Ludhiana, November 1
With Diwali round the corner, the health department here is gearing up to check the menace of adulterated and substandard sweets.In the course of its drive against the sale of poor-quality sweets and other food items, a team of health officials conducted raids on three sweets shops, from where samples of several items were taken, and two sweets godowns, where huge stocks for sale during Diwali were sealed.

The team, comprising district health officer (DHO) Jagpal Singh and food inspector Rakhi Vinayak, along with the support staff, raided Ramji di Hatti on the Gill road here and took samples of silver-foil-covered ‘bullet peda’ and ‘Karachi halwa’, which were very dark.

The samples were sent to the government laboratory for testing and further action would be taken on receipt of the report o the public analyst.

Some raw material and sweets under preparation, which seemed to be substandard, were destroyed, the officials said.

The team inspected Arora Sweets at the Lakkar Bazar. The godown adjoining the shop, where between 40 and 50 quintals of prepared sweets were stocked for sale, were found to be in unhygienic conditions. The sweets were infested with insects and the storage was improper.

“On being informed, Dr Satwant Kaur Bhalla, Civil Surgeon, also arrived at the spot and directed that the godown be sealed till a laboratory report was received,” said the DHO.

Hira Sweets in the same locality was raided and samples of ‘petha’ and ‘balushahi’ taken for analysis. “The sale of suspect-quality sweets will not be permitted till receipt of the report and stocks have been sealed till then,” he said.

Asserting that action to curb the sale of substandard and adulterated sweets had been stepped up about a fortnight ago, he stated that more than two dozen sweets and bakery shops were inspected since October 22, nearly 60 samples taken and sent to the government laboratory for analysis and huge quantity of raw material and semi-prepared sweets destroyed in the course of the drive.

Ludhiana, November 1
When juggling between marriage and live-in relationship became too hard to handle for 52-year-old Vinod, he eliminated his 34-year-old paramour, whom he had promised moon a few years ago.

Vinod Kumar, who owns a factory in the Jodhewal Basti area, put a tragic end to his live-in relationship, when he shot dead his paramour Dimple on the eve of Karva Chauth and set her body affire in a vacant plot to eliminate evidence.

Vinod and Dimple had been staying together at the latter’s house in Noorwala Road for the past 10 years.

She used to work as a receptionist in his factory when they developed a relationship and later moved in together. The accused was already married and lived with his family in Kadwai Nagar.

He has two children, both married, from his marriage, and a three-year-old daughter from Dimple.

The accused claimed that he never married Dimple. However, the victim’s relatives maintained that Dimple had solemnised marriage with Vinod at a gurdwara a few years ago.Vinod’s wife Puja was in the know of the former’s relationship with Dimple.

The accused used to spend his weekends with Dimple, while on weekdays he used to stay with his wife and children.

Addressing mediapersons, ACP Bhupinder Singh said the accused pumped in three bullets, one in the skull and two in the abdomen, of the victim.

Vinod was reportedly arrested from the Noorwala Road last night and he confessed to committing the crime.

Quoting the accused, the ACP said the incident took place on October 25 when Vinod was visiting the house of his newly-wed daughter to offer her gifts a night before Karva Chauth.

Dimple came to know about Vinod’s visit. Miffed, she started calling frantically on his mobile phone. Vinod repeatedly ignored her calls, following which she called from a different number and confronted him.

Agitated at the constant nagging, Vinod decided to eliminate her. The accused took her to a vacant plot near the Chandigarh road in an Alto car.

He initially tired to calm her down but Dimple kept rebuking him, he said.

In a fit of rage, his pulled out his licenced revolver and shot her in the head from point-blank range. He then shot her twice in the abdomen.

He dumped the victim’s body in the plot and went to his factory. There he wiped his blood soaked hands and drove back to the crime scene in an SUV.

On his way, he purchased two litres of petrol. To eliminate evidence, he wrapped the body in a blanket and poured petrol over it before setting it afire.

The relatives of the victim were reportedly aware of the strained relations of the couple and had even approached the police.

After identifying the victim from her clothes and pair of slippers, the relatives accused Vinod of killing Dimple.

The police has registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC.

Ludhiana, November 1
The festival of lights spells darkness for the owl, the Greek symbol of wisdom. Every year during Diwali hundreds of owls are trapped and killed by practitioners of “black magic” in the city.

The nocturnal bird, which - ironically - is identified with the Hindu goddess Lakshmi in whose honour the festival is celebrated, faces a major threat despite being protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 since 1991.

Investigations reveal the city's who's who can be seen making the rounds of various “witchdoctors” during the Diwali festival to seek a “cure” for their problems, including financial maladies. Many believe sacrificing an owl can resolve all ills and ward off bad luck.

