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July 25, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Cong councillors threaten to quit Ludhiana, July 24 Mr Raj Mehra, an employee in the Municipal Corporation and husband of Ms Santosh Mehra, councillor from Ward No 38 was involved in a dispute with SDO Kulwant Singh, who charged Mr Mehra with slapping him. The SDO lodged a criminal complaint with the police and the matter is being investigated. In another unsavoury incident, Congress councillor Sat Pal Puri was allegedly beaten up in the office of city Mayor Nahar Singh Gill yesterday. While Mr Puri claimed that he was manhandled, the police booked him on charges of causing injuries to one person involved in the brawl. Addressing a hurriedly convened press conference here late last evening, more than 24 councillors issued an ultimatum to the Municipal Corporation to take action against the “erring” SDO. They said the SDO had failed to ensure quality of a road constructed recently and patch work was being done on the same. Among those present were Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Mr Sat Pal Puri, Mr Sanjay Talwar, Mr Jasbir Singh Chadha, Mr Rakesh Parashar, Mr Kailash Kapoor, Mr Kuldip Janda, Mr Jagtar Singh Matharoo, Mr Rajesh Jain Kala, Mr Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Mr Balkar Singh, Mr Palwinder Singh Taggar, Ms Malkiat Kaur, Ms Santosh Mehra and a few relatives of women councillors. The Congress councillors were sore over the role of the Mayor who remained a mute spectator while one of his own party councillors was manhandled in his office. The councillors were of the opinion that the Mayor should have taken up the matter with senior police officers and the culprits brought to book. The councillors met the Mayor this afternoon. The MC Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sharma, told the councillors that an inquiry was being conducted against the SDO by the Joint Commissioner, MC, Mr Kuldip Singh. In a bid to pacify the agitated councillors, Mr Gill told them that he had a talk with the SSP about the attack on Mr Puri and a fresh probe had been ordered into the matter by the police. |
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SP’s daughter, youth
produced in court Ludhiana, July 24 Rupinder Kaur, who is said to be 16 years old, was presented in the court of Mr Jasbir Singh, Judicial Magistrate (First Class) in the afternoon. The judge recorded the statement of the girl in his retiring room and no one was allowed to be present there. Even though the court was jampacked with mediapersons and onlookers, no one knew what the girl told the judge about her disappearance from the city on July 17. The police had registered a case of abduction under Sections 364, 506 and 120-B, IPC, and under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act against Gurjinder Singh who was accused of abducting the girl at gunpoint. The police had arrested his parents who were remanded in police custody until today. Mr Gurmeetinder Singh and Mrs Sharanjit Kaur, his parents, besides his sister Preeti were produced before the Duty Magistrate, Mr R.K Condal. The parents of the accused were in police remand since their arrest from Jalandhar on July 20. His sister was arrested last night and produced in court today. She and her parents have been remanded in judicial custody until August 5. Gurjinder Singh who was produced in the same court was remanded in one-day police remand on the ground that the police wanted to recover the motorcycle and weapon used in the abduction and also apprehend his accomplice who helped him. The public prosecutor had sought a 10-day police remand on the plea that the accused would have to be taken to several places for the recovery of the above but the judge granted only one-day police remand. The defence counsel took the plea that the father of the girl was a senior police officer, so the police was harassing the accused and his family. He said there was no logic in arresting the sister of the accused who had no role to play in the episode. Later, the father of the accused told mediapersons that Gurjinder Singh had been tortured by the police and his head had been tonsured. Gurjinder Singh who had tied a handkerchief tied on his forehead appeared shaken and refused to comment. However, the police denied the allegation, saying that he had tonsured his head before he was caught. The incident was much talked about in the city since when the girl disappeared from outside Guru Nanak Girl College, Model Town. The police had arrested the parents of the accused and booked them for conspiracy. The accused and the girl have reportedly told relatives that they had got married but since she is a minor, the couple could not seek the intervention of court for protection. |
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Colleges
await rollback orders Ludhiana, July 24 But no written information about the rollback has been received by colleges so far. Therefore, nobody seems to know how to deal with students who are coming to seek admission after July 22 when the decision to rollback fee hike was taken. Many students had stayed back from taking admission as the tuition fee had been hiked from Rs 63 to Rs 350 per month. Ms S. Verma, Principal of the SDP College for Women,
