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Oust Capt chorus gets louder
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Abduction Case
General Brar not aware of ground reality: Badal
Sukhbir sanctions projects worth
Rs 2,951 cr for Amritsar
2 more gastro deaths in Batala
Soon, relief for Punjab marriage palace owners
27 police officers transferred
Murder convict claims he is a Babbar
Patran doctor’s kidnapping case leads police to foeticide scam Punjab remains power deficient
Girl set on fire in Ludhiana was 2 months pregnant
Pak shepherd reunited with family
Now, 6-yr B.Tech course
Bodies of 4 Indians killed in Belgium being brought home
Neena Tiwana honoured
Procurement on in Ropar
Immoral trafficking
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Oust Capt chorus gets louder
Chandigarh, October
11 This was the underlying message of two separate meetings that Rahul held with eight former PCC chiefs and 45 former DCC presidents. Amarinder was not present at either of the meetings. Sources said former PCC president Shamsher Singh Dullo was the most vocal in criticising Amarinder. HS Hanspal and Mohinder Singh Kaypee also spoke on the occasion. Others present at the meeting were Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, RL Bhatia, Mohinder Singh Gill and Laal Singh. The sources said that former PCC chiefs had told Rahul that a “committed” Congress leader steeped in the Congress culture was the need of the hour. One of the leaders spoke against the “ five- star culture” introduced into the Pradesh Congress. There was also talk of bridging the gap between the leaders and party workers. Several complained against Amarinder’s lack of accessibility and his lacklustre campaign style. A leader urged for a quick decision on the leadership issue in Punjab. There was an anti-Amarinder tone and tenor at Rahul’s meeting with former DCC presidents too. Only two former presidents, Ved Prakash Gupta from Patiala and Tara Chand Sandhu from Moga, spoke in Amarinder’s favour. Rahul’s response to Gupta’s plea that Amarinder should continue in his post till the parliamentary elections was: “Okay, okay. Next”. A senior leader accused the Punjab Congress leadership of interacting with the Akalis during the elections and urged Rahul to have the allegation investigated. Another leader accused a senior leader from Delhi indulging in corruption to make recommendations for the party ticket. It was alleged that this leader had deputed touts in various districts to make “the collections”. When a speaker told Rahul that the Centre had bungled in ticket allotment, the Congress general secretary reportedly remarked: “This is an excuse to defame the high command. Ticket allotment is recommended by the PCC. The high command only puts its stamp of approval”. Rahul also met eight or nine legislators separately. They were asked the reasons for the assembly poll debacle. The answers included lack of planning and improper distribution of resources during campaigning. Accompanied by Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, Rahul Rahul also visited the samadhi of former Chief Minister Beant Singh. Kataria’s salvo
NEW DELHI: In a letter to Rahul Gandhi, former PCC chief Virendra Kataria has urged the AICC general secretary to get rid of the “baggage of the past’’ and promote collective leadership to revive the party organisation in Punjab. Kataria said his letter, in which he had charged Amarinder with continuing to be surrounded by sycophants and opportunists, was handed over to Rahul by a state Congress leader. He said Amarinder was now talking of coordination with the PPP and the Left when such an arrangement was needed before the assembly elections. Kataria said Amarinder made no attempt to persuade rebel Congress candidates to withdraw from the contest, brought People’s Party of Punjab leaders into the Congress fold just before the poll and fielded them at the expense of established and winnable Congress contenders.
