Bathinda, March 10
A contract killer (supari killer) of Ludhiana today escaped in a dramatic manner by drawing three policemen’s attention towards the luxury of travelling in an SUV for a court hearing in Patiala on their way back to the Bathinda Central Jail in the evening.

The accused, Raju alias Raja, facing numerous cases of killing and robbery, had been lodged in the Bathinda Central Jail for the last six months.

Interestingly, the ‘Detective Cell’ of the police had already informed about the possibility of an escape by Raju during his hearing in the Patiala court.

Instead of policemen chalking out a travel plan for the court appearance in Patiala, Raju arranged a chauffeur-driven SUV, a Toyota Innova, for the policemen to escort him for the hearing.

“Otherwise, the policemen would have taken the prisoner in a PRTC bus, without him being aware of the route he was being taken through. Due to lack of official vehicles given for single inmates by the department, the cops opted for the SUV offered by the killer,” said a senior policeman.

The three policemen, head constables Gurdeep Singh, Bhola Singh and constable Jatinder Singh, also agreed to take the Bathinda-Mansa-Bhawanigarh route offered by the driver to reach Patiala. There is another route via Bathinda-Barnala-Sangrur to reach Patiala, with the police presence on the way.

As soon as the SUV stopped ahead of Maisarkhana railway crossing near Bhai Bakhtaur village, around a dozen accomplices of Raju in another vehicle forced the SUV to stop, and took him away. Since the route opted for by the cops and the inmate is less travelled and due to little traffic, the accused managed to flee, said another senior cop. The accused found the policemen to be sitting ducks and took away their official carbine (stengun) along with cartridges and left the cops midway without their cell phones.

By the time the policemen informed their seniors about the incident with the help of some passersby, the accused had managed to maintain a considerable distance.

On the instructions of SSP Gurpreet Bhullar, the three policemen were arrested and a case under Sections 392, 336, 223, 224, 225, 148, 149, 120-B of the IPC and 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act was registered against them at Maur police station. Later, they were dismissed.

The police also sealed the district and adjoining areas and are conducting a special operation to nab them.

It is pertinent to mention here that this is the third major incident in the past year and a half, wherein four prisoners had escaped from police custody in a dramatic manner. Earlier, last year, three prisoners had escaped by killing a policeman near Bhai Bakhtaur village on their way back in a police vehicle from a court appearance in Panchkula and later, two of them died in a police encounter.

In another such incident, a murder accused had managed to escape by sprinkling red chilli in the eyes of the policemen at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda. Efforts are being made to nab the absconding accused soon, said SSP Gurpreet Bhullar.

Bathinda, March 10
Multiple election teams will keep an eye on the election expenses of different political parties even before their nominations are filed.

As per the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the monitoring teams have started keeping a check on the pictures of candidates being published on the propaganda material. “Once the aforesaid candidate files nominations at the Election Office, the expenses incurred on such material will transfer into his or her account and will reflect in the final calculations,” said the Election Registration Officer Varinder Kumar Sharma.

The political party agents have been asked to maintain registers for each and every monetary activity. To keep a track on these registers, the Election Office has formed its own shadow registers.

For instance, at every rally, the election monitoring team will videograph the event. This team will not have any rights to interfere or stop the political parties from splurging. The teams will then submit the details to respective election offices wherein the accounting teams will watch videos and prepare details of the expense incurred in holding rallies or other such events.

For this, the District Election Office has prepared an exhaustive list of the rates of things used at these rallies. Expenses would be calculated in sync with the rates registered in this list and will be maintained in the evidence folder of each candidate.

“If our list of expenses does not match with that the candidate has provided, we will issue notices to the candidates. All these registers would be checked after particular time period and its entries would be matched with that the candidate has provided,” Sharma added.

All the accounting teams would report to election expenditure observers who will be officers of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).

Bathinda, March 10
While the Election Commission of India (ECI) is bringing out sleeker strategies and better monitoring system to keep an eagle’s eye on the poll expenses of different candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, the expenses incurred during the 2009 elections portray a different picture.

Ironically enough, the 2009 winner Harsimrat Badal had spent less than her nearest rival, Congress candidate Raninder Singh. While Raninder had spent Rs 12 lakh on the elections, Member of Parliament from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal had spent just Rs 11 lakh.

