The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Fake arms case: Two gunhouses sealed The racket was busted by the Mansa police in April P K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 20 The city police today sealed two local gunhouses --- Ajit Gun House located in Chheharta and Bindra Gun House --- situated under the Civil Line police station, in connection with the fake arms racket case busted in Mansa in April this year. Confirming this, R P Mittal, Commissioner of police said that the two gun houses were sealed after their names figured during the investigations in fake arms racket case which was busted in Mansa. It is evident to mention here that the Mansa police have busted a racket that involved selling of countrymade weapons under the name of reputed national and international brands. The subsequent investigations in the case unravelled the involvement of a large number of arms dealers from Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country in the racket. The accused used to procure ‘kattas’ (countrymade pistols) from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other parts of the country and then imprint them with the logos of reputed brands. According to information, one wing of the dealers used to purchase the pistols while the other used to imprint the names and numbers of various ordnance factories and international companies involved in the manufacturing of weapons. Once the exercise was over, yet another gang of the unit would dispose of the same to bona fide and other customers. “I have ordered to seal both the shops under the powers entrusted to me under Arms act. I would make sure that both the gun houses go through physical verification of each and every arm sold and procured by them and its necessary documentation.
	Women protest against spate of snatchings, robberies Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 20 A spate of snatching and robbery incidents has created an atmosphere of panic and insecurity among city residents, forcing womenfolk to join hands against the menace. Flaying the city police for its failure in maintain law and order in the city, a group of almost 50 women today reached the office of the Police Commissioner Gaurav Yadav and lodged their protest. A delegation of women, led by former councillor Sushma Gautam also presented a memorandum of demands to the Commissioner. Gautam said that incidents of snatching, robbery, assault, murder and shooting have multiplied manifold in the last six months. The criminals have been targeting women and snatching their jewellery. Many women have even lost their limbs in these incidents but the police has failed to wake up from its slumber. Gautam also advocated the implementation of speed limit for vehicles, ban on face muffling by the driver, and a clear display of the registration number on vehicles. The women also demanded frequent night patrolling on strategic points, deployment of more police personnel and installation of CCTVs at the favourite places of the criminals so that the menace can be curbed.
	Rising crime graph in town but police silent spectator Ashok Kaura Phagwara,September 20 In a spate of the increasing incidence of crime in Phagwara, some unidentified miscreants took away a Verna car (number PB-36-7572) of a Commission Agent Ram Singh Joshi from the posh locality of Hargobind Nagar here in broad daylight this afternoon. Ram Singh came home for lunch, parked his car outside his house and went inside but soon after he heard the sound of his car, being started by someone, he ran outside and saw some unknown youths driving away the car. The police has been informed. In another broad daylight crime, a Chetak scooter (number PB-36C-1167) of a Junior Engineer of Powercom, Arjun Singh, was stolen from before a house in the New Model Town this afternoon. The police has registered cases. In a third incident,two motorcyce-borne youths snatched an ear-ring from a woman returning home in a rickshaw in Hargobind Nagar last evening. Criminal gangs are openly operating in Phagwara but the police is a silent spectator. Some car-borne armed assailants had snatched a Vento car from a former District Attorney, RL Kohli from his driver who was washing the car just outside Kohli’s residence in Hargobind Nagar last week. Robbers had also fired upon another car owned by Kohli which was parked nearby and punctured its tyre before fleeing. Dozens of incidents of burglaries have been reported from various parts of the town during two months but there has been no initiative from the police.
	DC goes strict on traffic violators Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, September 20 Deputy Commissioner Dipinder Singh has instructed the government officials to strictly implement traffic rules and challan all those private operators who park their buses on roads. He was addressing a special meeting on how to improve traffic flow here today. He instructed the authorities of the Municipal Council to make parking arrangements for auto-rickshaws, tempo and rickshaws near the bus stand. He also instructed to install traffic lights near the bridge of Bhangi choe (seasonal rivulet), Gaushala bazaar, and to rectify timing of traffic lights in the city. He further instructed traffic police to challan all those persons who were violating traffic rules and to remove the encroachments around the general bus stand and bazaars. District Transport Officer P S Gill assured that traffic rules and instructions of the Deputy Commissioner would be strictly observed.
	SAD-BJP combine may revise seat-sharing arrangements Manmeet Singh Gill/TNS Amritsar, September 20 The SAD and BJP alliance may revise its seat-sharing arrangements on one or two seats in the state considering the convenience and winnabilty of candidates from both the parties during the forthcoming state Assembly Elections. This was stated by the state Bharatiya Janata Party president, Ashwani Sharma, during a meeting with the booth-level leaders of the central assembly constituency. Ashwani Sharma said, “One or two seats in the state can be exchanged between both the parties, taking into consideration the stronghold of the particular party in each constituency.” However, he refrained from divulging the particular constituencies which can be exchanged between the alliance partners. Addressing the meeting of workers, Sharma said that the party workers must get themselves organised at the booth level. He said a meeting of the executive body of the BJP would be held in Chandigarh on September 22 to review the progress of Abhayas Shivirs. Member of Parliament, Navjot Singh Sidhu, while interacting with the party workers stated that the party is very enthusiastic about the next Assembly elections. “Before the election process starts, we would be ready with our booth organisations. The idea would give an edge to the party during the elections.” The party had called up delegates from each of the 117 booths in the constituency during the meeting called ‘Abhayas Shivar’.
