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June 3, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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AUTO-RICKSHAW DRIVER’S DEATH Ludhiana, June 2 Even as the district police had claimed that the man had died a natural death and unconfirmed reports said that the case was solved due to a compromise on monetary grounds between the accused cop and the victim’s family, the PHRC, acting on the complaint, has found it fit to be registered as case. Mr Charanjit Bakshi, a human rights activist and an advocate, had pleaded the case with the PHRC on the basis of reports of various newspapers. A copy of the PHRC orders received here today said that the allegations against the traffic cop as made out in the newspaper reports, and referred to in the complaint of Mr Bakshi made it a fit case to be taken cognisance of. It amounted to violation of rights of the victim and is registered as a case with the commission. The case has been listed as complaint No. 2103. The PHRC has sent the notice of registering the complaint as a case to IG (Litigations). A copy of the notice has also been sent to the Ludhiana Police. The sordid incident had taken place on April 29 in late evening. The man, Chaman Lal (42), had allegedly suffered a stroke while he was being allegedly beaten by an ASI of the Traffic Police. The cop had stopped him along with some other auto-rickshaw drivers and was challaning them for want of papers. An eyewitness, Om Parkash, who was also challaned and slapped, had said that Chaman Lal collapsed the moment he was pushed around and slapped by the cop. He said Chaman Lal was pleading to the cop to let him go. Ms Manju Kaushal, wife of Chaman Lal, told Ludhiana Tribune that her husband was a heart patient and was not keeping good health. The woman was in deep grief and was even suffering from fits. Women from the neighbouring houses were finding it hard to console her, including her two minor children. The SSP, however, had said in a press release the next day that according to a police inquiry, it was established that the driver had died a natural death and the accused cop, ASI Swaran Singh, had not assaulted him. The release said the inquiry was conducted by SP (Traffic) Gurdial Singh. According to the inquiry, ASI Swaran Singh of the Traffic Police was on duty at Sherpur Chowk that evening and was checking vehicles and also challaning these. An auto-rickshaw (PB-10Y-9514) was stopped by ASI Swaran Singh and asked for the documents of the vehicle. He produced xerox copies of documents, on which the ASI asked for the original documents of the vehicle. As he went back to get the documents from his auto-rickshaw, he collapsed and became unconscious. |
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Youths on the run ‘free’ at last Ludhiana, June 2 The case relates to an attempt on the life of Mr Balraj Singh of Bholapur village in January this year. On the basis of the statement of the victim and police investigation, the Sahnewal police booked three friends, Kulwant Singh, Kuldip Singh and Sharanjit Singh, under Section 307 of the IPC for allegedly attempting to murder the victim. According to Mr Sukhwinder Singh Grewal, president Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, who fought the case on behalf of the three youths with the police all these months, the whole incident reflects how innocent youths were framed by the police. He claimed the police had done this in order to pressurise one of the accused, Sharanjit Singh, to withdraw a civil case against his uncle. Sharanjit’s mother, Mukhtiar Kaur, a widow, revealed to reporters here today that she has heaved a sigh of relief with the acquittal of the three youths in the case. Producing documents of her complaints made to the Punjab Human Rights Commission (PHRC) and senior police officers in the case, the woman narrated that she had not only seen her son and his two friends undergo an ordeal, but she as well as her relatives had suffered a lot. She said they had all been forced to live a life like fugitives and suffered huge economic losses as well. The wheat crop planted by his son had been completely lost for want of care and all cattle heads he owned had also perished. All of them have had to regularly change their address as the police had been raiding their hideouts. Mr Sukhminder Singh Grewal said the youths, and especially Sharanjit Singh, were being forced to withdraw the civil case and only then they would be ‘acquitted’ of the attempt-to-murder case. Mr Grewal, however, was thankful to the police for finally getting to the bottom of the case. |
