Jalandhar, November 13
Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) workers today blocked a busy road in the city on the eve of the Jan Chetna rally. BJP workers were busy erecting a stage on the road where former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani’s yatra is scheduled to halt on Monday.

As per the plans, BJP leaders and supporters of Jalandhar Cantonment and Jalandhar Central assembly constituencies are to gather on the road, which connects Ladowali Road with the Chogitti Chowk. While a small passage has been left that allows two-wheelers and small cars to pass through one by one, bigger vehicles had to return and take an alternative route via BSF Chowk to go on the National Highway-1.

The venue falls in the busy Guru Nanakpura market. As many as 3,000 chairs have been put up for visitors. There are dhabas and shops selling sweets and juice on either side of the venue and as per the security plans, these will be closed tomorrow till the rally concludes.

All along the highway, huge flex boards, banners and poles with party flags mounted on them have been erected which have been causing inconvenience and traffic hazard to commuters. Hoardings with pictures of Mayor Rakesh Rathour and former Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia, both contenders for Jalandhar Central assembly ticket, dot the stretch from PAP Chowk to Chogitti.

The passage up to Pathankot bypass has hoardings with photographs of Chief Parliamentary Secretary and MLA, Jalandhar North, KD Bhandari, Deputy Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, and Jalandhar West MLA Bhagat Chunni Lal and his son Mahinder Bhagat.

The next stoppage in the city is at Pathankot bypass for which a vacant plot on the left side of the chowk has been taken as the venue. The plot is actually a godown for storing the grain. This point will be the assembly site for the workers of Jalandhar West and Jalandhar North. 

Jalandhar, November 13
Former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani’s Jan Chetna Yatra has affected efforts of the Kapurthala district police to nab the murder convict Karan, alias Ghuba, who escaped from the high-security newly built modern jail located at Theh Kanjla village.

The Kapurthala district police could not make any active effort to nab the escapee prisoner undergoing life term as it reportedly remained busy in making security arrangements for Advani’s proposed yatra to pass through Phagwara and Subhanpur areas of the Kapurthala district on Monday.

Talking to The Tribune, Kapurthala DSP Kulwant Singh Heer also attributed Advani’s proposed yatra as the reason for not conducting any raid at possible hideouts of the escapee. Heer said the police was busy in making security arrangements for Advani’s proposed yatra and would conduct raids at his possible hideouts including his residence at Ludhiana after his visit.

Meanwhile, two warders - Hans Raj and Nishan Singh - have been suspended for negligence in duty. Both the warders were on duty at barrack number eight from where the prisoner managed to escape.

Karan was earlier lodged in Jalandhar central jail located near Basti Adda from where he alongwith other prisoners was shifted to the modern jail in Kapurthala a few weeks ago. Interestingly formally inaugurated by CM Parkash Singh Badal just nine days ago on November three, the modern jail was termed at that time as one of the high security jails of the country.

When jail officials lost every hope of finding the escaped prisoner at their own, a complaint was submitted to the concerned Kotwali police station of Kapurthala by Deputy Jail Superintendent KS Teji and an FIR was registered in this connection on Saturday.

Denying any connivance of the staff, the jail superintendent Surinder Singh said: “The prisoner might have escaped on Friday under the guise of a labourer as some construction work is still on in a portion of the jail and several labourers are working there."

When again asked how the prisoner managed to flee under the garb of a labourer as according to jail manual, no outsider could enter the jail without a special mark on his hand and he was allowed to go only after showing that mark, he said "That is why, I am saying he managed to escape due to negligence of some of the staff members on duty at that time."

Interestingly, the jail staff had come to know about his escaping only when the routine counting of the prisoners was done during night. The jail staff was surprised to find one of the prisoners less. 

Jalandhar, November 13
Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), who are participating in the World Kabaddi Cup as players as well as spectators, are under the police scanner after many of them were found involved in drug peddling on a large scale.

