J A L A N D H A R

Monday on mind, many throng tehsildar office
Hike in property registration prices: Admn works overtime; favouritism alleged
Jalandhar, August 31
The administration was seen in overdrive in registering sale deeds of properties till 9 pm here today. The reason, according to the administration, was that no work could be conducted till afternoon as a meeting to finalise the hiked collector’s rates went on till 2 pm. Many, however, alleged that registration of sale deeds of only the favoured lot was done till late in the evening as they were turned away, an allegation promptly denied by deputy commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu.

Assault Case
Book MLA’s son, demands BSP
Phillaur, August 31
Hundreds of Bahujan Samaj Party activists, led by their state general secretary MP Singh Goraya, held demonstration outside DSP office Phillaur and disrupted traffic for more than three hours to protest against hooliganism by around dozen armed men who allegedly assaulted Baldev Singh of Kherra village here on Wednesday evening. The victim managed to save himself by taking shelter near the DSP office.

Medic among 5 arrested for murder of ASI’s son 
Jalandhar, August 31
A physiotherapist along with his family members was arrested today for allegedly murdering ASI’s son with sharp-edged weapons at Ajit Vihar near Rama Mandi here today.

Child abductor nabbed
Phagwara, August 31
The Phagwara police succeeded in tracing and recovering an 11-month-old child, Vikas, within eight hours of his kidnapping from Jagpaulpur village in the subdivision on Friday. Phagwara DSP H.P.S. Khakh, while addressing newsmen here this evening, said the kidnapper, Sanjay Kumar, a migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh, had been arrested. 

Revoke fundamental rights of fake agents: Ramoowalia

Jalandhar, August 31 A resident of Sarai village in Amritsar, Gurdev Singh, paid Rs 1.6 lakh to a travel agent for sending him to Malaysia and providing a work permit. But his dreams were shattered as he was not given any permit and instead made to work like a slave. When he protested, the agent dumped him and took away his passport. Lok Bhalai Party chief Balwant Singh Ramoowalia addresses press meet in Jalandhar. — A Tribune photograph

Attack on DDPO: Key accused’s remand extended
Batala, August 31
The police remand of Harjinder Singh, the key accused in the case of an attack on Jalandhar divisional deputy director Jaspal Singh and Gurdaspur DDPO R.S. Mudhal was extended when he was brought to the court here on Friday.

Monday on mind, many throng tehsildar office
Hike in property registration prices: Admn works overtime; favouritism alleged
Anuradha Shukla
Tribune News Service

Registration prices would increase by atleast 40% from Monday.— Photo by S.S. Chopra

Jalandhar, August 31
The administration was seen in overdrive in registering sale deeds of properties till 9 pm here today. The reason, according to the administration, was that no work could be conducted till afternoon as a meeting to finalise the hiked collector’s rates went on till 2 pm. Many, however, alleged that registration of sale deeds of only the favoured lot was done till late in the evening as they were turned away, an allegation promptly denied by deputy commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu.

The office of the registration authorities in the DC’s office complex here witnessed chaos with the people thronging to get their properties registered at the old rates but no work could be conducted at the office during the day. Applicants showed their resentment alleging that their registries could not be done due to the prolonged meeting conducted till afternoon and later only the favourites were obliged by the authorities. They also alleged that registration of sale deeds till late evening was done at a loss to the state exchequer.

When contacted, DC Ajeet Singh Pannu denied that the registries done today were a loss to the state exchequer as registries of applicants approaching the office till 5 pm had to be done and no special leverage was given to any favoured lot. “The officers were busy in the morning because of the meeting held to finalise the new collector’s rates,” said the DC. He said the new rates had been finalised but declined to reveal the same. “The new rates have been finalised and the enhanced rates would be applied from Monday onwards,” said Pannu. Work of registering properties was conducted till 9.15 pm today. One of the clerks in the office, on condition of anonymity, said double the workload carried on normal days was done today because of the notification of hiked collector’s rates coming into force on September 1.

Assault Case
Book MLA’s son, demands BSP
Our Correspondent

Phillaur, August 31
Hundreds of Bahujan Samaj Party activists, led by their state general secretary MP Singh Goraya, held demonstration outside DSP office Phillaur and disrupted traffic for more than three hours to protest against hooliganism by around dozen armed men who allegedly assaulted Baldev Singh of Kherra village here on Wednesday evening. The victim managed to save himself by taking shelter near the DSP office.

The rally was addressed by several BSP leaders, including MP Singh Goraya, Ram Saroop. They alleged that Damanbir Singh, son of Phillaur MLA Sarwan Singh Phillaur was hand in glove with the attackers. Though Phillaur DSP Harpreet Singh Benepal said a case has been registered against two alleged attackers Parminder Singh Brar and Sumit Jain and their aides, the demonstrators demanded that Damanbir should be booked. The victim Baldev Singh told that he was coming from Chandigarh in his car when the assailants tried to attack him.