says, "The fee hike has created a confusion in the minds of students. They feel what if the government enhances the fee next year? If they take admission this year, will they be able to pay the fee next year, if government hikes it again? Now that the students have exerted pressure, there has been a rollback in fees, but will it be for keeps?” College principals do not know whether the government will reschedule the admission dates and allow them to admit students without late fee. The second question haunting them is what will be the fate of poor students, who, had stood well in the merit list, but did not apply for admission earlier. Will they get a college of their choice, what if all seats have been filled in that college? Some of the principals of aided colleges say they are charging consolidated fee from students and giving them assurance that as soon as they receive a written communique about the rollback the fee will be adjusted. Another point that is not clear is whether after the rollback, there will be a uniform fee structure in government colleges and aided colleges. Earlier, there was a lot of difference between the fee structure of these colleges. Ms Harmeet Kaur, Principal of Ramgarhia Girls College, says they do not know whether the students who have taken admission in private academies will forgo the deposited fees and return to mainline colleges. She feels the government has rolled back the fee after a considerable delay. According to her, Mr P.S. Singla, president of the Association of Principals of Non-Government Colleges, is going to raise the issue of admitting students without charging late fee at the Syndicate meeting to be held on July 26 . Mr Pawandeep, spokesperson of the Punjab Students Federation wants the government to clarify whether the girls will continue to get free education as was the case earlier. Mr V.P. Gaur, Principal of the Government College for Boys, says they have deposited the money in Treasury and now they will have to adjust fees of students. It will create administrative problems. Moreover, till they get things in black and white, confusion will continue. |
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Encroachments
wreak havoc on traffic management Ludhiana, July 24 If the traffic conditions are chaotic on Brown Road right from Lakshmi Cinema to Subhani building chowk and further to CMC Hospital, the stretch from Jagraon Bridge to Old Jail Road and Civil Hospital Road through Field Ganj is a nightmare for road users. The entire main road passing through thickly populated locality of Field Ganj is under unlawful occupation of rehri and farriwalas, selling fruits, vegetables, fast food and other eatables. Not to be left behind, the shopkeepers on both sides of the road have eaten into the road width by stockpiling their goods outside the shops or extending the counters towards the roadside. Cars, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and other slow moving vehicles are parked haphazardly all along the road with scant consideration to others, with the result that the traffic moves at a snail’s pace and traffic jams, both on Field Ganj Road and Brown Road, are a routine rather than an exception. Almost similar conditions exist on Shahpur Road, which connects Brown Road and Field Ganj, all with rehriwallas and fast food joints encroaching upon both sides of the road and hampering traffic movement with impunity. The very fact that one of the most prominent medical institution, the CMC Hospital, is located on Brown Road while the other road provides access to Civil Hospital seems to be have been totally lost to the officials of traffic police and others responsible for traffic management. It has been stressed time and again by the area residents and other affected people that impediments in the way of smooth flow of traffic on these roads, at times, could become a matter of life and death for critically ill or seriously injured persons, as was witnessed during the devastating fire tragedy in Khud Mohalla locality recently. As far as removal of permanent and temporary encroachments on these roads are concerned, the civic administration has also been found lacking. The measures taken by the traffic police and the tehbazari wing of the MC to clear encroachments, check parking of hand carts and regulate traffic movement on these roads, at best could be described as ‘half hearted’ and without much impact so far. That the politicians, particularly those belonging to ruling party provide protection to rehri, farriwalas and make the task of enforcement difficult, might be true to some extent but at the same time, the conduct of civic staff and the traffic police personnel was also not above board, alleged some of the shopkeepers in Field Ganj. |
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Health staff sans wages hold dharna Ludhiana, July 24 Ms Vijay Lakshmi, one of the employees, said the government which had failed to provide the employees their dues had no right to rule. “Salaries of more than 500 workers have not been released despite repeated requests. We submitted a memorandum to the Finance Minister but to no avail.” Mr Harbhajan Singh, president, Class IV Employees Union, threatened to intensify the agitation if the department failed to release their salaries.
