Bathinda, October 25
A 21-year-old student was killed by five youngsters around 10 pm on Friday night. The victim has been identified as Veerpal, alias Ganju, an ITI student, a resident of Street No. 11. Sources said the assailants hit him with iron roads on his head and fled away from the spot.

Passersby saw Veerpal lying on the road in a serious condition and rushed him to a hospital where he was declared dead by the doctors.

Source claimed that some days ago, Veerpal had a quarrel with some youths and had a compromise one day before. But the accused had compromised as per plan and attacked him.

Station Head Officer (SHO) Angrej Singh reached the hospital and recorded the statement of the family members and started the investigation into the murder.

When the incident took place in the area of the Partap Nagar, people were walking on the road at 10 pm and after getting the information regarding the incident tension mounted up in the area and SHO canal colony along with heavy police force reached at the spot and hospital was turned into fortress.

Resident said due to less patrolling of the police in these areas, there is no fear of police among the youths as this youngster was killed in the open.

The deceased, Veerpal Singh, was a student of plumber diploma in the ITI and was on Diwali holidays these days. On Friday night, he had gone to his friend, Mukesh’s house and after sometime, he went on the terrace to fire crackers. But suddenly, without telling anyone, he went down at the street where five youths were waiting for him who started exchanging heated arguments and put him in their Bolero jeep and beat him up badly.

The police have registered a case against the unidentified persons for killing the deceased.

Bathinda, October 25
Policemen pursuing the criminal cases in the district courts are ‘forced’ to indulge into corrupt practices by pressurising complainants to pay stationary and miscellaneous charges between Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000 as the State government has failed to ‘release’ any funds in this regard. It has become a norm to ask complainants or other litigants in criminal or civil cases for the money to be spent on the stationary.

It becomes the responsibility of an Investigating Officer (IO) to arrange money to be spent on stationary and preparing files once a case is registered till the challan is present in the court.

“For instance, if we register a case of theft, we have to arrange paper, pen and photocopying charges. Then we have to give the copy of entire file of challan to all the accused free of cost for which we give an undertaking under Section 207 of the CrPC in the court,” said an investigative officer (IO), deployed at a police station.

The number of pages usually varies between 50 to 500, or more, depending upon the nature of case and if the number of accused increases then the cost of photocopying the same too increases manifolds. Even if a challan is not presented in a case then miscellaneous expenses for cancellation of the FIR too is upon the IO.

One IO usually handles at least 15 to 30 cases at one police station. At the Kotwali police station, an IO usually has 20 to 30 cases. “Though we manage the paper work at the district courts yet it becomes a Herculean task to arrange at least Rs 5,000 or more whenever we have to file a reply in the High Court,” said another IO.

The IO in a concerned case is supposed to prepare a reply by typing it from the professional typist, get it examined from a private lawyer and then submit the same in the High Court.

SP (Headquarters) Jasvir Singh stated that though they are getting stationary in the form of registers, papers for printers and pen after every six months from the Police Headquarters, Chandigarh. “But the onus of arranging papers and file is on the IO, who submits reports and challan in the court,” Jasvir said.

A police inspector, deployed as an SHO, pleading anonymity stated that those keep on nagging the senior officers to release funds for the stationary and other miscellaneous expenses in a police station are considered ‘incompetent’ to become an SHO. “Call it corruption or cooperation of public, but either way, we have to pay from our own pocket or force the complainants or accused to pay such charges,” he said.

An IO stated that it has become quite difficult for the policemen to ask for such expenses in cases of theft and where a life is lost. In such cases, we grill the accused party to release money for such expenses.

If as per a rough estimate 400 cases are registered at a police station in a year and a minimum of Rs 1,000 is spent on each case then the cost increases to Rs 4 lakh a year, which is entirely borne by the policemen, complainants or the criminals.

Bathinda, October 25
District Congress Committee (DCC), Bathinda (urban), president, Mohan Lal Jhumba, along with his brother and other 12 Congress workers has been booked in another case for attacking a former Municipal Councillor and SAD leader Shivji Ram Sharma and his son Sunny Sharma at their home in Lal Singh Basti on Friday.