The ECI has increased the expenditure limit from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 70 lakh, which would not have great impact on the candidates’ spending. “Despite inflation, political candidates manage to spend just ‘meagre’ amount on election campaigning,” said a senior government official.

The official explained that the candidate’s agents use frugal approach in such an arena. With modest and gizmo-free election offices, the candidates ‘manage’ to spend much less than the permissible limits.

Bathinda, March 10
Illegal means adopted to transfer 'cheap' LPG gas in a Maruti Zen car using a faulty machine cost three persons dear, including a passer-by, who received serious burns after a blast that occurred around 9.30 am on the Bibiwala Road adjoining DAV School.

The mishap occurred when an owner of a car workshop offered to transfer LPG in a subsidised cylinder into the gas kit of Zen for Rs 50. Though the workshop owner had been doing the illegal business for the last four years, the incident shocked the people standing nearby and the adjoining shop owners. Others, around a dozen in the city, who have been doing similar illegal brisk business’ have hid their machines ‘for the time being’, immediately after the incident.

As per initial investigation by the police, the motor in the machine installed to transfer the LPG was emitting sparks and the gas emanating from the LPG cylinder came in contact with the flash, which led to the blast.

“Despite being an open area on the road, the shop emitted a foul smell of gas as I dropped my daughter at the adjoining DAV School entrance. I noticed a man sprinkling something from a can, which appeared to be a small fire extinguisher,” said a person who noticed the blast.

The man added that as he crossed the road, a blast ripped apart the first floor of the shop and thrust the car out of the shop. The car, he said, was parked inside the shop to transfer the LPG gas into the gas kit. The car, despite being parked in back gear by applying hand brakes, moved on its own by up to six feet, he said.

The blast also left wide chinks in the nearby walls of the shops. The shopkeepers said apart from the car driver and mechanic, a worker of a nearby shop, too, came in contact of the blast and was injured. The injured were taken to the Civil Hospital by volunteers of the NGO Sahara Jan Sewa.

Civil Lines SHO Angrez Singh said neither he was aware of the name of the car owner nor any case has been registered in this connection. “All I know is the name of those injured in the mishap as the shop mechanic who was transferring the gas, Sandeep Singh, a passer-by Jaspreet Singh and the car driver Dhanwant Singh,” said he.

When asked whose responsibility is it to check the illegal practice, he said: “It’s the responsibility of the District Transport Office or the traffic policemen to issue challan to those who have fitted illegal gas kits in their vehicles.”

Meanwhile, the workers of the Paramvir petrol pump on the Bathinda-Bhucho Road revealed that their sale of gas had reduced from 1,000 litres per day in 2007 (during the inception of the pump) and it has now come down to a mere 200 to 250 per litre. “Only those people visit our pump to refill the gas, who have officially authorised gas kit fitted in their vehicles as the gas nozzle does not fit in the illegal gasket. In view of the rising price, (Rs 59.60 per litre), now people opt for illegal gas kits by using domestic LPG cylinder for Rs 440 per cylinder to save approximately Rs 1,000 as compared to the authorised gasket to run their four-wheeler,” said a worker, pleading anonymity.

At present, there are more than a dozen illegal gas transfer machines dotting the city, which pose a serious threat not only to those transferring the gas but onlookers and passerby as well. 

Bathinda, March 10
The Sunday incident of a feud in the emergency ward of the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, where the parties at war entered the minor operation theatre (OT) and started using surgical blades and knives to threaten each other, took a new turn today with the hospital doctors going on strike for an hour.

Medicos and paramedical staff of the hospital went on strike from 2 pm to 3 pm raising slogans against the health department and the Punjab government.

The accused in the feud case had allegedly abused the doctors and manhandled them. The PCMS Association told the Civil Surgeon, Bathinda, that if the doctors are not provided proper security in the next two days, they would take the path of agitation. The doctors also threatened to leave an impact on emergency services as well.

As per information available, on Sunday night, an injured person was rushed to the emergency services. Soon after, three more injured, Shri Chand, Rajinder Kumar and Sanjiv Kumar were admitted. When they saw the first inured inside the minor OT, they started hurling abuses at him and caught hold of surgical blades and knives. When they tried to attack the patient, Dr Dheeraj intervened. The accused started hurling abuses at Dr Dheeraj also. Then the other doctors on duty intervened and the issue aggravated.

