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Adamant on CBI probe into drug scam, Congress begins relay fast
It’s nothing but a sham: SAD leaders
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Harassed, rice millers seek Centre’s help
24x7 Attari check post set to boost bilateral trade
Now, AAP to form units at grass-roots
Udham Singh called himself
Mohamed Singh Azad: Records
Information on CM, Dy CM’s air travel denied
Can’t employ teachers without eligibility test, says Badal
OSD’s appointment under scanner
Centre to probe fund misuse charge: Selja
Frost hits potato crop in Malwa belt
Farmers to be told of steps to counter yellow rust disease
Intel report on terror strike has police on high alert
Head of Bidhi Chand sect dies at 90
Declared PO, Patwari reinstated
r-day function
Canadian MP visits AAP office
RINGSIDE VIEW
Sikh mother in UK charged with 3-year-old son’s death
2 held for bribing govt officials
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Adamant on CBI probe into drug scam, Congress begins relay fast
Chandigarh, January 19 The party is also demanding that Majithia be sacked from the Cabinet and arrested. "We are mobilising people in all constituencies. We may be forced to launch 'rail roko' and shut commercial establishments. I am ready to go on an indefinite fast if our voice goes unheard," warned Bajwa. Addressing party workers, he said the Congress would step up its agitation if the government did not order a CBI probe. "The Congress is using peaceful and democratic methods to shake the conscience of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is shielding Majithia," he said. Pointing out that druglord Jagdish Bhola had named Majithia as the brain behind the drug racket in the state, he said the police had earlier arrested Maninder Singh Aulakh and Jagjit Singh Chahal, also close to Majithia. "The police claim to have arrested 50 persons named by Bhola. Now, a separate yardstick is being used in Majithia's case." Among those who sat on a day's fast with Bajwa were Ashwani Sekhri, Kuljit Singh Nagra, Randeep Singh Nabha, Surinderpal Singh Sibia, general Sukhjinder Raj Singh Majithia, Dr Raj Kumar Chhabewal, Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha, Ramesh Singla and Rajanbir Singh. Former PPCC president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, vice-presidents Laal Singh, Kewal Singh Dhillon and Tarlochan Singh Soond and MLAs Joginder Singh Punjgrain, Gurkirat Kotli, GS Boparai, Navtej Cheema, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu and Balbir Sidhu also joined the protesting leaders.
Allegations The Congress is using peaceful and democratic methods to shake the conscience of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is shielding
Majithia Partap Singh Bajwa, PPCC President Instead of holding sham protests, the PCC chief should come clean on his 'past misdeeds' revealed in a letter to the AICC high command byAmarinder
Singh Daljit Singh Cheema, SAD Leader
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It’s nothing but a sham: SAD leaders
Chandigarh, January 19 Terming Bajwa's protest as a “photo opportunity” to keep himself in the news, SAD spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema and general secretary SS Dhillon said it was ironic that Bajwa had fallen back on an "in-house hunger strike in the comfort of the party office". They said instead of holding "sham protests", he should come clean on his "past misdeeds" revealed in a letter to the high command by Capt Amarinder Singh. “Also, there are reports from central agencies on Bajwa’s past record showing him hand in glove with the drug mafia and terrorists and indulging in activities that are the hallmark of a petty criminal — fake currency and call girl racketeering”.
CM: No probe panel Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, during a visit to Barnala, ruled out a commission to probe drug smuggling cases. He claimed it was owing to the harsh measures initiated by his government that drug peddlers such as Bhola and Dev had been arrested and drugs in large quantities seized.
— TNS
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AAP no threat to state Congress, says Bhattal
Jalandhar, January 19 “Amarinder’s ‘personal opinion’ has been rejected by one and all, even by those considered close to him,” she said. In the city to meet Congress workers, she claimed Amarinder's utterances had not weakened the state Congress. On the ‘clean chit’ to Majithia by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and state DGP Sumedh Saini, Bhattal said: “If the SAD-BJP Government believes there is nothing to hide, it should order a CBI probe into the racket. Why are they dragging their feet on the issue?” On the possible AAP impact in Punjab, Bhattal said the Congress did not feel threatened by the new party. “The BJP is a complete failure. It has failed to raise people's issues whereas the Congress has opposed new taxes and the 'tyrannical' fee for regularising colonies.” Bhattal was accompanied by former DCC president Arun Walia and Kamal Sehgal. The former Chief Minister she did not intend to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections unless directed by the party high command to do so.
