Bathinda, January 18
Blame it on the burden of VIP duties or faulty habits, but a majority of the cops in this district are suffering from hypertension or hypercholesterol.

Ironically, the ‘disciplined’ force that keeps claiming that it is doing its best to check the inflow of drugs in the state has been found to be addicted to narcotics like poppy husk and opium. Besides, hundreds of cops in this district are obese.

Sensing the deteriorating health of the cops, the SSP had issued orders about a couple of months ago directing all cops to undergo a thorough medical examination. To make it financially affordable, a private laboratory was engaged to conduct all the tests, including HIV, at a nominal charge.

While the test reports of some cops came as a shock to the police force here, many are reluctant to undergo tests. The check-up, which was initiated a few months ago and was called ‘Annual health check up-2010’, has not been completed till date. Let alone the junior officials, a majority of DSPs and SPs besides the SSP has stayed away from the medical tests.

Sources in the police informed that some of the police officials were avoiding the tests as they feared that their addiction to narcotics would get detected. There are others who are too ‘busy’ in duties to spare time for their health check-up.

According to details collected, as many as 1,270 of the total nearly 1,700 cops in the district have undergone the tests till date and about 60 per cent of them have been found to be suffering from hypertension. About 50 per cent are patients of hypercholesterol.

Interestingly, over one-fourth of the total police force in this district has been found to be obese. A number of cops are suffering from other ailments like diabetes, drug addiction, backache, cervical, spondylitis, anxiety neurosis and Hepatitis B and C.

Besides, five cops have also been detected as HIV positive.

Medical Officer of the Police Lines Dr Raj Pal Singh said the test reports need to be taken seriously. “Once the testing is completed, we will chalk out a proper fitness schedule for cops,” he added.

It may be mentioned that in 2007, the then Bathinda SSP Naunihal Singh had taken up the task of keeping his force fit and active, which proved to be successful to an extent. For weight reduction, Bhangra was also included in the competition.

However, the programme lost its significance after his transfer.

Jalalabad, January 18
The police today made a major breakthrough in the sensational robbery case involving a Tanishq jewellery outlet in Chandigarh.

Jonty, an active member of the gang that was involved in the robbery, which took place at the Tanishq showroom in Manimajra near Chandigarh on January 12, was arrested by a team of the Chandigarh police from this town today afternoon.

Surinder Singh, a functionary of the Chandigarh police, who was camping in the area for the past few days to arrest Jonty, while talking to TNS, confirmed the arrest of Jonty from this town. He, however, refused to disclose as to whether any recovery had been made from the accused or not.

A gang comprising 12 to 15 armed robbers, five of whom were dressed in police uniform, committed a major robbery at the Tanishq showroom in Manimajra during the wee hours on January 12. The robbers wearing masks managed to decamp with gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 10 crore after they took the security guards of the showroom in their custody using weapons.

Police sources said Jonty, whose father has a business in sand in this town and who belongs to Kalu Wala Chuge village of the area, came into contact with Pritpal Kuki, the leader of the gang a few years ago. Jonty was arrested with the help of the local police.

Pritpal Kuki, who has been declared as a bad character (BC) and who also hails from this area, was putting up at Ghaziabad after he shifted his entire family there. He has been facing 15 to 16 criminal cases registered against him in this area. Jonty would also drive the car of Pritpal Kuki.

Kuki, who has been arrested, had been living under a false name. He is also learnt to have changed his appearance to hide his identity. He has been operating in Delhi and Ghaziabad areas.

Information gathered by the TNS revealed that the police was trying to find out the hide-outs, which were used by these members after they committed robbery at the showroom.

Jonty was being taken to Chandigarh, police sources informed TNS.

Fazilka, January 18
The tragic and untimely demise of the founder of the cooperative movement in this border district, Surinder Jakhar, has created a void in the Congress in particular and among the public in general that cannot be filled, said District Congress president Gurnaib Singh Brar, while talking to the media here.

He had a brief halt here while returning from Abohar after attending the cremation of the IFFCO chairman Surinder Jakhar, who passed away on Monday following a bullet injury in his head when his pistol went off accidentally.

While paying tributes to Jakhar, Brar said no other leader in the world of cooperatives in this area can match his stature. “We have been working together in the Congress for decades and the members of Jakhar family have large acceptance among the general public,” added Brar.

Brar claimed that a record number of party workers would participate in the proposed Congress rally in the Ferozepur cantonment on January 31, in which PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh would also participate.

Zira(Ferozepur), January 18
Even as the Punjab government has made it clear to its officials that it would not tolerate absenteeism in its offices and going to introduce the Right to Service Act shortly in the state, a section of employees still play truant.

Though a numbers of raids were conducted by the deputy commissioner, sub-divisional magistrates of the Ferozepur district and chair person of the Zila Parishad in different departments of the state government in the past few months to check absenteeism, things have failed to improve.

In certain pockets, most of the offices are found locked whenever they go there to get their work done, the residents said.

Yesterday, about 30 officers and officials of different offices were found absent when SDM TN Passey conducted surprise raids. The raids were conducted in the local civil hospital, Tehsildar office, Forest Department office, BPEO, Secretary Market Committee office, SDO (PWD and B&R), SDO Mandi Board, SDO (Canal) and soil Conservation Department office. Passey has written to the higher authorities for taking action against the officials. A few weeks ago, when the raids were conducted throughout the Ferozepur border district, about 75 officials of different departments were found by different teams led by DC KK Yadav and others.

Yadav said the show cause notices were issued to all the officials, who were found absent from their duties. Out of 75 show cause notices, about 42 show cause notices had been filed after the absent officials gave satisfactory reply.

Action against other absent officials, who failed to offer convincing reasons for being absent from their duty, was initiated as their respective departmental authorities were informed about it. A section of officials of education and health departments had been facing disciplinary action now.

Moga, January 18
The additional district and sessions judge of Moga SK Aggarwal today sentenced a 66-year-old man to life for drowning his 18-month-old grandson to death.

The incident took place at village Badhni Kalan village on November 24, 2010, when Mohinder’s daughter Charanjit Kaur, the mother of the child, living in her father’s house, refused to give him money to buy liquor. The doctors too said the child died of asphyxiation caused by drowning. A fine of Rs 5,000 has also been imposed on him, failing to pay which will add two and a half more years to his actual sentence. — TNS