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moga
bypoll
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Proxy posters have Jain on a sticky wicket
No misuse of official machinery, claims CM
Rice millers seek one-time settlement
Sale of habit-forming drugs goes unchecked in Patiala
Ludhiana to have school for brilliant students
Small scale industries demand separate feeder to supply power
All set for varsity union elections today
Army Chief to visit Pbi University on Feb 22
Drive against erring depot holders
intensified
10 years’ RI for raping minor
No end to agony of missing girl's parents
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moga
bypoll
Moga, February 17 Amarinder Singh also demanded the resignation of Punjab Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra for allegedly shielding the main accused in the infamous Patiala gang-rape and suicide case. Corroborate his demand with "facts", the Punjab Congress chief cited the "revelations" made by dismissed Assistant Sub-Inspector Naseeb Singh. "The police officer had claimed that it was Rakhra who had shielded the rape accused and that he was made a scapegoat to save the Minister. So, Rakhra has no right to continue as a Minister and he must be sacked if he does not resign on his own," Amarinder Singh said. The PPCC chief alleged that it was a shameful incident of a criminal being protected by an Akali Minister. "When ministers are shielding and protecting criminals involved in heinous crimes like rape, it is not surprising that 40 rape cases, on an average, are being reported in Punjab every month," he said. He said in Amritsar, an Akali leader close to Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, brother-in-law of SAD president Sukhbir Badal, had allegedly killed an Assistant Sub-Inspector after he objected to the harassment of his daughter. Similarly, he alleged, a close aide of Majithia mercilessly beat up a top-ranked police officer and broke his leg in Ludhiana. "Incidents of Akali leaders and their kin harassing and humiliating policemen have become a routine," he said. While appealing to the Moga electorate to vote for the Congress, he cautioned them that in case they did not apply breaks on the Akalis' "crime culture", there will be total "lawlessness" and "anarchy" in Punjab. He addressed rallies in Singhawala, Bukkanwala, Daroli Bhai and Baghelewala villages.
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Be prepared for a ‘Shok Shivir’: Sukhbir to Capt
Moga, February 17 Sukhbir was referring to the recent Chintan Shivir of the Congress held in Jaipur, which was aimed at changing the very face of the party. Addressing a public gathering at Khosa Pando village in favour of party candidate Joginder Pal Jain, the Badal Junior also hit out at newly made Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. “He will not be able to save the Congress. The defeat in the Moga bypoll will be a precursor to the Congress decimation in the next parliamentary elections,” he said. Reiterating his commitment of Moga’s “overall development”, the SAD president said Jain’s victory was required to ensure speedy progress of the area. He claimed that local development was a major issue, which had forced Jain to quit the Congress and join the SAD. He also regretted the “negative” statements being issued by the Congress leadership that all the development projects initiated by the SAD-BJP government had been funded by the Centre. Sukhbir said the Union Government collected a huge chunk of revenue from the states and gave them back a negligible amount and that too as loan. “This is injustice. The SAD has been demanding a review of the revenue-sharing formula so that states can get back at least 50 per cent of the amount collected by the Centre as taxes,” he said. PollNuggets
Bittu: SAD never condemned terror
SAD behind poor economy: Bhattal
Capt in Moga till February 23
Capt Amarinder Singh today said he will be staying in Moga up to February 23 till the last vote was cast for the byelection. He said he would ensure that the Akalis did not indulge in any intimidation of voters. When asked that he could not stay after the campaigning period was over as per the Election Commission directions, Amarinder Singh said he will camp in a village right outside the constituency. "As the leader of my party, it is my responsibility to ensure that the Akalis do not misuse their position and power and that is why I will be closely monitoring the situation," he said.
