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Eying revenue, Cabinet bets on online lottery
Mayors, ZP heads to be under Lokpal
Recovery suit against Badal withdrawn
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Gherao of Maluka’s residence today
Patiala district tops in online payments
27 resolutions against liquor vends rejected in Sangrur
Divisional Forest Officer challaned for
breaking traffic rules
Don’t transplant paddy before June 10, farmers told
Left leader Lyallpuri passes away
Twelve vehicles seized in Patiala
Three yrs on, High Court quashes FIR in rape case
Sukhraj Murder Case
Councillor’s death: HC issues notice to CBI
Missing files probe: HC pulls up Under Secy
4 cops booked in Amritsar gambling case
Bank robbery accused held
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Eying revenue, Cabinet bets on online lottery
Chandigarh, May 28 The online lottery system was initiated in the state in 2002 but was discontinued after a few years. Now it is set to start again with a few cosmetic changes. Sources said under the new system, the results would be released in four digits. While three digits would be the same, the final digit would count when prizes were given, they said. This is the same as the single-digit lottery system, which has been criticised and even banned in some states for ruining thousands of people, said Lokesh Arora, a lottery agent of Rajpura who at one time operated 108 computers to run online lotteries. An official release said the Cabinet had approved the online lottery system to increase the revenue of the state. It said the system would be organised, conducted, operated and regulated under the provisions of the Lottery Regulation Act, 1998 and the Punjab State Lotteries Rules, 1998. The new system is envisaged to offer lottery games played through a network of computer terminals as approved by the government. The terminals will be installed at retail locations and will be connected to a data hub at a central headquarter. For this purpose, the government will appoint a distributor to design, procure, install, operate and maintain the system. The selection of the distributor will be done through tenders and a monitoring committee. Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said the online lottery system had been banned during the Congress regime in the state considering its social implications. He said past experience had proven that retailers approved by the state government for online lottery ran parallel “satta” centres. He claimed that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was promoting gambling and trying to bring casino culture to the state by earmarking a piece of land near
Ludhiana. Nod to draft bill for enacting horse race Act The Punjab Cabinet also approved the draft bill for the enactment of the Punjab Horse Race (Regulation and Management) Act, 2013. The decision will provide for setting up, management and operation of race courses, betting activities and also for licensing, regulation, control and management of horse races on race courses and maintaining and keeping of horses at race courses. Sarabjit’s daughter appointed Naib Tehsildar The Cabinet today cleared the appointment of Swapandeep Kaur, the daughter of Sarabjit Singh, who was killed in a Pakistan jail, as Naib Tehsildar. It also cleared the appointment of Manjit Kaur, wife of late Surjit Singh of Daultpur Neewan village in Moga, in group ‘D’ category on compassionate grounds. All the 11 family members of Manjit had died in a road accident near Moga in May 2012. Ministers contribute for Jang-e-Azadi Memorial The Council of Ministers decided to contribute 10% of their discretionary funds placed at their disposal towards the creation of corpus fund for the construction of Jang-e-Azadi Memorial. The monument has been planned to showcase the exemplary valor displayed by the countless freedom fighters, patriots and martyrs from Punjab during the Indian independence movement.
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Mayors, ZP heads to be under Lokpal Chandigarh, May 28 The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. It would enable the Lokpal to look into the complaints of corruption and maladministration against the functionaries of local bodies (both elected and officials). It also approved reviving 16 posts in the office of Lokpal. The Cabinet reviewed the availability of sand and construction material and whether the auction of more mines had to be expedited. As a price regulatory measure, it decided that a few mines would be operated by the Industry Department so that the material could be made available at affordable rates. It constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary for regularly monitoring the situation. Other decisions:
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Recovery suit against Badal withdrawn
Chandigarh, May 28 Former Additional Director, Information and Public Relations Department, Jagdip Singh Chowhan, who had filed the recovery suit, appeared in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Rajnish Kumar Sharma and recorded his statements in which he stated he did not want to pursue the case. Counsel for Badals SK Chabra was also present in the court. On May 1, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed the proceedings of the case in Chandigarh district courts. The stay orders were passed by Justice Nawab Singh while taking up a petition by Badal. In his petition, Badal had sought stay on the March 13 orders passed by the district court, declining permission to record evidence at a place of his choice. The CJM court had rather directed Badal to appear in person before the district court to record his evidence in the case. Chowhan had filed a recovery suit of Rs 82,032 on November 21, 2001, alleging that during the fag end of 1997, he was forced by Badal to actively undertake a publicity campaign in favour of Sukhbir Badal, who was contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Faridkot in February 1998. The notice cited an amount of Rs 24,82,490 recoverable from the Badals. Chowhan alleged that he had spent Rs 1,50,458 from his own pocket for media coverage with the hope that Badal would return it. He had sought that a decree for the recovery of Rs 82,032 be passed in his favour with costs and an interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum. While talking to mediapersons, Chowhan denied having entered into a compromise.
