B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

CBI to probe Kotkapura bank embezzlement case
Kotkapura (Faridkot), October 14
In an unusual criminal case wherein the complainant himself was found to be one of the main culprits in misappropriation of Rs 2.85 crore in a nationalised bank, the CBI has started the investigation after the police failed in arresting all the accused in the last two years.

Sonu Sood visits hometown
Moga, October 14 
After flaunting his abs in ‘Dabangg’, Sonu Sood will now be seen donning a retro look in ‘Maximum’, an action-thriller by Kabir Kaushik. The movie also stars Tabu and Naseeruddin Shah.
Bollywood actor Sonu Sood gives autograph to his fans in Moga on Friday. Photo: Kulwinder Sandhu

Man axes father to death
Muktsar, October 14
In a bizarre incident, a man allegedly axed his father to death in Samadh village of Kotbhai in Gidderbaha area on Friday afternoon. The accused is at large.

CBI to probe Kotkapura bank embezzlement case
HC directive comes after police fails to arrest the accused in two yrs
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Kotkapura (Faridkot), October 14
In an unusual criminal case wherein the complainant himself was found to be one of the main culprits in misappropriation of Rs 2.85 crore in a nationalised bank, the CBI has started the investigation after the police failed in arresting all the accused in the last two years.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court handed over the investigation to the CBI after one of the accused Jagmohan Singh Kochhar approached the HC for anticipatory bail in the embezzlement case.

The case was registered by the Kotkapura police after Kochhar made a complaint on May 5, 2009.  In his complaint, Kochhar, a senior manager in the Punjab and Sind Bank, Kotkapura, accused Surjit Singh, a Rural Development Officer (RDO) in the bank, of embezzling Rs 10.47 lakh. However, a detailed inquiry by the senior bank authorities found that besides Surjit Singh, eight other employees, including Kochhar, were involved in the scam and the total amount misappropriated was Rs 2.85 crore.

The police investigation in the case was moving at snail’s pace and there was an inordinate delay in filing a charge sheet against the accused.

Due to this, the main accused Surjit Singh succeeded in securing bail and he and two other accused, both assistant managers, managed to flee.

The court had declared the trio as proclaimed offenders.

One of the accused died during the investigation while six others were cooling their heels in jail for the past over an year.

Kotkapura SHO Dalbir Singh said as per the directions of the High Court on September 28, the investigation in the case had been handed over to the CBI.

While seeking anticipatory bail, Kochhar had claimed that he was being made a scapegoat in the case to create passage for other accused to flee.

But opposing the bail to Kochhar, the counsel for the Punjab and Sind Bank demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI. “As per the bank rules, if the misappropriated amount is more than Rs 1 crore and the bank staff itself is involved in the crime, the FIR needs to be lodged with the CBI at the first stage,” said the petitioner for the bank.

Without any check, the money was being siphoned off for over two years. One of the main culprits in the scandal had reportedly purchased three houses in different towns of Punjab and in each house, one of his paramour was living with all modern gadgets and comforts, revealed the police investigation.

Sonu Sood visits hometown
Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS

Moga, October 14 
After flaunting his abs in ‘Dabangg’, Sonu Sood will now be seen donning a retro look in ‘Maximum’, an action-thriller by Kabir Kaushik. The movie also stars Tabu and Naseeruddin Shah.

Talking to TNS, Sonu said shooting for ‘Dabangg-II’ would begin in November and end by December end.

Besides, Sood would sweat it out in an action comedy ‘Lucky-Unlucky’ with Mallika Sherawat. Sonu, who played a cop in ‘Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap’ starring Amitabh Bachhan, said he was now playing an army officer court-martialled for murder, which turns him into an unlucky person with an unsuccessful career.

The actor was in the town to inaugurate a Lakme Salon on the premises of Dr Shyam Lal Thapar Nursing Home.

Sonu was first seen in a Punjabi movie ‘Shaheed-e-Azam’ where he enacted the role of Bhagat Singh. So far, he has done over 25 Hindi and South Indian films, popular among which are ‘Jodha Akbar’, ‘Singh is King’ and ‘Dabangg’.

A shy teenager at Sacred Heart School in Moga underwent a complete change when he shifted to Nagpur to pursue a degree in engineering and started doing modelling in his free time. Later, he moved to Mumbai. “The journey from Punjab to Mumbai has been tough but rewarding,” he said.

Man axes father to death
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 14
In a bizarre incident, a man allegedly axed his father to death in Samadh village of Kotbhai in Gidderbaha area on Friday afternoon. The accused is at large.

According to police sources, Diwan Singh was embarrassed due to involvement of his son Kulwant Singh in various criminal cases. Every time he tried to prevail upon his son to mend his ways, they ended up in a verbal clash.

A similar verbal duel took place on Friday, following which Kulwant Singh attacked his father with an axe killing him on the spot.

The police booked Kulwant Singh for murder and was searching for him, said Kotbhai station house officer Partap Singh.