concern about the safety of Sikhs in Pakistan’s tribal areas, party general secretary Dr Manjinder Singh demanded that the Pakistan Government should bring the culprits to book.
US Sikhs seek stern action
Washington, January 10 In a statement, United Sikhs, a Sikh advocacy group, demanded that the Pakistan Government protect minorities and pay compensation to the families of the victims. It also called on the Paklistan Government to secure the safety of all minorities. —
PTI
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5,811 suspected cancer
patients in Ludhiana dist
As many as 7,55,142 houses were covered and 37,98,424 persons were made aware about cancer. We came across 5,811 suspected patients who suffer from different symptoms of cancer. They have been asked to get their preliminary investigation done at the Civil Hospital, Ludhiana. A total of 3,945 cancer patients died in the last five years". He said at least 3,169 patients were undergoing treatment for cancer. Out of these, 622 patients had taken the financial help of Rs 1.50 lakh each under the Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund.
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Few takers for high security
number plates in Muktsar
Muktsar, January 10 Since the installation of these plates began in May 2012 in Muktsar, the transport authorities received 4,676 applications. They got all the plates embossed. But out of these, only 2,111 vehicles have been fitted with these temper-proof plates. The remaining 2,565 plates are still lying in the transport office. “The high security number plates were introduced to curb vehicle thefts as the plates are fitted only by the company authorised by the Transport Department. But the process has become a headache for us. People are reluctant to get the plates fitted on their vehicles,” said DTO Bhupinder Mohan Singh. He said: “As per the rules, we have to make the plates within four days of receiving the fee and the vehicle owner has to get these fitted within the next seven days. But we are still waiting for those who had applied in June last year”. Similarly, Gurmail Singh, incharge, high security registration plates, said: “A huge pile of embossed number plates is lying with the department. In case, some number plates go missing, the purpose of installing high security plates would be defeated”.
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Vigilance Bureau received 3,249 complaints last year
Chandigarh, January 10 Chief Director-cum-DGP (Vigilance) Suresh Arora said the department caught six gazetted and 32 non-gazetted officers, besides six private persons, red-handed in 38 corruption cases. Arora said the Vigilance had received 3,201 written and 48 online complaints related to Revenue, Panchayats, Local Bodies, Health, Irrigation, Electricity, Food and Civil Supplies departments. He said the bureau had stepped up its drive against corruption by launching a portal (www.vigilancebureaupunjab.org) and a toll free number (1800-1800-1000) to enable the general public register their complaints.
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2 Bathinda villages shed cancer stigma
Bathinda, January 10 The Health Department had in December last launched a house-to-house survey in the state so as to have an authentic figure on the number of cancer patients. The report indicates that more than 6,700 persons have died of cancer during the past five years in the five districts of Bathinda, Muktsar, Barnala, Faridkot and Mansa in the Malwa region. The highest number of 2,040 cancer deaths during the period have been reported from Bathinda district (where 3,488 persons have been found with “cancer-like” symptoms),1,665 in Muktsar, 1,112 in Faridkot,1,000 in Mansa and 780 in Barnala. The focus has shifted to Goniana with 336 deaths. Muktsar district has recorded the second highest number 1,665 cancer deaths. In Faridkot 1,112 persons have died due to cancer.
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Seminar on martyr turns into political event
Patiala, January 10 The seminar, held at the Municipal Corporation auditorium, was reduced to a mere political affair with the organisers and speakers busy throwing light on their political inclinations and future aspirations. Cabinet ministers Sikander Singh Maluka and Surjit Singh Rakhra were the main guests. The speakers used the occasion as a platform to highlight their work and contribution to the SAD's campaign during the assembly elections thus seeking more representation in future elections. To top it all, the youth who had come from far off places to register their support for the Kamboj community could not even attend the seminar since the auditorium had limited capacity. They rather sat outside in the sun and chatted all this while. However, Punjabi University Prof Gurdev Singh Chandi and Dr Sikander Singh, incharge principal, Government Nyal College, Patran, talked in detail about the martyr's life. Prof Gurdev Singh quoted statements the martyrs made during his trial in the court.
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Standing tall: Job aspirants found with pebbles in socks
Ludhiana, January 10 The aspirants, who were an inch short of the standard 170 cm height, tried to use this unfair means to gain an extra inch. However, their ploy to hoodwink the recruitment officers proved to be short lived when the medical team asked them to remove their socks before measuring their height. Meanwhile, the recruitment rally witnessed a huge response from youths of the area. Even the recruitment officials were thrilled to witness such a heavy turnout of youngsters. The declining physical standards of Punjabi youth were exposed as out of 5,000 aspirants from Mohali and Rupnagar, only 700 were selected and out of 5,500 aspirants from Ludhiana, only 650 could clear the physical fitness test Col MS Mahar, director, recruitment, said privileges offered by the Army made the profession so lucrative that even highly qualified youngsters were aspiring for the soldier's post.
