The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Undertrials thrash cops Were trying to sneak in packets of tobacco and ‘bidis’ in court; fresh FIR registered against them Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 Two policemen were abused and thrashed by a group of undertrials in the court complex here today, when the former objected to the latter's attempt to sneak in packets of tobacco and "bidis" in the complex. Taking cognisance of the offence, the Sessions Judge instantly ordered a fresh case to be registered against the undertrials and action accordingly. The Civil Lines police has registered cases under Sections 186/353/332/506 of the IPC against 11 undertrials, who included Amolakjit Singh, Gurdev Singh, Inderjit Singh, Sahib, Joga Singh, Kiranjit Singh, Dharminder Singh, Manga Masih, Palwinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Sonu Masih. A group of over 35 undertrials were to be produced in the court in separate cases. When they were waiting for their turn to appear before the judge in their respective case hearings, one of the undertrials Inderjit Singh procured packets of tobacco and "bidis" from some unknown person. This was noticed by head constable Punjab Singh and heaad constable Rajwinder Singh, who were on duty. As Punjab Singh asked the undertrial Inderjit Singh to hand over the forbidden material to him, he became violent and started using vulgar language against the policeman. When Rajwinder Singh came in support of his colleague Punjab Singh, a group of about 10 undertrials indulged in foul language with the policemen. In the melee, Inderjit blew on the face of Rajwinder. Investigating officer Ashok Kumar, in charge of police post court complex, confirmed that a group clash had occurred in the court complex between the undertrials and the policemen regarding refraining them from possessing tobacco and bidis. “It must be some known person to Inderjit through whom he procured the forbidden tobacco products in the court complex. When the policemen on duty objected to it, his fellow undertrials first indulged in a verbal dual and later physically assaulted one of the policemen. The matter was brought to the notice of the judge, who instantly ordered the registration of a fresh FIR against them. On the basis of this, 11 undertrials were booked for their misconduct,” he said.
	Two nabbed for looting, killing trader in city Main accused was killed in a police encounter earlier, one still at large Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 The police here has claimed to have cracked the murder mystery of a city-based trader who was shot dead on the midnight of August 6 while he was returning to his Rishi Vihar residence with a huge cash amount in his bag. The victim was Munish Khanna (32) who dealt in cloth business. A police party nabbed Bikramjit Singh, alias Tikka, a resident of Sultanwind road, who confessed, during interrogation, to murdering and looting the trader along with three others. The others involved in the crime included Harpal Singh, alias Billa, Chhota Rajan, alias Mehtaab Singh, and their another accomplice whose identification was yet to be revealed. The victim Manish used to bring cash payments of his sale on every Monday from Saharanpur and travelled by train. As usual, on reaching Amritsar Railway Station at about 11.50 pm on August 6, he took out his scooter parked at the parking lot of the railway station and drove towards his house. When he was just a few yards behind his house, he was reportedly intercepted by the two looters riding a motorcycle. They were Billa and an unidentified man (known to Billa only). The two others, Tikka and Chhota Rajan, were a few steps behind on another bike. Billa and his accomplice asked him to part with his bag containing cash, which he declined. This led to a scuffle between them and in the melee, Billa took out a revolver and shot him. The bullet pierced Munish’s chest and he fell. Thereafter, the looters snatched his bag and fled from the scene. Munish was taken to a hospital by his family members, who came out after hearing the noise, but he died next morning. Though the exact amount of money he was carrying, could not be ascertained, but the family members claimed that the amount must have been between Rs 10-12 lakh. Deputy Commissioner of Police KS Gill said Billa had already died in a police encounter at Gurdaspur some time ago and that they all had core criminal background. “They had committed over 35 incidents of shooting and looting, including the murder of this trader,” he said. SHO Manjeet Singh said Tikka was arrested during a naka laid jointly by Civil Lines and a team of Circuit House led by ASI Mukhtiar Singh. “We interrogated him and it was then that he revealed about this murder and loot, which he had committed in connivance with his other accomplices." “The exact amount could not be ascertained as Billa was killed in a police encounter. Now we are on the lookout for the other unidentified person, who was known to Billa only. They had done a recce before committing the crime and were aware of the victim’s routine,” he added. The police has also recovered a motorcycle (Discover make PB-02-BB 4560). Meanwhile, the police said the accused also confessed to having committed the looting that occurred in July last at Gumtala wherein they shot a person, looted the gold chain of a resident of A Block in the Ranjit Avenue area. During the same period, they had snatched earrings of a resident in Naraingarh Chheharta Colony. They were also involved in the shooting incident at Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar wherein they had injured resident Jasbir Singh in June 2012. In May, they had looted a commuter riding a scooter and snatched Rs 40,000. In June 2011, they had looted gold earrings of a woman on the Ajnala road and snatched a Wagon R car on the Kapoor road.