The Punjab Police was put on a high alert with the arrest of a brother-sister duo by the Jalandhar (Rural) police, who were carrying 1.5 kg of a highly refined derivative of heroin “ICE”, in Mehmadpur near Adampur on July 2 this year. The contraband was worth Rs 15 crore in the international market.

During their questioning, the duo - Harjinder Singh, a Model Town-based property dealer and his sister Harinder Rani, a resident of Ravidas Nagar in Maqsudan -- had revealed that the man for whom they were working was a big promoter of kabaddi tournament in Punjab and abroad.

Investigating the case, the district (rural) police had identified 14 NRIs involved in the trade of drug trafficking in Punjab, Hardial Singh Mann, Senior Superintendent of the Jalandhar (Rural) Police, has claimed.

The former DGP, Punjab, PS Gill, had admitted that certain NRI promoters of the World Cup Kabaddi hailing from the Doaba region have figured in the list of hardcore drug peddlers. The police would keep a hawk’s eye on the players of different kabaddi teams from abroad, who are presently in the state to participate in the second World Cup Kabaddi Championship.

Keeping in view the matches being played at 16 stadiums among teams of 15 countries, the police has deployed additional police force in civvies and is not taking any chance to let the drug traders go scot free, highly placed sources in the department revealed.

Sources disclosed that NRI drug peddlers, under the garb of the sports tournaments, join the contesting teams and procure consignments of drugs from suppliers or their own contacts before and after the events conclude. They later smuggle the contraband to their respective destinations abroad.

The notorious drug peddlers arrange the consignments from across the Indo-Pak border and package the contraband at various hideouts in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and other bordering districts of Punjab. Drug traffickers lodged in jails across the country provide them drugs through separate carriers. The drug traders use code words to indicate the drug quantity. 

Jalandhar, November 13
‘Hindustani Roti’- a popular Indian eating joint in Spain is what has brought a majority of Indian Kabaddi players of this country together. It was a quest for job, which brought them to this Indian restaurant in an alien world, finally landing them with foreign kabaddi clubs.

While the players of Italy and Norway found the foreign kabaddi clubs a common ground to reunite with the fellow Punjabis abroad, others from different parts of Punjab helped their friends in searching jobs.

Back home for the World Kabaddi Cup, players from Spain, Norway and Italy are hogging the limelight. They say it was a tough job abroad as they were left with menial jobs only. While some are professional kabaddi players, others took the game after going abroad.

Jagtar Singh, a player from the team, said: “I started working in a restaurant and then got to know that the owner of the hotel was a coach of kabaddi. Later, I took up this sport and joined a club there, which brought me to limelight.”

The coach of the Spain team, Surinder Sahota, who apart from ‘Hindustani Roti’ also runs an American restaurant- ‘Route 66’ - said, “After putting in England for a long time, I shifted base to Spain and started the restaurants. For Indians abroad, searching a proper job and earning money remains a big question. And I am happy that a majority of the Indian boys working in my restaurant took up this game.”

Surinder has all Indian boys serving at his hotel, which he said was a great help for many of them. He also said that they had selected a senior Spanish police officer for their team but due to certain reasons, he could not come along.

So how is the response to a rustic game like kabaddi abroad? “Foreigners do gather to watch our club matches but they are not much aware of the game. They cheer us but then kabaddi is confined to a select Indians only. The good thing is that whenever matches are held, Indians gather in large numbers to watch the game,” said Jagroshan Singh from Norway.

Norway team members Jagroshan Singh, Varinder Singh, Narinder Kumar Shukla too said that they were doing petty jobs abroad and that kabaddi has been keeping together.

Jagjit Singh another player from Norway said: “A majority of the boys either work in the security services or restaurants or at the showrooms while others end up doing menial jobs. Things are no more rosy abroad as it used to be earlier. This time, Kabaddi World Cup has increased the prize money and at the same time given Rs 10 lakh as invitation fee to our team.”

