Jalandhar, September 17
The Jalandhar (rural) police today nabbed two members of a gang of auto-thieves and seized a pistol and four live cartridges from their possession.

With the arrest of the two members of this inter-district gang, the policed claims to have solved over 10 cases of auto thefts lodged in various police stations in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Batala.

The Superintendent of Police (detective), Manjit Singh said police intercepted a Maruti car (PB-08W-4565) at a trap laid at T-Point in Malkotraran villages near Lambra.

The cops got suspicious when the car occupants tried to give them slip but were later stopped for questioning. During preliminary questioning, the occupants of the car introduced themselves as Satnam Singh alias Satta and Ranjit Singh alias Rana, both brothers and resident of Kot Sadiq village in Jalandhar.

On frisking them, the police seized a .315-bore pistol from Satnam Singh. The weapon was loaded with a live cartridge. The police also seized 3 live cartridges from Ranjit Singh’s pocket, the 
SP said.

On verifying the documents of their car, the police found that the duo was travelling in a stolen car. They have committed the theft with the connivance of Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Jandu Singha village, near Rama Mandi.

The SP said Satnam’s real name was Baldev Singh, a resident of Chittorgarh village near Fatehgarh Churian in Gurdaspur. He and his brother, Rana, lived in Jalandhar under fake identities. The duo had changed their based as they were wanted in over a dozen criminal cases registered against them in Batala, Tarn Taran, Amritsar (two cases), Jalandhar, Ram Das, Majitha and Lambra (three).

The SP said the police had laid a trap to nab their accomplices, including Sarabjit Singh. The accused will be produced before the court tomorrow. 

Jalandhar, September 17
Monu, alias Mukesh Kumar, one of the key accused in the clash that took place at the Baba Farid Co-education High School, Buta Pind, yesterday, was arrested by the police today.

According to SHO, Police station number 6, Inspector Kewal Krishan, "An FIR was registered against the accused last evening and he was nabbed today. Efforts are on to nab the other accused in the case.” The school remained closed today.

Parents of Keshav, Karanveer and Manish, who were admitted to the Civil Hospital yesterday, had met the school acting principal Prabhjot to do the needful in this regard. Prabhjot said, “Our first step will be to ensure that such incident should not occur again. I am not going to let these students rejoin their classes unless their parents promise that there will be no such fights in the future."

"If the student had not called in his friends and relatives from outside, the clash could have worsened. I agree the kids were beaten up badly but the school's name is being unfairly dragged into the controversy. Students fought and the school had to pay. It is mostly a ladies' staff in this school.” She said, “We did lock up two kids but just to prevent the conflict from getting too serious and to save them from injury.” The exams have been cancelled and will be rescheduled. The authorities say the school will be opened on Monday only if the situation is peaceful.

School closed, exams cancelled

School authorities said examinations being conducted in the school have been cancelled and would be rescheduled. The school, which was closed owing to the incident of violence, will open on Monday if the situation is peaceful, the authorities add.

Jalandhar, September 17
After cornering arch rivals Pakistan to clinch Asian Champions Trophy, the winners from the city are now eyeing London Olympics 2012, which they say would be their ultimate litmus test. Jalandhar-based hockey players Ravipal Singh, Gurwinder Singh Chandi and Manpreet Singh are in an upbeat mood following the victory and the sudden shower of cash awards by the Hockey India and the Punjab government.

The Tribune spoke to the trio about their plans ahead of the Olympic Games, the other tournaments and fitness camps to be held within this period.

Gurwinder Singh Chandi- “Victory in the Asian Champions trophy came at a time when the team is gearing up for the next year’s Olympic Games,” said Gurwinder Singh Chandi.

Sharing his experience of playing against Pakistan, the team forward said our team had a strong defence, which gave a neck-to-neck fight to our rivals. “It was indeed a do or die situation and moreover we had won all the matches which just gave us the much needed boost and confidence to take on Pakistan players and we won,” he added.

Chandi was all praise for Coach Michael Nobbs, who he said laid maximum emphasis on the attacking skills of the team while trainer David was a big support to ensure our fitness. “We share an excellent chemistry with coach Nobbs which is must for any team to tread the path of success,” he said.

He also appreciated the performance of the junior players in the tournament especially that of city boy Manpreet Singh who received accolades for displaying good hockey. “Such was the team charisma and performance that not for a minute we felt that we were playing with junior players,” he quipped.

Manpreet Singh- This budding champ from Olympian Surjit Hockey Academy made his debut in the Asian Champions Trophy and remained the star attraction of the tournament. The midfielder, who had reached home silently after refusing the incentive of Hockey India (HI), was jubilant for receiving a handsome cash award for the spectacular win.

“The governments dole out huge cash awards for cricket then why this injustice with the national game of the country? But we are very happy that the union sports ministry increased the award money to Rs 1.5 lakh while the Punjab government has also announced Rs 25 lakh, which has just come up as a big breather,” he said.

