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2,040 cops withdrawn from security duty
Cash-starved govt spent Rs 3 cr on swearing-in ceremony
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MUNICIPAL POLL
2 held for murder outside Mohali court
Sarabjit makes fresh clemency appeal to Zardari
suicides by debt-trapped Farmers
Former Cong MLA Kataria to join SAD
Awaiting possession of plots bought six yrs ago
Helpline for deserted wives
Board hikes exam fee
Vienna backlash victims
no way out
On surprise visit, CM finds officials missing
Power corp snaps supply to PIMS
Selling beer above Maximum retail price
shielding graft accused
Smooth swindler in police net
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2,040 cops withdrawn from security duty
Chandigarh, May 29 Along with the policemen, the Punjab Government has also withdrawn 109 vehicles, including 49 Maruti Gypsys, from various persons who were not entitled for protection under rules. These cars will be allotted to remote police stations. The Deputy Chief Minister today inspected the vehicles withdrawn from security duty at the 82nd battalion here along with Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini. Speaking to mediapersons, Sukhbir said it had been decided to put an end to the practice whereby people got gunmen allotted to themselves as a status symbol. Among the 2,040 personnel withdrawn from security duty, 279 gunmen have been withdrawn from former MLAs, 152 from civil officers, 65 from judicial officers, 473 from people who had been allotted gunmen without the orders of the security wing, 280 from protectees, 161 from retired police officials and 630 from serving police officers. The government has also withdrawn 49 Gypsys, one bulletproof car, two Ambassadors, 20 Jeeps of various makes, 2 cars of different makes, five Maruti SX4 cars and 30 motorcycles. These withdrawals will result in a saving of Rs 2 crore per annum. Sukhbir said this was only the first phase whereby security given in violation of norms or informally by SSPs and commandants had been withdrawn. “Now, we will reassess the security requirements of all protectees…. The second exercise is also likely to be conducted within a week or 10 days. We hope to remove another 1,000 men from security duty.” A cursory check of present protectees included property dealers and businessmen, he said. About pilot escorts, which too, he said, had become a fashion statement, the Deputy CM said now only officers of the rank of ADGP and above would have a pilot escort. He said SSPs, DIGs and IGs in the field would be allowed an escort vehicle, but would not be eligible for a pilot escort. Meanwhile, the 2,000 gunmen who have been withdrawn from security duty would now have to undergo a three-month training course so that they can relearn ground-level policing. Many of them have been gunmen with various persons for nearly 20 years. It’s red light for beacons
Who all will be eligible
Mega CCTV project
Text: Jangveer Singh
Petro price Centre’s domain: Sukhbir Amritsar: Sukhbir Badal said the Centre could give respite to the people by slashing heavy taxes imposed on petrol. He claimed that a litre of petrol actually costs the Union government Rs 30, which they are selling at Rs 80 a litre. "We can merely slash down prices by a rupee or 50 paise while the Union Government can decrease it by Rs 40.
— TNS Cut in number of guards Serving police officers 630 People allotted gunmen without permission 473 Protectees 280 Former MLAs 279 Retired police officials 161 Civil officers 152 Judicial officers 65
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Cash-starved govt spent Rs 3 cr on swearing-in ceremony
Chandigarh, May 29 Information procured under RTI by a Nawanshahr activist, Parvinder Singh Kitna, has revealed that the oath ceremony was such an ostentatious affair. As many as 6,000 invitation cards were sent, 2,000 for VVIPs and VIPs. For the occasion, three stages were erected- one for the swearing-in ceremony, another for the VVIPs and yet another for the Sant Samaj. Arrangements for high tea were made for 1,500 people. Lunch for 100 VVIPs in a hall and 1,400 VIPs in a pandal was arranged from Hotel Taj in Chandigarh. The government spent a tidy sum on packed lunch for 20,000 persons. It is another matter that most of the people at the ceremony had complained that they did not get packed lunch. As many as 50 PCS officers were appointed as liaison officers for the VVIPs from the State and 50 SPOs with 25 Gypsys and 50 wireless sets put on security duty. Fifty luxury cars, five Volvo buses and eight Innova cars were provided for VVIPs from other states. The government had estimated an expenditure of Rs 1.5 crore on the ceremony, but it ended up blowing up Rs 3 crore.
