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Badal launches health insurance scheme for poor
sorry state of tourism-V |
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All shady land deals under lens
Amritsar my home, will stay put: Sidhu
Modi's Moga rally now on Dec 21
New Chandigarh-Amritsar train likely
3 Excise Inspectors reverted as clerks
Shifting of temple stone in Amritsar triggers protests
Ladhar fails to deposit arbitration fee in time
Patiala MLA: Stop sale of playgrounds
Cong: Majithia organising criminal gangs
Diwali clash: Maur still tense
Talwandi Sabo plant to be commissioned on Nov 25
Aakash tablet co-founder visits his birthplace
Korean War Sikh heroes honoured
Sajjan Kumar case adjourned to Nov 18
Re-probe docs’ selection: HC
Singer Manak’s wife tries to exhume his body, booked
Two cops suspended in graft case
Labourer arrested for murder
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Badal launches health insurance scheme for poor
Fazilka, November 11 About 15.5 lakh blue ration card-holders will be enrolled for cashless healthcare facilities up to Rs 30,000 per family (of five) at the state's government hospitals and private notified hospitals under the scheme. The smart cards for the insurance scheme will carry the Chief Minister's picture. Cycles distributed among schoolgirls under Mai Bhago Scheme also have Badal's photograph. It is obvious that with parliamentary elections round the corner, the ruling SAD is trying to woo voters. Addressing a mammoth gathering, Badal said the health insurance initiative would provide a “healing touch” to the poor and disadvantaged sections. Underscoring the need for providing quality healthcare, the Chief Minister reiterated that the state government was committed to making Punjab "disease-free". He said the state government had spent Rs 350 crore on upgrading the health infrastructure in the state. He said a 100-bed cancer hospital at Bathinda would become operational early next year. The Chief Minister alleged that the Centre had not paid any heed to his government's request to ban the "open sale" of puppy husk in Rajasthan which found its way into Punjab. He announced that Rs 5 crore would be given to each assembly segment to give further impetus to development. Addressing the gathering, Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal said many more schemes for public welfare were in the pipeline. Health Minister Jyani said in the first phase, the SAD-BJP Government had arranged for subsidised foodgrain for the poor. Now it had ensured free healthcare for them. Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, MLA Gurtej Singh and Chairperson of the Social Welfare Board Vijay Laxmi Bhadu, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Health, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Principal Secretary, Health, Vinni Mahajan, Managing Director of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation Husan Lal and Director Health Services Ashok Nayyar were also present at the rally.
Populist move
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Despite its rich heritage, state fails to attract foreign tourists
Of all the travellers visiting Punjab, only 1% comprise foreigners Archit Watts Tribune News Service
That Punjab is the gateway to the states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir — both the states having picturesque hill stations which are frequented by foreigners — has not helped much. The count in Punjab is as low as 1 per cent of the total travellers visiting the state annually. The figures for the last 13 years of tourist arrival procured under the Right to Information Act showed that 5,59,70,313 tourists arrived in state from 2000 to till 2012-end and 5,86,499 (1.05 per cent) of them were foreigners. Not only this, the ratio of foreign tourists is dropping year by year since 2009. In 2009, the arrival of foreign tourists was 2.01 per cent of the total, which reduced to 1.28 per cent in 2010 and 0.91 per cent in 2011 and finally dropped to 0.75 per cent in 2012. As many as 1,50,958 foreigners visited Punjab in 2011, a figure that dropped to 1,43,805 in 2012. Surprisingly, the state Tourism Department is not even compiling the country-wise arrival information of foreign tourists. And this, despite the state government having obtained a loan of nearly Rs 400 crore from the Asian Development Bank for the promotion of tourism. Besides, it has set up Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board and is spending a huge amount on attracting tourists. The Board is even imparting training to guides for showing tourism sites to people visiting the state. In the 10th Five Year Plan from 2002 to 2007, the state spent nearly Rs 36.16 crore on tourism and in the ongoing 11th Five Year Plan (2007 till June 2013), it spent nearly Rs 21.83 crore on the integrated development of towns, monuments, organising fairs and festivals.