He said, “For me this tournament was a big launch pad as a total of eight junior players were selected for this tournament and I was one of them. It was a great learning experience playing with none other than the skipper Rajpal Singh, Ravipal Singh to name a few.”

Manpreet is pursuing BA-I year at DAV College, he has been undergoing hockey training at Surjit Hockey Academy for the past five years. “Surjit hockey academy launched me as a player and gave me a chance to play in national and international matches. I have a long way to go and excel in the game,” he signed off.

Ravipal Singh- From the upcoming Champion challenge in December 2009 to the London Olympics 2012, Ravipal Singh is all set to ensure Indian Hockey team makes that final mark.

“Last time we had a dismal show and could not qualify for the Olympics. This time the team is geared up and we are looking forward to the Olympic qualifiers. Apart from this we are also looking forward to the qualifiers of the Champions Challenge as well,” he said. He said it was a young team with the do or die attitude, which has worked wonders. “Junior and seniors, all gave in their 100 per cent. India has ruled world hockey and it was a chance for us to prove our mettle once again,” Ravipal said.

A resident of the Mecca of Hockey, Sansarpur village, Ravipal was content discussing the cash awards and said the team brought laurels to the country for which they deserved a decent award. “We were badly dejected after HI gave us a paltry Rs 25,000 as incentive. I think it was the timely protest which helped in getting our demands fulfilled,” he said.

He said a match between India and Pakistan whether in cricket or hockey surely grabs even more attention. “Right we are enjoying our honeymoon period with appreciation from everybody,” he quipped.

A garbage filled plot at JP Nagar road in Jalandhar. Tribune Photo: Sarabjit Singh

Jalandhar, September 17
A disputed plot on the JP Nagar Road, which has been turned into a dump yard by the locals, has been a cause of concern for residents for the past two decades. Since the plot does not have a boundary wall, it is easy for the people to dump garbage.

But the residents, particularly those living right in front of the dump yard, have to pay the price due the lack of civic sense among these offenders.

Harbhajan Singh, a resident with a house almost opposite to the dump, said, “It’s been bothering us for many years. About a year ago, the Municipal Corporation on our insistence employed a person to clean the garbage regularly. About two or three months back that stopped too and things are going from bad to worse. The garbage has risen five feet above the ground. We live in a constant stench. It also causes inconvenience to the commuters.”

Manjit Singh, another resident of the area, said, “We constantly strive to clean it, but people from the surrounding areas come for walks at night with bloated polythene bags and throw their garbage here. They have been stopped and scolded by us but they don’t budge. I have been living here since 1986 and it has always been dirty. Complaints to MC authorities and the councillors have fallen on deaf ears.”

Harjit Singh, another resident, said, “Right now, at least two to three truck-full garbage is lying in the plot. We have written letters to the MC health officers and the councillors but no one is ready to take an initiative.”

Ward No 44 councillor, Sunanda Malhotra, said, “I am fed up of cleaning garbage from empty plots. I got the plot cleaned several times and the latest clean-up was six months back. Now the garbage is back again. The MC needs to penalise offenders. If a penalty of Rs 5,000 is imposed people will stop doing it. It is not my area, but I am planning to clean the plot within a week.”

Ward No 45 councillor, Surijit Kaur, said, “The area doesn’t fall in my ward. It is Sunanda Malhotra’s area, but I will get it cleaned positively by tomorrow.”

Jalandhar, September 17
It is not only the big business houses and goldsmiths who have been witnessing a slump in profits due to ongoing Shraadhs, but also government departments like Punjab Roadways are bearing its brunt. The Shraadhs began on September 12 and will conclude on September 27.

The Punjab Roadways is witnessing a downfall of 25 to 30 per cent in the number of passengers commuting to different places daily. Surprisingly, during the peak season the number of passengers using Punjab Roadways services is somewhere between around 75 to 80 per cent.

Talking to The Tribune, General Manager, Depot-II, Punjab Roadways, Perneet Singh Minhas said, “The reason for this trend is obviously the ongoing Shraadhs. People have various myths related to travelling during this period and hence profit witnesses a decline. Moreover, in our society no marriage, functions, shopping and new beginnings take place during Shraadhs, so people also don’t prefer commuting.”

Minhas also added that they witness this phase every year, but they have no option. “These days almost all Punjab Roadways buses go half empty. Only the regular passengers like students, people with court cases or patients, who have to go to Ludhiana or Chandigarh, commute. However, we look forward to the weekly satsangs of Dera Radha Soami, Beas, as on those days we get maximum passengers,” he added.

The private bus operators are also affected due to this reason. However, sources said the private bus operators have the liberty of plying buses according to their requirements, but same is not the case with the Punjab Roadways.