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Re-employed jawans may get double pension
Deputy CM lays stone of Rajpura plant, dodges protesting farmers
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Cong cautions govt against acquisition
Farmer protest fizzles out amid police crackdown
Month on, village under water, epidemic threat looms
Composition schemes for industry on anvil
Register or face action: Govt tells travel agents
Unpaid for months, teachers to gherao treasury offices
Include Dhobi-Kanaujias in SC list: Bajwa to PM
Two men die while cleaning manhole
Many projects face financial roadblocks in Patiala
Farmers diversify in Sangrur
as area under vegetable rises
Farm labourers
protest in Sangrur
Disability rehabilitation centre starved of funds
State to link ration, Aadhar cards to check pilferage
Maize board members appointed
DSP gets 35-year jail for abducting seven of family
HC upholds death for man who killed six of his relatives
Double murder: Two sent to police remand
MLA’s relative booked in another case
Markfed official held for graft
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Re-employed jawans may get double pension
Chandigarh, September 20 Besides family pension from the Defence Ministry, they are likely to be entitled for state government pension after retirement. If the move is implemented before the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the SAD-BJP Government is certain to reap rich dividends. Official sources said a proposal in this regard had been approved by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and would be sent to the Finance Department for further action. There is 13 per cent reservation for ex-servicemen in state government jobs. Under sub-rule 13-A and 13-B of the Central Civil Services( Pension) Rules, 1972, the grant of two family pensions is prohibited to a person already receiving family pension. But the Central Government's Ministry of Personnel and Pensions has now clarified to the state government that both these sub-rules have been omitted. Most jawans in the defence forces retire at 40 after which they often serve with the state government for 15 to 20 years. The jawans had submitted representations, seeking state government pension as in the case of other government employees. As of now, about 30,000 ex-servicemen are on the rolls of the state government. If paid pension, the state government's liability will be about Rs 300 crore annually, said a senior official. It is not clear whether ex-servicemen who have already retired from state government jobs will also be entitled for the double pension.
Significant move
If the proposal is implemented before the Lok Sabha elections, the SAD-BJP Govt is certain to reap
dividends
The proposal has been approved by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, say
sources At least 30,000 ex-servicemen are on the rolls of the state government, as of
now If paid pension, the state government's liability will be about Rs 300 crore annually
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Deputy CM lays stone of Rajpura plant, dodges protesting farmers
Patiala, September
20 They were protesting against the "forcible acquisition" of a farmer's land for the sewage treatment plant (STP) in Rajpura. “Had Sukhbir travelled by road, he would have had a bumpy ride and got to know of the poor state of roads that are full of potholes,” remarked Patiala (Rural) MLA Brahm Mohindra. Sukhbir, who arrived late for the functions in Patiala, laid the stone for a Rs 40-crore STP spread over two acres of land at
Rajpura. “I will die but will not give up my land," said Surinder Singh on whose land the project is to come up. "It is not right to lay the stone for the project when the government has yet to pay me a penny for the land acquired,” he maintained. Members of farmers' unions complained that Sukhbir "boarded the chopper even as we waited to meet him and inform him of our grievances."
Speaking to mediapersons here after dedicating a Rs 25 crore complex housing offices of the Water Supply and Sanitation and Senior Architect, Sukhbir blamed the Centre for the country's economic woes. Asked if the SAD had ignored the Gujarat riots while extending support to BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, he said no court of law had held Modi responsible for what had happened in Gujarat a decade ago.
“However in 1984, the Congress orchestrated riots in Delhi and, therefore, the Congress does not have the right to call Modi communal,” he said. Describing Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu’s outburst against the government as a non-issue, the Deputy CM said he did not want to enter a blame
game. Advising Pradesh Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa to desist from spreading a "false propaganda" on the state's finances, he said he should instead mount pressure on the Centre to release Punjab’s share in central sales
tax. Inaugurating a bus stand at Patran, Sukhbir said farmers with less than five acres of land who had applied for tube well connections would be provided the same within a month. Among those presnt at the function were Cabinet Minister SS Rakhra, Patiala Mayor AS Bajaj and other leaders.
