Mohali, May 29
To spy on defence installations, particularly those belonging to the Air Force, Pakistan-based ISI is banking upon the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) to provide logistic support to its agents coming to India.

This was stated by Mohali SSP GPS Bhullar after the arrest of a Lahore-based ISI agent, Irfan Ulla, from near the Mullanpur Air Force Station here today. The 28-year-old youth was found in possession of a Chinese pistol, 20 live cartridges, maps of various airports in India, photographs of Air Force stations and a diary with coded names of these stations.

Questioning of the suspect, who was a teacher at a Lahore-based school prior to his infiltration into India through the Nepal border, said his mentors in Pakistan were in link with Germany-based KZF activist Ranjit Singh, alias Nitta, and his associate Gurmeet Singh Bagga.

The SSP said Gurmeet Singh was a proclaimed offender in connection with cases of explosive seizures in the Jagraon area.

Not ready to reveal details about Irfan’s handlers in India, the SSP said the youth was computer literate and was well versed in Hindi and Punjabi. His ISI handlers had trained him well to handle the job assigned to him.

Police officials claimed he had already started his job and was focusing on two major Air Force stations in Punjab.

A case under Sections 17, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities Act, 1967; Section 3 of the Indian Official Secret Act, 1923; Section 14 of the Foreign Act, 1946, and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered against the youth at the Mullanpur police station.

Bathinda, May 29
In a recently exposed scam worth crores of rupees in the Punjab State Cooperative Agriculture Development Bank (PADB), Rampura, the police has booked the manager and a field officer of the bank along with 20 others for their alleged involvement in the crime.

Though the suspects are at large, the police has confirmed the allegations against them after going through the report of senior officials of the PADB and after probing the records lying in the bank.

The scam was detected when an audit team of the PADB, during a routine inspection, suspected irregularities in the records of 2008-09 and 2009-10. The team probed the matter further and found that a field officer along with the bank manager were behind lots of discrepancies in the records.

Submitting the initial probe report, the audit team disclosed discrepancies of Rs 3.53 crore, in which not only the bank but various farmers were also cheated.

The probe report revealed that the bank manager, Balaur Singh, and a field officer, Ranjit Singh, had grabbed lakhs of rupees by deceiving farmers. They used to receive the loan repayment instalments from farmers but did not deposit these in the bank accounts.

After sometime, when the farmers got suspicious, the suspects defused the situation by issuing cheques from their personal account. Despite this, the debt responsibilities of the farmers remained unsettled.

Further, the officials in question evaded stamp duty worth lakhs of rupees by tampering with the records. The probe officials mentioned that in the official records, the reasons for extending loan were different from loan request forms, filled by the farmers. Playing a trick, the suspects used to mention only those reasons, over which the government had either waived or fixed a negligible stamp duty.

Further, the officials issued no-objection certificates (NOC) to many farmers, who were earlier declared defaulters for not repaying the debt amount.

In some cases, the officials in question issued the loan amounts to applicants but did not submit the report with the Revenue Department, which was otherwise a mandatory process. It has also come to light that the “tainted” officials had issued loans worth Rs 15 lakh, files of which were not in the official records of the bank. Moreover, in many cases, the accused had issued loans exceeding the prescribed limit.

Mentioning all charges, the audit team submitted its report recently with the district office of the PADB, from where the matter was further brought to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner and officials of the Cooperative Department.

Going through the details, the Deputy Commissioner recommended to the SSP to lodge a criminal case against the two officials in question along with others, who benefited illegally from them.

Acting upon the directions, the Rampura police booked the manager, field officer and 20 others under various sections of the IPC on Friday.

Chandigarh, May 29
A team of 40 scientists and engineers from the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) here has been conferred with the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Special Award for Strategic Contribution for 2009 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The team has been felicitated for its role in the design and development of strategic warheads for multiple launch platforms in all operating environments, according to a statement issued here today.

The team, including seven women scientists, had experts in different disciplines of engineering and science. It also included over 15 young and upcoming scientists, indicating motivation by the new generation in pursuing a career in this critical area of defence technology, thereby moving a step towards self-reliance in high-end defence technologies.

The TBRL is a pioneer in design, development, testing and evaluation of armament systems. Products developed by this laboratory are already in use with the armed forces. Many technologies developed by this laboratory have led to development of systems by other DRDO laboratories.

Ludhiana, May 29
Suffering hunger pangs for want of food, as many as 45 Punjabi youths are stuck in Saudi Arabia and are sending SOS calls back home to their parents to come to their rescue.

These youths, from various districts of the state, immigrated to Saudi Arabia in search of greener pastures in February this year following a promise from their travel agent that lucrative jobs were awaiting them there.

