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Notorious drug smuggler Lalli arrested SSP (Rural) Manmohan Singh during a press conference in Amritsar on Sunday. Tribune
Photograph
19 arrested with illicit liquor, drugs
The C Division police with two accused arrested with illicit liquor in Amritsar on Sunday. A Tribune Photograph |
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Heaps of filth all over, peeved commuters avoid using footbridge at railway station
People cross the road after jumping over the divider; (right) NGO workers clean the footbridge in Amritsar on Sunday. Photo: Sameer Sehgal
A labourer in Amritsar. Tribune File Photo
Shopping fests a boon for local artists
Ibadat, a school for special children put up a stall for hand crafted gifts at the Sifty International Shopping Fest on Sunday. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Risky ride on GT road
Jewellery brands out to woo customers
Models showcasing jewellery festive collection by Malliram Jewellers in Amritsar on Sunday. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Cow’s carcass sent for postmortem
Consumer forum penalises ICICI Bank
City's oldest guide pedals to mark 20 years of Punjab Darshan
Baljit Singh on his bicycle near a historic building in Ram Bagh Garden in Amritsar. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Health Dept workers threaten stir
Youth killed in mishap
Aadhaar card camp
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Notorious drug smuggler Lalli arrested
Amritsar, October 27 Preliminary investigations carried out by the police suggest that Lalli used to smuggle the contraband to some Nigerians living in New Delhi after procuring it from couriers who received the consignment through the Indo-Pak border. Manmohan Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar rural police, said Lalli was arrested by the officials of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) with 5 kilograms of smack. He was sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment at Tihar Jail in 1996 where he is supposed to have come in contact with Nigerian smugglers. He was released in 2006 from the jail. “Nigerian smugglers brought him in contact with Pakistani smugglers. During investigations, he confessed to have smuggled seven to eight consignments of around 10 kilograms contraband to New Delhi. After receiving the contraband from the couriers, he used to smuggle it in video-coach buses,” the Senior Superintendent of Police said. Sources in the anti-narcotic cell said the Nigerian smugglers used to pay him Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 per kilogram of contraband besides Rs 50,000 for the courier who would bring the consignment from the border. During interrogation, the accused is learnt to have named three Pakistani smugglers. The Nigerian traffickers used to pay the Pakistani smugglers through hawala route. It has also been learnt that Gurminder was known by the code name ‘doctor’ to Pakistani smugglers. Sources said the police also seized a diary containing several Pakistani numbers. Gurminder used to run his illegal trade through a Pakistani SIM card which was also recovered from him. A case under Sections 21/22/61/85 of the NDPS Act, Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act and Section 3 of Official Secrets Act has been registered against him. Further investigations are under progress, the police added. Modus Operandi
Confessions
Official speak
Nigerian smugglers brought him in contact with Pakistani smugglers. During investigations, he confessed to have smuggled seven to eight consignments of around 10 kilograms contraband to New Delhi. After receiving the contraband from the couriers, he used to smuggle it in video-coach
buses — Manmohan Singh,
SSP, Amritsar rural police
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19 arrested with illicit liquor, drugs
Amritsar, October 27 The city police nabbed Vikarmjit Singh of Gobind Nagar (33 bottles of liquor), Joginder Singh of Bijlighar (37 bottles), Harbans Singh of Chowk Baba Deep Singh (40 bottles), Prabhjot Singh of Rani Bazaar and Shivam Duggal of Sharif Pura (24 bottles). The Amritsar rural police held Salwinder Singh of Nawan kot (300 tablets), Balwinder Singh of Rajasansi (700 capsules) and Satinder Pal Singh of Budha Theh and Shamsher Singh of Bhangali Kalan with 200 and 100 grams of narcotic powder respectively. Harbhajan Singh of Kiaspur was arrested with 20 kg of Lahan. The C-division police today nabbed Baaz Singh of Jathol village and seized around 900 bottles of illicit liquor from his possession. He used to sell this in Anngarh and Gate Hakima area. He was coming towards the old city from Khazana side when he was arrested by the police. A vehicle bearing number PB-02-AH-9505 was also impounded. In another incident, Manjit Singh of Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar was arrested and two boxes of liquor and 100 intoxicant capsules were seized from him. He would bring the liquor from Tarn Taran to sell in the city.