The Italy team, which comprises of many first timers too said that Kabaddi clubs abroad were playing a major role in keeping many aspiring youngsters together. “A majority of us end up searching jobs in Italy and there is nothing much, which can assure us some good income. Somehow Kabaddi has been of great help in both ways, one in landing us in this sport and second in finding some suitable jobs”, said Major Singh.

Another player from Italy, Pavittar Singh said: “We are happy at having been selected for the World Kabaddi Cup as we have become overnight stars.” 

Jalandhar November 13
The only eyewitness in a high-profile murder case of hotelier Gurkirat Singh Sekhon aka Gikki today alleged that he had been receiving threats to life from the relative of the prime accused, Ram Simran Singh Makkar alias Prince Makkar.

In a complaint to the Director General of Police (DGP), the Jalandhar Commissioner of Police and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar, the eyewitness, Amardeep Singh, a resident of Bhorchi Rajputan village in Amritsar, stated that he had received threats twice from the relatives of the main accused.

“On August 3, Amarjeet Singh alias Jolly of Amritsar along with five unknown persons came to my house in a golden Tata Safari and threatened me of dire consequences if I depose against the accused.” He said that one of the youths, Jolly, was the brother-in-law of prime accused.

On August 9, he filed a complaint before the DGP, the Jalandhar Commissioner of Police and the SSP. The copies of the complaints are with The Tribune.

“On August 17 again, six unknown motorcycle- borne youths came to my house. Since I was not at my place, they threatened and abused my mother and told her that if your son becomes a witness in the Gikki murder case, they will eliminate him,” a copy of the complaint reads.

The eyewitness alleged that he again filed complaints before the DGP, the Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, the SSP (Rural) and at the Khalchian police station on August 20, but to no avail.

To know the cause of the delay on his complaints, the eyewitness had also moved an application under the Right to Information Act before the District & Session Court, the SSP (Rural) and the Jalandhar Police Commissioner on November 2, copies of which are also with The Tribune.

“December 6 and 8 is the hearing date in murder case and accused’s relative are trying to influence the eyewitness in the case,” Gikki’s father Rajbir Singh Sekhon alleged.

On April 21, Gikki was allegedly murdered by Akali councillor and nephew of SAD MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar, Prince Makkar, along with other accomplices, Sunny Sachdeva, Prince Narula and Jasdeep Jassu, at an eatery in Model Town.

When contacted Sarbjit Singh Makkar denied allegations and said they were even unaware of the whereabouts of the eyewitness. 

Jalandhar, November 13
The Local Bodies Department, though allowed builders to raise heights of buildings up to any limit, totally ignored bleak infrastructure prevailing at the fire brigade department of the Municipal Corporation thus compromising the safety issue.

The Local Bodies Department had recently made amendments in the building bylaws.

Now, the builders, who want to raise heights of buildings beyond 70 feet (earlier permissible limit), have to take permission from the airport traffic control authority.

Though MC officials have claimed (on numerous occasions) that the civic body would buy necessary equipment, the fire brigade department hasn’t got any.

A fire official, on the condition of anonymity, said though the government had allowed builders to raise heights of buildings, the fire brigade would not be able to execute rescue operations in case of fire incidents in these towering buildings.

Sources said fire officials prior to the amendments in the bylaws, lobbied hard against the government decision due to the lack of advanced rescue equipment.

Sources said even the available equipment is not enough to carry rescue operations in buildings which are 70-feet high.

“We need a hydraulic ladder and advanced water pumps. Despite tall promises by the Corporation, we haven’t got anything,” said another fire official, on the condition of anonymity.

Rakesh Rathour, Mayor, Municipal Corporation, “Hydraulic ladder and power pumps will soon be delivered to the fire department. The corporation is trying hard to arrange required equipment soon.”

Kamal Sharma, President Fire Brigade Committee, said even if the corporation makes hydraulic ladder available, jam-packed electrical wires would make things difficult.

