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Dowry menace: Cop in the dock
Nawanshahr, July 26
Following the death of Sunita, wife of cop Rakesh Kumar of Garhshankar Road here, the relatives of the woman held a protest dharna in front of the local police station here demanding action against her husband and other family members.

Another life lost in Batala
Batala, July 26
The menace of dowry claimed life of Amandeep Kaur, who fell prey to the in-laws’ greed. Kashmir Singh, resident of Deriwal village of Kathunangal, in his compliant lodged with the police claimed her daughter was harassed and tortured by husband Harpal Singh and in-laws, residents of Pattiwara village, for more dowry since marriage two years back.

Land Dispute
Front chief, supporters booked for sec 144 violation
Amritsar, July 26
Even as the final report of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Amritsar, about the possession of the two bigha land adjacent to Guru Ram Dass Memorial Charitable Hospital has yet to appear, the police has booked Col G.S. Sandhu, Chairman, Majha Ex-Servicemen Human Rights Front, and its supporters for violating law and order situation.

Man, son escape; 30 booked for abduction
Tarn Taran, July 26
Karambir Singh (35) and his minor son of Rampur village, 30 kms from here, were abducted by a group of 30 armed persons from their home last late evening. The abductors also took away a car and some other articles from their house before fleeing.

Shop dispute leads to murder
Pathankot, July 26
Puran Chand (40), running a rented shop at Khanpur Chowk, was allegedly murdered by shop owner and his sons here today. According to police, Puran Chand, a resident of Gosaipur village was running a stove repairing shop at Khanpur Chowk and had a dispute over the shop with its owner Baldev Singh, who wanted him to vacate the shop.

