The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	4 ‘BKI sympathisers’ nabbed near Beas The police might just have saved the Chief Minister, say sources Varinder Singh Tribune News Service Amritsar August 27 The Punjab police achieved a major breakthrough when it managed to break a module of the alleged Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) sympathisers by arresting four persons from the Sathiala township bus stand barely a day before Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was scheduled to participate in a “sangat darshan” programme at Sathiala. Senior Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and their family members were already on the hit list of terrorist outfits. Pavittar Singh, a resident of Baba Bakala, and Punjab police official Bhupinder Singh, his wife Amarjit Kaur, residents of New Santokhpura locality of Jalandhar, and Jaspal Singh, another resident of Jalandhar, were nabbed by a police party from near the Sathiala bus stand during a joint operation launched by the Amritsar (Rural) and Ludhiana police. Though, police officials were tight-lipped about activities or possible targets of arrested persons, sources pointed out that they were nabbed as they were close associates of terrorist Balbir Singh Bhootna, arrested at Ludhiana railway station and who was said to be a BKI activist. The arrested persons, sources said, had concealed some arms and ammunition in Maharashtra. Though investigation was under way and no senior police official was available for comment, unconfirmed reports said the arrested persons were arrested on the suspicion that they could target some VVIPs of Punjab, including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who incidentally was here to address a “sangat darshan” programme at Sathiala tomorrow. “We are looking into all aspects and investigation is going on. Definitely the CM is on the hit list of terrorists,” said a senior police officer. A case under sections 107 and 120-B of the IPC and sections 25, 56 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered at Beas police station.
	Farmers up in arms against govt Irked over not being able to use land across the fence and other issues Sanjay Bumbroo/TNS Bhindi Saidaan (Indo-Pak border), August 27 Various farmers’ organisations from the land of the “Ghadri Babas” today took the pledge at a convention to launch a decisive war against the Central and state governments for their anti-farmer policies. This historic farmers’ convention was organised by the Jamhoori Kisan Union (JKU) which urged farmers to come on a united platform to launch a struggle for solving various problems which include payment to farmers through cheque for their produce, implementation of the recommendations of Dr S.S. Swaminathan, sufficient supply of electricity and water through canals, waiving off loans of farmers, increase in subsidies and solving the problems of farmers having land across the fence. Addressing the gathering, JKU state president Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala warned the Punjab government that it would be responsible for the consequences which would ensue if it failed to make direct payment to farmers for their produce. He said they were not against the arhtiyas in any way and had no objection if the government deducted 2.5 per cent commission from their payment and gave it to the arhtiyas. They said this would also help in improving the kisan-arhtiya relationship. Dr Ajnala said farmers in the border region, even after tilling land for the past six decades, were not given ownership rights and the land was being grabbed by the land mafia in connivance with politicians, police and bureaucracy. Speaking on the occasion, Armal Singh Sandhu and Rattan Singh Randhwa, president and senior vice-president, Border Area Sangharsh Committee, said farmers were not being allowed to cultivate their land across the fence. He said farmers having their fields across gate 67, situated near the BSF chowki Dhian Singh, had never had the gates being opened for them. They demanded that the central government should immediately announce a compensation of Rs 5,000 per acre to these farmers.
