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Police assault case: Tarn Taran SSP shifted, SHO suspended
CM, Sukhbir to meet PM on Bhullar case today
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SAD indulging in doublespeak, alleges Congress Power rates have more than doubled in 12 years
Panchayat elections: Bajwa for e-filing of nominations
PPP’s 2-day ‘chintan shivir’ begins today
Wheat not procured, farmers block highway
SGPC impasse Gurdaspur gets new police chief
BSF repatriates Pak national
SIT formed to trace ‘abducted’ teenager
State to plant 4.75 cr saplings
Cars with vanity numbers under lens
Brawl at patiala ex-Mayor's house
State to launch GK project in govt schools from
HC raps police for detaining man illegally
House tax assessment
Newlywed woman goes missing, in-laws booked
House burgled in Ropar
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Police assault case: Tarn Taran SSP shifted, SHO suspended
Tarn Taran, April 14 Also, Station House Officer (SHO) Sukhbir Singh has been placed under suspension. Ripjit Singh, SSP Gurdaspur, has now taken over charge as the district police chief. A senior police official said though he had not read the orders, he had been told that the transfer was made in view of the assault case where a 22-year-old woman was brutally thrashed by several policemen in full public view. On April 11, senior counsel Dushyant Dave, appearing for Punjab, had told the Supreme Court that the police brutality was “indefensible” and as such he had advised the state government to proceed against several policemen, including the SHO. The victim said her demand for termination of services of the policemen responsible for misbehaving with her was yet to be met. She also said it was yet to be known who had called such a heavy police force on the spot.
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CM, Sukhbir to meet PM on Bhullar case today
Chandigarh, April 14 They will make out a case for commuting Bhullar's death penalty to life sentence in view of his “mental condition’ as well as certain ‘peculiarities’ in the case which they feel make it a unique case for consideration of clemency, say sources. The leaders will present the report of doctors treating Bhullar, stating the latter is under depression. Doctors treating the militant leader have claimed that they were not asked about his mental condition. Bhullar has been categorised as a "patient who can attempt suicide any moment" by the medical team treating him. The Akali leaders, who will not be joined by any BJP leader from Punjab, with the saffon party making it clear that it does not want to come in the way of execution of the death sentence, will stress on the ‘peculiarities’ in the case, said the CM's media adviser, Harcharan Bains. This includes the fact that the presiding judge in the case acquitted Bhullar on the charges presented against the militant and ruled that there was no evidence against him, except his own statement to the police taken under duress and which has been denied by him. The leaders claim that the External Affairs Ministry had also advised that Bhullar should not be awarded the death penalty as it had given this assurance to the German Government upon his deportation from the country. The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister are likely to stress that nothing should be done that could threaten peace and harmony in Punjab. The Akali leaders are also likely to urge the PM that cases where justice is not seen to have been done should be treated differently. Ludhiana: About a dozen Panthic organisations, at a meeting in Gurdwara Jawaddi Taksal here, decided to hold "Justice March" on April 18 from Fatehgarh Sahib to Delhi and hand over a resolution to the President, with 75,000 signatures, pleading clemency for Bhullar. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Akali Dal (Amritsar), Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani), Akali Dal (1920), Akali Dal (Barnala), Sikh Students Federation, Sant Samaj, Dal Khalsa, Khalsa Action Committteee, Sikh Chetna Mission, Youth Akali Dal and Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj. The Khalsa Action Committee has appealed to the Sikhs to unfurl the saffron flag atop their houses on April 18. — TNS Bathinda: Tension gripped convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar’s native village Dayalpura Bhai-Ka after the police did not allow hardliner Baba Hardip Singh from coming out of his house to lead a protest march against the Supreme Court's rejection of Bhullar's plea to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment. The police was deployed in strength in the village to prevent any untoward incident. However, a group of residents blocked the Barnala highway.They also organised a protest march. The residents did not allow the local authorities to hold a cultural programme in the village. They had boycotted Baisakhi celebrations on Saturday. — TNS
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Bhullar’s case is unique, claims advocate Phoolka
Amritsar, April 14 He was here on a thanks-giving visit to the Golden Temple after a Delhi court recently set aside the CBI closure report giving a clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in an anti-Sikh riots case. Phoolka said Bhullar's case was unique as there were no witnesses available and the main accused, Daya Singh Lahoriya, had already been acquitted. But Bhullar, who had been booked on abetment charges, had been sentenced to death. He said while governments all over the world were doing away with capital punishment, India continued with the practice. He urged the Central Government to direct the police to file a challan against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a case pertaining to the killing of four Sikhs in 1984.