It is pertinent to mention that in the statement given to the police, Shivji Ram Sharma have stated that were standing outside their house and suddenly 10 to 15 persons headed by Mohan Lal Jhumba and Sohan Lal Jhumba reached outside their house and started threatening them “tuhanu dekhlu mein tusi sade protest da virodh kita si na kuch din pehla” (I will see, you only protested against our protest some days ago) and started attacking us.

“To save ourselves, we ran inside our home and following us they also came inside our home and attacked us with sharp-edged weapons. We started shouting for help and in a while our neighbors come for the rescue. Seeing this, they fled away from the spot and we were taken to the Civil Hospital. The Canal colony police have registered a case under Sections 506, 452, 148 and 149 of the IPC and 25 of Arms Act.

Jhumba was arrested yesterday in another case for threatening a former Congress president of the Bathinda unit, Inder Singh Sahni.

In a complainant to the Thermal police station, Sahni had stated that Jhumba had threatened him on his phone and even stopped his car pointing weapon towards him.

Surprisingly, the city police is trying to keep the things under carpet as both the case were registered yesterday against Mohan Lal Jhumba but senior police official only stated that he was arrested under the complaint by senior Congress leader.

When Mohan Lal Jhumba was arrested and kept at the Canal Colony police station, doors of the police station were closed and no one was allowed to enter inside. Even senior Congress leader Harmander Singh Jassi who reached at the police station was not allowed to meet Jhumba.

Even the Station Head Officer (SHO) of both the concerned police stations declined to comment on the issue stating senior official should be contact. While Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar talking over the phone stated that he was busy at some meeting at 8.15 pm in the evening and after that Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) level officer confirmed that Jhumba has been arrested under the complaint by senior Congress leader.

Even both the cases have no mention in the daily police dairy or crime report issued by the Police Department today.

Bathinda, October 25
The district unit of the Congress party is caught in a piquant situation when it announced to launch a massive protest against registration of two ‘false’ cases against district Congress (urban) president, Mohan Lal Jhumba, as one of the cases is registered on the complaint of a senior Congress leader.

Former Congress MLA Harminder Jassi today formally announced to launch protest against the Punjab government. Jassi, however, tried to play down the role of the senior Congress leader at whose behest one of the two cases are registered against district Congress president.

With claims of being united against the Punjab government’s case registration spree, Jassi said the district unit of the party would launch a series of protests from Wednesday.

Refraining himself from naming any senior police officer, Jassi termed the Punjab Police’s anti-Congress spree keeping in view of the coming Municipal Corporation elections.

“The government is trying to repress the Congress workers by resorting to such tactics but we will not sit idle and raise our voice against injustice,” Jassi said. He pointed out that all the protests, including silent demonstrations will be organised within the perimeters of the law. On the issue of lodging a complaint by senior Congress leader he replied, “This issue will be resolved by holding meetings with the senior leader—Inder Sahni—who has failed to contact me before lodging a formal complaint against Jhumba.”

Although, Inder Singh Sahni, the senior Congress leader who got one of the cases registered against district Congress president (urban) Mohan Lal Jhumba decided to disengage himself from the protest.

“I cannot be a part of the protest against the registration of case against Jhumba. Though being a Congress worker I always oppose the case registration spree of the Punjab government,” Sahni said. Sahni stated that he sought security from the Bathinda police and one or two policemen are expected in a day or two who would remain present with him in a view of the threat perceptions issued by Jhumba.

“The police are in possession of the entire recordings of cell phone wherein Jhumba had threatened, humiliated and used choicest of cuss words. I stand by my complaint and will pursue it till its logical conclusions,” Sahni said. It is pertinent to mention here that Sahni has a considerable number of supporters in the Congress party as he remains district general secretary for almost 28 years and he also served as the Punjab Congress Committee member and was district Congress president for seven years starting from 2005.