— TNS
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Abduction Case
Faridkot, October 11 Though an official spokesman claimed that the transfers were routine, sources said the officers had been shifted in view of the bandh call for October On October 8, the DIG and the SSP had released several photographs of the abducted girl, provoking public outrage. It was seen as an attempt to malign the victim and her family. The Inspector-General of Police
(IGP), Bathinda Zone, Nirmal Singh Kahlon, had visited the victim’s parents last evening, assuring them of necessary action for “this negligence on the part of the police”. Meanwhile, to make the October 12 bandh a success and to mount pressure on the police and the government to trace the kidnapped girl, several political parties, including the Congress, the BJP and the Left outfits, today asked their supporters to participate in the public protest at Bhagat Singh Park here tomorrow. A group of four lawyers, all members of the Democratic Lawyers’ Association, today accused the police of shielding the key suspect, Nishan Singh. The lawyers said the latter was facing 22 criminal cases. Chandigarh: Joginder
Dayal, CPI leader, said here on Thursday that it was a matter of shame for the authorities that a minor girl abducted in Faridkot more than a fortnight ago had yet to be traced. He said it was clear that the criminals enjoyed political clout. He warned that communal forces had started to raise their head even as the BJP chose to remain mum. The Sanjha Morcha leaders would meet on October 16 to decide its next course of action to confront the government on various issues, including the levy of new taxes.
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General Brar not aware of ground reality: Badal
Jalandhar, October 11 Referring to the utterances of Lt Gen (retd) KS Brar on Operation Bluestar Memorial, the Chief Minister said that Brar was issuing statements without “being armed with adequate information on the ground realities in the state”. He said Brar’s statements could trigger insecurity and panic among the peace-loving people of Punjab. Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the four-day Bhartiya Vigyan Sammelan and Expo at Lovely Professional University here, he said the ruling alliance had not only maintained law and order but also promoting communal amity in the state. “The Shiromani Akali Dal has been a secular party. We have never supported militancy or militants. Brar should visit Punjab and assess the ground reality. Our party lost a number of leaders during the days of turmoil. The media should refrain from publishing or airing news than can vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state,” Badal said. He rubbished apprehensions on the possibility of revival of militancy in the state. Blaming the Congress leadership for “irresponsible and inflammatory statements,” Badal said the SAD-BJP alliance was committed to peace and amity in the state. Jalandhar: Visitors at Bhartiya Vigyan Sammelan and Expo-2012 were surprised when Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal addressed the gathering in English. He read out from a prepared note. Badal has been a crusader for the promotion of Punjabi in the state.
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Sukhbir sanctions projects worth
Rs 2,951 cr for Amritsar
Amritsar, October 11 Talking to the media after holding a meeting with district administration officials here, he said Amritsar was all set to get a new look with the meeting approving projects worth Rs 2,951 crore for the city and the towns on its periphery. He said there would be no dearth of funds for the projects that included 100 per cent water supply and sewerage, multi-lane roads and flyovers, parks, a sports complex, an auditorium and a heritage hotel. He said he would personally monitor these projects by holding a meeting every month. Sukhbir said the government had roped in an expert to draw the blueprint of Amritsar’s development plan. There were plans for a religious-cum-historic tourist circuit, an entertainment hub at the Attari border with a food court and a light laser show on the pattern of Singapore. He said he had already approved Rs 8,745 crore urban development projects for 142 towns and Amritsar would be the first city to benefit from integrated development. He said a new policy was on the anvil under which a contractor would be responsible for project maintenance for the first 10 years. The Deputy CM may have announced a string of projects for the holy city, but there are various projects which have been hanging fire. Among them is the ambitious sewerage project jointly sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the state government and the Amritsar Municipal Corporation. Work on the project took off a few months back after an inordinate delay of five years. As a result, the project cost has more than doubled from Rs 360 crore to Rs 752 crore. Similarly, the solid waste management project, which was proposed in 2007 and