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SC stays day-to-day trial of 5 cops
Will take up ‘vendetta’ cases with Badal: PC
Protest throws rail traffic off track
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Come monsoon, 14 villages get snapped from mainland for 3 months
Chief Khalsa Diwan replaces its member in Takht Patna Sahib board
Rs 1.8 crore for Batalvi’s memorial
No stopping opium smuggling in Punjab
50% police transfers in violation of norms
Marriage is no ground for parole, says High Court
Four policemen held after criminal flees
Suicide by wife, kids: Khanna man arrested
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SC stays day-to-day trial of 5 cops
New Delhi, July 13 A Bench comprising Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra also stayed the trial of the police personnel by a Special CBI Court at Patiala and issued a notice to the investigating agency seeking its response. Appearing for the police personnel, counsel Sudhir Walia contended that the HC had erroneously passed the verdict ignoring the fact that the CBI had prosecuted his clients without the prior sanction of the Central Government which was mandatory under the 1989 amendment to the Punjab Disturbed Areas Act, 1983. The HC had dismissed 35 petitions filed by policemen involved in such cases. Today’s SC order will, however, cover only those who have challenged the HC verdict. The five policemen, including Kahnuwan SHO Pritam Singh, say they were part of a 68-member team that took part in an anti-terror operation in Kunjhar village on January 25, 1994, in which four militants were killed. The SC had ordered a CBI probe into the incident on September 12, 1994, following which the agency prosecuted 28 policemen after obtaining the permission of the state government. According to the CBI, the victims were picked up from their homes and tortured to death. The police personnel contended that the CBI should have taken sanction from the Centre, not the state, under the amended provision of the Punjab Disturbed Areas Act.This was clear from Union Home Ministry letters to Punjab on June 13, 1997, and September 25, 1997, and an apex court order dated July 20, 2001, in a similar case. The apex court’s order assumes significance as 300 policemen in Punjab are in a similar situation.
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Will take up ‘vendetta’ cases with Badal: PC
Chandigarh, July 13 Chidambaram met a select group of Congress leaders led by PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh and Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar at the Congress Bhawan here. During their interaction with Chidambaram, the Congress leaders claimed that the SAD-BJP Government was encouraging the strong undercurrent of extremism prevailing in the state.They said since the SAD controlled the SGPC, its claims that the memorial was being constructed by the SGPC were not maintainable. Led by Batala MLA Ashwani Sekri, the Congress leaders gave instances of police “atrocities”. Sekri spoke of the death of Congress activist Pargat Singh while in police custody recently. Ferozepur legislator Parminder Singh sought a special development fund for all MLAs on the pattern of the MPLAD Fund. Chidambaram said he had taken up the issue of Bluestar Memorial with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The latter claimed that his government had nothing to do with it. He said the CM also claimed that only a gurdwara was being raised and that no photograph would be displayed inside the shrine. The Home Minister expressed surprise that contrary to the state government’s claims, the state had no Police Complaints Authority. The Congress leaders drew the Home Minister’s attention to the “intimidation and harassment” of Congress workers by the state government. “The Akalis want to create a fear psychosis among Congress workers so that they desert the party”, they told Chidambaram. Jakhar said the Border Area Development Fund needed to be enhanced and utilised to create employment potential in the border belt. He said the Centre should ensure equitable distribution of the fund and the “partisan” approach of the SAD-BJP Government in this regard should
be checked. Chidambaram was accompanied by two Union Ministers — Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ambika
Soni.
