B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Students lathi-charged in Barnala
Barnala, September 13
The police today resorted to lathi-charge on students when they were reportedly coming out of the DC office complex here after staging a dharna. The police also detained three student leaders. However, they were let off later.

Policemen cane-charge students in Barnala on Friday. A Tribune photograph

Oct 7 set as deadline for regularisation of illegal colonies
Faridkot, September 13
The police will register FIRs against promoters and plot holders of 108 unauthorised colonies in Faridkot district after October 7 if they failed in getting their buildings and plots regularised before the stipulated date.

Cops arrested under NDPS Act face another case
Moga, September 13
A week after a huge quantity of drugs were recovered from a police post in Moga district, the police has come to know during the course of investigation that the cops arrested on charges of drugs smuggling were also involved in another case of smuggling of poppy husk.

Bid to ‘revive’ terrorism foiled, one held
Barnala, September 13
The district police today claimed to have foiled an attempt to revive terrorism with the arrest of a ‘kingpin’ of such activities in Barnala.

• Two Abohar residents booked

 Students lathi-charged in Barnala
Sushil Goyal
Tribune News Service

Barnala, September 13
The police today resorted to lathi-charge on students when they were reportedly coming out of the DC office complex here after staging a dharna. The police also detained three student leaders. However, they were let off later.

The protest was in response to a call given by the Punjab Students Union (PSU) against collection of fee from Dalit college students.

State finance secretary of the PSU Pardeep Kasba alleged that the police resorted to lathi-charge on students while they were returning after submitting a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Indu Malhotra. He claimed that the police attacked the students without any provocation and hit them mercilessly due to which some students suffered internal injuries.

On the other hand, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Barnala, Harpal Singh refuted the allegation of lathi-charge. He said as the protesters were trying to forcibly enter the DC office, the police detained three student leaders as a preventive measure. They were let off after some time, he added.

Those detained were PSU district president Kulwinder Singh Sekha, Simarjit Singh Sekha and Balkar Singh Farwahi.

Kasba said they were opposing the collection of fee from the Dalit students by some college managements and authorities in different parts of the state though the government had already granted full fee concession to the Dalit students. He said they were also demanding registration of cases under provisions of the SC, ST Act against the college managements that were receiving fees from Dalit students.

Kasba alleged that the cops action today was meant only to please their political bosses.

The student leaders also warned the government that the union would not withdraw its agitation till the government registered cases against the college managements that had been taking fees from Dalit students. They also demanded stern action against the police officials who took to 'lathi-charge'.

Meanwhile, the state president of the Inqulabi Kendra Punjab, Narayan Dutt, has condemned the police action. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.

 Oct 7 set as deadline for regularisation of illegal colonies
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, September 13
The police will register FIRs against promoters and plot holders of 108 unauthorised colonies in Faridkot district after October 7 if they failed in getting their buildings and plots regularised before the stipulated date.

Now, every builder is required to pay composition fee for compounding their offences for raising unauthorised building after the state Cabinet okayed the Regularisation Of Unauthorised Colonies Bill under the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions) Act-2013 in June this year.

In Faridkot district, 108 unauthorised colonies (57 in Kotkapura, 35 in Jaitu and 16 in Faridkot) were identified. These colonisers and the plot holders in these colonies were to pay the fee for compounding of their offences.

But as these colonisers and plot holders were not forthcoming in payment of fees as per the new law, so the district administration has decided to get FIRs registered against the defaulters, said Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat.

In case the plot holders and colony promoters fail to regularise the same by October 7, besides the FIRs, the district administration has right to demolish the buildings as these fall in illegal colonies, said the DC in a meeting with the revenue and civil officers for the effective implementation of the new Act today.

Moreover, the Revenue Department had been directed not to register any sale deed or transfer the ownership of any plot in these illegal colonies, Ravi Bhagat said.

To implement the new Act effectively in the district, the DC today deputed 14 civil and revenue officers in the district.

 Cops arrested under NDPS Act face another case
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, September 13
A week after a huge quantity of drugs were recovered from a police post in Moga district, the police has come to know during the course of investigation that the cops arrested on charges of drugs smuggling were also involved in another case of smuggling of poppy husk.

As per an application filed before the court on Friday, the investigating officer sought a 10-day police remand on production warrants of the cops, presently under judicial custody, stating that they were allegedly involved in another case of smuggling of drugs.

As many as 10 bags of poppy husk were recovered from Gajjanwala village on June 19 and an FIR under the NDPS Act was registered against three unknown persons who managed to escape from the spot.

The police claimed in its application that one Nirmal Singh, a resident of Baghapurana, had given a statement that the persons who fled away from the spot on June 19 were none other than the cops arrested by the police. Moreover, he has also revealed that Ginder Singh alias Bhola, a resident of Bhagta Bhai, and Jaswinder Singh of Mahla Kalan village were also hand-in-glove with the cops in smuggling of drugs.

The judge after going through the request of the police granted only one-day police custody for further investigations.

Meanwhile, the judge turned down an application filed by AS Randhawa, the counsel of the accused cops, wherein he had sought an order directing the investigating officer to interrogate the cops in his presence.

ASI Jarnail Singh and Munshi Jasbir Singh were arrested from Nathuwala police post on the intervening night of September 6 and September 7. As many as 168 kg of poppy husk, 66 bottles of liquor and Rs 46,000 cash were recovered from them from the premises of the police post. Another constable Devinder Singh Billa managed to escape and is still at large.

The three cops were dismissed from the service immediately.

When contacted, Senior Superintendent of Police KJS Dhillon said the police had raided many places of Billa’s possible hideouts in the past one week. Dhillon did not rule out the possibility of a few more cases coming to light against the arrested cops as the investigations were still in progress. 

  Bid to ‘revive’ terrorism foiled, one held

Barnala, September 13
The district police today claimed to have foiled an attempt to revive terrorism with the arrest of a ‘kingpin’ of such activities in Barnala.

The accused has been identified as Surinder Singh, a resident of Theekriwal village, presently residing at Barnala. Two pistols of .32 bore and .315 bore along with cartridges, provocative literature, and a diary containing telephone numbers have been recovered.

The police said on a tip-off, the CIA Staff, Barnala, arrested Surinder Singh on the charge of conducting terrorist activities after establishing links with Satnam Singh, the main operator of activities of the Babbar Khalsa International who was arrested recently. Surinder was trying to lure youngsters into unlawful activities using money obtained from foreign countries.

During preliminary investigations, Surinder Singh admitted that he was in touch with various people involved in terrorist activities. The police said further probe was on and a case under Sections 124-A, 153-A, 153-B and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 17, 18, 28, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention Act) and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered at Barnala. — TNS

  Two Abohar residents booked

Abohar, September 13
The police has booked Kala Singh and Lakhwinder Singh, residents of Seed Farm Colony here, under the IPC, the Arms Act and the NDPS Act following reports indicating their alleged involvement in drug trafficking, looting of vehicles at gunpoint and passing on secret information to other countries. Though the police raided their houses, the duo could not be arrested. — OC