Cong cautions govt against acquisition
Chandigarh: Sukhpal Singh Khaira, PPCC spokesperson, addressing a press conference here on Friday, said the Punjab Government's attempt to “forcibly acquire” prime agricultural land would mean denying farmers the legitimate land price under the newly adopted Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2013. He was reacting to a government notification in newspapers on acquiring 3,245 acres in nine villages of Ludhiana district, seven villages of Mohali and one each of Gurdaspur, Patiala and Amritsar
districts.
Farmers from Ludhiana villages present at the press conference said they did not want to part with their ancestral land and that the new Bill had a provision allowing them to retain their land if the majority so demanded. Khaira said if the state government turned a deaf ear to the farmers, the Congress would move the High Court. — TNS
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Farmer protest fizzles out amid police crackdown
Moga, September 20 The protesters have been pressing for the release of their nine senior activists who were arrested a few days ago from Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts during an agitation against the shifting of power meters outside their homes. Farmers from various parts of the district started gathering at a gurdwara in Machike village in the morning but the local panchayat asked them to leave the premises of the shrine and hold their meeting elsewhere.
When they came out of the shrine, 127 of them were arrested as a preventive measure to maintain law and order. They were later produced in a local court, which sent them to judicial custody, said Senior Superintendent of Police KJS Dhillon. Eighteen farmers were arrested by the police
yesterday. BKU general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri, who managed to escape, alleged that the SAD-BJP government was trying to suppress the democratic rights of the people by using the police force.
“The police has taken into custody at least 1,500 farmers, including women, from 24 locations in the state. But, the exact figures cannot be ascertained at the moment as the arrests are still continuing,” said
Kokri. The BKU leader said among others places, the farmers had been arrested from Dhurkot-Lehra, Maisarkhana and Jethuka in Bathinda district; Tahlian, Atla Kalan, Diyalpur, Bhikhi and Thalewan in Mansa; Khudi Kalan and Dhaula in Barnala; Takhtupura and Machike in Moga; Lambi and Doda in Muktsar district and Manjiawali in Gurdaspur. Seeking the release of the farmers arrested by the police, including those arrested earlier in Amritsar and Gurdaspur, the BKU said it would intensify its stir in case the state government failed in doing so. Kokri has also called an emergency meeting of the BKU office-bearers at Machike on September 23 to discuss the next course of action in view of the “repressive” attitude of the
SAD-BJP government. Sangrur: The police foiled an attempt by the BKU (Ugrahan) district unit to converge at the ITI Chowk at Sunam, 13 km from here, for a protest. Hundreds of farmers were detained in various parts of the district.
BKU leader Dilbag Singh Harigarh claimed that around 150 farmers were detained at Jakhepal (Dharamgarh), 200 at Kanjhla village (near Dhuri), 100 at Namol village (near Longowal) and over 90 at Khadial village (near
Sunam). Harigarh said the main leaders of the union could not be arrested as they had gone underground.
Senior Superintendent of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu said that over 450 BKU activists were detained and let off after a few hours.
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Month on, village under water, epidemic threat looms
Muktsar, September
20 Haraj is one such village in Muktsar where residents have been forced to live amid stagnated water, which has turned blackish in colour with foul smell emanating from it. A major part of the fields, streets and houses are under
water. The water has turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes and has increased the worries of the residents about the possibility of an epidemic. A big lake is visible if one visits the village through Warring-Khokhar-Haraj road. Even some migratory birds have arrived here.
Villagers said their cotton and paddy crops have been ruined. But, the bigger worry for them was the lack of fodder for their livestock.
As the government primary school is also flooded, classes are now being held in a gurdwara. Some buildings have partially collapsed while a number of houses have developed
cracks. The villagers said four of the six link roads were closed for vehicular movement as these were still
submerged. Nachattar Singh, former sarpanch, said, “Except providing us ration, the state government has failed on all fronts. Nearly 40 per cent of the village is still waterlogged. We have already suffered huge losses and it seems we will not even be able to sow the next crop of
wheat.” Another resident, Bahadur Singh, said, “During his recent visit to the village, the Chief Minister had directed the officials accompanying him to drain out the water as soon as possible, but the scenario continues to be the same
here.” A few residents alleged that their village was flooded mainly because of a ‘bundh’ made ahead of it.