Attack on Amarinder Amarinder Singh’s personal opinion (against a CBI probe into drug scam) has been rejected by one and all, even by those considered close to him Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Senior Congress Leader
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Harassed, rice millers seek Centre’s help
Association general secretary Gurdeep Singh Cheema said they had informed the Central Government that rice millers had to face harassment due to inadequate technical staff with the FCI. Millers said they had the capacity to deliver the entire rice stock allotted to them by March 31. They want that there should be a neutral lab to test the quality of rice offered by millers to the central pool. At present, there are only labs owned by the FCI. "If these labs reject the produce, millers cannot appeal to a higher authority," said Tarsem Saini, president of the association. He said a notification was issued to set up a neutral lab some years ago, by including officials of the FCI and Punjab's Food and Civil Supply Department. But nothing happened on ground, he added. The Bhartiya Khadiya Nigam Karamchari Sangh, a recognised and elected organisation of employees of the FCI, also complains of staff shortage. Its spokesman said in 1995, there were 76,000 employees with the corporation. But the existing number of employees was only 23,000. The Central Government had assured the sangh to keep the number of employees at 36,000 in 2000, said Vinod Batta, president, Punjab unit of the sangh. He said work load on employees had more than doubled since 1995 since the staff strength had come down to just 30 per cent. The fact that the existing staff is too resorting to work to rule in support of their demands has added to the problem of the millers. "The Central Government is sitting over our demands for several years. We will intensify our agitation from Monday," said Batta. Their demands included pension on the pattern of Central Government employees, reimbursement of medical expenditure of retired employees, assured career promotion scheme and coverage of all categories of employees for fringe benefits. Batta said the government maintained that since the FCI was not a profit making organisation, its employees could not be given pension and other benefits. Questioning this argument, Batta said how could the FCI earn profit when the Centre was giving foodgrain procured at Rs 15 to 20 per kg to people under its food security and other programmes at Rs 2 per kg. The FCI authorities said there was no shortage of staff at the cutting-edge level. "We have rationalised the staff postings," said a senior officer posted at the office of Senior Regional Manager in Chandigarh. He said to fill the vacant posts, recruitment had been done and the fresh recruits would join in February. The officer said till date about 16 lakh tonne of rice had been received from millers in Punjab. The figure was almost same last year. The total arrival of rice to the central pool from Punjab this year will be about 81 lakh tonnes. Besides, there is a backlog of 2.25 lakh tonnes of last year, which was to be deposited in the central pool by this week. Batta said most of the employees resigned with in 2-3 years after joining the FCI due to poor salaries. He said in 2010, about 1,000 employees were recruited and many of them were MBA degree holders. "About 50 per cent of them have quit the job", he said.