As far as safety issues are concerned, the builders have been instructed to keep fire extinguishers at each floor and also told to keep water channels available, Sharma said.

“We have also written to the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd to clear rush of electricity cables on roads,” Sharma said.

The Deputy Commissioner, Priyank Bharti, said, “I will check the status of fire equipment and will also tell the MC Commissioner to procure the required equipment.”

Jalandhar, November 13
For the first time, the Punjab Pollution Control Board used the respirable dust sampler (RDS) machines in the important intersections of the city.

The machines were placed at certain high traffic points to assess the level of the particles of the size less than 10 microns, which can be inhaled by the human body.

The samplers were placed at Workshop Chowk, PAP Chowk and Kapurthala Chowk for 24 hours from 6 am yesterday to 6 am today. The scientists with the PPCB said that the machines would measure the presence of Nitrogen Oxides and Sulphur Dioxide. They said that the maximum permissible limit of the RDS was 100 micrograms in a metre cube.

Manohar Lal Chauhan, XEN, PPCB, said that the report of the samples would take a day or two.

Jalandhar, November 13
Even as the Assembly elections are just three months away, it is complete lull in the city since the past one and a half month as far as the political activities are concerned.

Barring the Capt Amarinder’s flop show rally in the city about 10 days back, there have been hardly any public functions attended by the top brass of any of the parties in the past one and a half month. While city residents and the district administration are rejoicing the situation owing to the fact that there have been no traffic snarls, workers of various political groups are feeling a bit low.

Though the Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, have been making whirlwind tours to the Malwa region, they probably are yet to focus on this city which forms the heartland of Doaba region. The last function to which Sukhbir Badal attended was that of promotions of police personnel held at the PAP grounds on September 24.

In fact, the bigwigs from the ruling parties have rather given functions in the city a miss at the last moment wherein the local leaders have had to pitch in for the ceremonies. While Local Bodies Minister Tikshan Sud was to visit the city for draw of upcoming Surya Enclave Extension scheme of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust on November 4, he reportedly got stuck up in a function in Ludhiana owing to which the trust chairman inaugurated the function after two hours of delay.While Sukhbir Badal was scheduled to visit the city at the concluding function of Olympian Surjit Hockey Tournament on September 15, he failed to make it, dashing hopes of the winning team that was hopeful of a big prize money. Likewise, three big functions were scheduled to be held on July 15 including opening of the BMC Chowk flyover, new building of NRI Sabha and flagging of the mobile sports gym, but Sukhbir Badal could not make it owing to inclement weather that day leaving leaders, who had been making all the arrangements, disappointed.

None of the bigwigs from the ruling parties could make it to the DAV College ROB opening as well in May this year owing to the demise of Bibi Surinder Badal, wife of Parkash Singh Badal, around at that time. The local MLAs themselves had to open the bridge after much public pressure. Even last year on October 22 when the local DAV management had held a function of laying the foundation stone of the campus, the father-son Badals who were to turn up but none managed to make it at the event.

Jalandhar November 13
Two motorcycle-borne youths snatched a gold chain and bangles from a woman at gunpoint near Bombay Nagar on Sunday.

Victim Vandana Puri, a resident of Bombay Nagar, said she was returning home on her Activa scooter when two youths, with covered faces, parked their bike in front of her vehicle making her to stop.

Miscreants then took out their gun and asked the woman to hand over gold bangles she was wearing. Youths also threatened her of dire consequences if she refused to hand over the gold bangles, the police said.

The police said youths then fired a empty gunshot in the air and fled from the spot. The Bhargo Camp police has registered a case under Section 382 of IPC against two unidentified youths.

In another snatching incident, two motorcycle-borne youths snatched a gold chain of Manju resident of Gurunanak Pura locality today evening, when she was returning home. Manju told the police that when she reached near the Railway Colony, two motorcycle-borne youths snatched her gold chain and fled from the spot.

The New Baradari Police station has registered a case under Section 382 of the IPC against two youths.