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New-look Amritsar by 2016: Sukhbir
No salaries yet, govt staff getting jittery
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Drainage Dept to take ISRO help to check waterlogging
Fearing cancer, Mukerian residents up in arms against thermal plant
CAG picks holes in state’s forest fund management
PIMS allowed to appoint new directors
Punjabi singer Preet Brar remanded to police custody
Minorities panel seeks report on Amloh attack
Spray insecticide sparingly to tackle bug attack: PAU
To keep safe, rape victim’s sister turns ‘boy’
Song CDs sent for forensic test in Honey Singh case
Regulatory body for state varsities soon: CM
Virk may be made acting SGPC chief
HC stays release of Bollywood film ‘Grand Masti’
Drug mafia funding elections, former DGP tells HC
HC pulls up Chief Secy, DGP for delay in compiling info
Gang busted, 8 held
4-year-old raped in Ludhiana
1 dead, 15 hurt
in road mishap
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New-look Amritsar by 2016: Sukhbir
Amritsar, September 10 The Deputy CM laid the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 25 crore, including a Rs 12.80 crore project in Katra Sant Singh area, a Rs 5 crore project on CC flooring in Katra Ahluwalia and a Rs 7.39 crore gateway project on the Amritsar-Jalandhar road. Addressing mediapersons later, he said: “Sidhu is like a younger brother to me. I don’t need to give any clarification regarding the development of Amritsar as the people can see for themselves how much development we’ve brought in.” Later, he went on to refute Sidhu’s charges. On the solid waste management project, he said the matter was in the court and the government had nothing to do with it. On the sports complex, he said they had earlier planned a stadium, but now the blueprint for an ultra-modern, multi-utility stadium had been prepared. On CCTV cameras, he said the government planned to install cameras worth Rs 100 crore and not Rs 4 crore as planned for the holy city earlier. He announced that Amritsar would be the first "safe city" in the state. He said as deeds spoke louder than words, development in the city would put an end to all "false" propaganda. Declaring that projects worth Rs 500 crore would be started in the city over the next couple of months, he said the entry points to the city would be beautified with the construction of dome-shaped gates. Denying that funds from the Amritsar Improvement Trust had been diverted to other towns, he claimed the Amritsar Municipal Corporation would be transformed into a cash-surplus body in the next two years. On swapping the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat with the BJP, he said: " We will think about it if the BJP approaches us in this regard." Sidhu: Not impressed Amritsar: Navjot Singh Sidhu shot back at the state government, saying “the Deputy CM came to the city after I raised a hue and cry. This only means what I had been saying was strue.” Countering the argument put forth by the Deputy CM that the solid waste management project had been delayed as it was stuck in a legal tangle, he said: “The court has stated on record that the Punjab Government is in the way of the project." He said since the Deputy CM had not spelled out the deadline for various projects in the city, "it is like a pie in the sky”. He said his sports complex project had been planned as a multi-sport facility and not a “simple stadium” as was being projected. He questioned as to why the city bus service had not been started yet despite the MC having funds. He said the magnetic pods project had been hanging fire for the past two years. "The people will only believe in the government's development claims when the projects materialise on the ground," he remarked. He said he was happy that the Deputy CM had announced various projects but would have been happier had he bothered to invite him on the occasion. Sidhu said he had campaigned vigorously for the ruling alliance during elections, but was now being cold-shouldered. Sidhus meet Antony Amritsar: Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, met Union Defence Minister AK Antony in New Delhi today to seek permission for construction in a residential area in the vicinity of the Vallah ammunition dump. Verka, Vallah and Rasulpur Kallar residents are facing great difficulties in reconstructing their houses. Also, many approved development works like construction of roads/streets and laying of sewerage have been hanging fire.The Defence Minister reportedly told the couple he would look into the matter. — TNS