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Safeguard women’s interests, panel tells DC Ludhiana, July 24 Dr Malaiya said a lot had to be done towards making women more aware of their rights in this region. “Women as well as children in homes for the destitutes needed to be treated affectionately. This was possible only when the district administration, various NGOs and educational institutions joined hands and listened to their problems with a positive attitude”, she said. Dr Malaiya said women in jails were ready to work but lack of infrastructure and non-cooperative attitude of the authorities concerned were hurdles in their empowerment. “Women and children in jails need psychological healing. There are more than 250 inmates in women jails and 55 children in observation homes. They have a limited vision and have a negative approach towards life. These need to be involved in constructive activities and their energies need to be channelised”. She asked the Deputy Commissioner to ask college students students to visit old age homes, women jails and observation homes to listen to provide a healing touch. Interacting with women at the Working Women Hostel at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) last night, Dr Malaiya said they should fight for their rights. It was unfortunate that a majority of women who went in for female foeticide were the educated. “They are well-educated, yet they go for such unethical practices”. Dr Malaiya, who visited the Civil Hospital earlier in the day, said the inflow of patients was more than the hospital capacity. There should be separate tuberculosis and burn units because chances of infections were very high. Dr Malaiya was in the city for first-hand information on atrocities committed on women in the district. |
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March against militant attacks Ludhiana, July 24 Protesters marched to the Clock Tower chowk, carrying placards and raising slogans against the militants, Pakistan and the Central Government. Addressing the rally, Mr Sood charged the government with ignoring national security and extending an unconditional hand of friendship to Pakistan under pressure from the USA “After Afghanistan and Iraq, the US government is now trying to interfere in the internal affairs of India through the Kashmir issue”, he said. Condemning the attacks on the Army camp and the pilgrims, he said more than the barbarian attitude of the terrorists, what had shocked people was the reaction of senior functionaries of the government. The Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, had gone on record to assert that there was no security lapse in both incidents. Going a step further, the Union Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, said the peace process would not be affected. Other speakers castigated the NDA government for failing to safeguard the lives and properties of Kashmiris and to check the attacks by the militants. They said it was a matter of concern that the government had buckled under US pressure. All-India Anti-Terrorist Front activists burnt an effigy of terrorism. |
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A ray of hope for the oppressed Ludhiana, July 24 The chief aim of the association is to help people in need of assistance. Members of the association help people in dealing with social problems like martial discord, drug addiction, dowry, desertion by husbands, domestic violence etc. The members feel that people may fallow different traditions, speak different languages, but all of them have a desire to be treated like ‘human beings with dignity’. That’s what ASHI is all about, they say. Members of the association even visit homes of the people concerned to get first hand information and offer counselling to both parties. By taking genuine interest in the problems of people and by counselling, they have brought together a lot of estranged couples. After listening to people’s problems, members discuss the issue themselves and work out the best possible solution. They take every possible step to bring the two parties together. The association was started a few decades ago by Mr Ravi
Sawhney, ex-Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana, and his wife, Ms Madhu
Sawhney. As per rules, the Deputy Commissioner of the city becomes the president of the Red Cross Society. Presently, Mr Anurag Verma is the president of the society and his wife, Ms S. Verma, head
ASHI. Ms Papoo Abnash Singh and Ms Dalip Brar, members of ASHI, are known social workers. They have prevented a number of marriages from breaking up. Ms Parveen Narang,
counseller, has helped a number of drug addicts to give up drugs. Ms Ruby Fernandez, an educationist, Ms Avtar Kaur, lawyer, and Ms P.
Atree, a psychologist, are also attached with the association. Ms Papoo Abnash Singh says the mian object of ASHI is to see that a compromise is reached between warring couples. Members maintain complete secrecy and nothing goes out of the four walls. Armed with the qualities of positive attitude, determination and optimism, members of the association are able to patch up differences among married couples. Ms Ruby Fernandez says, “Motto of ASHI is — Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Helps us to help you.” |
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Khud Mohalla heroes
honoured Ludhiana, July 24 Honouring the heroes of the tragedy with commendation certificates, Mr J.P. Virdi, IG, Jalandhar Range, said they had saved the lives of others putting their own in jeopardy. At a time when personal safety was uppermost these men had rushed into the inferno, saving lives. Tragically, many of them lost their lives. The IG also appreciated the role of those who had responded at the time of crisis. The public had helped fire and police personnel to control the spread of fire and contain the toll. People looked after the injured and rushed many of them to hospitals in their own vehicles. Langar was also organised by social organisations for victims and their families. Commenting on the police-public interaction, he said it was one of the best in the state and efforts were afoot to hold police-public meetings at regular intervals. The beat system would be further strengthened and more vehicles would be added to the existing PCR fleet. The incident had taken place at about 1.30 pm in a building that housed the factory. The fire engulfed several adjoining residential buildings as well. The victims included the hosiery owner and several of his family members. Four firemen of the local municipal corporation were badly injured. Five policemen also suffered minor injuries. |
