 |
|
|
Unearthing of Sex Racket
PAU-201 Stocks
HC relief for ex-DGP Virk
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Beant Singh Case
Finally, state’s media policy out
Badal govt not keen on fighting floods, says MLA
Release of pollutants from HP units into Sutlej to be probed
Interactive sculptures add life to traffic park at Nurpur Bedi
Candlelight vigil at Abdul Hamid memorial
Dengue tightens grip in state; 60 cases in Jalandhar
Entrance tests in GND varsity go
Panel to probe delay in PSEB semester exams
150 schools to take part in Bal Mela
Mobile jamming system for Nabha jail
Rules amended to ease traffic chaos
Framing of Charges
IT Additional Commissioner missing
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unearthing of Sex Racket
Guru Har Sahai (Ferozepur), September 8 A case under various sections of the IPC, the Immoral Traffic Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Iqbal Singh, former SHO, local police station, Jagroop Singh, Paramjit Singh (Assistant Sub-Inspectors), Dharam Singh (head constable), Chamkaur Singh, Baldev Singh, Jagtar Singh and Hukam Chand (constables) for allegedly running a sex racket to make money. What the accused have allegedly been doing in this case was that they pushed a number of married and unmarried girls of this area into flesh trade. These girls were told to allure rich people into these illegal activities. Whenever the rich people and girls would go to a room or any other secret place, Iqbal Singh, the then SHO, along with his associates would conduct a raid after being informed about that place by the same girl and would catch the culprits. Iqbal Singh would take huge money from the rich customers of the girls, pushed by him into the flesh trade, for not registering a criminal case and to hide their identity. Police sources said one of girls, Raj Rani, moved to the high court through a writ petition against Iqbal Singh and others and levelled several allegations against them including that Iqbal Singh had been making a lot of money by catching the rich people allured by her on his orders. While disposing of the writ petition, Justice Gurdev Singh, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, ordered on August 16, 2010, that a case in this connection be registered against the accused and the inquiry must be conducted by an IPS officer. Baljinder Singh, SHO, local police station, while confirming the registration of a case against eight police officials and Surinder Dhawan, according to the directions of the high court, said that no arrest had been made in this connection so far. Harjit Singh Pannu, SP (D), said Iqbal Singh was now posted in Muktsar district and hence disciplinary action against him could be taken only by the SSP, Muktsar. Meanwhile, Dhawan said that the high court had not given any order to register a criminal case against him. He said the police authorities had implicated him into the case by making wrong interpretation of orders of high court as certain people wanted to settle personal scores with him.
|
|
PAU-201 Stocks
Chandigarh, September 8 Nearly 28 lakh tonnes from these stocks, worth about Rs 4,000 crore, is yet to be milled, sufficient to feed over 50 lakh stomachs for one year. There is hardly any hope for this paddy to be milled and moved out of Punjab by the beginning of the procurement session that starts on October 1. Even as Union Finance Minister and leader of House Pranab Mukherjee assured Punjab MPs of an early solution to the storage crisis, there is little hope in sight. The milling of the paddy stock still waits approval of the government laboratories to declare the PAU-201 variety of paddy “fit for human consumption”. This variety of paddy developed by the PAU was not procured by the procurement agencies on the ground that it was discoloured on account of high iron content. Private millers also refused to pick up stocks on the ground that the variety had moisture content beyond permissible limits besides its milling resulting in high breakage (up to 6 per cent). The matter rocked Parliament last month, bringing the matter to the attention of the House. Though the Union Government has decided to send fresh samples of paddy to the government labs to ascertain if humans can consume it, till the report is received, the stocks will remain with the Punjab government and in turn block the arrival and safe storage of fresh stocks of other paddy varieties. Most of the stocks awaiting movement out of Punjab were purchased by the state on behalf of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), but the FCI rejected to lift the stocks saying the variety may not meet health standards. The variety has been duly field-tested and approved by the ICAR. The arrival of 140 lakh tonnes of paddy next month will not only force the new stocks to be stored in the open, but delay in lifting of last year’s stocks could also set in the rot. Incidentally, Punjab has also asked for permission to export PAU-201 if the FCI was reluctant to procure the existing stocks. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on this issue. Punjab MPs Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Naresh Gujral have also raised the matter on the floor of the House.