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No salaries yet, govt staff getting jittery
Chandigarh, September 10 Of the total monthly salary bill of Rs 1,200 crore (besides Rs 500 crore as pension bill), the state is yet to release salaries amounting to Rs 250 crore. Those who have not received their salaries are mainly employees of the Education Department, some wings of the Irrigation Department, rural doctors and pharmacists and staff of government-aided schools. Sources said of the 3.15 lakh employees of the state government, almost 20,000 employees had not given salaries. Dr Aslam Pervez, state president of the Rural Medical Services Association, said around 3,600 employees of the Health Department, who get salaries through grant-in-aid given to the zila parishads, were not paid this month. Rural doctors, pharmacists, and Class IV employees of the department are yet to get their salaries for August as the government is yet to release grant-in-aid given to the zila parishads. “For us, this is a perennial problem. The government has failed to address our concerns. We have been demanding that our salary should be paid directly by the government,” he said. Meanwhile, employees of the Education Department, have decided to go on a war path. Harnek Singh Mavi, press secretary of the Government Teachers Union, said if they did not get their salaries by September 12, they would gherao all district treasury offices. Besides salaries, the government has also failed to release 8 per cent dearness allowance to its employees, due since January although the civil and police top brass have got the DA. The employees are also yet to get 30 per cent arrears of the Fifth Pay Commission. A senior official of the Finance Department told The Tribune that releasing salaries was an ongoing process. “The Deputy Chief Minister had yesterday clarified that we have never defaulted on the payment of salaries although these could get late by a day or so. The delay, if any, is mainly because of late receipt of salary bills from various departments,” he claimed. Facts belie claims Of the total monthly salary bill of Rs 1,200 crore, the state is yet to release Rs 250 crore Those not paid are mainly employees of the Education, Irrigation and Rural Health Departments and government-aided schools Education Department employees have decided to gherao district treasury offices The government has failed to release 8 per cent DA to its employees due since January The employees are yet to get pay commission arrears
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Drainage Dept to take ISRO help to check waterlogging
Muktsar, September 10 Sarvesh Kaushal, Principal Secretary (Irrigation), said: “We are taking topographic map sheets from ISRO to lay new drains. Though the exercise will be expensive, it will be helpful in ensuring natural flow of water in the drains.” He added: “When the drains were laid years ago, the area had sand dunes. The topography has since undergone a sea change. Now, a number of other factors will have to be kept in
mind.” Kaushal was here to chair the first meeting of a committee formed by the Chief Minister under the chairmanship of BS
Dhaliwal, technical adviser to the CM; Dr JS Samra, Chief Executive Officer, National Rain Fed Area Authority; and Rajesh Kumar, former chairman of the Central Water Commission. Dr
Samra, who visited few flood-affected villages today, said: “The major problem is the faulty drainage system and unwillingness of people to allow the natural flow of water through their
land.” Dhaliwal said: “Besides, carving out new drains, village ponds need to be cleaned regularly and water supply in canals should be stopped before the monsoon.” In the meeting, the officials also discussed to make causeways and sheet ways in waterlogged areas. A senior official of the Drainage Department highlighted the problem of staff shortage.
