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State will have surplus power next fiscal, says PSPCL
MC gets cracking on illegal hotels in vicinity of Golden Temple
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Mid-day meal scheme: Punjab ranked second in Centre’s report
Chandigarh, November 26
Despite drawing flak for unprofessional deliverance of mid-day meals in government schools at several places in the state, Punjab has bagged the second position among states and union territories in the latest report on the scheme by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. Punjab, with an aggregate of 76.81 points based on evaluation under five parameters, is a close second to Karnataka (77.79) and way above the national average of 59.
UK hotel turns into court as NRI sues his millionaire son
Traders hold a protest rally in Patiala on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar
Potato prices reach Rs 25/kg
Priyanka Chopra to spice up World Cup Kabaddi’s opening ceremony
Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal addresses a press conference in Chandigarh on Tuesday. On his right is Education Minister Sikander Maluka. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan
City scan
2 months on, cops fail to arrest teen’s killers; kin protest
Family members of Vidhu Jain, who was set ablaze on September 30, and other supporters hold a protest march in Malerkotla on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph
Annual meet on cancer begins
Health centres to have hi-tech ambulances
Firm denies report
BSF recovers weapons along border
HC orders probe into VAT refunds worth
Rs 500 crore
HC: Ensure timely payments under scholarship scheme
Dayanand hospital management-staff
dispute
Man kills wife, 3 kids before shooting self
Pankaj and Esha Gakhar in happier times; (inset) 15-month-old Tanav, the youngest of the children.
Tribune photos
Youth sets himself ablaze
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MC gets cracking on illegal hotels in vicinity of Golden Temple
Amritsar, November 26 The MC is struggling to defend lapses on its part. Three assistant town planners have already been charge-sheeted for allowing encroachments and the role of several other officers is under the scanner. A fresh door-to-door survey is being conducted in the walled city area to identify illegal hotels, guest houses and inns that could fall under the category of compoundable offence — units that comply with building norms, but have not attained stipulated certification. Some alterations and paying up stipulated penalty may qualify them to be considered under the legal frame. The other category of “non-compoundable” units may face demolition action, officials said. MC officials would also be holding personal hearing sessions with the offenders. Several Municipal Town Planning, licencing, taxation and other officials (past and present) may face the heat as the illegal structures did not crop up in a day. The illegal trade is believed to have prospered either in connivance with MC officials or that the hotel owners enjoyed immunity due to political patronage. Majority of these hotels, guesthouses and inns — some even raised to six storeys on a 50-60 square yard ‘residential’ plot — did not obtain the mandatory no objection certificate either from the Municipal Corporation or the Fire Department. With no alternate fire escape route, only narrow stairs led to the upper floors.
The Sarai Act
The area around the Golden Temple — the oldest part of the city — does not come under the preview of official schemes or land use norms. It, however, does come under the Sarai Act. A licence under the Sarai Act — enacted in the 19th century by the British — is now given by the Amritsar Police Commissionerate. Only 147 licences, including three provisional ones, were given to 240 hotels, lodges and sarais in the district. The Sarai Act makes it mandatory for unit holders to provide adequate parking space and fixes the height limit for buildings at 38 feet. Also mandatory is to obtain a no objection certificate from the fire brigade, environment clearance from the Punjab Pollution Control Board as well as a hygiene certificate and a medical certificate for its employees.
MC to fix responsibility
Municipal Commissioner DPS Kharbanda admitted to a lapse on the MC’s part in overlooking illegal commercial activity and not acting against it. On the dubious role of MC officials, he said accountability would be fixed and they would face disciplinary action, if found guilty, as was done in the case of three Assistant Town Planners. Similarly, we had razed some objectionable structures recently. Senior Town Planner Hemant Batra said a fresh survey of illegal commercial structures was being conducted. Units falling under compoundable offence category could be regularised after imposing penalty, whereas non- compoundable ones may face demolition. We would also give proprietors of objectionable units a personal hearing, he said.