Seeking relief
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24x7 Attari check post set to boost bilateral trade
Talking to The Tribune, MPS Chatha, president, All-India Cement Importers Association, said the move would propel the Indo-Pak trade as it would speed up the movement of goods between the two countries. “With the border remaining open round the clock, the traders will incur less demurrage which will increase their profit margin. Besides, containerised consignments would further add to the swift movement of goods, thus leading to a higher volume of trade between India and Pakistan, he added. BK Bajaj, dry fruit importer, said the move spelled a quantum leap for the Attari port as well as Amritsar town, adding that as and when these steps were implemented the Attari port would start functioning as an international port in the true sense. He said these steps would also rid the traders of apprehensions regarding smuggling of contraband in their consignments. “We are constantly working under the fear of drug mafia, but the latest measures announced by both the governments will instill a sense of security among the traders.” He said the volume of trade will also increase consequently, but in gradual manner. Khanna Paper Mills Director Suneet Kochhar said both the governments have finally recognized the international trade practice of containerized movement at the Attari port. "With this we too can now look forward to resuming the export of newsprint to Pakistan which we had discontinued due to problems like pilferage and material getting damaged on account of manual loading and unloading," he said, adding the development will facilitate hassle-free bilateral trade. Pardeep Sehgal from the Confederation of International Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CICCI) said these measures would give a big boost to the trade and make Amritsar a huge trade and transit hub. However, the CICCI also cautioned the government to beef up the facilities at the ICP on war footing, as the present infrastructure was “woefully inadequate to handle the current level of trade operation with limited options like banking hours and several other handicaps and hurdles created by the multiple agencies manning the ICP”. At present, the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari opens for international trade from 7 am to 7 pm. It functions round the year except for a few national holidays on either sides of the border. Describing the opening of a 24x7 ICP as a historic step, Jagmohan Bhanot, chief adviser, FIEO, said this would help both the countries in a major way and have a major positive impact on the economic social life of people of both the nations. Trade and tourism always brings people closer, he added.
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Now, AAP to form units at grass-roots
Abohar, January 19 He is also a member of the committee formed to select candidates for the coming Lok Sabha elections. Explaining the process for selecting candidates, Kumar said applicants would have to get their applications endorsed by at least 100 bona fide voters of the constituency, giving complete credentials. “The applications will be put on the party’s website and other media to get feedback from the people to ascertain whether or not the applicants are honest and fair in conduct, he added.
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May relax criteria for appointing docs: Jyani
Fazilka, January 19 The Minister chose the slum area to start the campaign to motivate people to get their children vaccinated against the polio virus. On the shortage of doctors, Jyani said norms for recruiting specialist doctors could be relaxed by appointing diploma holders to fill the vacancies. “The final decision on the relaxation in norms will be taken after meeting senior officers of the department,” he said. As per the Medical Council of India (MCI), the post-graduate degree in a specialised field is mandatory for appointment as a specialist doctor. “It is the government’s priority to fill all vacant posts, hence the department is exploring all possibilities to meet the shortfall,” Jyani said. “In spite of going polio free for the third year on the bounce, three more pulse polio rounds are required to rule out the recurrence of virus from people of Pakistan and Afghanistan,” the Minister said. Both countries are still grappling to eradicate the virus. During the three-day campaign, 37.69 lakh children between the age group of 0 and 5 years would be administered polio drops in the state, for which nearly 15,000 booths have been set up. Nearly 30,000 teams of the Health Department in association with schoolchildren and non-government organisations (NGOs) have been constituted for the purpose. In all, 7,000 supervisors will monitor the campaign. Dr Jatinder Kaur, Director, Family Welfare, was present at the function organised by the Health Department.
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Udham Singh called himself
Mohamed Singh Azad: Records
Faridkot, January 19 "In many documents, 'Ram' is prefixed to the name of Mohamed Singh Azad. But, in many of his handwritten letters and documents, Udham Singh signed under the name of Mohamed Singh Azad to portray himself as a secular figure," said senior section engineer Rakesh Kumar, who has written a book on the martyr, "Azadi di Shama da Parwana: Mahaan Ghadari Inqulabi Shaheed Udham Singh". "There have been attempts by politicians to tamper with the martyr's name to appropriate his legacy for political propaganda," he said. According to a document released by the British Government in June 1997, Udham Singh said his name was Mohamed Singh Azad after his arrest at Caxton Hall, in Westminster, London, on March 13, 1940. "The Metropolitan Police had reported that Mohamed Singh Azad was remanded to police custody up to March 21, 1940 for killing Michael O'Dwyer," said Sunam resident Kumar. As per another document of the British Government, Udham Singh signed his statement dated March 15, 1940, under the name of Mohamed Singh Azad after his arrest in the Cannon Row Police Station 'A' Division, Rakesh said. In a statement, John Swain, Divisional Detective Inspector 'A' Division, London, said at the time of Udham Singh's arrest, a tattoo on his arm read "Mohamed Singh Azad". A letter written by Udham Singh from Brixton Prison to Sands, Superintendent Police, on March 16, 1940, read that he wanted the police authorities not to change his name from Mohamed Singh Azad. Udhan Singh was hanged to death on July 31, 1940. On page 145 of Roger Perkins' book titled "The Amritsar Legacy", Udham Singh has been named as Mohamed Singh Azad. Perkins wrote that the name 'Mohamed Singh Azad' was Udham Singh's invention to symbolise the Muslim-Sikh-Hindu unity. A number of letters written by him to his friend Avtar Singh Johl and a photograph sent to his friend Bishan Singh were signed as 'MS Azad', Kumar added.