Baldev said he was running a partnership business with Damanbir and had tarted construction of Star City Multiplex near Khajurala. However, they had to cancel their partnership due to some differences. Damanbir issued cheques worth Rs 1.8 crores to Baldev which later bounced. Singh claimed he has been asking Damanbir for his money and so the latter ‘hatched a conspiracy’ to eliminate him.

On the other hand, Damanbir rubbished the charges. He also denied being involved in the attack on Baldev. Phillaur DSP said a probe is being carried. 

Medic among 5 arrested for murder of ASI’s son 

Jalandhar, August 31
A physiotherapist along with his family members was arrested today for allegedly murdering ASI’s son with sharp-edged weapons at Ajit Vihar near Rama Mandi here today.

Nineteen-year old Balraj, son of ASI Major Singh, was undergoing a treatment from physiotherapist Kulwaran Singh. Last evening the deceased had gone to Kulwaran where the duo entered into an argument over the issue of payment.

Describing about the incident, deceased’s mother Rajinder Kaur said, “Last night physiotherapist, his sons and few others entered their home and started beating Balraj and his father ASI Major Singh. Both Balraj and his father were badly injured.” Balraj was rushed to a private hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, while his father was still undergoing treatment at civil hospital.

Meanwhile physiotherapist Kulwaran Singh and his three sons Tejinder Singh, Tarlok Singh, Jatinder Singh and a kin Randhir Singh have been booked and arrested under various sections of IPC. However, other accused including kin Harjinder Singh were still at large. — TNS

Child abductor nabbed
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, August 31
The Phagwara police succeeded in tracing and recovering an 11-month-old child, Vikas, within eight hours of his kidnapping from Jagpaulpur village in the subdivision on Friday. Phagwara DSP H.P.S. Khakh, while addressing newsmen here this evening, said the kidnapper, Sanjay Kumar, a migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh, had been arrested. The DSP said the accused had confessed to the crime and disclosed that he took away the child, while his father Sukh Ram and mother Kamlesh were asleep beside him near the field of farmer Avtar Singh (Sanjay’s employer). The accused admitted that he had been hiding his real address and wanted to give the abducted child to his wife. According to the DSP, the accused was nabbed near the local railway station along with the abducted child, who has been handed over to his parents.

Revoke fundamental rights of fake agents: Ramoowalia
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 31
A resident of Sarai village in Amritsar, Gurdev Singh, paid Rs 1.6 lakh to a travel agent for sending him to Malaysia and providing a work permit. But his dreams were shattered as he was not given any permit and instead made to work like a slave. When he protested, the agent dumped him and took away his passport. Staying there illegally, he was put behind bars for four months. Gurdev managed to get back just five days back.

Ranjit Singh of Tarn Taran too met with a similar fate. On March 22, he was taken to Dubai by an agent whom he paid Rs 1.8 lakh in lieu of being sent there with a work permit there. Instead, he was illegally taken to Iraq and made to do menial jobs in a US-based company there without being paid even a penny. He said while he had gone along with 25 others, only 10 had managed to come back, courtesy the Lok Bhalai Party, he claimed. He alleged that there were more than 700 youths looking for their return to India.

Presenting the plight of scores of such misled Punjabi youths in front of mediapersons at the circuit house here, Lok Bhalai Party president Balwant Singh Ramoowalia today proposed to the state government to impose limited emergency on such persons running a racket of illegal trafficking, fake marriages and unauthorised immigration. He said the fundamental rights of such persons be revoked for some period.

Ramoowalia pointed out that he had received a fax from 39 youths held up in Kuwait who had been sent by an agent promising them work permit with one JM Overseas Company. He said reaching there the boys found that there was no company by that name. They were instead held up by someone and made to work like animals. Ramoowalia claimed he had managed to provide help to 20 of them who were now on their way back to India.

Bhag Singh of Garhshankar, who was present in the conference, claimed that a Mumbai-based agent took Rs 36 lakh from him for sending four youths to the UK. The LBP president claimed that he had got in touch with the agent to get the money back.

He claimed to have helped seven families by getting an amount of Rs 16.3 lakh back from fraudulent travel agents. He handed over the cash to the families. Ramoowalia also asked the state government to pay some attention to numerous FIRs registered against Punjabi youths getting back through the Delhi airport. “As many as eight to 10 FIRs are registered daily on the grounds of defacing passport, missing visa stamps and coming back as refugees.

All such gullible persons who are first presented in the Tees Hazari Court and then locked up in Tihar Jail need to be dealt with compassionately”, he urged.

Attack on DDPO: Key accused’s remand extended
Our Correspondent

Batala, August 31
The police remand of Harjinder Singh, the key accused in the case of an attack on Jalandhar divisional deputy director Jaspal Singh and Gurdaspur DDPO R.S. Mudhal was extended when he was brought to the court here on Friday.

Duty magistrate Tejinder Bir Singh, owing to the absence of Dimple Walia in the court, extended Harjinder’s police remand up to September 2, 2007.