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Gang of highway robbers busted
Inquiry report terms boy as minor, denies police torture
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Chaudhary complains to EC over Kalia using red beacon
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jalandhar: mid-day meal-II
Blood donation camp held
Woman murdered in hotel
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Gang of highway robbers busted
Jalandhar, May 6 Interestingly, a retired army man and his son were active members of the gang. The accused were identified as Baldev Singh of Guru Har Sahai in Ferozepur, Harinder Singh (ex-serviceman) and his son Sukhdip, both residents of Raja Sansi in Amritsar, Davinder, alias Kaka, of Bhikiwind in Taran Taran and Ajay Kumar Jai of Ferozepur. Jasprit Singh, SSP, and SP (Detective) HPS Khakh, Jalandhar rural police, said the gang was busted in a joint operation conducted by the CIA, rural and Special Branch. The SSP said Special Branch in-charge Angrej Singh had received information that some miscreants were looking for customers to sell expensive cars at throwaway prices in the Mehatpur area. Sources told the police that the vehicles had been looted at gun-point by the miscreants from Punjab, West Bengal and Bihar. After looting these vehicles, the gang, with the help of contract workers engaged at the DTO office in Ferozepur, used to prepare fake registration certificates. Since workers engaged in the Transport Department were involved, they managed to hoodwink senior transport officials to prepare the fake registration certificates, the SP said. SP Khakh said during patrolling near Pandori Khas village, after intercepting two vehicles, including a Tata Safari and a Swift car, when cops signalled them to stop, the car-borne persons accelerated their vehicles, but were chased by the police. On their revelations, the police also recovered four more vehicles, including Sumo Victa, Maruti Ritz, and two Indica Vistas, which the accused had looted at gun-point. Police also seized 7.62 MM mouser, a .12 bore country-made pistol and four live cartridges. Apart from this, the accused also confessed to having looted two Bolero vehicles from West Bengal, which the police were yet to recover. Left dhaba to earn more
Two of the accused, Baldev and Harinder, who after staying in Libya for over three years, had returned to India. Both then started dhabas in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar. Due to low income in the dhaba business, the duo started stealing and looting vehicles. To make their gang more strong, Harinder, who is an ex-serviceman, also brought his son Sukhdip into the gang while Baldev made his cousin, Kaka, another member of the gang. The gang got a push with the help of Sucha Singh, who was an expert in preparing fake registration certificates and changing the chassis and engine numbers of stolen and looted vehicles. Monu, a contact worker engaged at the DTO office in Ferozepur, was assisting accused in preparing fake registration certificates. Gang's confessions
Past crimes
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Inquiry report terms boy as minor, denies police torture
Jalandhar, May 6 The inquiry report stated that the boy was not tortured by the city police at all. The injuries, which the boy had on his body parts, were inflicted on him by the people when he was nabbed after the snatching attempt. Singla told The Tribune that he had thoroughly investigated the allegations of police torture by the victim’s parents and found that he was not at all tortured by the city police. “My inquiry didn’t see any police torture or electric shocks, which his (boy's) parents alleged. He had sustained injuries when he was beaten up by people after he snatched the purse of a lady. He also received injuries when he escaped from the police custody,” Singla said, adding that if the report was accepted by the Commissioner of Police, further action would be taken accordingly. The ADCP’s report also confirmed that the boy was a minor. Interestingly, earlier, the police was adamant that he was not a minor. “The boy’s family has produced the birth certificate which established that boy is a juvenile. If the report is accepted, the boy will be sent to juvenile home,” Singla said, adding that the boy was considered major on the basis of his mother’s claims that he was adult on the day he was caught by the police. Had the boy’s mother disclosed the truth to the police earlier, the police would not have taken him on police remand for interrogation, Singla claimed. The boy’s parents had levelled allegations against the police that the city police had committed a wrong by producing their son in the Districts Courts and taking him on production warrant for interrogation despite the fact that he was a minor. The boy was nabbed by the Surya Enclave police post on April 28. He had later mysteriously disappeared from the police custody. Sunita, mother of Gagandeep, had then levelled allegations against the police that his son was given third-degree torture by the police to make him confess past snatching incidents. The mother of the boy had also alleged that her son was given electric shocks by the police at CIA staff for making forcible confessions. After two days' of mysterious disappearance, the boy had returned home. The Police Commissioner couldn't be contacted on his phone. |
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Chaudhary complains to EC over Kalia using red beacon