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Information on CM, Dy CM’s air travel denied
Chandigarh, January 19 Earlier, similar information regarding air travel expenditure of the state Governor was provided to an RTI activist last year. The department had also provided information regarding expenditure on flights of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and the Revenue Minister. The Assistant Public Information Officer of the Civil Aviation Department in reply to the applicant, Dr Jasdeepak Singh, has said he could not be provided the information as it was not "covered" under Section 2(f) which covers "any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force". Talking to the Tribune, Dr Jasdeepak Singh said: "The information can be refused only in case it is not available or if the matter pertains to the Official Secret Act. Since there are reports of the records being provided earlier, there is no justification for its denial". He said: "The government is trying to hide misuse of public money as is evident from the number of flights being taken by the top leaders to their constituencies only for making announcements or for private work." The activist has filed an application before the first appellate authority seeking strict action against the officer concerned. In reply to an RTI application in July 2013, it was reported that Governor Shivraj Patil's air travel cost state exchequer more than Rs 38,000 daily. The Punjab Government spent around Rs 2 crore on Patil's air travel between January 2012 and May 2013. ‘Disregarding’ law
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Can’t employ teachers without eligibility test, says Badal
Barnala, January 19 He said the government was ready to preserve the house of the freedom fighter if asked by those occupying the same. Badal asked the village panchayat members to meet him in Chandigarh on January 21 with their demands. Those who paid tributes to the martyr included Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Balbir Singh Ghunas, area in charge of Bhadaur constituency Darbara Singh Guru, maternal grandson of the martyr Capt Amarjit Singh Jaijee and SGPC member Paramjit Singh Khalsa.
Protesters detained About 24 agitating unemployed ETT (EGS and AIE) teachers were taken into police custody at Thikriwala village during Chief Minister's visit there. Upinderjit Singh Ghumman, Senior Superintendent of Police, Barnala, said the protesters were taken in custody as a preventive measure. They were let off after the departure of the Chief Minister, he added. Sukhchain Singh, a member of the action committee of unemployed ETT teachers, said they only wanted to apprise the Chief Minister of their problems.
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OSD’s appointment under scanner
Mohali, January 19 The issue came to light after the Deputy Comptroller (local audit) in a communique to the board’s authorities sought a copy of the approval of the state government regarding the appointment. Varinder Kumar, who retired from the post of Joint Secretary of PSEB on September 30, 2012, was reappointed by Dr Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal as her OSD on January 31, 2013. Earlier, Assistant Secretary Balwinder Balli was given the charge of OSD before the appointment of Varinder Kumar. Interestingly, the order of Balli’s elevation to the post of OSD is yet to be cancelled by the authorities. A senior officer of the board on the condition of anonymity admitted that as per the board's records, the chairperson had two OSDs. A former employee of the board complained to state Education Minister SS Maluka on December 9, 2013, regarding this controversial appointment following which, the minister had sought a report from the Principal Secretary (Education) within a period of seven days. Sources claimed that the senior official was yet to start enquiry in the case. The government's rules state no retired personnel could be reemployed or given extension in service. Dr Dhaliwal claimed that there was no violation of any rule in appointing the official in question. "This is a temporary appointment the duration of which would culminate with the chairperson quitting the post. The board is an autonomous body so the state government rules do not apply to it,” said Dr Dhaliwal.