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Protest throws rail traffic off track
Amritsar, July 13 The blockade, which lasted for over five hours, threw rail traffic out of gear at Amritsar railway station as nine arrival and 11 departure trains got delayed. Among the main trains that got delayed are Shan-e-Punjab, Amritsar-New Delhi Swarn Shatabdi, Sachkhand Express, Chhattisgarh Express, Howrah Mail, Howrah Express, Tata Muri Express, Dehradun Express, Jaipur Express, Paschim Express and Jansewa Express. The New Delhi-Amritsar Shan-e-Punjab passengers were seen alighting at Manawala railway station and walking down the track so as to take auto-rickshaws and other modes of transportation to reach their homes in Amritsar. The departure of Swarn Shatabdi also got delayed. The blockade, which started around 2 pm, was lifted at 7 pm after Power Corporation Chief Engineer (Border Zone) Sudeep Singh Sandhu held a meeting with farmer leaders. Kisan Sangharsh Committee convener Kanwalpreet Singh said they lifted the blockade after Sandhu assured them of eight-hour power supply and replacement of the damaged transformers within 24 hours. He said the Chief Engineer told them that their other demands would be taken up during a meeting on July 23. Sandhu confirmed the development. He said there was overloading in Patti area, "but the problem will soon be resolved with a new power station getting functional at Chohla Sahib". He said damaged transformers will be replaced. Addressing the protesters earlier, farmer leaders said today's protest was manifestation of their ire against inadequate power supply to their tube-wells. He said the peasants of the state were already committing suicides due to "anti-farmer policies" of the successive governments and the acute power crisis had only added to their woes. He said they were seeking 16-hour power supply for their tube-wells, but the government promised eight-hour supply. This too, he said, "the government failed to deliver". He claimed the farmers were receiving power supply for only four to six hours daily. He demanded the damaged transformers be replaced within 24 hours, overloaded transformers be replaced with the ones having more capacity and the needy farmers be given tube-well connections free of cost. He also demanded that the alleged discrimination between urban and rural areas be brought to an end by abolishing power cuts in rural areas.
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Come monsoon, 14 villages get snapped from mainland for 3 months
Sultanpur Lodhi (Kapurthala), July 13 These villages have been facing fury of the Beas for decades now. In such circumstances, they have to stock up foodgrain and other eatables ahead of monsoon and boats remain their only mode of transportation. Among the affected villages are Baupur, Dhunna, Baupur Kadim, Zadid, Bheni Kadamwala, Sangran, Gaurewal, Kishangarh, Ramapur Gorey and Tangra. Surjit Singh, a resident of Ramapur Gorey village, said though they had stocked up foodgrain and other essential commodities until the rainy season got over, they were barred of health, postal and other basic services in the absence of a permanent link with the district headquarters. Kulbeer Singh, hailing from Dhunna village, said patients, pregnant women, students, office-goers and other shopkeepers were put to great hardship during these three months. The residents who did not own a boat were at a greater risk in case there was an emergency, said another villager. The villagers said the government, instead of spending a huge sum on assembling and dismantling the pontoon bridge every year, should construct a permanent bridge to facilitate the area residents. Sultanpur Lodhi SDM Kuldeep Singh Chandi claimed that all necessary arrangements for public convenience had been made in the villages located on the island. He said he would be heading a team of officials from various departments to these villages tomorrow in a bid to know from villagers the problems they had been facing. Chandi claimed a proposal for building a bridge across the Beas to link the island with Sultanpur Lodhi was under consideration.
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Police forcibly evicts students from college
Faridkot, July 13 Having taken to warpath while demanding relaxation in cut-off percentage for admission to various courses, a few students sustained injuries in the police action. The college has fixed 70 per cent as cut-off in merit list. This, the students claimed, was against the Punjab Education Department rules. While the students demanded that all aspirants should be given admission, the college authorities ruled against it citing limited availability of seats in each course. The police action followed after the college’s teaching and non-teaching staff staged a protest march and submitted a memorandum to the Faridkot SSP. They demanded “vacating the college premises of students protesting without any genuine reason”. The protesters alleged that students were being denied admission as the college authorities wanted to benefit private colleges in the area. “Once denied admission, we will be left with no option but to join private colleges where the fee is quite high,” a student said. Principal Anil Kumar Verma said against the available 40 seats in B.Sc (agriculture), the college had received 800 applications. For BA, B.Com and other B.Sc courses as well, there were five times more applications, he held. “A merit list has, therefore, been prepared. It’s not possible to admit all applicants as that will be against university rules,” Verma said. The principal claimed that all students who had failed to make it to the merit list were now protesting and allegedly using abusive language against college teachers.
