Bathinda, January 21
For many, the ongoing colouring of road dividers in the city, came as a surprise as the structures which have been marked to be demolished are getting painted.

People thought that the district administration apparently had dropped the idea of beautifying the city. They also thought if the administration still had the plan for renovation of city roads, then why was it wasting money by getting it painted?

People’s apprehension was not baseless. In fact, reports regarding a new Rs 10-crore project for the upliftment and beautification of the main road recently hit the headlines. And the tender regarding this would be open about after a week, as out of 21 days period, 14-15 days have already passed.

The road dividers at the Amrik Singh Road, Bathinda-Goniana Road and the Mall Road are getting a coat of black and white paint. The dividers on the Mall Road have been painted while painting on the Main Road dividers is going on.

On being asked, a painter doing the above-mentioned job at the Main Road said, it would take three more days to be completed. And the contractor of the project, Vijay Kumar, said, “The administration has allotted us the tender at the rate of Rs 1.50 per square foot, but the total measurement has not yet been done and it will be done only after the completion.”

However, DC, Rahul Tewari, cleared the doubt saying, “The tender for the upliftment project will soon be opened and the painting is in view of the forthcoming Republic Day celebrations.”

Barnala, January 21
The state government it seems is trying to obfuscate the issues involved in the Bhadaur gurudwara clash case. The visit of two senior officials of the crime branch to Bhadaur is being seen in this light. 

They included deputy inspector general (DIG), crime branch, B.K. Uppal and superintendent of police (SP) Sukhdev Singh Brar.

Both the officials visited gurudwara Nanksar Thath. As soon as the Gurudwara Kand Virodhi Action Committee members came to know about their arrival, they reached the gurudwara. Both the officials then went to the Bhadaur police station.

Following them, action committee members Ajay Kumar, Gurmail Bhutal and Hari Bawa, along with those affected and their families, reached the Bhadaur police station but they were denied entry.

Hari Bawa, president of Bhadaur municipal committee and president of Gurudwara Kand Virodhi Action Committee, said that when the two officials came out of the police station, the action committee members tried to speak to DIG Uppal. They said that if the government wanted any fresh inquiry, then the victim must be duly informed by the authorities.

But the DIG reportedly replied that the villagers do not cooperate in the investigation. The reply agitated the victims. Both the officials then came to the PWD rest-house, Barnala.

As per sources, they tried to apply pressure on DSP Baljit Singh to change his stand in the case.

It may be recalled that the DSP has already recorded his statement before a local court in which he is believed to have pointed fingers at the then senior superintendet of police (SSP), Barnala, S.K.Asthana, in the death case of Ruban Masih.             

Though the administration tried to keep the meeting a secret affair, but media persons reached the PWD rest house. Aware of their arrival, the two officials left in a hurry. Though the reporters saw DSP Baljeet Singh along with SSP Parmjeet Singh Garewal at the rest-house along with the two crime branch officers, yet the DSP said that neither he had been there nor had he gone to the rest-house.

Meanwhile, DIG Uppal refused to comment on the issue saying that the investigation was still on.

It may be mentioned that a clash between people in Bhadaur and the police took place on October 11, 2006 over the issue of demarcation of land between two gurudwaras. One Ruban Masih had died in the incident while 100 persons were seriously injured. The then SSP Barnala,  S.K. Asthana had registered a case against 156 persons including SAD MLA Balbeer Singh Gunus.

When nothing materialised, an action committee was formed to knock at the doors of the High Court for justice.

The High Court ordered the Punjab police to enquire into the matter. The inquiry by SP crime branch, Patiala, had pointed fingers at Asthana.

Bathinda, January 21
The laxity of the officials of the animal husbandry department was evident in a certificate that was issued in the name of Saddam Hussain, the slain former President of Iraq, whose donkey reportedly won the first prize at the ‘Punjab State Livestock Championship’, held at Muktsar from January 10-12.

The certificate has raised questions as it bears the name of a person, who is no more. What is more, the purportedly prize winning animal was not even listed at the competition.

The copies of the two certificates are with TNS. One is blank but bears the signatures of the director and the financial commissioner of the animal husbandry department as well as the signature of the financial commissioner of rural development and Panchayat department.

The other certificate has been issued in the name of Saddam Hussain, whose donkey purportedly won the first prize along with a cash prize of Rs one lakh. No certificate bears any serial number on it.

It may be mentioned that the maximum prize published in the advertisement for the fair was only Rs 51,000. What is more, only five types of animals were invited for participation. This included horses, mares, cows, buffalos and dogs.

When informed, director, animal husbandary, Baljit Singh Sidhu, said over phone, “It is not in my knowledge, but it is a matter of shame. A thorough probe will be conducted and the guilty will not be spared.”

When asked about the authenticity of his signature, Sidhu said, “The signatures were scanned on the certificates as the signatures of three officials are there and signing all of them would not have been possible.
A committee was formed to look into the formalities.”

Bathinda, January 21
The traffic police today challaned the driver of a car for allegedly violating traffic rules on the Railway Road. The accused also created a ruckus when caught on the wrong foot.

According to the traffic police, when the cops tried to intercept a black colour Santro (HP 57 A 0999), having tinted glasses, the driver, a resident of Ganesha Basti, tried to escape. When the police managed to intercept it, they saw a girl coming out from the car and fleeing.

The traffic head constable Lakhwinder Singh said, “The window glasses of the car were tinted and even the front windshield was covered with removable black sheet. This aroused suspicion. The boy attempted to speed away. When the car was intercepted, a girl came out of the car and fled.”

