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| Saturday,
October 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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CPI hardens stand against
CM Amritsar, October 11 The Punjab CPI unit chief, Dr Joginder Dayal, said here today that the policies, including the MSP policy of the state government were “anti-farmer, anti-people and anti-employee”. Describing Capt Amarinder Singh as a ‘turncoat’, Dr Dayal said that he had earlier resigned from the Congress to join the SAD but he again went back to the Congress when Mr Parkash Singh Badal — the SAD chief — refused to give him Assembly ticket. Ridiculing the demand of Capt Amarinder Singh to replace the state secretary of CPI, Dr Dayal said that unlike the Congress which “imposes party presidents, the office-bearers of the CPI were duly elected in a democratic way”. A veteran CPI leader, Mr Satya Paul Dang, also criticised Capt Amarinder Singh for demanding a change in the CPI leadership. He said the Chief Minister had no business in this matter as it was an internal affair of the party. Dr Dayal said that the two CPI MLAs who were lured by the Congress to defect the CPI should seek a re-election as they had cheated the mandate. The CPI has announced the organisation of statewide protests against the alleged “anti-people” policies of the state government. Sources said that the CPI and Congress high command were likely to intervene to defuse the current situation as the stand off may cast an adverse effect on the forthcoming elections in Gujarat. CPM rally on
Oct 22 Hoshiarpur, October 11In protest against the “anti-labourer and anti-farmer policies” of the Punjab Government and its decision to close down various corporations and boards, the Punjab CPM unit will stage a state-level rally at Chandigarh on October 22. Mr Raghunath Singh, secretary of the CPM unit in a press note here today said the party had staged a jatha march from September 15 to 30 covering more than 1,000 villages in the state to organise people for their participation in the rally. Criticising the government’s “anti-labour” policies, he said lakhs of industrial units in the country had been closed, rendering about two crore workers jobless.
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Farmers unable to sow paddy may get
relief Patiala, October 11 The team led by Mr P.K. Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, and consisting of members of the Ministry of Power and Ministry of Rural Development, which has toured several parts in Dera Bassi and Rajpura subdivisions besides Sunam, Mansa and Talwandi Sabo has also decided to make similar recommendations to the Union Government, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Tejvir Singh has disclosed. The Deputy Commissioner said in Patiala district itself nearly 70,000 acres were left unsown during the paddy season. He said these farmers could not benefit later also when they sowed jawar, bajra and toriya. Farmers at Dandrala village in Dera Bassi showed the team their fields of toriya which was destroyed three days after the seed was planted because of the late rain in September. The team was also shown the paddy crop in areas of Dera Bassi and Rajpura which looked green but did not have the required grains. Farmers in some areas complained that the picture had become worse after the special girdwaris ordered during the drought-like conditions in the state. This, they said, was because the vegetable and other crops planted after the failure of paddy also could not come up. This had resulted in an acute shortage of fodder in some areas, besides a hike in fodder prices. Farmers also complained of the failure of tubewells due to a steep fall in the groundwater level. The Deputy Commissioner said the Central team was told by the farmers that they could not dig bores to the levels required to get access to water and that it would not be viable to undertake this exercise even if loans were provided to them. Earlier, during the special girdwari conducted by the district administration, it was revealed that one lakh acres of the total 7.5 lakh acres in the district had been affected in varying degrees by the drought conditions. It said the impact had been maximum in Rajpura and Dera Bassi tehsils where 45,000 acres and 35,000 acres, respectively, had been affected. It had also focussed on the fact that 12,800 tubewells out of the total of 1.16 lakh tubewells had gone dry during this period and 32,000 tubewells had been deepened or rebored. |