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Chief Khalsa Diwan replaces its member in Takht Patna Sahib board
Amritsar, July 13 Chief Khalsa Diwan honorary secretary Santokh Singh Sethi wrote a letter to Takht Shri Patna Sahib Management Board regarding withdrawal of Jaspal Singh’s nomination on June 29 while the letter for nominating Anand was shot off to the Board on July 6. Chief Khalsa Diwan president Charanjit Singh Chadha said Jaspal Singh had been replaced as he had expressed his inability to function as the board member. However, there are rumours that Jaspal Singh had been removed as he had reportedly supported the group led by DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna when the voting was held for electing the 15th member of the management board recently. — TNS
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Rs 1.8 crore for Batalvi’s memorial
Batala, July 13 The president of the society, Dr SS Nijjar, said the amount had been deposited in the society’s account and the renovation work would begin soon. The poor condition of the auditorium, constructed in 1980, came to light during Batalvi’s 75th birth anniversary celebrations two years ago when the organisers were forced to shift the venue to a nearby marriage palace. This prompted chief guest Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy CM, to announce that a grant would be given to Shiv Kumar Batalvi Memorial Society.
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Police bans red beacons on escort,
Patiala, July 13 Directions in this regard have been issued to all the district police chiefs by the Punjab ADGP (Traffic) against the misuse of red beacons. The orders stipulate that the VIPs, who are officially allowed to use red beacons on their government and personal vehicles, would not be allowed to use the same on the vehicles accompanying them as pilot or escort. In his orders, ADGP (Traffic) RP Singh has warned against the use of red beacons on escort and pilot vehicles. But the orders allow use of a blue light and that too with permission. “The use of red beacons on escort and pilot vehicles is in gross violation of Rule 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989,” reads the communiqué by RP Singh. A policeman said despite the orders, many vehicles were seen plying on roads with red beacons. “Though we have the orders, who will issue challan or remove these red beacons? Only last week, a senior police officer flouted the rules. His escort gypsy had a red beacon atop and we were asked to clear the road for him,” said the policeman. In December 2008, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had banned the use of pilot and escort vehicles by VIPs in Punjab. But even after that, several VIPs continue to flout the norms by availing the services of escort and pilot vehicles. The High Court had authorised only a select few to use pilot vehicles.
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90 taken ill in Patiala
Patiala, July 13 Dr Singh said they had received five stool samples on Wednesday and three samples yesterday. “Though we are yet to prepare the final report but based on initial investigations, we suspect four of them to be positive for cholera,” he added. In the past three days, there has been a sudden rise in the number of gastroenteritis cases in this colony. The Health Department, in order to gauge the seriousness of the issue, collected water and stool samples from the affected area. Contrary to the claims of the Patiala Municipal Corporation, three out of five water samples collected from the same colony that had been sent to a laboratory in Chandigarh have been found to be negative, which means they are unfit for drinking. Biochemist HS Bhatti from the State Public Health Laboratory, Chandigarh, said, “We have only received the report of three samples till now and all of them have been found to be non-potable. The remaining results will be out tomorrow.” Meanwhile, the total number of persons suffering from vomiting and loose motions has gone up. Though the health authorities claim that the total number of patients suffering from this problem is around 90, sources in the department confirmed that the number was close to 150. Patiala Deputy Commissioner GK Singh along with Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr Virinder Singh Mohi, SDM Gurpal Singh Chahal and Municipal Commissioner GS Sidhu inspected the sight and ordered immediate remedial actions in the colony. The Punjab Health Services Director has also constituted a high-level team, which will visit Patiala tomorrow to take stock of the situation.
