Jalandhar, May 8
A gang of armed miscreants opened fire at a mobile shop in the Raj Nagar area killing its owner, Ishan Kumar, aka Prince, and leaving his two friends injured here late last evening. A passer-by also sustained bullet injuries in the incident.

Relatives and friends shift Ishan Kumar to a hospital in Jalandhar on Monday night. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

The armed youths reportedly came on motorcycles and opened fire at the shop owner and his friends around 9 pm on Monday.

At least five bullets hit Prince. His friends also sustained injuries as bullets brushed Komal's waist, Lovely's head and Sunny's arm.

The injured were rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared Prince dead. Sunny and Lovely were discharged after treatment and seriously injured Komal is still undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Talking to The Tribune, ACP (West) Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu revealed the accused had been identified as Daljit Singh, alias Bhana, a resident of Mithu Basti, Inderjit Singh, alias Lucky Ghuman of Wariana, Ranveer Sandhu of Gobind Nagar and Yudhveer Singh of Raj Nagar. The accused are still at large, he added.

The police has also recovered shells of a .32 bore pistol from the crime scene while four bullets were recovered from Prince's body during the post-mortem examination conducted at the local Civil Hospital this morning, Sandhu added. The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem.

Eyewitnesses revealed that Prince was talking to his friends outside his shop when the assailants opened fire. A bullet pierced through his chest following which he collapsed on the road.

Hearing gunshots, his friends Komal and Lovely started running in an attempt to save themselves, but the assailants opened fire and left them injured. A passer-by, Sunny Ghai, also sustained bullet injuries.

Panic gripped the market after the incident. Shopkeepers and area residents confined themselves indoors.

Old rivalry may have led to the attack, said the police. The ACP said the assailants had a criminal background and were involved in over six criminal cases in the city. He said police parties had been sent to nab the assailants.

The police has registered a case under Sections 302 and 307 of the IPC and under provisions of the Arms Act against the assailants at the Basti Bawa Khel police station. No arrest has been made so far. 

Jalandhar, May 8
It’s hard to file objections or get your name included in the voters’ list for the forthcoming MC polls. Residents of many wards have alleged that for the past many days, they had been moving from pillar to post to get their names included in the voters’ list.

Even for other objections like change in the address etc., residents say they are not being attended properly by the staff on duty in the wards.

Residents allege that some patwaris or booth-level officers (BLOs) are not even making forms available to them. They, thus, have to turn to the area councillors for help, who are in-turn burdened by a number of such complaints.

Even as the voters’ list of various wards finally started trickling in today, six days later than the earlier May 2 deadline, it seems it will still be some more time before the respective changes and objections make it to the final voters’ list. Till then, residents will have to make various rounds from one office to another to be able to get the right to vote.

Talking to The Tribune, Devraj Sharma, a resident of Sangam Vihar in Ward No. 9, said: “My daughter-in-law is from Mandi Gobindgarh. Since her vote was cancelled there, we have been trying to get her name included in the list, but officials have not been cooperative. We had gone to the Tehsil Complex from where we were referred to House Number 220 at Master Tara Singh Nagar (office of Deputy Director, Local Bodies). But officials at Master Tara Singh Nagar further sent us to a school at Suchi Pind.”

“Officials at Suchi Pind said they don’t have the requisite documents. They told us to go back. Finally, we had to submit our forms to the area councillor last evening,” Sharma rued.

Jatinder Singh Thakur, from the same ward, who had to get his vote shifted from Patara village, also complained of the same problem.

Gurmit Chand Duggal, councillor, Ward Number 9, said, “We are fed up of the inaction of officers on duty. The public is peeved and is making a beeline to us. I have 150 forms with me of Ward 9 residents. We have to do everything from providing forms to people to getting their address proof from the officials concerned to getting forms photostated. Still, the forms are yet to be accepted.”

Pritam Singh, Deputy Director, Local Bodies, who is the returning officer for Ward No. 9, said: “The BLOs on duty in Ward 9 are doing their job. There is no question of anyone going to the councillor. BLOs are providing documents and information. If there is still someone who is facing a problem, they can come to my office.”

Kashmir Singh Ghugshore, activist of the Pendu Mazdoor Union, said he had the forms of at least 25 people who wanted to be registered as voters. “They have address and age proofs as well as other documents, but still their names are not being included. 

Last date extended

The last date to receive objections from residents has been extended to May 10. While the prevalent confusion might be one of the reasons for this, the administration says the interest among residents to get their names included in voters’ list has resulted in extension of the deadline. ADC Perneet Bhardwaj said: “We had sought extension in the date of receiving objections and claims.” 

Jalandhar, May 8
Delay in the release of photo voters’ list for the forthcoming Municipal Corporation elections has irked voters and the Congress party. While the preliminary voter lists had to be released on May 2 as per schedule, the same for 50 out of total 60 wards has been released today.

