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Now, Ashwani takes on Bajwa over Cong list
Miffed, Mahila Cong chief writes to Rahul
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New PPCC meets on January 6
18 state youths jailed in Abu Dhabi
Malwa’s cancer patients show
little interest in Mohali hospital
Nachhatar getting VIP treatment, say rape victim's kin
Hope surfaces for trade route’s opening
Haryana cowboys keep Malwa fields free of stray cattle
Aspirants in a fix over PPSC age bar
2013 Review |
industry
Badal-Jakhar bonhomie boosts Abohar projects
Three-day Urs begins at Roza Sharif
Devotees throng the tomb of Hazrad Sheikh Ahmad Farukhi Sirhindi Mujaddad Alifsani in Fatehgarh Sahib on Monday. A Tribune photograph
Lovers jump before train; boy dies
PIMS staff strike enters Day 19
CPI protests against govt’s ‘failure’ to provide
foodgrain
Survey on dropouts is teachers’ bane
Indian artistes not welcome in Pak: Playwright
3 months after man’s death in Saudi Arabia, body cremated
Show will to end drug menace, Dal Khalsa tells Badal
Clear stand on Dhuna Sahib’s possession: Hindu bodies to govt
Representatives of various Hindu organisations hold a meeting at Durgiana Temple in Amritsar on Monday. Photo: Sameer sehgal
PSEB body opposes move to raise CMD’s
retirement age
Faridkot prisoners threaten jail official over mobile phone
2013
Review | Crime
The accused used to procure weapons from other states and sell these to customers for
Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh
Six injured in bus-canter collision
Man robbed of Rs
20,000 in Abohar bank
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Miffed, Mahila Cong chief writes to Rahul
Jalandhar, December 30 “The high command has been befooling women saying they will be given 33 per cent reservation in ticket allotment. But the promise has been broken time and again. The new list is nothing but a proof of how nepotism has gripped the party,” said Thapar. She alleged that the party had failed to learn a lesson from its defeat in four states in the recent assembly elections. “Women who have been working sincerely for the last 20 to 25 years have been ignored,” said Harsimarjit Kaur, Punjab Mahila Congress vice-president. Hitting out at the party high command, Malti Thapar said, “Congress president Sonia Gandhi had assured that women would be given 50 per cent reservation in the party set up but the present list only has 8 per cent women candidates.”
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New PPCC meets on January 6
Chandigarh, December 30 Sources said besides a formal interaction with the office-bearers, detailed discussion would be held on preparing a strategy for the Lok Sabha elections. A decision on allotting election-related work to the newly appointed office-bearers, especially vice-presidents and general secretaries, is also on agenda. Already, there are signs of resentment among certain leaders for not being accommodated in the PPCC’s jumbo list. There are reports that a vice-president and two general secretaries would be appointed in each of the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies to mobilise the party rank and file for the General Election. The Congress leadership is keeping a watch on political developments and trying to enter into an electoral alliance with like-minded secular parties.
Bajwa has already submitted a report to the high command informing his priorities for an alliance with other parties in Punjab. He has been urging for an alliance with the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), besides Left parties. But, former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is reportedly not in favour of an alliance with the PPP. He, however, is all for a tie-up with Left parties, the CPI and the
CPM. Though the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) too has started enrolling members, it has not held any big rally in the state so far. The leaders of various mainstream parties are curious to know what role AAP would play in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab. There are several
organisations, both on social and political fronts, which are keen on joining hands with AAP in the
state.
Kaypee keen on Jalandhar Lok Sabha ticket
Congress leader Mohinder Singh
Kaypee, who was elected from Jalandhar last time, is not keen on shifting to Hoshiarpur constituency, said sources. The PPCC leadership reportedly wanted that Kaypee be shifted to Hoshiarpur and Santosh Chaudhary be moved to Jalandhar as she had won by a slender margin last time. Dr Raj Kumar Verka and Tarlochan Singh Soond have also been eying the Hoshiarpur seat, it is learnt From Khadoor Sahib, Harminder Gill and Sukhjinder Raj Majithia are said to be in the race. OP Soni and Sukh Sarkaria’s names are doing the rounds from Amritsar. From Fatehgarh Sahib, the party is believed to have recommended the names of incumbent MP Sukhdev Singh Libra, Charanjit Singh
Channi, Shamsher Singh Dullo, Sadhu Singh Dharmsot and Malkiat Singh Dakha. Vijay Inder Singla is likely to be re-nominated from
Sangrur, Preneet Kaur from Patiala, Ravneet Singh Bittu from Anandpur Sahib, Partap Singh Bajwa from Gurdaspur and Manish Tewari from Ludhiana. From Bathinda, Surinder
Singla, Harminder Singh Jassi and Rampal Dhaipee are in the race. Jagmeet
Brar, Parminder Singh Pinki and Sunil Jakhar are the likely nominees from
Ferozepur.