Case file
ZP members felicitates
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday honoured 299 newly elected zila parishad members at a function organised by the ruling alliance in Chandigarh.
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Money involved in books scam staggering
Chandigarh, May 28 “Hit-updesh dian kahanian” was sold by the firm at Rs 160 in the market and at Rs 270 to the Education Department. “Naani Maa dian baatan” sold at Rs 150 in the market was given to schools at Rs 250. The process for selecting a firm for providing geography maps to students (Classes VI to X) lacked transparency. With each map priced between Rs 35 and Rs 75 and the estimated strength of students being 15 lakh, one can well imagine the huge finances involved. In fact, numbers say it all. There are 36 lakh students in approximately 19,550 government schools in the state. Supplying them maps or books means a mammoth business. Besides a sum of Rs 9.28 crore sanctioned under the Sarv Siksha Abhiyan for the purchase of library books for primary schoolchildren, several more crores are involved in the purchase of practical copies and maps from selected contractors. What is intriguing is that a pipe manufacturer, who registered himself as a printer a day before the tendering process, was allotted the task of supplying library books. Questions are being raised on the pricing of the books, particularly when cheaper ones are available in the market. Further, a sum of more than Rs 7 crore would have been spent on 754 science kits, supplied by five Ambala-based companies, if the department had not issued orders, stopping the schools from picking up the kits. The fact that names of Sarv Sikhya Abhiyaan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan (RMSA) schemes were not mentioned in the advertisements published in small regional papers has raised many an eyebrow. A Gurdaspur school principal said: “If the practical copies had paper quality or even additional academic inputs, we may have thought of asking our students to buy these. But the copies were substandard and full of errors.” A senior Education Department official said: “ Without resorting to a blame game, the department can at least set a mechanism in place to streamline all purchases in future. It is important to identify all lacuna and plug these.”
Protests in Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib
Sangrur: Congress workers, led by former legislator Surinderpal Singh Sibia, burnt the effigy of Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka here on Tuesday. They demanded his removal from the Cabinet to ensure a free and fair inquiry into the book scams in the Education Department. Sibia said the minister should submit his resignation on moral grounds. In Fatehgarh Sahib, Congress workers led by Congress MLA Kuljeet Singh Nagra and Harinder Singh Bhambhri, DCC chief, blocked traffic on the Sirhind-Chandigarh road, demanding the resignation of the Education Minister. They burnt an effigy of the minister. They alleged that most of the ministers were indulging in corrupt practices.
— TNS
DPI orders send teachers in a tizzy
Mohali: The order of the DPI (Secondary) Kamal Garg to all schools to set up sub-committees to study the controversial books and submit suggestions by May 30, has had the teachers on their toes. “It is not possible to examine a set of 55 books in two days,” complained teachers of a local school. They said the task required at least a month. The DPI' order says that every school must form a panel comprising the schools head, a senior teacher and a language teacher, to examine the books. Terming the order as "strange", another teacher said as the Punjab Government had already marked an inquiry by a retired judge, the school reports on the matter would be a meaningless exercise. — Akash Ghai
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Gherao of Maluka’s residence today
Congress vice-presidents Charanjit Singh Channi, Tarlochan Singh Soond, Gurpreet Singh Kangar and OP Soni, in a statement, urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to act against “corrupt” ministers. They said Badal had turned a deaf ear to corruption charges against his ministerial colleagues, be it Gulzar Singh Ranike or Maluka. The PPCC vice-presidents said that the inquiry into the books scam ordered by Chief Minister was a travesty of justice as Justice (retd) AK Jindal had close ties with the Chief Minister. They demanded an inquiry by the CBI or a sitting High Court judge. — TNS
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Rakhra: Minister’s daughter-in-law to be repatriated in a week
Chandigarh, May 28 Parampal Kaur, on deputation with the Education Department, was appointed Additional Project Director, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), a post earlier held by a PCS officer, in 2012 after Maluka took over the Education Ministry. She was responsible for distribution of SSA funds received from the Centre. During 2012-13, a sum of more than Rs 750 crore was distributed in the state. When questioned on the issue, Rakhra said he had decided to call for Parampal's repatriation. He said a formal order would be issued soon. Parampal Kaur was working as a Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) before being sent on deputation to the Education Department. Earlier in the day, asked if Parampal would be divested of financial powers, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had said that he would discuss the issue with the Education Minister. Maluka is on a slippery wicket on the issue. His daughter-in-law's appointment as Additional State Project Director, SSA, was done in an arbitrary manner. No opportunity was given to others to apply for the post. The appointment was made on the basis of a simple application.