	Priest, sons booked for siphoning off temple property; 1 held GS Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 A priest of an ancient temple here and his three sons allegedly siphoned off a huge quantity of gold and silverware articles after breaking open the locks of one of the temple rooms. The police has arrested Rajinder Kumar, who is one of the sons of the priest Gobind Ram, whereas others are at large. They have been identified as Amit Kumar and Suresh Kumar, both sons of Gobind Ram. They were all residing in the Shivala Thakar temple premises located on the Bagichi Pera Mall Lohgarh Gate, Amritsar. The police post of Durgiana Temple registered a case under Section 408/120-B of the IPC with the Civil Lines police station yesterday and search was on to nab the absconding accused. The investigating officer of the Durgiana police post Lakhwinder Singh, confirmed that the priest’s son Rajinder Kumar had been arrested this morning and would be produced before the court. According to the complaint submitted to the police by Vijay Kapoor, a resident of the same complex, the accused allegedly ‘broke open the locks and stole four gold sets, six garlands studded with pearls, two boxes of silver, 12 mukats, four flutes, all made of silver, two gold made flutes, six silver sticks, four silver glasses, four silver saucers, 12 pair of silk and other costly articles pertaining to make-up’. The preliminary inquires revealed that this temple was built by Gobind Ram’s father Chatarbhuj in 1957. Later, Gobind Ram was entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the affairs of the temple. In 2001, differences emerged between Gobind Ram and some new members of the temple management, when they demanded the list of the articles. It was discovered then that a huge quantity of precious articles were missing. When the priest Gobind Ram allegedly could not divulge the missing articles, the matter was referred to the court by the temple management. After not being satisfied with the court’s order, Vijay Kapoor again approached the police about the disappearance of these precious articles and filed a fresh complaint about the lost temple property. The investigating officer Lakhwinder Singh of the police post, Durgiana temple, said that after taking legal opinion in this matter, the case was reopened yesterday only, on the instructions of Police Commissioner Ram Singh. “It is yet to be investigated when and how the articles got misplaced as the accused had absconded. The complainant had alleged that a large quantity of the temple’s property which included gold, pearls and silverware articles were found to be missing. We have nabbed one of the priest’s son," he said. Separate entity Putting to rest the rumours about the temple being associated with the Durgiana Temple Committee, (as the matter pertained to the Durgiana Temple police post and incidentally, the name of one of the Durgiana temple’s priest was identical to the accused priest), the management of the Durgiana Temple Committee categorically clarified that neither the temple under question nor any of its priests had anything to do with the committee. Harish Taneja, honorary secretary and spokesperson of the Durgiana Committee, said that this temple was located outside the premises of the Durgiana complex and was governed by a separate body. “Neither the priest nor the temple comes under our jurisdiction,” he said.