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SAD indulging in doublespeak, alleges Congress
Chandigarh, April 14
He said in an affidavit submitted to the apex court defending Saini, the government wrote: “Such hardcore and experienced criminals, who have a well-organised international support base, are likely to misuse such orders to attempt victimisation of dedicated police officers, which is a matter of concern to the petitioner.” The affidavit was submitted in response to a CBI inquiry and subsequent to an FIR lodged against Saini for the abduction and disappearance of Bhullar’s father Balwant Singh, his uncle Manjit Singh and a young engineer, Balwant Singh Multani, in 1991 in retaliation against an attack on Saini when he was SSP, Chandigarh. The Congress leader said the Badal government had not only appointed Saini as Director-General of Police in 2012 superseding five IPS officers, but had gone out of the way to defend the police officer in the High Court recently, terming him as a dedicated and meritorious officer. Khaira castigated SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar for describing Bhullar's death sentence a judicial murder.
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Power rates have more than doubled in 12 years
Chandigarh, April 14 It has ordered an average 9.06 per cent hike in tariff for the current fiscal year. For the lowest domestic category consuming power up to 100 units, the tariff rate in 2001-02 was Re 1.61 per unit. It has been pegged at Rs 4.56 per unit for this fiscal year. For those consuming 101 to 300 units of power, the tariff rate was Rs 2.71 per unit in 2001-02. It now is Rs 6.02 per unit. Those consuming more than 300 units will now have to pay at Rs 6.44 per unit. This category of consumers was charged Rs 3.01 per unit in 2001-02. The tariff for the lowest category has gone up three times in the past 12 years. For large-scale industry and bulk consumers, it has been doubled. Rising fuel costs, expenditure on purchasing power from outside and the rising employees' bill are some of the factors leading to the hike. The projected increase in expenditure on various inputs (on the basis of which tariff is determined) for current fiscal will be Rs. 616.20 crore ( from Rs 3,824 crore in 2012-13 to R. 4,440.20 crore in 2013-14) on fuel costs and Rs 744.1 crore (from Rs 5,717.04 crore in 2012-13 to 7,074.88 crore in 2013-14) on power purchase. The employees' bill is projected to go up by Rs 260.88 crore, from Rs 3,536.59 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 3,797.85 crore in 2013-14. The charges to be paid by PSPCL to Punjab State Power Transmission Corporation have gone up from Rs 830 crore to a whopping 1269.64 crore, an increase of Rs 440 crore. Similarly, the return on PSPCL equity has gone up by Rs 536.89 crore from Rs 405.73 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 942.62 crore in 2013-14. The most important task is to reduce the line losses. Already, these have been brought down to 17 per cent from 23 per cent some years ago. However, by bringing these down to 4 per cent, power worth Rs 2,850 crore can be saved. In South Korea, the line losses were about 40 per cent three decades ago.These have been brought down to 4 per cent now. A lot of money will have to be spent to improve the transmission system and cut line losses, but that will be useful expenditure made in public interest. Another important factor is freight cost. By pressing the Centre to revert to freight equalisation system, the expenditure on coal can be reduced by Rs 1,300 crore per annum. Main Factors
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Panchayat elections: Bajwa for e-filing of nominations
Jalandhar, April 14 Bajwa said he along with Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Sunil Jakhar would appear in person in the High Court to file the petition by Wednesday. Addressing a public meeting on Dr BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary here today, Bajwa said a meeting with senior lawyers would be held in Chandigarh on Monday. Bajwa said the Congress would seek directions to the Punjab Government to allow e-filing of nomination papers to avoid their mass rejection on one pretext or the other at the behest of the ruling alliance and to hold the counting of votes at a common centre in each district in the presence of a senior official and representatives of various political parties. The PPCC would also urge the court to issue directions to the government to take adequate steps to check booth capturing and violence during the poll. Lambasting the Badal government, Bajwa said the law and order situation in the state had gone from bad to worse as four ASIs had been shot dead in the last two months. He said: “The ruling alliance has failed to fulfill even a single promise made by it during the assembly elections last year. There is no enhancement of benefits under various schemes. Instead beneficiaries of schemes like shagun have not been paid for the last two years”. Flaying the Badal government for police action against protesting linemen near the SAD rally in Talwandi Sabo yesterday, Bajwa said the SAD had promised to provide Rs 1,000 as monthly allowance to unemployed youths, but it failed on this front as well. Jakhar alleged the ruling alliance had misused central funds, including Rs 109-crore post-metric scholarship money, meant for the welfare of Dalits. Other present on the occasion included state Congress general secretary Fateh Singh Bajwa, MPs Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Santosh Chaudhary, former ministers Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Santokh Singh Chaudhary, Amarjit Samra and Avtar Henry and PYC president Vikramjit Chaudhary.