	Compromise reached, Bar Assn ends strike Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 20 The Amritsar Bar Association has ended its strike that started on Monday over the demolition of a lawyer’s chamber near Old Bunga Bar, after a meeting with the civil and police administration on Tuesday. Talking to The Tribune, Pradeep Kumar Saini, president of the association said, “The matter has been amicably solved after a meeting with the police and civil administration officials.” He said that it has been decided that in case of any such issue arising in future, the President of the bar, Police Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Sessions’ Judge would discuss the matter before taking any action. Saini said that all the parties have admitted to the fact that the land where the controversial chamber was constructed is owned by the Judicial Department. Pradeep Kumar Saini said, “The matter would now be forwarded to the buildings’ committee of the judiciary, which would take the decision.” Pradeep Kumar Saini added that all the parties have expressed their satisfaction at the decision taken in the meeting.
	SGPC polls not free and fair, claims CPI Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 20 Dr Joginder Dyal, member of the National Executive of the Communist Party of India (CPI) yesterday stated that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections were not conducted in a free and fair manner and all norms were violated in order to grab the power over the religious body. “Contrary to the orders of the Gurdwara Judicial Commission, “patit” (apostate) Sikhs were openly allowed to cast their votes, while muscle, money and power were explicitly used in order to win the elections,” said Dr Dyal. The Gurdwara Judicial Commission and Gurdwara Election Commission should take immediate cognisance of it and cancel the elections, he urged. He said the Deputy Commissioners of Amritsar and Fatehgarh Sahib had sought deployment of central forces for conducting free and fair elections. However, the state government rejected their demand. There are 22 districts in Punjab and only two have IPS-level officers, while remaining are headed by PPS-level officers, he pointed out. “It appears as if they were doing rehearsals for the ensuing Assembly elections and law and order situation has worsen,” he said. He added that Badals had turned the religious body (Shiromani committee) into a political party. Launching a scathing attack on Gujarat Chief Minister Narinder Modi, who sat on a three-day hunger strike, said Modi had insulted and played a cruel joke by sitting on hunger strike in a centrally air-conditioned chamber with attached toilet. On an alliance with Peoples’ Party of Punjab, he said they would finalise all the details within the next two weeks and ja oint strategy would be announced on September 25, the death anniversary of communist leader Harkishan Singh Surjit at his village, Bundala, in which senior communist leaders and PPP president Manpreet Singh Badal would participate.
	Mass resignations by teachers: Work takes a hit at NIT Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 20 Administrative and teaching work is suffering at Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, after mass resignations over the issue of appointment of a new director of the institute. The teachers here have not been undertaking any additional responsibilities after their mass resignations becaus eof which paper work has been piling ever since, according to sources. Roll numbers have still not been issued and the work undertaken by deans, proctors, wardens etc. has come to a halt. While there are 228 sanctioned posts for the non-teaching staff at the institute, 182 out of these are filled while 46 are lying vacant. Registrar AL Sangal failed to even produce a list of vacant seats at the institute after the admissions for this year. He declined to comment on the matter. Even as it was officially declared that Dr Samir Das, head of the Department of Mining Engineering at IIT Kharagpur, had been appointed head of the the mood of the faculty members at the institute seemed far from complacent today. Sticking to the path of protest, the faculty members today held a silent protest outside the administrative complex of the institute. The degree of mistrust about the administration among them could be gauged from the fact that they wanted the officiating director SBS Mishra either to go on leave or designate someone else on his position until the new director joins his duties. If the present Registrar of the NIT AL Sangal is allowed to continue on his post after his term comes to an end on September 25 would be in violation of the statutes of the institute, according to the faculty members. The registrar said, “My term comes to an end on the 25th of this month. I will abide by the instructions I receive on the issue. I have been asked to continue till further orders.”
	PSPCL employees to show black flags to Badal Jalandhar: The members of PSEB Technical Services Union (TSU) would show black flags to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during his next visit to the city, said the president of TSU Jalandhar circle, Shri Ram Jaggi here today. Jaggi claimed Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is victimising its employees. Jaggi said the union had protested against privatisation of PSEB in 2009. At that time, its seven representatives were dismissed and 12 suspended for protesting against the proposed privatisation. Even FIRs were also registered against several union members and departmental inquiries were initiated against them, he added. Later, though all the dismissed and suspended employees had been reinstated, the employees were not regularized even after 18 months. — TNS