|
|
|
|
|
Declining Water Table
Car lifters had a mole in Police Dept
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Results may throw up several surprises
Decisive Role: Observers say that election results in 24 segments, that saw a fierce contest, will eventually decide as to which party will form the next government in the state. These segments are Adampur, Amritsar South, Anandpur Sahib, Balachaur, Bassi Pathana, Dasuya, Dhuri, Dirba, Faridkot, Ghanaur, Kotkapura, Mansa, Pathankot, Payal, Phillaur, Raikot, Rampura Phul, Samrala, Shutrana, Sultanpur Lodhi, Sunam, Talwandi Sabo, Tarn Taran and Urmar
Moga MLA may be in trouble
Drugs claim 2 more lives in Maqboolpura
BJP leader seeks CBI probe into DSP’s murder
Farmers urge corporation to supply 8-hour power
Financial crunch may hit mid-day meal plan
Sikh high priests to meet today
3-yr-old girl mauled by stray dog, hospitalised
Labourer attacked by pet dogs
Jails Minister summons DGP Shashi Kant
HC notice to Punjab over wire mesh barricades in canals
Govt not to mortgage
MC properties, HC told
Court to resume hearing today
Kidnapped rice miller rescued; two arrested
2 held for killing elderly couple
|
Declining Water Table
Chandigarh, February 24 “The present state of development and management of groundwater resources in Punjab is a matter of concern for the future of agriculture in the state.There is an urgent need to evolve an optimal ground water management strategy to tackle the problem of the declining water levels,” says the report. Dwelling on crop diversification, the board says the area under paddy (rice), which consumes six times more water than maize, 20 times more than groundnut, and 10 times more than other kharif crops, has to be reduced. The board has urged the state to shift from flood irrigation to underground piped water, furrow irrigation and drip and sprinkle irrigation. Punjab is the largest contributor of rice to the central pool. Educating farmers about the declining water table, regulating power supply, artificial recharge, provision of deeper aquifers and groundwater regulation are the other measures suggested by the board for ground water management. The board says the groundwater level in Punjab has fallen in about 42,170 sq km area in the north, northeast, central and southern parts, which constitute about 84 per cent of the total area. The worst affected districts are Nawanshahr, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Amritsar. There is only 14 per cent area where ground water level is rising owing to less extraction of water because of its brackish quality, which is unfit for use for both domestic and irrigation purposes. In some pockets in Mansa, Moga, Bathinda, Muktsar, Faridkot and Ferozepur, the water level has gone up. The water level in the state ranges from 0.20 metre below ground level (bgl) in Ferozepur district to 32.28 metres bgl in Fatehgarh Sahib district. The report says that the annual average rainfall has decreased by 45-50 per cent during the past two decades. It was recorded 755 mm in 1990, 375 mm in 2004 and 420 mm in 2009. About 97 per cent of the net sown area is irrigated and 80 per cent of the water resources available are used for the farm sector. Contrary to the impression that the canal system is a major source of irrigation in Punjab, only 27 per cent area is irrigated with canal waters and the remaining 73 per cent area by groundwater pumped out through tubewells. Of the 137 blocks assessed by the board, 103 fall under “over-exploited” category, five in critical and four in semi-critical categories. The water table is declining at a faster rate in urban areas and industrial towns. “The water level is declining at the rate of 0.50 to 0.60 metre per year in some urban areas and industrial towns”, says the report. However, potable water is available in 84 per cent of state’s total area. The board says that the main source of pollution is domestic and municipal waste, agriculture practices and industrial activities. “Untreated effluents from industries have resulted in increased levels of heavy metals like lead, cadmium, manganese, iron, chromium and copper,” says the government report. Alarming Facts Area under paddy consumes six times more water than maize, 20 times more than groundnut and 10 times more than other kharif crops The groundwater level has fallen in (42,170 sq km area) about 84 per cent of the state’s total area The worst-hit districts are Nawanshahr, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Amritsar The remedy State told to shift from flood irrigation to underground piped water, furrow irrigation and drip and sprinkle irrigation Regulate power supply, opt for artificial recharge and deeper aquifers Damage Control: Committees under DCs set up in 12 blocks The Central Ground Water Authority has notified 12 blocks, Nakodar, Shahkot, Lohian, Phagwara, Khanna, Nihalsinghwala, Patran, Sunam, Barnala, Sherpur, Dhuri and Malerkotla. It has authorised the Deputy Commissioners concerned to impose restrictions on the construction/installation of any structure for the extraction of groundwater. Committees headed by the DCs have been empowered to regulate and manage the groundwater. Without the permission of the committees, no tubewell or any other source for extracting groundwater can be set up in the notified areas.