|
|
|
HC relief for ex-DGP Virk
Chandigarh, September 8 In a major relief to the former DGP, Justice Bhalla also made it clear that the trial court, at the time of framing charge, would also look into the material produced by the defence. The trial court in Mohali had on November 17, 2009, adjourned the case to November 30, 2009, for arguments on charge, even though the investigations in the case, registered on September 8, 2007, were still pending. The challan was ultimately filed on July 1. Taking up the matter, Justice Bhalla noted that the investigation was complete after the passing of the impugned order on November 17 last year. Former DGP Virk was booked by the state Vigilance on September 8, 2007, on the allegations of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. In a stern order on his plea, Justice Bhalla asserted: “It is strange to note that while the matter was pending on the platform of investigation, the trial judge adjourned the case for arguments on charge. I find that the counsel for the petitioner has rightly pointed out that investigation and trial cannot go on together”. Mincing no words, Justice Bhalla asserted: “The trial judge has fallen in error, and procedure adopted by him is against the well-settled principles of law and, thus resulted into miscarriage of justice”. Justice Bhalla ruled: “One golden rule that stands firmly established is that after the completion of investigation and presentation of challan, the court, after considering the material available on record, can adjourn the case for consideration of charge. “But in the instant case, before the completion of the investigation and before the presentation of challan, the trial court adjourned the case for consideration of charge, which is patently illegal. In such circumstances, the present petition is allowed and the impugned order dated November 17, 2009, is quashed. However, the trial court will be at liberty to pass a fresh order in accordance with law and after considering the material available on record”.
|
|
Beant Singh Case
Chandigarh, September 8 Concluding the arguments on the appeals filed by the assassin and other convicts through senior advocate Baldev Singh, the CBI told the Division Bench of Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Arvind Kumar that the blast was deliberately timed at around 5 pm as it was rush hour and the employees were rushing out to go home. The former Chief Minister was killed, along with 12 others, in an explosion on August 31, 1995. The RDX, stuffed in a belt, was used by human bomb Dilawar Singh to trigger off the blast. Convicts Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh are facing the death sentence. Three other convicts, Shamsher Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Lakhwinder Singh, have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The CBI also told the Bench that the blast was masterminded from abroad. The master conspirators, Wadhawa Singh and Mahal Singh, were sitting abroad and Hawara was just a tool in their hands to implement their directions. Prior to the blast, another proclaimed offender in the case Harjit Singh came from the USA in March 1995. He conveyed a message from Wadhawa Singh and Mahal Singh to Balwant Singh and Dilawar Singh that they were to take orders from Hawara. The CBI also told the High Court that the conspiracy between the convicts stood clearly established from their association. The scooter purchased by Dilawar Singh was given to Balwant Singh, as stated by several witnesses. Dilawar and Hawara used another scooter purchased by Lakhwinder Singh. Several witnesses had also seen the accused together in Patiala, Chandigarh
and Mohali. Even on the day of the blast, they were together at about 2.30 pm in Gurmeet Singh’s room in Mohali. While Balwant Singh and Dilawar Singh left in an Ambassador car, Hawara disappeared from the scene. He was later caught on September 12, 1995.
|
|
Cong stages dharna against sale of govt property
Bathinda, September 8 Opposing the sale of government property, Jassi said that till now the government had sold government property worth Rs 239 crore in Bathinda district only, but the money was not being spent on the development of Bathinda, while Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was distributing crores of rupees, earned from Bathinda, in other districts of the state. The MLA also demanded withdrawal of taxes like development charges and hiked water and sewerage charges, imposed by the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC). He said Rs 40 crore had been given to the BMC for the development of the city in the past, but despite spending such a huge amount neither the sewerage problem nor the water problem in the city had been solved so far. Jassi also warned the BMC authorities that if they would do injustice to the people, then the Congress would would fight against it at all levels. He also announced that from today, the Congress would not allow the sale of any government property in Bathinda. Besides, the Congress would also disallow the district administration to remove the people from those ‘bastis’ where they were residing now, he added. Later, some Congress leaders, wearing black gowns with slogans emblazoned on them, and Congress workers held a march through the main bazars. It culminated at the BMC office where a memorandum, enlisting demands, was submitted to an officer of the BMC.