Vikramjit, who is also the son of Congress candidate from the Jalandhar parliamentary seat Chaudhary Santokh Singh, has moved the complaint to the EC, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, and Election Tehsildar, Jalandhar. He has also tagged along four photographs of the Jalandhar Central MLA's vehicle, bearing registration number PB-08-BF-3456. He has further added that it was not just the code violation, but the directions of the Supreme Court of India as per which the MLAs were not authorised to use red beacon on their vehicles. He sought strict action against Kalia on the matter while commenting, "I really do not realise the urgency felt by the MLA to use the red light. The polls were over in Punjab, but there are two phases of Lok Sabha poll yet to be conducted. In any case, the code is to be lifted after the May 16 result. Even if he was entitled, he could have waited for just about 10 days more." Meanwhile, Kalia, when contacted, said when elections had already been held in Punjab, he did not feel that installing a red beacon could be any violation. He asked, "Is Chaudhary still adding on his poll expenditure till May 16?" Regarding the SC directions, he said these were yet to get implemented. |
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ATM shifted from green belt area
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 6 "We received instructions from the authorities to vacate the ATM within 24 hours. We had installed the ATM for the convenience of the people and not to get into conflict. So we vacated the place at the earliest," said Kamal Kant, branch manager, PNB. Manpreet Chatwal, Municipal Commissioner, Jalandhar, said the ATM was vacated after the corporation issued a notice to the bank to vacate it. As for demolishing the encroachments from the green area, he said he would personally visit the area on Wednesday and if he found any structures violating the norms, he would order their immediate demolition.
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16 years after allotment, JIT tells residents to pay Rs 8,000 per marla
Jalandhar, May 6 The owners have been issued demand notices by the Trust 16 years after the allotment of the plots to them in the 94.5-acre scheme here. Nearly 250 residents, who had purchased the property by way of auction, however, have been exempted from any additional payment. President of the Guru Gobind Singh Avenue Welfare Society Rajan Gupta said some residents who have had to visit the Trust recently for various works, including the change of ownership, getting their building plan sanctioned and transfer of land after death case, had already been made to pay the amount. Gupta said he had even filed an RTI into the matter, as the Trust officials had failed to submit any written calculation details as per which the amount was being levied. He said in his reply, he had been told that since the acquisition of the site had been held in 1991, some farmers in the area had objected to low rates, who were now being compensated after a Punjab and Haryana High Court order. He said paying up Rs 40,000 in one go for any owner of a 5-marla land was not very easy. JIT SE Mukul Soni said, “Ever since the farmers had shown resentment, the matter had been handed over to a Tribunal. The Tribunal had suggested enhancement. The matter had then gone to the High Court where a fresh hearing was ordered to be conducted by the Tribunal. It is after this order that the demand notices had been issued as the farmers have to be compensated.” He added that since 20 per cent of the total plots in the 250 sq yard area had been sold off in auction at a premium, the owners of these plots could not be technically asked to pay more. Soni said the demand notices had been issued and the enhancement fee would be recovered at the earliest to compensate the farmers. Former MLA Jalandhar Cantonment Jagbir Brar has condemned the issuance of demand notices. Brar, who is also District Congress Committee (Rural) president, said sending notices 16 years after the allotment was completely uncalled for. |
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Better
jalandhar: mid-day meal-II Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 6 While the majority of schools say the food they are receiving ever since the NGO came on to the scene, is bad, some maintain that after reprimand, the quality has improved. However, it is clear that from government to aided schools, all educational institutions receiving the food from the NGO, have at some or the other time, complained about its quality. Though in a meeting with Education and Health Department officials, the district administration today issued fresh instructions to the new mid-day meal manager, the grave fact is that superficial checks and samples of the food taken for checking purposes have yielded little results in the past. Even today many schools are unhappy with the food standards of the new NGO. The health authorities conducted checks at various schools from time to time whereas many schools have been left unvisited for years. The Health Department still maintains none of the samples failed last year. Till date, no school or person has been punished for serving bad quality mid-day meal. The new menu introduced in schools, I believe, is basically a cost-cutting exercise. While it may have been introduced in the name of nutrition, the basic difference is only that Rajma has been removed from the menu because it was costly and bottle gourd has been added. Today we made khichri at the school that most of the students don’t like. If they had added pulao to the menu, it would have been much better. The sweet-dish has also been restricted for a single day. As far as the mid-day meal in general is concerned, our school is serving a good meal because the staff is good. The department should at least hold regular