J A L AN D H A R    E D I T I O N

Knock, Knock
DG check catches govt school staff napping
Jalandhar, December 15
It’s noon at government senior secondary school, Adarsh Nagar. The teachers of both the elementary and senior secondary wings are basking in the sun, busy chitchatting. There are no students around as they have been let off two hours ago, well in advance before the schedule time.

Kuala Lumpur Crisis
Bias against Hindus worries Mauritian Prez
Jalandhar, December 15
Malaysian government is officially discriminating against Hindus to deny them their rightful share in the national wealth. This was said by President of Mauritius Sir Anerood Jugnauth, who was in the city along with his wife Sarojini Jugnauth, on Saturday.

Sir Anerood Jugnauth was in the city along with his wife Sarojini on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Property Dealer’s Murder
NRI ‘killer’ turns out to be seasoned pro
Hoshiarpur, December 15
NRI Prem Singh of Fatehgarh Churian, who was arrested in the murder case of Raman Kumar Kaura (of Kothi No. 570, Urban Estate, Phagwara) on December 13, 2007, has confessed his involvement in two more murders, namely that of Gurdip Singh and his uncle Piara Singh, residents of Lohtan PS Balachaur.

Man murdered by armed assailants
Phagwara, December 15
More than dozen armed assailants brutally murdered a person Sohan Singh and injured three others at village Lakhpur in Phagwara subdivision, here on Saturday. The injured have been identified as Pritam Singh, his wife Bhajan Kaur and son Bunti.

Absconding BKI terrorist nabbed
Phagwara, December 15
The absconding accomplice of the three Babbar Khalsa International terrorists, who were arrested with a huge quantity of RDX on December 13, was arrested by Phagwara police on Friday. He has been identified as Jagjit Singh alias Jeete of resident of Rurrka Khurad village PS Goraya.

Attack on cops: 2 booked
Tarn Taran, December 15
The police has booked two persons for assaulting a team of cops at a naka put up near Bhikhiwind on Friday. While an accused Gurwinder Singh of Pahuwind village was nabbed on the spot, his aide Nishan Singh Baserwal Hundal managed to flee.

Knock, Knock
DG check catches govt school staff napping
Deepkamal Kaur/TNS

Jalandhar, December 15
It’s noon at government senior secondary school, Adarsh Nagar. The teachers of both the elementary and senior secondary wings are basking in the sun, busy chitchatting. There are no students around as they have been let off two hours ago, well in advance before the schedule time. Suddenly arrives a rather unexpected guest: The director general school education, Krishan Kumar.

A teacher rushes to fetch a glass of water for the officer, while another orders soft drinks, but it does not help much. The damage has been done. “I cannot see any students around,” he questions. “Oh, they have just left. The examinations are on and they leave after submitting the answersheets,” a teacher stutters. “You cannot let them off early. I guess no timings have been changed for the examination days. You have to act more responsibly. Why don’t you take classes after the examination to prepare them for the next paper?”, says the officer. Further queries fail to elicit a satisfactory reply.

Kumar is also shocked to notice that the mid-day meal was not being cooked in the school. “We have been doing it regularly. However, we have no funds for this month,” replies a teacher. A check with the DPI office revealed that the money had already been dispatched on November 12. Taking teachers to the task, the DG education reprimanded them for not bringing up the matter with DEO or contacting him through thehelpline. “You could have raised the issue when I held a meeting in Jalandhar on December 3 or on December 12 when I met the DEOs,” said Kumar.

Talking to The Tribune, the DG said, “I will make sure that an inquiry is initiated into the matter and whosoever is held guilty of payment delay will not be spared.” The deputy commissioner is in charge of the committee to ensure implementation of mid-day meal scheme but checks by the officer or his subordinates were a rare phenomenon, sources add. 

Kuala Lumpur Crisis
Bias against Hindus worries Mauritian Prez
Amarjit Thind
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 15
Malaysian government is officially discriminating against Hindus to deny them their rightful share in the national wealth.

This was said by President of Mauritius Sir Anerood Jugnauth, who was in the city along with his wife Sarojini Jugnauth, on Saturday. The duo paid visit to APJ College of Fine Arts where the students treated them to a colourful cultural event.

