Drunken driving grows in absence of alcometers
Lack of evidence lets the offenders go scot free in courts
Amritsar, January 4
Even as the city police challaned 93 persons for drunken driving (60 private and 33 commercial vehicles) in 2011, there is no data available with the police regarding the quantum of fine collected from the offenders, as they often go scot free from the court.

Lawyer assault case: ADCP to hold probe
Amritsar, January 4
With the Amritsar Bar Association taking up the matter of brutal attack on a local lawyer with the Police Commissioner, an inquiry has been assigned to a senior police official of the rank of an Additional Deputy Comissioner of Police (ADCP). As per information, the statements of the injured advocate, Kuljeet Singh, and four prime witnesses, including Amritsar Bar Association president Pradeep Kumar Saini, were recorded today.

Defying the election code of conduct, political posters still dot the boundary wall of Company Bagh in Amritsar. Photos: Vishal Kumar

Media Certification and Monitoring Committee formed

The district administration today formed the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee without whose permission no political group or an individual would be allowed to display any sort of advertisement in newspaper, television, radio, cable or in open space. Additional District Election Commissioner-cum-committee chairperson Sucha Singh Nagra said strict watch would be kept on the expenditure made by the political leaders by way of advertisement in any mode. The entire expenditure made by them would be counted in their stipulated designated fund for the election. “Similarly, those news items, where the contenders would either appeal to the voters for votes or any sort of biased news in favour of any contender, would be considered as ‘paid news’. The expenditure of such news would also be counted in their election expenditure head. Any complaint in this regard can be sent on mcmcasr@yahoo.com.

Official Speak

Amritsar, January 4
In an early morning swoop, the Excise and Taxation Department today raided several houses at border villages of Khiala, Lopoke and Ghoga falling in Ajnala circle and recovered a big haul of illicit liquor. As many as 3,000 litres of lahan (illicit liquor) were seized during the raid, while the owners of the houses where the drums filled with liquor were kept escaped.

P Kumar, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, said maximum quantity of liquor - 2,700 litres - was recovered from the residence of Babbu Singh at Khiala village.

“The liquor was kept in 15 drums of 100 litre capacity each. The raiding party destroyed the liquor and impounded the drums. The team also found an empty drum of 200 litre capacity, besides two small drums, which were impounded,” said P Kumar, adding that the operation was carried out in the present of prominent residents of the village. A case under the Excise Act was registered at the Lopoke police station.

Following a tip-off, the excise team raided another residential complex in the village where 12 drums of lahan with the capacity of 100 litre each were recovered. The liquor was destroyed and the empty drums were later impounded by the excise team. The unclaimed containers or drums were found lying at three different places in the village.

At Ghoga village, the excise team recovered about 300 litres of lahan during search in the fields, while at Lopoke village, an empty drum was located and seized.

The raiding party was headed by Sat Paul Bhagat, Excise and Taxation Officer, besides two Excise Inspectors, informed P Kumar.

It is pertinent to mention here that during the elections the manufacturing of lahan and illicit liquor increases manifolds, especially in the rural belt. The Election Commission has issued strict instructions to all the departments concerned to keep a close vigil on this menace, which the political leaders use to woo their voters in the rural areas. P Kumar said the raids would continue.

Amritsar, January 4
Even as the city police challaned 93 persons for drunken driving (60 private and 33 commercial vehicles) in 2011, there is no data available with the police regarding the quantum of fine collected from the offenders, as they often go scot free from the court.

The reason is that the police does not have alcometers to establish the offence under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, for drunken driving.

Taking a look at the number of road accidents that took place in the past three years in the district, it was found that 199 road accident cases were registered in 2009, in which 119 persons lost their lives. In 2010, 129 road accident cases were registered and at least 69 persons lost their lives. In 2011, 116 accident cases were registered and number of deaths recorded was 88. Almost 30 per cent of deaths in the accidents took place due to alcohol consumption.

Most of the accused in such cases are youths (read students) in the age group of 19-35 years.

The offenders often go scot free due to non-availability of alcometers with the the district police. Though the police do carry out drives to check the drunken driving, but the officials stated that in the absence of any evidence to be produced in court, the guilty drivers manage to get free without any “guilty, fear or shame”.

Growing numbers of vehicles parked outside the city clubs, hotels and bars during the late hours evidently show the lack of checking for drunken driving by the city police. In the absence of any authentic equipment available on the spot, the police, too, feel lethargic to take the drunken driver, if they come across, to the hospital for medical examination.

