Jalandhar, June 24
The kingpin of the contract killers’ gang Jagdip, alias Jaggu, whose two associates were apprehended yesterday by the Jalandhar rural police, was aiming to free the gangster Sukha Kahlwan from police custody. Sukha, who is presently lodged in a high security jail in Nabha, had come to attend the cremation of his brother at Kahlwan village yesterday.

The vigilant Jalandhar rural police thwarted the plans of Jaggu gang.

A senior police official said Sonu Kahlon, brother of gangster Sukha Kahlwan, had died yesterday and Sukha, who is under police supervision, had come to attend the cremation.

The rural police had got information that contract killers' gang in the border area would attempt to free Sukha from police custody. Fearing action, the rural police had laid a trap and nabbed two members of the contract killers' gang, namely, Gurdeep Singh and Manpreet Singh, while the gang's kingpin Jaggu had managed to escape. The police had also recovered four rifles from the gang members.

Sources said the rural police had even deployed its officials in civvies near Kahlwan village to prevent a strike by the Jaggu gang on the police party.

Jaggu had got a murder contract through Sukha to aid Bhana in a double murder case.

Highly-placed police sources confirmed that Jagdip alias Jaggu, a professional contract killer (wanted in four contract killings and 13 attempt to murder cases), was accompanying the Bhana gang kingpin Daljit Singh Bhana on February 26, when they had shot dead two youth, Simran and Deepansh, in the Raja Garden locality in broad daylight. However, the name of contract killer Jaggu had never emerged in the Jalandhar police’s investigations into the double murders. The city police, that had also declared Bhana gangsters, including Daljit Singh Bhana, Gurbaz alias Baba alias Lalli and Gurpreet Singh, as the most wanted criminals a few months ago, had never mentioned the name of Jaggu, as claimed by the rural police.

The police had also announced cash rewards on these criminals.

The arrest of Jaggu may give hint to the city police about the whereabouts of the most wanted Bhana gang members, who have been evading police arrest for the past several months. "If we arrest Jaggu, it is likely that he (Jaggu) will give us clues about the most wanted Bhana gangsters. After the name of Jaggu being with Bhana gang in a double murder case came to the fore, we are in touch with the city police officials who are already looking for the gang," said a rural police official.

Sukha Kahlwan helped Bhana to hire contract killer Jaggu in a double murder case.

Sources confirmed that the friendship of Sukha Kahlwan with contract killer Jaggu had taken place in the jail. After Jaggu escaped from police custody, he remained in touch with Sukha Kahlwan. "Since the friendship of Sukha and Bhana gang kingpin Daljit Singh Bhana was open in public, it was Sukha, who arranged for contract killer Jaggu, who reportedly aided the Bhana gang for gunning down two youths in Jalandhar in February. We have confirmed reports that Jaggu was present at the spot in a double murder case along with Bhana and he might have charged contract money for committing the murder," said a police source.

Sukha’s FB page loaded with condolence messages

Sukha's Facebook page ‘Sukha Kahlon sharp shooter’ has also confirmed that he visited his Kahlwan village to attend the cremation of his brother Sonu. Several of his fans have shared condolence messages on his page. Sukha's FB page also carries a picture of Sukha with Bhana.

Sukha’s past

He is a dreaded criminal, facing over 40 cases, including murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, robbery, snatchings and other offences in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. In October2013, he had put the Kapurthala jail officials in the dock by uploading two videos on his Facebook fan page titled ‘Sukha Kahlon sharp shooter’. He had then posted a violent video clip of him brutally beating up a fellow prisoner named Jimmy (titled Jimmy alias Pita Kaand) inside the Kapurthala jail.

Jalandhar, June 24
To make the optimum use of the treatment plant at Kala Sanghian, environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal with the assistance of his team and volunteers today made a bundh in Kala Sanghian drain near Basti Peer Daad to move the flow of the polluted water towards the treatment plant. With this temporary bundh, residents of more than 100 villages will heave a sigh of relief.

The treatment plant with a capacity of 50 million litres per day (MLD), has not been working to its full strength despite the fact that it was inaugurated on June 5 by Seechewal.

Speaking to Jalandhar Tribune, Seechewal said the reason why the treatment plant has not been working at its full strength is that the Sewerage Board is yet to take permission from the Railway Department to construct a sewer line for waste treatment. Since the sewer has to pass though railway line at two points, it takes at least eight months to get permission certificate from the Railway Department.

"We have made a temporary arrangement to ensure the flow of water as crores of rupees have already been spent on the treatment plant, which would have gone in vain without taking optimum use of treatment plant", he added.

He said that from now on, only treated water will be put into the drain, which can be used for agricultural purposes. He said he would personally ensure surveillance at the treatment plant to ensure the optimum use of the plant.

When contacted, Executive Engineer of Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Resham Lal, said that taking permission from railways is not a big issue. The reason behind the delay in the construction of the sewer line is lack of funds. The project is being funded by the Centre and the state on share basis in which the Centre is responsible for providing 70 per cent of funds and the state government and the Municipal Corporation are responsible for providing 30 per cent of the total funds. "The problem is that the fund are not being provided regularly", he added.

Notably, it took years of continuous struggle by Balbir Singh Seechewal to make this treatment plant work.