Grand affair
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MUNICIPAL POLL
Chandigarh, May 29 “There was a lot of discussion on the point as to whether video-recording at the time of counting of votes in the MC elections is to be done. After detailed discussions, there was a view that if may not be possible then to arrange for the required number of video cameras on the particular date. “Therefore, due to shortage of cameras, it was unanimously decided, as per the Vidhan Sabha election practice, that a person from the polling party may be appointed as a micro observer... This decision was unanimously approved”, the minutes read. The Bench was also informed that adequate security arrangements during polling (from 8 am to 4 pm) had been made. For maintaining law and order, a memo had been issued by the State Election Commission to the Principal Secretary, Department of Home Affairs and Justice, and the Director-General of Police, Punjab. Taking a note of the assertions, the Bench disposed of the petition. It has already permitted video-recording of the polling booths. Petitioner’s counsel, advocate Deepinder Singh Patwalia had earlier alleged that candidatures of Congress candidates had been rejected on frivolous grounds like non- appending of a Scheduled Caste certificate.
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2 held for murder outside Mohali court
Muktsar, May 29 The arrests also led the police to solve two murder mysteries: one took place in Ferozepur on the day of Assembly elections and the other outside the Mohali court. Two ultra-modern weapons, a US-made .32 bore pistol (worth Rs 12 lakh) and a Springfield rifle, along with a US-made bulletproof jacket and 107 cartridges were also recovered from their possession. Muktsar SSP Inder Mohan Singh said the gang comprised over 10 youths from well-to-do families. Some of them were students of professional colleges located in Chandigarh and nearby areas. Having their hideouts at Raisinghnagar in Rajasthan and Sector 68 in Mohali, the accused took to the world of crime to make a quick buck for leading a luxurious life. In order to hoodwink people, they had even opened a drug de-addiction centre in Una, Himachal Pradesh. The SSP said the duo, Ranjit Singh alias Dapla of Badbar village in Barnala and Parampal Singh alias Pala of Surghuri village in Faridkot, was arrested near Malout yesterday following a tip-off. Both were produced in a court, which sent them in two-day police custody. Divulging their modus operandi, Malout DSP Mukhwinder Singh said, "While committing a crime, the accused used to move in two luxury vehicles. They would block their target vehicles from rear and front and they hijack them." During questioning the accused revealed the names of their associates, including Kulpreet Singh alias Neeta of Moga, kingpin Gursher Singh alias Gursheed Singh of Khuban village near Abohar, Gurpreet Singh Sekhon alias Sonu of Mudki in Ferozepur, Manpreet Singh alias Manna of Malout in Muktsar district and Sukhminder Singh alias Mander Bhau of Khapianwali village in Muktsar district.
Cases cracked
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Sarabjit makes fresh clemency appeal to Zardari
This is the fifth mercy petition from Sarabjit, who was sentenced to death for a string of bombings that killed 14 persons. The 49-year-old Indian is being held at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. He has been on death row for over 20 years. Sarabjit's fresh petition, which includes a document with signatures of 1,00,000 Indians, urges Zardari to reciprocate the recent release of Pakistani virologist Khalil Chishti by India, The Express Tribune reported. Chishti, who was convicted in a murder case in 1992, was recently freed on bail by India's Supreme Court.The court, subsequently, allowed him to visit Pakistan to meet his family. Attached to Sarabjit's mercy petition are two letters addressed to Zardari by Delhi's Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari and Syed Muhammad Yamin Hashmi, caretaker of the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Sarabjit's counsel Owais Sheikh said his client had written a two-page letter to be sent to the President. "I've forwarded both the petition and the letter to President Zardari." In his letter to the President, Maulana Bukhari of the Jama Masjid pointed out that Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur had met him personally and provided "vital evidence" which proved Sarabjit's innocence. "Singh should be freed on humanitarian grounds, which will not only help in promoting goodwill between the two neighbours but will also result in promoting communal harmony among Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims of India," Bukhari wrote. Sarabjit was set to be hanged in 2008 but the Pakistan put off his execution indefinitely after PM Yousuf Raza Gilani
intervened. — PTI
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suicides by debt-trapped Farmers
Chandigarh, May 29 The report had said that an estimated 5,000 farmers and farm labourers had committed suicide in Punjab between 2000 to 2010 because of financial reasons. “The news item has been considered by the Full Commission. Let it be registered as a complaint. A report under Section 17(i) of the Protection of Human Rights Act be called for from the Principal Secretary to the Government of Punjab, Department of Home, well before July 23, 2012, on which date the case shall come up before the Commission for further consideration,” the PSHRC directed. The report was based on the findings of a government commissioned survey conducted by three universities - Punjabi University, Patiala; Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The commission has also taken cognisance of another news report, “Punjab’s aided schools face staff shortage,” published in The Tribune last week. While registering it as a complaint, it called for a report on the issue from the Principal Secretary, Department of Education. The report had said that the studies of more than five lakh students was being hit with aided schools were being run with less than half the sanctioned staff strength.