Congress worker and senior lawyer, Guriqbal Chahal who is contesting the legal battle in favour of arrested district Congress president (urban) Mohan Lal Jhumba too accompanied Jassi. Chahal stated that the contents of the FIRs lodged by the police are a nothing but a mockery of the existing system. “For instance, the police claim that the accused were carrying sharp-edged weapons but the injuries shown in the medical report are blunt in nature. Moreover, the place where the incident occurred has a round-the-clock CCTV camera which had failed to capture the related with the incident which shows that the police have registered false FIRs,” Chahal said. District press secretary Rupinder Bindra too supported the claims of Chahal and Jassi.

Bathinda, October 25
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to have failed to prick the conscience of senior functionaries of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB), the Health Department and the police, as heaps of garbage have piled up but the authorities refuse to take any action.

People smoking at public places and those consuming liquor are allowed to carry on with their anti-cleanliness acts despite making numerous complaints to the health and Police Department.

Though the senior functionaries of these departments pose before the shutterbugs by holding brooms but they fail to do anything to improve the situation.

“The health authorities fail to issue challans to those smoking at public place in front of Three Cinemas on Bathinda-Goniana Road despite repeated requests and complaints and the in charge of the Kotwali police station refuse to take action against those who consume liquor citing Diwali festival,” said Gurwinder Mann, a resident of Ajit Road.

Accusing the officials of the Improvement Trust of being hands in glove with a hotel owner and cigarette seller, Gurwinder Mann said the officials are pocketing money in lieu of allowing encroachments by the cigarette seller and hotel owner.

“While the hotel owner allows parking of vehicles where unscrupulous elements sit in their cars to consume liquor, a large number of youngsters smokes at the shop of cigarette seller,” Mann said.

He added that the matter has also been brought into the notice of the senior vigilance officials who have been requested to look into the nexus between the government servants and the encroachers.

While the smokers create chaos as they pollute the atmosphere and it become quite difficult to pass through at the Improvement Trust Market in front of the three cinemas, the drunkards openly consume liquor by putting liquor bottles at the bonnets of their cars. Similar situation prevails in front of the Bathinda railway station and the bus stand.

“While the smokers litter cigarette butts all over the parking area the drunkards urinate in front of the residential area and the police and the Health Department refuse to take action,” said another Hardev Kumar.

He added that though the MCB got few vacant plots cleaned in their locality but people have now again started dumping the garbage in those plots.

Pushpesh Kumar, a resident of Pujawala Mohalla, said safai workers have failed to pick up garbage from their locality during holidays. “Similar situation prevails on Amreek Singh Road, Bathinda-Goniana Road, Power House Road and other city areas,” said Palwinder Kaur, a resident of Hazura Kapura Colony.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Tejwant Randhawa said he will ask his team to intensify the anti smoking drive in city.

Bathinda, October 25
Two cases of fighting have been registered in the district on the Diwali night.

Pavitar Kaur had lodged a complaint with the police that on the night of Diwali two accused Manpreet Singh and Gurpreet Singh threw fire crackers into their house from the terrace repeatedly and when she opposed this, both started thrashing her with the sticks.

Investigation Officier Balwinder Singh said on the statement of the victim they had registered a case against the accused and started investigation into the matter.

The Sangat police have registered a case against both the accused under Sections 452,323 and 34 of the IPC.

In another case two persons have been booked for beating Dev Singh, a resident of Chuge Khurd village on the night of Diwali. The victim’s son Gurdharam Singh was bursting crackers along with his friends, when accused Polly Singh abused him and Vira Singh hit him with sharp edged weapon on his head.

The Nandgarh police have registered a case under Sections 326, 34 of the IPC against both the accused.

Bathinda, October 25
Three persons have been booked in an eve-teasing case. Balbir Singh, father of the victim in his complaint to the police has stated that three persons have teased his daughter while she was standing at Balluana bus stand.

Father of the victim said on October 21 her daughter was returning home after finishing her duty. When she reached at the bus stand around 7 pm, three persons Nirmal Singh, Pindu and Balkar Singh allegedly teased her.

The police have registered a case against the three under Section 354-A and 34 of the IPC at the Bathinda Sadar police station.