On the other hand, to rein in drunken drivers, the neighbouring Jalandhar police has managed to get 11 alcometers. According to information, the traffic police has got the equipment under the Road Safety-10 (RS-10) project of the World Health Organisation (WHO), but here the Amritsar police has a little idea about it, but claimed to have submitted an application in this regard.

We are trying to take stringent measures to check drunken driving, but our drive gets futile in the absence of the required equipment like alcometer because it becomes difficult to prosecute the offenders in court. Our request for providing us with alcometer is being considered. The ones procured by the Jalandhar police were actually given under a WHO programme and the pilot project was started in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur. Otherwise, we have strengthened night-beat rounds here, especially in the wake of elections.

— SP Joshi, Deputy Commissioner of police

Amritsar, January 4
With the Amritsar Bar Association taking up the matter of brutal attack on a local lawyer with the Police Commissioner, an inquiry has been assigned to a senior police official of the rank of an Additional Deputy Comissioner of Police (ADCP). As per information, the statements of the injured advocate, Kuljeet Singh, and four prime witnesses, including Amritsar Bar Association president Pradeep Kumar Saini, were recorded today.

The SHO, Sadar police station, Inspector Sohan Singh, has been assigned the duty to record the statements. Kuljeet Singh, who had got his arm broken in the attack, was declared unfit for getting the statement recorded earlier this morning. However, the statements were recorded in evening with the doctor’s permission.

Pradeep Kumar Saini said, “Four advocates have given their statements. Now we are waiting for the police to register a case against the culprits, including BJP MLA Anil Joshi, who had given telephonic instructions to his men for the attack.” He added that Sunil Dhawan and Satish Chopra had incited the mob for the attack.

Kuljit Singh was attacked at his private property here after he opposed a move to lay public sewerage pipes on his land. Kuljit Singh said he had even procured stay orders from the local courts after an attempt to encroach upon his land was made.

“The in charge of the police chowki in the area shielded the assailants instead of preventing the attack even though I had informed them about the court’s stay orders,” Kuljit Singh said.

The ADCP, Mohan Lal, said, “The police would take action on the basis of the statements recorded.”

Amritsar, January 4
In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, eight NGOs working for the cause of the environment have demanded that peepal and bargad trees be declared as heritage trees. They also demanded that a census of the trees should also be conducted so that a policy to save them from being axed can be framed.

In a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal, the NGOs Mission Aagaaz, Missionaries Kudai Khidmatgaran, Pollution Control Committee, Lok Kalyan Samiti, Taraksheel, Saathi, Bharat Vikas Parishand and Samaj Bachao Morcha have demanded that administration should frame a policy to say these ancient trees.

In the memorandum, the NGOs have demanded that the Government Medical College where two large more than century-old trees were axed recently had few months ago been used by Forest Minister Arunesh Shakir and MP Navjot Singh Sidhu to kickstart the Environment Awareness Week Celebrations.

Deepak Babbar of Mission Aagaaj said, “We also urge the district administration to put plates on all peepal and bargad trees in the entire city depicting the number, age and uses of that particular tree so the general public can be sensitised about environmental issues." He said only few large trees of peepal and bargad have survived the axe till date. "Our motive is to save whatever is left so that we can show our future generations a tree when they ask about how a peepal or a bargad looked like," said Gubhej Singh, an NGO member.

Amritsar, January 4
Six unidentified armed robbers allegedly looted a jewellery shop in Majitha road area. The owner of the shop was critically injured in the incident. Before fleeing, they decamped with the gold and silver jewellery lying in the shop. The police has registered a case under Section 393, 323, 506 of the IPC at Sadar police station against unidentified persons in this connection.

Rajesh Dhawan, owner of the shop told the police that six unidentified looters armed with sharp-edged weapons and country-made pistols barged into his shop Shiv Shakti ornaments last evening. While two of them carried pistols, the rest were armed with swords, he said. They attacked him with sharp-edged weapons and decamped with jewellery displayed at the shop besides mobile phone and debit cards, he alleged.

Sohan Singh, SHO Sadar police station, said they were investigating the case. The accused are yet to be identified.

Amritsar, January 4
Taking over as Civil Surgeon, Amritsar, today, Dr Manjit Singh Randhawa said he will adopt zero tolerance towards corruption, food adulteration and PNDT Act violations. Addressing a press conference here today, Dr Randhawa said, “I have come to know that food vendors, milk vendors, chemists and many others are paying ‘hafta’ to government officials. Let me make it clear it that from now onwards no body will pay any one and if somebody asks for it, the matter should immediately be reported to me.”