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Fearing cancer, Mukerian residents up in arms against thermal plant
Hoshiarpur, September 10 There has been simmering discontent against the government's proposal to set up a 1,320 MW thermal power plant in Hajipur ever since the visit of a team of experts of the Central Electricity Authority for site selection in June last year. Residents of over 25 villages have formed the Kisan Welfare Society to demand that the project be shifted to another site. The Punjab Government has constituted Punjab Thermal Generation Limited to give shape to the project. However, the process for acquiring 900 acres for the plant is yet to be started. Leaders of various political parties, including the Congress, the CPM and the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) have extended support to the Kisan Welfare Society. Congress leader Santosh Chaudhary, Hoshiarpur MP, on Sunday expressed solidarity with the agitating area residents. She accused the Punjab Government of misleading the public on the plant. Addressing a gathering, Chaudhary, who was accompanied by local Congress MLA Rajneesh Kumar Babbi, claimed that as per the Union Ministry records there was no proposal for such a plant in Mukerian. Officials of Punjab Thermal Generation Limited refused to speak on the matter. Talking to The Tribune, Sukhwinder Singh Rana, president of the Kisan Welfare Society, said the government’s move to acquire more than 1,000 acres of land for setting up the plant would render hundreds of residents in 25 villages landless. He feared that the plant would turn the area into a ‘cancer belt’, as had happened in Bathinda. Amajit Singh Dhadekatwal, PPP’s district youth chief, alleged that the state government had shown that the land to be acquired for the plant was barren whereas the truth was quite the opposite.The land was fertile and the yield high, he claimed. Sulakhan Singh Jaggi, state president of the Akhil Bhatia Kashatriya Mahasabha, Punjab, claimed that the proposed plant would lead to environmental degradation and endanger human lives. Darshan Singh Mattoo and Santokh Singh Dhanota, CPM leaders, claimed that the villagers in the area had opted crop diversification. "The setting up of the plant here will not only render them homeless and landless but will also negate diversification efforts," they said. Rising discontent The state government proposes to set up a 1,320 MW thermal power plant in Hajipur Area residents have been edgy ever since the visit of a team of experts for site selection in June last year Residents of over 25 villages have formed the Kisan Welfare Society to demand that the project be shifted The state govt has set up Punjab Thermal Generation Limited to give shape to the project But the process for acquiring 900 acres for the plant is yet to begin
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CAG picks holes in state’s forest fund management
Chandigarh, September 10 The total forest cover in Punjab is 1,76,400 hectare, amounting to 3.5 per cent of its total geographical area. The forest cover, according to the latest assessment by the Forest Survey of India had increased by 10,000 hectare. While the increase in forest cover over a two-year period may be welcome news for environmentalists, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in is report tabled in Parliament a few days ago has revealed that while about 2,190 hectare land was diverted for non-forestry purposes, non-forest land was received in lieu thereof was zero per cent. Further, the Punjab Government had framed a policy for purchase of non-forest land for compensatory plantation on behalf of the Forest Department through Punjab State Forest Development Corporation (PSFDC), which received Rs 51.59 crore from user agencies for purchase of non-forest land in lieu of land diverted for non-forestry use. PSFDC, however, incurred an expenditure of Rs 1.44 crore only on purchase of non-forest land, resulting in short utilisation of funds of which Rs 50.15 crore was not credited to the state’s Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and. Planning Authority (CAMPA) account. In Amritsar forest division, over 558 kanals of forest land was unauthorisedly occupied by private parties and was being used for non-forest purposes. CAG also revealed that Patiala forest division purchased materials valuing Rs 1.65 crore for construction of fences out of which materials worth only about Rs 56.40 lakh were used as the balance materials valuing Rs 1.1 crore were still lying unutilised. Hoshiarpur forest division spent Rs 35 lakh on the construction of a live hedge against the estimated cost of Rs 7 lakh, resulting not only in grossly excess expenditure, but also under achieving physical targets. In Ropar forest division, advance work of enrichment planting and rehabilitation of degraded forest of 575 hectares was done at a cost of Rs 56 lakh, but actual plantation was done only on 395 hectares, with the remaining 180 hectare was left unplanted. While CAMPA funds cannot be used for creating infrastructure at state forest headquarters or for ecotourism, test checks by CAG revealed that lakhs of rupees were spent on purchase of vehicles, etc by diversion of funds from other heads.