On agenda
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18 state youths jailed in Abu Dhabi
Hoshairpur, December 30 Family members of eight of these youths have pleaded with the Foreign Ministry to help them in getting their sons released. The matter came to light when Nishan Singh of Tarn Taran got a phone call from Abu Dhabi that his son Nirmal Singh had been taken for interrogation in a murder case and had been sent to Al-Wadva jail. Later, he got a call from his son in jail who told him that he and his coworkers had gone to a restaurant to have dinner. There, two groups got involved in a clash in which they too sustained some injuries. He said that later the police summoned them for interrogation, detained them and sent them to jail. As they have been confined in groups of four, Nishan Singh has been able to locate families of eight youths with the little information available. Four are from Nawanshahr (Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar) district,
two from Tarn Taran and one each from Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar. Family members of
all these eight youths met Rajya Sabha MP Avinash Rai Khanna to seek his help in getting there sons released. Khanna said that he had written to the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs to take up the matter with the UAE Government. Khanna has asked the Foreign Ministry to constitute a high-level authority to deal with such matters related to Indians abroad.
The eight identified so far
In trouble
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Malwa’s cancer patients show
little interest in Mohali hospital
Bathinda, December 30 “We will continue to travel to Bikaner, so will other patients from Muktsar,” said her husband Pritam Singh, adding that Mohali and Chandigarh did not offer treatment at low costs and commuting was also not convenient. At least 7,500 new patients from Punjab visited Bikaner hospital this year. Many patients say Bikaner will continue to be their destination for treatment even after the Mohali hospital starts functioning. “No train runs between Bathinda and Mohali and unlike Bikaner, low cost
of lodging and boarding is not available in Mohali or Chandigarh,” said Rajwinder Kaur. Pritam Singh said the treatment at Bikaner had become cheaper with the launch of a medical scheme by the Rajasthan government. “Our cost of treatment has gone down. Punjab offers free treatment up to Rs 1.5 lakh that too at select hospitals whereas in Rajasthan
the facility of free treatment and medicines covers almost all the hospitals,” he said. Jarnail Singh of Jajjal village, a crusader against the use of pesticides and fertilisers in farms, finds it ironic that despite the
concentration of cancer patients in the Malwa belt, the state government decided to open the hospital
in Mohali. “It seems that the government is finding it difficult to convince investors to open a hospital in the rural belt and doctors for a posting there,” he said. “Opening new hospitals alone won’t solve the problem. The state needs to restrict the use of chemicals in crops to keep a check on the spread of the disease,” said Jarnail Singh. He welcomed the coming up of a cancer hospital in Sangrur as it would provide relief to patients from Mansa and Barnala. But Mohali and Chandigarh were out of bounds,
he said. “The state needs to augment bus and train services if it wants the hospitals to be really helpful to the patients,” he added. Though Bathinda has a private hospital offering modern cancer treatment, it is not affordable.