The birds of prey thus become a prime source of big, easy money for “sorcerers” and ‘tantriks’ who cash in on the deep-rooted beliefs and lack of awareness among many city residents to fleece them. The tantriks claim the sacrifice would “please” the goddess Lakshmi and prevent bad luck forever.

"We kill the owl, the symbol of a bad omen, to propitiate the ‘evil power’ and cure the client of his ill luck," claimed a “necromancer”. Another popular belief is that sacrificing the bird at secluded places like graveyards can help the necromancer gain immeasurable “magical powers”.

Little wonder then that during Diwali an owl costs anywhere from Rs 20,000 to a whopping Rs 2 lakh while the witchdoctors earn anything between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh for performing a kind of necromancy in which dried flesh of owls, claws, beaks, feathers and blood are used.

The maximum number of owls are sold and sacrificed on Diwali night when lakhs of rupees change hands. Sources say black magicians strike deals with bird-catchers, who are paid a minimum of Rs 20,000 per owl.

In the wake of the practice, catching owls has become a lucrative business for the bird catchers and the unemployed, many of whom turn to the “art” during this period. Such people are often seen frequenting old and deserted houses and buildings that are shelters for owls.

The black magicians send their clients to a bird-catcher, who charges the client heavily on the plea that catching the owl for killing would bring bad luck to him.

So he asks for a handsome sum. The client has no option as the necromancer tells him that he has to complete the ‘pooja’ or he would be ruined. Bird watchers admit owls disappear during the Diwali festival. They claim that a species of the owl family, which is small in size, is seen at night in the city’s suburbs during some months, but not during Diwali.

However, as animal rights activists have become pro-active in the city over the years, the sacrificial ceremony is performed in a clandestine manner. 

Ludhiana, November 1
A “students special” bus of Punjab Roadways from Ludhiana to Ajitwal on the Ludhiana-Moga route had its maiden run from general bus stand this morning.Students of Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial College and some other institutions showed an enthusiastic response to the new facility.

Around 75 college students, mainly pass holders, boarded the bus to reach their respective destinations. The service is introduced to reduce congestion in other buses plying on the same route during the rush hours.

“Depending on the number of students commuting on the route, the Punjab Roadways will introduce yet another bus, and a requisition has already been made to the higher authorities of the Punjab Roadways in this regard,” said Navraj Batish, station supervisor of the roadways.

There are nearly a dozen educational institutions, including half a dozen professional colleges on the Ludhiana-Ajitwal route, and hundreds of students from the city travel by buses in the morning to attend their classes.

“Sheer number of students, undertaking bus journey to Baddowal, Mullanpur Dakha, Gurusar Sudhar, Jagraon and Ajitwal was causing congestion in buses plying on this route. It was also causing inconvenience to other passengers which necessitated the introduction of a special bus,”added Batish.

Students special bus is berthed at the terminal on general bus stand at 7.30 am and leaves at 7.45 am, or earlier if its full to capacity,” said an official of the roadways.

Ludhiana, November 1
The role of an excise and taxation officer has come under the scanner for allegedly patronising “peti” mafia, which has caused a loss of Rs 10 lakh to the state exchequer by evading sales tax.

ETO Naresh Sharma is under the scanner of the department, as a preliminary inquiry into the allegations has pointed the finger of suspicion at him.

Sharma has, however, claimed innocence and offered to resign if his involvement is proved by the inquiry. His alleged involvement has caused embarrassment to the department, as it is in the midst of a special drive against “peti” mafia.

Under this drive, the department officials have been carrying out checks not only at checkpoints but also at various other covert passages used for entry and exit by the “peti” mafia.

Apart from the mobile wing, special duties have been assigned to officials to keep a vigil on all possible slip routes. “After the preliminary inquiry, we have found something fishy in the entire episode. He may have helped in the passage of some consignments. We will have to wait till the inquiry is completed,” said AETC Rishipal Singh.

Further, he said, the special drive had been a success and the growth of revenue from the checkpoint at the railway station had increased to 300 per cent.

“If anyone is found indulging in such practices, the department will not spare him. Strict action will be taken against the guilty,” he added.

The ETO has allegedly helped the “peti” mafia and “facilitated” passage of around 400 consignments consisting of hosiery goods worth Rs 2 crore without charging tax.

The evasion has led to a loss of around Rs 10 lakh to the state exchequer.

Sharma, however, refuted the allegations and said he was being falsely implicated in the case.

“A few days ago, some people from the mafia created a ruckus at the railway station and they apparently lodged a false complaint against me. Maybe, someone from the department is also involved in this.”

“They allege that I have allowed 400 bundles to leave the station without charging the sales tax. How is it possible? The entire team was on duty and only name my name is being dragged into the controversy. I am awaiting a promotion. Maybe, I am a target for this reason,” he claimed.