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Proxy posters have Jain on a sticky wicket
Moga, February 17 Printed on behalf of ‘Loktantra Bachao Morcha’, the posters, however, do not carry the names of either the printers or the printing press. But, two mobile phone numbers have been printed. Investigations by The Tribune revealed that these numbers were of Pawan Thapar, husband of Punjab Mahila Congress president Malti Thapar, and Ajay Sood, a JD (U) leader who was former Director General of Police PS Gill’s election agent in the last assembly elections. Sood is now supporting Congress candidate Vijay Sathi. One poster highlights Jain as a defector; it mentions how he first quit the Congress to join the BJP, then how again he re-joined the Congress and his latest switch to the SAD. The second poster describes how Jain “betrayed” 62,200 voters of Moga who had polled in his favour in the last assembly elections. An effort has been made to emotionally click with the voters by mentioning that “Jain had cheated them by seeking re-election on the SAD ticket”. The posters also comically depict “two faces” of
the Akali candidate. In one of the photos, he has been shown wearing a cap while in the other, he sports a turban. For adding comic touch, both these pictures have been framed in a brinjal. Political observers say that these posters and the letter (see box) may harm the electoral prospects of the SAD candidate.
Posters highlight Jain’s ‘betrayal’
Tota Singh’s aide’s open letter to Sukhbir
A local advocate, Narinder Pal Singh Chahal, who has been closely associated with Akali stalwart Tota Singh, has written an open letter to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. In the letter, he has mentioned that Sukhbir had committed a “big mistake” by inducting Jain into the SAD. He has also highlighted the examples of “personal enmity” between Tota Singh and Jain’s families, stating that the latter’s close confidants had allegedly implicated Tota Singh’s son Makhan Brar in the infamous Moga sex scandal and that how could they help him now. He has also questioned the credibility of the Akali Dal stating that the voters would not forgive Jain for his “misdeeds”. Copies of this letter have been circulated in Moga as well.
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No misuse of official machinery, claims CM
Moga, February 17 Badal said the SAD was seeking votes on the plank of development which it “had carried out in the state”. Lashing out at the UPA government, he criticised its anti-people policies and step-motherly treatment to the state. The Chief Minister said the UPA government was mired in scams. They (Congress) never bothered about the welfare of the people which was quite evident from the recent hike in petrol and diesel prices, he added. He said for the past many years, the local MLA was sitting in the opposition and, therefore, could not contribute much to development in the constituency. There was a chance, he said, to elect Jain on the ruling party’s ticket which “will usher in new development in the area”. He claimed that Jain had sacrificed his position for the sake of local people so that they could see development. Badal said there was much work to be done in the area, the details of which were being collected from the panchayats and the local leadership. These works would be done on priority basis after the election, the CM said. Badal claimed there was widespread factionalism in the Congress which would “ensure Sathi’s defeat”. Later, addressing public gatherings in Badal’s presence in Moga city, BJP state president Kamal Sharma said the SAD-BJP alliance was firm and their party workers were working hard to ensure Jain’s victory. He denied the rumours that there was any resentment against Jain among the party cadre.
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Jagmeet Brar’s road show pulls crowds
Moga, February 17 As the Congress procession passed through the city's inner streets, enthusiastic shopkeepers were seen coming out of their shops to greet the Congress leaders and workers. Brar claimed that Sathi was able to win over one and all because of his humble demeanour. The Dalits were particularly drawn towards him because of his clean image and a down-to-earth attitude. To a question, Jagmeet Brar said: "Neither me or Sathi are making personal attacks on rivals. We are taking up the core issues of the deteriorating law and order situation and the SAD sabotaging democracy by engineering defections as well as local issues. I think the voters are well-aware of the ground situation." He said the party high command was keen to win this byelection because it had picked an honest candidate who deserved to win.
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Need for people’s movement to get justice for riot-hit: Phoolka
Chandigarh, February 17 Addressing a press conference, Phoolka said: “Public opinion has always had an impact on the way the government's are run. "The CBI had closed the case in which Tytler was accused of killing three Sikhs. A decision on re-opening the case on his alleged involvement in the killings in the Bara Hindu Rao area is expected within a fortnight. A verdict on Sajjan Kumar's alleged involvement in murdering five Sikhs in Delhi cantonment police station area was also likely to be decided before the end of March. He said the people could hold peaceful marches in towns and universities to seek "quick and effective disposal of the cases”. Phoolka made a special mention about a case registered with the Nangloi police station on November 1, 1984, about the killing of five Sikhs. “Though a charge sheet mentioning Sajjan Kumar by name was prepared on April 8, 1992, even after 21 years, it has yet to be finalised and presented in court," he said. Phoolka said all three wings of the administration had done an "appreciable job" in deciding the Gujarat riot cases. But there seemed to be a lack of sincerity in deciding the Delhi riot cases. Now when a decision on certain important cases featuring political leaders was about to be delivered, the public needed to show its solidarity with the riot victims. He said official figures had put the death toll in the Delhi riots at 3,000 though the unofficial number was higher. “There was no people's movement on the streets post-riots, as most of the victims were caught up in putting their lives together. Some had opted to migrate from Delhi. Phoolka is a senior advocate in the Delhi High Court and also a Human Rights activist associated with the 30-year-old legal crusade to get justice for the 1984 riots victims allegedly involving Congress leaders. Phoolka was member-secretary of the Justice Narula Committee (1993) set up to probe the Sikh carnage.