Shoddy utilisation of funds CAG revealed no non-forest land was bought in return for 2,190 hectare land diverted for non-forestry purposes PSFDC spent `1.44 crore only on purchase of non-forest land, not utilising Rs 50.15 crore of its funds In Amritsar forest division, over 558 kanals of forest land was unauthorisedly occupied by private parties In Patiala forest division, materials worth `1.1 crore had been lying unutilised In Ropar forest division, only 395 hectares of the 575 hectacres had been rehabilitated at a cost of `56 lakh
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PIMS allowed to appoint new directors
Patiala, September 10 The institute has been allowed to appoint seven new members as directors. This move will help the PIMS society to appoint members, most of them associated with a private hospital chain, who will pump in than Rs 100 crore into the institute. The Congress has demanded a CBI probe
into the matter. “At a meeting held on September 4, the Chief Minister in principle gave us the nod to get new members as directors. We hope to rope in over Rs 100 crore to run the PIMS,” a source said. A senior PIMS functionary said: “The governing body meeting presided over by the CM ignored violations by the Rakhra-led society and instead gave respite in the form of allowing seven new directors.” The PIMS was allotted to the Rakhra-headed society on a 99-years lease in the public, private partnership (PPP) mode. It is a 500-bed hospital and runs a medical college with 100 MBBS seats. “We are holding talks with two hospital groups but at this point of time, I cannot elaborate further,”said Rakhra. The rules of agreement signed with the government state it is mandatory for the PIMS society to construct a multi-storeyed accommodation for the hospital faculty, student hostels, at least a 500-bed hospital and a guest house for a minimum of 250 persons. Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal, one of the PIMS directors and Rakhra's younger brother, told The Tribune that the society was facing losses running into crores and with the CM giving the nod to new members as directors, "some money will be pumped in." Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira alleged that the SAD Government had ignored repeated violations by the society. “It is a deep-rooted conspiracy. A CBI probe should be ordered to determine the profit the society will make by handing over control to a private hospital chain.” About the institute The PIMS was allotted to the Rakhra-headed society on a 99-years lease in the public, private partnership (PPP) mode It is a 500-bed hospital and runs a medical college The college has 100 MBBS seats
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Punjabi singer Preet Brar remanded to police custody
Mohali, September 10 He was produced in the court after being examined at the local Civil Hospital. The singer, who is also an estate agent and has been fighting a cheating case and two-three other criminal cases, said he had recently packed up his shooting schedule at Kathmandu (Nepal) and was returning to Mohali to surrender. “I did not run away. I am innocent. I did not defraud anyone,” said Brar to the police. Brar, who was nabbed by Mumbai Police at Mumbai airport on Friday, was brought back by Mohali police today afternoon. Brar’s wife Kamaljit Kaur, a constable in Mohali police, and his 10-year-old daughter Gurllen Kaur was with him at the time of his arrest. Ajinder Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), City II, claimed during preliminary investigation, it had come to light that Brar had committed a fraud of over Rs 1 crore here. “A case under Section 406, 420 has been registered against the singer at Phase 8 police station on the complaint of Ramandeep Singh. Apart from that two or three more criminal cases have been registered against him at Kharar police stations,” said DSP Ajinder Singh. In his complaint, Ramandeep had alleged that Brar had taken Rs 51 lakh from him for a plot in Kharar. “But Preet Brar neither bought a plot for me nor did he return my money,” alleged the complainant who had filed an FIR in this regard on July 31, 2013. The Punjabi singer’s bail application has already been turned down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
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Minorities panel seeks report on Amloh attack
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 10 PSMC has also directed the district police to add section 295-A (injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the IPC in the assault case wherein members of the family that had been taking care of the community cremation ground for the past eight years. Members of the commission, led by Abdul Shakur Mangat and Albert Dua, visited the said site, where the family was attacked and thereafter, met the injured victims at the Civil Hospital there. Complainant Mohammad Rafiq of Aabad Bugga, Amloh, alleged that the 14 accused accompanied with 200 to 300 persons had tried to grab the crematorium land that belonged to a minority community. However, no arrests have been made so far.