was to be implemented in 2008, has yet to materialise. The matter is pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court as one of the firms that participated in the tender bid moved the court after the work was awarded to another company. The elevated road, connecting the main GT Road leading to the Bhandari Bridge, is yet to get completed. The deadline has been extended several times for various reasons. Work on its last ramp is underway. The city bus service is a non-starter and work on the ambitious PRTS project, aimed at facilitating easy travel for tourists within the city, is yet to be started. The firm that has undertaken the project has clarified that it will start work within the next six months and will complete it in 2015. Hanging fire
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2 more gastro deaths in Batala
Batala, October 11 The number of tractor-trailers engaged in lifting garbage from different points of the town has been increased from six to 15 while six new fogging machines have been ordered. Principal Secretary, Local Bodies, Suresh Kumar, visited the worst-affected Gandhi Camp area today. He was accompanied by Raji P Shrivastva, Managing Director, Punjab State Health System Corporation, and Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Trikha. Gurdit Singh was admitted to the Civil Hospital here late last night. He was referred to the Amritsar government hospital but he died on the way. Batala Senior Medical Officer Dr Sukhdeep Singh said a door-to-door survey was being conducted by teams of the Health Department in the affected areas. Chlorine tablets were being distributed among the residents. A team of doctors was camping in Gandhi Camp for vaccinating patients. Meanwhile, Member of Parliament Partap Bajwa and Congress legislators Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Ashwani Sekhri and Tripit Rajinder Bajwa visited the affected area and met the kin of the deceased. Bajwa said Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal had not cared to visit the area despite 13 casualties in the past one week. He demanded the resignation of the minister on moral grounds. Batala MLA Sekhri distributed crates of mineral water among the residents. He demanded that a reverse osmosis plant be set up in the area . Hoshiarpur: As many as 32 cases of gastroenteritis have been reported from Samundra village in Garhshankar subdivision. Dr Surinder Malik, District Health Officer, said a team of doctors had been sent to the affected village. He said 18 patients had been referred to the Civil Hospital, Garhshankar, and 16 discharged after treatment. The condition of the remaining two was stable. Dr Malik said more than 2,500 chlorine tablets had been distributed among the villagers. Ten water samples and two stool samples had been sent to a government lab .
— OC Remedial Steps
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BKU demands drought relief
Chandigarh, October 11 Balbir Singh Rajewal, the state president, said, "The state leadership of the Congress has failed to get any relief for the farmers. The second big issue is a freeze on the Minimum Support Price enforced by the government which too is detrimental to the farming community." A gathering of farmers assembled near the Gurdwara in Sector 15 and moved towards Panjab University around 10 am. The group was stopped in front of the market where they sat and blocked the traffic for nearly three hours till about 1 pm.
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Soon, relief for Punjab marriage palace owners Mohali, October 11 Though an announcement in this regard is yet to be made, a senior government functionary said the decision had been taken. There are around 4,000 marriage palaces in the state. About 90 per cent of these have not obtained approval from the authorities concerned, the official said, adding: “With the reduction in the charges, we hope that the owners will get their establishments approved”. In Mohali district, the composite charges are Rs 1.35 crore per acre while the same are Rs 10 lakh per acre in Ropar. There will also be some changes in the existing norms for getting approval. “We will divide the towns in four categories and charges will be different for each category,” said the official. For identifying authorised/ unauthorised marriage palaces, a timeline from 1963 onwards has been prepared. “The timeline will make help identify jurisdiction of the authority concerned in giving approval to the marriage palaces. If the owner of a marriage palace shows us the requisite permission, his establishment will be approved immediately,” said AK Sinha, Chief Administrator, Greater Mohali Area Development Authority. Sinha said they had formed a committee and applications seeking approval of marriage palaces had also started pouring in. As many as 15 marriage palaces had been sealed in the district for flouting norms. An annual inspection of these establishments would be conducted by the committee to check adherence to the norms, he added.