	Security Lapse Only 1 out of 4 CCTV cameras functional in Gurdaspur Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, July 26 Security concerns should have been of paramount importance in this city which has a long history of infiltrators sneaking in courtesy a long and porous border with Pakistan. However, the local police seems to have been caught on the back foot as far as surveillance is concerned. Three out of the four closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at various strategic points in the town are not in a working condition. The lone camera, which is working, is installed at the busy Kabootri Gate area and police sources disclosed that ever since the device had been installed, incidents of chain snatching, theft and dacoity have come down significantly. Last year the police, in collaboration with some social organisations, including the local Beopar Mandal, installed 4 CCTV cameras at Kabootri Gate, Bata Chowk, fish market and old bus stand. All these places are heavily populated and were strategically important for the police. The crime rate dropped in and around these places and thieves, fearing they would eventually get caught on the cameras, scouted for new places to make a picking. Sources reveal that when these cameras were operational even infiltrators from across the border were wary of coming to these areas. All these four cameras, serviced by wires, were connected to the central observation room located near Municipal Committee Chowk which was manned 24 hours a day by a team of constables. However, during the monsoons, trucks and other heavy vehicles started taking routes on which these cameras were installed. Subsequently, the trucks got entangled with the wires of these cameras making them non-functional. SSP Lok Nath Angra said efforts were on to purchase new wireless cameras. He added that the technology of these devices had become obsolete and his department was scouting for new state of the art CCTV cameras. “The crime rate dropped drastically when these devices were operational. We need more such devices to combat crime. Like in the United Kingdom, they have one camera for every 12 persons, we too need more CCTV cameras. We are going in for wireless CCTV cameras as the images generated by these gadgets are very good for police investigations,” said the SSP. Angra revealed that all the three cameras installed at various places in Pathankot were working properly and added that the police benefited immensely from the gadgets. “In Gurdaspur town we are planning to install the new CCTV cameras at railway station, bus stand, city centres, car parks and departmental stores frequented in a big way by the locals. Batala will also be brought under surveillance. Right now we do not have even a single CCTV camera installed in Batala. If we had cameras there we would have easily caught the perpetrators of violence following which curfew was clamed in the town in February.”
	Religious clash sparks tension in Mannan village Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 26 Tension prevailed in Mannan village on the Jalandhar-Jammu highway today after members of two communities clashed following a religious dispute late last night. The administration, however, claimed to have brought the situation under control. The district police (rural) has rounded up 12 persons involved in the clash. Heavy police force, including riot control vehicles and companies of commandos, were pressed into service to bring the situation under control. Eyewitnesses revealed that the agitators brandished swords and shattered a couple of vehicles. They raised anti-government and anti-police slogans at the site. The protestors also held a protest outside the Maqsudan police station demanding release of the rounded up persons. Kartarpur DSP Balbir Singh claimed that the situation was tense but under control. Our correspondent adds from Phagwara: Hunrdeds of activists belonging to Guru Ravi Dass Force Punjab blocked vehicular traffic on the Phagwara-Mehtan-Chandigarh Road near Khalwara bypass for more than one hour in protest against the arrest of activists of the force. The protesters raised slogans against the SAD-BJP government. Similar blockades were organized in Nakodar and Shahkot also.
	Dowry menace: Cop in the dock Our Correspondent Nawanshahr, July 26 Following the death of Sunita, wife of cop Rakesh Kumar of Garhshankar Road here, the relatives of the woman held a protest dharna in front of the local police station here demanding action against her husband and other family members. The irate family members accusing the in-laws of the woman for not allowing her son to perform the last rites were adamant that they would not lift the dharna and take out funeral of the deceased until her son was brought for performing the rites. Mohinder Pal and Nisha, father and sister of the deceased, in their statement said Sunita got married to Rakesh Kumar 15 years ago and they had a 13-year-old son. They accused Rakesh Kumar of forcing Sunita to bring money from her parents. Rakesh had come to their residence at Bains village on Thursday, later Sunita visited Bains on Sunday and narrated her woes. Yesterday, Sunita made a missed call and when they contacted her on phone in response to her missed call, she started weeping and urged them to immediately reach Nawanshahr, said Mohinder Pal and Nisha, adding that when they reached there, they found her dead. SP (HQ) Jagjit Singh Gill and SP (Operation) Dharam Singh Uppal negotiated with them and registered a case against Rakesh Kumar under section 306 of IPC. The issue of performing last rites of the deceased was solved amicably.
	Another life lost in Batala Batala, July 26 The menace of dowry claimed life of Amandeep Kaur, who fell prey to the in-laws’ greed. Kashmir Singh, resident of Deriwal village of Kathunangal, in his compliant lodged with the police claimed her daughter was harassed and tortured by husband Harpal Singh and in-laws, residents of Pattiwara village, for more dowry since marriage two years back. A case under sections 304-B and 34 of the IPC has been registered against Harpal Singh, his brother Baljit Singh, mother Randhir Kaur, sister-in-law Kuldeep Kaur. Harpal Singh has been arrested. — OC
	Land Dispute Front chief, supporters booked for sec 144 violation G.S. Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 26 Even as the final report of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Amritsar, about the possession of the two bigha land adjacent to Guru Ram Dass Memorial Charitable Hospital has yet to appear, the police has booked Col G.S. Sandhu, Chairman, Majha Ex-Servicemen Human Rights Front, and its supporters for violating law and order situation. Police Commissioner Varinder Kumar said Col Sandhu and his accomplices had been booked for violating section 144 imposed in the city, which prevents the assembly of more than five persons on one spot, forcible entry to the land, the possession of which was under questionable and creating chaos in general. The police has registered cases under Section 188, 447, 448, 506, 511 and 149 against the alleged violators. “It was in no way correct on the part of the front to enter the city with such a huge number of armed people to create anxiousness or taking over the possession of the land. There was always a democratic way. They should have approached the authorities concerned and should have proceeded after taking them into confidence,” said the commissioner. Col. Sandhu accused the police of politically influenced and following corrupt practices. “Otherwise, how proper it was for the police to register cases against us when the final report about the issue was yet to be produced. I also demand high-level inquiry into the matter”, he said. While showing ignorance about any such cases, Deputy Commissioner KS Pannu said the final verdict over the rights of possession of the land would be submitted shortly. It is to mention that on July 12, large number of residents belonging to Vaan village, one of the claimants of the land in question, accompanied by the activists of various Sikh organisations and the Majha Ex-Servicemen Human Rights Front, tried to gain forcible entry to the land under the possession of Baba Major Singh. The situation was put under control with the timely intervention of the police force and the district administration.
	Man, son escape; 30 booked for abduction Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, July 26 Karambir Singh (35) and his minor son of Rampur village, 30 kms from here, were abducted by a group of 30 armed persons from their home last late evening. The abductors also took away a car and some other articles from their house before fleeing. However, the father-son duo managed to escape from the clutches of abductors, who were planning to eliminate them. A case under sections 364, 395, 506, 342, 148 and 149 of the IPC has been registered. The accused included Gurbhej Singh, Gurnam Singh, Nishan Singh and Gursahib Singh, the residents of Kot Mohammad Khan village and Gurvail Singh of Vain Poin village besides 25 others who were yet to be identified. Karambir, in his statement recorded with the police, said he along with other family members was going to sleep when the accused armed with traditional weapons came to his house and took him and his minor son away. Karambir added that the accused also took away their car, rifle and pistol from the house. The accused took them to a deserted place where they locked them in a room. The duo managed to escape by breaking the window of the room.