Flouting norms
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Centre to probe fund misuse charge: Selja
Chandigarh, January 19 Jakhar said for 2013-14, Rs 280.81 crore was released for the scheme, but till date not a single paisa had been given to the needy students. Also Rs 50 crore released under the same scheme in 2011-12, had not reached the students, he said. Jakhar has sought a proactive monitoring of the scheme. He also asked the minister to consider extending the benefit to students of economically weaker sections. Kumari Selja told Jakhar that the ministry released the fund after evaluating the number of beneficiaries in each state. "Punjab too got funds after such evaluation. The disbursal of funds is the responsibility of the states concerned. The ministry will enquire into the matter," she said.
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Frost hits potato crop in Malwa belt
Moga, January 19 “The prevailing weather conditions are not good for potato and tomato. The broad-leaf varieties have been adversely hit,” said Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar. He said in Moga district, the potato crop had been sown on more than 6,000 hectares and harvesting was expected to begin by February. “ If the severe cold conditions persist for a few more days, it could mean more losses for the farmers,” he said. Potato has been sown on 84,000 hectares across the state. Farmers in Moga district said 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the potato crop had been hit by frost. The frosty weather has also taken a toll on the tomato crop. However, the chill is good for the wheat crop. Dr Brar said a “normal” spell of rain at this stage would benefit the wheat crop. Farmers in some parts of Malwa, including Moga and Ferozepur districts, have been complaining that they are unable to irrigate their wheat crop because of inadequate power supply.
Farmers anxious
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Farmers to be told of steps to counter yellow rust disease
Nawanshahr, January 19 The experts would make the farmers aware about the symptoms as well as the remedy to save the crop from yellow rust. Besides, 20,335 litres of
Propiconazole, used to spraying on the affected crop, have been procured and would be available to farmers at the block-level focal points at subsidised rates. Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Bhajan Singh said yellow rust was witnessed at
Balachaur, Rattewal and Firni Mazra in the district so far. He advised farmers not to panic as the disease could be curbed by taking timely measures such as spraying Propiconazole on the affected crop.
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Intel report on terror strike has police on high alert
Patiala, January 19 The intelligence agencies have said the Babbar Khalsa and the Khalistan Zindabad Force could carry out the attack while also not ruling out a hijacking attempt. The intelligence wing of the Punjab Police has sent secret letters to the police districts in the state, warning of a possible “violent/disruptive action to create panic and endanger the life of VIP’s/VVIP’s”. The letter further highlights how similar inputs about a possible terror threat had been sounded by the central intelligence agencies. It suggests that “the state terror modules and their allies are planning to register their presence through sensational strikes”.
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Head of Bidhi Chand sect dies at 90
He is survived by his two sons Baba Avtar Singh, Baba Gurcharan Singh and daughter Navinder Kaur. Sources said Baba Daya Singh would be cremated on January 20. He was admitted to a private hospital in Amritsar but was shifted to the sect headquarters early this morning as per his wish, said a senior sect follower. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, Cabinet Minister Bikram Majithia, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal and SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar have expressed grief over his death. The Chief Minister said Baba Daya Singh would be remembered for his service to humanity in general and Sikhism in particular. Sursingh is one of the largest villages in the state with a population exceeding 20,000.
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Declared PO, Patwari reinstated
Tarn Taran, January 19 Later, SP (Detective) Harwinder Singh Sandhu announced the suspension of ASI Heera Singh and ordered departmental inquiry into the role of SHO Sawinder Singh into the matter. Gurwinder had tampered with the revenue records of Sheron village, 8 km from here. He was booked under Section 420 and other relevant sections of the IPC. He was sent behind the bars also by the police. Sheron resident Ajit Singh lodged a criminal complaint in local court against the Patwari under Section 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian
Penal Code. Gurwinder was declared a PO by a local court. District Revenue Officer Rajinder Oberoi confirmed the Patwari’s reinstatement two to three days ago. The Deputy Commissioner could not be contacted.
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Military might thrills students
Fazilka, January 19 The schoolchildren were explained the functioning of a few of the latest weapons and equipment, including automatic machine guns and missile firing vehicles, besides advancement in computer technology associated in handling the equipment. The fair assumes significance as Asafwala War Memorial built in the memory of martyrs of the 1965 and 1971 India-Pakistan wars is in the Fazilka sector.