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Mill polluting groundwater shut Patiala, October 11 Sources said the action had been taken following reports regarding the contamination of groundwater in areas adjoining the mills and in Mohali and Toansa areas in Nawanshahr district, where the bulk drug manufacturing units are situated. They said of the seven big paper mills in the state, only three had gone in for chemical treatment plants. Besides, there are around 14 small paper mills in the state. Most of them are disposing of the liquid waste generated at the units into drains which contaminates the groundwater. The board has closed down Mukerian Paper Mill, besides reducing the capacity of Rana Mohinder Paper Mill at Ropar, Oswal Paper Mill and ABC Paper Mill, Hoshiarpur by one-third and that of Narinder Paper Mill, Amritsar, Harisar Paper Mill, Ludhiana and Setia Paper Mill, Muktsar by two-third. The bulk drug manufacturers will have to change their present system of treating their effluent. At present, the manufacturers are using ponds lined with a thin plastic sheet placed below bricks. This system works on the principle that the water-based effluents would evaporate naturally. However, damaged plastic sheets can result in the percolation of the contaminated water into the ground. This has resulted in the contamination of groundwater at Mohali and Dera Bassi, besides Toansa area in Nawahshahr. The major bulk drug manufacturers have units at all three places. In a bid to control further damage to the ecology, the PPCB had directed the manufacturers to go in for chemical treatment of their effluents. While the Mohali and Toansa drug units are of a large capacity and can have independent effluent treatment plants, the Dera Bassi units cannnot afford such a facility. These units have been asked to go in for the establishment of common effluent treatment plants. PPCB Chairman Satish Chandra, while confirming the establishment of the common treatment facilities for the industry, said the board had also asked all four distilleries in the state — Khasa Distillery in Amritsar, Jagatjit Distillery at Hamira, Patiala Distillery at Maine and Chandigarh Distillery at Banur — to become zero-discharge industries. He said the distilleries had been asked to give an undertaking of the time frame they would require for the purpose. Mr Chandra said at present, no distillery was meeting the pollution standards. The board had received reports that groundwater in the area within a radius of 5 km from the Jagatjit distillery at Hamira had got polluted. He said the board had received direction from the Union Government under which no new distillery could be set up in the state without having a tie-up with a sugar mill, so that its effluent could be utilised for generating compost and it became a zero-discharge industry. He said the existing distilleries had been asked to become zero-discharge units by joining hands with sugar mills. The board has also refused to give no-objection certificates to four or five entrepreneurs who wanted to set up distilleries in the state. |
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Industrialist’s murder Ludhiana, October 11 The charred remains of 55-year-old Mukand Singh, a well-known social worker and close aide of former Home Minister Buta Singh, were spotted by the owner of the field in the shell of a car by him in the morning. He reported the matter to the police, who, on the basis of some burnt documents found in the car, were able to identify the body. Sources revealed that he was brutally tortured and hacked to pieces. The body was then doused with petrol and set ablaze in the car to destroy the evidence. The head bore three wounds made with a sharp-edged weapon and the arms and legs, too, had been cut off. Mukand left his house last morning for Moga to reportedly strike a car deal. He had about Rs 2 lakh in cash, besides some important documents in separate suitcases. He went to the house of his friend Darshan Singh alias Gasha in Moga and then the duo went to Pankaj Autos to enquire about a diesel Zen car. They could not strike a deal and reportedly went for drinks. What happened after this is not officially known, but the sources said they allegedly had a quarrel on some matter, following which Mukand Singh was brutally murdered. The two suitcases containing the money and the documents are missing. The police is also investigating into the role of a senior police officer in this context, the sources added. So far, the police has established that the deceased made the last call from his mobile phone at 8. 47 pm from a Ludhiana spice tower, discrediting a claim of Gasha that Mukand dropped him home at 8. 50 pm in Moga, which is more than 60 km from Ludhiana. The police has rounded up some other suspects as well. |
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A water-course of discord Faridkot During the tenure of the erstwhile Faridkot ruler, the administration constructed a number of water-courses in the town to drain out the storm-water and this water-course was one of them. However, after acquiring the building, Sangat Sahib Bhai Pheru Sikh Educational Society allegedly encroached on the water-course while building its playground. The Irrigation Department approached the higher authorities for its vacation to carve out a passage towards the district courts. While admitting the facts, Mr Kuldeep Singh Gill, Vice-President of the society, admitted the society had encroached on it over 30 years ago. It was used by area residents for throwing garbage and also as a toilet . Giving details about the identity of the institution, he said before independence it was functioning at Bhai Pheru village in Lahore district but after partition it was shifted here. Taking into account its services in promoting education, the Pepsu Government allocated the complex to the society on April 1, 1955, to rehabilitate the institution besides monitoring education in this backward area, which was endorsed later by the Punjab Government after Pepsu’s merger into Punjab. The institution was put in the