After spending their parents’ life savings and borrowing money, these youths spent Rs 1.60 lakh each on immigration. Their hopes were dashed to the ground when they were forced to lift garbage manually, live amid unhygienic conditions and sleep on an empty stomach.

Not only they are living their lives in misery, they are also suffering from a highly contagious skin disease owing to living in unhygienic conditions in labour sheds, said their parents.

Their plight came to the fore today, when their families visited Lok Bhalai Party supremo Balwant Singh Ramoowalia's office, urging him to take up the matter with the Indian High Commission in Saudi Arabia.

"We did not know they were in a bad shape till the time we got a call from our son. He was crying bitterly and begging of me to arrange for his return. I do not know what will happen now," said Avtar Singh, a resident of Ranghar Nangal village in Batala, whose son, Jasdev Singh, 27, is stuck in Saudi Arabia.

Avtar Kaur, a resident of Baghol Khurd village near Tanda, too, sent her son for a better job option. But she is disillusioned now. "I am under debt. My utensils can be taken away by financiers anytime. That is the only belonging I have now. Please bring my only son back," she said sobbing.

The parents, who were in the city, did not even have a clue about the wherabouts of their sons. "We do not know the name of the company and the place where they are working," said Joginder Singh, whose son, Naresh Kumar, is also in Saudi Arabia.

Parents of about 20 youths met Ramoowalia, who assured them of help. He spoke to a few youths there and assured them early release. "The matter will be taken up by tomorrow. We will get a good news," said Ramoowalia.

Chandigarh, May 29
A Saharanpur resident, allegedly picked up by the Patiala police and kept in illegal custody since May 13, was released last night after the cops came to know that the Punjab and Haryana High Court has appointed a warrant officer following a habeas corpus petition.

He was found outside the CIA police station in Patiala when warrant officer Rajan Nanda reached there.

Nasib Ahmed told Nanda he was picked up and brutally beaten up. During the days of detention, he was kept at the CIA police station, Patiala, and was also shifted to the Samana police station.

He also told the warrant officer that his yellow-coloured bag was still at the police station and it was recovered from there.

His cousin Mohammad Yonus said Nasib was working as a driver with a jeweller at Saharanpur and used to supply ornaments to jewellers in Punjab. Finding daily travelling difficult, Nasib expressed his desire to leave the job. Initially, his employers attempted to convince him not to leave the job, but later he got annoyed.

Subsequently, Nasib was picked up from his village in Saharanpur district on May 13 and brought to the CIA, Patiala, where he was brutally beaten up and given electric shocks.

Later, when Nasib’s nephew and some other villages visited the Patiala police station, he was found to be in bad shape and two persons had to support him. The police officials threatened tougher treatment, if he refused to admit having committed a theft. The petition was fixed for hearing before Justice HS Bhalla, who appointed Nanda as the warrant officer, who reached Patiala around 9.30 pm.

Jalandhar, May 29
The list of rejection of visa by the Canadian High Commission to serving and former Army and police personnel is becoming longer as another case of denial of visitor’s visa to an ex-Army official has come to fore.

Having served in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir, Capt MS Sidhu (retired) had applied for visitor’s visa for Canada five times since 2003 for visiting his son and daughter settled in Toronto, but every time his case was rejected.

According to Sidhu, he had applied twice when he was a Block Development and Panchayat Officer with the Punjab government after his service in the Army and he applied thrice for the same after his retirement.

He said he had mentioned in his visa application that he served at several places, including Jammu & Kashmir and Assam, during his service in the Army.

Sidhu (62) said no reason was mentioned by the Canadian authorities while rejecting his visa. He had applied for visa twice in 2003 and then in 2006, 2007 and 2009.

Criticising the Centre for taking a soft stand, he said the government should take tough posture with the Canadian government in this regard for reconsidering such cases without any further delay.

Chandigarh, May 29
A four-page detailed report has been submitted to the Panjab University authorities in the case of attack on a teacher at Government Arts and Science College (Talwara), Hoshiarpur, by a student who was not permitted to appear in the exam.

Sources said the report had been accepted by the university. Prabjit Singh and Kamaljit Singh, both fellows, had visited the college and recommended that the student, under misconduct, must be disqualified from the university for five years.

The college was also found unfit to host private candidates due to lack of infrastructure. The committee also recommended that the teacher be paid the medical bills and another recommendation was that the Registrar has been suggested to take up the case legally.

The committee also identified several other loopholes in the three examination centres in the same college, where students were found to have changed their centres without permission. In addition to this, the role of the center superintendents of other centres in the same college has also come under the scanner.