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27 police officers transferred
Chandigarh, October 11 The government also appointed three Punjab Public Service Service (PPS) officers as SSPs. Three SSPs were posted out of their districts while four others were shifted from one district to another. Among other important transfers IG Arpit Shukla has been appointed as IG Headquarters and DIG Ferozpepur Range Paramraj Singh Umranangal has been appointed as DIG Border Range. Other transfers include the appointment of PPS officers Tulsi Ram as SSP Batala, Gurpreet Singh Toor as SSP Faridkot and Mandeep Singh as SSP Barnala. The SSPs who have been transferred out of their districts are Rajpal Singh who was SSP Batala, Gurinder Dhillon who was SSP Faridkot and Balkar Singh Sidhu who was SSP Hoshiarpur. SSPs who have changed districts include Rav Charan Singh Brar who has now been transferred from Khanna to Bathinda. The government seems unable to decide on which district to give Brar with this being his third transfer as SSP. Other SSPs who changed districts today include Sukhchain Singh Gill who has gone from Bathinda to Hoshiarpur, Inder Mohan Singh who has been transferred from Muktsar to Khanna and Surjit Singh who goes from Barnala to Muktsar. Other transfers include that of R.P. Singh, ADGP Traffic who has been transferred and posted as MD, Punjab Police Housing Corporation (PPHC), S.S. Chauhan, IG Headquarters has been posted as IG Traffic, Kuldip Singh, IG Crime becomes IG Modernisation, A.S. Rai , IG Modernisation becomes IG Provisioning. Shashi Prabha Dwivedi IG Training becomes IG Crime, R.P.S. Brar, IG Traffic has been posted as IG Community Policing. Among DIGs, L.K. Yadav has been posted as DIG CM Security, Arun Pal Singh, DIG CM Security becomes DIG Administration. S. Bhupathi IPS, SSOC (Intelligence) becomes DCP Ludhiana, Harjinder Singh, DCP Amritsar becomes Commandant 3rd IRB Ludhiana, Sukhwant Gill, Commandment 2nd Commando Batallion Bahadurgarh to Commandment 3rd Commando Battalion Mohali, Rakesh Kaushal , Commandment 3rd Mohali to AIG Intelligence, Naveen Saini, Commandment 75 Battalion, PAP, Jalandhar to AIG,PPCR, Manminder Singh, SP/Sports, PAP to Commandment 75 Battalion, PAP Jalandhar, Sushil Kumar, ADCP-IV Ludhiana to 2nd Commando Battalion, Bahadurgarh and Suresh Kumar Sharma as
ADCP-IV Ludhiana.
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Murder convict claims he is a Babbar
Muktsar, October 11 Sources said Binder Singh
Khalsa, a resident of Harinau village near Kotkapura in Faridkot, who had jumped his parole, made the announcement on the gurdwara loudspeaker. "My organisation Babbar Khalsa has given me a go ahead to kill all those who stood against me when I was facing a trial in the murder case," he said. The sources said Binder addressed all present at the gurdwara as his uncles, aunts and relatives. They said Binder had been languishing in the Central Jail,
Faridkot, since his conviction in a murder case. Binder had earlier threatened to kill Maheshinder Singh
Badal, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's cousin.
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Patran doctor’s kidnapping case leads police to foeticide scam
Patiala, October 11 While the kidnapped doctor has been found, police has initiated an inquiry in the scam wherein hundreds of women pregnant
with females allegedly went in for abortion in the recent past. According to an FIR registered at Patran police station following a statement given by the doctor's wife, relatives of Harpreet Kaur had kidnapped the medico who runs a prominent hospital for ultrasound test. “Following an illegal ultrasound procedure performed on her, the doctor said Harpreet had been diagnosed with a female
foetus,” the alleged kidnappers revealed following interrogations. “During abortion elsewhere, the relatives
came to know it was a male foetus. Angry relatives carried the foetus to the hospital. After a heated verbal duel, they allegedly kidnapped the doctor," said a police source. Those who allegedly kidnapped the doctor are said to be in police custody. According to Patran DSP Harpreet Singh, the arrested accused revealed the doctor was practising in
Patran, from where he convinced expectant mothers and their husbands that he could ensure a male child and abort the female and promised Rs 2 lakh if his diagnosis went wrong. “Every fortnight, he would take eight to 10 pregnant ladies and their husbands to
Kaithal, where he would leave the husbands at a dhaba. Abortion came through the same day in case of those who expressed their consent, while others were charged and dropped back,” said the
DSP, who is now inquiring into the matter. The DSP further told The Tribune that the doctor would roughly charge Rs 7,000 for the ultrasound report and Rs 2,000 as cost of travelling to
Kaithal. “Initial investigations suggest that there may be hundreds who partook of this,” he added. Police has sent the male foetus for medical examination. “A separate FIR would be lodged following an inquiry as the matter is very serious,” said Birbal