Violations galore
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Mid-day meal scheme: Punjab ranked second in Centre’s report
Chandigarh, November 26 Punjab, with an aggregate of 76.81 points based on evaluation under five parameters, is a close second to Karnataka (77.79) and way above the national average of 59. The figures are part of the findings of the latest study report on the mid-day meal scheme (first quarter of 2013) by the Department of School Education and Literacy in the Ministry of Human Resource and Development. The report was received by Punjab recently. Evaluated for 20 points each under separate heads for average number of beneficiaries, foodgrain quality, fund-utilisation, monitoring and supervision, and infrastructure and health, Punjab scored an aggregate of 76.81 points out of a total of 100. Jharkhand scored a paltry 45.46 (rank 33), Andaman and Nicobar Islands 45.09 (rank 34) and Delhi 44.73 to end up last on the list. Punjab has done very well on account of utilisation of funds and infrastructure and health. The state secured 16.77 points (out of 20) on account of fund utilisation as against only 1.66 by Delhi. Punjab secured 15.27 (out of 20) on account of health and infrastructure against only 5.41 by Delhi. Other states in the top five on the table include Daman and Diu (rank 3) with 71 points, Himachal Pradesh (rank 4) with 71 and Bihar (rank 5) with 70 points. The report, signed by the Additional Secretary (Elementary Education) Dr Amarjit Singh, said, “This has been a trying period for the mid-day meal scheme. Reports of poor mid-day meals from different parts of country need serious introspection.” The ministry expressed concern over the steep fall in the number of beneficiary students. The figures have been put at approximately seven million fewer than the last quarter of 2012. The review mission made a special mention of mid-day meals being prepared under reeds, which is the perfect breeding place for lizards and cobwebs that could fall into the cooked meals. The report also mentions state government delay in release of money to schools, which resulted in schools relying on credit from shopkeepers. At least 44 per cent payments to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have not been made. The FCI has threatened to release its food supply only on pre-paid basis.
The criteria
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UK hotel turns into court as NRI sues his millionaire son
London, November 26 Jasminder Singh, 62, head of Radisson Blu Edwardian hotels, is being sued by his father Bal Mohinder Singh, who accuses him of abandoning the Sikh tradition of sharing family property by excluding him from the business. Jasminder's assets are said to be worth around 415 million pound, but the dispute involves 50 million pound. Bal Mohinder, who requires 24-hour care, was unable to attend the High Court due to ill-health, so the unusual decision was taken for his evidence to be heard in a conference room at May Fair Hotel. He came in a wheelchair to give evidence against Jasminder. He said the case was not about money but about tradition and his son's failure to abide by the ancient "mitakshara" system, which implied a sharing of family wealth. Giving evidence, he said he was unhappy about the 800 million pound hotel group's decision in 2010 to remove him as a director. Judge Sir William Blackburne is being asked to decide as a preliminary issue if the family property is subject to any constructive trust under the English law, and if so, what the terms of such a trust were. The father has previously said he put Jasminder on the road to his millions by funding his initial ventures after selling his nightclub in Kenya and starting a post office in Stamford Hill.
— PTI
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Badal urged to sack three ministers
Amritsar, November 26 In a statement, PPCC general secretary Fatehjang Singh Bajwa, MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, former ministers Gurchet Singh Bhullar, Sardul Singh, and former MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa demanded that the Chief Minister should dismiss the three ministers. They said it was a matter of grave concern that the drug peddler had been getting VIP treatment. They alleged that Bittu Aulakh was promoted in politics by Majithia and that the two shared a good rapport. The Congress leaders said if the three ministers remained in the Cabinet, they may influence the ongoing probe into the multi-crore synthetic drug racket. The alleged that Bittu Aulakh had access to senior party leaders, including Sukhbir Singh Badal. “ Even Sukhbir has no right to continue in office because the names of many of his guests in the World Cup Kabaddi hosted by him have figured in the drug racket,” they said. They alleged that a promoter of kabaddi clubs in Canada named in the racket had visited Punjab and “enjoyed the hospitality” of both Sukhbir and Majithia. The Congress leaders said it would be in the interest of justice that tainted ministers were removed from the Cabinet. They said the Punjab Police was unlikely to touch the big sharks involved in the racket. They said if a fair probe was conducted, the involvement of several Akali leaders would come to light. “Majithia not only protecting the smugglers, but has also been minting money from sand mining, real estate and the liquor trade,” the Congress leaders said. They demanded that the CBI or a sitting Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court be asked to probe the matter.