Setting his priorities right, Randhawa said, “We will take on those who are selling poison to people. Adulteration to me is like feeding poison.” He added that he would ensure that at the same time he would ensure that food sellers are not unduly harassed.

Randhawa said, “If need be I will not think twice before handing over the names of the defaulting officers to the Vigilance or other competent authorities.? He demanded the officers to ensure their cooperation in ensuring better services to the general public.

Randhawa is also the state President of PCMS Doctors Association.

Dr Ranjit Singh Buttar, senior vice president of the doctors’ association said they will lend whole-hearted cooperation to the Civil Surgeon in improving the health system.

Others present included Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr Kuldeep Singh Dhai, Assistant Civil Surgeon, Dr Arjun Dhawan, SMO, Civil Hospital, Dr Balbir Singh Dhillon, District Epidemiologist Officer Dr Charanjit Singh among other officials.

Shahkot, January 4
The Jalandhar Rural police today claimed to have solved the mystery behind the blind murder of a Killi village farmer in Shahkot with the arrest of a class X student.

The accused has been identified as 20-year-old Jugraj Singh, a resident of Killi village.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Rural, Yurinder Singh Hayer said the accused was arrested by the Shahkot police this morning following a tip-off. The SSP said the police had received information that the accused has been roaming near the Shahkot bus stand.

The police laid a trap and arrested him. The SSP stated that during preliminary investigation, the accused confessed that he had hacked the farmer to death on the New Year eve.

About the reason of killing the farmer, Jugraj, whose father lives abroad, said his father had given an agricultural land on contract to the farmer. He said the farmer was not giving the contract money to him on time.

"On the New Year eve, I need money for celebrations and I requested the farmer to pay the contract money which was already due, but he paid no heed to my request. Subsequently, in killed him, the accused told the police.

Additional station house officer, Shahkot, Avtar Singh said the weapon used in the crime was yet to be recovered.

A 42-year-old farmer was hacked to death at his cattle shed on December 31, 2011.

Amritsar, January 4
Shiv Parshad, a resident of Medical Enclave here, was killed by some unidentified persons in the wee hours today.

He used to work as watchman at Kapoor Electronic located at Hayer village. The airport police has registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC.

Rakesh Kumar, son of the deceased, complained that when he went to see his father, he found his body lying in a pool of blood. He was reportedly stabbed to death by some persons last night.

The police authorities said investigation had been launched in this regard.

Amritsar, January 4
Thieves broke into the residence of Sanjiv Sharma in Green Avenue here and decamped with cash, gold and silver jewellery worth lakhs of rupees.

The family had gone to a foreign country when the incident took place. The police has yet to register a case.

Sanjiv Sharma said he was out of the country from December 27 to January 2. “When I returned, I found that robbers have burgled my house after breaking open doors, almirahs and lockers and fled away with Rs 1.60 lakh, besides gold jewellery weighing about 120 grams and silver articles worth Rs 1 lakh,” he said. He said the robbers also stole a Rado watch, worth Rs 26,000, and a diamond ring of Rs 30,000.

He said the Civil Line police had started investigations in the case.

Amritsar, January 4
Inderjit Singh, a film-maker, along with Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarbjit Singh, who is lodged in a Pakistan jail, would make a movie on Sarbjit and the ensuing ordeal underwent by his family, especially women members.

He said the Punjabi movie would be titled “Sarhade Ek Sachi Gatha”. He said the movie, to be made with Rs 3 crore, would be directed by famous Bhojpuri director Rakesh Bhadoria. Masud Patel would be its story writer and Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans would lend his voice.

He said the shoot would be done in a village and if permission granted they would capture some of the scenes in Pakistan.

Amritsar, January 4
The National School of Drama, New Delhi, will organise a ten-day International Theatre Festival from January 11 in the holy city.

In all, 19 theatre groups from India and abroad will take part.

International theatre groups from Polland, Turkey, Italy, Japan and Pakistan will take part. Besides, theatre groups from Mumbai, Kolkata, Trivendrum, Manipur, Trichur, Chennai and New Delhi will also perform at the festival.

Coordinator of the festival, Kewal Dhaliwal, said the plays will be staged at Virsa Vihar and Punjab Naatshala.

He said Amal Alana and Dr Anuradha Kapur, chairperson and director of the National School of Drama, respectively, will visit the city tomorrow for a formal announcement in this regard.

• Theatre groups from Polland, Turkey, Italy, Japan and Pakistan besides Mumbai, Kolkata, Trivendrum, Manipur, Trichur, Chennai and New Delhi will take part in the festival organised by the NSD.