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Hope surfaces for trade route’s opening
Ferozepur, December 30 In November, Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif had assured a delegation of Indian leaders led by Congress legislator Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi that his government was keen to reopen the Hussainiwala-Lahore route to facilitate bilateral trade and improve the socio-economic conditions of people residing in the border areas on both sides of the fence. The pronouncement was welcomed by the trader community of the Malwa region who feel sanguine that if both Indian and Pakistani governments take a step forward, the day was not far when trade through this gateway will open floodgates of prosperity for lakhs of border residents. Traders and border residents alike have been clamouring for the reopening of the trade route that was closed in the aftermath of the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Sharif’s visit, however, has given hope. Badal had taken up the matter with Union External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid during the 8th South Asian Free Media Conference, wherein he had asked the minister to intensify the efforts on behalf of the Centre to open the land route to give much-needed impetus to the already buoyant trade between the two countries. Earlier, on the sidelines of the opening of Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Amritsar, Badal had exhorted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take steps for the reopening of the trade route. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had taken up the issue with the Pakistani authorities during his last visit to Pakistan along with a 45-member delegation. “The denial of land route for trade via Hussainiwala border is economically irrational,” said Pakistani-born industrialist Arif Shakar, who along with other NRIs had visited the border district some time back. Even economists from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, and other universities have emphasised on the need to connect Malwa with Pakistan to harness bilateral trade. The Hussaniwala border is 11 km from Ferozepur and 9 km from Kasur in Pakistan. Until 1971, the land route was the lifeline of the traders dealing in dry fruits, vegetables, clothes and fruit. As per industry experts, there is scope for Punjab’s cotton to be exported to Pakistan through the trade route. “At present, most of the trade that takes place from Punjab to Pakistan is through Mumbai or Dubai, which means an increase in freight costs. Perishable goods, including vegetables, cannot be shipped. Besides onions and potatoes, there is a demand for green chilies, ginger and other commodities in Pakistan and these can be sent through Hussainiwala,” said Beopar Mandal president Ashwani
Mehta.
Lahore dreams
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Haryana cowboys keep Malwa fields free of stray cattle
Bathinda, December 30 The stray animals, which are estimated to be about 1 lakh in number in Bathinda district alone, have assumed menacing proportions. Herds of them could flatten a one acre field of standing crop in no time. Besides Bathinda, some villages in Mansa and Muktsar have also opted for this unique scheme. Haryana’s horse brigade charges Rs 100 to Rs 120 per acre for safeguarding the fields. Using four horses, six members of Haryana’s horse brigade guard the fields of Machhana, Dunewala, Gurthari and Gehri Buttar villages in the Sangat block of Bathinda. Parminder Singh, a farmer from Machhana, said that he pays Rs 110 per acre to the horse brigade as there was no other way to combat the stray animal menace. Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav said that 'cow cess' has been levied within the municipal limits to generate funds for stray-cattle management. But there was no government scheme in villages yet. In one case, a control room has been established near Gurthari village by residents of four villages. Kamal, the chief of the Haryana horse brigade, said, "Our team guards fields in these villages round the clock to ensure that no stray animal damages the standing crop. The sight of horses galloping towards them makes even the menacing oxen and bulls run away." In Ghudda and Kotguru, two horses and one motorcycle have been requisitioned. Angrej Singh Vicky, a youth of Kotguru village, said that as people abandon their aged cattle on the vacant premises of Central University of Punjab in the village, the number of stray cattle has grown manifold. Iqbal Singh, Ghudda panchayat member, said that the village had formed a committee and directed every farmer to contribute Rs 110 per acre to pay the horse brigade when the problem got out of hand. In Jassi Baghwali village, there is a three-member horse brigade with two horses. Farmer Tejinder Singh said that things had got so bad that even police help was sought by the residents of Jassi Baghwali and Samana villages. In Pitho village, a police case had been registered in this regard. In villages like Chak Fateh Singh Wala and Burj Kahan Singh Wala, tension between factions had been reported over stray cattle. Residents of the area falling on the Punjab-Haryana border said that often farmers from Haryana or Rajasthan abandoned their aged animals in their fields at night. Farmers of Sekhu village said that a few days ago, the number of stray cattle in their fields was so huge that they had to make three rounds in a trolley to transport them to far-off places. Raiya, Lehri, Kauroana, Mirjeana, Nangla and Sardargarh and Kaljharani are among other villages that have employed a common brigade of five horses.