The district administration, however, claimed that the overall situation had improved. It said following directions from the Chief Minister, relief cheques were being given to the affected farmers.
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SAD remarks a ploy to avert real issues, claims Sidhu
Amritsar, September 20 He said as Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal did not have answers to the thorny issues raised by him, he had resorted to making such statements. "The CM should rather answer the pointed queries that I have posed to him. Who diverted funds from Amritsar? Will the government restore the funds to the holy city? Why does it not order a judicial probe? Why the development of Amritsar was stalled? Let us not deflect from the real issues. Let us talk about Guru ki Nagri." He said last time too there was rumours that he would not contest from Amritsar. “But it was I who faced six-time Member of Parliament RL Bhatia in 2004 and won the seat,” he said. Sidhu said the state government should stop passing the buck and tell the people what it had done for Amritsar in the past seven years. He reiterated that the SAD had violated the coalition dharma. "Everybody knows who ensured the defeat of BJP candidates during the MC poll last year and who is boycotting my wife (Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu) in her Amritsar East constituency now. The MP, striking a reconciliatory note, said he was ready to go anywhere to iron out differences with the state government. At the same time, he said the ruling SAD should not ignore the holy city. He said Punjab BJP affairs in charge Shanta Kumar had promised to resolve the issue within the next two or three days. “An irreparable damage has been caused and I think it is time for damage control,” he added.
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Composition schemes for industry on anvil
Chandigarh, September 20 With composition schemes (wherein lumpsum tax is charged) being brought in for several segments of industry, the government hopes that the VAT collections will show a significant rise.
The government was targeting a growth of 25 percent in its total VAT collections this fiscal year. However, the growth during April- July has been just 10.3 per cent.
Though the growth in the state’s VAT collections is still among the highest in the country, the general economic slowdown, a low wheat yield leading to lower purchase tax collections and the slmp in automobile sales have impacted the state's VAT growth.
The government is now ready to impose its composition scheme for the plywood industry, marriage palaces and dhabas. This is being done to ensure that loopholes in tax collection from these three segments are plugged.
While the composition scheme for the plywood industry is ready and likely to be notified by the month-end, the scheme to charge lumpsum tax on marriage palaces will be ready for implementation next month.
Sources in the Finance Department said it had been decided to impose a lumpsum tax of Rs 12 lakh per annum per press operating in a plywood manufacturing unit.
A similar scheme to charge composite tax per annum was being readied for marriage palaces and dhabas/ restaurants/ bars, which instead of having to pay multiple taxes like luxury tax and liquor licence fee, would now pay a single lumpsum tax to the state Excise and Taxation Department every year.
“With composition schemes being brought in for various sectors of industry, we can ensure that no one is allowed to evade taxes.
“The schemes are being prepared in consultation with industry leaders and in almost all sectors, the latter have agreed to pay higher taxes.We are likely to increase VAT collections by over 400 per cent from plywood manufacturers,” said a senior
official. Meanwhile, the state government has decided not to increase the VAT on diesel and automobiles.
Sources said this would only lead to diversion of sales of the product to neighbouring states and not benefit the state much. Hence, the move had been abandoned. Making the right move The government is ready to impose its composition scheme for plywood industry, marriage palaces and dhabas This is being done to ensure loopholes in tax collection from these segments are
plugged Composition scheme for the plywood industry is likely to be notified by the
month-end The scheme to charge lumpsum tax on marriage palaces will be ready for implementation next month
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Register or face action: Govt tells travel agents
Chandigarh, September 20 The agents, in turn, will be issued licences, which will have to be renewed every five years.
Confirming the development, Home Secretary DS Bains said all the deputy commissioners had been directed to ensure eradication of illegal activities in the garb of sending people abroad in lure of greener pastures. “The district heads have been told to book the offenders under a non-bailable offence, which entails imprisonment up to five years,” he
said. A deputy commissioner said the Doaba region was full of travel agents, many of whom indulged in fraudulent means to send their clients abroad. He said there was need to put an end to the practice.