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BHOLA’S DRUG RING
Amritsar, November 26 Talking to The Tribune, former SAD legislator and party vice-president Veer Singh Lopoke said Aulakh’s father Partap Singh was a Congress supporter during the nineties and that he had had tried to get close to him (Lopoke) too. He alleged that the Aulakhs had sabotaged his election campaign to ensure the victory of the Congress candidate from the Rajasansi assembly constituency in 2007. He said when Bittu Aulakh shared stage with his archrival Sarkaria on October 24, 2011, he lodged a complaint against him with the party high command. “He was subsequently expelled from the Youth Akali Dal of which he was general secretary.” He said Aulakh had opposed him openly during the 2012 assembly elections by supporting Sarkaria. Sarkaria denied the charges. He said Aulakh was Lopoke's polling agent in 2007 though he later shifted loyalty to Akali MP Rattan Singh Ajnala. He admitted that Aulakh had helped him garner support in his native village of Vairoke during the 2012 assembly poll. “ By doing so, he (Aulakh) was only opposing Lopoke with whom he had parted ways by then,” he explained. He claimed that Aulakh's kin in other villages had strongly opposed him. He said the photograph in SAD’s possession that showed Aulakh seated next to him was taken during a village fair in his constituency. “ Aulakh was never on stage with me,” he pointed out.
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Sukhbir gives clean chit to Ajnala, his son
Chandigarh, November 26 Talking to mediapersons here, he said: “The investigating officers have not informed me of their name coming up in the investigations. As party president, I did question them. They have denied any links with Jagjit Singh Chahal or Maninder Singh Aulakh and are campaigning in Delhi.” Sukhbir said he was focussed on eradicating drug addiction and “we will take this Bhola case to its logical end.” To a query on pictures of Aulakh and Chahal with ministers at SAD rallies, he said: “As politicians, we meet several persons at political rallies. That doesn’t mean we are close to all of them.” On Chief Parliamentary Secretary Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s claim that not enough money was being spent on Amritsar’s development, he the Deputy CM said: “In the next three years, Rs 1000-Rs 1,500 crore will be spent on Amritsar district alone”
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Traders observe bandh, demand withdrawal of property tax
Patiala, November 26 Hundreds of traders held a protest march in the city, keeping the city police He said the tax should be fixed on the pattern of Haryana or should be calculated on 25 per cent of the collector rate. The self-assessment system was also not agreeable and it would lead to complications, he added. "We are being
penalised. We had built our commercial property after taking due clearances and added to the city's development, said Harwinder Singh
Awal, a trader. Hoshiarpur: A rally was organised by the All Party Joint Struggle Committee in the city today. A memorandum was handed over to Additional Deputy Commissioner demanding cancellation of notification on property tax. A similar protest was also held at
Talwara. Leaders and workers of the committee gathered at Shahid Udham Singh Park this morning from where the rally started. The protesters drove through major areas of the city and converged at the district administrative complex where a protest demonstration was
held.