The problem
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Aspirants in a fix over PPSC age bar
Patiala, December 30 The PPSC had advertised for 23 posts of executive magistrate, 10 of deputy superintendent of police, 16 of deputy superintendent of jail, 52 of excise and taxation officer, six of tehsildar, 11 block development and panchayat officers and two labour and conciliation officers. Information on the PPSC website states "candidate should not be below 21 years and above 38 years of age as on 01-01-2013. In the case of Punjab Police Service/Punjab Prisons Service, a candidate should have attained the age of 21 years and should not have attained the age of 28 years as on 01-01-2013. While the exam is scheduled to be held in 2014, the PPSC has fixed the cut-off date for 2013. The parents of a 21-year-old candidate hailing from Amritsar alleged that when the examination was scheduled for 2014, how could the PPSC fix the age criterion from a back date. It means that those who attained the age of 21 after January 1 this year will not be able to apply, they said. Sources said the rule and regulations for the examination were fixed by the state government while the PPSC only executed the orders. DS Mahal, PPSC member, said he was aware that the move would render many candidates ineligible. "I am of the opinion that the government should only specify month for the age rule so that candidates born a few days before or after the cut-off date do not lose a chance," he said, adding that since the government fixed all these rules, the PPSC was helpless. Anirudh Tewari, secretary, personnel, said the age criterion was fixed for January 1, 2013 since the 2013 examination schedule got delayed due to pending court cases and the same were being held in 2014. It was thus wrong to blame the government. "Even the test is called the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination, 2013. Rules have been framed in a transparent manner and those who will miss the exam due to minimum age criterion, will surely get a chance next year," he stated.
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2013 Review |
industry
Chandigarh, December 30 A significant part of the year was defined by protests from the existing industry over varied issues like the imposition of property tax and advance tax, high VAT rates, higher power tariff and poor power supply. But, the year ended on a positive note with the state taking giant strides to turn its agrarian economy into industrial. New industrial policy The new industrial policy, based on providing fiscal incentives to those investing upwards of Rs 1 crore in the state and providing ease of doing business created quite a buzz. Power sufficiency in sight The year also saw the government taking strides in enhancing its power generation capacity, with the commissioning of new plants. This would ensure that the state has enough power (for the time being at least) to oil the wheels of the industry. The positive outcome of this would be that in 2014, the state industry will not have to face weekly offs. Exodus continued The year did not begin on a positive note. There were no new investors considering the high cost of land and distance from ports. Even the existing industry preferred to invest in states that offered much better incentives, fiscal as well as better infrastructure. The textile industry was seen shifting base to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan, the hand tool and auto industry too was exploring options outside the state, and the once thriving small-scale pharma industry continued its flight to the hill states. Year ended on positive
note Realising that the road to growth lay only in industrialisation, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal conceptualised and designed the industrial policy to create a favourable economic sentiment and project Punjab as an ideal choice for investment.
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Badal-Jakhar bonhomie boosts Abohar projects
Capt
Amarinder Singh-led government had, in 2006, sanctioned funds for railway
overbridges on the Hanumangarh road and the Malout road and the projects were
completed after the formation of the alliance government. The demand for
another over/under bridge on the Sriganganagar road (National Highway 15) has
been pending since. Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge had approved the new
projects but the decks were to be cleared by the state. A Chief Minister’s
letter dated December 26, received here today, reads, “Leader of the
Opposition Sunil Jakhar had, on December 16, desired that the main sewerage
line should be shifted as it is a hurdle in the construction of the railway
underbridge on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road. It is therefore directed that Rs
70 lakh should be immediately released against the estimated cost of the
project for further proceedings. The CLP leader should be informed about it.”
Earlier, the state government had, on December 23, informed Jakhar that his
request for Rs 4 crore for construction of the light iron railway overbridge
here had been accepted. In another goodwill gesture, Jakhar had received a
letter on December 20 from Irrigation Chief Engineer Amarjit Singh Dullet
requesting him on the behalf of the state government to inspect the ongoing
desilting work of canals in the Abohar canal circle. The team deputed by Jakhar
was accompanied by officials, who promised to get the anomalies removed.
Congress councillors had in a public interest litigation in the Punjab and
Haryana High Court alleged that Abohar remained neglected as the electorate had
facilitated a hat trick by Congress legislature (Sunil Jakhar). Jakhar had held
protests besides blaming the government on the floor of Vidhan Sabha for the
deplorable condition of the sub-divisional town.
Paving way for progress
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Three-day Urs begins at Roza Sharif
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 30 Sources said about 180 persons, who have been issued visa by the Indian Government, would reach the Sirhind railway station on Monday evening through the Samjhauta Express train, which runs between Lahore and New Delhi. A group of 188 persons from Pakistan had visited Rouza Sharif last year. Khalifa of Rouza Sharif Saiyyad Mohammad Sadik Raza Muzaddi said people from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and various other states had already reached and many others from other states were expected to reach by tomorrow morning. The devotees also visited tombs in the nearby villages of this district.