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Heaps of filth all over, peeved commuters avoid using footbridge at railway station
Amritsar, October 27 People instead put their lives in danger while negotiating the fast moving traffic on this stretch. At present, it is being used for erecting illegal hoardings and advertisements. Even as it was the administration’s job to clean this footbridge, city-based NGO Voice of Amritsar (VoA) took to the initiative and conducted a cleanliness drive on it. Rakesh Sharma, president, Voice of Amritsar, said, “It is a pity that the railway station was the most frequented place. Now the first thing visitors notice here is filth. What impression will they take along of the city? Since there was a dispute between the railway management and safai karamcharis, we did not obtain permission to clean the railway station complex. But we took the challenge to make its surroundings clean. This is how we chose the footbridge for the purpose,” he said. Various activists of Voice of Amritsar, including Seenu Arora, Mandeep Singh, Jasjit, Disha, Manavdeep, Sonia Kapoor, Indu Arora and Neeta Mehra, said the drive lasted for about two-and-a-half hours and tonnes of filth was removed from the base of the footbridge. “The footbridge is rather impeding the traffic as commuters prefer to cross the road directly. It is in such a dirty shape. We took the challenge of cleaning it so that people could make its use,” said Jasjit Singh, a Voice of Amritsar activist. The railway road receives high volume of traffic as vehicles come here from Bhandari Bridge, Puttalighar and Rialto Chowk. The bridge is located next to popular Landa Bazaar which is known for foreign-made products. The market attracts a large number of shoppers. “The authorities concerned have failed to remove illegal hoardings and advertisements put on the bridge. The administration should outsource the cleaning work to some private firm which be paid from the revenue generated from advertisements or hoardings on the footbridge. This step could be a win-win situation for both the sides,” said Indu Arora and Neeta Mehra, Voice of Amritsar activists. “What’s the fun of spending the taxpayers’ money if such bridges are not maintained properly? We initiated the move as people were jumping the divider to cross the road, thus risking their lives. Besides, it was causing traffic jams," said another activist.
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Construction activities hit as sand prices reach new high
Amritsar, October 27 Rajan Bedi, a leading developer, said 100 cubic feet of sand now costs over Rs 4,000. It cost Rs 2,800 a week back. He said since sand mining was stopped across Punjab, they were getting supply from Jammu and Kashmir. The suppliers are not interested to resume work as their margins have been squeezed significantly, he added. His company is raising godowns for the state government on the banks of Beas, a hotel and a commercial tower projects on GT Road. He said He said in the fallout of non-availability of sand, laboruers were sitting idle while wages are to be paid regularly. Similarly, interest on the amount taken as advance from the banks to fund these projects has to be paid regularly. Since his firm also imports cement from Pakistan, the contractors were placing cancellation orders for procuring cement bags as sand was not available in the market, he added. He informed that 5,000 cement bags imported from Pakistan were placed in a godown. The real estate market in the city is already passing through a bad phase. Residents are having a tough time in building their dream house as the skyrocketing prices of construction material are burning a hole in their
pocket. Sand is unavailable in the open market following a ban on the mining of sand from riverbeds across the country, without an environmental clearance by the National Green Tribunal. Work on many infrastructure development projects in the city, which had been hanging fire after a ban on earth and sand mining, was resumed only a couple of months ago. Many infrastructure development projects are under-construction in the city and majority of them are being undertaken by the Improvement Trust. Improvement Trust has undertaken over 50 small and big projects here. The small category works pertain to the construction of civic amenities in various wards of the city. The large works include flyovers at Saifuddin Kitchlew Chowk, Durgiana Temple beautification project, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Mall Mandi Scheme and a part of Ranjit Avenue Scheme. All these projects have either slowed down or stopped for want of building material. Development projects undertaken by the government agencies such as Public Works Department (PWD) and others have also been hit due to ban on sand mining. The Durgiana Temple project contractor has written to the Improvement Trust over his inability to complete the work within the stipulated period. The Supreme Court had imposed a ban on mining minor minerals, asking the mining contractors to get an environment clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, even for an area of less than five hectares in February, 2012.