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Attari ICP awaits crucial equipment
Amritsar, February 17 Talking to The Tribune, CII National Council on Public Policy member Gunbir Singh said the Indo-Pak trade via Attari not only required truck scanners but also full wagon scanners to facilitate smooth bilateral trade via the rail route. He said the ICP should be extended to bring in the rail link into its ambit. He also stressed on the need for container movement through the land route as shipment of sealed containers in the presence of scanners would drastically reduce the threat of contraband being smuggled through trade consignments. Gypsum importer Iqbal Singh Bedi said he had started importing sugar from Pakistan, but there weren’t any labs at the ICP to test the same. He said the installation of scanners was crucial as the trade with Pakistan via the rail route was suffering due to repeated seizures of contraband from the rail cargo. He said though the expenses of importing goods from Pakistan had gone up with the coming of the ICP, the facilities at the new check post were not up to the mark. He said: “Traders have been suffering losses as the ICP doesn’t provide them proper space where gypsum can be unloaded”. Another trader, Manav Taneja, said scanners were a must at the ICP as facilities like these would help save traders a lot of time and their trucks would not be stranded in long queues for days. “India has created a massive infrastructure in the shape of the ICP, which if equipped with adequate facilities can transform Attari into a major trading hub,” he said. There are issues with passenger travel between the two countries too. Pakistan continues to use its old gate at the border for passenger traffic due to which the Indian authorities have no option but to provide the bus facility to them so that they can reach the ICP from the old gate and vice versa without facing any hassle. Earlier, Pakistan had turned down India’s plea to use the new gate for passenger travel, contending they had their Customs and Immigration counters at the old gate.
Hurdles
in trade
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Rice millers seek one-time settlement
In a letter to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the Rice Millers’ Association has asked the government to end the court cases and opt for a one-time settlement so that a large number of rice millers could restart work and help the state food agencies with timely milling. There are hundreds of petitions pending against the state rice millers. Not only the FCI, but state procurement agencies such as Markfed, PUNSUP, Punjab Agro, Pungrain and the Warehousing Corporation have filed suits against rice millers for misappropriation of paddy. Hundreds of rice mills have been declared as defaulters. In April 2000, the Punjab Government had decided to put an end to the litigation and ordered a final settlement of cases regarding non-milling and “misappropriation” of paddy in 1994-95. But the settlement could not fructify in most cases. The Punjab Government offered a one-time settlement scheme to the industry last month. Now, the rice millers want a similar settlement, said Bhagwan Bansal, vice-president, Punjab Rice Millers’ Association. "The state procurement agencies face a lot of difficulty during the procurement season regarding storage and milling of paddy because of a number of mills having been declared defaulters. A one-time settlement will be beneficial to both the parties," he added.
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Sale of habit-forming drugs goes unchecked in Patiala
Of the total 3,000 drug stores in the district, a large number of drug stores continue to sell habit-forming drugs that include Lomotil, Alprax, Zolfresh tablets and Benadryl cough syrup. These drugs have ingredients such as Lorazepam and Chlordiazepoxide. Sources said the authorities have hardly conducted any raids in the recent past to check this malpractice. During a visit by The Tribune to various markets near Government Rajindra Hospital, TB Hospital Road, Bhupindra Road, Anardana Chowk, Sirhind Road and Lower Mall, several drug stores were spotted selling habit-forming drugs to customers without checking their prescription. In rural areas, the situation is even worse with no checks in place. The department officials admitted that raids should be conducted more often to check the malpractice. However, they said they were unable to do the same due to shortage of drug inspectors. Assistant Civil Surgeon Dr Purshotam Goyal said there were only three drug inspectors for 3,000 drug stores. “There is a dire need to increase the number of drug inspectors if raids are to be carried out on a regular basis,” he asserted.