Pak pilgrims coming Intelligence sources said about 180 persons, who have been issued visa by the Indian Government, would reach the Sirhind railway station on Monday evening by the Samjhauta train, which runs between Lahore and New Delhi.
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Lovers jump before train; boy dies
Faridkot, December 30 As the boy was already married, his ties with the girl were being opposed by latter's family. Eyewitnesses said the duo jumped before the Janta Express. The boy threw himself first under it, followed by the girl. While Vipan's partially torn body was extricated, the girl lost both her legs and suffered a serious head injury, said Jasbir Singh, in charge, Railway Police Post, Kotkapura. As the uncle of the deceased reached the spot within minutes, it helped the railway police in identifying the victims. The girl was shifted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, where her condition was stated to be critical. “The girl's father was annoyed with his daughter and declined to reach Kotkapura when we revealed him about the incident,” said Jasbir Singh.
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PIMS staff strike enters Day 19
Jalandhar, December 30 Over 300 employees of
PIMS, having the support of 300 MBBS students, are on a strike due to non-payment of their salaries for the past over six months, following which the healthcare institute has closed down. However, two meetings of the three groups of directors of the PIMS Medical and Educational Charitable Society held at Delhi yesterday and today have brought a ray of hope for the revival of the institute. The striking employees have been conveyed that the old management would continue to run PIMS and their salaries would be disbursed shortly. Talking to the Tribune, Dr SS
Sidhu, who is leading the agitation in a peaceful manner, said, “I am in touch with certain members of the management and getting a regular feedback of the meeting at Delhi. I have come to know that the old management of PIMS Charitable Society would continue to run the institute and the salaries would be paid to the employees shortly.” Meanwhile, parents of 300 students pursuing their MBBS from PIMS have decided to launch a protest from January 2 against the state government and the PIMS management for delaying the studies of their children for over a month.
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CPI protests against govt’s ‘failure’ to provide
foodgrain
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 30 Addressing the protesters, Amar
Nath, district secretary of the Communist Party of India, said poor people in the state had to suffer in view of the lackadaisical approach of the state government. He said even though the Union Government was releasing funds under various schemes, the state government was diverting the funds for other works. He further claimed that poor people in rural areas were not getting job for 100 days a year as guaranteed under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
Amar Nath said the state government, in order to regularise illegal colonies, had imposed property tax on people. He said this extra burden had hit people, who were already facing hardships due to inflation. He urged people to raise their voice against this decision of the government. He also lashed out at the Union Government saying it had failed to control rising prices of essential items, unemployment and corruption. He said in the recent elections in four states, people had already expressed their anger by keeping the Congress out of power.
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Survey on dropouts is teachers’ bane
Faridkot, December 30 The schools are closed for the winter vacation, but the teachers are engaged in conducting the household survey that started on December 16. It will be completed this week. Getting a way around, women teachers have asked their husbands or other members of their families to conduct the survey. After teachers submit the details of dropouts and out-of-school children, there will be a random check of the data at the level of school head teacher, block primary education officer and district education officer to ensure that the survey is reliable. Each supervisory authority has to give an undertaking that every dropout or out-of-school child in his or her jurisdiction has been traced. The survey’s focus is on children living in slums, areas around railway stations, brick kilns, rice mills and newly constructed colonies. Deputy District Education Officer Dharambir Singh said, “The survey is a time-bound exercise. So it is mandatory for the teachers to complete it within the time frame.”
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Indian artistes not welcome in Pak: Playwright
Abohar, December 30 He is unhappy at the trend of theatre artistes from Majha and Doaba featuring in Punjabi movies that are low on content. Pali Bhupinder has no regrets on his recent films “Stupid 7” and “Nabar” faring badly on the box office. “I am going to start work on a new film in March. The focus, as always, will be on social issues,” he said.