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Shopping fests a boon for local artists
Amritsar, October 27 The seasonal shopping festival is now running in full swing. Every weekend brings a new exhibition-cum- shopping fest to the city. It gives a chance to local manufacturers and retailers to play big. The Wedding Mantra at Golden Tulip holds bi-annual exhibitions, which has helped local brands like Kavi’s Touch, Art Deco, Bharti’s Art and some young designers to rope in local clientele. The on going shopping fest at Sifty International, which has over 60-65 stalls of different lifestyle products, too has some local brands and artisans sharing business with renowned ones. “Throughout the year we get minimal sales as not many people are interested in buying decor products on everyday basis. But festival time, especially Diwali, brings in shoppers. Most people prefer to shop at festival exhibitions owing to the variety being offered. These are good spots for growing business,” said Rajkumar. The fabric and accessory retailers in the city also have a similar account. Some even sell only during the exhibition season. “Our brand SS Creations manufactures digital print fabrics for clothes and home furnishings. We only participate in select exhibitions and do not have separate retail outlet. We do take customised bulk orders, but only during the exhibition time,” said Mehak Khemka, a brand co-owner. The reason she explains is self explanatory. “People in the city buy only during festive or exhibition time as everybody is looking for something exclusive. We only cater to the select clientele. These exhibitions have a good footfall and buying potential. So, sales are good enough to make up for an entire year.” Keeping the fact in mind, several small-time designers too have made these exhibitions their hunting ground. “These exhibitions bring a lot of people, each with their own taste. Since there is much to choose from, buyers come in with a mindset to spend money. This allows young, local brands to sell themselves,” said Gunika Arora, a fashion designer, running her own western wear brand Divaz in the city. “I have been selling select pieces of my collection through these exhibitions. It has helped me develop a loyal clientele, which otherwise would have been a marketing nightmare for me,” she added. Collective visibility on a larger platform, better selling potential during festival season, easy marketing and immediate attention are just a few reasons for local brands to flourish during these festive exhibition-cum- shopping festivals. Home furnishings, accessories, bags, chappals, handicraft, vibrantly embellished items like jewellery boxes and mirrors, imitation beaded jewellery, even vastu and numerology specialists don’t miss the opportunity offered by exhibitions. “Amritsar is a tough market to sell as it has its own established local markets. Also, marketing is a bit difficult for small time business investors. Lack of knowledge for shoppers makes it necessary to get visbility in order to sell. These exhibitions offer an open for all platform and so a great business opportunity,” says Sameer Bakshi, organiser of the shopping festival at Sifty. He said 60 per cent market at the exhibition was for local brands.
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Risky ride on GT road
Amritsar, October 27 At least four deaths have been reported in the last couple of days on the elevated road, but it is not enough for the police to wake up from its deep slumber. Officials blame shortage of staff and resources as main hindrance in streamlining the traffic. From where do they manage the ‘adequate’ traffic staff when it comes to the visit of the CM or the Deputy CM? This is something to ponder over. One can witness a free for all if a round is taken at any given time on this road. Most of the time (except during visit of the CM or the Deputy CM) no policeman can be found here to control the traffic flow. Commuters on the Taranwala over bridge or the elevated part on the Amritsar-Jalandhar road blatantly violate traffic norms. They are so accustomed to taking wrong routes that even if a policeman is on duty, they do not refrain from taking shortcuts from the wrong side. Although entry of heavy vehicles is banned on the elevated road, yet the loaded trucks and ten-wheel tourist buses take this route to cross over the Bhandari bridge. Overloaded trucks can be seen stationed on the elevated road through the side of the Bhandari bridge. Residents speak
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Navjot Singh: “Despite having limited staff and resources, we do our best to manage it. Still I will chalk out the duty schedule of policemen in such a way that these spots will not remain unmanned from tomorrow.”
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Jewellery brands out to woo customers
Amritsar, October 27 Since Diwali and wedding season coincide, gold sales jump at least 20 to 30 per cent during this time of the year. Many jewellery brands have come up with various offers and innovative collections. Malliram, a jewellery brand, unveiled their bridal jewellery collection with a fashion show, displaying antique gold and diamond jewellery pieces. Sohail Sedia, the brain behind Ainez, another contemparory jewellery brand, explained the importance to capture clients during festive season. He said, “Most people buy gold and other jewellery during this season as it is considered auspicious due to wedding and festival reasons. So, we also came out with our designer concepts specifically during this time as it’s auspicious and apt from sales point of view. Also, the contemprory collection is aimed at the young buyers who want something different this season.” With other jewellery houses also coming up with various new exclusive collections for the season, it’s a win-win situation for buyers. Nagi Diamonds too showcased their latest diamond jewellery collection last week. Gold has always been man’s best friend during Diwali, despite the price rise. Most brands have just seen it as a reason to re-ignite this passion smartly. As far as buyer is concerned, buying gold has always helped in a good night’s sleep.
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Cow’s carcass sent for postmortem
Amritsar, October 27 Station House Officer (SHO) Lakhwinder Singh said it was a stray cow, which had injured many persons. He said area residents had also noticed a wound on its neck. Some persons tied the cow with a pole to avoid injuries to passersby. The SHO said it seemed that the cow succumbed to its injuries. The exact cause would be known after receiving the postmortem report. Animal Husbandry Deputy Director Jagdish Chander Shori said Tehsil Senior Veterinary Officer had been asked to constitute a team to conduct autopsy and the carcass had been kept at the Chattiwind Civil Veterinary Hospital. The police has been deployed to guard the hospital.