Dangerous Practice
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Region’s first emu meat, oil processing unit to come up in Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur, February 17 The function was attended by over 100 emu farmers of the region.
Gunraj claimed over 1,000 progressive emu farmers of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana will benefit with the setting up of the unit, which will be the first of its kind in north India. The move will help farmers get the optimum value for their produce and the processed emu meat and oil manufactured at the unit will be purchased by the South African company. While interacting with the farmers here, Duncan advised them to nurture their birds with healthy diet so that they could lay eggs of standard size and fertility. He said a healthy bird would be a better source of oil. The emu oil is in demand by pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Gunraj said the emu oil manufactured at his unit would meet the international standards. The director of the Central Poultry Development Organisation, Chandigarh, Dr K Ravi Kumar, said a training session for farmers would be organised shortly as per the norms of the Union Government. He said the trainees would be given a stipend of Rs 600 each during the training period. He said with the introduction of ostrich, a flightless bird like emu, tourism could be promoted in the region. He said a project in this regard would soon be mooted after analysing its viability. Dr IS Bajwa, head of the department of the Animal Genetics and Breeding, GDVASU, Ludhiana, said the government was concerned about emu farmers and a project to extract oil from emu fat was under consideration. A number of farmers have taken up emu farming in the state in the past five years but are worried about the marketing aspect. "Farmers may sell their produce to the university or can get the oil extracted from the fats at our unit," said Dr Bajwa.
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Now middlemen appear for Aadhaar Card too!
Ludhiana, February 17 "It is not about paying Rs 30 to a middleman. Rather, it is a pointer to the gross irregularities in the Union Government's most ambitious project," said social activist SS Kahlon, alleging that eventually the migrants ended up paying almost Rs 300 for the service. The councillors of Wards 73 and 74 expressed ignorance about the hoardings. The authorities have reportedly removed the hoardings from some places following complaints. The Aadhaar card enrolment centre at New Azad Nagar is already in a controversy with local Congress leader Vikram Singh Pehalwan alleging that the centre is being run from the premises of the area ward president, a BJP man. Shri Prakash, owner of Vaishno Medical Store, who put up the hoardings at Focal point, is on the defensive. He says: "I meant to state that I would provide scanned copies of Aadhaar cards for Rs 30 to those who had applied for the card in 2011- 2012. I did not realise that the mistake would have such serious implications.” Asked about his assurances on PAN card and driving licences, he banged down the phone. District Food Supply Controller Rajneesh Kumari did not attend the call despite repeated attempts. Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari said he would look into the issue and initiate action against the culprits. The Station House Officer of the Focal Point police station said action would be taken only after they received a complaint.
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Pune team to prepare report on PRTC modernisation
Patiala, February 17 PRTC Managing Director DPS Kharbanda said, after the report is prepared, PRTC will seek funds to the tune of Rs 5 crore from the Central Finance Assistance. He said, “Computerisation of all depots will help us in regulating salaries, pensions, gratuity and pay scales. By installing Global Positioning System (GPS) in all the buses, we will be able to keep tabs on the routes of all the buses. We will be able to find out the exact position of a bus and how many trips it has made. “This will help us in curtailing our expenditure by 15 to 20 per cent. Since the revenue is by and large fixed, cutting expenses is our priority,” said Kharbanda. Meanwhile, in order to ensure payment of all dues at the time of an employee’s retirement, the MD has directed all the general managers to start the process three months prior to an employee’s
retirement.
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Ropar Ambedkar Bhawan in ruins
Ropar, February 17 The complex is now a nesting place for birds as it has not been put to any use. The Government of India had declared the year 1991 as the ‘Social Justice Year’ to commemorate the centenary birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar. The state government had then decided to construct Ambedkar Bhawans in all district headquarters. The bhawans were supposed to have an auditorium, a meeting hall, reading rooms, offices for the district welfare officer, tehsil welfare officer and a library-cum-research centre. A visit to the building, however, revealed that wild growth surrounds it with most of its window panes broken, thus permitting access to birds. While the auditorium is filled with bird droppings, the seats in the hall are badly damaged. The ceiling fans in the auditorium are broken and many of its electricity points are out of order. Though a building housing the offices of district welfare officer and tehsil welfare officer is built on the complex, no library or meeting hall was constructed at the site. The building with a big open area around it could be easily used, but it was rendered useless as no one maintained it, said Nirbhay Singh, resident of adjoining Giani Zail Singh Nagar. Manjit Singh Bajwa, district welfare officer, said for several years, the department has not received any grants from the state government
for the building’s maintenance.