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Spray insecticide sparingly to tackle bug attack: PAU
Ludhiana, September 10 Dr Balwinder Singh, Head of the Entomology Department, said, “Spray with 350 ml Sutathion 40 EC or 1 litre Coroban/Durmet/Force 20EC or 560 ml Monocil 36 SL using 100 litres of water per acre." Coragen 20 SC @ 60 ml/acre could also be sprayed using 100 litres of water on basmati rice, suggested Dr Singh. The PAU experts can be contacted on 0161-2401960/Ext (320).—TNS
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To keep safe, rape victim’s sister turns ‘boy’
Bhagta Bhai Ke (Bathinda), September 10 With fear writ large on her innocent face, the girl, whose braids have given way to a bun atop her head, discloses her plans for the future: “I will grow up as a baptised Sikh youth. I will then see who dares to touch me.” A Bathinda fast-track court had yesterday awarded life imprisonment to two of the seven accused in the rape case at Bhagta Bhai Ke village. The girl’s father says the incident changed the family’s life for the worse: “We were forced to sell our land and desert the village. We shifted to Mansa for good two months ago. We were hoping all the accused will be convicted but that didn’t happen… My elder daughter has turned into an emotional wreck.” The case had hogged headlines ever since the incident took place. First, the case was registered only after the media highlighted the plight of the girl. The girl had also written an emotional letter to the Punjab Women Rights Commission, seeking permission “to take law into her own hands to take revenge”. The much-awaited judgement may not have fulfilled all the hopes of the victim family, but the acquitted persons claim they were the ones who were “victimised”: “Who will compensate us? We had been crying innocent since day one. How can anybody construe the allegation that I along with my brother and son together raped the girl?” says Gurjeet Singh. He claims a “property dispute between the two families is the reason behind the allegation”. The incident took place on the intervening night of October 14-15. When the victim's mother woke up at 4 am, she was horrified to find her daughter lying outside their house in a semi-unconscious state, bleeding and writhing in pain. Her hair too was shorn. She brought her daughter inside only to learn that the victim was allegedly kidnapped the previous night and gang-raped by seven persons, including 56-year-old Charanjit Singh Mithu, his brother Gurjeet Singh (54) and the latter’s 21-year-old son Manpreet Singh alias Mani, living in the neighbourhood. Gurpreet Singh Gopi (24), Sukhdev Singh alias Kala (32), Harbans Singh alias Raju (23) and Balbir Singh (20) were the other persons booked in the case. Manpreet and Harbans were sentenced for life imprisonment.
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Song CDs sent for forensic test in Honey Singh case
Chandigarh, September 10 Taking up the matter, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Forensic Science Laboratory Director to ensure submission of the forensic report by September 26. As Honey Singh’s petition for quashing the FIR registered against him came up for hearing, the affidavit of IPS officer Dhanpreet Kaur was placed before Justice Amol Rattan Singh, stating that the case was filed after conducting “initial investigation.” During the course of investigation, Honey Singh’s application claiming innocence was marked to the SP (Detective) for an inquiry. The affidavit added that the inquiry was on and the audio-video compact discs containing songs “Main han balatkari”, “Brown rang”, and “Pachiyan pindan ne” had been sent to the laboratory at Chandigarh for a forensic examination. The report was awaited. He was booked by the Nawanshahar police for “obscene acts and songs” under Section 294 of the IPC in May. The case was registered after an NGO, HELP (Human Empowerment League of Punjab), moved the High Court. The High Court had earlier refused to interfere in the FIR registered by the Punjab Police against Honey Singh. His counsel had then referred to the singer’s written statement to say he has “fallen victim to his own celebrity status.” The counsel had contended controversial song “Main han balatkari” was not sung by him, and apparently “some other” Honey Singh or another person impersonating him had sung that song.