Surprisingly the list has been released just a day before the last date of filing of claims and objections. The voter’s list for the 50 wards was released today after a protest by the local Congress on Monday. Congressmen led by district Congress (Urban) president Arun Walia also submitted a memorandum to ADC Perneet Bhardwaj.

Talking to The Tribune, district Congress chief Arun Walia said Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Priyank Bharti should immediately get the list released for the remaining wards (11 to 20).

Interestingly, the DEO has extended the date for filing claims and objections from May 9 to May 10. However, Arun Walia demanded that the last date for filing of claims and objections should be extended to May 16 for providing time to the electors to get shortcomings rectified in the preliminary list.

When contacted, DC-cum-DEO Priyank Bharti claimed that the voters’ list had been released on May 2.

When asked why the last date for filing claims and objections was extended to May 10 if the list was released on may 2, he claimed that the last date had been extended by one day to provide relief to the public from the last day rush. To further queries, he said: “The voters’ list prepared for the Assembly elections are the same for the MC polls. Only the lists were to be segregated into 60 wards and the photos were to be incorporated.”

There are reports from various areas that the claims from new voters are not being entertained by the returning officers. At this, the DEO said: “The question of not entertaining claims does not arise. If there any case, let me know, I will get the matter checked.”

The district Congress president said: “There are a number of discrepancies in the voters’ list. Several voters of an area falling under Ward Number 1 have been included in Ward Number 4 and same is the case with several other wards. We will file our objections after minutely seeing the voters’ list.” 

Another chance to get registered

Persons whose age is 18 years as on January 1, 2012, may get themselves registered as voters if their names are not included in the preliminary photo voters’ lists for MC elections, DC-cum-DEO Priyank Bharti said. They will have to fill form numbers 7, 8 and 9 and submit the same by May 10 to the ROs concerned. The claims and objections will be disposed of by May 17 and the final voters’ list will be published on May 20.

* Voters’ list of 50 out of total 60 wards released on May 8 instead of May as announced by the DC-cum-DEO

* The list of 50 wards released a day before the last date of filing claims and objections

* Last date of filing claims and objections extended to May 10

* DCC president Arun Walia demands extending date to May 16 

Returning Officers

Wards 1 to 10: Deputy Director, Local Bodies, Pritam Singh,

227-28, Master Tara Singh Nagar

Wards 11 to 20: District Development and Panchayat Officer

SS Walia

Wards 21 to 30: SDM I, Iqbal Sandhu, Tehsil Complex,

Wards 31 to 40: SDM II Madam Isha

Wards 41 to 50: Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner

Gurmej Singh, New Jawahar Nagar Market

Wards 51 to 60: Secretary, RTO, Jaskarna Singh, Tehsil Complex 

Jalandhar, May 8
The city police today arrested two persons and recovered three country-made pistols from their possession. The accused were also declared proclaim offenders (PO) in various cases.

The Police Division No. 8 arrested Baldev Singh, alias Deba, a resident of Lamha Pind Chowk, and recovered two .32 bore country-made pistols from his possession.

SHO, Division No 8 police station, Bimal Kant Sharma said they had received a secret information that accused, Deba, wanted in various criminal cases, was roaming near Muslim Colony and he was also carrying some weapons.

“We installed a naka in the colony and after intercepting the accused, arrested him with pistols and five live cartridges,” Sharma said in 2001, the accused had attacked a police personnel and was on the run since then.

In a separate case, the Police Division No. 1 arrested a person, the kingpin of a gang of robbers, who is wanted in a number of criminal cases, including attempt to murder.

Balkar Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police, North, and Balbir Singh, SHO, Police Division No 1, said following a tip-off, the accused was arrested with a .32 bore pistol, three live cartridges and a Santro car.

The accused has been identified as Naveen, alias Chintu, a resident of Hargobind Singh Nagar. During preliminary investigation, it came to light that the accused runs a gang involved in extortion, land grabbing, assault, attempt to murder and smuggling cases. The police said his accomplices had been identified as Amar, Beer, Vishal and Sonu, all resident of Jalandhar. 

Manjit Singh, who had come to get his registry work done, said he was shocked to see the high prices of food items sold in the canteen. “I had no choice, so I had to buy two cold drinks at a higher price,” he said.

The parking contractor, too, has been overcharging from visitors, levying Rs 10 for a two-wheeler and Rs 20 for a car against the fixed price of Rs 5 and Rs 10, respectively.

All contractors claim they had been providing copies of forms, parking space and food items for free to employees and officials at the district administrative complex which, too, had to be recovered from visitors.

Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti said he would get the rates check tomorrow and ensure that all contractors put up rate lists.