	Congress leader names BJP councillor for husband’s murder Dharmendra Joshi Tribune News Service Kapurthala, August 27 A day after her husband Jaspal Singh’s alleged murder, district president of the Mahila Congress Neelam Sidhu today named BJP councillor from Ward 20 Pawan Dhir for the conspiracy behind the crime. Neelam demanded inclusion of Dhir’s name in the FIR registered against two MC employees Parbhash Kumar and his brother Subash Kumar, who had allegedly beaten Jaspal Singh to death. The District Mahila Congress chief said Dhir had used his political influence to harass her husband in connivance with some officials, including Deputy Director, Local Bodies, I.S. Bhatti, a former local MC EO S.K. Aggarwal and MC EO Gurwinder Kaur by transferring him repeatedly from one department to another and conspired with the two MC employees to kill him. Dhir had threatened to teach her and her husband a lesson as she was his rival candidate in the last MC elections, she added. Neelam demanded arrest of Pawan Dhir and the three MC officials after registration of a murder case under sections 302 and 120-B of the IPC against them. On the other hand, when contacted, Dhir denied the allegations levelled by Neelam. He said his fault was that he had contested the last MC elections successfully against her. Nephew of a senior BJP leader and Kapurthala Improvement Trust Chairman Hira Lal Dhir, Pawan claimed he had never threatened Neelam and her husband Jaspal. Meanwhile, local Congress leaders served an ultimatum on the district police to nab main accused Parbhash Kumar and Subhash Kumar by Friday. Jaspal’s cremation would not take place till their arrest, they declared. In the meantime, no exact cause of Jaspal’s death could be ascertained during his autopsy. His viscera have been sent to Kharar. Meanwhile, a large number of Congress workers blocked vehicular traffic outside the SSP’s office at Kachehari Chowk in favour of their demand of immediate arrest of the culprits. They also handed over a memorandum in this regard to SP (HQ) Chaman Lal. State general secretary of the Mahila Congress Sarjeewan Lata visited Neelam Sidhu’s place to console her. She also met DC Raj Kamal Chaudhary and demanded a judicial inquiry into Jaspal’s murder.
	Defaulting employees to pay 1 pc interest DDOs told to deduct tax every month Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 27 Mentioning of a correct PAN (permanent account number) in income tax returns of employees and others concerned is a responsibility of the drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) of various government departments. This was stated here today by a senior Income Tax Officer, V.K. Abrol. While addressing a meeting of DDOs for filing the income tax returns of employees in an orderly and correct manner, the officer said about 20 lakh office units in the country had been issued tax account number (TAN). Of these 9 lakh units were filing their income tax returns. The officer has directed the DDOs to file tax returns in time after every three months without fail. And mentioning of tax account number, etc, is a must. A DDO could be fined up to Rs 10,000 in case of non-mentioning of the account number. The submitting of Form 16 by April 30 is also must. There could be fine up to Rs 100 per day after April 30. The DDOs have been told to deduct income tax every month from the salary of employee concerned instead of doing so in the last months of the fiscal year. 1 per cent interest on the due instalment of tax would be charged from the employees who failed to get the tax deducted from their salaries every month, said the officer. He said even the DDOs could stop the disbursement of salary to defaulting employees on this count.
	4 pilgrims killed in truck-car collision Batala, August 27 Four persons were killed and seven injured in a collision between a truck and a car near Udhowal village here yesterday. The truck was going to Gurdaspur from Batala, whereas the car was coming from the Gurdaspur side. The deceased have been identified as Kalyan Singh (27), his elder brother’s wife Palli Bai (40), Mamta Bai (20) and driver of the car Mukesh (25). The injured have been identified as Surabh Bai (23), wife of Kalyan Singh, Ram Lal, Durga Lal, Ram Parshad, Pali Bai and a boy and a girl, all residents of Mawapo village, Jhilwada district, Rajasthan. They were coming from Jammu after paying obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and going to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. A case has been registered and the truck driver, Balbir Singh, arrested. — OC
	2 tantriks held for bid to eat body part from pyre Chander Parkash Tribune News Service Batala, August 27 Two tantriks were arrested by the local police after they made at attempt to eat a part of body immediately after the cremation of a minor girl, Mehak, at the cremation ground here on August 24. Police sources said the tantriks, identified as Romesh Chander and Darshan Singh, made an attempt to eat the body part to make a “tabeez” (capsule like metal item used for keeping evils away) of the same for treating those who had been haunted by ghosts. Before trying to eat the body part, the tantriks undressed themselves and danced for sometime around the pyre of Mehak, who died on August 23 after a prolonged illness. When they were asked about their purpose of doing the same by kin of the deceased, they ran away from the cremation ground. However, both were arrested by the police. Both were found to be residents of two different villages of Gurdaspur district. The police sources said Romesh Chander, who was a tea vendor near the court complex in the town, became a tantrik to mint money by befooling people. Surinder Singh, SHO, Civil Lines police station, said a case was registered against the tantriks under sections 297, 504 and 34 of the IPC on the basis of a complaint lodged against them by Sukhwinder Singh, paternal uncle of the deceased. The police sources said both tantriks were granted bail.