Bathinda, October 7
Despite imposition of section 144 of the CrPC in the Mini-secretariat area here, a large number of Congressmen marched onto its premises while raising slogans, which left Deputy Commissioner (DC) Gurkirat Kirpal Singh stunned.

The DC was taken aback by the security lapse on the Mini-secretariat premises. Initially, he thought the protesters to be ministerial staff but when he came to know that these were Congressmen, he immediately informed the senior superintendent of police (SSP) to send the police force.

The Congressmen in a large number reached outside the office of the deputy commissioner and started raising slogans and holding a demonstration there.

They courted arrest in support of their main demand asking the state government to distribute the entire Central relief of Rs 800 crore among farmers.

When contacted, the Deputy Commissioner admitted that it was a serious security lapse on the part of police and the intelligence agencies due to which the protesters succeeded in reaching upto the door of his office.

He added that it was a matter of concern as it had never happened in the past.

The Deputy Commissioner said he would seek explanation from the security in-charge of the Mini-secretariat in this regard. In case a lapse was found on his part, action would be taken against him so that such an incident is not repeated.

Ferozepur, October 7
The Border Security Force (BSF) today seized fake Indian currency notes worth Rs five lakh while the same was being brought from the Indo-Pak border inside the Indian territory by a resident of village Rajo Ke, falling in Rajo Ke Border Observation Post (BOP), by hiding the same in a bundle of fodder, today.

Rajesh Gupta, DIG, BSF, Ferozepur sector, while talking to the TNS said the accused had been identified as Harbans Singh, a resident of the same village.

“The accused went to his fields located across the cobra fencing erected on the Indo-Pak border for carrying out some agricultural operation.When the accused was on his way back from the fields carrying a bundle of fodder on his head, frisking was carried out of the same at gate number 143,” he said.

Gupta added that during frisking and subsequently search of the bundle of fodder, three packets of currency were found hidden in it.

The DIG further said the packets that were recovered contained fake currency notes of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denomination.

A case had been registered against the accused at the police station concerned. The investigation is on in the matter by the BSF sleuths.

Ferozepur, October 7
Mehal Singh alias Major Singh and Gurcharan Singh alias Kala, both residents of this district, who have allegedly been smuggling heroin and other narcotics in various parts of the country, were sentenced to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) by JS Bhinder, additional session judge, today.

Bhinder held Mehal and Gurcharan guilty of indulging in smuggling of narcotics while deciding the criminal case registered against them at the Sadar police station (Ferozepur) on October 9, this year.

He also ordered that the convicts would be liable to pay Rs one lakh each as fine. If they fail to pay the fine, they will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years more.

Sources said Mehal and Gurcharan were arrested by a police party led by Sarbjit Singh, in-charge, CIA 
police station at a special naka laid on the secret information on the Ferozepur-Muktsar road near village Jhoke Hari Har. 

Moga, October 7
The All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) has given a bandh call for Punjab and Delhi on November 1 to express solidarity with the Sikh families of 1984 riot victims.This was announced by Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, president, AISSF, after holding a meeting with the state unit of the genocide committee of the riot victims here, today.

Peer Mohammad along with Rajinder Singh Sangha, president of the genocide committee, while pointing out that the bandh would be peaceful also assured that emergency services of the healthcare would be affected at all from it.

They further mentioned that they had appealed to the medical fraternity to open their hospitals on November 1 so that the patients do not have to suffer at all.

The AISSF chief said more than 38,000 families, which were uprooted from different parts of the country during the riots, had settled in Punjab and more than 70 per cent of them had so far not been issued the red cards to enable them get financial and other benefits.

While showing concern for the affected families, the AISSF chief added that he has also appealed to the media to write this tragic incident as genocide instead of riots as the Akal Takht, the highest top temporal seat of Sikhs had already declared 1984 anti-Sikh riots as “Sikh genocide”.

He has also announced to launch a movement to motivate the Sikh community to work for social, economic and political uplifting of the Sikh community which is also the need of the hour. 

Abohar, October 7
Even when the state government had decided to reimburse Rs eight crore to the farmers, who had to pay electricity charges for the tubewell connections in compliance of the revised tariff, some farmers may not avail of the benefit.

During a camp here today, a large number of farmers turned up from many villages of the Khuyiansarwar development block to receive the cheques from Dr Ram Kumar Goyal, a former MLA of the saffron party, but many were dismayed to find that the cheques were issued in the names of their respective father, who had died long back but continued to be listed as consumers by the Powercom authorities. One Baldev Singh said, "My father had got the tubewell connection long time back. No change in the name of actual user was made thereof. We have been paying the electricity charges for the domestic connection also but the cheques issued in the name of our father would be useless.”

