B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Violence IN FARIDKOT JAIL
Delay in inquiry report as magistrate resigns 
Faridkot, May 7
Over two weeks after the Faridkot jail witnessed violence following the death of a prisoner, the magisterial inquiry into the events, ordered by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on April 23, is still in limbo as the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), the inquiry officer, has resigned from his post for medical reasons.

BSF nabs Pak national 
Abohar, May 7
The Border Security Force has arrested a Pakistan national as he intruded into India illegally near the Faridsar Border Out Post (BoP) in Sriganganagar area. He has been identified as Shahid Abbas Ruheja, aged about 31 years, and a resident of Hussainabad village in Bahawalpur.

Licence of liquor company cancelled
Muktsar, May 7
The excise and taxation officials today cancelled the licence of the local Unique Wine Developer Ltd (L-1) located on Malout road here. Talking to The Tribune, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (DETC), Ferozepur, Jaspal Garg said, "There was discrepancy in the official and physical stock available at the godown of Unique Wine, Muktsar, and they were issued a challan by our officials in this regard. They were summoned today at my office and their licence was cancelled after they failed to produce the required documents."

Man kills brother over property dispute
Muktsar, May 7
A man allegedly killed his brother over a land dispute at Wattu village near here today. The police said that as per the complaint lodged by the deceased’s wife, Balvir Singh Fouji along with his wife and two sisters, who are also married in Muktsar district, had a quarrel with Nirmal Singh (42) and thereafter stabbed him with a knife in the chest. Nirmal Singh died on the spot.

48 kg poppy husk seized
Abohar, May 7
The CIA staff has seized 38 kg of poppy husk by intercepting a truck near the Alamgarh bypass here. Driver Satpal Singh and his assistant Tejpal Singh, both of Jalalabad, have been arrested. 

Violence IN FARIDKOT JAIL
Delay in inquiry report as magistrate resigns 
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, May 7
Over two weeks after the Faridkot jail witnessed violence following the death of a prisoner, the magisterial inquiry into the events, ordered by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on April 23, is still in limbo as the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), the inquiry officer, has resigned from his post for medical reasons.

After the death of Harsha Singh, a 70-year-old prisoner in the jail on April 22, prisoners had resorted to violence, injuring 13 jail staff, alleging lack of timely medical attention to the deceased. Within a week before April 22, three other prisoners had died in the jail.

While ordering the magisterial probe into the incident, the CM had directed that the inquiry report be submitted within a week. But as the inquiry officer resigned from his post due to his poor health, the fate of the inquiry is uncertain.

Before the death of the prisoner Harsha Singh on April 22, a prisoner had died on April 20 and Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot, Ravi Bhagat had ordered an inquiry into it.

But following the second death and violence in the jail; and the magisterial inquiry ordered by the Chief Minister, both the inquiries were clubbed and the SDM, Kotkapura, Darshan Singh Grewal was given the job to conduct the inquiry.

But some days back, Grewal resigned from his post for medical reasons and the inquiry report could not be submitted. Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said the SDM had almost completed the inquiry before he resigned and it could not be written and submitted because of the poor health of the inquiry officer. “The inquiry report will be submitted this week,” said the DC.

Pending the inquiry, not only the jail staff but also the doctors and paramedical staff in the jail hospital are apprehensive about their own security due to the hostile behaviour of some drug addicts serving time in the jail.

Both the doctors and the jail staff members blame the poor medical facilities and shortage of staff in the jail hospital for the increasing deaths.

With poor infrastructure, while the jail hospital has to cater to the needs of over 1,800 inmates. Also, the presence of a large number of jail inmates who turn hostile because of acute withdrawal symptoms in the absence of drugs is a factor that troubles the jail staff.

BSF nabs Pak national 
Our Correspondent

Abohar, May 7
The Border Security Force has arrested a Pakistan national as he intruded into India illegally near the Faridsar Border Out Post (BoP) in Sriganganagar area. He has been identified as Shahid Abbas Ruheja, aged about 31 years, and a resident of Hussainabad village in Bahawalpur.

He was handed over to the cops at the Sameja Kothi police station for further investigation. Shahid asserted that he had inadvertently walked across the Zero Line and carried nothing incriminating. 

Licence of liquor company cancelled
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, May 7
The excise and taxation officials today cancelled the licence of the local Unique Wine Developer Ltd (L-1) located on Malout road here. Talking to The Tribune, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (DETC), Ferozepur, Jaspal Garg said, "There was discrepancy in the official and physical stock available at the godown of Unique Wine, Muktsar, and they were issued a challan by our officials in this regard. They were summoned today at my office and their licence was cancelled after they failed to produce the required documents."

He, however, added, "The owners of Unique Wine may now file an appeal before the higher authorities in this regard."

It may be mentioned that the alleged irregularities by the owners of Unique Wine had come to light when their pick-up vehicle was seized at Bathinda with nearly 700 boxes of beer 
on Friday, which was reportedly being transported to Patiala.

The owners of Unique Wine had at that time failed to produce the documents before the excise officials and an FIR was lodged in this regard.

Thereafter, the local excise officials had seized their records and issued a challan to them.

Not even a single official in the local excise and taxation office was ready to speak on the issue as the L-1 is being owned people reportedly close to the ruling Akalis. However, sources in the department said it was the result of a dispute between two groups of liquor traders.

Man kills brother over property dispute
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, May 7
A man allegedly killed his brother over a land dispute at Wattu village near here today. The police said that as per the complaint lodged by the deceased’s wife, Balvir Singh Fouji along with his wife and two sisters, who are also married in Muktsar district, had a quarrel with Nirmal Singh (42) and thereafter stabbed him with a knife in the chest. Nirmal Singh died on the spot.

Meanwhile, the accused was admitted to a hospital in Faridkot. The Bariwala police has registered a case of murder in this regard, but the accused were yet to be arrested.

According to the police, the doctors, who conducted the postmortem, confirmed that the deceased was stabbed twice.

The police said that the dispute between the brothers was over nearly 1.5 acres of land.

48 kg poppy husk seized

Abohar, May 7
The CIA staff has seized 38 kg of poppy husk by intercepting a truck near the Alamgarh bypass here. Driver Satpal Singh and his assistant Tejpal Singh, both of Jalalabad, have been arrested. 

In another incident, the Khuyiansarwar police arrested Kashmir Singh of Muktsar with 10 kg of poppy husk near Panniwala Mahla village on Sriganganagar-Abohar road. — OC