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SGPC, Education Dept lock horns over school
Patiala, July 13 While the SGPC wants the dharamshala to be constructed on the land in the gurdwara from where the Government Elementary School is running for the past five decades, the Education Department has termed the move completely unjustified. The gurdwara management has written a letter to the District Education Officer (DEO) to vacate the building as they want to construct a dharamshala there. In fact, the management has even got some parts of the boundary wall razed to send a message that the school authorities will have to vacate the land as it belonged to the SGPC. Talking to The Tribune, DEO Balbir Kaur Gill said the management had sent a letter to them last year asking them to vacate the school building on the pretext of repair but later, they met the then Deputy Commissioner Vikas Garg who got the issue resoloved. “But now, we have again received a letter stating that they want to construct a dharamshala at that place and therefore we should immediately vacate it. We have met Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Anandita Mitra in this regard today and she has assured me that she will take up the issue with the gurdwara management,” she said. Sources in the Education Department said the management had even tried to demolish the boundary wall of the school a couple of days ago but later stopped the demolition on the request of the teachers. The teachers requested the management to wait for sometime and reported the matter to the DEO, who is now taking up the issue with the district administration, he said. Despite repeated attempts, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar could not be contacted. But, Dukhnivaran Sahib gurdwara manager Jagir Singh said they wanted to reconstruct the entire building, as it was unsafe. The manager said, “A long time ago, we had given them a part of the dharamshala to run the school but now we want it back.” “Despite repeated requests, the Education Department is not responding to our letters. We have even informed the district authorities about it. We will try and re-adjust these students at some other place but the Education Department should first vacate the school building,” he added. Meanwhile, ADC Anandita Mitra said she would take up the issue with the gurdwara management on Monday. “The Education Department does not own the land but it has been running the school for the past over five decades. We will, therefore, try our best to get the matter amicably resolved as it involves the interest of students,” she added.
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No stopping opium smuggling in Punjab
Patiala, July 13 The recent recoveries point towards the increasing menace of opium addiction among youth. An official said the Punjab Police had recovered 6,000-kg opium from 1999 to 2009. On Wednesday, the police recovered 25-kg opium from three persons. “Usually, the people we arrest admit that their role is limited to supplying the drug in Punjab. A courier earns roughly 10 per cent of the total deal and for him, it is big money as one successful trip from Rajasthan to Punjab makes him richer by lakhs,” said Ghanaur DSP Devinder Dhuri, who monitored the operation in Patiala. A police officer said, “Special tribes and gangs have been operating in the state, who specialise in opium smuggling and will not leave this profession, come what may.” In 2011 in Patiala alone, the police arrested 310 persons and registered 289 cases for trying to smuggle or sell contrabands in the city. The same year, Patiala police recovered over 61-kg opium in the district that borders Haryana. A senior police officer said as Punjab has a good paying capacity, Rajasthan traders, who grow opium, try to smuggle their drugs into Punjab where they fetch lakhs for the same consignment which would get them only a few thousands in their state. “Moreover, people in Punjab have the capacity to buy the contraband instantly and therefore, from truck drivers to taxi operators, all think that they can make good money by fetching a single parcel during their Rajasthan trip”, he stated.
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PIL on Gobindpura stir dismissed
Chandigarh, July 13 The assertion is significant as Congress MP from Gurdaspur, Pratap Singh Bajwa, had in Parliament alleged police atrocities on farmers opposing land acquisition for a thermal power plant being built by a private company. As a petition filed in public interest on the issue came up for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the State claimed that compensation ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 was being provided to the injured. The assertion came on a petition filed by Universal Human Rights Organisation against the State of Punjab and other respondents. In the petition placed before the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, the organisation had sought directions to the respondents to conduct an inquiry into the incident. He had said that the protesters agitating against acquisition of land in Gobindpura village for setting up a thermal plant sustained injuries after the police resorted to cane-charge and firing. The petitioner had also alleged that the police action resulted in the death of a few landless villagers. After hearing the arguments, the Bench dismissed the petition. It asserted: “No detail has been given regarding the occurrence wherein injuries are stated to have been caused to landless labourers and deaths had also taken place. The writ petition is totally vague. Furthermore, no case is made out to cause interference by this Court”. The development is significant as the government was facing flak from 17 farmer organisations and opposition parties over land acquisition at Gobindpura village in
Mansa.