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r-day function
Chandigarh, January 18 Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal will unfurl the flag in Fatehgarh Sahib, Chuni Lal Bhagat will do so in Amritsar, Sarwan Singh Phillaur in Jalandhar, Ajit Singh Kohar in Kapurthala, Gulzar Singh Ranike in Tarn Taran, Madan Mohan Mittal in Hoshiarpur, Parminder Singh Dhindsa in Sangrur, Surjit Kumar Jyani in Fazilka and Bikram Singh Majithia in Ropar.
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Canadian MP visits AAP office
Moga, January 19 Lamoureux stressed on the need to end corruption at all levels of the administration. Chahal honoured the dignitary with a shawl, the party cap, and a broom, AAP’s election symbol.
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RINGSIDE VIEW
Very often journalists stumble upon inside information. For instance, independent researcher and journalist Phil Miller chanced upon “top secret” letters that were exchanged between senior UK officials and then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984.
Phil had gone to the National Archives to find information on SAS involvement in Sri Lanka. Instead, he found letters wherein then Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe responded favourably to India’s request for assistance in removing militants from the Golden Temple. Miller is currently piecing together the role of MI5 and the SAS in South Asia. Celebrating women
In a patriarchal society like ours, Lohri holds special significance. When an NGO decided to celebrate the festival on January 12 at Guru Nanak Bhavan, Ludhiana, there were queries as to why it was being held a day early. The organisers replied: “People celebrate Lohri on January 13. But we are taking this step in honour of women.” They later awarded 11 women for their contribution to the society. Bajwa losing ground
The Congress is a divided house is common knowledge but fissures in PPCC chief’s backyard, Majha belt, has come as a shock. At the statewide “chakka jam”, none of the party MLAs from Amritsar — OP Soni, Rajkumar Verka and Sukh Sarkaria — took part in the agitation. This despite the fact that Bajwa's brother, Fateh Jung, was leading the protest in the holy city. Surprisingly, PCC vice-president and Majha zone in charge Soni, made it known that he was not taken into confidence while organising the protest. It seems that tough days lie ahead for Bajwa in Majha. Blow hot and cold
There was unusual bonhomie between the two contenders for the Gurdaspur Parliamentary seat, when BJP national organisation secretary Ram Lal came calling last week. Three time MP and cine star Vinod Khanna and industrialist Swaran Salaria acted like long lost brothers and took everyone by surprise. Instead of the usual pot shots, Khanna took the initiative in burying the hatchet and invited Salaria to his new home. Not to be outdone, Salaria too invited Khanna to dinner at his residence at Chowhana village. It is another matter that while Salaria enjoyed Khanna’s hospitality the latter did not turn up for dinner. The rebuff, intended or otherwise, has been a hot topic of discussion among party men. Good Samaritan
Even as all five Congress Gurdaspur MLAs blocked the roads during the statewide “chakka jam”, a YAD leader went out of his way to guide an ambulance out of the traffic blockade on the Gurdaspur-Kahnuwan road. Jagroop Sekhwan’s Samaritan gesture helped save a life. Jagroop and his colleagues were travelling, when they spotted an ambulance trying to make its way out of the jam. The patient had been referred from Kahnuwan to Gurdaspur Civil Hospital. Needless to say, the patient’s relatives could not thank him enough. At the recently held NRI Sammelan, apart from the pressing NRI issues there were some lighter moments that had the audience in splits. When some of the NRIs from the stage pointed out to CM Parkash Singh Badal that just one woman (former minister Bibi Jagir Kaur) was seated in the front row. The unflappable CM’s retorted: ‘Sadi Bibi ta sawa lakh de barabar hai. Tussi daso thuhadian bibian kithe han. (Our Bibi is worth a million, you (NRIs) tell us where your better halves are! At this, the audience guffawed. Cheeky police officer
A couple of days ago, some Youth Congress leaders staged a dharna in Jalandhar against Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the wake of the drug scam. When some scribes asked the need for so many women police personnel, a woman police officer cheekily replied, “It is a precautionary measure for the safety of the women journalists.” These days it is a problem of plenty for the Akalis with the new entrants leaving no stone unturned in professing their undying loyalty to their new party and its chief. This was evident during Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal’s visit in Faridkot on January 13. In a bid to outdo each other, the leaders put up large posters separately to welcome Sukhbir. — Balwant Garg, Sarbjit Dhaliwal, Anupam Bhagria, Umesh Dewan and