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Former Cong MLA Kataria to join SAD
Moga, May 29 Despite being a sitting MLA, he lost the recent elections to SAD leader Hari Singh Zira by a margin of 2,000 votes. For his defeat, Kataria blames alleged lack of support from the party’s senior leadership. Talking to The Tribune, Kataria admitted he had decided to leave the Congress. “I was a firm Congress worker for the last 29 years. I stood for the party even during terrorism when Zira and Makhu areas were considered as the hub of militancy,” he said. Kataria also lashed out at the local Congress leaders for allegedly forcing the party candidates to withdraw their nominations from Mallanwala Nagar panchayat elections, thus, paving easy victory for the ruling SAD-BJP nominees.
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Awaiting possession of plots bought six yrs ago
Ferozepur, May 29 Kulbir Singh, a commission agent of Suba Qadim village, said he had purchased a residential plot (No. 79), measuring around 1,800 sq ft, after bidding Rs 55,000 per marla. “I had deposited the entire amount of the plot, which was Rs 4.4 lakh, with the MC. However, despite numerous requests to the authorities, I am yet to get the possession”. There are over 100 such persons who have been moving from pillar to post to get the possession of the land purchased by them. “I had taken up the matter with MC officials several times, but to no avail” said Baldev Kumar, who had purchased two residential plots (Nos. 55 and 54). Another resident Rajesh Kumar complained that he had purchased two shops (Nos. 1 and 2) in the auction and deposited around Rs 2.5 lakh, but the MC was yet to hand over the possession of the shops. Rajesh was issued allotment letters (No. 2840 and 2841 dated November 7, 2006), but there has been no word about giving the possession of the shops since then. Narrating a similar experience, Joginder Singh said he had paid Rs 4,13,600 against his residential plot No. 80, but the possession was still awaited. Sources said the MC had issued an auction notice on September 7, 2006, for 14 shops and around 128 residential plots over 83 canals of land. Ashwani Grover, MC president, said the possession of plots could not be handed over to the successful bidders due to some legal complications. He said there was a stay order by the court pertaining to some specific area of the total land that was auctioned.
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Helpline for deserted wives
Senior police officers and representatives of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, the National Commission for Women (NCW), Ministry for Law and Justice and the Ministry of Child Development will explore the possibilities to curb the practice of “tourist marriages” at a seminar here on Wednesday. Gurpreet Deo, IG, Jalandhar Zone, and incharge of NRI affairs, said the number of women deserted by their NRI husbands in the past 10 years is an alarming 10,000. Jalandhar Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Parneet Singh has already cancelled passports of 84 NRIs for allegedly deserting their wives. “An estimated 10,000 of women in Punjab have been left in the lurch by their NRI grooms in the past 10 years. The maximum number of such cases have been reported from Hoshiarpur,” Deo said. Besides Sukhbir Badal, NRI Affairs Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, NCW member Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar, the DGPs of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and the Special Director-General, CRPF, will attend the seminar.
Probe ordered
Chandigarh: The NRI Commission, has ordered the Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, to inquire into the complaint of a woman against her NRI husband and in-laws alleging dowry harassment. Aspokesperson for the commission said. that Parminder Kaur had said in her complaint that her husband had assured her that he would apply for a spouse visa, but he had not done so and was now seeking a divorce.
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Board hikes exam fee
Chandigarh, May 29 Over six lakh students appearing in the coming semester examinations for matric and senior secondary classes will have to pay the increased fee, which will be charged twice during the academic session 2012-2013. Sources in the board said the examinations fee, including for the open school, had been increased around 30 per cent. The board has also increased the additional subject fee. Candidates from within Punjab and those from outside the state who opt for additional subject will now have to pay fee increased by 90 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively. Board secretary Dr Balwinder Singh said hike in the examinations fee was a regular feature as various expenses incurred in the conduct of the examinations had increased. Sources said, for matric students, the examination fee had been increased from Rs 300 to Rs 400 and the practical fee (per subject) had been increased from Rs 40 to Rs 50. In reappear and improvement cases, a student of matric will have to pay Rs 600 instead of the previous fee of Rs 500. Accordingly, fee for practical per subject has been increased by Rs 10. The fee for additional subject has been increased from Rs 220 to Rs 420, an increase of 90 per cent. On the other hand, fee for students from outside the state who opt for additional subject will have to pay Rs 530 instead of the previous fee of Rs 330. Similarly, for students appearing in senior secondary school exams, the fee has been increased from Rs 400 to Rs 500, an increase of 25 per cent. The fee for those going for reappear or improvement has been increased from Rs 600 to Rs 700 for students within Punjab and for those from outside the state, the fee has been increased from Rs 800 to Rs 900. In all the cases, practical fee per subject has been increased by Rs 10. Officials in the board said the secret result fee and the subject change fee had been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 and from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000, respectively.