|
|
Finally, state’s media policy out
Promised to come out with a revolutionary policy in its 2007 election manifesto, the SAD-BJP government had been putting off the announcement on the ground that a comprehensive policy was being formulated. Termed it as a major achievement of the government, Punjab Public Relations Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan today spelt out the details of the policy. The media policy contains nothing that can be termed as a policy of the government. Even when the department of Public Relations was under the charge of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, the media policy was kept “under wraps” by saying that “the government is working on something exclusive and not paralleled anywhere in the country”. After Sekhwan took charge of the department, he set April 1, 2010, as the date for announcement, but he finally announced it today. Giving out the details of the policy, the minister said the government had revived the accreditation committee (last formed in 1997) that would decided who would be granted accreditation by the state government. Various sections of the media had been given representation on the committee and rather than individuals, it would be people on certain posts that would form the committee. The government has decided to provide an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh against death or Rs 3 lakh against permanent dismemberment to 286 accredited journalists in the state. The desk and veteran journalists will be allowed to stay in government guest houses, proof readers be given facility for free bus travel. A proposal to consider free travel in air-conditioned buses is also under way. The minister said a district level advisory committee would be constituted to redress the problems faced by mediapersons. Further, in a bid to decentralise working of the Public Relations department, the district public relation officers had been authorised to issue accreditation cards at the district level.
|
|
Badal opens women empowerment centre
Mullanpur, September 8 This besides solving the problem of scarcity of skilled labour, will also tackle the menace of unemployment that gives rise to many social evils, including the vicious cycle of illiteracy and poverty. “Though strengthening of infrastructure and providing basic amenities have been priority areas for every government, nobody has tried to realise the significance of human resource development,” said Badal, while talking to The Tribune after inaugurating the first Women Empowerment and Employment Awareness Centre at Gurmat Bhawan here today. The centre was opened by the Northern India Textile Mills Association (NITMA) Punjab. Emphasising on the need for women empowerment, Badal announced that the government would start the process of training women in the field of security management besides ensuring their security at private industrial houses.
|
|
Badal govt not keen on fighting floods, says MLA
Nangal, September 8 This was stated by MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who visited Nangal as a part of Vidhan Sabha estimates team, here today. Khaira said during the last monsoon session
he had taken up issue of taming waters of Bari-Daob that passes through his constituency, affecting people during the monsoons. “Replying to my question, the state irrigation minister said that a project worth Rs 10.24 crores had been prepared for the purpose and submitted to the Central Water Commission,” Khaira said. He added that the Punjab government directed executive engineer, Bari Doab drainage division, Amritsar to prepare this project. This year, Khaira met union minister for water resources Pawan Kumar Bansal and enquired about the project. “To my surprise, Bansal said the Punjab government had not submitted any such project. While the SAD-BJP government raises hue and cry over floods in the state, it is actually doing nothing to improve the situation,” sai d the MLA. Khaira alleged that Ghaggar and Sutlej, too, needed cleaning and taming but that could happen only if the state government was committed to its people. Balbir Singh Channa, state member of the PPCC, was also present.
|
|
Release of pollutants from HP units into Sutlej to be probed
Nangal, September 8 “We will investigate complaints about Himachal industrial units releasing pollutants into the Sutlej and submit a detailed report to the Punjab government.” The team comprised MLAs Rajviinder Kaur Bhullar and Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Batth said the Punjab government planned to make better arrangements for the flood-hit. “The BBMB has been releasing water in a phased manner and there is no reason for people to panic,” he added. Batth reiterated the plan of the Punjab government to channelise the Swan rivulet and minimise damage due to this rivulet during monsoon. Talking about the number of posts lying vacant in the BBMB, Batth said as against 4,000 vacancies meant for people from Punjab in the BBMB, only around 300 have been filled. “We have two posts of superintending engineer vacant, seven posts of XEN and 21 posts of subdivisional officer. We will ask the Punjab government to fill these posts as per the set pattern,” he said.
|
|
Interactive sculptures add life to traffic park at Nurpur Bedi
Nurpur Bedi, September 8 These sculptures give message against drug addiction emphasising on the need to turn towards religion to keep youngsters away from addiction. “Shabad” from “Gurbani” have been inscribed on the book one of the sculptures hold. These sculptures were specially designed by Artist Desh Ranjan Sharma from Nangal. To add to the park’s appeal slogans on education and moral values will be put up on the park premises. The park has been the brain child of outgoing SSP LK Yadav.