Following the incident at Talwara, several teachers had boycotted the evaluation at Dasua centre for over an hour. PU Registrar then wrote a letter to the local Superintendent of Police (Hoshiarpur) on May 18, following which the teachers have now resumed work. 

Chandigarh, May 29
The SAD has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to provide security to all witnesses in cases pertaining to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots against Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, SAD President and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “The Centre must provide security to the witnesses as attempts will be made to pressurise them”.

Sukhbir Badal demanded that a special investigation team should be constituted under an ADGP-rank IPS officer of impeccable integrity to re-probe the cases against Tytler and Sajjan Kumar. The trial must be started on a day-to-day basis.

The SAD President expressed satisfaction over the important milestone achieved in framing charges against Sajjan Kumar. He said in the letter that witnesses who stood their ground and dared to depose against powerful persons for 25 years were expressing fear that they might be physically harmed or even eliminated. 

Ferozepur, May 29
A new chapter has been added to the history of Punjab Home Guards (PHG) as its jawans will hold self-loading rifles (SLRs) in their hands within a few days by replacing the .303 bolt-action rifles, belonging to the pre-Partition era of the country.

The Border Security Force (BSF) authorities have decided to provide 500 SLRs of .7.62 mm make in one go to the PHG under an agreement reached between them and the Home Guards authorities in the recent past.

These rifles were inducted into the BSF in 1971.

Official sources said the delivery of SLRs had already been started after a three-member team had carried out a physical inspection of the weapons at the BSF, Punjab Frontier headquarters, at Jalandhar.

Sources added that out of the 500 SLRs, which had been given to the PHG authorities, 480 SLRs would be divided among the six battalions of the PHG, deployed in the border areas of Batala, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Patti and Gurdaspur, better known as Border Wing Home Guard (BWHG) and the rest of 20 SLRs would be sent to the Combines Training Institute (CIT), Mohali, to be used for providing training to the jawans.

It is learnt that all six battalions of the BWHG had acquired the knowledge of handling modern weapons during their participation in the Army exercise carried out in these pockets at regular intervals. Moreover, they had got an opportunity to handle modern weapons while performing election duties in Naxalism-infested states like Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Orissa.

“Even the jawans of the BWHG know how to operate the Insas rifle, which is considered as the latest weapon to deal with any kind of situation and is being handled by BSF jawans on the frontiers,” said a senior functionary of the BWHG on condition of anonymity.

He said the authorities had given fast- moving-vehicles and electronic gadgets to the PHG to modernise it. It had been facing blatant neglect for the past many decades.

Barnala, May 29
A local court on Friday sent a mazdoor leader to 14-day judicial remand for pasting Naxalite posters. Members of various organisations submitted a resolution to the Deputy Commissioner through the Naib Tehsildar against the police for falsely implicating him.

Sources said a police team led by SHO City police station Harmok Singh Deol brought Sanjeev Kumar Mintu, district president of the Krantikari Pendu Mazdoor Union, to the court of Judicial Magistrate Rajeev Kumar Beri to seek extension of his police remand. They added that when the accused was produced before the judicial magistrate, public prosecutor Dilpreet Singh sought extension of the police remand that was opposed by defence counsel Jagjit Singh.

After hearing both counsel, the Judicial Magistrate sent the accused to 14-day judicial remand.

Sources further stated that activists of various social organisations present outside the court raised slogans against the government and the police for falsely implicating Mintu and demanded that the leader be immediately released. They added that the Barnala police had registered a case against Mintu on May 22 for pasting posters carrying Naxalite messages near Kachehri Chowk. The accused was produced in the court on May 26. He was sent to two-day police remand.

Narayan Dutt of the Inqulabi Kendra (Punjab), Maggar Singh Kulriyan of the Khetibaadi Kissan and Kissan Vikas Front and other leaders said the police was implicating those working for justice to the masses in false cases to silence their voices. They also said they had to form an action committee to fight against the “atrocities” of the government.

The members of the action committee staged a protest outside the DC’s office and raised slogans against the government and the police.

Malerkotla, May 29
The local police booked two persons late last evening for the alleged rape and kidnapping of two minor girls. A case under Sections 363, 366A, 376, 506 and 34, IPC, has been registered against two persons in the local city 1 police station.

It is learnt that the two minor girls, aged about 15 and 16 years, residents of Gali Billyan Wali, near Pakka Darwaja, Jamalpura area, yesterday lodged a complaint at the local city 1 police station that two youths, both residents of the Raikot Road area, allegedly kidnapped them from the Jamalpura area in their car on Sunday (May 23).

After kidnapping them, they took them forcefully to a motor pump in the fields and allegedly raped them. After the rape, they allegedly threatened to kill the girls if they disclosed the incident to any one. Yesterday, the girls revealed the incident to their family members who informed the police about this.