govt-aided list on December 1, 1967 and since then it had been getting 95 per cent grant for paying salaries. It had got 1046 students on its rolls, of which 532 pupils belong to the economically weak sections. A nominal fee is being charged. It has played a significant role both in the education and sports fields. Some of them include Mr Gurdial Singh, District and Sessions Judge; Mr Inder Pal Gogi, Mr Gurmeet Singh, Mr Harpal Singh, Mr Manpreet Singh and Mr Manohar Singh , all eminent hockey players and wrestlers. Mr Gill said the stone for renovating the school complex was laid by Mr S.S. Ray, the Punjab Governor, on September 10, 1987 and completed on February 10, 1996. The renovation project cost the society lakhs of rupees. While sending a representation to the state government for adopting a sympathic attitude, Mr Gill said the society was ready to pay a reasonable cost for the encroached land. When contacted, Mr Hussan Lal, Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department, said on appeal by the society, Mr Gurchet Singh Bhullar, Irrigation Minister, had brought all the documents to resolve the issue. Meanwhile, a meeting of educationists, doctors and heads of different non-government organisations held here also appealed the state government and the Deputy Commissioner to sort out the matter in a positive way in the interest of the society. Mr A. Venu Prasad, Deputy Commissioner, said a case regarding encroachment of land was lying in his court and would be decided as per the law. |
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Water crisis in Abohar deepens Abohar, October 11 The subdivisional town has been facing a water shortage for the past fortnight after the authorities closed canals and sub-canals for the half-yearly maintenance. The department was of the view that fields did not require much canal water these days. Farmers, however, maintained that agriculture scientists had advised them to sow hybrid mustard before October 15. The drinking water here is controlled and maintained by the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) on the request of the municipal council. The council has not been able to clear debts of Rs 10 lakh on account of maintenance charges to the PWSSB for the next six months. Residents are sore over the “failure” of the council in providing them basic amenities for which, they say, they have been paying enhanced taxes. They alleged poor sanitation and say that street lights are not in working order. The sewer system on the Sahitya-sadan road has got blocked and the PWSSB is pumping out sewage water from a manhole outside Gaushala into the road. PWSSB sources said the council has not paid the requisite amount for the maintenance of waterworks and the disposal of sewage water. Mr Sajjan Kumar Jakhar, president of the District Congress Committee, said the council should have provided funds to the PWSSB to de-silt the watercourse long before. He alleged that the council had not bothered to manage grants for the repair of water reservoirs at the old waterworks during the five-year rule of the SAD-BJP coalition. The BJP had a majority in the council. According to information, Mr Sunil Jakhar, MLA, today spoke to the higher authorities in Chandigarh regarding the drinking and irrigation water crisis. The PWSSB today announced that the supply of drinking water would be available only once in 48 hours. It said the tanks had water stock only for three days.
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Court orders auction of DC office
property Ropar, October 11 Mr Ravi Dutt was the organiser of the “Daler Mehandi Night”, which was to be held a few years ago at SAS Nagar, but could not be hold as the then SDM had cancelled the sanction for holding the show. In view of this, Mr Ravi Dutt filed a case in the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) for damages of Rs 70 lakh against the administration. However, the court passed a decree against the administration for Rs. 30,74,012 along with interest. The state, later, filed an appeal before the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the decree. However, the high court initially stayed the execution of the decree for 30 days subject to the condition of depositing the decretal amount within 30 days with the Registrar of the high court. But the state failed to deposit the said amount in the stipulated period. Later, the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Ropar, passed an order for the attachment of the property. The property was attached in July this year and was handed over to the local District Revenue Officer on “sarpurdari”. |
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Mann plans dharna on October
25 Phagwara, October 11 Talking to newspersons at the local mandi, he said Sikh jathas should be sent to Pakistan to pay obeisance at Nankana Sahib on Avtarpurb of Guru Nanak Dev next month. During his visit to European countries, he had taken up the issue of this “blockade” which could flare up into a war between the two countries, he said. On the Jammu and Kashmir poll verdict, he said the public had rejected the “agents” of Mr Vajpayee. Capt Amarinder Singh would also go the Abdullah way if he became the stooge of Mrs Sonia Gandhi, he warned. On the Badal’s claim about threat to his life, Mr Mann said nobody would want to waste ammunition on the “setting sun”. It was better that Mr Badal remained alive and faced music for his “misdeeds”, he said. On the Panthic Morcha, he said his party was out of it. “We can’t go on with those who were backed either by the Congress, Tohra or BJP”, he said. He said the pace of paddy procurement was all right in mandis of Sangrur district and Khanna, but was slow in certain mandis of Doaba, including Phagwara, he said. |