|
|
Car lifters had a mole in Police Dept
Patiala/Ludhiana, Februray 24 Sources said the accused during investigation revealed that they allegedly bribed police officials on several occasions to remain off the hook. Having grouped under "Fortuner Gang", the accused used to lift luxury cars and use them to rob traders at gunpoint. DIG (Ludhiana Range) MF Farooqui said: "We have received information from the accused about their nexus with senior police officials who used to accept bribes to let them go….All of them will be summoned to join investigation. The charges are serious and the guilty will not be spared." The accused, said sources, even had an informer in the Police Department who used to tip-off them whenever plans were made for their arrest or their sketches were prepared. The official was of the inspector-level rank. "They snatched a Honda Civic and cash worth lakhs from a local trader in Ludhiana and on their way to Amritsar, their car turned turtle. Subsequently, they took local help and left the car at the house of an acquaintance in Amritsar," a senior official said. A team led by an SHO in Amritsar recovered the car but instead of arresting the accused, the police allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs 8 lakh through middlemen, the official claimed. The gang members, including Pawan Kumar, Gurjinder Singh alias Fauji, Atinder Singh alias Hunter, Mandeep Singh alias Pistauli are all national-level sportsmen. Mandeep's father Sukhwinder Singh is a head constable and is posted in Ludhiana. Sources said Mandeep was allegedly helped by an inspector, with whom Sukhwinder was attached then, to escape once from Sirhind, a charge denied by the police official. The inspector claimed he was being targeted by a section of senior officials in the department. Dubious past On July 25 last year, accused Mandeep's (one of the members of ‘Fortuner Gang’) father head constable Sukhwinder Singh allegedly fired at Station House Officer Birj Mohan while the latter tried to arrest his son in connection with a shootout incident at Fauji market near Upkar Nagar. While Mandeep got bail from a court later, Sukhwinder was exonerated after a departmental probe.
|
||
House dissolution recommended
Chandigarh, February 24 Only 11 of the 17 ministers were present. The BJP’s sole representative was Arunesh Shakir. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is relaxing with his family in Delhi. The Cabinet offered condolences to Ranjit Singh Brahmpura over the death of his wife during the elections and observed a two-minute silence. The Cabinet recommended the dissolution of 13th Legislative Assembly to the Governor, paving the way for the constitution of the 14th Vidhan Sabha after the election results on March 6. “We should all pray they we meet here again in this room after the results are out”, remarked Badal. Placing on record its “profound gratitude” to the government employees and the official machinery besides NGOs and other social organisations for their cooperation to the government, the Cabinet also thanked the people of Punjab for the peace and harmony in the past five years. The Cabinet disagreed with the proposed draft water policy to the extent that it impinged on rights of the state governments. The Cabinet also rejected the Centre’s proposal to set up the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), maintaining it was against the spirit of federalism and encroached upon the rights of the state governments. The Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to the additional Government of Punjab (GoP) guarantee worth Rs 1500 crore to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (2011-2012). The Cabinet approved the recommendations of the State Cultural Affairs Department for the creation of “Immersive Experience” by Gurgaon-based Tricolor India Schauspiel Private Limited at the historic Banda Singh Bahadur War Memorial at Chhapar Chiri in SAS Nagar. The department was given the go-ahead to utilise Rs10 crore out of
Rs 50 crore corpus for repayment of installments of the principal amount against the loan taken for the completion of Virasat-e-Khalsa at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
|
||
|
Results may throw up several surprises
Chandigarh, February 24 It can be safely said that the voters chose to vote in favour of candidates and not parties. And this is bound to have a serious impact on proxy candidates. Out of the 117 assembly segments, 42 segments saw a multi-cornered contest primarily because of rebels in the fray. In the last elections held in 2007, at least 24 segments saw victory margins of less than 2000 votes. Out of these, the Congress had won in 16 segments. On 24 seats where there was a multi-cornered contest, unexpected results can’s be ruled out. There are 13 constituencies that the Congress has won for three consecutive terms. In another five assembly segments, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidates have been been elected alternately. With the exit polls banned this time, the guessing game continues. The Election Commission ensured that there was no non-voter at the polling booth. This has made the task of psephologists even harder. Further, as the Election Commission of Indian