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Potato prices reach Rs 25/kg
Chandigarh, November 26 State government officials, too, agree that there could be some instances of hoarding as the potato prices have remained high inspite of a good crop this year. They say another factor contributing to the high price of the vegetable is that growers are supplying potatoes to West Bengal in a big way where the crop has been damaged. Lakhwinder Singh Brar, Director, Horticulture, told The Tribune that not only potatoes but large quantities of potato seed were also being sent from Punjab to West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha and Karnataka. Sukhjit Singh Bhatti, a potato grower from Jalandhar, said: “Owing to a delayed monsoon, production was delayed by at least a month. This led to a gap in demand and supply as potato stocks from the earlier season were not enough to cope with the huge demand. But with the new crop starting to arrive now, we expect the prices to come down soon.” The high prices this year are a sharp contrast to those in December 2011- January 2012. A high potato yield had then led to a glut in the vegetable market. With demand outstripping supply, the prices had slumped to Rs 2 a kg. As the state government refused to offer any help to the growers, protesting farmers had dumped their crop on the roads. Having suffered huge losses, most farmers had shifted to other cash crops.
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Priyanka Chopra to spice up World Cup Kabaddi’s
Chandigarh, November 26 Chief Minister of Pakistan Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has given his consent to be the chief guest at the closing ceremony in Ludhiana on December 14. Addressing a press conference here today, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh
Badal, said as many as 20 nations would vie for the title, of which 12 would be in men section and eight in women section. The opening ceremony would be presided over by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while the concluding ceremony by Shahbaz
Sharif, who will give away awards to the winners and runners-up teams. Sukhbir said Punjab had set an example for Centre and other states by taking its rural game to the world sports arena. "Our target is to get kabaddi included in Asian Games and even Olympics," he added. This year, for the first time a women team from Pakistan and Mexico would participate. The teams of New Zealand, Kenya and Mexico would comprise players of their respective nationalities. The Punjab Government had provided coaches to some nations for imparting kabaddi skills to form professional teams. "This would be a drug-free international event. An anti-doping committee under NADA will conduct dope tests during the tournament. The committee will be responsible to manage pre and post-anti-doping affairs and submit a report to the organising committee on the conclusion of the tournament. Justice RS Mongia would head the high-level panel to supervise the entire event," Sukhbir added.
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RITES engaged to study ROB prospects
Amritsar:
A year after the Railways rejected the proposal to widen the busy Bhandari railway over-bridge (ROB), the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) has once again engaged the RITES to carry out a feasibility study for building a new ROB on the stretch between Bhandari bridge and Rego railway overbridge. AIT chairman Sandeep Rishi said the new ROB could even replace the Rego ROB as it had outlived its usefulness. He said its anticipated cost was pegged at about Rs 75 crore. The proposal to widen the Bhandari bridge, a vital link between the walled city and the new city, was dropped last year. The AIT had to forego the advance of Rs 12 lakh submitted to the RITES to carry out the feasibility study.
Youth dies at ill-equipped trauma centre Jalandhar:
The ill-equipped trauma centre at the Civil Hospital on Tuesday claimed the life of 22-year-old Rohit Kapila from Haryana Banga village as the ventilators were not functioning. The centre was inaugurated three years ago. "The youth was bought to the trauma centre in a very critical condition around 5 pm and required a ventilator but he was rushed to Oxford Hospital as two of the three ventilators available there were not functioning.
Rajindra College students protest fee hike Bathinda:
Students of Government Rajindra College, supported by the Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa), sat on a dharna outside the gate of the college and blocked the road on Tuesday. The students protested against the fee hike announced by the university and questioned why they were being asked to pay the mid-session hike in fee. "They did not intimate us when we were taking admission in the college and now, in the middle of the session, when we came to collect our roll numbers, they asked us to pay up," said an agitating student.
Chemist shot at shop
in Khanna, dies Ludhiana:
An assailant shot a chemist in his shop on the Samrala road late on Tuesday. Sources said the chemist, Pardeep Chahal (50), was sitting in his shop named Chahal Medical Hall at about 8.15 pm when a person came to his shop and demanded money. When Pardeep refused, he shot him with a revolver at point-blank range. Pardeep was critically injured. Sushil Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police, Khanna, confirmed the incident. He said the reason for the attack was yet to be ascertained and they were investigating the matter. He said Pardeep died on the way to hospital. The possibility of loot as motive could not be ruled out in the incident, the SSP said, adding that the police was yet to confirm about the number of attackers. The SSP, the SPD and other officials concerned visited the crime scene.