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DHO’s arrest exposes corruption in Health Department Ludhiana, June 2 The answer is in the affirmative if the complaint by a pickle manufacturer, who helped the VB in unearthing the corruption racket in the District Health Department, is any indication. The two arrests in the city yesterday are indication of the prevalent corruption in the system and how the officials concerned mint money instead of the health of 25 lakh people. The case of 60 body builders who were taken ill after drinking soya milk aptly describes the way the department functions. It had once again proved the allegation that the health officials had turned the procedure of taking a sample test into a buck-making machine. While the Civil Surgeon had claimed that he would inquire into the case and action would be taken against the defaulters, no headway has been made into the case. The Health Department has not even bothered to raid the various soya milk manufacturing units in the city. A quick round of the entire city is enough to make one believe that the ‘disease control system’, if any, is working at the mercy of god. In various areas of the old city like Field Ganj, Ghas Mandi, Shimlapuri, Tajpur Road and the like, numerous local units manufacturing ice-candies and soft drinks are mushrooming but there is no check on the quality of the products. One can find flies and other such insects thriving in such units and the owners claim that they pay ‘extortion’ money to the Health Department and need not worry about hygiene. No wonder Ludhiana tops the list of the cities where the diseases like jaundice, gastro-enteritis, typhoid, cholera and dengue asume epidemic proportions here and the Health Department is least bothered. The media has been highlighting the issue of spurious and chemically-prepared milk products, unhygienically manufactured ice candies and cold drinks for years together but nothing changed. Only recently Ludhiana Tribune had carried a report on food products having animal origin ingredients being sold openly in the city without the necessary symbol in violation of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and Birinder Pal Singh while speaking to TNS had said that he would soon launch a crackdown on the violators. In the light of the latest developments, one can imagine the seriousness with which the department would have handled the issue, the fate of which hangs in balance as the DHO is behind bars now. |
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Sixth accused identified in rape case Ludhiana, June 2 The role of the sixth accused, Hari Parkash or Parsad, has come up during investigations into the case. While the police was not sure if the activities of the man suggested any kind of racket, it said the man's dubious role of leaving the woman here smacked of some deeper conspiracy in the case. The investigations revealed that the woman was mother of two children and belonged to a village in Uttar Pradesh. She was living separately from her husband. The police said yesterday that the woman was unmarried and was kidnapped by the accused from an orphanage in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, Baba Jagir Singh, head of the religious place, said though he was not well for the past few days, he owns the moral responsibility for the incident and willing to face any action. |
Veterinary body seeks Director’s suspension Ludhiana, June 2 Dr Rajinder Singh, president of the association, said a CBI inquiry should be ordered into the working of the department since the Chief Minister had failed to initiate any action against the department even though sufficient proof had been submitted to him. Dr Gurcharan Singh, patron of the association, said it was unfortunate that the services of the veterinary officers who were recruited during the tenure of Ravi Sidhu had been dispensed with. He said most of them had completed their probation period. It was the duty of the government to act in a way that the interests of meritorious candidates were not harmed, he added. |
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YC activists
take out torch-light procession Ludhiana, June 2 Addressing the activists Mr Mehta warned Pakistan against undertaking any misadventure. He asserted that the youth of the country was conscious of their responsibilities towards the nation and were determined to defeat the enemy’s designs. He condemned the continuous firing resorted to by the Pakistani Army on the civilian population along the international border and the Line of Actual Control. The Youth Congress activists later took a pledge for safeguarding the unity and integrity of the country at any cost. A separate procession was taken out by the SC/ST cell of the DYC today. The procession led by its Chairman, Mr Sarbjeet Bhatti, started from the Congress office and concluded at Clock Tower. Youth Congress activists burnt an effigy of the Pakistan military ruler, Gen Pervez Musharraf, and resolved to safeguard the unity and integrity of the country. |
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Council
supports CM’s initiative Ludhiana, June 2 The council has suggested that the Chief Minister should also order vigilance inquiry into the scandal of allotment of tickets to the councillors. This will bring transparency and accountability within the Congress. |
Hosiery park in city soon Ludhiana, June 2 This was stated by Mr Ashwani Shekri, Minister for Industry, while addressing a delegation of the Knitted Garments Manufacturers Association here today. He was in the city to attend a cultural function. Mr Dinesh Bhatia, a spokesperson of the association, said the minister assured them that the park would go a long way in removing their problems. After setting up the park, the government would ensure regular interaction with foreign trade delegates, who visited the state in this context. The members impressed on the minister to waive the provision of getting the pollution no objection certificate since their units were non-polluting. He said the minister also assured them the government would inform them on tackling the bottlenecks in bagging foreign orders. |
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