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Consumer forum penalises ICICI Bank
Amritsar, October 27 Earlier, Sumit Kumar, a resident of Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar, had filed a complaint against the ICICI Bank Limited alleging that he had deposited a cheque for clearing in his account with the bank. The bank posted the cheque to him through a courier company which was lost during transit, he added. Kumar said the bank neither cleared the checque nor returned it safely to him. The reason given for returning the cheque was “name differs”. He said the bank had not presented the cheque to the bankers of the issuer and had returned it on its own. In a reply filed by the ICICI Bank it was mentioned that the cheque in question had rightly been returned to the complainant. The courier company on the other hand said if a booked envelope was lost during transit, the liability of the company was limited to Rs 100 only. The forum observed that the complainant had not suffered any monetary loss as the amount of the cheque had not been withdrawn by any person. It stated that the complainant had suffered mental harassment and as such the bank was liable to compensate him.
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City's oldest guide pedals to mark 20 years of Punjab Darshan
Amritsar, October 27 Darshan paddled across the state from October 22, 1993 to December 14, 1993 and clicked about 500 pictures capturing different interesting places, including religious shrines of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims. A number of photographs were of archaeologically important excavation sites at Dholba in Hoshiarpur. Considered to be a site of Harappan civilisation, the photographs show mural paintings at Mansa Devi Temple in Ram Tatwali Dholba among others. His collection lays emphasis on the lifestyle of rural Punjabi people. Charkha, drawing water from well and women washing clothes at the village pool are some of the recurrent motifs in his pictures that once defined Punjab. Interestingly, he clicked all these photographs while peddalling 2,600 km area across Punjab in 1993. His rare collection includes photographs of Queen Elizabeth II at the Golden Temple during her visit here in 1997. In 1994, he held the first exhibition of his collection at the Thakur Singh Art Gallery, MM Road. He started his career as a professional guide in 1990 and continued till 2008. During his nearly 18-year eventful career, he guided former US foreign secretary Christina Roca, former ambassador to Pakistan William Millam.
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Health Dept workers threaten stir
Amritsar, October 27 The association members said giving festival advance
to employees ahead of Diwali has been a norm for years. But this time,
they said, the department did not adhere to the practice. Narinder
Singh, president, Class-IV Government Employees Union, said, “The
government has issued no notification to give festival advance to
workers during the current year.” “The way pay bills are not
cleared on time, it seems that we would not get salary before Diwali,”
he added. Most of the workers of the department would be unable to
celebrate the festival if they do not have money, rued Ram Kalaf,
general secretary of the association. The association members said they
would stage a protest outside the Vidhan Sabha on October 29.
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Youth killed in mishap
Amritsar, October 27 Maninder Singh, paternal uncle of the deceased, told the police that his nephew along with his friend was going to Amritsar on a scooter (PB-02-M-2418) when the driver of the bus (PB-02-AU-8985) turned the vehicle on the wrong side near the Verka bridge. He said Gursharan died on the spot, while Heera who sustained injuries, was rushed to the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, where his condition was stated to be stable. A case was registered against bus driver Ajit Singh of the Tibri Road, Gurdaspur.
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Aadhaar card camp
Amritsar, October 27 The camp also helped in creating awareness among people on right to service and right to information. Sukhwinder said the society had organised medical and eye camps for the residents of the area in the past. She said around 200 people benefited during the camp.
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In a major breakthrough, the Amritsar rural police today arrested a notorious drug trafficker having close links with Pakistan-based smugglers and agents.
The police has arrested 19 persons for drug trafficking and bootlegging and recovered intoxicants and illicit liquor from their possession.
The footbridge built adjacent to the entrance of Amritsar railway station is apparently serving no purpose as people usually refrain from using it due to heaps of filth lying abandoned around the place.
The footbridge is used for crossing the busy GT Road to reach the railway entrance gate.
Rajkumar, a mural artisan from city, is busy selling his art to shopaholics for Diwali at the Sifty International shopping fest. He usually sets-up shop along the side lanes of the Mall road or the Lawrance road. He has brought a large collection of mural designs and hopes to make more money than the entire season in just five days. He is among a few small-time handicraft artists, who bets’ big during the festive season.
Amritsar, October 27
Baljit Singh (in his late fiftees), arguably the oldest guide in Amritsar, today pedalled around the city to commemorate the 20 years of his ‘Punjab Darshan’ excursion in 1993 during which he clicked different facets of the state in his camera.
Darshan paddled across the state from October 22, 1993 to December 14, 1993 and clicked about 500 pictures capturing different interesting places, including religious shrines of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims.