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Sukhbir says new trade policy will boost tourism
Amritsar, November 11 Talking to mediapersons after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here, Sukhbir said the state government was making efforts for setting up new industrial units. He said he recently met industry captains in Mumbai, Bangalore, Gurgaon and New Delhi. To further boost Punjab’s industrial prospects, he said the state government would be organising its maiden ‘Investment Promotion Summit’ in Mohali on December 9-10. About purchase of ‘shamlat’ land by state Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, Sukhbir said the Revenue Department was conducting an inquiry and after considering all the facts, necessary legal action would be initiated. Sukhbir also reviewed the ongoing construction of the Golden Temple entrance plaza and directed the authorities to open it for tourists within two months.
Int’l stadium in Amritsar
Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia today said the state government would be building seven international sports stadiums in the state and Amritsar will have one of them.
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All shady land deals under lens
A final report on the land deal is expected by the month-end. Revenue Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia, while denying allegations of unleashing a political vendetta against Bajwa, today said the Financial Commissioner, Revenue, had been asked to examine the land deal. “A concurrent inquiry into the alleged usurping of panchayat land is being initiated by the Rural Development and Panchayats Department,” he said. Accused of singling out Bajwa for conducting an inquiry into the purchase of shamlat land while letting off several other VIPs, including Director-General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini and others indicted by Justice Kuldip Singh tribunal, Majithia said the inquiry was not just against Bajwa. “The government is the custodian of panchayat land. We are conducting a probe against all those who have usurped this land. Since we do not want a shoddy investigation, we are going step by step. All such land deals are being probed. The role of officers who affected the sale deed is also being investigated. None will be spared and the inquiry report will be submitted after the report on Bajwa's land deal,” he said. Majithia said a preliminary inquiry into the purchase of panchayat land by Bajwa had brought to the fore several irregularities. He had asked his department to determine as to how the land was bought by the PPCC president and how the panchayat land was sold illegally, despite three orders clarifying the land title as being shamlat deh. “Even the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered a stay on the distribution of this shamlat land among various share-holders and upheld that the land was shamlat deh. Thus, this land cannot be bought or sold,” Majithia said. The land in village Bharonjian was bought by a PCB Real Estate company floated by Bajwa for Rs 2.98 crore. Bajwa and his wife, Qadian MLA Charanjit Kaur Bajwa, are company directors. Majithia said though Bajwa had claimed that the land was bought through cheque payments after he had given unsecured loans to PCB Real Estate, the cheques by Bajwa from his personal account were issued after the land had been bought and the sale deed registered. Bajwa’s company was also accused of having evaded stamp duty to the tune of Rs 45 lakh by misrepresenting facts on the land title. “This anomaly was detected by the Auditor-General, who submitted a report in December 2012. The land deal was under the scanner since last year. A case was made against PCB in July this year and inspite of repeated opportunities to the company to appear before the deciding Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mohali, nobody appeared to defend the case. "The was decided ex parte on October 1, 2013. After examining the sale deed registries, we found that Bajwa did not file the self-declaration forms, to declare as to how he proposed to use this land,” said the Revenue Minister. The minister clarified that the Punjab Government had not filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court against the setting up of Justice Kuldip Singh tribunal to "save VIPs", but because the Punjab and Haryana High Court had put a stay on any mutation and sale of panchayat land across Punjab. “We had sought a vacation of this stay on the sale and purchase of panchayat land as it had created a panic in the state,” he added. When contacted, Bajwa maintained that the land deal was above board. He said he would ask his chartered accountant and lawyer to get back with the details.