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Ludhiana to have school for brilliant students
Ludhiana, February 17 It will be set up next to the Government Model Senior Secondary School, Punjab Agriculture University. The groundwork for the proposal has already been done by the authorities concerned. An official, requesting anonymity, said there was ample land next to the government school where two separate hostels for girls and boys could be constructed. “The school will be for village students who score above 80 per cent marks in middle examinations. Students, who otherwise won’t get quality education at government schools, will be able to study at this school up to Class XII and build their careers,” said the official, adding that the CM was keen to start the project as soon as possible. A senior teacher at the government school said, “The school will be built for over 1,000 students. The maps of the proposed school are almost ready and will soon be submitted to the CM’s office.”
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Small scale industries demand separate feeder to supply power
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 17 LUB national secretary Om Parkash Mittal said small scale industries were already passing through a difficult phase as the central and the state governments had failed to frame any policy for their
survival. He said on one hand, the state government was pressuring the industry to increase production while on the other hand it had failed to give sufficient power supply to their units. He said as a result most of the industries in the state were on the verge of
closure. Balwant Singh, District president of LUB, said the association had submitted several representations to the state government and power corporation officials to set up a separate feeder for industrial units. He said as the consumption of diesel and kerosene in the small scale industries was very high, the state government should provide special permits. Dr Raghuveer Suri, general secretary Manoj Kumar, vice-president Gopal Bhimbra, cashier Anand Mohan were among those who addressed the meeting.
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All set for varsity union elections today
Patiala, February 17 In power, the Progressive Employees Union (PEU) has an edge over its opponents. PEU candidates Darshan Singh will be contesting for the post of president, Pawandeep Singh for general secretary, Pawan Kumar for vice-president and Balbir Singh Arora for secretary. Avtar Singh of Young Forum and Employees Ekta Union; Gurinderpal Singh Babbi of Employees Democratic Front and Rajinder Singh Raju of Raju Employees Welfare Association will all vie for the president’s post.
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Army Chief to visit Pbi University on Feb 22
Confirming the same, Kamal Kinger, Head, Defence and Strategic Studies Department, said General Bikram will deliver the inaugural address. University Vice Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh will preside over the seminar and Arvind Gupta, Director General, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, will deliver the keynote address. Senior defence officers and scholars from different universities will also present their papers.
— TNS
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Drive against erring depot holders
intensified
Patiala, February 17 As per the department officials, licences of 63 depot holders had been suspended while those of six had been cancelled in the past three months. In November last year, Vigilance Bureau sleuths had arrested some officials of the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, who had connived with Nabha depot holders to allegedly sell subsidised wheat in open market. District Food and Civil Supplies Controller Dr Anjuman Bhaskar said strict action would be taken against erring depot
holders. — TNS
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10 years’ RI for raping minor
A case was registered against Buta Singh on October 5, 2011, with the Sandaur police station under Sections 376, 363, 366-A and 368 of the Indian Penal Code after an inquiry, conducted on the complaint of the victim's mother, found him guilty. The victim's mother had said that Buta Singh would often come to meet her husband at their village. During one of the visits, he took their daughter out and raped her.The convict's father told the family that he would treat the girl as his daughter-in-law and sheltered her for about three months. When she became pregnant, Buta Singh left the girl with her parents, threatening the family of dire consequences if they took the matter to the police. Held for abduction Ropar: The local police has arrested Gurjit Singh Gutti, 19, of nearby Railon Khurd village accused of abducting a minor girl on February 14. He was spotted near the local near railway station and arrested. A case under Sections 363 and 366-A of the IPC has been registered against him. Suicide by girl Ropar: Depressed over losing her job, a 23-year-old girl ended her life by jumping into the canal here on Saturday. The deceased, identified as Ruchi of Meerabai Chowk, was employed at a gas agency for five years. In her suicide note she stated that she had asked for leave from the manager of the company who declined her request and shunted her out. The girl's body was retrieved from Garewal ki jhal. The police has arrested manager R K Sharma and delivery boy Gurinder Singh on the charge of abetment to suicide.
