Migrant labourer stripped, tortured
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 26
Four persons, including a policeman, have been booked by the Sarabha Nagar police for the alleged torture of a migrant labourer, whom the accused suspected of stealing a wallet last night. The 20-year-old labourer, employed with a restaurant ‘Mini Plaza’ in Bhai Randhir Singh here, was allegedly stripped, gagged, beaten up mercilessly by the accused, and petrol was reportedly applied on his private parts.

The victim Umesh Kumar, is undergoing treatment at Gurdev Hospital. He was admitted to the hospital by relatives and policemen from Sarabha Nagar police station. He was still writhing in pain due to the injuries. His feet were swollen, as he was repeatedly hit there with a rod.

More than the physical pain it was the mental shock that was unbearable for the youth. “Even animals are not beaten like this.’’ he complained while insisting that he was innocent and had not committed any theft. A relative attending on him said the accused should be given severe punishment for the barbaric torture of the victim.

According to an FIR registered under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 330 (extorting confession) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC the accused have been identified as Ramneet Singh, his father Satpal Singh Madan, Harmit Singh, alias Jaini and a Punjab police constable, Sunil Kumar, who lives in police colony at Sarabha Nagar.

The victim told Ludhiana Tribune from his hospital bed today that he was on duty as usual and Ramneet Singh (owner’s son) told him to bring his mobile phone from the car. He did so but after a couple of hours the accused locked him in a room and started beating him up.

“They accused me of stealing a wallet containing a lot of cash from the car. When I denied they pounced on me and hit me all over the body.” he recalled.

Bursting into tears he alleged that then he was stripped naked. His mouth was gagged and his arms and legs were tied. One of the accused then repeatedly hit on his feet with a rod. “I could not call for help as my mouth was gagged. To my utter horror, they brought petrol and applied it on my private parts. I felt an excruciating pain and was rendered unconscious.”

By that time other staff of the restaurant had alerted his relatives who came in a large number and rescued him. The accused fled from the scene.

Mr Pawanjit Singh, SHO, Sarabha Nagar, said the police immediately lodged an FIR and the medical examination of the victim was conducted. He said raids were being carried out to nab the accused.

Two migrant labourers found dead
Our Correspondent

Khanna, March 26
The bodies of two migrant labourers were found at the Khanna grain market this morning. While one of the labourers was identified, the identification of the other had not been established.

According to the police, an employee of a commission agent this morning noticed a man lying unconscious near a shop. The employee, Pinky, and some other persons tried to revive him but to no avail. The man was identified as Bidhya, a migrant labour, working at a commission agent’s shop. Pinky informed his employer about the death of Bidhya, who informed the police. Meanwhile, the body of another man was found a few metres from this place. He could not be identified. The police took the bodies to Civil Hospital Khanna for post-mortem examination. Proceedings under Section 174 were initiated by the police in both cases.

DC’s order to combine operators for harvesting season
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 26
The District Magistrate (DM), Ludhiana, today ordered all combine harvester operators and owners to keep their machines in working order in view of the coming wheat harvesting season.

Mr Anurag Verma passed the orders after a meeting with the combine owners, scientists and some officials of the district administration. He said that as farmers were going to use combine harvesters for harvesting wheat extensively, they should make sure that there was no technical fault in the machines. He said it was a national loss as poor quality and defective combines cause a lot of damage to the wheat while harvesting, and the result was an excessively broken grain.

He said the procurement agencies refrain from procuring such wheat, as these did not fall within the laid-down specifications. This causes a lot of resentment among the farmers and they resort to agitations, resulting in law and order problem.

He also urged the farmers not to harvest the unripe crop, as it raised the moisture content of the grains that should not be more than 15 per cent as per the permissible limits. Dr I.K. Garg, Head, Department of Farm Power and Machinery, while advising the farmers, said that the breaking of grains during harvesting should not exceed 2.5 per cent of the total grains. He also advised the combine operators to limit the speed of machine up to 3-4 km per hour.

He also said that if the combine was operated in a field with high moisture content, the chances of fields catching fire increase.