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Gangsters nabbed after encounter
Jalandhar, November 11 The gang members, in age group of 18-22, were involved in three cases of shootout in Ludhiana. They were reportedly hiding in Jalandhar.They were nabbed after an encounter this afternoon. The arrested are Gaurav Sharma alias Goru Bacha (20) and Gurpreet Singh Bajwa alias Gopi (20) of Haibowal in Ludhiana, Jugral Singh alias Jagga (19) of Basti Bawa Khel in Jalandhar, Harjot Singh Cheema alias Harry (18) and his brother Amarbir Singh (20) of Sultanpur Lodhi, Talwinder Singh alias Bhinder Baba (22) of Khusropur, Sunny (19) of Mohalla Guru Nanakpura, Nakodar, and Bhupinder Singh alias Bhinda of Sarin village in Nakodar. Ludhiana Police Commissioner Paramjit Singh Gill said a police party spotted the gangsters in a black Safari. A chase ensued. At Jugral village in Nakodar, the gangsters abandoned their vehicle and hid inside the village. Two of them were trapped with the cooperation of village residents and the other two apprehended by the police. Gill said these arrests led the police to a house in Guru Nanak Mohalla where other gang members were hiding. “An encounter followed in which 25 rounds were fired. As the policemen were provided with bullet-proof jackets, none of them were hurt,” he said. Gill said the main accused, Gaurav Sharma, was involved in 25 cases, including shootout and extortion. “He was released from jail on September 5. In barely two months, he formed a gang and struck at several places,” he said. The gang was involved in a shootout in Ludhiana on October 29 and two more on November 9. Yurinder Singh Hayre, SSP, Rural, Jalandhar, said all eight gangsters had been booked under Section 307 of the IPC and Sections 25 and 34 of the Arms Act at the Nakodar police station. They would be produced in a Jalandhar court tomorrow and then in a Ludhiana court.
Swift action
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Amritsar my home, will stay put: Sidhu
On talks of the SAD and BJP swapping the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, he shot back, saying: “Nobody can swap me”. Asked to clarify, the firebrand Sidhu lost his cool and entered into an argument with some
mediapersons. Later talking to The Tribune, he clarified that he would stay put in Amritsar, irrespective of the party’s decision on seat-swapping. “I have put my life’s earning into building a house here. I will always be with the people of Amritsar and that is what I meant when I said nobody can swap me,” he explained.
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Modi's Moga rally now on Dec 21
Chandigarh, November 11 Sharma said a meeting of top BJP and Akali leaders had been called on December 14 to decide the schedule for Modi's programme. He said the Chief Ministers of various BJP-run states would attend the event. Jalandhar: Simranjit Singh Mann, SAD (Amritsar) president, on Monday said that his party would oppose Narendra Modi's visit to Moga on December 21. Addressing a press conference, he said his party workers would show black flags to Modi. " Both Modi and AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi are unfit for the PM's chair," he claimed.
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New Chandigarh-Amritsar train likely
Jalandhar, November 11 With the introduction of this train, there will be two daily trains (Amritsar-Chandigarh Superfast Express and the proposed Chandigarh-Amritsar) and a weekly train (Amritsar-Lalkuan Express) between Amritsar and the Union Territory. Talking to The Tribune, Railway Manager, Ferozepur division, NC Goel said the new train will be flagged off during a formal function at the Chandigarh railway station on November 17 but the notification in this regard is yet to be received from the ministry. "The train will start from Chandigarh in the morning and will reach Amritsar in the afternoon. The train will start its journey from Amritsar in the evening and reach Chandigarh at night and will halt at Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Beas stations," a senior operation manager at Ferozepur Division said. Anil Sharma, Assistant Operation Manager, Ambala Division, however, expressed his ignorance on the introduction of the train and refused to comment further. Sunil Bandha, a Mohali-based trader, said if introduced, the train would enable pilgrims from the area to pay obeisance in the holy city during the daytime and come back home by night on the same day. "This will not only boost tourism but also be a relief for industrialists and traders in this age of sky-rocketing prices," said Rajesh Bhasin, a realtor.