He added he would resign if his involvement was proved by the inquiry. “I have no role to play in patronising mafia.”

Ludhiana, November 1
Eleventh hour cancellation of 2459 New Delhi-Amritsar Express, scheduled to leave the New Delhi railway station at 1.35 pm on Sunday, turned out to be a nightmare for hundreds of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar bound passengers, who had to face harassment and take alternative trains, or other modes of transport to reach their respective destinations.

A number of passengers were fleeced by on-board travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) in the course of their journey.

Like many other passengers with confirmed reservation tickets, Mahesh Lakhwara, along with his wife Savita, arrived at the New Delhi railway station to catch his train, but to his horror he found that the railway authorities had cancelled the train with no alternative being offered to bona fide passengers.

“We had to reach Ludhiana by Sunday evening, and having left to fend for ourselves by the railway authorities, we purchased a general second class journey ticket without waiting for refund of the reserved tickets. Both of us boarded a sleeper coach of 2715 Sachkhand Express which was about to depart with the hope that we shall get accommodation and have a comfortable journey,” he said.

However, complete uncertainty prevailed for quite some time as the TTE in the sleeper coach remained non-committal and rebuffed all requests by passengers to charge extra fare for sleeper class and allocate berths/seats to them.

“On persistent pleas, the TTE told each one of the passengers to pay Rs 200 for which no charge slip was given, but passengers were allowed to travel in the sleeper coach on seats or berths that they had already occupied,” Lakhwara alleged.

He stated that the TTE appeared to be so keen on making quick money for himself that he did not bother to check journey tickets of any of the passengers who were to travel by the Amritsar-New Delhi Express (cancelled for the day), and in the process, many passengers also undertook their journey by merely greasing the palms of the TTE, but not having even purchased a general second class or a sleeper class ticket.

Railway officials said the 2459 UP train had to be cancelled on Sunday, as the corresponding rake had been inordinately delayed due to a protest by farmers’ organisations on Friday and a snag at the Jalandhar railway station.

“Passengers having confirmed reservation in the said train can claim full refund of their tickets and complaint of the TTE extorting money from passengers is being looked into,” they added.

Ludhiana, November 1
Students of College of Agriculture, Punjab Agricultural University, today held a protest outside their college.Students raised slogans and alleged that the results, as declared by the panel of judges during the PAU Youth Festival, were unfair and biased.

They demanded that the panel of judges should review their decision.

The protesters met the director, students welfare, in this regard and gave a representation. The matter was later resolved.

Ludhiana: The Senior Humanities Forum of Kundan Vidya Mandir organised an inter-house extempore speech contest for students of classes IX to XII here today. Two students from each house participated in the contest. Officiating principal Navita Puri presided over the contest. She appreciated participants’ efforts. The panel of judges comprised Anita Sharma and Renu Immanuel. All contestants displayed their oratorical skills as well as their presence of mind. The audience enjoyed the imaginative way in which the speakers expressed their thoughts on various proverbs that were given as the topics for the contest. Rohan Goyal from Tagore House won the first prize, Nischay Grewal and Sidharth Sachdeva from Patel House shared the second prize, Gazal Goyal from Subhash House bagged the third prize, while the appreciation prize was bagged by Anmol of Tagore House.

Training and placement cell and Indian Society for Technical Education Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology (GNIMT), Model Town, organised a seminar on hardware and network technologies. A warm welcome was accorded to Loveraj Kalsi Trainer, Gurjot Singh and Naina from NIIT, Ludhiana, by Wing Commander SS Arora (retd), training and placement officer.

The resource person explained about networking and importance of networking in details. He also discussed the concept of networking and remote management. He concluded the seminar by enlightening students about the job opportunities in hardware and networking technology. Dr (Col) HS Singha, director of the institute, stated that one must equip oneself with latest professional skills to become successful in the IT field. — TNS

Ludhiana, November 1
The Ludhiana Management Association held a meeting with its members.The members said they would have a safe and pollution free Diwali this year.VK Goyal, president, Ludhiana Management Association, said children should stay away from crackers.

“Fireworks/crackers spoil our environment by causing noise and air pollution,” he said.He urged people to celebrate a green Diwali this year.“One should avoid electronic illumination and go for traditional lightening of earthen lamps and diyas,” he said.

Dr KNS Kang, general secretary, Ludhiana Management Association, said people should say no to crackers, as these polluted the atmosphere.

Dr Kang said harmful gases released from crackers caused skin irritation, wounds, asthma, bronchitis, throat infection and eye burning.

“Asthma patients face a lot of problem in breathing and ultimately have to move to hilly areas, where pollution level is less. Every year these crackers claim hundreds of lives and cause huge losses,” he added.

Dr Kang said children should be encouraged to stay away from crackers this Diwali.