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2 months on, cops fail to arrest teen’s killers; kin protest
Sangrur, November 26 Talking to The Tribune over phone, Navneet Jain, Vidhu’s father, today said the police were not telling them anything about the outcome of the investigations made into the incident, which took place on September 30. He said Rs 25 lakh given to the family by the state government after Vidhu’s murder had no meaning for them as they had not been given justice. He demanded arrest of his son’s killers without any delay. While taking out the march, which started from Vidhu’s house and passed through Chhota Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Moti Bazar, Lal Bazar, Hanuman Mandir, Sirhindi Gate and Delhi Gate to culminate at the starting point, Navneet asked people to extend support by participating in a candle march on November 29. Superintendent of Police (Detective) Paramjit Singh Goraya said they were collecting scientific evidence in the case. He said they were awaiting results of six to seven samples sent to a laboratory for tests. Till then nothing could be stated, he added. High-level investigations into the case by two teams, comprising Senior Superintendent Police-level officers, had been initiated at the initial stage. The police had reportedly included more than 50 persons in its investigations. The police said they had talked to ration depot holders who supply kerosene as the boy had been burnt after pouring kerosene over him. Besides, the footages of CCTV cameras was also examined, they said.
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Annual meet on cancer begins
Patiala, November 26 While the number of cancer cases is on the rise in different parts of the country, the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) has ascertained that northeastern states top the list with maximum number of cancer cases and the types of cancer. Notably, ICMR started the cancer registry operations in 1982 as the National Cancer Registry Project (NCRP). The progress of NCRP recorded during 2009 onwards in significant. The cancer atlas in Punjab, hospital registry in Chandigarh and population-based cancer registry in Patiala have also been started. P Gangadharan, who has been attached with NCRP, says the project had made a considerable progress.
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Health centres to have hi-tech ambulances
Faridkot, November 26 Managing Director, PHSC, has directed deputy medical commissioners to prepare a list of ambulances that can be equipped so that at least five of these are available in every district. Ziqitza Health Care Ltd, which operates the 108 ambulance service, would upgrade the ambulances. “With well-equipped ambulances available at primary health centres (PHCs), we are hopeful of saving more lives by providing timely medical attention to victims,” said Dr Surinder Singh, District Health Officer, Faridkot. Most PHCs either do not have adequate number of ambulances or these are not properly maintained. In Faridkot, there are two primary health centres at Jandsahib and Bajakhana. None of these has an ambulance. The sole ambulance at the Jaitu Civil Hospital is in bad shape. Even in adjoining districts, most ambulances in use are not equipped with medical equipment.
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Firm denies report
Chandigarh, November 26 It said Rajesh Sehgal, who was referred to as the owner of Nutricia, had no ownership rights or shareholding in the company. Nutricia had taken over the nutrition business of Wockhardt Limited in July, 2012. "Nurticia is engaged in the business of selling infant food and nutrition products and does not deal in pharmaceutical products. The company does not fall under the purview of the NDPS Act,” the company said.
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HC orders probe into VAT refunds worth
Rs 500 crore
Chandigarh, November 26 The orders by Justice Jitendra Chauhan came after the High Court was told that goods dispatched by a Ludhiana firm by road and rail were shown to have reached the Bangladesh border the same day. “The court records its painful observation that on account of the unholy nexus between traders, officials and other beneficiaries, the state has been put to a “As per the status report submitted by the state counsel, VAT refund of almost Rs 500 crore has been given to various firms on the basis of interstate trade and export of goods. The status report further reveals that the process for registration of FIR has been initiated against two more firms, which claimed a refund of Rs 1.14 crore and Rs 74.00 lakh. “This initial probe by the economic intelligence unit indicates that these facts could just be the tip of the iceberg. Keeping in view the fact that no consignment as such was dispatched, whereas there are receipts of transporters, including the Indian Railways, it is a sufficient pointer towards the whole exercise having been executed in connivance with the state machinery, which warrants a detailed inquiry into the matter by an independent agency,” Justice Chauhan asserted. The issue came to Justice Chauhan’s notice after Raman Kumar Garg sought anticipatory bail in an FIR dated July 26 for cheating and other offences registered at Ludhiana. The state counsel argued that the petitioner wrongly claimed refund on goods allegedly exported by him to Bangladesh. Dismissing the petition, Justice Chauhan asserted: “Upon verification by the economic intelligence unit, Patiala, it came to light that the goods in fact, were never exported. As per the record, the goods were transported through the Railways and by availing the services of private transporters…. It was, in fact, a paper transaction. Surprisingly, the consignment was allegedly despatched from Ludhiana on January 5 and the receipt of these goods has been shown to be at the Bangladesh border on the same day. The distance between the two stations is approximately 1,800 km and it is difficult to believe that the goods reached the destination by road and rail on the same day”. Justice Chauhan concluded: “As per the status report submitted by the state counsel, an amount of Rs 3,73,92,28,747 has been refunded on interstate and export basis to 4,404 firms/entrepreneurs. “An additional amount of Rs 1,09,33,29,795 has been refunded on exclusively export basis to 995 firms/entrepreneurs, including the amounts of Rs 1.64 crores, Rs 1.14 crore and Rs 0.74 crore, refunded to the petitioner, Jaldhara Exports, Ludhiana; Trimurti Hosiery, Ludhiana and Yourk International, Ludhiana, respectively. “The CBI shall examine each of such claims so as to confirm as to whether these have been validly processed and refunded.
The Unholy Nexus The court records its painful observation that on account of the unholy nexus between traders, officials and other beneficiaries, the state has been put to a huge loss… Almost Rs 500 crore has been given to various firms on the basis of interstate trade and export of
goods. — Justice Jitendra Chauhan
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HC: Ensure timely payments under scholarship scheme
Chandigarh, November 26 Information on the release of central assistance was given to the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the hearing of a petition filed in public interest by the Association of Volunteers for Students' Rights (AVSR). In the petition, it was alleged the despite receiving central assistance, the state government was not implementing the scheme. The state had initially taken the stand that it had “completed whatever formalities were required for release of the fund”. But the matter was still pending with the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih observed: “It is only after two dates that now an affidavit has been filed by the state government informing that vide letter dated November 1, the Central Government has sanctioned Rs 280.81 crore as central assistance”. The Bench observed an objection was sought to be raised on the petitioner’s locus to file the petition. “But keeping in mind the public importance of the matter, it was treated as a matter of court on its own motion in terms of orders dated May 24,” the Bench observed. The Bench also observed that the payment was to be made through bank accounts of the students and the institutions. The Bench added: “The central assistance has now been forthcoming and the state government is now in the process of disbursing the amount which shall be so implemented within a time bound schedule of six weeks. Since the scheme is on yearly basis, both the Central and the state governments must ensure that timely payments under the scheme are made". Disposing of the petition, the Bench fixed January 17 for compliance, and added that the state government would file its compliance report three days prior to the date.
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Dayanand hospital management-staff
dispute
Chandigarh, November 26 The high court has also asserted that the state government should have investigated the matter on its own to determine lapses and has also called for prompt inquiry in such cases to fix responsibility in future. The strictures by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih came on a bunch of petitions filed in 2002 by the Employees Welfare Association of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital and other petitioners for independent investigation into the incident. There was apparently some dispute between the hospital management and employees. Directions were passed for police assistance to enforce orders passed
by a civil court “so that the ingress and egress” to the hospital was not obstructed and the treatment of patients, especially in emergency was
not “jeopardised”. It was alleged that the matter was aggravated
and in exchange between charging policemen and an angry mob, a large number of people, shopkeepers and passersby sustained injuries due
to stone pelting and tear-gas attack. The Bench asserted: “The cases really are of prima-facie excessive force by the police. It is trite to say that controlling law and order is a very important aspect of police action and expertise. The police are not expected to retaliate in the same manner as a hostile crowd….” “The photographs annexed to the petition do suggest that the situation was permitted to spiral out of control, causing injury even to women.” The Bench added: “The passage of 11 years is clearly fatal to the matter because the persons who could have deposed to the incident may or may not be available and even if they are available, this time period would have faded their memory. An accurate picture emerging, thus, is a very doubtful preposition.” “We thus have no
option but to put an end to the matter but with the hope that such incidents do not arise in future
and wherever they so arise, inquiry must be held forthwith to pinpoint the responsibility of aggravation of incidents whether of police force
or an individual….”
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Man kills wife, 3 kids before shooting self
Ferozepur, November 26 SSP Manminder Singh SSP said Pankaj returned home after closing his shop around 9.30 pm yesterday and locked the main door. He directly went to his room upstairs and returned with a .12 bore rifle. His mother Janak Rani saw him with the rifle and tried to intervene, but he hit her with the rifle and locked her up in the washroom. Pankaj first shot his wife Esha and then his son Atul (10), daughter Suhana (8), son Tanav (15 months) and finally himself. DSP (City) Vibhor Kumar DSP said Pankaj fired eight shots and all five were killed on the spot. A marriage party was passing by the house when the shooting took place and the gunshots were not heard outside, it is learnt. Family members said Pankaj had been very upset for the last few days for unknown reasons. He was financially sound and had no professional or business problems, sources said. The bodies were handed over to the family after a post-mortem. The SSP said a case had been registered against Pankaj under Section 302 on the basis of his mother’s statement. Police sources said they were studying Pankaj’s call details to find out the reason behind the incident. The DSP said the police also recovered celphos tablets from Pankaj’s pocket, which indicated he may have earlier planned to eliminate his family by poisoning them.
Strained ties with wife
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Youth sets himself ablaze
Hoshiarpur, November 26 The vendor has been identified as Varinder Kumar (24), son of Ashok Kumar, a resident of Bhagat Nagar, Hoshiarpur. Varinder used to sell fruits outside the bus stand and got married five months ago. His family members present in the hospital said
they did not know why he had taken such an extreme step. They said he had
left for work like any other day and there had been no quarrel at home. The police reached the Civil Hospital and the took statements of Varinder’s family members.
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With three power plants likely to be commissioned ahead of the paddy season next year, Punjab is approaching power trading companies to sell surplus power. With the state poised for additional power even during the peak summer months, the industry will no longer have to face compulsory offs.
A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court set a two-month deadline for the Amritsar Municipal Commissioner and Town Planner to act against illegal hotels and guesthouses in the city, the MC has chalked out an action plan with a “holistic approach”.
The Congress today launched a fresh offensive against SAD leaders for their alleged connivance with drug smugglers after photographs of three Punjab ministers, Bikram Singh
Majithia, Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Gulzar Singh Ranike, sharing dais with Bhola case accused Maninder Singh Bittu Aulakh appeared in the media.
Chandigarh, November 26
About two months after 13-year-old Vidhu Jain was set ablaze in broad daylight in Malerkotla, the police is yet to make arrests in the case. To express resentment over police inaction, Vidhu’s family and hundreds of supporters today took out a protest march through various markets in the town.
Heavy police force was deployed to maintain law and order in the town.
A man shot dead his wife and his three minor children before shooting himself in his house in Ferozepur’s Turi Bazaar on Monday night.
The deceased Pankaj Gakhar (35), owner of a flourishing wholesale kiryana business, had strained relations with his wife Esha for some time. Though the reason behind the dispute could not be ascertained, sources said the duo often got into heated arguments. One such argument yesterday took a fatal turn for the five-member family.