	Visitor to city duped of cash in ATM fraud Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 A visitor to the holy city was duped of Rs 75,000 from his account while he was withdrawing cash by using his ATM card near the Golden Temple. The unidentified accused had withdrawn Rs 35,000 from the same ATM and another amount of Rs 40,000 from an ATM in Jalandhar. The E-Division police has registered a case under Section 420/379 IPC 66 IT act in this matter. The victim, identified as Manmatha Sarangi, a resident of Machuti in Cuttack district, went to an ATM booth of the SBI branch to withdraw money but found some problem with the process. An unknown person offered him help. After taking his ATM card and asking for the password, he withdrew Rs 5000 for the victim. Little knowing that the unknown person had handed him back a forged card, the victim left the place. It was only after a few hours that he came to know the reality through an SMS that Rs 40,000 was withdrawn from his account. To his surprise, he had missed an earlier SMS of losing Rs 35,000. He got a blow on finding out that the card which was handed over to him by that unidentified person did not belong to him as it bore someone else’ name, but was identical in look. He instantly procured the bank’s helpline number and got his ATM card blocked. The E division police in charge Sukhwinder Singh said investigation was on in the matter but no one could be identified as yet.
	Poll for BJP head's selection put off Navjot Sidhu, Anil Joshi supporters engage in verbal duel Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 Uproarious scenes and sloganeering were witnessed during the elections to the head of the local BJP unit at its district office, after which the poll process was postponed today. The sloganeering once again brought out the power tussle between the groups headed by Member of Parliament Navjot Sidhu and Industry Minister Anil Joshi in open. Though known for its disciplined cadre the district unit of the BJP seemed to have been divided into two camps. The supporters of the Joshi group felt that a leader from the Sidhu camp would be made the district unit president without giving them a fair chance. As soon as state BJP secretary Ravi Mohindru presented names of 24 voters, including 12 Mandal Pardhan and 12 other party members, councillors, a majority of them from the Amritsar North constituency, assembly seat represented by Joshi, were on their toes. It resulted in a pandemonium and commotion in the hall of the Harbanas Lal Khanna Smarak, as the BJP office is called, outside the Hathi gate. The agitating leaders and supporters squatted on the floor and raised slogans around the chair of Mohindru, who has been appointed in charge of the election process here. The sloganeering was stopped only after Mohindru announced the postponement of the election. The councillor from ward number 11 Sukhminder Singh Randhawa, aka Pintu, denied that the councillors were divided on group lines. He said all elected leaders and party members were disciplined and added that they were not even against any individual candidate and did not subscribe to any group. They wished that only the process must be implemented in totality. He said earlier the party used to announce its candidate and the decision used to be accepted by one and all. He added that for the first time, nomination papers were filed and seven candidates came out to claim the post of the district unit head.
	AIT earns Rs 21 cr from auction of plots Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 Even as the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) earned Rs 21 crore by selling a limited number of residential and commercial properties, but sources revealed that the number of big investors was slim. Of the 22 residential plots up for sale in the posh Ranjit Avenue, 21 were sold off within a price range of Rs 28,000 to Rs 33,300 per square yard. However, out of the seven SCOs in the commercial area of the same locality, only one was auctioned. In all 22 plots were auctioned in the Ranjit Avenue scheme. Ten plots of 250 sq yd and an equal number of 200 sq yd falling in the residential area of D Block in Ranjit Avenue were procured by buyers. Real estate investors and people looking for houses in the posh locality outbid one another to claim one. A plot of 500 sq yd and another of 250 sq yd in the C Block of Ranjit Avenue were also on sale. The high prices of commercial property saw a negligible number of investors as only one shop-cum-office (SCO) out of seven at District Shopping Centre in Ranjit Avenue was auctioned. Five SCOs were of 363 sq yd each and rest of the two of 544.5 sq yd, which went under hammer. The reserve price of Rs 90,000 per sq yd was fixed by the AIT, but the lone successful bidder procured a 544.5 sq yd SCO at a price of Rs 1.08 lakh per sq yd, which cost him Rs 5.88 crore. Meanwhile, the AIT did not get an adequate number of bidders for the Jahajgarh area on the GT Road. Seven built-up booths in the Truck Stand scheme at a reserve price of Rs 10.45 lakh each, 10 built-up shop-cum-flats (SCFs) at a reserve price of Rs 28.90 lakh each, besides 10 booking agencies, including seven on 302 sq yd and three on 373 sq yd, did not elicit much response from the bidders. Sources said a group of traders from the Jahajgarh area made a cartel, which prompted the AIT officials to "withhold" the auction of the area. Executive Officer of the AIT Jiwan Bansal said the auction was successful and met the target. He said though the reserve price per square yard was kept at Rs 21,000, but it rose to little over Rs 33,000 in some cases.