The travel agents, however, are up in arms against the government move. Jatinder Walia, president of Punjab Travel Agents Association, Jalandhar, said, “We will challenge the order in the court. The government only wants to mint money as it is charging a non-refundable fee of Rs 1 lakh for the five-year licence. The same charge in Delhi is a mere Rs 5,000.”
RP Singh, director of Punjab Air Transportation, said “people indulging in emigration malpractices had been let off whereas those doing legal business for years were being targeted”.
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Unpaid for months, teachers to gherao treasury offices
Chandigarh, September 20 "We are disappointed by the attitude of the state government towards payment of our salaries, which has been pending for the last five to six months. Therefore, we today decided to gherao the treasury offices across the state on September 27," Gurcharan Singh Chahal, president of the Government-Aided School Teachers & Other Employees Union (Punjab), said
here. As many as 5,000 members of the union, including teachers and principals, will take part in the agitation, he said. Despite the claims by Punjab government, payment of salaries to the tune of Rs 60 crore is pending for the past five to six months, Chahal said. The government has also not paid Rs 30 crore as the second installment of pay arrears, he said. A delegation of the union met senior officials of the Punjab Finance Department here to know the status of their
salaries. "We were not given any time-bound commitment by the officials, though they said disbursement will be made in tranches," Chahal claimed. He said teachers would also take mass casual leave on October 9 and gherao Punjab Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka. There are 484 government-aided schools in the state. — PTI
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Include Dhobi-Kanaujias in SC list: Bajwa to PM
Chandigarh, September 20 In a communication to the Prime Minister, Bajwa said a number of representations had been made from various groups of the Dhobi-Kanaujia community from all parts of the state for their inclusion in the list of Scheduled
Castes. There was a sizeable population of the community in Punjab, he said. Currently, the community is included in the state list of Backward Classes. He said the community had been pleading its case on the basis of its historical, social economic and educational backwardness.
“The community has already been declared as a Scheduled Caste in states like Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra,” he said.
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Two men die while cleaning manhole
Patiala, September
20 Following a complaint by area residents, the three entered the sewerage line at around 12.30 pm without any safety
equipment. Vaidh Kumar, whose shoulder got displaced in a bid to take out the bodies of his colleagues from the sewerage line, said the sewage in the pipe was five-feet deep. “As soon as Rahul entered the line, he became unconscious due to the poisonous gases. When Narayan jumped into the line to save Rahul, he too fell unconscious,” he
said. On being informed about the incident, the MC officials immediately reached the spot and took out the bodies with the help of a JCB machine. The bodies were sent to Rajindra Hospital mortuary.
The kin of the deceased rushed to the mortuary and sought action against the erring officials. They blocked traffic outside Rajindra Hospital and demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for a family member of the deceased.
Sanjeev Kumar Bittu, opposition leader in Patiala MC, alleged the incident had occurred due to the negligence of the MC authorities. "Only one of the six pumps has been functional for the past six months. If all these were functional, there would have been no need to enter the manhole to clear the sewage,” he said.
Patiala Mayor Amarinder Singh Bajaj termed the incident as unfortunate and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh and a government job for the kin of the deceased.
He said, “This was an accident and the opposition should not make it a political issue. The Sanitation Department will examine the cause behind the incident. This incident has got nothing to do with the pump sets as all six are functional,” he added.
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Many projects face financial roadblocks in Patiala
Patiala, September
20 Sources said many buildings that had been completed since long started deteriorating due to delay in revised approval of finances from the competent
authorities. There were projects worth Rs 54 crore in the city under the scheme, under which vacant and surplus land of various government departments was transferred to the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) in the revenue records to generate additional resources for the state for infrastructure
development. The projects include a sub-divisional office of the PWD, PWD Rest House, a school in Rajpura colony, five Type-I, 10 Type-II, 32 Type-III, 40 Type-IV and 335 Type-V quarters near Government Mohindra
College. Out of the total projects, only the PWD sub-divisional office worth Rs 1.20 crore, Rajpura colony school worth Rs 6.75 crore and Type-1 and Type-2 quarters have been completed and handed over to the respective departments. All other projects could not be completed allegedly due to non-payment dues to contractors and other financial issues following which many of these buildings have started deteriorating. While the 335 Type-V quarters have been partially ready for the past four years, the PWD has failed to complete the work on one pretext or the other following which the condition of the quarters has started worsening.