Bathinda, March 10
The training workshop for calculating election expenses of the candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections was held at the Zila Parishad office here today.

Chief Administrator of the BDA-cum-Election Registration Officer Varinder Kumar Sharma explained procedures to the expenditure teams, supervisors and master trainers under the expenditure training schedule.

Election staff from Bhucho Mandi, Bathinda urban, Bathinda rural, Talwandi Sabo and Maur Mandi participated in the training workshop.

Sharma detailed the officers about video-graphing the election rallies and political events, calculating the expenses incurred on rallies, vehicles and other propaganda material.

Sharma added that on March 11, a training would be imparted to the election staff of Bathinda rural and urban at the BDA complex. On March 12, training would be held for the Talwandi Sabo and Maur Mandi Vidhan Sabha segments at the Yatri Niwas Market Committee Talwandi Sabo. On March 13, training would be held at the BDA complex Bathinda for Rampura Phul and Bhucho Mandi assembly segments. 

Bathinda, March 10
While local leaders and government officials continue to use red and blue beacons on the excuse that they have not received the copy of the new notification, the city residents demand immediate removal of all ‘unauthorised’ beacons immediately.

The youngsters who were recently issued challans by the traffic policemen demand that law be implemented on lawmakers first.

“I was issued a challan around four months ago for not wearing a helmet and then a month ago for not having a pollution certificate and for an expired driving license. What about those officials who continue to use red and blue beacons atop their vehicles without having the proper authority?” questioned Harman Singh, a grocery shop owner on Ajit Road.

Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Parasram Nagar, said failure of proper implementation of law regarding the use of beacons showed that rules were not meant for the powerful. Sarabjit was issued a challan on The Mall for not using a seat belt and for having coloured screens on his SUV.

He said unscrupulous elements used beacons to transport drugs and arms as nobody dared to stop these vehicles.

Demanding strict implementation of the directives of the state government and the Supreme Court, the area residents say politicians continue to befool masses by making laws for the common man disobeying them when they come in their way.

The city residents appreciating the move initiated by the Punjab Government said such directives were of no use until these were practically implemented at the ground level.

“The authorities should show guts by first removing beacons from their own vehicles and then issue challans to all those who fail to comply with the orders,” said Manwinder Sekhon.

City traffic in-charge, Paramjit Singh, today said the copy of the notification seemed to have arrived at the district headquarters. “I tried to find out vehicles that illegally use blue and red beacons but failed to find any. We have come to know that many government servants and senior officials have removed beacons from their government vehicles and others too will be apprised about the fresh orders,” Paramjit said.

Officials must implement rules

“If the government servants and political leaders themselves don’t obey orders, how can they expect others to do it. Everyone should obey the traffic rules under the Motor Vehicle Act. The initiative is taken too late but if the same is implemented properly in letter and spirit then it may bring some change in the present system.” Ankit Garg

Check road accidents

“Rules should be equal for all. Defiance of traffic rules by authorities has led to an increase in the number of road accidents, injuries and deaths. The government claims to spend a huge amount of money on developmental schemes but hardly anything is done to reduce the road accidents.” Renu Uppal

Implement orders

“The issue of unauthorised use of beacons is quite old. Even as the government has now announced to stop the practice, proper implementation of orders is the key to achieve the objective.” Ravinder Mann

Beacons misused by anti-social elements

“The authorities must check the use of beacons for carrying out illegal acts. The use of red and blue beacons by family members of ministers and officials must be stopped.” Harpreet Singh

Authority to check vehicles

“The government guidelines to stop the usage of beacons by those who are not unauthorised to do it is a welcome step but at the same time it should be implemented in an effective manner. The traffic policemen issuing challans to ordinary men should also be given the authority to stop those using beacons without having any authority.” Baljinder Singh

Bathinda, March 10
The chairman of the Zila Parishad, Bathinda, Gurpreet Singh Maluka, continued his surprise checking spree at government schools in rural areas. He conducted surprise checking at the schools of Bhagta block today.