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3 Excise Inspectors reverted as clerks
Patiala, November 11 The department is contemplating legal action through an FIR against them. Moreover, certificates of 50 more such inspector-level officials will be verified. Highly placed sources in the department said the three inspectors were recently promoted from the clerical level in the department. “After a complaint was received, their degrees were checked,” they added. The officers who have been demoted are Amrik Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Parven Kumar. Another woman inspector has been spared for now due to some doubts. Earlier, a probe was ordered by the higher-ups, which was conducted by Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner Sarojini Gautam. The probe nailed these three inspector-level officials for submitting 'dubious' certificates. “In the probe, it was found that instead of completing their bachelor’s graduation degree in three years, the accused had done so in a few months raising suspicion,” said a senior taxation official. Senior officials said one of the accused had “completed his BA degree” in eight months and had applied for promotion. The department had granted permission to these officers to pursue higher education after they had applied for the same. A Punjab Government notification in 2008 made it mandatory for clerks to have a graduation degree for promotion to the inspector level. Thereafter, a majority of the clerks had sought permission and many of them allegedly procured bogus degrees to get promoted. Though none of the officials contacted by The Tribune wanted to come on record over the matter, senior officials said a legal point of view would be taken from the district attorney and an FIR would be lodged to ascertain how the accused managed to grab seniority despite being “ineligible” for it. The department has also summoned the file record of over 50 more inspector-level officials, who have promoted in the recent years, to check the authenticity of their certificates. Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma confirmed that a notice had been issued to the three accused officials and other cases were under scrutiny. “We will give the three accused an opportunity to put forth their case and we will file a case if they are found to be erring,” he said.
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Shifting of temple stone in Amritsar triggers protests
Amritsar, November 11 A group headed by Mahant Baldev Giri protested against the shifting of the stone, claiming a case was pending in court on the possession of the temple and termed the district administration’s move as "illegal". Police officials rounded up Mahant Baldev Giri, Mahant Ram Lubhaya, Mahant Kulwinder Kumar, Mahant Amar Dass, Mahant Varinder Kumar, Mahant Ashwani Kumar and others. They were released in the evening. Mahant Baldev Giri' son Manjit Kumar alleged they were illegally detained at the Lopoke and Gharina police stations. He alleged that the government had been trying to change the name of the ancient temple from Ram Tirath to Valmiki Tirath. Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said Mahant Baldev Giri had failed to produce any documents to substantiate his claim. The Deputy Commissioner said the case pending in the court pertained to Dhuna Sahib and that there was no attempt to rename the temple. A number of Valmiki Sabha associations today held a demonstration at the Bhandari bridge.
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Ladhar fails to deposit arbitration fee in time
Chandigarh, November 11 The court had also directed the state government to refund the amount thus received from Ladhar to the farmers concerned. Ladhar had also been asked to pay the proportionate interest received by him in his bank account. Jalandhar and Patiala Division Commissioners have submitted their reports on the arbitration fees collected by Ladhar. " As I am on election duty in Chhattisgarh, I could not deposit the money on time," said Ladhar. Sources say Ladhar has written to the Personnel Department seeking time to arrange for the money. The Special Secretary, Personnel, Manjeet Brar, said the department had received a letter by Ladhar. The IAS officer has to return Rs 1.58 crore as principal amount and about Rs 20 lakh as interest. The fee was collected by Ladhar when he was posted Commissioner of Jalandhar and Patiala Divisions for his role as arbitrator during land aquisition by the Nationa Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for NH-1.
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Patiala MLA: Stop sale of playgrounds
Patiala, November 11 The state government has decided to sell Veer Haqiqat Rai Ground in Patiala and sources say the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) has cleared the proposal in this regard. The ownership of this 12-acre ground was shifted to the PIDB from the PWD Department under the Optimum Use of Government Vacant Land policy. The PIDB has asked the Patiala Development Authority to take further action regarding the plot. The sale of the ground is expected to fetch more than Rs 100 crore in open market. Mohindra said a large number of youngsters were falling prey to drug addiction. “Engaging them in sports is not only the best way to inspire youth to stay away from drugs but it also inculcates responsibility and social values in them. If the government continues to sell plots, which serve as playgrounds for youngsters, it will aggravate the menace,” he said. Moreover, he said, selling government land was not a permanent solution for addressing financial woes of the state.