Ravi Dhaliwal
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Sikh mother in UK charged with 3-year-old son’s death
London, January 19 Rosdeep Kular, 33, is due to appear at the Edinburgh Sheriff's Court tomorrow over the death of Mikaeel Kular, who was reported missing on Wednesday evening, prompting a massive search operation. Kular was detained on Friday night and arrested and charged yesterday after Mikaeel's body was found by officers in woodland behind her former home in Kirkcaldy, Fife, where she lived before moving to Edinburgh. She was charged after almost 24 hours of questioning, as the police confirmed the body was that of her missing son. The body was removed by officers for an autopsy. Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham of Police Scotland said: "Following formal identification, I can now confirm that a 33-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with Mikaeel's death. The woman is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday." Kular, a mother of five, told the police that she put her son to bed at 9pm on Wednesday, but when she went to wake him up at 7:15am the following morning he was missing. She also said that on the night when Mikaeel allegedly disappeared, he was sleeping alone in the bedroom he normally shared with his twin sister Ashika. Officers initially suggested that the little boy may have got up in the middle of the night, put on his clothes, and left the building "for a wander". — PTI The case
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BSF jawans seize 17 kg heroin worth
Rs 85 crore
Amritsar, January 19 They saw infiltrators trying to insert a plastic pipe in the barbed border fence. When challenged, they opened fire on the jawans, who retaliated. During search operations the following day, the BSF recovered 17 packets of heroin, two pistols, a magazine, eight rounds, a mobile SIM card. Tomar said they had contacted the Pakistani Rangers seeking for a flag meeting to discuss the matter. The BSF had yesterday seized 4 kg of heroin worth Rs 20 crore in the Ferozepur Sector. Jawans on duty had found four packets of heroin, each weighing 1 kg. The peddlers were reported to have escaped in the dense fog. Operation Alert The BSF has launched Operation Alert on its Punjab frontier to thwart attempts by Pakistan-based smugglers to push in drugs and counterfeit Indian currency. Cash reward The BSF team involved in the Gulgarh border outpost operation, in which two Pakistani smugglers were shot dead, have been given a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh.
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2 held for bribing govt officials
Mansa, January 19 In all, four people, including Department Deputy Director Puran Chand and Superintendent Harjeet Singh, have been booked in the cheating case. Ralla sarpanch Sewak Singh alleged that in October last year his rival, former village sarpanch Avtar Singh, and his accomplice Kuldeep Singh had bribed officials into accepting a resignation letter bearing his fake signature. SAD leader Sewak had defeated Avtar in the panchayat elections last year by nearly 500 votes. “I was surprised to know about the resignation letter signed and stamped by me. I ran from pillar to post to get myself reinstated,” Sewak said. He had a harrowing time to get himself reinstated. Sewak made rounds of offices in Mansa, Bathinda, Ferozepur and Chandigarh to prove that the letter was fake. “I had spent more than 1 lakh on fuel to visit offices,” he said. Sewak alleged that how much he could shell out to get himself reinstated since his rival group had given them Rs 5 lakh to accept the fake letter? He was able to convince the Department Deputy Director that the letter was fabricated. He was reinstated after 15 days. “I managed to nail the accused but, by that time, I had spent over Rs 2 lakh, including on fuel,” he said. SHO Paramjit Singh said all accused had been booked under Sections 420, 365, 367, 368, 371, and 120-B of the IPC. Rural Development and Panchayats Director Dr SK Raju said: “I have recommended action against the errant officials.”
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Chandigarh, January 19
Amritsar, January 19
Tarn Taran, January 19