Shimla, October 21
The police today managed to lay its hand on Narinder Bodh (44), the kingpin of the red sander wood smuggling on the Indo-China border in Lepcha, from Rampur where he arrived recently to obtain anticipatory bail.

Narinder, a resident of Kaza, was the mastermind in the wood smuggling from Lepcha in Lahaul-Spiti into Tibet. “It was on getting a tip-off that we managed to arrest Narinder, while he was engaged in consultation with a lawyer near Rampur, this afternoon,” said SR Rana, district police chief, Lahaul-Spiti.

Narinder is the person who arranged vehicles for red sander wood from Delhi to Kaza. “It was in April this year that Narinder was released from Tihar Jail in Delhi where he had been lodged since 1996 under the NDPS Act,” said Rana.

Two truckloads of valuable red sander wood had been seized by the police at Samdoh in the Kaurik sector, manned by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), on August 23 this year. Narinder was last spotted by some persons at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here on August 24, where his son was under treatment.

He fled into Nepal to evade arrest, the police had been maintaining a close surveillance on the family members of Narinder in Kaza. Their phones had also been put under observation to get across to Narinder.

In fact, two ITBP personnel, including an assistant commandant and constable, who had issued licence to two trucks, were arrested by the police for their connivance in the illegal act. On paper, the licences were issued for ferrying labour to be engaged for road construction work but in reality they were used to smuggle wood. The police had also recovered about Rs 10 lakh from the suspended assistant commandant.

Red sander wood whose import is banned is found in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and is in great demand in Japan and China for making musical instruments.

Police officials admitted that smuggling of stuff like jackets, shoes and bone china was done across the border, but it was for the first time that red sander wood was being smuggled.

Shimla, October 21
The HP High Court has directed the DGP to explain in an affidavit that why the police is not completing the investigation in the cases relating to corruption, particularly in trap cases and what is the reason for the delay in filing the final report.

The court further asked the DGP that what was the reason for delay in trial and whether the police had given the clearance to the government for revoking the suspension in the cases of officers in whose cases the investigation or trial was in progress.

What were the steps taken to expedite the investigation so that such cases were investigated and the trial was concluded within one year, the court asked.The court directed him to explain was there any list maintained by the police or vigilance regarding tainted officers.

The court directed the DGP to file his affidavit explaining each query of the court within four weeks and listed this matter on November18. Earlier, the court had directed the Chief Secretary to furnish the information as to how many officers were facing trial under the Prevention of Corruption Act and had been reinstated in the service.

Shimla, October 21
The police has beefed up security in and around eight girl hostels following reports of a case of trespassing in ITH Hostel, adjoining the Vice-Chancellor’s office, late last night.

The police has registered a case of trespassing as some girls reported that they had spotted a man in the bathroom on the third floor. This is not the first time that a case of trespassing and attempt to enter the girl hostel has been reported. Such incidents have taken place in the past too. The girls reported the matter to the university authorities when they spotted a person about 9.30 pm inside the hostel. Immediately, the HPU security staff and the police reached the spot and searched the entire area.

Meanwhile, various student organisations held a protest outside the VC office expressing concern over inadequate security arrangements.

Chief warden Kulwant Pathania today convened a meeting and directed to beef up security in and around the hostel. Two additional security guards have been deployed and it has been decided to put a grill in the hostel and fence the area around the hostel.

Dharamsala, October 21
The Kangra police today arrested a 22-year-old American girl Natalie Malesia who had been allegedly staying in Bhagsunag for the past four months without proper documents.

Sources here said the police was informed about Natalie by the Chamba police. She had gone to visit Chamba a few days ago. The police there checked and found that she did not have valid documents. The Chamba police had informed the Kangra police.

The Kangra police arrested Natalie from the hotel in Bhagsunag yesterday. She was today produced in the local court today which remanded her to 3-day custody. A case under Foreigner Act has been registered against her.

Natalie is the third foreigner who has been arrested by the Kangra police in the last one week. Earlier this week, an Indonesian Tinah and a Korean woman Mi-Kyong Kim were also arrested.