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Cong: Majithia organising criminal gangs
Amritsar, November 11 In a statement, former ministers Sukhdev Shebajpuri, Gurchet Bhullar, Sardool Singh and Parminder Sandhu blamed Majithia for violence in the panchayat elections, which witnessed killing of at least seven Congress workers and leaders, besides attacks on candidates who opposed SAD nominees. They alleged involvement of Youth Akali Dal, headed by Majithia, in the killing of an ASI at Amritsar while saving the modesty of his daughter was glaring evidence of shelter given to criminals by him. Majithia, however, claimed that the Congress had unleashed this campaign against him as he put forth the facts regarding the ‘shamlat’ land deal involving PPCC chief Partap Singh
Bajwa.
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Diwali clash: Maur still tense
Bathinda, November 11
They are demanding the release of seven villagers who were arrested after the clash and action against their rivals. At least 11 persons, including Maur Station House Officer Kulwinder Singh, were booked in the case. Demanding the cancellation of case, Khurd residents today met DIG Amar Singh Chahal. The latter sought two days’ time to resolve the matter. BJP Yuva Morcha district chief Kantesh Singla was injured in the clash, following which the SHO was suspended. — TNS
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Talwandi Sabo plant to be commissioned on Nov 25
Bathinda, November 11 The first-of-its-kind hi-tech and non-polluting plant in Punjab would be the greenest power plant in the country. It was a matter of pride that the plant was being commissioned within the stipulated time, Sukhbir said. He said the plant’s first unit of 1980 MW was being developed by Sterlite Energy at a cost of Rs 11,000 crore. The plant would give a boost to the industrial sector in Punjab. With its commissioning, the state would be a step closer to become power surplus, he said, adding that the Rajpura thermal plant would be dedicated to the people of the state on December 8. He claimed that the project was a major milestone in the power generation history of the state. He said cheaper power would be given to the people.
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Aakash tablet co-founder visits his birthplace
“It was overcome by nostalgia as I visited the Sessions House where I was born in 1968. I spent close to two hours there. I have a special bond with the city,” said Tuli. Tuli, 45, is Chief Executive Officer of Datawind, the company manufacturing Aakash tablets. He said it was his dream to develop his home-state into an IT hub. “That is why we are manufacturing our touch screens in the holy city of Amritsar, the first such manufacturing unit in the country. Our main distributors are based at Ludhiana and soon we will be broadening our marketing campaign,” he said.
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Korean War Sikh heroes honoured
Toronto, November 11 Canadian MP of Sikh-origin Parm Gill honoured Sikh soldiers who took part in the conflict in the Korean Peninsula at the function hosted yesterday by the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada. Minister of Veterans Affairs Julian Fantino said, “Our Government values and honours the contributions, accomplishments and sacrifices of all veterans, including Sikh-Canadians.” — PTI
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Sajjan Kumar case adjourned to Nov 18
New Delhi, November 11 A Bench comprising Justices AK Patnaik and JS Khehar deferred the hearing on Sajjan's plea for taking up the case towards the end of the day. Since the Bench was scheduled to sit only for the pre-lunch session, it said it would hear the case next Monday. Appearing for the victims, senior advocate Dushyant Dave took exception to the delaying tactics being adopted by the Congress leader. "The community has been waiting for justice for 30 years. Every time, their (Sajjan and other accused) strategy is to ask for a pass over (hearing towards the end)," he said. "If the Supreme Court had not stayed the Gauhati High Court verdict and restored CBI's legal status, they (counsel for Sajjan Kumar) would have been keen on the hearing of their case today," the Bench remarked. It did not elaborate. Sajjan Kumar is seeking quashing of the charges against him, contending that he had been acquitted of inciting rioting mobs in respect of about 60 killings and he could not be tried for the same offence again in connection with the Sultanpuri incidents.