Not quite right
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Rajindra hospital distributes expired medicines to wards
Patiala, May 28 Thousands of life-saving drugs and other medicines that are about to expire in a month’s time, are lying unused in the hospital stores. Sources said the hospital had recently purchased medicines worth Rs 50 lakh while a large quantity of medicines had been lying unused in the hospital store for long. “The authorities now want to pass the buck to the lower staff,” said a source. Sources said the hospital authorities had disbursed these medicines on their own without the staff nurses putting forth any demand for these medicines. There are over 40 such medicines that mainly include 613 injections of hydro-cortisone, which expire on May 31, in addition to 1,000 dexamethasone injections that expire in June. As many as 1,000 Dericyclin injections will expire in June and 1,800 diclofenac injections will expire this month. Independent investigations by The Tribune revealed that these stocked medicines nearing expiry date are available at only 10-20 per cent of their MRP in the open market. Chemists too want to get rid of this stock. As per the set procedure, the staff nurse presents a demand note that is verified by the Deputy Medical Superintendent of the hospital. However, for the stock issued recently, the staff nurses had not sent any demand. Sources confirmed that the demand note was put forward by the store in-charge and it was countersigned by a clerk and the Medical Superintendent of the hospital. In this regard, Dr VK Sharda, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said, “Ward number 1 has been closed for the past few months for renovations and it was the staff nurse that had been storing the entire stock for the past several months. She did this to defame me and the hospital and I would take suitable action against her.” Refuting the allegations, the sister in-charge said in order to save his skin, the Medical Superintendent was targeting her. “He is putting pressure on me to take the responsibility or else he would suspend me. I have no role to play in this. Each and every medicine is sanctioned by him,” she said. When asked as to why she had not signed the medicine order, Dr Harshinder Kaur, Deputy Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said, “Earlier, it was my job to sign the indent books, but a few months ago, Dr Sharda had taken this charge from me. I have brought this to the notice of senior functionaries.”
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Patiala district tops in online payments
Patiala, May 28 With a release of Rs 228 crore to various persons and firms, Patiala district has emerged topper in online payments, leaving behind other big districts of the state. The computerisation of all treasury offices across Punjab (that ensures all government payments online) proved a success with Patiala bagging the top position to disburse more than Rs 228 crore to 78,961 beneficiaries in a little over a month. Executed under the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), the plan (till May 20) saw Amritsar coming at second position with a disbursal of Rs 180 crore, Jalandhar at third (Rs 178.28 crore) and Ludhiana fourth (Rs 174.50 crore). The system will also prove beneficial from the security point of view as earlier, moving money from one bank to the other used to cost a lot and ample security persons had to be deployed for physical movement of the currency. “This online system will help us concentrate on other works,” said a senior police officer.
Funds released
Patiala: Rs 228 crore Amritsar: Rs 180 crore Jalandhar: Rs 178 crore Ludhiana: Rs 174 crore
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27 resolutions against liquor vends rejected in Sangrur
Sangrur, May 28 In Sangrur district alone, the government had auctioned 654 liquor vends for 2012-13, while it had auctioned 719 of these for 2013-14. It shows that 65 more liquor vends have been opened in Sangrur district in 2013-14. A total of 43 village panchayats in Sangrur district had passed resolutions against the opening of liquor vends in their villages during 2013-14, of which 27 resolutions were rejected by the excise authorities. It is also a matter of concern for NGOs that government rejects
panchayats’ resolutions on the ground that someone has been arrested from their village with many liquor bottles while allowing an annual quota of thousands of bottles to the liquor vends in the same village. President of the Scientific Awareness and Social Welfare Forum AS Mann said the annual liquor quota of 40,000 bottles had been allotted to the liquor vends of Kanjhla village. Likewise, the annual quota of 35,000 bottles in Ladda village, 29,000 bottles in Hathan village, 25,000 bottles in Katron village and 20,000 bottles in Ghabdan village had been allotted.