Revised fee
Matric 2011-12 2012-13 Examination fee Rs 300 Rs 400 Additional subject fee
Rs 220 Rs 420 Reappear/improvement Rs 500 Rs 600 Senior secondary Examination fee
Rs 400 Rs 500 Additional subject fee Rs 220 Rs
420 Reappear/improvement Rs 600 Rs 700
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Vienna backlash victims
Chandigarh, May 29 For the purpose, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Alok Singh directed the appointment of a former judge or chief justice of a high court, or a retired district judge. The claim commission would estimate the damages and investigate the liability. The liability would be borne by the actual perpetrators of crime, as well as the organisers of the event. The Bench also made it clear that exemplary damages may be awarded to the extend not greater than twice the amount of damages liable to be paid. Setting a week's deadline, the Bench asserted Punjab Chief Secretary would remain present in the court along with the record if needful was not done by then. A petition in public interest has been filed in the matter by Phagwara-based General Samaj Manch. Guru Sant Ramanand was attacked by six men armed with knives and a pistol during clashes at a religious ceremony at a temple in Vienna. He later died from his wounds in hospital. Till now, over 60 people have been arrested in the case. The State of Punjab, on a previous date of hearing, had told the High Court that the police has identified 445 witnesses and recorded the statements of around 258 persons.
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no way out
Born to parents convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, they are permitted to live with them in prison. In Punjab, there are at least 120 such children. When para-legal volunteer with the Punjab Legal Services Authority Dr Misha Kumar ventured into one of the women barracks at a Central Jail in Punjab, she was told that a few women were lodged separately with their children in a crčche. There was no way Dr Misha Kumar could have guessed that the “crčche” was a windowless room, big enough to accommodate a sofa but too small to contain the energy and spirit of the young ones. She realised that the police, jail staff and NGOs working towards reformation of prisoners were hardly paying any attention to the children trapped in the box-sized room. The crčche had at least 12 children, some as young as 10 months. Others were aged up to 10 years. “You have guidelines stipulating the maximum age for a child to stay in a prison. But these are seldom adhered to, either because they allow for some flexibility under exceptional circumstances or because the children cannot be cared for outside the prison,” says Dr Misha Kumar. “In India, children as old as 15 have reportedly remained in prison with their parents, though the prescribed age is up to four years”. “There is hardly any provision for education, training and personality development. And imprisonment prevents the children from getting admission in schools,” she says. “It, as such, violates the fundamental right of children to free and compulsory education and the principles of United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which India is a signatory. Dr Misha Kumar recommends an independent child-friendly set up with access to special healthcare facilities. She also recommends sports and recreational activities. “The state needs to provide a separate children’s home outside the prison premises where parents can visit their children twice a week,” she adds.
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On surprise visit, CM finds officials missing
The Chief Minister reached the secretariat this morning and entered the building from the rear side from where the general public enters the secretariat. He first went to the sixth floor and found the Chief Secretary absent. He then went to the eighth floor where the Home Secretary was also not present. He later issued instructions to all officers to remain present in their offices. Badal also issued instructions to deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police to function from their offices and not from the camp offices at their homes.
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Mohali’s Ishkaran is JET topper
Chandigarh, May 29 The test was conducted by the Punjab State Board of Technical Education on the basis of which the admission to three-year diploma courses will be made for about 60,000 seats in the state. As many as 85,245 students had appeared for the exam. A spokesman said the prospectus-cum-admission forms were available at designated branches of Punjab National Bank, suvidha centres, District Education Office, affiliated polytechnic colleges and board’s office. The last date for the submission of forms is June 15. Admission forms can also be downloaded from the Board’s websites www.punjabteched.com and www.punjabteched.net The online counselling of students who will apply for admission to seats under fee waiver scheme will start from June 18 and general counselling from July 4.
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Power corp snaps supply to PIMS
Jalandhar, May 29 Run by an NRI consortium, the PIMS has not paid electricity bills for more than five months. Chief Engineer (Distribution), North Zone Santokh Singh Sarna said that power supply to the institute had been disconnected after following due procedure. “The department sent several notices to the PIMS management but to no avail. We gave them enough time to deposit the bills,” Sarna claimed. Patients at the institute, which once promised to extend best medical care to people of the region, have been suffering due to non-functioning of ACs and other equipment. Doctors at the institute recently carried out some operations with the help of four generator sets. Besides, the functioning of the institute was also hit by a four-day strike by safai karamcharis. Insanitary conditions prevailed at the institute premises, much to the inconvenience of patients and their attendants. The issue was resolved on Monday evening when striking employees resumed the work only after the payment of their dues by the management.