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HIGH COURT Chandigarh, October 11 Issuing the directions, Mr Justice Gill ruled: “It seems that a deliberate attempt was made on part of the insecticide inspector to delay the matter and thus to help the petitioner-company. It is strange why, though the sample was taken on November 26, 1997, the complaint was filed on September 24, 1999, after a gap of nearly one year and 10 months. The delay in the filing of the complaint and also depositing the reference sample on October 30, 1999, clearly shows that the insecticides inspector wanted to help the petitioner-company.” In an undertaking, Punjab’s state counsel today stated that former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s Officer On Special Duty Hardeep Singh would not be arrested till the next date of hearing. The case will now be taken up by Mr Justice Nirmal Singh of the High Court on October 22. Mr Justice Nirmal Singh had earlier issued notice of motion to the state on Hardip Singh’s petition seeking the grant of anticipatory bail. Accusing the Congress government of adopting a revengeful attitude towards political opponents, the petitioner, in an earlier petition, had asserted that the Chief Minister had openly declared that Badal and his men would be taught a lesson and as such he was being targeted. His counsel had added that a false and a baseless case had been registered against the petitioner by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau and his house was raided even though nothing incriminating was recovered. Notice to Punjab in gang-rape case The High Court today issued notice of motion to the state of Punjab and another respondent for November 21 on a petition filed by a Ropar district resident seeking the registration of a first information report into the gang rape of a Kotla Nihang village resident. In his petition, taken up by a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Acting Chief Justice G.S. Singhvi and Ms Justice Kiran Anand Lall, a close relative claimed that the victim had lost her sanity after the incident. Going into the background, counsel for the petitioner had contended that the victim was raped on August 29, 1997, by three accused after luring her with a job offer. Arguing before the court on behalf of the petitioner, Mr A.P.S. Shergill submitted that one of the accused, along with another respondent, prepared a fake medical certificate describing Swaran Kaur as an AIDS patient. A first information report into the matter was lodged by the authorities concerned on May 7. The certificate, he added, was used for launching a defamatory campaign against the victim. More time given in organs’ sale case
Acting on a public interest litigation filed by former MLA Laxmi Kanta Chawla seeking directions to the state of Punjab and other respondents for checking the sale and purchase of human organs, a Division Bench on Friday granted state counsel three weeks time for filing reply. The case will now come up for hearing on October 18. In her petition, the former MLA had alleged that the sale and purchase of human organs, including kidneys, was “flourishing at an alarming rate” in Amritsar. A news report published in The Tribune on September 23 was also enclosed along to substantiate the contentions. The MLA had claimed that organs were not allowed to be sold all over the world and were accepted from either close relatives or cadavers. She had added that directions should be given to the respondents for making fool-proof arrangements to check the trade and nab the culprits, including doctors. |
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MC billing hit by computer
snag Amritsar, October 11 The inhouse computerised bills of water supply and sewerage have not been printed for the past two months and thus could not be dispatched for the recovery of charges. This has added to the financial burden on the cash-strapped civic body. The Mayor, Mr Sunil Dutti, admitted a delay in the printing of the bills. He said the failure of the computers to work out the new software had resulted in this problem. He said he had directed the commissioner to head over the work of printing the bills to the private computer firm which had been earlier handling the job. Mr Dutti added that the corporation had been saddled with the computer purchased by the earlier BJP-SAD combine rule to computerise octroi collection last year, but it had remained unused due to the abolition of octroi. He pointed out that since the corporation was unable to incur the heavy monthly expenses for running the computer by employing extra staff and paying for its maintenance, he had urged the officers to continue with the earlier system. |
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Street play on drug
