Dharamsala, December 17
A daylight kidnapping bid today shocked residents of Dharamsala when four persons in white Innova kidnapped Prokash Kumar Ghosh from the Sidhbari area while he was going for morning walk with his wife and son.

His wife Dolly immediately lodged a complaint with the police. A red alert was sounded in Kangra and adjoining Una and Hamirpur districts. The police initially raised a barrier near the Ranital area, about 15 kms from Kangra. However, the accused could not be stopped at the barrier.

The barrier was then raised near Jwalamukhi. This time also the kidnappers allegedly managed to dodge the barrier driving the vehicle at a very high speed.

Later in Nadaun also, the kidnappers broke the police barrier. They were finally nabbed in Hamirpur. The accused, along with the businessman, was brought to Dharamsala this evening.

The wife of the kidnapped businessman had identified two kidnappers. They have been identified as Gurdeep, Balwinder, Pardeep and Ved Pal. They were all residents of Nilokheri of Haryana.

According to information provided to the police by Prokash Kumar Ghosh, he had planned to start a handloom business in Karnal in partnership with the two accused, Gurdeep and Balwinder. The building for handloom business was taken on rent in his name.

Ghosh told the police that later he came to know that his business partners were involved in some illegal business relating to vehicle thefts.

He left Karnal and came to Dharamsala along with his family to keep the partners at bay. When the accused found out that Ghosh was staying in Dharamsala, they came here today and tried to kidnap him.

Kangra SP Diljeet Thakur said it seemed to be a case of business rivalry. The SP said they would seek police remand of the accused to verify the facts provided by Ghosh in his statement to the police.

As per the complaint registered with the police, the accused at 7 am forced Ghosh into the white Innova vehicle and drove away. The wife has not given any motive for kidnapping.

Sources here also said Ghosh, along with his wife and son, was staying in a rented accommodation near the Norbulingka monastery of Tibetans.

Shimla, December 17
With Indage Ltd failing to respond to the legal notices issued to it to return the prime 28 bighas given to it at Pragatinagar for setting up a winery, it is likely that the government may soon move court against it.

It was way back in 2000 that an MoU had been signed for the setting up of a winery at Pragatinagar but till date the unit had not come up despite repeated reminders by the government.

The Maharashtra-based company has not only failed in setting up the winery but has also failed to return 28 bighas of prime land in its possession which was provided to it for the winery.

Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta said the company had not even bothered to respond to the legal notice sent to it twice by the Horticulture Department. “Once all legal formalities are completed, we will move court so that the prime land provided to it can be taken back as it has not bothered to set up the wineries at Pragatinagar near Kotkhai and at Nagwain in Mandi,” he said.

Indage Ltd had been provided 28 bighas owned by Agro Industries Packaging India Ltd (AIPIL) for setting up the winery within two years.

The agreement for setting up the winery was signed in 2000 with Indage having 60 per cent share and the fruit growers and the state government having 20 per cent share each. Later, when the Congress came to power in 2003, the agreement was reviewed in favour of the company, making the position of the government legally very weak.

The winery had been proposed so that the fruit growers could sell their produce closer home. In fact, during the BJP regime some varieties of grapes were imported from abroad and after ascertaining their suitability to the state agro-climatic conditions in the government farms, the growers were encouraged to grow grapes so that wine could be produced.

Shimla, December 17
With rebels queering the pitch for the party’s official candidates in the local body polls in every district, the Congress today issued a warning to party men to withdraw from the field or else face disciplinary action.

While urging the party men to withdraw from the contest in order to ensure that the party can fare well in the elections to the 48 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, the party also said the candidates who would agree to withdraw from the contest in the interest of the party be rewarded by providing them organisational posts.

The Congress is plagued by rebels in several places, including Solan, Kangra, Dharamsala, Jwalamukhi, Chamba, Paonta Sahib. With tomorrow being the last date for withdrawal, senior Congress leaders, including legislators, former ministers and MLAs, and senior party functionaries are trying their level best to compel the rebels to withdraw from the field.

“We have made an appeal to all workers who have jumped into the fray against the official candidate to withdraw so that the Congress vote does not get divided,” said Kuldeep Rathore, HPCC general secretary and member of the state Election Committee.

Rathore also warned that in case the rebels did not withdraw, then disciplinary action would be taken against them. “The reason why we are facing the problem of rebels is primarily due to the fact we have given party tickets right up to the ward level unlike the BJP which has only declared official candidates for the post of president and vice-president,” he said. He added that this had only proved that the Congress was very strong right up to the grassroot level.

The Congress, under the HPCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur, on whom the high command has reposed faith, is desperate to perform well but considering the number of rebels, more than one at several places, the going does not seem to be too good at the moment.

Since the elections are being held on party symbols for the first time, both political parties, the BJP and the Congress, are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a good performance which would be very evident.

Shimla, December 17
The war of words between Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal and Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh has begun with the BJP leader accusing his political rival of having made statements, which amounted to contempt of court.

In a hard-hitting statement, the Chief Minister cited all four conditions laid down by the court while accepting the bail plea of the Congress leader and his wife Pratibha Singh. “I am surprised at the statement of the Union minister that has appeared in the media as this clearly amounts to violation of the conditions laid down by the court,” he remarked.

Going a step further, he alleged that the Congress leader had misled the court by filing an affidavit that the voice in the CD was not his despite the fact that the Central Forensic Laboratory had confirmed that the voice matched was that of the Union minister as well as his wife. “A fresh case can be filed against him for filing a false affidavit to mislead the court in the case,” he said.

The Chief Minister also sought a clarification from the Congress leader for having picked up an IPS officer of the Himachal cadre instead of an IAS officer to function as his private secretary. “He must explain to the people of the state why he chose the very same IPS officer who had prepared the FIR against him in the case while he was SP (Vigilance),” he said.

Dhumal said such statements by the minister only reflected the political frustration and dejection he was suffering from. “It does not behove a leader of the stature of Virbhadra Singh to make such irresponsible statements which amount to the contempt of the court,” he advised.

Solan, December 17
State Pensioners Day was celebrated here today where more than 300 pensioners from across the state participated.

Addressing a gathering, HN Kashyap, convener, BJP’s Panchayati Raj Cell, who was the special guest, said it was the responsibility of every government to watch the interest of this section as they had invested their valuable time in serving the government.

He assured the pensioners that their issues, including provision of special budget for their medical reimbursement and pending arrears, would be settled before the March 31 next year as both the issues were under active consideration of the Chief Minister.

Association president Jai Dev Sharma said their long-pending demands like re-fixation of pay as per the revised Fifth Pay Commission should be accepted on priority so that this pensioners could be benefited. — OC