The Deputy Commissioner directed the officials of the Punjab State Electricity Board to repair the electricity supply lines to the fields in the district so that no problem is faced by the farmers during the time of harvesting. He stated that the fire brigade office would also be alerted and told to cooperate with the farmers in case of a fire incident. 

Local man killed in Greece over $70
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 26
A pall of gloom has engulfed Talwandi Khurd village of this district following the murder of a youth who was allegedly killed by his two Punjabi friends at Elofita town in Greece for $ 70.

Lakhvir Singh Aujla (32) had migrated to Greece four years ago after spending the early years of his life in penury in the village. According to Mr Inder Singh Aujla, his uncle and sarpanch, he was murdered yesterday, allegedly by his room mates belonging to Jalandhar.

He claimed that both had been arrested by the Greek police. They severed his arm and then killed him with a sharp-edged weapon and throw the body in the fields. The arm was found by some persons who reported the matter to the police.

The accused had allegedly confessed that they owed the victims $70 and that he was demanding the money back.

His younger brother, Mr Manjit Singh, said the family had sent Rs 1 lakh to him a few days ago. Father of two, Lakhvir Singh had left India four years ago. He used to work as a truck driver. He was sponsored by his brother-in-law to visit Greece.

PSEB employees stage dharna
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 26
Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) employees today staged a dharna in support of their demands. The agitators are up in arms against the state government’s move to privatise the board and implement the recommendations of the Haldia committee.

Hundreds of employees boycotted work from morning onwards thus affecting power services in the district. The employees staged dharnas in front of their respective offices and raised anti-government slogans.

The workers underlined the fact that the privatisation of state electricity boards in other states had failed. The need of the hour was to pump in more resources to improve the functioning of the board instead of closing it down. Rallies were held at various places in the city and elsewhere in the district.

The workers were demanding an enquiry into the large-scale purchases made during the past decade so that the officers, who allegedly placed orders for equipment at exorbitant rates, could be punished and the money recovered from them. They also stressed that the state government should initiate measures to bring the board out of the red. They also wanted an end to the practise of employing people on contract basis.

The employees said the government had been blaming free power to the agriculture sector for the losses suffered by the board but this had been exposed by the over 95 per cent bill realisation from farmers by the board. Another reason was the low tariff which too had been hiked recently. 

Big haul of poppy husk
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 26
The Jagraon police got a major breakthrough in its campaign against smugglers and bad elements when it recovered 30 bags of poppy husk on secret information which were being smuggled in a Tata 709 vehicle.

Mr H. S. Bhullar, SSP, Jagraon, giving details of the seizure today, said the CIA got a tip-off that smugglers Chand Singh alias Chandi and Baldev Singh, residents of Adalti Wala village, were moving in a Tata 709 vehicle ( HR 37A 3840) which was loaded with poppy husk with the purpose of selling the same among other poppy husk smugglers of the area around Mullanpur. Following this, Inspector Mukhwinder Singh, in charge of CIA, Jagraon, along with a police party put up a naka near Chak Kalan village. The vehicle was taken into possession and Mr Jatinder Singh Khaira, DSP, Dakha, also arrived at the spot. While Baldev Singh was arrested on the spot, his accomplice Chand Singh alias Chandi managed to escape. Thirty bags of poppy husk, weighing 12 quintals, which were loaded in the vehicle, were recovered in the presence of witnesses.

Mr Bhullar further told that the accused were bringing poppy husk from Rajasthan and were selling the same in the area since long. They paid Rs 3,200 per bag there and sold the same here at Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000. The market value of the seized poppy husk stands at about Rs 5 lakh. A case under Sections 15/24/29-A/61/85 of the NDPS Act has been registered at Dakha police station and further investigations were on. 

One booked in fraud case
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 26
On a statement of Mr Mohan Vishkarma, a resident of Gobind Nagar at Bhammian Kalan Village, the Civil Lines police yesterday registered a case against Narinder Singh, a resident of Kishan Nagar on the Tajpur Road, under Section 468 of the IPC.

The complainant had alleged that he had paid Rs 90,000 to the accused as full payment for a plot bought by him two years ago. The transaction was made in the New Courts complex. But the accused neither got the plot transferred in his name nor returned the money. No one has been arrested so far.