menace Abohar, October 11 Aks had formed two teams to perform 13 shows per day in different parts of the subdivision. Surender Narula and Anshuman Gandhi directed the teams. Besides visiting different localities and educational institutions, the teams went to several villages, including Kera Khera, Bhangaal, Chanankhera, Balluana, Alamgarh, Sappanwali, Sayyedwala, Diwankhera and Killianwali. A show was performed at Kothapucci village 2 km from the international border. Villagers were fascinated by the artistes’ performance. Club president Raju Nagpal said their aim was to bring awareness among the public especially youths and their parents about the menace of drugs, which had been a major problem in the region. He said the police had succeeded in arresting a number of users and suppliers of dugs, but it was necessary to bring awareness among the public. Street plays could be an effective medium for the purpose, he asserted. Participants in the play included Satish Patel, Bhupender Utreja, Anshuman , Deepak Kamboj, Abhijit, Bobby Sangha, Ashwani Gandhi , Jaspal Singh, Dharamvir Mittal, Mahabir, Himanshu Mutneja, Manish, Chain Singh, Saurabh Midha, Vishal Bhateja, Sonu Jasuja, Inderjit and Rakesh Sain. Dr Rajinder Girdhar, Principal of Homoeopathic Medical College here said a permanent drug deaddiction centre would be opened in the college, the site for which had been earmarked. |
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Recruitment rally on October
19 Amritsar, October 11 Candidates should have passed the matriculation examination with 45 per cent marks in aggregate and of age between 16 to 21 years. The candidates are required to bring their original certificates, of mark-sheet, NCC, domicile, caste, character from school or sarpanch issued within six months, pay book or discharge book in case of ex-servicemen, relationship certificate, part-II order and death certificate in case of sons or son-in-law of war widows besides six sets each of single photographs and joint photographs with father or war widow duly attested. |
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Popularise lok adalats: judge Muktsar, October 11 Mr Jindal asked the District Legal Services Authority to provide speedy and cheap justice to the public while lauding its efforts. He said now air, road and sea travel and transport had come under the jurisdiction of lok adalats. Mr Jindal, who is the Chairman of the District Legal Services
Authority, said lok adalats were fully powered to ensure speedy justice. Mr Rajinder Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Surinder Sacchdeva, advocate on the panel, Mr Fehah Singh Sandhu, ADA, and Mr J.S. Sandhu, DSP, Muktsar, and president of the district Bar council, also attended the meeting. Mr Jindal also went to the district jail and listened to the grievances of inmates. |
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Sacha Sauda chief speaks
to media Salabatpura October 11 The Baba said he had no inclination towards any political party. Asked if he had any politician enemy, he said that he had never asked his followers to support any particular party, therefore, he did not have enmity with any parties. The Baba has come to this village to hold a satsang which was attended by thousands. The reporters were yet to ask controversy-related questions when they were asked to leave. Baba Gurmeet Singh said he had asked his followers that they could support any party of their own will, but should not do so as disciples of Dera Sacha Sauda. He added that he considered all persons equal, irrespective of the political party, religious sect or social organisation they belonged to. |
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CHAI to focus on health for
poor Jalandhar, October 11 The two-day general body meeting and seminar “Communicable diseases — collective action, the best bet” of the CHAI, began on the local Trinity College campus today. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Dr Alphonsa, president of the CHAI (north), said the non-profit voluntary organisation, founded at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh in 1943, had decided to enable the poor to collectively take the responsibility of maintaining health case. “We have already launched a programme to promote grassroot health forums for community participation in planning and implementation, she said. She said the main focus would be on malaria, TB and AIDS. |
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Birdevinder’s
behaviour criticised SAS Nagar, October 11 In a press note released here yesterday, Mr Kuljit Singh Bedi, president of the local Block Congress Committee, said Mr Birdevinder Singh, Kharar MLA, had insulted Mrs Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha, an OSD to the Punjab Chief Minister, at a function organised for the inauguration of the extension block of the Civil Hospital here yesterday. He
said Congress leaders, sarpanches, block samiti members and
representatives of many organisations were agitated over the “ugly
scene” that had created by the MLA and criticised his act. According
to Mr Bedi they said that Mrs Garcha had the right to attend
functions, listen to the grievances of the people of the area which