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PPP’s 2-day ‘chintan shivir’ begins today
Chandigarh, April 14 PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal said the session would mark the beginning of a new harvest of “good politics” and “virtuous governance” in Punjab. He said the two-day session would not be a closed-door affair but an open-for-all session. The brainstorming would involve representatives and experts from the fields of education, health, agriculture, civil society, governance, industry and law among others. The party leadership and workers will interact with experts and will immediately come out with a draft paper on both the days. “Corruption, deteriorating law and order and the dismal financial situation” in Punjab would be the focus areas of the session, the PPP chief said. "It is the first time when an opposition party in Punjab will be coming up with a detailed policy document on the ills facing the state as well as remedial solutions," he said. Manpreet said while the first day of the two-day session will be dedicated to identifying the ills plaguing the state, the second day will be focused on providing solutions. He alleged that such an affirmative action from an opposition party was required since the ruling SAD-BJP alliance had failed to come out with a policy agenda aimed at ameliorating the poor state of affairs in Punjab. “The people of Punjab were expecting that the ruling party will inform them as to what was the agenda of their Goa conclave. But, that has not happened. As such, the only beneficiaries of the Akali extravaganza have been the hotel owners in Goa,” he said. The PPP chief claimed his party was wedded to the cause of Punjab and the venue of Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall in Doaba was a testimony of its commitment to the ideals of the freedom fighters. Open-for-all session
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Wheat not procured, farmers block highway
Sangrur, April 14 Led by Bharatiya Kisan Union’s (Ugrahan) Dirba block president Malkiat Singh Toor Banjara, the protesters alleged that they had been awaiting procurement at the Dirba grain market for the past two-three days. Banjara said though the state government had announced wheat procurement from April 1, food agencies were allegedly not following the directions in Dirba. “As such, we were compelled to block the road,” he said. The blockade was lifted only after an official of a food agency visited the spot and informed the protesters that procurement had begun at the grain market. Banjara said the farmers would not hesitate to block the road again if the agencies delayed the procurement of wheat in future.
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Protesting linesmen a headache for SAD
Badal (Muktsar), April 14
The members of the Unemployed Linesmen Union as well as their family members had tried to raise slogans against the ruling coalition at the SAD’s political conference on Baisakhi in Talwandi Sabo yesterday. The unemployed linesmen had followed a similar protest pattern in the run-up to the assembly elections last year as well, but their voices have so far fallen on deaf years. However, they continue to pose a headache for the ruling party leadership, particularly Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal. The protesters have been mostly witnessed targeting only those rallies that are addressed by the father-son duo. To tackle the “problem”, the Punjab Police too seems to have devised a plan: it deploys personnel in civvies at the SAD rallies and whenever any protester tries to raise his voice, he is gagged and pushed outside the venue. A similar scene was witnessed yesterday as well. Recently, the linesmen had also lodged their protests at the SAD’s political conference at Maghi Mela in Muktsar.