Many consumers had not applied to get the connection changed even when it was in the name of their grand parents, interaction with the visiting farmers indicated. About 600 cheques were distributed, more are in the pipeline, officials said but they found themselves helpless when asked to change the name of the beneficiaries. — OC 

Ferozepur, October 7
The Punjab Police has embarked on a multi-pronged strategy to tackle drug peddling in this sensitive border range, revealed Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ferozepur Range, Harinder Singh Chahal, while addressing the police officials including the SSP and other ranks belonging to the districts of Ferozepur, Muktsar and Moga.

Chahal, who took over as DIG recently, issued a stern warning to the SHOs to deal with any incident related to drug abuse firmly. He further added that due to close proximity to the Pakistan border and Rajasthan, the drug peddlers have weaved a strong network in this border belt.

The DIG also addressed the traffic in-charges. On the occasion, Kaustabh Sharma, SSP Ferozepur, Snehdeep Sharma, SSP, Moga, Surjit Singh, SP, Headquarters, HS Pannu, SP, Detective, besides other senior police officials were also present.

Abohar, October 7
The huge building of the Senior Secondary School for Boys is expected to be complete in all aspects within a month’s time at village Gurusar Modian.

Thousands of volunteers including women are working round-the-clock to achieve the target.

The construction of 26 rooms on the ground floor has been completed and 27 rooms are to be raised on the first floor, the foundation stone for which was laid today by the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who had been camping in his ancestral village. 

Bathinda, October 7
Unidentified persons shot dead a cloth merchant of Gonaina Mandi late this evening.

It is learnt that the cloth merchant, Darshan Singh, was on evening walk along with his son when the assailants came in a black Alto, fired at him from the rear in the main chowk of the mandi and fled.

Finding him in a pool of blood, some passersby rushed him to the Civil Hospital, Goniana, where doctors declared him brought dead.

A large number of residents thronged the spot.

To pacify them, DSP (rural) Baljeet Singh Sidhu rushed there and said the police was doing its best to ascertain the cause of rivalry and nab the accused. — TNS

Har Raipur (Bathinda), October 7
Irked that cops from the Nehianwala police station were allegedly patronising a gang of criminals, all history-sheeters, hundreds of residents of this village today blocked the Bathinda-Pathankot national highway (NH-15) for a couple of hours at Tinkoni located between Goniana and Bajakhana villages.

Raising anti-police slogans, the protesters alleged that a group of criminals had created anarchy in the village with their anti-social activities like drug peddling, extortion and beating up innocent villagers, all under the patronage of corrupt cops of the Nehianwala police station.

The gang was active in the village for the past couple of years and the whole village was reeling under their terror, the residents alleged.

On Wednesday, the goons beat up two students of the village for not paying them ‘goonda tax.’ When a passerby Sukhjeet Singh, a conductor of a private bus transport company, objected to their activity, they assaulted him also. To teach him a lesson, the accused went to his house late last evening and opened fire there. The incident was reported to the police but no cop responded to it, the villagers alleged.

Further, the accused today asked one Kulwinder Singh of the village to pay tax to them, which he refused. Irked, they abducted him and took to their house¸ where they beat him up.

Some villagers informed that the accused had even fired some rounds but fortunately Kulwinder escaped any major injury.

The anger of villagers, finally, boiled over today, when they saw that the police did not reach the spot. Deciding to take on the accused, they nabbed three of them and beat them up with lathis.

After that, they came out and blocked the national highway. Meanwhile, the alleged goons were admitted in the Civil Hospital, Goniana.

Receiving the information that villagers had disrupted traffic, district police reached the spot and tried to persuade them. However, finding the villagers reluctant to lift the dharna, the administration opened an alternate route. Meanwhile DSP (R) Baljeet Singh Sidhu reached the spot and pulled up the staff of Nehianwala police station.

Assuring proper legal action against the accused, the DSP managed to convince the protesters to lift the dharna.

Later, the police booked Kuldeep Singh, Kamaljeet Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sandeep Singh, Rajinder Singh and Happy Singh under sections 307, 365, 148, 149 of the IPC.

Speaking to the TNS, the DSP Baljeet Singh Sidhu said, “We are conducting raids to nab the accused. Meanwhile, the character of the cops who have been accused of patronizing the goons will also be verified. And, if anybody found guilty, will have to face the music.”

Bathinda, October 7
A new suspected case of dengue came to light today when the authorities at the Bathinda Civil Hospital received a blood sample of a patient from a local private hospital, which was sent to conduct the Mac Elisa test (a confirmatory test for dengue).

According to information available, Muthu Ram (23), a resident of Ajit Road here, was admitted to the private hospital two days ago as he was tested positive for dengue during serological test conducted by a private laboratory here.

Assistant civil surgeon Dr Charanjit Garg said today the Civil Hospital had received the blood sample from the private hospital for conducting the Mac Elisa test.

He said after conducting the test, it would be confirmed whether the patient was positive or negative for dengue.

However, Garg said that he had asked the health staff to spray medicine in the house of the patient and nearby areas.

Insect collectors would also visit the area to locate the dengue larva in the area. Besides, people would also be educated on how they could protect themselves from the dengue fever, the assistant civil surgeon said.