He visited Government Primary School at Adampura village where he found that cleanliness was not up to the mark. He checked the attendance register wherein no entries had been made for the past one month.

To check the quality of education being provided, Maluka asked a few children to write spellings of some English words, which they could not do.

He also came across mistakes made in mathematics notebooks and words misspelled in Punjabi and English notebooks. He said that instead of checking mistakes of the students and asking them to rectify them, class in-charge Gurwinder Singh had given ‘very good’ remark and duly signed it.

He took the photo copies of the notebooks. He said the Education Department would be asked to take action against the teacher.

Bathinda, March 10
Baba Farid Group of Institutes (BFGI) has signed an MoU with Nokia Telecom for setting up Nokia’s HERE, its first expert community centre of Punjab at BFGI.

An official from Nokia, Vijay Karwal, said HERE company dealt with maps and location services business of Nokia. Under the community mapping pilot programme, BFGI students will work with the regional team of HERE.

HERE is offering its map creator, a tool that allows them to locate missing streets, bridges and other information. The experts of the company will provide training and guidance to the students.

A project will be given to the students of M Sc geography and B Tech civil engineering. After completion of the project, certificates will be provided to the students.

To maintain accuracy, HERE has put in place a community map modernisation system that verifies data before integrating it into the base map. 

Bathinda, March 10
Week-long festival Passatiempo began today at Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR).

Students participated in competitions such as rangoli, mocktail, finger painting and collage making, organised by Hobbies Club. Online gaming and fun games were also part of the Passatiempo event.

Principal Dr Harkiran said these co-curricular activities acted as stress busters for students.

In the rangoli competition, Prabhjot and Raman of 2011 batch were declared first. In the mocktail competition, Arnav and Palak were adjudged first. In the finger painting event, Arman from 2010 batch stood first. Ishpreet, Chanderdutti and Surbhi of 2011 batch got the first place in collage making. Ashish, Angad, Arnav and Akash of 2010 batch were first in online gaming.—TNS

Jalandhar, March 10
The Punjab Technical University (PTU) has announced a new admission policy empowering its affiliated colleges to admit students for the next academic session (2014-15) directly for all courses as per the guidelines.

A press note issued by the university stated that admissions for BTech courses shall be made through Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-2014) merit; Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) scores shall be considered for MTech admissions; and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) scores shall be considered for M Pharmacy admissions. Admissions to the BArch course shall be based on Aptitude Test conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and vacant seats shall be filled based on National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) conducted by the Council of Architecture and marks scored in qualifying examination in the equal ratio (50:50).

Rank shall be prepared on merit basis and the seat matrix shall be uploaded on the college website as per existing reservation policy of the Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training, Government of Punjab, available on PTU website for reference.

Each college shall conduct online or manual counselling and upload the merit list and seat allotment on its website. After declaration of the results, students shall have to deposit the fee within seven days. Colleges can fix the minimum eligibility for admission at their own level and this shall have to be clearly displayed on its website and communicated to the University for Transparency.

Dr Rajneesh Arora, Vice-Chancellor, PTU said, “Colleges have been cautioned not to profit from the process by way of charging capitation fee directly or indirectly. Miscellaneous charges like admission fee, security, student fund etc., shall have to be in strict accordance with the University and Punjab government guidelines. In case any complaint is received against any college, the college shall be liable to pay compensation.

Bathinda, March 10
Officials of Guru Gobind Singh Refinery distributed bags and stationery to 3,000 students of 15 government schools located around its premises.

The officials said students from Class I to XI of government schools in Raman Mandi, Phulokhari, Giana, Ramsra, Tarkhanwala, Hassu Narang and Kanakwal villages had been donated these things.

Earlier, the refinery officials had distributed woolens to government schools students. 

Amritsar, March 10
Annual Spring Olympics were held at Spring Dale Senior School. The Olympics saw the participation of students, their parents and grandparents. Tanishq Kumar and Aashka Khadka of Class II were adjudged best athletes, boy and girl, respectively.

Fervour marked the Annual Spring Olympics as three generations participated in various events, including PT exercises, balloon race, relay race, juice race, snake race, passing the ring, straight race, spoon and lemon race, juice race, shoes and socks race (for students), three-legged race, musical chairs and tug-of-war (for parents) and candle race (for grandparents).