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SGPC impasse
Amritsar, April 14 Sehajdhari Sikh Party chief PS Ranu said they were contemplating making a submission to the Supreme Court that the new SGPC House be allowed to function, if the Sehajdhari Sikhs were given the voting rights in the next SGPC elections. “We have already held two rounds of talks with Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal on the issue," he said. On what had prompted the Sehajdharis to make this move, he said: “With no opposition left against the ruling SAD after its victory in the DSGMC elections, we thought why disturb their administrative setup in the SGPC.” Ranu said they were in direct talks with the Deputy CM who, he claimed, had told them that he would welcome any such move if it saved the new SGPC House. “We will try our best to bring out the SGPC from the trap of re-elections as our sole motive is to get voting rights and to elect good people of high moral values to esteem positions.” He said his party's national executive council was consulting legal experts to arrive at a solution. He claimed that a solution in the interest of religion and the SGPC was being explored with the help of the Punjab Advocate-General and lawyers of the Sehajdhari Sikh Party. Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC chief, said he was not aware if the Sehajdharis had held parleys with the Deputy CM. “When there is no concept of Sehajdhari in Sikhism, how can we give them the voting rights,” he asked. The SAD secretary, DS Cheema, said as far as he knew, they hadn’t got any such proposal from the Sehajdhari Sikh Party. He said they would keep in mind the definition of "Sikh" as per the Sikh Gurdwara Act while considering any such proposal. The SGPC elections were held on September 18, 2011, and its 15 members co-opted on December 5. Subsequently, the Centre issued a notification constituting the new SGPC House on December 17. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court's December 20 verdict, quashing the 2003 notification barring the Sehajdharis from voting in the SGPC elections, pushed the new House into a crisis. The SGPC challenged the HC verdict in the Supreme Court. On February 17, 2012, the court 'allowed' the new SGPC House to function following which the SGPC urged the Centre to summon the SGPC session to elect its new office-bearers and the executive. After a month-long wait, CM Parkash Singh Badal met the PM on March 20. He was told the SC ruling of February 17 was ambiguous. The SGPC moved the SC again seeking clear directions to the Centre for holding the SGPC office-bearers’ poll. Hearing the SGPC petition on March 30, the SC allowed the old SGPC executive (elected in November 2010) to manage the gurdwaras and institutions under the SGPC till further orders. It stated that the House elected in September 2011 without Sehajdhari Sikhs’ participation could not be allowed to hold its first meeting and elect office-bearers because of the High Court verdict restoring the voting rights of the Sehajdharis. Looking Back
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Gurdaspur gets
new police chief
Chandigarh/Moga, April 14 Surjit Singh Grewal has been reappointed as the Moga SSP. Grewal had retired in December last year and was given a one-year extension in service by the state government. He had remained indisposed due to a serious ailment for more than two months now. He was on medical leave after having been afflicted with flu and chest blockage. “I got a second life as the chances of my survival were bleak. My family had almost lost all hope. But with the grace of God, I am now fit again to perform my duty,” he said. In another interesting development, Rai Jit Singh, one of the junior-most police officers in the state who was earlier serving as the Gurdaspur SSP, has been transferred to Tarn Taran. Surinder Kumar Kalia, SSP, Pathankot, has been given additional charge of SSP, Gurdaspur. Among other transfers, KS Dhillon has been posted as the Commandant, 5th Battalion, Bahadurgarh. An official spokesman said Dinkar Gupta, Additional Director General of Police (Security), had been given the additional charge of ADGP, law and order as well as traffic.
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PAU: Need Bt cotton gene to develop own varieties
Ludhiana April 14 In Punjab, cotton is sown over 5.15 lakh hectares. BT cotton is American bollworm resistant variety. Its seed is produced by private companies. The PAU says if the ICAR buy the gene of BT cotton from Monsanto, it would prove useful for the agricultural community of southern districts of Punjab. Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice Chancellor, said: “The cotton varieties developed by the PAU and other state universities are not resistant to American bollworm. Farmers have to depend on private companies for Bt cotton seed. We have suggested to the ICAR to provide us BT cotton gene so that we can develop our own American bollworm resistant varieties”. “The university can also provide quality seed to the farmers by multiplication of BT cotton seed. This will prevent farmers from falling an easy prey to fake seed available in the market,” he said. “None of the state universities and the institute concerned has funds to buy the costly gene. Moreover, the universities are not authorised to make such deals. The ICAR can take an initiative in this regard,” added Dr Dhillon.
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BSF repatriates Pak national
Amritsar, April 14 RPS Jaswal, BSF Deputy Inspector-General, said Mohammad Afzal Latif (32), a resident of Bamti village in Kasur district (Pakistan), was arrested from near the border fence. During checking, nothing objectionable was recovered from his possession. Therefore, the BSF informed their counterparts in Pakistan and he was repatriated to his native country. Jaswal said it was the fifth such instance this year when the BSF had handed over a Pakistani national who had inadvertently crossed the border.