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Divisional Forest Officer challaned for
breaking traffic rules
Patiala, May 28 Police officials said the official Bolero vehicle allotted to Satinder
Sagar, Patiala Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), was challaned near his official residence, late Monday evening, when the driver of the vehicle could not show registration papers of the vehicle, his driving licence and papers for using the blue light atop the vehicle, at a police check point. Sources in the police said that the DFO made a request to Patiala SP (Traffic) BS Dhillon to not challan him but it was turned down. “We impounded the vehicle from near Thapar University and it was released today morning,” Dhillon said. Sagar confirmed that he was
challaned, claiming that his vehicle had photocopies of original documents.
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Don’t transplant paddy before June 10, farmers told
Jalandhar, May 28 Due to over-exploitation, the water table has already fallen to an alarming level in 110 of the total 138 agricultural blocks in Punjab. Of them, the situation in four blocks is critical whereas in two blocks is it semi-critical.
— TNS
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Left leader Lyallpuri passes away
After completing his law in 1936, Lyallpuri joined the communist movement and spearheaded several movements for the peasantry. In the course of his fight, he was put in jail several times from 1942 to 1951. He was living here with his son Dr Navdeep Singh Khaira, a nephrologist. His last rites are likely to be performed on Saturday after the return of his two other sons from abroad.
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Twelve vehicles seized in Patiala
Patiala, May 28 "The mining mafia got a tip-off and fled from the scene when we reached the spot, leaving behind their trucks and a JCB machine," said Daljit Virk, SHO Sadar, Samana.
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Three yrs on, High Court quashes FIR in rape case
Chandigarh, May 28 Three years after the incident, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has come to his rescue. In a one-of-its-kind order, the High Court has quashed the FIR registered against the would-be groom on the basis of a compromise. The development is significant as FIRs in rape cases are rarely quashed. Subegh Singh was booked by the police on March 23, 2010, after a case was registered at the Amritsar (Sadar) police station. His counsel had contended that the case of the complainant, as per the FIR itself, was that the petitioner had taken away his daughter to solemnise marriage. But before he could do so, they were apprehended. He added now with the intervention of relatives and friends, the parties have amicably settled their dispute. Taking up Subegh Singh’s petition against the State of Punjab and other respondents, Justice Sabina asserted: “In the present case, the FIR in question was registered under Sections 376 (rape) and 366 (kidnapping) of the IPC. In normal circumstances, it would not be appropriate to quash the FIR registered under Section 376 as the offence can be said to be against the society as a whole. “Keeping in view the peculiar facts and circumstances of the present case, it would be just and expedient to quash the FIR in question, as continuation of the same would not serve any useful purpose. Accordingly, this petition is allowed”.
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Sukhraj Murder Case
Chandigarh, May 28 In his petition filed through counsel GBS Dhillon, the victim’s father Daljit Singh asserted that the pressure of the ruling party could be seen from the fact that three of the accused were openly moving around in the area and threatening the petitioner with dire consequences. The police, instead of arresting the accused, was “hand in glove with them under Kairon’s pressure". “It is worthwhile to mention that the MLA is openly supporting the accused and is interfering in the investigation and directing the police not to arrest them,” he said. An FIR in the matter was registered on May 8 for murder and other offences under Sections 302, 307, 148 and 149 of the IPC, besides Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, at Patti police station in Tarn Taran district. Taking up the petition this morning, Justice Ajay Tewari issued notice of motion to the Punjab Government. The case will now come up on July 10 for further hearing. Adding a twist to the controversy, the petitioner said Sukhraj Singh was forced by ASI Harsha Singh to deposit his licensed gun on May 7, a day prior to his murder. This was despite the fact that the victim was contesting the block samiti election and had also informed the ASI that his life was in danger. “The ASI did not pay heed to his request, which shows the connivance of the police with the accused, who belongs to the ruling party”.