Singh, in-charge of police post Patran. Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill confirmed the developments, saying the matter is shocking and needs more investigation. “Since it has spread to Kaithal in Haryana, we need to probe it from all angles,” Gill stated. Meanwhile, the staff
and friends of the doctor have rubbished the allegations, claiming the doctor is innocent. Patran’s dark side Back in 2006, a surprise raid by police and health officials in the town of Patran in Patiala district had unearthed a 10-metre (30-foot) well - located behind a private clinic - Sahib Hospital, which had the remains of at least 50 female foetuses. The discovery prompted the largest-ever campaign against female foeticide across the state
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Punjab remains power deficient
Patiala, October 11 According to the report, the power demand of Punjab has been estimated to be 48,881 MU, whereas the estimated supply would be 39,918 MU - a shortfall of about 18.3 per cent. Notably, the Load Generation Balance Report (LGBR) of CEA covers the month-wise anticipated power requirement and availability, as well as the peak demand and availability of power for the year 2012-13. During the current fiscal year, Punjab would not be adding any power generation capacity. The first unit of 270-MW capacity of the 540-MW under-construction Goindwal Sahib power project in Tarn Taran is unlikely to operational by April next year. Furthermore, in the wake of the fact that the work of the first unit (660-MW) of the 1980-MW Talwandi Sabo thermal plant was behind schedule, the deadline for the commissioning of the first unit (660-MW) of this upcoming thermal plant has been extended from November 30 this year to April 13, 2013. Speaking to The Tribune, a senior officer working with the power corporation said, "Because of the delay in the commissioning of the Talwandi Sabo first unit, Punjab would be able to generate about 1800 MU less power during the four months period from December 2012
to March 2013." When contacted, president of PSEB Engineers' Association Baldev Singh Sran blamed the successive state governments for failing to augment the power generation capacity. "In the past one decade, the policy-makers have not laid much stress to ensure power capacity addition," he said. Meanwhile, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) Director (Generation) GS Chabra said once the first units of both the thermal plants Talwandi Sabo and Goindwal are commissioned, Punjab would be much comfortable during the start of the 2013 summer season. Short-term measures PSPCL Director (Distribution) Arun Verma could not be contacted for comments. However, some other officials in the Distribution Wing of PSPCL, on condition of anonymity, claimed the LGBR does not include the short-term power purchases being made by the state power corporation. "PSPCL had got 4000 MU through short-term power purchase from April 1 till September 30 this year. Also, the figures mentioned in the CEA report cannot be considered absolute as these are projected figures," said a PSPCL official. Power experts feel short-term power is not a permanent solution for bridging the gap between power demand and availability.
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Girl set on fire in Ludhiana was 2 months pregnant
Ludhiana, October 11 This came to light when police asked hospital authorities to send the DNA samples of the victim, suffering over 90 per cent burn injuries. The victim is undergoing treatment at CMCH since October 6 and her condition is stated to be critical. Kanwal Masih, Medical Superintendent, CMCH, said, "The girl was around 12-weeks pregnant. Due to excessive burn injuries, the foetus could not be retained. The foetus was handed over to the victim's family and police was duly told about it." Police sources said the foetus was removed on October 8 and handed over to the family members. Parents of the victim refused to comment, while Sonu, paternal uncle of the victim, expressed shock. An official said on the condition of anonymity, "It was a burn case. How can we ask the parents whether the girl was pregnant or not? It could tantamount to outraging a girl's modesty." It is not yet clear whether the foetus has been dumped or it has been kept by the parents. "If the foetus was preserved by the parents, it could prove to be vital evidence for the victim's family and could land the accused in trouble," said the police officer. The incident took place on the morning of October 6, when the victim was on her way to a dairy. According to the victim's statement, Gopi, along with his friend, stopped her near a vacant plot close to her house. While Gopi's accomplice caught hold of her, he set the victim on fire after pouring kerosene on her. Both youth then fled on a motorcycle.