These quarters have developed dampness and windowpanes of a few quarters have already been broken, the electricity supply to the quarters has also been disconnected following non-payment of the bills. Due to delay in payment of over Rs 1 crore by the PWD to the building contractor, the Rs 6.75 crore school building at Rajpura could not be handed over to the Education Department for the past more than a year. Executive Engineer, PWD, Rajiv Berry said the department was making all attempts to complete the projects.
“We have completed approximately Rs 16 crore works which have been handed over to the respective departments. About Rs 15 crore has also been spent on certain projects though we have not yet handed them over. I am hopeful that we will complete the work on Type-III and IV quarters by October 31 this year and then channelise all our energy on of 335 Type-V quarters,” he added.
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Farmers diversify in Sangrur
as area under vegetable rises
Sangrur, September
20 Officials at the department said this season farmers in Sangrur and Bhawanigarh had sown vegetables on an additional 45 hectares, followed by 21.5 hectares in Malerkotla, 18 hectares in Lehragaga and Andana, 15.5 hectares in Dhuri and Sherpur, and nine hectares in
Ahmedgarh. Over 2,000 farmers, including 1,000 in Malerkotla, from Sangrur district sow ladyfinger, bottle gourd, brinjal, cucumber, cow peas, bitter gourd etc in March-April and again in June-July. They sow cauliflower, cabbage, potato, peas, garlic, radish, carrot, spinach, coriander, onion etc from September to
November. Horticulture Development Officer Dr Hardeep Singh said vegetables were sown on a total of 7,580 hectares in Sangrur district in 2012-13. He said vegetables were planted on over 2,985 hectares in Malerkotla, 887 hectares in Ahmedgarh, 837 hectares in Sangrur block, 666 hectares in Dhuri block, 648 hectares in Sunam block and 525 hectares in Bhawanigarh block
etc. With the low tunnel technique becoming popular among farmers, farmers have been able to increase their profits. In 2012-13, farmers used this technique to sow vegetables on 500 hectares in Sangrur
district. In this technique, farmers use 50 micron plastic sheet and iron wire to save their crops that are sown in November and December from frost in winter. Veg delight This season farmers in Sangrur and Bhawanigarh have sown vegetables on an additional 45 hectares, followed by 21.5 hectares in Malerkotla, 18 hectares in Lehragaga and Andana, 15.5 hectares in Dhuri and Sherpur, and nine hectares in Ahmedgarh
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Farm labourers protest in Sangrur
Sangrur, September 20 They also submitted a memorandum, enlisting their demands, to the Additional Deputy Commissioner Pritam Singh Johal. The protest was held under the leadership of Kalicharan Kaushik, district president of the
union. The demands were allotment of 10 marlas free of cost to landless poor along with a grant of Rs 2 lakh for building a house, enhancement in old-age, disabled and widow pensions from Rs 250 to Rs 1,000 per month; guaranteed work for 200 days in a year at the rate of Rs 250 per day under NREGA; and raising the amount under Shagun Scheme from Rs 15,000 to Rs 31,000.
Among others, Bhup Chand Channo, state president of the union, Bharga Nand Longowal, district secretary of the union, Bant Singh Namol, state vice president of Punjab Kisan Sabha and Dev Raj Verma, state secretary of the CITU addressed the protesters. —TNS Their demands Allotment of 10 marlas free of cost to landless poor along with a grant of Rs 2 lakh for building a
house Enhancement in old-age, disabled and widow pensions from Rs 250 to Rs 1,000 per month
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Disability rehabilitation centre starved of funds
Sangrur, September
20 The centre that was set up in July, 2003 had sought Rs 20 lakh for the financial year 2012-13, but it got a mere Rs 7.12
lakh. The grant has already been utilised, so the district administration has to make alternative arrangements now to accommodate the pending cases this
year. The centre that is run by the District Red Cross Society is awaiting the grant for 2013-14.
With the grant of Rs 7.12 lakh, the DDRC has provided 60 tricycles, five wheelchairs, 37 hearing aids, 27 crutches and 45 artificial limbs so far. Eighteen artificial limbs are yet to be distributed.