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SIT formed to trace ‘abducted’ teenager
Bathinda, April 14 The action came after the girl’s parents along with their supporters blocked traffic on the Mansa-Budhlada road for an hour in protest against police ‘inaction’. The victim’s father Vinod Kumar, a resident of Boha in Mansa district, alleged the girl, a student of Class XII, was kidnapped by Sukhjit Singh and his accomplices from Bathinda on March 25. An action committee, formed for seeking justice for the aggrieved family, alleged the Bathinda police was not investigating the matter properly. They observed a bandh today in Boha demanding transfer of the investigation to the Mansa police. NS Dhillon, IG, Bathinda zone, said the Bathinda police had tried its best to solve the case, but on a demand by the complainant, a SIT, headed by Mansa SSP Narender Bhargav, had been formed. Other members of the SIT are Mansa SP Rajeshwar Sidhu and ASP Bathinda Alka Meena. The IG said a joint team of the two police districts would work together to crack the case. The case file
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State to plant 4.75 cr saplings
Chandigarh, April 14 Informing this here today, an official spokesman said the government was concerned over the fast reduction of green cover due to deforestation activities like agriculture or wood harvesting. The expansion of roads is also to be blamed for deforestation. The spokesman said keeping this in view, the government had decided to purchase non-forest land in the state so that a plantation drive could be initiated on a large scale. — PTI
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Cars with vanity numbers under lens
Patiala, April 14 Perturbed by recent crime cases involving vehicles with vanity numbers, some of them against police officers, the police has launched the campaign in certain districts to check the movement of such vehicles and to ensure that their registration documents are verified on the spot. Sources said the police chiefs in five districts have given written instructions to their field staff to hold regular nakas and to make sure “no VIP-number vehicle passes through without proper verification”. Police personnel have been checking such vehicles for the past one week. More than 200 owners of such vehicles have been challaned for violations across the state. The drive is expected to continue. Souces said people in the state have a liking for special numbers for their cars. They said single or double-digit numbers of the old series were being sold in black across the state and usually politicians and the nova rich use such numbers on their vehicles to flaunt their status. They said sometimes, policemen hesitate in intercepting such vehicles. “A person, who buys a car worth Rs 15 lakh and pastes a registration number worth lakhs of rupees, cannot be stopped by a constable or an ASI at a naka. If you spend an hour at any naka, you will see what problems we face,” said a traffic policeman on the condition of anonymity. “Senior police officers in certain districts have been asked to help their men in the drive. The SSP himself is visiting such nakas to boost the confidence of the junior police staff to ensure no VIP vehicle goes past without proper checking,” said a senior police officer. “Earlier during routine nakas, junior officials at the nakas were not too keen to stop such vehicles, especially sports utility vehicles (SUVs), fearing a backlash. So we made sure DSPs and SPs also stand at such nakas to ensure that no such vehicle passes through without frisking,” he said. Patiala SSP Gupreet Singh Gill said every morning, he has to send a report in this regard to his seniors and he has asked field officers to send him an action taken report everyday. “In the recent past, some crime cases pointed towards the role of such vehicles in unlawful activities. Owners of some vehicles flaunt wrong numbers which makes it difficult to trace these vehicles following a crime,” he said.
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Brawl at patiala ex-Mayor's house
Patiala, April 14 Hotelier Gurjit Singh Walia, who was involved in the clash, had alleged that the former Mayor had taken a bribe from him for getting his work done. While Walia and Pardhan’s family are trying to settle the matter, following cross cases, the police is reluctant to register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and start investigations against the MC staffers allegedly involved in the deal. Highly-placed sources confirmed that the voice-recording clip and subsequent allegations by Walia were available with the police and that they could start the interrogation of the MC officials who had allegedly played middlemen in the deal. “An SDO in the Municipal Corporation was instrumental in striking the deal at Rs 25 lakh and the money was paid through him. A CD containing voice recording of Gurdeep Walia with a woman proves how the deal was struck for the aforesaid amount,” said a relative of Walia. The CD was made available to the Patiala police by Walia’s wife Ashwinder Kaur. “We have heard the CD and are contemplating if as per law we can forward it to the Vigilance Bureau for probing the bribery angle,” said Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill. “However, if a complaint is received or the Vigilance Bureau wants to probe the matter, as it concerns corruption in a government department, we will extend our support,” he said, adding that the matter is also under the notice of the Municipal Corporation Commissioner. MC Commissioner Gurlovleen Singh said he is yet to get a formal complaint in this regard but would take strict action against any officer who was found involved in a corruption case. “Let the police approach me first,” he said. In the CD, Walia is allegedly trying to persuade an elderly woman to ask the former Mayor to return his money that he had paid to get a clearance for his hotel on the Sirhind road. The woman and Walia, in a 10-minute recording, talk about an SDO whom they say was trying to create a rift and that the "sum would soon be returned". Vigilance Bureau SSP Pritam Singh said as of now, the Patiala police was probing the case pertaining to the brawl at the former Mayor’s house. “However, if we get a complaint or the matter is passed to us, we will surely conduct a probe against anyone in the MC who accepted bribes to let illegal buildings run in the city,” he said.