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HC closes petition against govt houses to riot victims
Chandigarh, January 10 A Division Bench has closed the petition in view of orders already passed by another Bench on allotment of houses to "genuine" riot victims in a time-bound manner. At the same time, the Bench gave the petitioner the liberty to move the High Court again in case of non-redressal of grievance. In its petition placed before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, the Government Residential Colony Welfare Association had earlier prayed for quashing the letter dated December 16, 2008, "whereby allotment of government quarters has been made to the families of Sikh riot victims in Ludhiana". The association submitted that government accommodation should not be occupied by riot victims as these were meant for government employees. A further direction was also sought to allot the houses to government employees only. Going into the background of the controversy, the Bench asserted some of the riot victims had filed a petition in the High Court for allotment of the houses in accordance with the rehabilitation schemes and policies framed by the government. The Bench asserted: "In the said writ petition, a detailed order dated July 10, 2012, has been passed by a Division Bench of this Court, inter-alia, directing the Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, to proceed in the matter in accordance with law forthwith and ensure that the unauthorised possession is removed and the vacant flats are delivered to those found entitled to and eligible for allotment as per government policies". "A period of four months from the receipt of a certified copy of the order was provided to the respondents to carry out the directions. It was also stated that any elasticity on the part of the respondents, including GLADA and the district administration, would be viewed seriously. "It appears that while undertaking the exercise in compliance with the order dated July 10, 2012, the grievance raised in this public interest litigation shall also stand redressed. We, therefore, close this petition".
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ETO suicide
Mohali, January 10 Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the police opposed her bail application on several grounds. "We informed the apex court that despite being a police officer, she did not cooperate with us. Her similar applications had been rejected by the district court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court as well. We had prepared a strong case," said Bhullar. Notably, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mohali, yesterday directed officials to initiate the process of announcing her as a proclaimed offender.
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HC: Lay down procedure for appointing VB chief
Chandigarh, January 10 The apex court, in the case decided in 1997, had directed that a committee headed by the Central Vigilance Commissioner, with Home Secretary and Secretary (Personnel) as members, should make recommendations for appointment of the CBI Director. The SC had further directed that the views of the incumbent Director should be considered by the committee for making the best choice. The committee, it had said, should draw up a panel of IPS officers on the basis of their seniority, integrity and experience . As a PIL filed by advocate HC Arora and another petition came up for hearing, the Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain granted four weeks’ time to Punjab and Haryana.
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Pleading death penalty in cases of gang rape, brutal rape and custodial rape, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the provision of mercy petition should not be provided to convicts of such heinous crimes.
The first e-auction of
sand mines, having environmental clearance in north India, today generated a lot of interest among mining contractors from across the region.
In 2011, the state government had earned Rs 14.75 crore from the auction of 241 quarries, each spread over an area of less than 5 hectares. But at that time, there was a cap on the 'quarry site price', the rate at which a contractor is allowed to sell minor (sand and gravel) minerals, something that used to benefit the common man as rates used to remain comparatively low. However, the cap on quarry site price has been removed in today's auction. Now, the successful mining contractor will be free to sell sand at higher prices after taking into account his own profit margin. 
The auction of two quarries, Chandiala in Mohali and Amritpur in Kapurthala, surprised all. The initial bids received for the Chandiala quarry were in the range of Rs 2.50 crore-Rs 3.50 crore against the reserve price of Rs 90 lakh. But, it went for Rs 34.25 crore. For the Amritpur quarry, the initial bids were in the range of Rs 2 crore-Rs 2.50 crore (reserve price was Rs 11.57 lakh); it went for Rs 20.12 crore. Industries Minister Anil Joshi himself admitted that the bids appeared doubtful because of the huge difference in the final amount. But, he clarified that the auction had been done in a transparent manner and that contractors would lose one-fourth of the earnest money if they failed to submit the amount. 
While the state government is revelling in the huge revenue yielded by today's auction, the Opposition Congress has demanded that the auction be cancelled. Questioning the genuineness of the auction, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh said, "The high bids defy all financial logic. This will lead to monopoly in mining of sand and its pricing, making it impossible for the common man to buy the basic construction material. The sand mafia, headed by an Akali minister, has manipulated the auction. After offering the high bids and getting the mining rights of a pit, the mining mafia will go for wanton mining in the entire district since it will have the monopoly in sand quarrying and pricing."
While presenting her monthly report on a project, ‘Vibrant Amritsar’, to mediapersons, she said the government should make it mandatory for all elected representatives to submit a monthly report of works done in their respective wards (for councilors) and constituencies (in case of MLAs). 
Nearly six months after a minor of Bhero Munna village near Sahnewal was allegedly raped by a 24-year-old man, the police has failed to nab the accused.
Ludhiana, January 10
Owing to the stigma, it had become an uphill task for residents of the two villages to find matrimonial alliances. Earlier, almost every household in the two villages had at least one cancer patient. But according to the latest cancer surveillance project report, there have been 12 cancer deaths in Jhajjal and four in Giana during the past five years and eight residents of Jhajjal and seven of Giana are undergoing treatment.