In the absence of a prosthetic engineer, two orthotic and prosthetic technicians build the artificial limbs at a workshop at the centre. The post of the engineer has been lying vacant for over two years now. These costly artificial limbs are provided to the poor at only 10 per cent of their total cost.
Dr Satnam Kaur, in charge of the centre, said since the inception of the centre, it has supplied artificial limbs, wheel chairs, calipers, tricycles, hearing aids, crutches etc. worth Rs 1.50
crore.
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State to link ration, Aadhar cards to check pilferage
Patiala, September
20 The Food and Civil Supply (FCS) Department in Punjab will soon go online to make the system fair and transparent. Sources said the process would be completed in a few months and district level officers were working to identify genuine ration card holders.
The government also plans on identifying ration depot holders, who siphon off food grain, and take action against them. These depot holders have been defrauding the government by showing fake account holders in their records for almost a decade.
“In every district around 5,000 to 15,000 card holders are fake, putting the total number at over two lakh in the state,” a source said.
A senior FSC official said, “One will be able to go and buy their quota of food from any fair-price shop and not be restricted to any one in case the shopkeeper is unfair. The existing ration card system limits citizens to one
shop.” DS Grewal, Secretary, Food and Civil Supply Department, said, “From now on only genuine card holders could avail government subsidies.” System’s Benefits Once the system gets
digitised, the government will be able to track supplies Consumers will also now be able to go to any fair-price shop
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Maize board members appointed
Chandigarh, September
20 The government has taken this step to intensify its efforts in promoting maize as an alternative crop and encouraging bee keeping under its agriculture diversification program.
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DSP gets 35-year jail for abducting seven of family
New Delhi, September 20 The trial court had awarded life sentence to them for the offence while the Punjab and Haryana High Court had rejected their appeals, forcing them to approach the
SC. A Bench comprising Justices AK Patnaik and Gyan Sudha Misra, however, sentenced them to 35 years, five years each in respect of the seven victims, for abducting them. The victims were complainant Inder Singh’s father Sadhu Singh, son Hardev Singh, brothers Gurdip Singh and Amanjit Singh, and nephews Sharanjit Singh, Davinder Singh and Sukhdev
Singh. “We cannot hold that the seven abducted persons were last in the custody of the appellants…The prosecution should have examined witnesses from the police personnel or the police station to establish that the seven abducted persons were last seen in the custody of the appellants,” the SC
ruled. Citing the statements of witnesses, the SC noted that the victims did not go missing immediately after their abduction and were found in different police stations in Punjab and one of them was found going in a Gypsy at Amritsar.
Therefore, the burden of proving as to what had happened to them after their abduction did not lie with the convicts as stipulated under Section 106 of the Evidence Act, it
explained. The trial court and the HC had sentenced the accused to five years of RI under Section 364, IPC ,for abduction.
The Supreme Court, however, said an illustration given in Section 220, CrPC, had clearly stated that “where an accused commits the same offence against three persons, he can be charged with three
offences.” “As seven persons had been abducted by the appellants, the latter are guilty of seven offences under Section 364, IPC, and they should be punished for each of these offences,” the Bench explained and ruled that each of the five-year term would run consecutively and not
concurrently. On a habeas corpus petition, the SC had ordered a CBI probe into the disappearance of the victims but the accused were subsequently prosecuted by the Punjab Police along with seven others. According to the complainant, the two convicts had come with 20-25 persons and taken away the victims.