she had been serving for over 10 years. Meanwhile, the local unit of the All-India Defence Brotherhood too flayed the conduct of the MLA. Lieut Col. A.S. Sandhu (retd), general secretary of the organisation, said that the assertion of the MLA that he should be the sole representative of the people o Kharar constituency was not justified. The town was close to the seat of power and had multiple problems which could not be handled by one individual howsoever capable he or she might be. He
said the MLA had brought his personal conflict in the open, which
should have been privately or at the party level. By behaving in this
manner in the public he had lowered not only his own image but also of
the party and the Chief Minister. |
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22 HIV cases
detected Sirsa, October 11 Meanwhile, in a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner for the Chief Minister of Haryana, the Samiti has raised six demands. It has urged the state government to bring the government blood banks under the Indian Red Cross Society; reduction of blood unit price to Rs 250 from Rs 500 and blood group testing campaign in rural areas. |
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Lawyers call off agitation Amritsar, October 11 According to Mr Rajpal Sood, vice-president of the association, the meeting was arranged at the instance of the District and Sessions Judge. The matter was resolved with a police assurance that no lawyer would be harassed. Among those who attended the meeting were Mr Narinder Pal Singh, district police chief, Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, SP (city), and office-bearers of the association. |
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Permission sought to auction cinema Amritsar, October 11 The Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mr Taranjit Singh, told this correspondent that the department had sealed the cinema hall last month as the owners had failed to deposit the tax for over two years. Mr Taranjit Singh said the government was left with no alternative but to auction the cinema hall for the recovery of tax dues. He pointed out that inspite of repeated reminders and notices, the cinema management had failed to comply with the instructions. |
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Bharati told to pay 5,000 as relief Amritsar October 11 The president of the forum, Mr G.S. Khurana and member Daljeet Pannu, in their order dated September 17 had accepted the complaint of a senior advocate, Mr Deepinder Singh, who had booked a mobile phone on March 27, 2002, by paying Rs 1500 but the signal was not given to him. |
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Man, son denied bail Moga, October 11 Har Kewal Singh, alias Gora, son of Naib Singh, and Naib Singh, son of Jeet Singh, residents of Saidoke village under the Nihal Singh Wala police station, were accused of murdering Hari Singh, an old man of their village. An FIR regarding this murder was lodged at the Nihal Singh Wala police station on June 20, 2002. The accused father and son had been in judicial custody after they were arrested. They applied for a regular bail, but Mr Chawla dismissed their application. |
ASI, 4 other cops
booked Phagwara, October 11 It was learnt today that a high-level probe found the report of the police against Mr Sukhraj Singh, Director, Wadhawan Forex Private Ltd, registered by the ASI, to be fabricated. The company dealt in currency and had an RBI licence. The ASI and four others went to the office of the company on February 23 this year at 7.30 pm and took away more than Rs 20 lakh at “gunpoint”. They arrested the Director, alleging that he was involved in hawala transactions. Sections 411 and 414 of the IPC and 3-B and 3-C of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act were slapped against him. He showed his money exchange licence but to no avail. He was kept in police and judicial custody and was released on bail on February 26. While Rs 10 lakh was distributed as booty by the ASI and the others among themselves, the remaining Rs 10 lakh was shown as havala money. Mr Sukhraj Singh approached the internal vigilance and police high-ups for justice. Inquiries revealed that the FIR against him was false. The SSP yesterday ordered the registration of a case against the ASI and four others. The ASI is now posted out of Phagwara. Some senior police officers are allegedly involved in the case. Meanwhile, police parties have been sent to arrest the ASI. |
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Dalit minor raped over use of tap Talwandi Sabo, October 11 Neighbours of the widow, including Nikku Singh and his relatives, had allegedly started threatening the widow against using the tap. However, when their pressure tactics failed, they allegedly beat her up along with her two minor daughters last night. They then abducted the younger daughter of the widow and took her to a solitary place where she was allegedly raped. The girl reached her aunt’s house in the village in a half-naked state and was mentally shocked. The widow and her two daughters were admitted to the local Civil Hospital. The police first registered a case under Sections 323, 452, 506 and 336 of the IPC and 148 and 149 of the Arms Act. However, after the rape victim was medically examined, Section 376 of the IPC (rape) was added to the case. The police said the case had been registered against seven persons.