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Pak shepherd reunited with family
Abohar, October 11 He was escorted by security personnel from the Sameja Kothi police station to the international border as per directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Dildar's mother along with other relatives was present on the Pakistan side to receive Dildar, sources said. Dildar had crossed the international border near Prithvisar BOP on September 27. Even as nothing incriminating was found from him, the authorities handed him to the joint investigation team (JIT). Feigning ignorance over the consequences of crossing the international border, Dildar is leant to have pleaded to the JIT "assa nu bebe kol jaan deo" (please allow me to go back to my mother).
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Now, 6-yr B.Tech course
Chandigarh, October 11 An official spokesman said the government had decided to establish Punjab Institutes of Technology (PIT) across the state that would work in collaboration with Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. He said a PIT was set up at Mansa. Keeping in view its success, the government had decided to set up similar institutes across the state. He said the admission process had already been started at the Mansa institute.
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Bodies of 4 Indians killed in Belgium being brought home
Doraha, October 11 Jasvir's cousin Gurpal Singh, who stays in Belgium, has informed the family that the bodies will reach India tonight. “The bodies will reach their native village Buani tomorrow morning and cremated thereafter,” he said. Nirmal Singh, father of deceased Rajvir Kaur, said, "Although there is nothing left with us now, since the time we have heard the news of the bodies arriving tomorrow morning, it seems as if we are going to meet them all in flesh and blood." “Even if my mind has accepted that my daughter and grandsons are dead, my heart would believe it only when I perform their last rites with my our own hands tomorrow morning. While leaving us for the last time, my daughter and grandsons had promised they would visit India the next year. Although not in consciousness, their wish is being fulfilled and this gives me satisfaction,” he added. “What God wills cannot be reversed. Our next meeting was destined to be like this. I at least have the satisfaction that they would be cremated with honour and their souls will ultimately find peace,” said Jang Singh, grandfather of the deceased children. It has been 20 years since Jasvir Singh Jhajj alias Gora of village Buani went to Belgium and having settled down, married the deceased Rajvir Kaur of village Sihar in Rara Sahib on March 6, 2005. He took her to Belgium. Their three children were born there. All five of them were in India last winter to celebrate Lohri with their three children at their native village
Buani.
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Patiala, October 11 Born on September 8, 1939, Neena has worked in numerous Punjabi films and plays. Having showcased her talent in various countries, she has won various awards for taking up the cause of promoting Punjabi cinema. — TNS
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Procurement on in Ropar
Ropar, October 11 Though it was estimated that a total of 1,72,000 metric tonne paddy will arrive in the mandis of the district during the current kharif season, procurement was far less than last year when 20,831 tonne paddy had been procured during the corresponding period.
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Immoral trafficking
Patiala, October 11 The court has also convicted them under Sections 406/120-B of the Indian Penal Code. For immoral trafficking charges, the convicts have been sentenced to imprisonment for seven years. The convicts have been sent to the Patiala Central Jail. The case, which dates back to 2007, is related to the infamous Moga sex scandal. Pawan Kumar Dogra, Special Public Prosecutor, CBI, said: "The court has sentenced Simran and Ajay to imprisonment for seven years under Sections 4/5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, and another two years under Section 406 IPC (criminal breach of trust) and six months under Section 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy)". On February 18, 2012, charges were framed in the infamous Moga sex scandal by the Court of Special Judge (CBI) against Barjinder Singh alias Makhan, son of former Punjab Minister Tota Singh, four police officers and four others. One of the accused Manpreet Kaur had turned an approver. In the case against Ajay and Simran, the complainant was Manpreet, who is now an approver in the Moga sex scandal. Following Manpreet's complaint in 2007, the CBI had registered a case against Ajay and Simran. Manpreet had alleged she was residing with the accused who ran a sex racket.
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Jalandhar, October 11
Amritsar, October 11
Patiala, October 11
In a case of immoral trafficking, the Court of Special Judge (CBI), Patiala, Balbir Singh, has held Simran Kaur and Ajay Kumar of Moga guilty.