B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Youth in hospital, family alleges police torture
Faridkot, October 25
About four months after an 18-year-old youth was allegedly tortured in police custody in Jalalabad sub-division in Fazilka, the boy is struggling for life at the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot.

Daljit Singh lying on bed number 12 in the medicine ward of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

MGNREGA funds ‘misused’
Muktsar, October 25
The complaints regarding the "misuse" of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has raised a question mark over the functioning of the officials here.

School girl crushed under milk tanker
Abohar, October 25
Saniya Sokhal, a student of the LRS DAV Senior Secondary Model School here, was allegedly crushed to death by a milk tanker at Sukhmani Sahib Chowk on the city bypass last evening.

Youth in hospital, family alleges police torture
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, October 25
About four months after an 18-year-old youth was allegedly tortured in police custody in Jalalabad sub-division in Fazilka, the boy is struggling for life at the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot.

Suffering with serious internal head injuries, the youth, Daljit Singh, is being shifted from one hospital to another to save his life.

The youth is suffering with acute paraplegia, paralysis of the legs and lower limbs, typically caused by spinal injury. The boy is also suffering from acute bedsores.

Though Amar Singh Chahal, SSP Fazilka, denied allegations of torture in police custody, the residents and the panchayat of Dhani Prem Singh village in Jalalabad alleged that many complaints against the police officials were made to the higher authorities. But the requests evoked no response," said Nachhatar Singh, the village sarpanch.

Asha Rani, a widow and Daljit's mother, said her son and a cousin of his were picked up by an ASI of the CIA staff in Jalalabad on July 1, alleging that the youths possessed 250 grams of opium and that Daljit was in the poppy husk business. "The police tortured Daljit in the presence of his cousin. Hot water was poured into his nostrils and after his condition deteriorated, Daljit was shifted to a jail in Jalalabad," alleged the mother.

After his condition turned critical in jail, the boy was shifted to the Civil Hospital, Abohar, on July 6 but his condition continued to deteriorate further. He was then shifted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, in the last week of July, alleged the mother.

But with no improvement in his condition, the jail authorities shifted him to PGI Chandigarh and four days back, Daljit was referred to the medicine ward of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot.

"I have only two acres of land and have already sold four kanals to meet the medical expenses in the last four months. But there has been no improvement in the condition of my son," said the mother Asha Rani.

Two jail guards are on round-the-clock duty near bed number 12 on which Daljit Singh is lying and the jail department is claiming that it is meeting the cost incurred on his treatment. But Daljit's mother says the family has already spent Rs 3 lakh on treatment.

Denying allegations of torture, Wazir Chand, ASI, said the police had arrested two youths and recovered 250 grams of opium on July 1. The accused, including Daljit, were sent to judicial custody after their medical examination. Daljit fell ill in jail after he took a high dose of drugs, claimed the ASI.

MGNREGA funds ‘misused’
Archit Watts/TNS

Muktsar, October 25
The complaints regarding the "misuse" of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has raised a question mark over the functioning of the officials here.

First, a complaint came up before the DC over alleged use of MGNREGA funds for purchasing stationery goods worth lakhs. Now, allegations have been levelled for not paying salary to nearly 100 labourers hired last year for cleaning a village pond and embezzling the amount by “forging” the records.

An inquiry has been marked but the report is awaited.

Jagroop Singh, advisor, MGNREGA Rozgar Prapat Mazdoor Union, said, "I have lodged a complaint with the DC that the labourers of Thandewala village were hired under the MGNREGA to clean a village pond. They were later told to clean the pond of Charewan village too, which they completed in nine weeks. The muster rolls were prepared for nine weeks but the labourers were paid only for three weeks. The payment for six weeks is pending. The officials concerned embezzled the amount."

The officer investigating the matter said, "I am not authorised to speak to the media. But I can assure that the probe would be completed within a week. I have brought all the records including the muster rolls to my office. It is yet to be verified whether the officials concerned committed any fraud or they made an unsuccessful attempt.”

District Development and Panchayat Officer Nawal Nainiwal said, "The complaint was made directly to the DC. So, I am not aware of the facts."

School girl crushed under milk tanker

Abohar, October 25
Saniya Sokhal, a student of the LRS DAV Senior Secondary Model School here, was allegedly crushed to death by a milk tanker at Sukhmani Sahib Chowk on the city bypass last evening.

It is learnt that Saniya was going to immerse the articles of worship for Navratra in the Malukpura distributory on an Activa scooter when the canter transporting milk from Kesarisinghpur hit her resulting in her death. The police has seized the canter and registered a case against its driver. — OC