— TNS
|
|
Candlelight vigil at Abdul Hamid memorial
Asal Uttar (Tarn Taran), September 8 Holding candles, they took out a march and raised patriotic slogans. They assembled at the tomb of Abdul Hamid, who died here while fighting valiantly against the enemies in 1965. Dr M S Randhawa and Capt. C S Sidhu, co-conveners of the joint panel, said the venue was decided to focus on the threat to
the nation from China and Pakistan. They said this had happened without any provocation from India. Besides, they said, the country was facing threat from terrorists with global network. They laid stressed on the grievances of soldiers which include, “one rank-one pension, separate pay commission for armed forces, job security to soldiers up to 60 years of age and rehabilitation of
Army widows”. They added that the government must focus its attention to redress the grievances of the soldiers at the earliest. Among others, organisations of ex-servicemen, including, the Majha Ex-servicemen Front, the
Indian Ex-servicemen League, the Sanjha Morcha, the State Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, and citizens of the area
participated in the protest really. The vigil was aimed at giving a wake-up call to the nation on the 45th anniversary of the Indo-Pak war, they added.
|
|
Dengue tightens grip in state; 60 cases in Jalandhar
Jalandhar, September 8 After Delhi, Jalandhar is the most affected by dengue in the region. In fact, during the past one week, platelet count of 400 persons was checked at the local Civil Hospital alone. Besides, a large number of persons got the tests conducted at private hospitals, the number of which is about 300 in the city. Many local dengue patients have been admitted to the DMC Hospital at Ludhiana. “There is possibility of a large number of unreported cases of dengue also,” said an official of the Health Department. Asked about such a large number of dengue patients, the district health authorities said that obviously poor hygienic conditions and absence of preventive measures were responsible for such a spread of dengue in the city. Most of the Health Supervisors, who were to conduct the survey in dengue-prone areas, were put on preparation of electoral rolls and old-age pension duty for the past few months. However, following the reports of a large number of dengue cases, they have been sent back to their normal duty. Dengue is not the only disease encountered by people of the state. Eye flu is also in full swing in the state. Even some suspected cases of swine flu have also been reported. However, one consoling factor is that platelets are available in various civil hospitals and authorised blood banks. In almost all major hospitals of the state, the government had provided aphaeresis machines, which are used to isolate platelets from the donor’s blood.
|
|
Entrance tests in GND varsity go
Amritsar, September 8 Now, the seats would be filled on the basis of the merit earned by candidates in their immediate lower examinations as well as their overall past academic achievements. While chairing the meeting of the principals, the VC said answer-sheets of courses with less than 500 students would be evaluated on the university campus. Any complaint in this regard would be handled on priority basis, he said. The colleges, which had applied for PG courses in the last academic year, need not apply afresh and their cases will be considered on the basis of their earlier applications. Nrimal Pandhi, Principal of SDAM College, Dinanagar, welcomed the decision of the university to appoint staff for invigilation from other colleges. Dr. Surinder Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs, Dr. Inderjit Singh, Registrar and Dr M S Hundal, Dean, College Development Council, also present.
|
|
Panel to probe delay in PSEB semester exams
Mohali, September 8 According to information available, a committee will comprise a joint secretary of the board and two members of the education board nominated by the government. They will have to submit their report in 20 days, stating the reasons why candidates had not received their roll numbers well in time and why inadequate number of question papers were dispatched to certain examination centres. The committee members have been asked to fix responsibility in this regard.
|
|
150 schools to take part in Bal Mela
Jalandhar, September 8 The festival will be organised by the Sikhiya Vikas
Manch, an organisation set up by some schoolteachers, to improve the personality of students of government schools. “We have set up our units in
Patiala, Mansa, Sangrur, Fatehgarh and Ludhiana districts and in due course entire Punjab will be covered”, said Tejwant Singh, one of the
organisers. There will be 21 events in which students will take part. Some of these include declamation contest, handwriting, on-the-spot painting, recitation of poems.