	CBDT member holds meeting with Income Tax Dept field officers Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 A member of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Ministry of Finance, Dr Sudha Sharma, held a meeting with field officers of the Income Tax Department today. Addressing the field officers, she said the working of the Income Tax Department at the Central Processing Centre of Bangalore had been greatly appreciated and was considered as the top centre of e-governance in the country, which was comparable to the international standards of providing efficient services to taxpayers. The new initiatives in the online tax compliance were being taken, which would further enhance the quality of services to taxpayers, she said, elaborating about the initiatives being taken for providing better services to taxpayers along with maintaining focus on the realisation of the revenue collection targets. She exhorted the officers to put in hard work with integrity while providing services to the nation. A 1976-batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Dr Sharma is a member (Legislation and Computerisation) in the CBDT and is also the administrative in charge of the North West Region of the country. Earlier, she was welcomed at the Amritsar airport by KS Pathania, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax.
	Mobile sets in jail 2 undertrials booked Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 Jail authorities today seized three mobile sets with SIM from two undertrials lodged in the Amritsar Central jail. The Cantonment police has registered separate cases under Section 420/IPC 42 Prisoners Act 1894 against Parkash Masih and Gurmeet Singh, lodged in the jail. According to investigating officer, Prabhjot Singh of the Gumtala police post, the accused were caught with mobile sets by the jail staff during routine search.
	GNDU to celebrate 43rd foundation day today Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 The Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) authorities have formed special committees for the smooth conduct of its 43rd foundation day, scheduled to be held tomorrow at various venues on the campus. A special meeting was conducted under the chairmanship of Dr Inderjit Singh, Registrar of university, to review the arrangements. Prof Dev Parkash Agrawal, Chairman, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), New Delhi, Prof JS Grewal, former Vice-Chancellor of the university, and Prof Jaspal Kaur Singh, professor (English), Northern Michigan University, USA, would deliver academic lectures in Guru Nanak Bhawan Auditorium. Vice-Chancellor Prof Ajaib Singh Brar would preside over the function. The celebrations would start with the bhog akhand path at the university gurdwara, followed by shabad kirtan, recited by Hazoori Ragi Bhai Maninder Singh. An exhibition of rare books and manuscripts, painting contest and folklore would also be organised at various venues. Langar would be served at the Senate Hall lawns, followed by women hockey match between teams of Punjab University, Chandigarh, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, at the astroturf stadium. In the evening, another kirtan darbar would be organised at the university gurdwara in which students from the Music Department and a jatha of the Security Department of the university would recite shabad kirtan. This would be followed by a firework show.
	DAV School win CBSE skating tourney Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 The host DAV International School emerged winner in the four-day CBSE National Skating Championship as it garnered 47 points. St Teresa Convent School, Karnal, secured the second position as it got 27 points. About 800 participants from more than 250 schools of five different zones, namely North Zone-I, North Zone-II, East Zone, West Zone, South Zone, participated in it. The Chairman, CBSE, Vineet Joshi, gave away prizes to winners. JP Shoor, Director, PS-I, Aided Schools, was the guest of honour. Accompanied by host school Principal Anjana Gupta and other staff members, Vineet Joshi paid obeisance at the Golden Temple.