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DSP, SHO booked for taking bribe
Bathinda, February 17 A case under various Sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the two. Rajvir Singh is posted at Fazilka. Sources said the DSP and the SHO was allegedly being paid Rs 2.5 lakh every month by persons who pilfered oil tankers near Jassi village in the district. There are three depots of different oil companies near the village. The truckers, in connivance with local residents, would pilfer the and sell it on the black market. Addressing mediapersons, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravcharan Brar said the policemen had struck a nexus with the oil pilferers some time ago and were being watched. Investigations revealed that they would get money for shielding the pilferers in the area. Reliable sources said that the oil tankers that come out from the three oil depots were usually parked at enclosed plots on the Bathinda-Mansa road. There were more than a dozen such plots. The district police zeroed in on three such plots where oil was stolen from the tankers and sold to customers in nearby towns. The accused policemen were found often visiting these plots to get oil for personal use. Yesterday, the police had arrested former Rama Mandi Station House Officer and booked the Rama Mandi Municipal Corporation president for “tweaking” the death case of a truck driver who
allegedly died while pilfering oil.
The racket
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No end to agony of missing girl's parents
Chandigarh, February 17 Their daughter, missing since May 2009, has not been found. And to make matters worse, the focus of the murder investigation has shifted on them.
The case
The petitioners, Kavita and Vikas Kumar Gupta, approached the High Court for transferring FIR number 92, dated May 27, 2009, registered at Ropar for abduction and criminal conspiracy to an independent agency, such as the CBI. The FIR was lodged on the basis of Vikas Kumar’s statement that his daughter was kidnapped on April 28, 2009 by his brother's wife, with whom his family had strained ties. Vikas alleged that Manisha Gupta had left home to pay obeisance at the Lehri Shah Temple and his daughter had followed her. While Manisha returned, his daughter did not. It was alleged that Manisha had failed to furnish a satisfactory answer when the family launched a search for the missing girl. One Nitesh Lamba, running a medical shop, told Vikas Kumar that his daughter was seen with her aunt Manisha while she was returning from the temple. On the basis of Lamba's statement, the FIR was registered.
The twist
Manisha Gupta later died under suspicious circumstances and her father lodged an FIR on June 5, 2009. Appearing for the state, Punjab Additional Advocate-General Deepak Balyan told the court of Justice Ranjit Singh that the trial in this case was already in progress. Justice Ranjit Singh was told by the petitioners that instead of investigating the FIR registered by them in a fair manner, the police had held a one-sided probe and arrested their entire family for Manisha’s murder.
The order
Justice Ranjit Singh noted that a special investigation team had already been set up but ordered the constitution of another squad. Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “To rule out the possibility of unfair investigation and to remove lurking doubts as expressed, it is considered appropriate to direct the Director-General of Police to constitute another SIT, preferably to be headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector-General of Police…”
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Youth Congress leader and Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday said the Akalis had never opposed or condemned terror attacks that had claimed lives of thousands of innocent people in the black days of terrorism. While campaigning for party candidate Vijay Sathi, Bittu paid tributes to the 18 martyrs here at Moga. They were killed by terrorists in 1989 while they were going for a morning walk. Bittu, who is the grandson of former Chief Minister the late Beant Singh who was assassinated by terrorists, urged the electorate not to forget the sacrifices of thousands of people who laid down their lives for the peace and harmony in the state. Cautioning the people of Moga against wasting their vote for those who had "no sympathy" for the victims of terrorism, he appealed them to ensure that the Congress candidate got elected from Moga to send a clear message against terror and against those who did not oppose it.
Taking a dig at the Akalis' claims of development, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has said that "poor governance" of the Badal family had pushed the state to bankruptcy. She said only the Badal clan in Punjab had got richer while the state was facing an economic crisis. Criticising Jain for deserting the Congress and joining the Akali Dal, she said, "Jain has committed a political suicide. The Akalis, particularly the Badals, are never true to anybody and soon Jain will realise this."
Faridkot, February 17
Patiala, February 17
Patiala, February 17
Sangrur, February 17