(ECI) ensured that the voters got their information slips at their homes, there were no queues at the tables put up by candidates/parties outside the polling stations to gauge the mood of the voter. To top it all, the fear of exceeding the expense limit of Rs 16 lakh per assembly segment refrained the candidates and their supporters from putting up posters and banners that could have indicated the popularity of various candidates. It is clear that Manpreet Badal’s People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) made an impact in 13 segments:
Kharar, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Lambi, Shahkot, Gidderbaha, Muktsar,
Lehra, Khanna, Maur, Mansa, Budhlada and Amargarh. Kharar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Muktsar sawe rebels in the fray. The Dera Sucha Sauda impact in
Gidderbaha, Muktsar, Lehra, Maur, Mansa and Budhlada made the elections even more competitive, making predications highly unreliable. The Dera has reportedly played an important role in 29 segments. The 10 constituencies seen to be most influenced by the Dera edict in favour or against a particular candidate/party are
Mansa, Sangrur, Dirba, Sunam, Bathinda, Budhladha, Lehra, Ghanaur, Sardulgarh and
Jalalabad. The segments that were least affected by the Dera edict are
Baghapurana, Talwandi Sabo, Kotkapura, Mehal Kalan and Gill. The Congress has won 13 assembly segments consistently (in 2002, 2007 assembly and 2009 parliamentary elections) and 44 seats twice during the same period. On the other hand, the SAD has emerged victorious on 39 seats during this period. The BJP has won 3 seats twice during this period. Political observers say that election results in 24 segments, that saw a fierce contest, will eventually decide as to which party will form the next government in the state. These segments are
Adampur, Amritsar South, Anandpur Sahib, Balachaur, Bassi Pathana,
Dasuya, Dhuri, Dirba, Faridkot, Ghanaur, Kotkapura, Mansa, Pathankot,
Payal, Phillaur, Raikot, Rampura Phul, Samrala, Shutrana, Sultanpur
Lodhi, Sunam, Talwandi Sabo, Tarn Taran and Urmar.
|
||
|
Moga MLA may be in trouble
Moga, February 24 A complaint in this regard has been lodged by SAD candidate Paramdeep Singh Gill through a local NGO. Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Kaur Sidhu has sought a detailed report in this regard from District Electoral Officer B Purushartha who has asked Additional DC-cum-Returning Officer Chander Gaind to look into the matter.Gaind said he had issued a notice to the Congress MLA and sought a reply within 24 hours after which he would conduct a formal inquiry and send a report to the DM. A senior officer said if the birthday of the MLA’s grandson did not fall on the date the party was held, the EC could take action against the MLA for holding a party to please the electorate after the polling and before the declaration of results.
|
|
Drugs claim 2 more lives in Maqboolpura
Amritsar, February 24 Though the families of the deceased are reluctant to speak to the media, Master Ajit Singh, who is known for spearheading an anti-drug campaign in the area, said both of them were aged around 50 years. The deceased have been identified as Bablaa, a resident of Street No. 13, and Beera, a resident of Street No. 6, in Maqboolpura. According to Master Ajit, Bablaa was addicted to liquor and had fallen sick around a month back. He left behind his wife, two daughters and a son. One of his daughters is married and the other is a student of Class VIII. His son is unemployed while his wife works as a domestic help to earn for their family, which had already lost its three male members to drug addiction. The second victim, Beera, was a rickhaw-puller and was addicted to illicit liquor. He left behind his wife and three sons, all of whom work in a factory. His wife too works as a domestic. Talking about the menace in the area, Master Ajit blamed it on the easy availability of liquor and other drugs. He said there were three liquor vends in the locality. Moreover, the illicit liquor was available at Rs 20 per glass, which made it accessible to even those earning a paltry sum. Not very long ago, the same liquor was available at Rs 10 per glass, but the rates have increased now. “Apart from it, the young generation addicted to drugs prefers ‘charas’, habit forming drugs or injectable drugs. The trend of injectable drugs had dipped a few years back when the health authorities had launched a crackdown against chemist shops resorting to their sale, but it has again surged in recent times,” he said. He stressed on the need for setting up a de-addiction centre in the locality to rehabilitate the rising number of drug addicts. Police Commissioner RP Mittal said they had seized a huge quantity of illicit liquor from Maqboolpura in the past and they would again launch a crackdown against those involved in the trade soon. Maqboolpura had been hogging the limelight off and on for the last 13 years due to the drug menace that has gripped the entire locality. Almost every family in the locality has lost one or more of its male members to drug addiction.