inspections of the mid-day meal so that malpractices do not flourish — Sanjeewan Dadwal head teacher, Government High School Patara The state of the mid-day meal in a number of schools is very bad. Especially in the rural areas, the quality of food isn’t up to the standard. Fair quality is not maintained, checks are not conducted and inspection by the food department hardly takes place — SK Kapoor Activist, CHITRA NGO The mid-day meal is neither good nor bad. In the first few days after the new NGO came in, the mid-day meal wasn’t of good quality. But the quality has improved in the past few days. As far as the menu is concerned, we haven’t received any proper menu so far — Mandeep Kaur Government school teacher Even after the change of the manager, things have not improved. Sometimes, the quality is poor and sometimes, there is a problem with the quantity. The food is also served very late. I have conveyed many times that the quality of the mid-day meal should be good and at least it should be served on proper timings. If food arrives at 8 in summers, it will go stale by the afternoon. I have sent written complaints to the contractor and conveyed this verbally to the department. But there are no signs of improvement yet. Many a time, the quantity of the food is very less in proportion to the strength of students in the school — Manish Aggarwal teacher at a Local aided school Earlier, we were preparing the mid-day meal in school, now it is being provided from outside so that has greatly eased the burden on us. In the beginning, we had some trouble with the meal from the NGO. It was bad in quality and at times so inferior that we had to dispose it of. We even intimated the mid-day meal coordinator about the issue. In that situation, we had to cook our own food to serve the students since they were hungry. But lately, things have improved and the mid-day meal has got better for the past few days — Gurinderjit Kaur, Principal, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden Medical officers in various areas are checking the mid-day meal almost on a daily basis. Our teams also carry out checking of the mid-day meal regularly. Inspections have been carried out at least two to three times this year and about 10 times last year. Some samples were also taken. As far as the current situation of the mid-day meal is concerned, we have received a number of complaints after the new NGO stepped in. Many schools were unhappy with the meal. Presently, I believe, the quality of the mid-day meal being served, especially by the NGO, is sub-standard. Some schools say their quality is good. Others say it’s bad. Kitchen operators say since it is cooked in various containers, the quality differs. But instructions have been passed to the contractor to maintain good quality and future checks will ensure stringent supervision of the mid-day meal — Dr Aruna, Assistant Health officer and In-charge of the School Health Programme We took about 50 quality control samples last year, which have all passéd. This year, so far 10 samples have been taken. Six samples have passed, but the report for the remaining four is yet to arrive. We are, however, regularly keeping tabs on the mid-day meal — Balwinder Singh, District Health Officer
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Music album of Punjabi film released in city
Jalandhar, May 6 A production of banner AUM Moviez and Gill Pictures Entertainment, it is a romantic film and will be released on May 30. Talking to the media, producer Pawan Gill said Sony Music India had released this album. “With two night club party songs, sangeet song, love song, sad song and fun comedy song, the album resonates with energy. It was fun working with lyricist Kumaar,” said Pawan. He said in the album of six songs, Jassi Katyal’s sad song “Dil Roi Janda” has that soul stirring rhythms, while Gurmeet has worked wonders in the ballads as music directors. Roshan Prince said he had sung the title ‘Mundeyan Ton Bachke Rahin’ with Jassi Gill. Song ‘Dil Da Plot’ by Roshan Prince, Jassi Gill and Shipra Goyal is a wedding song. Song ‘Suraj’ by Roshan Prince and Jassi Gill is a love song. One of the leading actors in the film, Roshan Prince, said it was a youth-oriented film that depicted the routine life of present day youth in a comic way. “Interestingly, Jassi and I are using our original names in the film,” he added. Talking to The Tribune, model-turned-actress, Simran Kaur Mundi, who has also worked in Telugu films said Punjabi cinema lacked professionalism. Telugu cinema is more professional than the Punjabi cinema, Mundi said. |
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Blood donation camp held
Jalandhar, May 6 Prof Lakhbir Singh, president, Pahal, said low health standard, less HB and lack of education and awareness about blood donation are the major hurdles in achieving the target of hundred per cent voluntary provision of blood donation as envisaged by the National AIDS Control Society (NACO), Government of India, through the state control societies. |
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Woman murdered in hotel
Phagwara, May 6 The police rushed the spot after receiving the information. The hotel manager told the police that the deceased and Ramandeep asked for a taxi. When the taxi driver went inside the room, he found Sukhbir Kaur murdered, while Ramandeep was missing. The family members of the deceased told the police that both were neighbours and were missing for the last two days. The police have registered a case. The body has been sent to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem.
— OC |
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Jalandhar, May 6