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3 months after man’s death in Saudi Arabia, body cremated
Faridkot, December 30 A few days ago, the family approached Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Balwant Singh Ramoowalia to intervene. He used his contacts in the Arab country to get the body back. “Some procedural formalities were pending. I used my contacts in Saudi Arabia to expedite the matter,” said Ramoowalia, who was present at the cremation. The body could not be located for many days due to the “apathetic attitude” of the transport company, he said, adding that the company’s owner did not cooperate with the bereaved family either. Before he left for Saudi Arabia in September, Shailinder was running an electricity shop in Mudki town.
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Show will to end drug menace, Dal Khalsa tells Badal
Amritsar, December 30 It has asked for the constitution of a judicial commission to probe the global drug racket as the menace has reached alarming proportions and threatens to engulf the younger generation. Describing drugs as the biggest challenge to society, top leaders of the group —Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib and Kanwar Pal Singh — said the need of the hour was to unmask the political bigwigs who were playing havoc with the lives of the younger generation. Resolving not to allow the Chief Minister to brush the issue under the carpet under any pretext, the leaders said Badal should constitute a commission headed by a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court with members from lower judiciary and civil rights groups. They said the phenomenal rise in drug trafficking and the disclosure made by arrested drug lord and former DSP Jagdish Bhola about the alleged involvement of people in the corridors of power in the drug racket have set alarm bells ringing.
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Clear stand on Dhuna Sahib’s possession: Hindu bodies to govt
Amritsar, December 30 They have urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to intervene in the matter. During a meeting in
this regard here today, they reiterated that they wanted a peaceful solution of the problem, which started after
two groups, including a Valmiki community group, got into a legal battle over the possession of the disputed portion of the
temple. Dhuna Sahib is currently in possession of Mahant Malkeet Nath of the Valmiki community, supported by SAD leader OP
Gabbar. The court has asked the district administration and the police to give the possession of the area to Mahanat Baldev
Giri. However, they have failed to do so till now. These Hindu organisations also demanded cancellation of the case registered against Ramesh Sharma, general secretary, Durgiana Temple Management Committee, and Mahant Baldev Giri following the suicide of Hato Dravid in Patti.
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PSEB body opposes move to raise CMD’s
retirement age
Chandigarh, December 30 Association president Baldev Singh Sran said his organisation was a signatory to the tripartite agreement between the state government, the management of the two successive companies to the Punjab State Electricity Board
(PSEB) and the association regarding the appointments, transfers and other related
issues. Sran’s statement comes following reports that the state government was considering a proposal to enhance the retirement age of the PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director
(CMD) from 62 years to 63 years. The incumbent CMD is to retire in three months from now, it is learnt.
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Faridkot prisoners threaten jail official over mobile phone
Patiala, December 30 This has raised questions on the working of Faridkot Jail officials
who have allowed jailed inmates to use a mobile phone to threaten a jail
staffer. According to the complaint lodged with the Tripuri police station, Deputy Superintendent, Central Jail, Patiala,
Rajan Kapoor received a threatening text message from a mobile phone on December 25. “The message pertained to a threat to my life.
It mentioned that once the inmate got out of jail, he would teach me a lesson,” reads the complaint with the Patiala police that
was forwarded by the Superintendent, Central Jail, Patiala. When Kapoor called back, someone who identified himself as Kaka Singh attended the call and confirmed that he was speaking from inside Faridkot Jail. “Asked about the threatening message, Kaka Singh reportedly told Kapoor that another inmate — Labh Singh —had sent the text. He too was present inside the jail,” reads the complaint, a copy of which is available with The Tribune. Jagdish Kumar, Additional SHO, Tripuri police station, said that the police would trace the mobile tower location of the phone. “We will also write to Faridkot Jail officials,” he said. Superintendent, Faridkot Jail, Kulwinder Singh told The Tribune that
he was on leave and would get the matter verified on Wednesday. Sources said that Labh Singh was earlier lodged inside Patiala prison and was shifted to Sangrur jail after his activities were found to be suspicious. “Following orders from the Additional DGP (Jails) office, Labh Singh was sent to Sangrur from where he was shifted to Faridkot Jail for administrative reasons. Kapoor was posted at Patiala Jail during that time,” sources said. Additional DGP (Jails) RP Meena said that a complaint to the district police in Patiala has been sent and a probe would be conducted to ascertain if the mobile phone was indeed used from inside the jail.
