Shortage of cops: 54 undertrials miss court hearing daily
Chandigarh, January 9
In Punjab, nothing less than 54 undertrials, on an average, daily fail to keep their date with the court. Available information suggests, as many as 4,921 could not be presented before the trial courts during three months ending December last.

Man booked on dowry charges
Gurdaspur, January 9
Jagjit Singh Chottepur has been booked in a dowry case following a complaint by his father-in-law. Jagjit Singh and Rajwinder Kaur had entered into wedlock after exchanging vows in the United States court six months back.

PPP workers accuse MC official of removing office board
Jalandhar, January 9
Members of the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) alleged that the board of their party office at Kartarpur was torn and taken off by the Fire Officer of the Kartarpur Municipal Council and a team accompanying him today.

One killed in accident
Pathankot, January 9
Des Raj (45) was killed in a road accident near Malikpur village on the Pathankot-Jammu road here today. A resident of Sarna village, Des Raj was on his way to his residence on a motorcycle.

50 cases of liquor seized
Shahkot, January 9
The Jalandhar CIA staff today conducted a raid at Billi Chow village here and recovered 50 cases of illicit liquor.

People brave the chill at the railway station in Amritsar on Monday. Photo: Sameer Sehgal

Shortage of cops: 54 undertrials miss court hearing daily
SSPs told to ensure their presence in court
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 9
In Punjab, nothing less than 54 undertrials, on an average, daily fail to keep their date with the court. Available information suggests, as many as 4,921 could not be presented before the trial courts during three months ending December last.

Justifying the non-production of the undertrials, DS Bains, principal secretary, Department of Home Affairs and Justice, has told the Punjab and Haryana High Court: "The prime reason behind the non-production of the undertrials is only the non-availability of police officials concerned on a particular day due to some emergent work".

On the steps taken for rectification of the problem, Bains asserted in his reply: "Instructions are being issued to the SSPs in all the districts concerned to ensure presence of the undertrials before the trial court on time, so as to avoid unnecessary delay in the conclusion of the trials."

The information, placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover, came on a petition filed by Daljit Singh, lodged at Amritsar Central Jail.

The high court is already hearing a petition on video-conferencing facility, which would bring undertrials in 14 jails face-to-face with 21 courts across Punjab.

For the purpose, Rs 2.23crore already stands sanctioned. Even now, the facility is being provided at 42 locations, including 10 jails and 32 courts.

As a part of the project, Burail jail is also being lined through the facility. Once in place, alleged militant Paramjit Singh Bheora, an accused in Punjab's former chief minister Beant Singh's assassination case and the Burail jailbreak case, would be tried in Chandigarh without moving out of the Tihar Jail.

The information furnished before the high court says the facility is to be provided in jails at Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Faridkot, Nabha, Kapurthala, Moga, Pathankot, Phagwara, Malerkotla, and Fazilka, along with borstal and women jails in Ludhiana.

In two different affidavits it was averred: "After effective functioning of the present video-conferencing facility, the system in remaining 14 jails and 21 courts will be installed".

As of now, the facility is available in Ludhiana, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Barnala, Patiala, Amritsar, Patti, Dasuya and Muktsar jails.

Man booked on dowry charges

Gurdaspur, January 9
Jagjit Singh Chottepur has been booked in a dowry case following a complaint by his father-in-law. Jagjit Singh and Rajwinder Kaur had entered into wedlock after exchanging vows in the United States court six months back.

However, parents of the groom insisted that the couple get married again in an Indian style in Gurdaspur. Following this, both Rajwinder and Jagjt came back to India in December last year. The marriage was to be solemnised at a local marriage palace here yesterday. But before the marriage, Jagjit Singh demanded a SUV vehicle, Rs 20 lakh in cash and gold ornaments from the girls’ family.

Enraged over this, the girl’s family decided to call off the marriage. The Gurdaspur police has sent look-out notices to international airports in India to stop Jagjit Singh from fleeing. — TNS

PPP workers accuse MC official of removing office board
Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 9
Members of the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) alleged that the board of their party office at Kartarpur was torn and taken off by the Fire Officer of the Kartarpur Municipal Council and a team accompanying him today.

Talking to The Tribune, PPP member Gurdeep Singh Cheema said they had duly informed the RO in Jalandhar and asked for his permission to set up the board at the office, which was inaugurated on January 7.

“But the RO had told us that since it’s a private building, we do not need permission and we can put up the board. At 12 noon today, a team, led by the Fire Officer of Kartarpur MC, came and told us to take off the board. We made them talk to ARO Darbara Singh, who told them since its on a private building there’s no need for permission to put up the board.”

“But the officer and his men came again at 4 pm and tore the board and took it away. They also misbehaved with party member Jaspal Singh,” Cheema added.

“The board just had the words “Election office PPP” written over it with photographs of Manpreet Singh Badal and party candidate from Kartarpur Satpal. The poll code of conduct is in force and this is how we are still being treated,” he said.

Fire Officer Gurmeet Singh Ghumman, when contacted, said, “We did not touch any board. We were just asking them to bring to us in writing from the building owners that they had permission to put up the board.”

When asked why he didn’t relent even after PPP members made him talk to ARO Darbara Singh, he said, “We did not take off the board or tear it.”

When asked who gave him the authority to ask permission regarding boards, he said EO Randhawa had asked him to check posters across the town.

A delegation of PPP members today submitted a memorandum regarding the issue to the Jalandhar DC-cum-DEO and demanded that action should be taken against the erring officials. 

One killed in accident
Our Correspondent

Pathankot, January 9
Des Raj (45) was killed in a road accident near Malikpur village on the Pathankot-Jammu road here today. A resident of Sarna village, Des Raj was on his way to his residence on a motorcycle. An unknown vehicle hit his motorcycle near Malikpur village. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The body was handed over to his family after post-mortem.

50 cases of liquor seized
Our Correspondent