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Regulatory body for state varsities soon: CM
Bathinda, September 10 He announced the setting up of a regulatory body for streamlining the functioning of state universities. He said nine universities had come up on the initiative of the
SAD-BJP Government. All the universities would run vocational course and a blueprint for the same was being prepared. The Chief Minister honoured eminent personalities, including Sant Baba Sewa Singh Ji Khadoor Sahib Wale, Vice Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University Dr Baldev Singh
Maan, Babu Singh Maan, Harbhajan Maan and the Deputy Director-General, Doordarshan Kendra,
Jalandhar, Om Gouri Dutt Sharma. The CM inaugurated a memorial dedicated to his wife Surinder Kaur
Badal. Dr JS Dhaliwal, Chancellor of the university and Dr NS Malhi, Vice-Chancellor, also spoke. Dr Gurbhajan Singh Gill, Director , Planning and Development, anchored the function Later, the Chief Minister accompanied by Bathinda MP Harimrat Kaur Badal and Information and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia paid tributes to Sant Meetha Singh at a samaroh at Damdama Sahib. CM to monitor relief work in Muktsar
dist Muktsar: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday said the state government was extending all possible help to the flood-affected people. For the next few days, he would stay in the district himself to monitor the relief and drainage operation, he said. The Chief Minister would visit flood-affected villages of the district in the next few days, sources said. Addressing a gathering at Harike Kalan village, Badal alleged that he had raised the issue of relief and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people with the
Centre, but to no avail. “I had called on Home Minster Sushil Kumar Shinde asking him to enhance the relief amount for the farmers, but the demand was not met,” he said. — TNS
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Virk may be made acting SGPC chief
Amritsar, September 10 Though the SGPC top brass, including SGPC president Avtar Singh
Makkar, denied such talk, sources said there was the likelihood of SGPC senior vice-president Raghujit Singh Virk being appointed acting
president. Makkar has reportedly not been keeping well. There is speculation that if Virk is appointed acting president, he may be given the complete charge of the SGPC's education wing while general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur may be given the task of dharam
parchar. Virk has been in Amritsar for the past couple of days. However, there is a feeling in certain Sikh circles that it may not be possible to make any changes in the SGPC set-up owing to the ongoing legal tangle over the Sehajdhari issue in the Supreme Court. In March 2012, the apex court had authorised the SGPC executive committee of 2010 to manage the daily affairs of the Sikh body till further orders. The next date of hearing in the case is October 4.
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HC stays release of Bollywood film ‘Grand Masti’
Chandigarh, September 10 The orders will affect the movie's release in cinema houses in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The orders came on a plea by advocate Dinesh Chadha. The movie stars Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani and Manjari Fadnis and is a sequel of the film "Masti" released in 2004. In his petition, Chadha claimed he found the contents of the film against the spirit of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, while watching its trailer on the internet with his family. Elaborating, he said the film was full of “nude scenes, vulgarity and dialogue with dual meaning”. Going into the technicalities, Chadha said the Central Film Certification Board had issued “A” certificate, indicating that the movie was restricted to adults. The film also had scenes degrading and denigrating women. “The film, if released, would give an immoral massage to the young generation," Chadha said, adding that he was knocking the doors of the High Court for revoking the certification issued by CBFC and "other directions which the High Court deems fit in the present set of circumstances".
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Drug mafia funding elections, former DGP tells HC
Chandigarh, September 10 Refuting the contention, Kant said he had discussed his report with the CM. Reacting to this, Punjab Advocate-General Ashok Aggarwal said he did not wish to comment as to how Kant's report was "doctored". Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said narco-terrorism was a major issue and impleaded the Ministry of Home Affairs as a party in the case. The High Court, on the previous date of hearing, had directed the state to make available the report submitted by Kant, when he was Additional DGP (Intelligence). Kant has all along been asserting that prison bars are not strong enough to keep the drug mafia away. Kant was at loggerheads with the government on the issue of drug peddling in jails. Kant had, rather, created a flutter by announcing that drug mafia was operating inside the Punjab jails and that it had the backing of a strong lobby. But, the former DGP was criticised by the state government for airing his views openly. A petition on the issue was filed by Tarlochan Singh through counsel Navkiran Singh. A Mohali resident, he was lodged at Ropar district jail at the time of filing the petition. The inmate is seeking an inquiry not only into the sale of intoxicants in the Ropar Jail “in connivance with the jail officials” but also their highhandedness towards prisoners reporting against illegal activities.— TNS