Commenting on the reported violence in Kuala Lumpur after the community went on the warpath against the government to protest against the alleged discrimination, the President said “though the situation at present is not good, but I am hopeful that it will improve in the coming days.”

Reacting to a query on his country’s relations with India, he said both the countries have cordial relations since the latter’s independence and both the countries were committed to establish stronger tie-ups, especially in the education sector.

The collaboration in the field of education is under active consideration, he added, without revealing any details about any proposed bilateral agreements in the sector. Talking about the tourism sector in Mauritius, Jugnauth said his country was a beautiful island with numerous marvellous sights due to which the tourism industry in the country has prospered a lot. Elaborating further, the President claimed that Mauritians are synonymous with good hospitality and since the tourists feel secure in his country, their number swelled manifold in the recent years. “We are making all-out efforts to promote more tourism worldwide,” he added.

Property Dealer’s Murder
NRI ‘killer’ turns out to be seasoned pro
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, December 15
NRI Prem Singh of Fatehgarh Churian, who was arrested in the murder case of Raman Kumar Kaura (of Kothi No. 570, Urban Estate, Phagwara) on December 13, 2007, has confessed his involvement in two more murders, namely that of Gurdip Singh and his uncle Piara Singh, residents of Lohtan PS Balachaur.

The body of Kaura, a property dealer, was found wrapped in a bed sheet from the fields of village Ahrana Kalan located on Hoshiarpur-Phagwara road, for which an FIR had been registered in Mehtiana police station on December 1, 2007.

SSP, Hoshiarpur, Anita Punj stated here this evening that Prem Singh had a criminal back ground and he revealed that after killing both the above said persons he threw their bodies in the area of Phillaur and Subhanpur, for which two cases, under section 302 and 201 of the IPC were registered in Phillaur and Subhanpur police stations on November 6 and November 13, 2007 respectively. He had also kidnapped the 12-year-old son of Sumitra Devi of Baba Gadian, Phagwara on December 5, 2007 and the former has been recovered from him now. A case under section 364 of the IPC had been registered in this connection at the Phagwara police station.

The SSP added that on account of heavy losses to his transport company in the USA Prem Singh had developed strained relations with Pawan Kumar of Lohtan and the former wanted to eliminate him, but could not succeed in his mission. Later, he killed Pawan’s partners Gurdip Singh and Joginder Singh.

Man murdered by armed assailants

Phagwara, December 15
More than dozen armed assailants brutally murdered a person Sohan Singh and injured three others at village Lakhpur in Phagwara subdivision, here on Saturday. The injured have been identified as Pritam Singh, his wife Bhajan Kaur and son Bunti.

The police has registered a case under section 302/148/149/323 of the IPC against 12 persons and no arrests have been made so far. An old land dispute was said to be the reason behind the attack.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, while injured Pritam Singh has been referred to a Ludhiana hospital under critical condition.

Absconding BKI terrorist nabbed
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, December 15
The absconding accomplice of the three Babbar Khalsa International terrorists, who were arrested with a huge quantity of RDX on December 13, was arrested by Phagwara police on Friday. He has been identified as Jagjit Singh alias Jeete of resident of Rurrka Khurad village PS Goraya.

Confirming the arrest, DSP HPS Khakhsaid a police party had put up a naka near Chachki canal, as a preventive measure to the bandh call given by Shiv Sena (Hindustan). On specific information, the cops stopped a Phagwara-bound bus (no PB-10 BX-9102) in which the alleged terrorist was travelling. He was nabbed and seized a .303 bore country-made-pistol, and ten live cartridges were seized from him.

DSP Khakh said the arrested terrorist managed to escape when his accomplice Gurinder Singh was arrested near Ekta Resorts on Phagwara-Jandiala road on Thursday. The accused has been sent to police remand till December 19.

Attack on cops: 2 booked

Tarn Taran, December 15
The police has booked two persons for assaulting a team of cops at a naka put up near Bhikhiwind on Friday. While an accused Gurwinder Singh of Pahuwind village was nabbed on the spot, his aide Nishan Singh Baserwal Hundal managed to flee.

In his statement, head constable Bhupinder Singh said, “We signalled a Zen (PB 02 AR 6200), coming from Amritsar, to stop. However, the car occupants came out with hockey sticks and attacked us.” — OC