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50% police transfers in violation of norms
Chandigarh, July 13 Information procured by Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate HC Arora under the Right to Information Act reveals that DSPs were being transferred indiscriminately against norms. In certain cases, the DSPs were transferred three or four times in a year. Arora said that information obtained from the office of the Faridkot Senior Superintendent of Police revealed that five DSPs were transferred from June 1, 2009, to May 30, 2012. Similarly, information received from the office of the Barnala Senior Superintendent of Police showed that DSP Gurjinder Singh Aulakh stayed on a post for just a month from April 16, 2010, to May 18, 2010.
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Marriage is no ground for parole, says High Court
Chandigarh, July 13 A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain has said that the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1962, does not provide for grant of parole to convicts for marriage. In a petition filed by convict Shagun Chand against the State of Punjab and another respondent, the convict had prayed for a four-week parole on the ground that his marriage had been fixed for July 7. The High Court is, in fact, flooded with petitions filed by convicts for release on parole on various grounds, including marriage. The petition was filed before the High Court after Shagun Chand’s earlier prayer for release on parole was declined by the competent authority which categorically ruled that emergency parole could not be granted to the convict for the purpose of walking down the aisle. Taking up the petition, the Bench asserted that an application seeking parole for marriage should have been moved before the marriage date was fixed. In its detailed order, the Bench said: “The said purpose cannot be treated as an emergency for the grant of parole. “Furthermore, there is no provision to grant parole for marriage of a convict in the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1962.” With these observations, the petition was dismissed.
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Four policemen held after criminal flees
New Delhi, July 13 The criminal, identified as Vikram, convinced the policemen to open his hand-cuffs. He then escaped in an SX4 car driven by his aides. The Punjab Police team, comprising an Assitant Sub-Inspector and four Head Constables, were admitted to a hospital at Malka Ganj on Monday after Vikram reportedly gave them food laced with sedatives. A case has been registered against the policemen, Vikram and his aides. The Joint Commissioner of Police, Central Range, Taj Hassan, said the Punjab Police team that arrived in Delhi along with Vikram on Monday escorted Vikram for a court hearing regarding the kidnap and murder of a man at Bawana in outer Delhi.
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1 dead in bus-police jeep collision
Jagraon, July 13 The injured policemen are Jasvir Singh of Moga, Sukhjinder of Cheeka village near Moga, Jagir Singh of Mehna and Gurcharan Singh of Kot Isse Khan. Four bus passengers were also injured. They were identified as Sohan Singh of Barewal village near Ludhiana, Harmandeep Singh of Hans Kalan village near Jagraon, Charanjit Singh of Mohi village near Humbran and bus driver Suresh Kaushik. The accident took place at 9 am near Gurdwara Begampura Bhora Sahib, 6 km from Jagraon on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur highway. The bus driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while trying to overtake another vehicle and the bus rammed into the police jeep. An eyewitness, Zora Singh, said the bus was being driven at a high speed. A police party from Jagraon reached the accident site and rushed the injured to the Jagraon Civil Hospital where Head Constable Gurmeet Singh was declared “brought dead”. The doctors at the Civil Hospital referred seven of the injured to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana. The condition of at least two victims was said to be critical. A case has been registered and the vehicles involved in the accident impounded.
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Suicide by wife, kids: Khanna man arrested
Fatehgarh Sahib, July 13 SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu said Joginder Singh, a resident of Yamuna Nagar, had lodged an FIR that he solemnised the marriage of his daughter Harshdeep Kaur with Jatinder Pal Singh on November 27, 1994. She was working as teacher at government school at Issru near Khanna. She had two daughters and a son. He alleged that Jatinder had illicit relations with other women, which often led to frequent quarrels between husband and wife and he used to beat her. He said Jatinder’s eldest daughter was preparing for the PMT in Chandigarh and on April 23, 2012, he got a call from her that neither her father nor her mother was answering her phone calls. He immediately rushed to Khanna and on reaching there found that his daughter Harshdeep Kaur and her two children Japneet Kaur and Gurmanjot Singh were missing from home. The SSP said the following day, the police recovered the bodies of all the three from the canal.
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New Delhi, July 13
Amritsar, July 13