|
|
|
BJP leader seeks CBI probe into DSP’s murder
Phagwara, February 24 Talking to mediapersons here, he said he had submitted a memorandum to the State Election Commission as police officials seemed least interested in solving the case because of the election code of conduct in the state. He said Balraj was among the fair officers in the Punjab Police “but an unfair inquiry is being conducted into his death”. Sources said Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Kaur Sidhu had forwarded the memorandum to Home Secretary DS Bains for further action. Grewal said the Ludhiana police had constituted several teams, including the Special Investigation Team (SIT), to crack the case, but to no avail. Gill’s family had accused the police of conducting a “weak inquiry,” Grewal pointed out.
|
|
|
Farmers urge corporation to supply 8-hour power
Patiala, February 24 President of the Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations (CIFA) Satnam Singh Behru said that he had received reports from various sections of the farming community in Punjab, who had complained that they were not even getting six-hour power supply. "In absence no rainfall at this time of the season, watering of the wheat crop has to be solely done through tubewells. Now, with agricultural pumpsets not getting required power supply, there is no other way to irrigate the crop", he claimed. Several farmers from various districts of the state confirmed that they were not getting 8-hour power supply, as claimed by the PSPCL. "We generally get 4-hour power supply. On certain days of a week, we even get less than 4-hour power supply", said Harminder Singh, a farmer from Haripur village, some 45-km away from Patiala. Many other farmers made similar complaints, while urging the PSPCL to take cognisance of the matter and issue necessary instructions for supplying 8-hour power to the agricultural pumpsets. Meanwhile, a delegation of farmers led by Behru had also met the chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of the PSPCL, KD Chaudhri, at the Power Corporation headquarters here yesterday. During the meeting, the delegation apprised Chaudhri about the ground realities on the power front and requested him to ensure that the farming sector gets proper power supply so that there should be no adverse affect on wheat produce. "We have got positive reply from Chaudhri. He has assured that farming community would get proper power supply", said members of the delegation.
|
|
|
Financial crunch may hit mid-day meal plan
Moga, February 24 The National Programme for Nutrition Support introduced by the Union Government for providing cooked mid-day meals to students has been hit hard by the financial crisis as the treasury department has for the past few months not cleared the backlog of bills worth over Rs 1.22 crore pending against the purchase of ration and salaries of the cooks hired locally by the heads of various schools. An official of the Education Department said there were as many as 92,180 students studying in 620 primary and middle schools who are being covered under this scheme in the district. District Magistrate B Purushartha said he had already written to the state government to release the funds for clearing the backlog of the pending bills. He said normally the funds are released by the finance department to the education department.
|
|
|
Sikh high priests to meet today
Amritsar, February 24 The meeting is to be held from 9 am to 11 am. The priests will release the calendar for the New Year. On the agenda are the controversy stirred by Prof Sarabjit Singh Dhunda by his “objectionable” remark on the Golden Temple and the clash between the SGPC staff and members of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee over Sikh “maryada”. As demanded by devotees, the Akal Takht had summoned Prof Dhunda. There are reports that he might appear before the high priests to clarify his stand. Sources say the issue of Bachchan’s letter is in the miscellaneous agenda. The actor had handed over the letter, addressed to the Akal Takht Jathedar, to Gurinder Singh Bawa, the SGPC member from Mumbai, at the latter’s residence on November 28 last year. The mega star had written that his mother, Teji Bachchan, belonged to a Sikh family. He had dubbed the allegations that he had instigated riots against the Sikhs in 1984 as“baseless”, adding that such charges had hurt his sentiments.
|
|
|
3-yr-old girl mauled by stray dog, hospitalised
Patiala, February 24 The girl's father Kuldeep Singh said that when his daughter Priya left her house to visit her neighbour a stray dog attacked her. "The dog bit her face and head badly. On hearing her cries, our neighbours ran to save her. But by that time the child had fainted and was bleeding profusely. We took her to a local hospital where she was given some treatment and was referred to Rajindra Hospital," he added. "As it was late yesterday, we brought her to the hospital today and she is under treatment," he said.
|
|
|
Labourer attacked by pet dogs
Faridkot, February 24 Thirty-year-old Shambu was admitted to the Civil Hospital in
Faridkot. The advocate insisted that the doctors prepared a medico-legal report so that he could take legal action against the pet owner. Under Section 289 of IPC Indian Penal Code, a pet owner is liable to be punished with imprisonment up to six months if found negligent of taking guard against probable danger to human life. “Necessary action will be taken as per the law,” said Narinder Pal Singh,
SHO, Faridkot. Pet owner Tejinder Singh Maur maintained that his pets had attacked the farmhand “after an attempt to steal them.”
|
|
|
Jails Minister summons DGP Shashi Kant
Patiala, February 24 Sources say the minister fears that Shashi Kant’s utterances may give the government a bad name.