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HC pulls up Chief Secy, DGP for delay in compiling info
Chandigarh, September 10 As the issue came up for hearing, the Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih asked the Chief Secretary to explain how much time was required for providing comprehensive information and the inaction on the government's part. The Chief Justice observed: "If you want four weeks, I can give you five weeks. But the information should be complete and comprehensive." The Bench gave the state government time till November 18 to file a comprehensive reply and status report. Earlier during the proceedings, an affidavit filed by DIG Balkar Singh Sidhu was placed before the Bench stating that the case was being investigated by a special team headed by the IGP, crime. The state government further claimed that three officers-a Sub-Divisional Magistrate, a Senior Superintendent of Police and a Deputy Superintendent of Police- had already been charge-sheeted. The court was told that the arms used during the firing had been deposited with the forensic science lab at Mohali. Police officials too had been examined. The directions came during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation filed by an NGO, Lawyers for Human Rights International, seeking an independent probe by the CBI into the incident. The High Court, during a previous date of hearing, had directed the state to send the arms to the forensic lab in Mohali for determining the weapon that killed Jaspal Singh and injured Ranjit Singh. The report was to be submitted to the High Court within a month. Details of the FIR registered in the matter were also sought. The FIR in the matter was registered at the Gurdaspur police station on March 29 last year. Punjab Inspector- General ,Crime, was subsequently entrusted with the probe. Under Secretary issued charge sheet Chandigarh: An Under Secretary, Home, Sewa Singh, has been issued a charge sheet for negligence in framing a timely reply in a case before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The office of the Advocate-General had written to the Home Department seeking a reply from the DGP's office into the death of Jaspal Singh during police firing in Gurdaspur district. Sewa Singh, allegedly sent the paper to " some other unrelated department." — TNS
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Gang busted, 8 held
Sangrur, September 10 The gang was led by a BTech degree holder Satwinder Singh alias Maula. The others who were held are Ranjit Singh, Paramjit Singh, Amandeep Singh, Jatinder Singh, Jagseer Singh, Amritpal Singh and Ranjit Singh alias Makhan. Bhim Singh and Kulwinder Singh managed to flee. All the accused are residents of Dhura and Harchandpura villages, situated near Dhuri. Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said on receiving a tip-off that the gang was planning to loot a petrol station near Benra drain, the Dhuri police raided the site on the intervening night of September 8 and 9 and nabbed eight persons. The SSP said a small tempo, a motorcycle, country-made pistol, an air pistol, a sword and an iron rod were seized during the raid. The police also recovered 43 LPG cylinders, five mobile phone sets and Rs 2 lakh that were stolen by the accused. He said the gang had been active in Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib districts. A case has been registered against all the accused.
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4-year-old raped in Ludhiana
Ludhiana, September 10 The girl, who was rushed to the Civil Hospital here this morning, was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. Her condition was stated to be critical. Commissioner of Police Paramjit Singh Gill said a case had been registered against unidentified persons. “We have launched a manhunt to arrest the accused," he said. Narrating the incident, the victim's father, a labourer, told the police that after having dinner, the family went to sleep. He said around midnight when he woke up, he was shocked to find his daughter missing. He said hours later, the girl was spotted unconscious in the bushes near a shanty. He alleged that his daughter was soaked in blood and was brutally raped. Vinod Kumar, Division No. 4 Station House Officer, said an investigation was underway. Not the first incident January 12: A six-year-old is kidnapped from outside her house in Jodhewal Basti in Ludhiana. Her body is later recovered from a vacant plot at Ekta Nagar on Rahon Road May 11: The mutilated body of an eight-year-old girl, who had gone missing from New Shastri Nagar area in Jodhewal Basti on April 22, is found from a vacant plot at New Shakti Nagar
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1 dead, 15 hurt
in road mishap Patiala, September 10 The police said the speeding bus hit the tractor as the bus driver could not locate the tractor. Initial reports suggested that one person died on the spot while two others were critically injured.
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scuttled MP Navjot Singh Sidhu’s pet projects and promised a “new-look Amritsar” by 2016 under a master plan under which Rs 2,000 crore would be spent on various works.
Hoshiarpur, September 10
Seven-year-old Chamanpreet Kaur (not her real name) has been dressing up as a boy ever since her 14-year-old sister was raped on October 15 last year. She perceives it to be the only way for girls to stay safe.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today presided over the foundation day function of Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo.
Highly placed sources said that instead of initiating punitive measures, the society had been allowed to induct new members who would be given a free hand to run the institute.