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Re-probe docs’ selection: HC
Chandigarh, November 11 The case will now come up on November 22, when the counsels appearing for different parties would give their opinions in the matter. The development is significant as the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has already probed the matter, but its much-hyped report in the selection case is still not a part of the judicial record. It virtually indicts several Punjab Public Service Commission members. The matter was brought under judicial scanner after a petition was filed in public interest by Punjab’s former Director General of Police KPS Gill and other petitioners. The High Court, on a previous date of hearing, had asserted the contentions raised in the bunch of petitions boiled down to three issues. Elaborating, the Bench asserted the first one, raised by former chairman, was about an independent inquiry by the CBI or a retired Judge of the High Court. The Bench had observed it has been argued that the vigilance inquiry had been ordered by the Punjab Chief Minister to bring discredit to the commission with a view to replace its members. The other two issues were taking the inquiry report on record and demand for quashing the selections made by unsuccessful candidates. The Bench had added though in some of the cases a number of doctors had been made parties, all were not arrayed as respondents. As the issue of selection is to be decided, notice will have to be issued.
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Singer Manak’s wife tries to exhume his body, booked
Bathinda, November 11 Among those arrested are Surinder Singh from Sarabha Nagar (Ludhiana), Rajwinder Singh of Rai Khanna village and Binder Ram and Gurdeep Singh. Manak's wife, Sarabjit Kaur, escaped from the site. Sarabjit reportedly wanted to raise Manak's memorial at Jalaldiwal village near Raikot. This was opposed by Jalal residents who offered land in a grain market. She declined the offer. On Sunday night accompanied by the four accused, she tried to exhume the body with the help of a JCB machine. Around 8 pm when the villagers spotted the accused, they informed the police. Famous as 'Kaliyan da Badshah', Manak had passed away after an illness at a Ludhiana hospital on December 2, 2011.
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Two cops suspended in graft case
Sangrur, November 11 Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said an inquiry into the corruption charges against SHO Sanjiv Goyal and the Reader Havildar Devinder Singh had been entrusted to Superintendent of Police (SP-Detective) Paramjit Singh Goraya today. The police said Karnail Singh of Sangrur had given Rs 7 lakh to Harwinder Singh of Nabha to get her daughter admitted in a course at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, but she did not make it to the institute. The complainant had submitted an application to the SSP in this regard. The Sangrur DSP (Rural) had conducted an inquiry into the matter, following which a case was registered against Harwinder in September. The SSP said Karnail had later alleged that the Reader had taken Rs 55,000 from him for getting a case registered against Harwinder while the SHO had taken Rs 80,000 from him for getting the accused (Harwinder) arrested. —
TNS
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Labourer arrested for murder
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 11 Addressing mediapersons here today, Superintendent of Police (Detective) AS Matwani said Gurmeet Singh of Nalina Khurd village had lodged an FIR that his brother Jagtar Singh had been murdered and his body thrown in his fiancée’s house. The police started the investigation and it was suspected that Rajesh,
who was a former servant of the family and had come out of the Nabha jail on November 3, might be the culprit. He said Rajesh was arrested from the bus
stand of the nearby Kharora village. He said during his interrogation, Rajesh had admitted that he had murdered Jagtar Singh with a spade. The accused said he had given Rs 15,000 to Jagtar on credit but he was not giving back his money and had rather lodged an FIR with the police that he had stolen his buffalo due to which he was sent to the Nabha jail. He told the police that he decided to take revenge. He said he had thrown the body in the house of Jagtar’s fiancée to implicate her in the case. The Superintendent of Police (Detective) said
further investigation was on to determine Rajesh’s role in some other criminal cases.
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Muktsar, November 11
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Ludhiana, November 11