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State to launch GK project in govt schools from
Sangrur, April 14 The project is a brainchild of Devi Dayal, a teacher at Government High School, Benra in Dhuri. Director General School Education (DGSE), Punjab, Kahan Singh Pannu today said the project had been started by the said teacher at Government High School, Benra, in September last which was later extended to 45 schools of the district during the previous academic session. After Udaan got encouraging results, it was decided to launch it as a state government project in all government schools of the state from July 1, he added. The first annual examination of Udaan was conducted at eight examination centres of the district on February 24. The project would be implemented in the state schools so that students could get general knowledge about current national and international issues for preparing themselves for competitive examinations after passing Class X and XII examination, the DGSE added. He said an expert syllabus committee formed by the state government would include general knowledge chapters in social studies and science textbooks. Regarding withdrawal of free education facility to girls from Class IX to Class XII, Pannu said free education to poor girl students would be continued. "For making amendments in the Right to Education Act (RTE), the Punjab Education Minister has written to the Centre," he said. Regarding non-supply of school text books to students of some classes, he said, "All students will get books by April 25." The project
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HC raps police for detaining man illegally
Chandigarh, April 14 The reprimand by the Punjab and Haryana High Court comes at a time when the style of functioning of the Punjab Police has come under severe criticism even by the Supreme Court. Only about a fortnight ago, the police was slammed by the Supreme Court in the Tarn Taran incident, in which two constables were caught on camera brutally thrashing a young woman. Mincing no words to say a person would indeed feel “frustrated” if taken in custody by the police in as serious an offence like a blind murder, the High Court in its latest judgment on the issue also cautioned an Inspector to act in accordance with the law in future. The warning came on a petition filed by Chhedi Yadav against the State of Punjab. As the petition came up for hearing, the State in its reply said the FIR was registered on March 1; and Inspector Vinod Kumar had visited the murder spot on March 3. The reply added the petitioner’s brother was running a cigarette vend near the place of occurrence. As such, he was called to join investigation and thereafter was let off. The State added a telegram sent to the High Court in this regard was out of frustration. “Of course, the person will be frustrated, when he is taken in custody by the police in as serious offence like blind murder. The liberty of the petitioner as a citizen is of prime importance. If anyone is needed for investigation, the police has to follow the course of the law. “The proper course would have been to summon the petitioner by serving notice under Section 160 CrPC. Picking up a person like this, is totally uncalled for and would be violating the right of life and liberty of the individual. Inspector Vinod Kumar is cautioned to act in accordance with the law in future”. Before parting with the case, the High Court added the petition was being disposed of, since the detainee was no more in custody.
