Nawanshahr, March 25
You may have heard of “supari killers”, but a new phenomenon of “supari hitters” in the field of crime, has come to light in the Doaba region, known as NRI belt of the state. As NRIs have enough money at their disposal, they have started this new phenomenon by hiring muscle men for “hitting” their enemies here to settle score with them.

While sharing this new trend with mediapersons here on Thursday, SSP Dr Narinder Bhargav said a gang of “supari hitters” had been busted by arresting two notorious criminals - Harpreet Singh, alias Happo, of Buhani village in Kapurthala district and Randeep Kumar, alias Sonu of Beenpur village in Jalandhar district. The police had seized a 7.65-mm pistol, three live cartridges and a magazine from Harpreet Singh and a .32-bore revolver and three cartridges from Randeep Singh. Besides, a black colour Scorpio (PP-08-AG-2769) has also been recovered from them. The police has started verification of the vehicle to ascertain its owner and other details. Both of them had a mobilised a sizeable number of youth belonging to the district for committing crime at the instance of the NRIs.

“The gang has a floating membership and it has been involved in the various incidents of crime under ‘supari hitting’ at different places, including Ballowal, Mukandpur, Goraya, Phillaur, Bilga, Nurmahal, Nakodar, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Balachaur and Nawanshahr areas. A number of cases under different sections of IPC had already been registered against them at police stations in Doaba region,” further said Bhargav, adding that the accused had confessed their involvement in the incidents of crime registered at police stations of Bilga, Balachaur and Mukandpur last year.

The police has registered a fresh case under sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act against both of them at Mukandpur police station. The accused were presented before the court today and were given two-day police remand, further said the SSP, adding that some startling revelation might come to light during investigation.

Jalandhar, March 25
The Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, and Punjab Grow More Fertilisers Pvt Ltd. are at loggerheads with each other over the functioning of the solid waste treatment plant (STP) at Wariana village here.

After both the parties had signed a contract for the eco-friendly project about six years ago, it has got badly mired in controversy.

Ever since the MC planned to tie up with another firm for setting up a solid waste treatment plant at Jamsher village, the complications have multiplied with allegations and counter-allegations from either side.

Dheeraj Ghai, executive director of the company, said the MC had failed to provide us with an approach road, green belt and sewerage. “No arrangement has been made to lift the non-biodegradable waste from the site which comprises 50 per cent of the total solid waste,” he fumed.

V.P. Singh, SE, O&M of the MC, countered Ghai’s allegation, saying, “The total project has been a failure. The technology, too, had been a big failure. Even their manure had not been accepted by farmers. The new company, which had approached us for the project at Jamsher, would generate manure, power and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) leaving very little residual waste.”

But Ghai has challenged it saying, “It is a just a claim. It won’t be possible.”

He further claimed that the manure that his plant had been producing had got certification for use by farmers from the PAU, Ludhiana.

“There is no problem with our machinery and the technology that we are using. We are daily getting 200 tonnes of refuse, of which half the weight is that of water. We have the capacity of intake of more than 350 tonnes of refuse daily,” he said.

He even hinted at pressure from a prominent property dealer, who has his apartments and market complex nearby, behind shifting of the plant site.

“During the tenure of Commissioner S.S. Johl the project had been keenly undertaken. Even the support from the Army had been taken for a few days for covering of the residue with soil for setting up a green belt. That project was also shelved later,” he lamented.

The MC, however, is very clear on closing the contract shortly and even taking up the matter legally, the officials disclosed. 

Batala, March 25
Gurmeet Singh Bakhatpura, who was arrested in a criminal case, escaped from police custody while he was under treatment for a broken leg at the Civil Hospital.

He was arrested allegedly being the kingpin of labourers in incidents involving in the harassment and blackmail of local industrialists, which led to the locking out of local factories for nine days and it was only after his arrest that the administration could arrange a dialogue between the labourers and the industrialists.

SSP Dinesh Partap Singh suspended ASI Harkeerat Singh, head constable Raghubir Singh and constable Satnam Singh here on Thursday, due to whose negligence the accused escaped from police custody. Further inquiry in the matter is on. — OC

Tarn Taran, March 25
Bhinder Kaur (22), a married woman of Bhaini Gurmukh Singh village, falling under Bhikhiwind police station, has expressed threat to her life from her brothers and sisters-in-law and sought security cover from the police.

Bhinder Kaur, who was with her husband Pargat Singh, here today told mediapersons that her brothers Angrej Singh and Harpal Singh and their wives have been bent upon to spoil her married life as they wanted to sell her to an old person without seeking divorce from her husband.

Belonging to a landless farmer family, Bhinder said her father married her with Pargat Singh of Bhaini Gurmukh Singh village two years back. She gave birth to a boy, who could not be saved due to pre-mature birth.

She added that after the death of her father some months back her brothers and sisters-in-law forcibly brought her to her parental home at Surwind village in Patti and send her to live with a old man Sukhdev Singh of Mishriwal village in Ferozepur as his wife against her wishes.

She said her brothers, Sukhdev Singh and his family members were quite aware of her first marriage. She alleged that Sukhdev Singh and his family members kept her in captivity and Sukhdev Singh raped her for about 20 days. However, she managed to escape from their custody some days back and came to Pargat Singh.

She alleged that now her brothers, sisters-in-law and Sukhdev’s family were threatening to kill her. Bhinder has submitted an application to the office of the SSP here today and have sought security. She have demanded action against her brothers and sisters-in-law and registration of a rape case against Sukhdev Singh and others.