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Police to shut case
Timber smuggling goes on unabated in Muktsar, Moga & Faridkot
Woman, paramour end lives
Punjab yarn dealers face scrutiny
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Copies of FIRs on official websites soon
‘Spirit-13’ draws huge crowd
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Police to shut case
Faridkot, May 19 After a century-old painting of Maharaja Balbir Singh of Faridkot estate went missing some time back, an unsavoury controversy was created. A retired senior judicial official in Faridkot was accused of stealing this hand-coloured painting and selling it off for over Rs 35 lakh in the antique art market at London. On September 17, 2012, following a complaint by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), the Faridkot police had registered a case under Section 378 of the IPC (committing theft) against unknown persons. In the FIR, the CJM alleged that the painting went missing from Lal Kothi, an official building, belonging to the erstwhile Faridkot estate but presently being used for the accommodation of judicial officials in Faridkot. The painting was prepared in 1895, 11 years before the death of Maharaja Balbir Singh. After this painting went missing, a senior judicial officer was in the eye of a storm. It is alleged that the part of Lal Kothi where this painting was installed, was in the possession of this judicial officer during his tenure in Faridkot. However, now the police has decided to move a cancellation report in the FIR. Narinder Singh, SHO, Faridkot, said after over 10 months of police inquiry in the case, no progress could be made. Earlier, the accused judicial officer had approached the Director (Antiquities), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi, to seek information about the historical importance and antique value of the ‘stolen’ painting. He had even approached the High Court, demanding that no legal action be taken against him without hearing his version. On September 17, 2012, in the FIR registered with Faridkot police, no accused was named for stealing the painting. But the judge in the dock was facing trouble as he was not being released his retirement benefits. After the official approached the High Court, demanding the release of his retirement benefits, on March 19, 2013, the HC declined him the benefits till the completion of the inquiry in the FIR. The court directed the police to complete the inquiry expeditiously. Senior Superintendent of Police, Faridkot, GS Randhwan said the police inquiry in the case had failed to nail any accused so far. Fact file
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Timber smuggling goes on unabated in Muktsar, Moga & Faridkot
Muktsar, May 19 The records show that 166 people were booked by the Forest Department in 138 cases registered against them for this illegal act. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sanjay Bansal who looks after the three districts, said, “The trees are axed at night, especially during winter, as it is not possible for forest guards to keep an eye over such a huge area in the dark.” He added, “Still, we have recovered a compensation of nearly Rs 7.54 lakh against these thefts.” The DFO said after getting the information regarding theft, the forest guards visit the site and record the statements of the people living in the area to register a damage report under Section 68 of the Indian Forest Act. Bansal said the divisional office was about to get more field staff, which would help in curbing such incidents. Asked whether the department’s own officials had a role behind such a large number of thefts, Bansal said, “So far, we have not found any official of the department involved in timber theft.” However, sources in the CID said some junior officials of the department were involved in this illegal practice and were allowing the thieves to axe and smuggle trees and go scot-free. |
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Woman, paramour end lives
Fazilka, April 19 Some passersby spotted the couple lying unconscious along the highway. Harjinder Singh, a resident of village Bagheke Hithar in Jalalabad sub-division was found dead while Nisha was shifted to the Civil Hospital in a critical condition where she died after some time. Investigating Officer Puran Singh, while narrating the incident, said Jangir Singh and his nephew Harjinder Singh were working in an orchestra team and Nisha was also a part of it. She was married to Jangir Singh. They were blessed with a daughter about two years back. But Jangir Singh reportedly committed suicide four months ago under mysterious circumstances. In the mean time, Harjinder Singh also got married and had a daughter. After the death of her husband Jangir Singh, Nisha reportedly came closer to Harjinder Singh, the nephew of her husband Jangir Singh. But surprisingly, they committed suicide by consuming pesticides today. “The cause of the suicide could not be ascertained so far,” said Puran Singh. He added that an empty bottle of the pesticide ‘Monocrotophos’ was recovered from the site of the incident. |
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Punjab yarn dealers face scrutiny
Patiala, May 19 Punjab Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma has asked department officials to check records of all the yarn dealers, especially in Ludhiana. The matter came to light a few days ago when the department conducted an inspection in some firms in Ludhiana. "After availing tax exemption while importing yarn, which is meant to be converted into cloth and then sold as a tax-free item, several dealers misused the exemption and supplied the yarn in the market," a said senior official. Department officials said Anurag Verma has written to the police to register an FIR against Ankit Malhotra, the owner of Balaji Sales Corporation, Ludhiana, for filing a wrong undertaking and affidavit with the department for obtaining exemption from the payment of entry tax. The department wants the police to hold a probe into the matter to ascertain the role of others involved in the illegal trade. Verma said the said firm obtained exemption from the payment of entry tax on yarn imported by him by giving a false undertaking. "In the garb of the said exemption, the dealer imported about Rs 6 crore worth of yarn and did not pay any tax on it on the plea that he would convert the yarn into cloth and sell the same as a tax-free item," he said. However, during an inspection, the departmental officials found that the dealer did not even have machinery to manufacture cloth. "It was found that the dealer has managed to evade tax worth more than Rs 30 lakh," Verma said. Apprehending similar malpractice by other dealers, Verma has issued directions to his officers to scrutinise records of all the yarn dealers who had obtained exemption from the payment of entry tax. |
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Copies of FIRs on official websites soon
Chandigarh, May 19 As the petition filed by advocate Ajay Jagga came up for hearing, the Chandigarh Administration even made it clear that the copies would be uploaded on the website from June 1. During the course of hearing, the Haryana Government claimed that loading the FIRs on the net was not free from problem. Punjab too claimed difficulty in the process by expressing apprehension that defamation proceedings could be initiated in case the FIR was quashed. The Bench, however, refused to accept the contentions by asserting that the accused were being forced to even approach courts for copies of the FIR. Jagga had also sought directions for providing the copies of the FIRs to the accused on an application moved to the police station or the trial court concerned. — TNS
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Abohar, May 19 The participants dwelled on how much human cloning is beneficial for the cause of humanity, whether Star Trek technology is achievable and will artificial intelligence ever catch up with human intelligence. —
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