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House tax assessment
Chandigarh, April 14 Justice GS Sandhawalia quashed the notice dated December 19, 1988. An assessment order and demand subsequently raised by the committee on January 19, 1989, were also quashed. At the same time, Justice Sandhawalia gave the municipal committee the liberty to assess “the house tax in accordance with law”. The board had earlier sought the quashing orders/notices issued by the respondents in December 1988 asking it to file objections against the proposed assessment on annual rental value of a property situated within Kharar municipal limits. Subsequent assessment in January 1989 by an executive officer, followed by demand for subsequent year 1990-91, along with the arrears, were also sought to be quashed. Board’s counsel ML Sarin told the court that the Board’s office sub-yard, situated in Khanpur village adjoining Kharar town, was constructed in 1977. Since then, notice regarding construction or for payment of house tax was never issued. Sarin added the petitioners - Board - made provisions for sewerage, water supply, streets, street lights and roads. The respondents MC did not spend even a single penny for providing amenities or for its maintenance. He added the municipal committee imposed house tax on property within its limits. The assessment lists were prepared long back, and the petitioners were not asked to pay the tax. But notice dated December 19, 1988, was received from the committee office. It said the Board’s complex fell within the municipal committee ward number five. The property’s rental value was assessed at Rs 2, 00,000 and the tax was assessed at Rs 30,000. Sarin submitted the impugned orders were liable to be quashed on the ground that the notice calling for objections had been sent by the Executive Officer, while under the provisions of relevant Acts, a sub-committee had to be constituted. The assessment could only have been done by the sub-committee. As such, the demand was totally illegal. Justice Sandhawalia asserted: “There is merit in the submissions made by counsel for the petitioner…. The order passed by him in the absence of the constitution of the committee was without jurisdiction at that point of time.
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Newlywed woman goes missing, in-laws booked
Amritsar, April 14 Her belongings, including a dupatta and footwear, were found near the Beas River bridge. Her family members alleged she might have committed suicide as she had been tortured by her in-laws. Though the body is yet to be traced, the Beas police has registered a case on the statement of the victim’s brother Amarjit Singh. The woman’s mother Piar Kaur, a resident of Noorpur Lubana village in Kapurthala, alleged her daughter’s husband Lakhwinder Singh of Budha Theh village was having illicit relations with his sister-in-law. They used to torture Kulwant for dowry, she alleged. She said the police had registered a case only after her family and villagers held a protest outside the Beas police station. Harkrishan Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), said following a statement of the woman’s brother, the police had booked Lakhwinder Singh and his two sisters-in-law, Raj Kaur and Gurinder Kaur. No arrest had been made so far, he added.
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House burgled in Ropar
Ropar, April 14 The house owner said when they reached home around 9 pm, they found that the house was ransacked and jewellery, including eight gold rings, a camera and cash worth Rs 70,000 was missing. A case has been registered.
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Woman held for killing spouse, mother-in-law with lover’s aid
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 14 They have been booked under Sections 302, 201 and 34 of the IPC. The police said Paramjit had got her husband and mother-in-law murdered to continue illicit relations with Bahadur and to get her husband’s land and money. Addressing mediapersons here today, SSP HS Mann said that on January 30, 2011, Gurdev Kaur was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Nalina Kalan village under mysterious circumstances. He said on July 10 of the same year, her son Gurjant Singh was also found dead under similar conditions. The SSP said while the police was trying to trace the murders, Kulwant Singh, a resident of Nalina Kalan, informed them that Paramjit was responsible for her husband's and her mother-in-law’s murder. Kulwant stated that she had illicit relations with Bahadur, a resident of Rorewal village near Nabha, who helped her in committing the crime. The SSP said during the interrogation, Bahadur confessed that he wanted to marry Paramjit but her parents got her married to Gurjant. Bahadur said he continued to visit her after marriage but when her mother-in-law started objecting to his visit, they planned to kill her. The SSP said Paramjit gave milk laced with sleeping pills to her mother-in-law and then suffocated her with a quilt. In a similar fashion, Bahadur helped her kill her husband after offering him a cold drink with sleeping pills. The SSP said after the death of Gurjant, Paramjit got half of the land registered in her name and half of it registered in her son’s name. She also withdrew Rs 8.5 lakh from her husband’s bank account.
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Expressing apprehensions of large-scale rigging in the upcoming panchayat elections, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee
(PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa said the Congress would file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for seeking e-filing of nomination papers and counting of votes at a common centre in each district.
Badal (Muktsar), April 14
The state police has launched a drive to check violation of norms by vehicles flaunting vanity numbers.
Perturbed by recent crime cases involving vehicles with vanity numbers, some of them against police officers, the police has launched the campaign in certain districts to check the movement of such vehicles and to ensure that their registration documents are verified on the spot.
In a statement here, senior leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said the
SAD-BJP Government had termed Bhullar as a “hardcore and an experienced criminal” while defending state police chief Sumedh Singh Saini in a case in the Supreme Court in 2009.
“If they want to lodge protests they may continue, but the government can’t do much,” said Sukhbir when questioned on the issue. 