Free behind bars? The incident has raised questions on the working of Faridkot Jail officials who have allowed jailed inmates to use a mobile phone to threaten a jail staffer
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2013
Review | Crime
Patiala, December 30 Kahlon’s
interrogation “confirmed” Bhola’s role as the kingpin who
procured drugs from across the border and supplied these to other
parts of the country. He had even manufactured rave party drug ICE at
several locations in North India. On a tip-off from Kahlon, the
police arrested Ram Singh, Olympic medalist Vijender’s room mate at
NIS, who was also employed with the Punjab police on sports
quota. The police finally arrested Bhola on November 11 along with
his four associates and synthetic drugs worth Rs 18 crore. Drug seizures
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3 gunhouse owners sell fake arms, booked
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 30 Inspector (CIA, Sirhind) Dalveer Singh said they had received information that duplicate weapons were being sold to arms licence-holders in the district. He said during investigation, the trio’s involvement came to the fore. He said the accused used to procure the weapons from Uttar Pradesh and other states and sell these to gullible customers for Rs 2 to Rs 3 lakh. A case has been registered but the accused are yet to be arrested.
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Six injured in bus-canter collision
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 30 The injured have been identified as Dinesh Prasad, Chanda Srivastav, Harpreet Singh, Baljinder Singh, Balkar Singh and bus driver Sukhwinder Singh. They were rushed to the Civil Hospital, where doctors said they were out of danger. Sources said the accident occurred when the driver of the canter laden with steel suddenly applied brakes in view of "dense fog" in the area. The private bus, which was on its way to Mohali from Luhiana via Sirhind and was following the truck, hit the same causing injuries to bus commuters sitting near the front door. A case of negligent driving has been registered against the canter driver, who fled the spot.
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Man robbed of Rs
20,000 in Abohar bank
Abohar, December 30 Abohar Cotton Factories’ Association president Suresh Kumar Bansal said his representatives Raj Kumar and Ramesh Kumar drew Rs 20,000 from the bank and put it in a bag. The suspect made a cut in the bag and fled with the money. A police team led by Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Devinder Singh reached the bank. The close-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that the girl, along with a boy, spent an hour in the branch, but none questioned their presence. The image was so grainy that the suspects could not be identified. Businessmen who reached the bank’s branch after leaning about the incident said the police had been unable to crack more than a dozen similar cases.
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The list of office-bearers has opened a can of worms for Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee
chief Partap Singh
Bajwa. The latest to hit out at Bajwa is former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Ashwani Kumar, who has alleged that the list smacked of “favoritism” as Bajwa had inducted his known loyalists while ignoring prominent Congress leaders.
Protesting against the “poor” representation given to women in the new PPCC list, Punjab Mahila Congress chief Malti Thapar has shot off a letter to AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
Thapar has objected the way women leaders have been ignored by the high command in the list. A number of other sulking leaders too have trained guns at the party leadership on the issue.
As many as 18 Punjabi youths are feared to have been charged with murder in Abu Dhabi. They were sent to jail after being detained for interrogation on November 30.
They have been divided into groups of four and placed in separate cells. They are reportedly not being allowed to meet their mates in the other cells.
But for
the lack of Texan hats, it could be mistaken for a scene from the Wild West.
Horsemen from Haryana and lathi-wielding security guards from Rajasthan have
been employed by people from about 200 villages in the Malwa belt to ward off
stray animals. The stray animals, which are estimated to be about 1 lakh in number in Bathinda district alone, have assumed menacing proportions. Herds of them could flatten a one acre field of standing crop in no time.
Besides Bathinda, some villages in Mansa and Muktsar have also opted for this unique scheme.
Thousands of devotees from across the world paid obeisance at the tomb of Hazrad Sheikh Ahmad Farukhi Sirhindi Mujaddad Alifsani on the first day of Urs here today.
The three-day festival is observed in the memory of Sheikh Ahmad, who was the most prominent of Khwaja Baqi Billah's disciples. Sheikh Ahmad was jailed along with Guru Hargobind Rai for a long time in
Gwalior. Mouzam Ali, an ardent follower, said Sheikh Ahmad was born and died in
Sirhind.
Various Hindu organisations under the banner of Hindu Nyaye Peeth have asked the state government to clear its stand over the possession of Dhuna Sahib located in the ancient Ram Tirath Temple.
Abohar, December 30