Dhuri, October 11 Mr Gurbachan Singh, DSP, said here last evening that both accused abducted the 15-year-old girl in a Maruti Esteem car from here on September 28 and took her to their tube-well shed where they raped her. After committing the crime the accused threatened the girl with dire consequences, if she told anyone about the incident. Fearing danger to her family, she first wrongly named Lakvir Singh of nearby Kaulseri village for the crime. But after investigation, the police identified both real accused and arrested them on Wednesday, the DSP added. A case under Sections 363, 376 and 506 of the IPC have been registered by the Dhuri police station. |
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Gang of five robbers
arrested Nawanshahr, October 11 At a naka near Mallpur Arkan village, the police intercepted an Indica car coming from Jalandhar and seized cash worth Rs 7.70 lakh along with computerised slips from the car. The driver, Saurav Gupta, alias Chinu, resident of Shakti Nagar, Jalandhar, could not give a proper explanation about the cash and slips. A case has been registered. The local CIA staff has arrested five members of a gang of robbers, including gang leader Inderjit Singh, Ajay Kumar, Chandesh Singh, Sunil Kumar Gupta and Vineet Kumar Gupta, at Mangoowal village following a tip-off and seized from them a Bajaj Chetak scooter, Rs 50,000 cash, mobile phones, guns, cartridges and knives and other sharp-edged weapons. |
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2 car thieves
arrested Gurdaspur, October 11 The SSP said the police seized blank registration certificates of vehicles with stamps and signatures of the registration authority. A bunch of car keys was also seized from their possession. A case under Sections 379, 420, 467, 468and 471 of the IPC was registered against them yesterday. The SSP said the suspects, during preliminary interrogation, confessed to having stolen 12 cars from the areas of Delhi and Punjab and after preparing their fake registration papers, they sold these in Jammu and Kashmir. Sohail Ahmad is an MBA. |
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Lover commits suicide Hoshiarpur, October 11 According to the police, Manji Singh, who was admitted to the Civil Hospital in a critical condition, told the police that he eloped with a girl who returned to her parents after some days. He said he was being harassed by the girl’s parents, and fed up with it, he consumed poison. The police has registered a case under Section 306 of the IPC against the girl’s father, Harbhajan Singh, Baldev Singh and Surjit Singh, uncles, Kaku, brother, and Darshan Singh, maternal uncle. UNI |
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Kale Kachhewale strike at house,
kill 1 Amritsar, October 11 The gangsters struck at a house, attacked family members with iron rods and decamped with Rs 2,500, one gold ring besides other valuables. In the attack Didar Singh was killed while his wife Parkash Kaur and nephew Kuldip Singh were seriously injured. The injured had been admitted to a hospital.
PTI |
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Students’ strike enters second
day Phillaur, October 11 The students alleged that they had been deprived of the chance to play kabaddi at the state level due to the non-payment of entry fees by the college. However, College Principal A.K. Vaid, while denying the charges, told this correspondent that the entry fees was sent in time but the present situation arose due to some communication gap. Meanwhile, more than 200 students burnt effigies of the Principal on the college premises and in the town today. They held a protest match through the town and submitted “memorandum to the local Tehsildar. The protesters alleged that they were being deprived of several basic facilities in the college and were being mistreated by the Principal. However, Mr Vaid refuted these charges. Meanwhile, additional police force had been deputed near the college. |
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Teachers stage dharna Bathinda, October 11 They said under the policy funds for maintenance of school buildings and providing power and drinking water for students had to be arranged at the local level which was uncalled for. |
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Mid-day meal scheme launched Fatehgarh Sahib, October 11 He said there were 71 primary schools in this block in which 5,830 students would be provided meal costing Rs 3.50 per student per day and Rs 10 Lakh had been released for the block for the first phase of the scheme. He further pointed out that 200 days in the year students in the primary schools of the block would be provided meal. He said the scheme would help to provide nutritious food to the schoolchildren and would also help to increase attendance in the schools. The Dputy Commissioner said the district administration had been getting full response and cooperation from village panchayats, parents of the students and teachers for the implementation of the scheme. The government was keen to ensure proper utilisation of the funds under the scheme. Village-level committees would be set up for this purpose and the funds would be given to these committees. Mahila mandals and self- help groups would prepare the meal in the trial period as per instructions by the government. The Deputy Commissioner directed the BDPOs, CDPOs, BPEOs and schoolteachers to play an active role for the success of the scheme. He also directed officials concerned to provide quality meal in clean utensils. On the demand of villagers ,the Deputy Commissioner ordered the DEO (P) to provide another schoolteacher in the village as only one teacher has been teaching in the school now. Ms Hardip Kaur Virk, member of the Zila Parishad and Sarpanch of the village, assured the Deputy Commissioner that they would fully cooperate with the district administration in the implementation of the scheme in her village. Mr B.S. Sidhu, ADC (Development), Mr Rakha Singh Jangu, SDM, Bassi Pathana, Mr J.S. Cheema, DDPO, were also present on the occasion. Later, Mr Sidhu inaugurated the scheme in Shaheedgarh and Mahadian villages of the block. |
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Zonal youth fest for women on Amritsar, October 11 Inaugurating the festival, Mr N.S.Rattan, Principal Secretary, Higher Education said cultural competitions should be organised for both men and women as was done 40 years ago. As many as 800 artistes from colleges affiliated to the university at Amritsar and Gurdaspur are participating in the festival. |
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Seminar on employment Batala, October 11 Experts from the Army and the Social Welfare Department will be available for counselling. |
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