Shashi Kant has been perturbed at Kaushik withdrawing the security vehicles allotted to him. “ Gabria asked the DGP to refrain from commenting on internal matters, to which Shahi Kant replied that the minister should explain as to where he had gone wrong,” said the sources.
Shashi Kant maintained that his official vehicles had been withdrawn to “pressurise” him as he had been talking of the drug menace in jails. Principal Secretary (Home) DS Bains could not attend the meeting as he was out of station. The meeting ended with the minister assuring Shashi Kant that his vehicles would not be withdrawn. Pacified, the DGP said he would be more discreet in his utterances. The minister reportedly apprised the Chief Minister of the matter.
|
|
|
amritsar Use of black-tinted glasses unabated: jalandhar Man arrested in provident fund scam:
A director of Pritam Bus Service Limited was today arrested by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for not depositing the employees provident fund (EPF) to the tune of Rs 82.58
lakh. ludhiana Another road caves in: bathinda Methadone project finds favour with drug users:
|
|
HC notice to Punjab over wire mesh barricades in canals
Chandigarh, February 24 The petition has been filed by the Lawyers for Human Rights International through local unit president Tejinder Singh Sudan. It says: "The State of Punjab should ensure that wire mesh barricades should be installed at various places in the canals of Punjab so that dead bodies of humans can be fished out, so that relatives of the deceased can perform the last rites".Taking up the petition, the Bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover issued notice of motion for April 27 to the State of Punjab, Punjab DGP, Sangrur SSP and other respondents. Referring to the news report, which appeared in these columns on one Shingara Singh camping along the Bhakra mainline in search of his 20-year-old niece's body, counsel Navkiran Singh said: "The news item reported this is the place where the water from the channel flows into Haryana and jurisdiction of Punjab ends…. In many cases, even criminals kill their victims and throw them in the canal, as they are so sure the body would not be fished out by the police and the crimes committed by them will go undetected." "Though this is the problem of every state, the petitioner organisation is focusing in Punjab at present. The organisation feels there is an easy solution to the problem and in case the same is implemented in the state, many unsolved crimes can be solved and the relatives of the people who have drowned, or have committed suicide or have been murdered, can live in solace in case they know the circumstances in which their near and dear one has lost his/her life and they can perform the last rites of the deceased." "Immediate intention is required in the Bhakra mainline at Khanauri flowing in Sangrur district, which is the last point of jurisdiction of Punjab and effective steps can be taken by the Sangrur police with the collaboration of some NGOs to ensure that the dead bodies are not allowed to cross into
Haryana".
|
|
|
Govt not to mortgage
MC properties, HC told
Chandigarh, February 24 The assertion before the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover came on a petition filed by Sunita Rinku and other petitioners. The assertion is significant as the petitioners, citing political reasons, had earlier contended "since the government is in election mode and wants to disburse its money to the corporations where their electoral holding is weak, new Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company is sought to be created" for mortgaging MC property and raising loans. The petitioners had also expressed apprehension that the properties would eventually be sold, due to non-payment of the loan. Acting on the petition filed in public interest by Rinku and three other "public spirited persons", the High Court had stayed the move. As the case came up for resumed hearing, the respondents in their preliminary objections contained in the written statement asserted: "No property belonging to the Municipal Corporations would be mortgaged". Satisfied with the stand, counsel for the petitioners DS Patwalia said, "He does not desire to press the writ petition any further". Taking on record the assertion, the Bench closed the writ petition "as not pressed". In their petition against the state, the Finance and Revenue Secretary, Punjab Infrastructure and Development Board and Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company, Rinku of Jalandhar and others contended they were aggrieved by the "action of the respondent state in squandering the property of the Municipal Corporations". This, the contended, was "in complete violation of the various provisions of the Constitution of India and the Act/rules framed therein under". Patwalia had added: "It is quite shocking to see that in the name of raising funds for public development, instead of utilising enormous income generated through levy of fees and taxes, public land and properties meant for public use and utility were being mortgaged with the banks/private institutions so as to raise loans purported to be distributed to the self-governed Municipal Corporations. "It is un-understandable as to why does the respondent not use the income of the state for developmental purpose, and why is it hell bent to encumber the public properties".