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Attack
on police officer baseless, say YC leaders Ludhiana, July 24 The PYC president, Mr Devinder Singh Babbu, and Senior Vice-President Pawan Diwan said here today that the allegations against Mr Mohammed Mustafa, IG, that he had “manipulated” the settlement of 10,000 Bangladeshis in villages along the Indo-Pakistan border were baseless. The YC leaders said the BJP and SAD leaders were panic-stricken due to the anti-corruption drive launched by the Congress government. “The SAD and BJP leaders are out to malign bureaucrats and senior police officers to hide their own misdeeds,” they said. Mr Babbu and Mr Diwan said Mr Mustafa was a decorated police officer. He had won five medals for bravery. He had been on the forefront in the fight against terrorism. |
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Guru Harkrishan’s birth anniversary celebrated Ludhiana, July 24 The main function was held at Guru Teg Bhadur Hospital, Model Gram. The function was attended by Mr Gurmeet Singh, the chief secretary of the circle. Mr Gurmeet Singh urged those present to follow the Guru’s teachings and offer their services to mankind readily. |
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Probe Jaghera misdeeds, says council Ludhiana, July 24 Mr Balwant Singh Minian, president of the council, said Jaghera had assumed the mantle of “Sant” after the death of the sect head, Sant Gurbachan Singh Kali Kambliwale, in suspicious circumstances. He had taken control of the dera and indulged in anti-social activities. |
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Contractor charged with killing two teenagers Ludhiana, July 24 The police said today that on the complaint of Ms Pushpa Devi of Manohar Nagar, a case of murder had been registered against a contractor, Tari, and his sons with whom the brothers had been working. The brothers had gone missing on July 13 and their scooter, which was found abandoned near the canal bank, had some blood stains on it. While the body of Deepak Kumar was recovered from the canal on July 17, that of Amar Nath was recovered on July 19. The bodies bore injury marks. The police, which had initially registered it as a case of suicide, came under heavy criticism from the area residents, who held a demonstration outside the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police and demanded registration of a case against the contractor. The mother of the teenagers suspected foul play on part of the contractor. No arrest has been made so far. Dowry killing alleged:
The complainant had stated that his daughter, Sona, had married Mukesh about four years ago. At the time of the marriage, he had made a fixed deposit of Rs, 20,000 in Sona’s name, which was to mature soon. However, his daughter’s in-laws had been insisting on getting the money earlier. Upset by their demands, Sona had come to her parents’ house on Tuesday her brother Sunil had escorted her back to her house. Soon after, they received a telephone call from her in-laws that Sona had caught fire while cooking and died. The complainant alleged that Sona’s in-laws had poured kerosene on her before setting her on fire. No arrest has been made, so far. Dowry charge:
Five held:
Bigamy alleged:
Cheating:
Two injured:
The Division Number 7 police registered a case under Sections 279, 337, 338 and 427 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Subhash Yadav of Moti Nagar against the driver of a Haryana Roadways bus (HR-55A- 1286). The complainant had alleged that the accused had hit him on the road on Tuesday and sped away. The complainant was injured. No arrest has been made, so far. Cases of assault:
The Division Number 7 police yesterday registered a case under sections 452, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC on the statement of Ms Gian Kaur of Vishwakarma Colony, Tajpur Road, against Gurmail Singh, his son and others. The woman alleged that the accused had barged into her house and assaulted her. No arrest has been made, so far. The Focal Point police yesterday registered a case under Sections 341 and 506 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Varinder Kumar of Basti Jodhewal against Naveen Kumar, a resident of Industrial Area-A. The complainant alleged that the accused had assaulted and threatened him. The Koom Kalan police yesterday registered a case under Sections 341, 323, 506 and 34 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Ram Ji, of Haddi village against Shinder Ram, Balwinder Ram and Pali of the same village. The complainant had alleged that the accused had intercepted him on road on Tuesday and bashed him up. Possession bid alleged:
The Model Town police yesterday registered a case under sections 447, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Sarvesh Berri, resident of Berri Farm House, Dugri Road, against Gurdev Singh, his son Hardeep Singh ‘Sonu’, Charan Singh, Satwant Singh, Rashpal Singh, Amarbir Singh, Nirbhai Singh, Bholu and Bhutto. the complainant alleged that the accused had tried to take forcible possession of his land. Arms Act violation:
Two more persons — Sukhwinder Singh of Joshi Nagar, Haibowal, and Jaswinder Singh, of Rishi Nagar, Haibowal — were arrested by the Division Number 3 police and charged under the Arms Act for possessing long knives. The Division Number 8 police yesterday arrested Gurnam Singh ‘Luckey’ of Chhawni Mohalla and seized a long knife from his possession. He, too, was charged under the Arms Act. |
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Traders want to be consulted on tax issues Ludhiana, July 24 Mr Som Nath Grover, president of the mandal, said the introduction of Exim forms would delay the movement of goods and the sales tax revenue would fall. Increase in the sales tax on petrol and diesel would affect the trade and industry and the common man would feel heavily burdened. The decisions of the Cabinet were not acceptable to them, he added. He said the exempted unit could enjoy the benefit of exemption only if no tax was payable on subsequent sales made by the dealers. If the dealers purchasing goods from exempted units were made liable for payment of sales tax, it would indirectly tantamount to cancellation of exemption. He said the provisions should be reviewed. |
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Award for local industrialist Ludhiana, July 24 Mr Jain, the Chairman of the Duke group of industries, was sponsored for the award by the Institute of Trade and Industrial Development, which nominates an entrepreneur every year. |
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