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Councillor’s death: HC issues notice to CBI
Chandigarh, May 28 It came on a petition filed by his mother Satinder Kaur Bhullar of Batala through counsel Ramdeep Partap Singh. In her petition, she has sought recommendation of criminal and departmental action against jail officials responsible for the loss of her son’s life. A compensation of Rs 25 lakhs has also been sought, as “the jail authorities prima facie failed to protect the life and liberty of the petitioner’s son”. Ramdeep Partap Singh asserted that Bhullar was lodged in the Gurdaspur jail in connection with an FIR registered on September 9, 2011, for murder and other offences under Sections 302, 379, 148, 149 of the IPC. Five others including his brother Yadvinder Singh, was booked in the case. He was subsequently declared a proclaimed offender in the case. The case pertains to the high-profile murder of Canadian NRI Gurinder Singh Gill outside the court premises in broad daylight . After Bhullar’s death, the Jail Superintendent sent a letter to the Gurdaspur District Magistrate regarding an inquiry into the incident. Quoting the Jail Superintendent on Bhullar’s death, the counsel contended that on February 6 at about 8.30 am, the victim suddenly fell ill. Acting on the jail medical officer’s advice, he was taken to the Gurdaspur Civil Hospital for emergency treatment where he died. He contended that the postmortem report suggested Bhullar was well-built and well-nourished. The doctor concerned was of the opinion that the cause of death would surface and declared after receiving the chemical examination report. Till date, the investigation into the death had not progressed in spite of repeated representations. Expressing apprehensions that the probe would be biased, he said the jail officials were senior functionaries in the police department and would definitely interfere with the investigation report. Before parting with the case, he said the petitioner, an old widow, was running from pillar to post for a fair investigation into her son’s death and had made a number of representations to the higher officials but without success. About the case
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Missing files probe: HC pulls up Under Secy
Chandigarh, May 28 In pursuance to the directions issued on April 30 by Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, investigation officer (IO) of the Chandigarh Police, DSP Ashish Kapoor, submitted a short status report in response to the PIL filed by advocate HC Arora. The PIL has been filed for a CBI probe into missing files of Punjab IAS and PCS officers. In his status report, Kapoor stated that he had sent a letter on May 10 to Ravi Kiran for some information. Despite a reminder on May 27, the reply was not sent. He added that senior assistants Harjeet Singh in PCS branch and Ajay Kumar in IAS branch made a statement before the IO that they had sent 21 and 14 files to Under Secretary Yog Raj Sharma for further orders. But Yog Raj Sharma did not pay heed to their request to clear the files. The IO has taken the movement registers into custody, but the documents do not bear the signatures of recipients. Deputy Secretary Personnel Som Nath stated that the files used to come directly to the Under Secretary as per procedure. Taking note of the assertion, the Bench directed Ravi Kiran to immediately reply to the queries, failing which she would come present on July 5. The HC also asked the IO to write directly to Secretary Personnel for getting the requisite information. Yog Raj Sharma, in a separate reply, claimed he was being made a sacrificial lamb. He has contended that the IAS and PCS officers concerned should have been impleaded as respondents, as they were interested to cause loss of these files.
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4 cops booked in Amritsar gambling case
Amritsar, May 28 The development came a day before hearing in the case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court which had asked the police to inform about the action taken by it and submit the investigation report. The policemen have been booked on charges of extortion and a case under Sections 384, 506 and 34 of the IPC has been registered at the Sadar police station. Those booked include Jagbir Singh, the then SHO of Gate Hakima police chowki, his gunman Shamsher Singh, Jasvir Singh, reader of the then ACP (central) Jaswant Singh and Suba Singh, a gunman of the ACP. In October 2011, a police party, headed by Jagbir Singh, raided Shalimar Resort. Initially, it was said the police had seized nearly Rs 80 lakh and apprehended about 180 couples allegedly involved in gambling. Later, the police registered a case against 45 persons and claimed that only Rs 9 lakh was seized. After the incident was highlighted by the media, the state government suspended the then ADCP (crime) Bahadur Singh, ACP (central) Jaswant Singh, Inspector Jagbir Singh, ASIs Rajwinder Kaur and Gurvinder Singh and three head constables. The Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), an NGO, moved the High Court in October 2012, alleging inaction in the case. The Principal Secretary (Home) then entrusted the investigation to SS Chauhan, IG (crime), which indicted the accused policemen and submitted a report to the government in December 2012. The Home Department forwarded the report to the DGP, who further passed the report to city police commissioner Ram Singh in April. The city police formed a SIT, headed by ADCP city-II, Amrik Singh Pawar, to investigate the case. The development did not go down well with the PHRO which said the constitution of another SIT did not hold ground. Pawar said a case had been registered on the basis of a probe conducted by IG Chauhan. He said the IG had recommended departmental action against senior police officials (the then ADCP and ACP) for their negligent supervision during the raid. Meanwhile, Sarabjit Singh, Principal investigator, PHRO, expressed dissatisfaction with the case alleging even witnesses in the case had been named in the FIR.
the case
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Bank robbery accused held
Bathinda, May 28 IG, Bathinda Zone, NS Dhillon and Muktsar SSP Surjeet Singh said Rs 33.5 lakh and the rifle of the bank guard had been recovered from the accused, who had been identified as Balwinder Singh alias Binder, Harpreet Singh alias Happy, Kanwarbir Singh and Sukraj Singh. The police had also seized a country-made pistol, a revolver and a stolen car from their possession, he said.
— TNS
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Chandigarh, May 28
Ludhiana, May 28