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Selling beer above Maximum retail price
Patiala, May 29 In the excise policy this financial year, the government has fixed the maximum retail price of a beer bottle at Rs 75 but liquor vends were selling the same at Rs 120 and above. Sources said teams of excise officers in many districts were ordered to ensure that liquor vends follow the instructions of the department. "While the exact amount collected through challans from liquor vends flouting norms is yet to be compiled, initial reports from many districts suggested that liquor vends were issued warnings as well," said an official of the excise department. In the 2012-13 Punjab excise policy, the maximum retail sale price of light and strong beer has been fixed at Rs 70 and Rs 75 per bottle, respectively. Joint Excise and Taxation Commissioner (Excise) Neelam Chaudhary said they had instructed their district-level teams to ensure checking at periodical intervals and challan violators. "Today, special teams were dispatched in many districts and reports are yet to be compiled, but many liquor vends were found flouting norms", she stated.
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60 trucks of paddy found missing
Faridkot, May 29 The paddy belonged to government food agencies and was stored in the mills for milling. Also, the teams found a huge stock of paddy lying unprotected in the mill, said Amar Singh, SP (Vigilance), Bathinda. More than 60 trucks of paddy belonging to Punsup and the Warehousing Corporation were found missing from two rice mills owned by Ashok Aran and his son Karan. Samples of the rotten paddy have been sent to a lab in Chandigarh for testing, the SP said. The Vigilance team from Bathinda was accompanied by a senior officer from the vigilance wing of the Food and Supply Department, Chandigarh.
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shielding graft accused
Chandigarh, May 29 Posted at Guruharsahai in Ferozepur district, patwari Amarjit Singh was allegedly caught red-handed after demanding Rs 2,000 bribe from complainant Raj Kumar for "sanctioning" mutation. This is the second time in the recent past that the State Vigilance Bureau has been rapped on its knuckles for its conduct. Only recently, bureau's former Senior Superintendent of Police was hauled up for frame-up. Giving a clean chit to a patwari accused of corruption, the inquiry officer had, in fact, indicted six serving and former officers for abuse of power, and recommended the registration of an FIR. In the current case, Justice Mehinder Singh Sullar observed a raid was conducted on February 2, 2005. Bribe money of Rs 2,000 was recovered at the spot after Amarjit Singh was caught red-handed while accepting illegal gratification from the complainant. A criminal case was registered against the accused the same day for offences punishable under Sections 7 and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act by Vigilance Bureau, Ferozepur. Although the petitioner was caught red-handed while accepting the illegal gratification and amount of bribe money of Rs 2,000 was recovered at the spot, the Vigilance Bureau just ignored the entire evidence with impunity and submitted the cancellation reports in a very casual manner." "Taking the entire evidence and seriousness of the corruption case into focus, the Special Judge, while disagreeing with the cancellation reports filed by the prosecution, referred the matter for further deep probe by an officer not below the rank of SP Vigilance." "Again, instead of conducting a fair investigation, the Vigilance Department submitted the cancellation report in a very casual manner, for the reasons best known to it," Justice Sullar asserted. The Judge also dismissed Amarjit Singh's petition against the May 7, 2011, orders of the Special Judge, who took cognisance of the case and issued notice to the accused.
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Smooth swindler in police net
Jewellery, cash and three duplicate passports were seized from the trio. Rajwinder and her brother belonged to Gandiwind village under the Harike police station . Paramraj Singh, DIG, Ferozepur Range, said despite several cases of fraud against Rajwinder in Batala, Mansa, Kotkapura and Samana, she had remained elusive till now. Rajwinder would entice rich farmers, promising them that she would take them abroad after marriage. She would later dump the innocent victims after having swindled them of their money, the DIG said. He said till date, five such cases had come to light. Rajwinder’s latest victim was Kulwinder Singh of Kotwal village, said HS Mann, SSP. He said after marriage, Rajwinder began to tempt her husband’s kin who were keen on settling abroad. “A smooth operator, she did not let anyone in the family get an inkling about her intentions,” the SSP said, adding that she swindled Rs 5 crore in this manner. She took some of them and deserted them there.
Swindler’s list of crimes
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To check the misuse of red light beacons, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has told the Home Department to categorise their use within 10 days
Islamabad, May 29
Jalandhar, May 29
Chandigarh, May 29
Chandigarh, May 29
Ferozepur, May 29