Jalandhar, June 24
Following a series of thefts at Guru Gobind Singh Avenue locality, the residents staged a dharna outside the Surya Enclave police post and demanded the suspension of the police post in-charge for not providing adequate patrolling in the area.

Yesterday, one more theft had come to the fore. The residents had also gheraoed the police post late at night.

Manoj Aggarwal, president of the Guru Gobind Singh Avenue Welfare Society, said despite repeated promises by the police, thefts were still on. "The police post in-charge had yesterday misbehaved with the local people. We demand his suspension," said Aggarwal after ACP DD Sharma today assured them of strict action against the police post in -charge.

Notably, last month, residents had heated arguments with the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police-I Naresh Dogra. Even the ADCP had then assured that he would not let any other theft occur in the area. 

Jalandhar, June 24
After a long litigation that lasted for more than four years, justice was delivered today when on the instructions of the Additional Districts and Sessions Judge RK Sharma, the police helped the Malhotra family of the MBD Group in regaining possession of their dream project, MBD Krishna Resorts.

Manav Inder Singh Guram, manager, marketing and communications, MBD Group, said

The project, started by AK Malhotra, had come to a halt after the other directors of the company, Prem Singh Syal and Gurcharan Singh Syal, changed the share holdings and then lodged a false case against the legitimate directors of the company, Satish Bala Malhotra, Monica Malhotra Kandhari and Sonica Malhotra Kandhari.

The MBD Group approached the higher courts and also petitioned the Company Law Board about the manipulation of the records, Guram said, adding that though the Syals tried to hoodwink the authorities by making false claims, truth finally prevailed and the Company Law Board after pursuing all the records ruled in favour of the Malhotra family of the MBD Group.

"The Company Law Board also appointed retired Chief Justice SN Aggarwal of the Delhi High Court as an administrator-cum-facilitator and during the hearings conducted by him and the other Company Law Board officials, the Syals could not even prove the investment of five per cent, i.e., Rs 44 lakh, which they claimed to have made in the project," he said.

The ruling was upheld by all the other courts and the numerous petitions preferred by the Syal group to stall the execution of the decree in their favour were rejected out rightly, he added.

Though a bailiff was appointed by the court of Additional District Judge RK Sharma on May 29 to get the possession of the property, hired goons of the Syals obstructed the taking over of the property and after the bailiff submitted his report to the court, instructions were passed to the police to help the MBD Group take possession.

Jalandhar, June 24
A fire broke out at a branch of Punjab and Sindh Bank at Jyoti Chowk this morning. The bank officials are assessing the exact loss caused by the incident.

Sources said when the watchman noticed smoke billowing from the bank at 4.30 am, he immediately informed the fire brigade office and bank officials.

Two fire tenders immediately reached the spot and took around two hours to douse the flames.

Firemen suspected that short circuit was the cause behind the fire incident. Sources said the front part of the office, several computers and documents were gutted in the fire.

However, the bank officials have not released any official statement.

Bank sources said the strongroom where cash and valuables worth lakhs were lying, was safe.

Jalandhar, June 24
Dr SJS Bedi has been appointed as Registrar of Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar.

He has 25 year professional experience in the field of industry, research, consultancy, entrepreneurship development, academics and educational administration.

His works have been published in many international and national publications. He has participated in, as well as chaired sessions in international conferences in Australia, Bangkok, Dubai and Singapore among other countries.

He has almost 15 year experience as head, Department of Humanities and Management at Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology.

He has also contributed to society by promoting cultural activities in Punjab. He has done his post-graduation in chemistry (M Sc) and business administration (MBA) followed by a doctorate degree in business management (Ph D).

Jalandhar, June 24
Various schemes and programmes to promote crop diversification in the state seem to have been unsuccessful as farmers, who opted for crop diversification on the recommendations of the Agriculture Department and had sown spring maize, are forced to sell their produce at low prices to private market agents in the absence of any price recommended by the government.

Last year, the price for spring maize was Rs 1,300 per quintal, whereas this year the price is Rs 1,050, notwithstanding that the input cost has increased a lot.

Last year, the price of diesel was Rs 48 per litre. This year, it has surged to more than Rs 55 per litre. The increasing prices of fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides and labour are other factors that have led to the increase in the input cost.

A spring maize farmer of Chakk Chela village, Sulakhan Singh, said the input cost was hardly being recovered this year. It is sheer exploitation to sell the produce to private market agents on a very low price, he said.

“This year, the yield is good as compared to last year but the low price being paid is very disappointing. It seems my hard work on 25 acres of land has gone in vain,” he added.

Sukhjinder Singh of Ahlowal village also has the same story. He sowed around 13 acres under the maize crop.

Talking to Jalandhar Tribune, he asked how a farmer can think of sowing the same crop neat year after being disappointed by it.

“It is very difficult to survive this way with the crop diversification programme. The government must set a minimum support price (MSP) for maize crop,” he said.

However, the Agriculture Department has already asked the Punjab Government to set the MSP for the maize crop in order to successfully implement the crop diversification programme.

Chief agriculture officer, Jalandhar district, Dr Suttantar Kumar said he had already asked the state government to set the MSP of maize like paddy and wheat.

In a meeting with Punjab Agriculture Minister Tota Singh today, the issue was discussed and he said he would consider the matter on priority bases. 

Jalandhar, June 24
NGO Dastak launched a conservation and awareness programme, Weaver Bird, at Partap Bagh today.

Secretary of the NGO, