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VAT refund scam: NGO names excise dept officers
Another fugitive nabbed, to be extradited to Australia
HC makes CBI party in drug menace case
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40-month jail for US Sikh cab driver attacker
Akalis misleading people on investment: Manpreet
Sentence awarded in Brar case too harsh, says Sikh clergy
Khalsa forms 5-member panel
untreated effluents
Sant Samaj: Revert to Bikrami calendar
Acid attack victim to be flown to Mumbai
VB detects anomalies in purchase of medicines at Patiala TB centre
Tibetan Mastiff ‘Rambo’ show star
Six Patiala Improvement Trust officials suspended
Next, agriculture summit in Moga
CM in Raipur for swearing-in
BSP ‘maha panchayat’ on Dec 18
High Court Judge recuses from Bibi Jagir Kaur case
Court dismisses Sajjan ’s plea
Three cops held for undertrials’ escape
ASI’s son held with drugs
Trader held for trespassing
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VAT refund scam: NGO names excise dept officers
The Ludhiana-based NGO has come up with the names of officers involved in the scam. These officers, posted in Ludhiana till recently, include an Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner and two excise and taxation officers, who were directly involved in the scam. The officers would reportedly approach industrialists and traders and demand a payback for facilitating speedy VAT refunds. The NGO has also come out with a list of 32 companies who got their VAT refunds fraudulently with the help of these officers. Members of the NGO, led by former deputy speaker Satpal Gosain, today met Financial Commissioner, Excise and Taxation, DP Reddy, and Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma, and submitted a list of the officers and the companies involved. The delegation also included Jaldhara Exports owner Vinod Kumar Garg, who had paid a kickback of Rs 38 lakh to three officers to get his VAT refund of Rs 1.56 crore for the third quarter of 2011-12. Though it takes years to get a VAT refund — refunds worth Rs 400 crore are pending with the government — Garg allegedly got his refund in 30 days with the connivance of these officers. Though the whole matter has been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the department on its own has also initiated an inquiry against the officers, the 32 companies involved in the scam, and is trying to ascertain how bogus companies were floated by the traders to make paper transactions and then get VAT refunds. DP Reddy, when contacted by The Tribune, said the department had started an inquiry into the scam, and no guilty person would be spared. Industrialists in Ludhiana, Khanna and Mandi Gobindgarh, who had huge amounts pending as VAT refund with the excise department (VAT refund is given on the goods manufactured in the state, but sold outside the state), were approached by officers led by an Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner (AETC). They were allegedly taking 25 per cent of the total VAT refund due to the businessmen to facilitate and expedite the refund. The CBI has been assigned the task to look into the scam, which includes not just examining the fraudulent VAT refunds of three companies — Jaldhara Exports, Trimurti Hosiery and York International — but also examining the records of 5,399 companies operating in Punjab that have obtained VAT refunds. A top CBI officer told The Tribune that the inquiry will most likely be conducted by the special branch of, considering the scope of inquiry. The local branch of CBI may not be able to handle such a massive inquiry, he said, adding that once the inquiry is assigned, a preliminary enquiry (PE) will be registered in the case.
Anatomy of the Rs 500-crore scam
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Another fugitive nabbed, to be extradited to Australia
Patiala, December 11 Rawal was arrested by the Patiala police a fortnight ago. Having travelled to India on fake documents, he worked on a fake name at various call centres before he was arrested. A US fugitive, Amandeep Singh Dhami, too, had travelled to India on fake papers and resided in Jalandhar for more than four years on a fictitious name. Rawal fled Australia in June 2009. He was facing trial for killing Queensland resident Dean Hofstee (19) and leaving his friend Clancy Coker (20) seriously injured while speeding away in a car under the influence of liquor on October 1, 2008. “Thereafter, my passport was confiscated.There was an attack on me house. Terrified, I fled the country in 2009,” Rawal told The Tribune. He said he kept shifting residence in Delhi and Gurgaon to evade arrest. even as a police team readied to shift him to Delhi where the CBI will hand him over to the Interpol. “We will hand him over to the CBI after he is produced in a Rajpura court for transit remand,” said Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hardyal Singh Mann.
Hit-and-run case
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HC makes CBI party in drug menace case
Chandigarh, December 11 As the case came up for resumed hearing, Punjab’s former Director-General of Police Shashi Kant sought directions for making the premier investigating agency a party for dealing with cross-border drug trafficking. Kant told the court that the CBI was the country’s representative for the purposes of correspondence with the Interpol; and its participation was must to deal with the drug menace in the state. Taking a note of his assertion, the High Court impleaded the CBI as a party in the case. The High Court has already made it clear that it was in favour of carrying out blood and urine tests of the prisoners at the time of their admission to the jails, followed by periodic checks. A Division Bench has also made it clear that the jail superintendents may find themselves in
trouble, if periodic checks revealed the use of drugs by inmates. The directions are in sync with recommendations made by advocate Navkiran Singh,
counsel for petitioner Tarlochan Singh. The Bench also asked the Centre and the Punjab Government to convene a meeting to finalise
the deployment of paramilitary forces in state jails. A Mohali resident, Tarlochan Singh was lodged at Ropar district jail at the time of filing the petition. The inmate is seeking an inquiry not only into the sale of intoxicants in the Ropar Jail “in connivance with jail officials”, but also their “highhandedness” towards prisoners reporting against illegal activities. ASI's son held with drugs Ropar: The district police have arrested three persons on the charge of drug trafficking in the last 24 hours. The accused have been identified as Ravinder, son of an Assistant Sub-Inspector posted at Anandpur Sahib police malkhana, his accomplice Sher Singh and Gurdev Singh of Anandpur Sahib. — TNS
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40-month jail for US Sikh cab driver attacker
Washington, December 11 Prosecutors had asked for a four-year term for 50-year-old Jamie W Larson of Federal Way city in the north western state while his defence lawyer had recommended a two-and-a-half-year term at Tuesday’s sentencing in Seattle. Sentencing Larson for the attack on taxi driver Kashmira Hothi, an immigrant from India, US District Judge John Coughenour called his conduct “absolutely unacceptable”. “Larson used the most disgusting, ugly and racist language that I have heard in 30 years on the bench,” the judge said, according to a statement from the Department of Justice. Larson pleaded guilty in June and apologised, saying he was in an alcohol blackout when he attacked Hothi, who was driving him home after a drunken afternoon in Auburn October 17, 2012. Larson, a 27-time convict and unreformed drunk, who apparently believed Hothi to be a Muslim, tore out chunks of his beard and caused internal injuries which saw the driver hospitalised for eight days and miss two months of work, the prosecutors said. During the attack, Larson was complaining that immigrants are “taking all of our jobs” and shouted hateful comments about Arabs, Persians and, more generally, Muslims.
— IANS
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Akalis misleading people on investment: Manpreet
Moga, December 11 He said of this amount, Rs 24,000 crore was meant for the real estate sector. On one hand, Punjabis would buy houses by paying crores and on the other, poor and marginal farmers would be robbed of their fertile land only to benefit the realtors, who had also been promised stamp duty exemptions, he claimed. Talking to The Tribune after holding a party meeting here today, Manpreet said the two-day investors summit was actually a “concessions” summit. “Such a horrid policy will mean that money will flow out of Punjab into the hands of the already rich,” the PPP chief claimed, warning the people not to fall into such traps. He alleged local businessmen and industrialists had moved out of the state because of harassment, intimidation and bribe demands. “The state cannot prosper by promoting MNCs and neglecting the existing industry,” he said. He said the real test before the government was to create more jobs, come out of the consumer-driven investments, ensure social security and create basic infrastructure for big and medium industries.
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Sentence awarded in Brar case too harsh, says Sikh clergy
Talking to mediapersons here, the Jathedar said various Sikh organisations and members of the Sant Samaj had expressed displeasure at the punishment. "The sentence handed out to the guilty is inhuman. All Sikh organisations are surprised at the verdict, which is one-sided. "There is a feeling that the verdict should be reviewed,” he said. Asking the SGPC to take up the issue with the UK Embassy, he urged the Sikh Sangat to cooperate with the SGPC in the matter. Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC chief, also said the sentence was rather harsh. Earlier, Jasbir Singh Rode of the Sant Samaj, during his meeting with the Jathedar here today, expressed concern at the verdict. A UK court had on Tuesday handed out jail sentence to four persons including a woman, ranging between 10-14 years. Mandeep Singh Sandhu and Dilbag Singh were sentenced to 14 years in jail, Harjit Kaur 11 years and Barjinder Singh Sangha 10 years and six months. New Delhi: Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Mangement Committee president Manjit Singh GK on Wednesday said the sentence awarded in the Brar case was in “violation of human rights”. Manjit Singh, who heads the Delhi unit of the SAD, said: “Sikhs do not get justice either in India or abroad.” He claimed that those who had killed the Sikhs were being projected as heroes.
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Sikh activists protest outside Indian Consulate in Canada
Vancouver, December 11 Under the aegis of the BC Sikh Society, eight groups, including diehard Khalistan supporters, today showed up outside the Indian Consulate. Prominent leaders Harbhajan Singh Atwal and Karnail Singh Mann later handed over a memorandum to consulate officials, seeking amnesty for the jailed militants. Ranjeet Singh Khalsa, Banda Singh Bahadur Society, said it was a matter of shame that the ruling SAD in Punjab which had once opposed state oppression was now itself indulging in human rights violations and trying to muzzle dissent. Last Sunday, these groups had staged a demonstration at Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Surrey and organised a public forum with Khalsa addressing the gathering through webcam. Moninder Singh, BC Sikh Society spokesman, alleged that the Sikh clergy was trying to confuse the community by portraying Khalsa’s fast in a bad light. “Fasting is a political tool which has been used by Sikh heroes in the past too. It is only unacceptable if done for the self or religious purification.” Meantime, victim of the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom, Jagdish Kaur, who is touring the country with her son Gurdeep Singh, said having failed to get justice in India, she now expected her compatriots in Canada to build pressure for justice.
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Khalsa forms 5-member panel
Mohali, December 11 He announced that a committee, comprising Amrik Singh
Ajnala, Harpal Singh Cheema, Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib, Gurnam Singh Sidhu and Kashmir
Kaur, would chalk out the next phase of the agitation for the release of six Sikh youths lodged in jails even after having completed their jail terms.
Cheema said Khalsa would be taken to Anandpur Sahib in a procession, which would begin from Gurdwara Amb Sahib at 10
am. Khalsa is demanding the release of Lakhwinder Singh, Shamsher Singh, Gurmit Singh, Lal Singh alias Manjeet Singh, Gurdip Singh Khaira and Wariyam Singh about six sikh detainees lodged in various jails
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untreated effluents
Jalandhar, December 11 The authorities have asked the owners of tanneries in the leather complex to complete the ongoing tanning process by Saturday. As fallout of not complying with the norms, the offenders have to face disconnection of power supply to their units and judicial action, PPCB senior environment engineer SP Garg said. Led by PPCB Chairperson Ravinder Pal Singh, the teams of the board and the PSIECL yesterday visited the complex and found the Punjab Effluent Treatment Society (PETS) discharging untreated effluents in the drain after bypassing the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), through underground pipelines. The CETP is governed by the PETS with Steven Kaler, brother of Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Avinash Chander, as Chief Executive Officer and Ajay Sharma as director. Criticising the directive, Punjab Leather Federation President Col JS Paul claimed that the tanning units were paying Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh to the PETS per month for treating effluents at the CEPT. “The PETS is charging the same amount from these units as from those discharging less effluents,” he said, adding that the responsibility should be fixed on the PETS office-bearers. Col Paul questioned the functioning of the PETS, alleging that big tanneries, owned by politically connected people, were discharging untreated effluents beyond the limits fixed by the PPCB. Kaler refuted the allegation, terming Col Paul a “one-man army”. He, however, expressed ignorance about the industries discharging hazardous effluents into the drain after bypassing the CETP. Following a tip-off, environmentalist and PPCB member Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal paid a surprise visit to the complex yesterday and found a pipe discharging the effluents into the drain adjacent to the CETP. Seechewal called senior environment engineer Garg to the spot to take stock of the
situation.
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Sant Samaj: Revert to Bikrami calendar
Amritsar, December 11 A delegation of the Sant Samaj comprising former Jathedar Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode and Baba Balbir Singh handed over a memorandum to the Akal Takht Jathedar. Talking to mediapersons, Rode said Nanakshahi calendar had created confusion among the community and Gurpurbs were being observed on different dates at different places. “The stalemate over Nanakshahi calendar continues and therefore Bikrami calendar should be implemented as it will ensure that all the occasions are observed on the same date”. Nanakshahi calendar, made by Pal Singh Purewal, was implemented in 2003. But, it was not accepted by Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Takht Sri Patna Sahib and the Sant Samaj. Later, the calendar was amended in 2010, but it failed to resolve the differences. Prior to Nanakshahi calendar, Sikhs were observing their events as per Bikrami calendar. During the meeting with the Jathedar, the Sant Samaj also demanded uniformity in “baani” for “amrit sanchar”. On the issue of Gurbaksh Singh, Rode said they agreed with the demand for the release of Sikh detainees, but they did not support the path adopted by him.
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Acid attack victim to be flown to Mumbai
Ludhiana, December 11 Commissioner of Police Nirmal Singh Dhillon said he had visited the victim at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital today. "She is stable. She is a very courageous girl," he said, adding that the police would bear the expenses incurred on her treatment. Meanwhile, Harpal Singh, SHO, Sarabha Nagar, said Major Singh, booked for selling the acid to the attackers, had absconded. Ashwani Kumar had been arrested for changing the number plate of his vehicle. Senior police officials said the main accused, Parvinder Singh alias Vicky, had a criminal background with two cases registered against him.
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VB detects anomalies in purchase of medicines at Patiala TB centre
Patiala, December 11 The bureau has prepared the report after recording the statements of the District Programme Officer, Centre Head and his subordinate staff. It has been forwarded to senior authorities. The complaint stated that the centre authorities purchased the medicines in violation of the rules. The purchasing committee of the centre purchases medicines for testing TB from the local market. They receive Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 lakh from the Civil Surgeons’ office every year for this purpose. Jaspal Singh, SP, EOW wing of the bureau said, “The medicines have been purchased at much higher rates and received quotations from the same firms every year.” Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr Virinder Singh Mohi and District TB Officer Dr Jawahar Joshi could not be contacted.
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Tibetan Mastiff ‘Rambo’ show star
Fazilka, December 11 Dog owner Gaurav Mainy of Nabha in Patiala district said “Rambo” had won the first prize 42 times at the national dog shows organised by the government-recognised Kennel Club of India (KCI) over two-and-a-half years. More than three years old, the dog stands at 32 inches and weighs 62 kg. The dog of rare breed acts as a guard in jungles. Having its origin in China, the pup of Tibetan Mastiff is sold for Rs 1 lakh and has to be nourished in an air-conditioned room in summer. Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani distributed prizes to winners in different categories. He urged the farmers to adopt animal husbandry as profession.
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Six Patiala Improvement Trust officials suspended
Chandigarh, December 11 They have also been charged with foul play in tampering official records. The suspended officials are Gore
Lal, Executive Officer, Patiala Improvement Trust, Rajesh Chaudhary, the then Additional Executive Officer (now at
Nabha), Amarpreet Kaur, Town Planner, Patiala, Basant Singh, Superintendent, Sanjay, clerk, Jagdeep Singh, the then Senior Assistant.
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Next, agriculture summit in Moga
Bathinda, December 11 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was in Badiala village today for a state-level function to pay tributes to Punjabi suba architect Sant Fateh Singh, said the meeting would see farmers, agriculture experts and leading agriculture companies from across the globe deliberating strategies to bail out the farmers from the agrarian crisis.
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CM in Raipur for swearing-in
Chandigarh, December 11 Accompanied by his advisor on national affairs Harcharan Bains and Principal Secretary SK Sandhu, he will then leave for Bhopal to meet Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He will also attend the swearing-in ceremony of Vasundhra Raje Scindia as Rajasthan Chief Minister in Jaipur on December 13, said an official spokesperson.
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BSP ‘maha panchayat’ on Dec 18
Phagwara, December 11 All social and religious Dalit organisations would be invited at the “maha panchayat”. He alleged Dalits were being implicated in false cases whereas excesses by SAD and BJP activists were being ignored.
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High Court Judge recuses from Bibi Jagir Kaur case
Chandigarh, December 11 The decision by the Bench to recuse itself from hearing the case came during the post-lunch session. Jagir Kaur was convicted for abduction and forcible abortion of her daughter Harpreet Kaur. Both Bibi, and the CBI have filed appeals in the case. The CBI has sought directions for convicting and sentencing Bibi Jagir Kaur for murder offence. The premier investigating agency has claimed that the Trial Judge failed to appreciate that Harpreet’s death was homicidal; and “committed a grave error in law in not giving a finding that the death was under mysterious circumstances”. In its application for early hearing of the appeal filed through CBI’s special public prosecutor RK Handa, the investigating agency had earlier asserted that her acquittal of murder charge and for destroying evidence was not justified. The matter pertains to 2000 and must be brought to its logical end at the earliest. The CBI has added in its appeal that Harpreet was abducted on March 18, 2000, from Chandigarh after being sedated. She was confined to her trusted friend Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi’s residence Jasdil Mansion in Phagwara. Her pregnancy was terminated against her will on March 20, 2000, at Kartarpur by Dhesi, Bibi’s political confidant Paramjeet Singh and approver Dr Balwinder Singh Sohal. The CBI has claimed that the trial judge committed grave error in disbelieving Dr Sohal’s testimony as far as the conspiracy to murder was concerned, while believing his witness regarding conspiracy to kidnap, wrongfully confining Harpreet and terminating the pregnancy.
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Court dismisses Sajjan ’s plea
New Delhi, December 11 Accused Sajjan Kumar, Brahmanand Gupta, Peru, and Ved Prakash had argued that these witnesses were “irrelevant.” The court also fixed January 10, 13 and 15 for commencing the trial in the case. — PTI
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Three cops held for undertrials’ escape
Sangrur, December 11 Deepa had escaped with the help of three accomplices from near Farwahi village in Dhuri. He was being brought back from a court hearing in Barnala, the DSP said. A case has been registered against Deepa, his three accomplices and the two policemen. Deepa and the three accused were still at large, he said. Station House Officer (SHO) Harinder Singh said Constable Kuldip Singh, posted at Police Lines here, was arrested as undertrial Akashdeep, lodged in Sangrur district jail, had escaped from his custody after appearing in court yesterday.
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ASI’s son held with drugs
Ropar, December 11 Ropar SSP Ravcharan Singh Brar said a police team intercepted a Scorpio SUV near headworks bridge. On a search, 51 gm of sedative powder and 3 kg of poppy husk was seized from its occupants, Ravinder and Sher Singh. On their tip-off, a grocer of Anandpur Sahib, Gurdev Singh, was also arrested in the case.
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Trader held for trespassing
Abohar, December 11 The accused, a native of Sriganganagar district of the neighbouring state, was remanded in judicial custody till December 24. BJP leader’s supporter Neelam Baghla alleged that NUZP supporters trespassed on her house in Sriganganagar.
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Chandigarh, December 11
October 1,2008: Puneet Rawal (in pic), an accountancy student, driving his car at over 150 km/per hour hits two, leaving one of them dead.
Amritsar, December 11
Lakhwinder Singh: A former Punjab Police constable, he was the first to be arrested in the Beant Singh assassination case. He was a co-conspirator with Balwant Singh, Jagtar Singh Hawara, Gurmit Singh and Shamsher Singh. Hawara persuaded Jagtar Singh Tara, a proclaimed offender, to purchase an Ambassador car and then asked Lakhwinder Singh and Shamsher Singh to get the vehicle painted white. The car was used in the assassination.
Shamsher Singh: A truck driver, he was given the task of procuring RDX from a village in Ajnala subdivision.The explosive was allegedly sent by proclaimed offender Wadhawa Singh from Pakistan.
Gurmeet Singh: A BPL engineer with a diploma in mechanical engineering, the belt to carry the RDX was prepared in his room at Mohali. RDX was recovered from his house. It was on his interrogation that the names of Hawara, Tara and Balwant Singh surfaced.
Lal Singh alias Manjeet Singh: A resident of Akalgarh village in Kapurthala, he is lodged at the Nabha jail. He was arrested in Gujarat on July 19, 1992, under TADA, the Explosive Substance Act and the Arms Act. In May 2011, he was granted extended parole by the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted till the Gujarat Government decided to redeem his imprisonment for life. The court rejected his plea for premature release in October 2011