|
|
|
Court to resume hearing today
Patiala, February 24 "Today, I have apprised the court that the CBI is trying to prove that their case study is true, notwithstanding the fact that they (CBI) do not have evidence and documents required to substantiate their claims", said Kler. During today's court proceedings, the main accused in the case, Bibi Jagir Kaur and co-accused Paramjit Singh Raipur and Sanjeev Kumar were present. Three other accused Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi, Harminder Singh and Nishan had got exemption from personal appearance. The hearing would resume tomorrow.
|
|
Kidnapped rice miller rescued; two arrested
Baretta (Mansa), February 24 Two arrests have been made in the case, cracked after a joint operation between the Punjab and Haryana police. Amit Kumar Lovely was waylaid near the state’s border with Haryana while he was on his way to Babbanpur village in his car. The assailants forced him to stop at gunpoint and bundled him into their car, the police said. One of the assailants was wearing a police uniform and stopped the victim on the pretext that a senior official seated in the car wanted to meet him. Mansa SSP Pradeep Kumar said the case was cracked with the help of police informers who gave a tip-off about the involvement of a gang that had also kidnapped the son of a doctor couple from Mansa two years ago. “We came to know about the kidnapping when the family got a ransom call around 1.30 pm. A demand for Rs 50 lakh was made,” he said. Those arrested include Sandeep Kumar of Mokhra village in Jind (Haryana), who kidnapped the miller at gunpoint, and Kala Ved of Kullarian village in Baretta. He was negotiating the ransom amount over the phone with the victim’s family. Another accused, Vir Bahadur of Moonak near Sangrur, was still at large. Sandeep, a proclaimed offender, is part of a gang involved in snatchings and kidnappings in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The car used for the kidnapping had also been snatched from Sikdar in Rajasthan on February 14.
|
|
|
2 held for killing elderly couple
Hoshiarpur, February 24 On the statement of the couple’s son, the Garhshankar police had registered a case under Section 460 of the IPC. Addressing mediapersons here today, Hoshiarpur SSP Balkar Singh Sidhu said the police had arrested Ranjit Singh alias Rana of Balourpur in Dera Baba Nanak and Rajvir Singh alias Raja of Kahlan village, also in Dera Baba Nanak, and recovered two stolen cell phones with SIM cards, a burnt Opel Astra car, Rs 3,500 in cash, a pair of gold earrings and a pair of shoes used in the crime. The SSP said the two had murdered the couple for money. During interrogation, Ranjit had revealed that he had worked at Sat Parkash Singh Bedi’s farmhouse at Bilron village from December 2011 to January 2012 for Rs 5,000 per month. His employer’s Opel Astra (No CH 03U 5872) attracted him. Along with his friend Rajvir, he hatched a plot to steal the car. On February 18, they waited for the couple to arrive at Garhshankar. After dark, they entered the house after scaling the boundary wall. They opened the rear door. When Bedi came to lock this door, Rajvir and Ranjit strangled him to death with a piece of cloth. Gurcharan, who came to her husband’s rescue, was first hit on the head and then strangled to death. The two fled in the Opel Astra car. Fearing arrest, they abandoned the car near Kalanaur and torched it. The burnt car was impounded by the Kalanaur police.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Expressing concern over the declining water table in the state, the Central Ground Water Board has recommended reducing area under paddy by more than 10 lakh hectares to achieve sustainable growth. In a detailed report submitted to the state government, the board has drawn a road map for the state for ground water
management.
The poll results in Punjab are likely to throw up major surprises. A careful look at the polling patterns strengthens this belief. To begin with, several titans could lose to greenhorns. Several politicians had managed to get the party ticket for their kin, but trends indicate that all may not succeed in the elections.
Patiala, February 24
The counsel of former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur has accused the CBI of trying to justify their side of the case by allegedly misrepresenting the facts. As the hearing in the murder case of Harpreet
Kaur, daughter of Bibi Jagir Kaur, started in the court of Special Judge (CBI cases),
Patiala, Balbir Singh, defence counsel SS Kler prayed before the court that the CBI was furnishing the facts, which are in no way near the truth. 
The local rice miller who was kidnapped two days ago has been rescued from Tosham near Bhiwani in
Haryana. He was found bundled in the boot of a car, with his hands, legs and mouth tied.