Ludhiana, November 1
Asserting that the trade and industry is suffering on account of unavailability of “C” form and formalities under the CST Act, the Federation of Punjab Small Industries Associations has advocated for the abolition of the form with the implementation of the Tax Information Exchange System (TINXYS).

The delay and unavailability of statutory forms like CST are not just delaying refunds but also causing difficulties in submission of annual reports, leading to huge penalties, said association president Badish K Jindal.

The Punjab government is forced to enhance the date of submission of these forms every year and it takes years for the industry to get refunds.

Due to the unavailability of forms, many dealers are forced to submit fake statuary forms to avoid penalties. These fake forms are also one of the main sources of illegal inter-state transactions, he added. These forms are a time-consuming job just for the trade and industry but also for the departments concerned. Whereas with the implementation of TINXYS, the industry and the departments can easily resolve such issues, added Jindal.

“TINXYS is a good source of information and transparency in inter-state transactions. Its implementation will resolve the issue of fake transactions and also stop unnecessary harassment of industry caused by delay in availability of ‘C’ forms,” said Jindal.

In a communiqué to the union finance minister, Jindal said instead of issuing statuary forms to dealers, “the department may ask for the details of inter-state purchases and on the basis of that data, the department concerned of the exporting assessees should be informed so that there is no need to submit such forms”.

Khamano, November 1
Development work in the area has come to a halt due to a hike in prices of bricks in Khamano block. Consequently, grants worth lakhs of rupees given to village panchayats are lying unutilised.

As per the government-fixed rates for development works in the district, bricks can be bought for Rs 2,800 per thousand but these are available at Rs 4,000 to 4200 per thousand.

This has forced the authorities to put development projects on hold. Also, panchayats are unable to spend the amount lying in their accounts.

The Chief Minister had distributed lakhs of rupees to village panchayats for development works during a sangat darshan programme at Sanghol recently.

However, brick kiln owners went on an indefinite strike, which led to a steep hike in the prices of bricks.

Village sarpanches have been running from pillar to post to purchase bricks on government-fixed rates but to no avail. They have now demanded the state government and the district administration to evolve ways so that grants could be spent for the welfare of villagers.

Some officials of the department concerned admitted that they had knowledge of the problem but were unable to do anything in this regard.

Lal Jhanda Mazdoor Union leader Lachman Singh Mandera claimed that hundreds of labourers were also sitting idle due to the ongoing strike of brick kiln owners. He said the government should take steps to end the strike so that labourers were able to make both ends meet. SDM Roopanjali she said she would take up the matter with senior officials.

Ludhiana, November 1
The director of a Canadian company has landed in trouble for supplying substandard and old machines in place of new ones.The complainant, Ajay Gupta, joint managing director, Supreme Tex Mart, located in Industrial Area, had claimed that the Canadian firm had committed fraud with them. In his complaint, Gupta alleged that his company had purchased some machinery from Marshal Medda, director, Chick Tex Inc, Canada.

However, when the consignment was opened, Gupta realised that new labels had been pasted on old machines and shipped to India.

After receiving his complaint, a case under Sections 420 and 465 (punishment for forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) and 120 B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC was registered against Medda at the division No. 6 police station. — TNS

Ludhiana, November 1
Hosts Spring Dale Senior Secondary Public School wrapped up their matches in the boys’ u-17 and girls’ u-19 sections, respectively, in the Ludhiana Sahodaya Schools Complex (LSSC) Central Zone Volleyball Tournament, which began here today.

In the boys’ u-17 group, Spring Dale spikers romped home winners against BCM Senior Secondary School, Shastri Nagar branch, with ease. They won it in straight sets 25-7, 25-9.

In the girls’ u-19 section, hosts outwitted DCM Presidency School 16-14 and 15-3 to advance into the next round.

Today’s results: Girls’ u-19: Spring Dale Public School b DCM Presidency School; u-17: CFC School b BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh road.

Boys’ u-17: Spring Dale Public School b BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh road; BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh road, b Shiffali International School; u-19: GMT Public School b Nankana Sahib Public School; Tagore Public School b DCM Presidency School; u-14: DAV Public School b KVM and DCM Presidency School b Shiffali International School.

Mandi Gobindgarh,November 1
The 11th annual sports day of Om Parkash Bansal Modern School go under way here today.Pushkar Vohra, AEO of sports department, CBSE, New Delhi, inaugurated the event.Trust chairman Dr Hukam Chand Bansal and co-chairperson Neena Bansal presided over the function.

School principal PK Arora highlighted the achievements of the school.

Students later presented a cultural programme and participated in competitions like relay race, tug-of-war, yoga and PT show. The winners were given prizes.

Arshdeep Singh, Gurjashan Singh and Keshav were declared best players among boys, while Sarya and Sarooti were declared best players among girls.

The function concluded with the singing of the national anthem.