|
|
|
Mobile jamming system for Nabha jail
Chandigarh September 8 Presiding over a meeting of senior officers of the police and jail department here at the Chief Minister's Office this morning, Badal also approved the installation of biometric instrument (visitor management system) in the Central Jail, Ludhiana, on the pilot basis, for which the budgetary provision of Rs 27 lakh had already been made. Badal gave a nod to the Punjab Police Housing Corporation to tie up with Hudco for getting its project of Rs 100 crore financed for the construction of police station buildings and SHO houses.
|
|
|
Rules amended to ease traffic chaos Attari, September 8 Deputy Commissioner, Customs, Ashok Kampania said this amendment had been made keeping in view the traffic chaos on the border. Yesterday, more than 100 trucks from Pakistan side loaded with tomatoes, soyabean, vegetables, fruits, etc. remained stranded on the border as BSF officials gave permission to clear just three trucks in one go to enter India as per the rules.
|
|
Framing of Charges
Chandigarh, September 8 Coming out with the ruling, Justice H.S. Bhalla clarified it was an exception, and not a rule; and the ruling was applicable only in “very rare cases”. The ruling, a clear departure from the existing practice, is significant as accused in criminal cases can now have a say even at the stage of framing charges, though in “rare cases”. The ruling in Punjab’s former Director-General of Police SS Virk’s case is expected to benefit in particular accused attributing their “implication” in false cases to “political vendetta”. If the court is satisfied no case is made out against the accused from the material placed before it by the defence, it may not even frame charges, the order implies. In his detailed order, Justice Bhalla asserted: “In normal circumstances, the defence material cannot be looked into by the court while framing the charge. But at the same time there may be some very rare and exceptional cases where some defence material brought on record may spell out that the prosecution version is totally concocted”. Laying down the law, Justice Bhalla added: “In my opinion, therefore, in very rare cases the court can look into the material produced by the defence at the time of framing of charges, particularly where the defence produces some material which at the face of it proves on record that the prosecution is liable to fall on the ground and in that case the court is justified in looking into the material produced by the defence at the time of framing of charge, if such material establishes the whole prosecution version is concocted”.
|
|
Jeepjackers’ gang busted
Rajpura, September 8 The police officials said the accused had been robbing the jeeps, using especially designed keys, for the past nearly three years. They changed its engine and chassis numbers with grinder and prepared fake documents. As many as 22 cases of theft and heinous crimes are already registered against them in Sectors-17, 34, 26 and in Sector-15 police stations of Chandigarh. They had recently lifted three Bolero jeeps from Chandigarh, which have been recovered by the police. City SHO Bikramjeet Singh Brar said the accused had been targeting only brand new Bolero jeeps using a self-designed master key. The key enabled them open doors and also start its engine. The accused took the stolen vehicles to Jind where they replaced its engine, chassis and number plates. They also prepared fake registration and other documents. SP(D) Gurdeep Singh Pannu and DSP Manmohan Sharma said the two main accused remained imprisoned for a year in Chandigarh and had been released just two months back. They admitted to lifting nearly 10 vehicles, including bikes, from Sector-17 in Chandigarh. The accused have been identified as Ajmer Singh, the kingpin and a resident of Burail, Amir Khan of Bhiwani, Sanjay Kumar of Bhiwani, Varinder Singh of Burail, Saurav of Burail, Ali Jaan of Jind, Satvir Sharma of Darba, Chandigarh and Priyavarth of Jind. Patiala SSP Gurpreet Gill said they would inform jeep manufacturing company about the master key used by them. A case has been registered against the accused. Further investigations are on.
|
|
IT Additional Commissioner missing
Ludhiana, September 8 It is learnt that servants informed family members, who live in Chandigarh, about the disappearance of Chandra this morning. Till afternoon, the family members and senior officials of the Income Tax Department tried to locate Chandra, but could not establish any contact with him. His mobile was also switched off. It was in the evening that the family informed the police and a massive search operation was launched to find the senior IRS officer. It was not the first time that Chandra has gone missing. Earlier too, he had disappeared for a day and did not return to his official quarters. According to reliable sources, Chandra was suffering from depression and even had undergone a month-long treatment at DMCH. Deputy Commissioner of Police Yurinder Singh confirmed the development and said the police had constituted special teams to search him. While dismissing speculations of kidnapping, the DCP said, “It will not be appropriate to comment on anything. We are probing the matter and have not found evidence which could indicate that it is kidnapping. But still we are investigating the matter from all angles.”
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Chandigarh, September 8