Beggar dead: The Jodhewal police yesterday registered a case against an unknown vehicle driver on the statement of Mr Balvir Singh, a resident of LIG Colony, Dugri, under Sections 2789 and 304-A of the IPC.

The complainant had stated that the accused had hit beggar woman at a T -point on the GT Road on the intervening night of March 24 and 25 thereby killing the woman on the spot. No arrest has been made so far.

Lahan seized: The Sadar police yesterday arrested Nirbhai Singh, alias Marru, a resident of Mehmood Pura village, and seized 40 kg of ‘lahan’ from his possession and booked him under the Excise Act.

Arrested: The Haibowal police yesterday arrested Kishan Bahadur, a migrant from Nepal, and seized seven bottles of illicit liquor from his possession and booked him under the Excise Act. The police said today that the accused was intercepted at a T-point near Jassian village on Thursday evening.

Kishan Bahadur was also booked under the Arms Act as a ‘Kamanidar’ knife was recovered from his possession on further search, added the police.

25 booked for forcibly occupying shop
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 26
As many as 25 persons were booked under sections 457, 380, 427, 506, 148 and 149 of IPC and sections 25-27 of the Arms Act for allegedly forcibly taking the possession of a shop and removing materials from it. The police has arrested six of them and impounded four vehicles used in this connection.

According to a complaint lodged by Mr Moliram, a paint and hardware trader at local Chaura Bazar, a group of armed robbers led by Sunder Kumar tried to forcibly take the possession of his shop last night. While Surinder Kumar and his associates were loading materials in tampoos, two armed groups blocked the passage at the entry of Chaura Bazar.

On receiving information, a police party led by Mr Palwinder Singh, SHO (City), reached the spot and arrested Surinder Kumar, Anil Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Dharminder and Jagtar Singh, and three tempoos and a car were impounded. However, thus fled under the cover of darkness.

Peon robbed

Khanna, March 26
A peon was robbed of Rs 21,000 by two motor cycle-borne youths near Novelty Theatre here today. Ram Dayal of GTB Senior Secondary School was returning home after getting his salary from a bank when the youths snatched the money from him at pistol-point and fled from the spot. — OC

The Great Ford Drive comes to Ludhiana
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 26
If your choice of a car goes for trendier and luxurious speedbirds with an aura of adventure around them, then South City is the place for you to be at where Ford India has come to unfold its ‘Great Ford Drive’ — first of its kind, two-day mega event, which opened here today. It will offer car enthusiasts the opportunity to ‘test drive the best’ and experience Ford products in an exciting fun-filled carnival environment.

Unlike other ordinary auto-shows, it goes far beyond, with the auto-manufacturer offering customers the opportunity to view Ford products in an exciting auto-show style format, and also drive them on authentic test tracks, especially designed by the renowned rally driver Jagat Nanjappa, observed a spokesperson of the company while talking to media persons.

The tasteful car-lovers will not only get an opportunity to see on display the Ford Thunderbird, which Oscar winning actress Halle Berry drove in the James Bond movie ‘Die Another Day’, which has been brought in to India specially to be exhibited during the event, the company would also put on display a host of Ford Vintage cars, demonstrating the rich historical heritage of Ford models in India and to mark the centennial year of the Ford Motor Company at the same time.

“But what makes the event really different is the opportunity for customers to get an evaluation of the existing cars, and avail of on-the-spot finance offers from Ford Credit and other leading brands to purchase the Ford models on display. In addition, there will be on offer a wide range of Ford gear and memorabilia to accessories.”

During two days of the auto carnival on display and available for test drive would be the Ford Ikon range, the Ford Moneo and the recently launched SUV, the Ford Endeavour.

“Ford India is a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, the world’s second largest auto-maker, headquartered in Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai. Ford India manufactures the Ford Ikon and the recently launched SUV, Ford Endeavour, here at a modern integrated manufacturing facility, spread across 350 acres. With an investment of Rs 1,700 crore, Ford India employs over 1000 highly skilled people, intensively trained at Ford facilities, both in India and overseas.”