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HC upholds death for man who killed six of his relatives
Chandigarh, September
20 More than a year after the incident, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today upheld the death sentence of Khuswinder Singh. The prosecution had claimed that he had killed six relatives, including two children, by pushing them into Bhakra canal in June 2012 for money the family had obtained from the sale of a property. The decision to uphold the death sentence was pronounced in the open court by the Division Bench of Justice SS Saron and Justice SP
Banger. In March this year, the Fatehagarh Sahib Judge had awarded death to Khuswinder Singh after holding him guilty. A native of Suhavi village of Fatehgarh Sahib, he was a typist outside a local court and had planned to eliminate his relative's family for Rs 37 lakh they had received from sale of property. He took the family to the Bhakra Canal near Mukandpur village on the pretext of performing a religious ceremony. Among the victims were 70-year-old retired police constable Gurmail Singh, his wife Paramjit Kaur, their son Gurinder Singh, son-in-law Rupinder Singh and his son Jaskirat and daughter
Prabhsimran. The matter came to the knowledge of the police only when deceased Gurmail Singh’s daughter Jasmine managed to flee and inform the Bassi Pathana police. Tracking the case In March this year, the Fatehagarh Sahib Judge had awarded death to Khuswinder Singh
A native of Suhavi village in Fatehgarh Sahib, he worked as a typist outside a local court
He planned the murder of his relative Gurmail Singh's family for Rs 37 lakh they had received from sale of
property He took them to Bhakra canal near Mukandpur village on the pretext of performing a religious ceremony and pushed them into the
canal Jasmine, Gurmail's daughter, managed to flee and informed the Bassi Pathana police
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Double murder: Two sent to police remand
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 20 The two accused have been identified as Kulwinder’s husband Jasvir Singh and her brother Lakhbir Singh. The two victims were found dead in the fields on September 16. Ramandeep Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police
(DSP), Khamano, said the two accused were arrested near the veterinary hospital in Bhanwaria village. The police also recovered the weapons used in the crime, he said. The two accused have been booked for murder.
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MLA’s relative booked in another case
Chandigarh, September
20 A case under under Section 420, IPC, was registered against Shergill, trustee of the Adesh Foundation, by Division No 7 police station on the complaint of Rajdeep Singh, an aide of Gurdeep Singh of Fastway Communications Private Limited and Jujhar Travels.
The Station House Officer confimed the registration of the case. All three, Gurdeep, Rajdeep and Shergill, were booked for forgery by the Chandigarh Police on September
17. Rajdeep has complained that Shergill sold him International Customer Related Management Services Private Limited (ICRMS) for Rs 1 crore while it was worth was Rs 60
crore. He said he was not told that the company was mired in controversies and that a case involving the company was registered by the Chandigarh Police in April last year for forgery of valuable security, creating false/fraudulent documents, money-laundering and harbouring absconders in a Rs 60 crore scam.
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Markfed official held for graft
Ludhiana, September 20 Sandeep Goel, Superintendent of Police (SP), Vigilance, confirmed the development. The raid was conducted on the complaint of Jaswant Singh, Branch Manager,
Markfed. Jaswant Singh had stated in his complaint that he had arranged 1.5 lakh gunny bags from arhtiyas during the wheat procurement season for Markfed on
rent. When the procurement finished the arhityas asked Jaswant Singh for the gunny bags. He then brought the issue to the notice of KPS Dhaliwal, but the latter sought Rs 3 lakh bribe for issuing the releasing the
bags. Sources said when Jaswant Singh assured Dhaliwal of meeting his demand, he issued verbal orders for the release of gunny bags.
When Jaswant could not arrange the cash, Dhaliwal threatened to take departmental action against him.
Thereafter, Jaswant Singh brought the matter to the notice of arhtiyas who further informed the Vigilance Bureau.
Soon the VB officials laid a trap and nabbed Dhaliwal red handed while receiving the first installment of Rs 1
lakh. The case After Markfed branch manager complained to VB that Dhaliwal demanded Rs 3 lakh to release arhtiyas’ gunny
bags The VB officials laid a trap at Circuit House and nabbed him taking the bribe
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Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal chose to fly to various functions in the city even as hundreds of farmers squatted on the Patiala-Rajpura highway to stop his
cavalcade.
The police today arrested hundreds of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Ugrahan) activists from various parts of Punjab to thwart farmers from blocking the national and state highways in the wake of their call for a
blockade.
Muktsar, September
20
Faced with a growth in VAT collections slower than targeted, Punjab is now not only broadening its tax net but also coming up with composition schemes for various segments of industry.
With composition schemes (wherein lumpsum tax is charged) being brought in for several segments of industry, the government hopes that the VAT collections will show a significant rise.
Farmers in Sangrur district this season have sown vegetables on additional 109 hectares compared to last year. Horticulture experts said this was a good trend as farmers had started opting for vegetables instead of paddy. They said this was likely to give government’s diversification plan a boost.