“The boy misbehaved with us, refused to sign the challan chit and threatened us with dire consequences stating that he was a relative of the deputy commissioner’s personal staff,” he added. The accused even tried to influence media persons claiming closeness to some official in the DC’s office.

Muktsar, January 21
Hundreds of protesters today gathered in front of the city police station here for justice following the rape of a minor Dalit girl of Badhai village, which occurred over a month back. However, the Muktsar police maintained that cops had been rushed to Rajasthan to nab the accused.  

The activists held a protest march under the banner of the ‘Mani Kaur Insaf Dalao Action Committee’ on Kot Kapura road and raised anti-police slogans on reaching the police station, as the senior police officials assured that the alleged culprit, Mal Singh, a resident of the same village, would soon be arrested and an appropriate action would be taken as per the law.

However, the police today also added section 3(i) 11 of the SC-ST Act 1989 in the FIR, which was earlier registered under sections 376/511 of the IPC following the gruesome incident, which took place on December 17, 2007.

DSP Daljit Singh Sidhu, who gave January 25 as the deadline for the arrest of the accused, told the protesters on the spot that the cops were “rushed to Rajasthan to nab the accused”.

The Dalit families of Badhai village, with the support of local organisations had formed ‘Mani Kaur Insaf Dalao Action Committee’ after the alleged inaction of the police while the culprit was moving scot-free in the area even after committing the crime.

The protesters reasoned “political pressure” for the alleged police inaction as the accused was not yet arrested 36 days after the shameful incident.

The FIR in the case was lodged on December 19 after the aggrieved family members met the DC.

The organisations which supported the today’s protest included, ‘Dehati Mazdoor Sabha Punjab’, ‘Lal Jhanda Brick kiln Labour Union’, ‘SC Welfare Sabha’ and ‘Punjab Khet Mazdoor Sabha’.

The Action Committee convener Ashok Mahindra said the agitated villagers and other protesters would wait till January 25, the deadline given by the cops for the arrest of the accused, and would again launch more aggressive agitation in case of the police inaction.

Abohar, January 21
“Political and social activists could bring positive changes in their life by drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s literature,” said Ashok Gehlot, former Chief Minister of Rajasthan during his visit at the Gandhi Jeevan Darshan Exhibition held in the S.D. College complex in Sriganganagar, 40 km from here, today.

Speaking on the occasion, Gehlot said, “Terrorism, corruption, religion and caste-based divide virtually dominated the political and social scenario across the country. Gandhi Ji had won over these evils with the principle of non-violence. His teachings, it seems, have more significance and relevance today.”

Seminars on ideals of Mahatma Gandhi should be organised by the educational institutions on Gandhi’s birthday and death anniversary, he added.

The exhibition was arranged by New Delhi-based Gandhi Smriti Darshan Samiti and Rajiv Gandhi Study Circle with assistance of Bharat Seva Sansthan, Jodhpur.

Bathinda, January 21
In an effort to make the city clean and green, the district administration has today launched a cleanliness drive in the city. The deputy commissioner Rahul Tewari and several other top officials of various departments holding brooms in their hand swept a stretch of Naamdev road to inculcate the feeling in the mind of residents to keep the surroundings clean. 

The school children also participated in the motivation scheme by requesting the inhabitants not to litter in the streets.

At the spot, Tewari said, “Every week one locality will be selected under this scheme and school going children and the officials both will make the people motivate to make the city clean.”

The commissioner, Municipal Corporation, K.K. Yadav apprised that fifty mobile rehris have been introduced to collect the garbage, which would go home-to-home every day and several containers have been placed at main points to serve the purpose.

Bathinda, January 21
The district and sessions court today awarded two years imprisonment to Baljinder Singh, the SHO of Dyal Pura police station, in a case in which he was accused of being a drug peddler’s accomplice.

After hearing all the arguments, the special judge, G.K.Dhir, pronounced the sentence. Though the courts dismissed allegations of corruption against the SHO but it found him guilty of disposing of evidences in the drug peddling case. —TNS

Abohar, January 21
Freedom fighter Mahashya Krishan Chander Asija passed away on Sunday night. His cremation was largely attended here today.

Born in February 1911, Mahashya Ji, as he was popularly called, had politely turned down all the offers made by state and central governments after independence of honours and other benefits in recognition of his contribution to the freedom movement.

His funeral procession started from the residence of his youngest son, Ranveer Partap Asija, a member of the Panjab University senate, this afternoon.

At the Subhash Nagar cremation grounds, Tehsildar Arvind Parkash Verma and Naib Tehsildar Narinder Singh Saini laid a wreath on the body of the freedom fighter on behalf of the Punjab government. A Punjab police contingent led by SHO Sanjiv Setia presented a salute by reversing arms.

Others who paid floral tributes included city Congress president B.L. Nagpal and councillor Vimal Thathai, SAD central council member Vijay Nagpal, Homoeopathic Medical College principal Rajinder Girdhar and Bar Association president Devi Lal Bishnoi.

Krishan Chander Asija’s sons, Ranveer Partap Asija and Devinder Partap Asija, lit the pyre.

Ferozepur, January 21
The Ferozepur police today recovered 3 kg of opium from a person arrested in Jhoke-harihar village here.

Giving details, Dinesh Pratap SSP said a special police team on patrol duty spotted an Opel Astra, bearing registration number DL-2CH-5017 coming from Sadiq. On seeing the police party ahead, the driver of the car tried runaway, but was overpowered.

The SSP disclosed that the person driving the car was identified as Talwinder Singh alias Montu of Mallout in Muktsar district. On search, 3 kg opium was recovered. A case has been registered. — OC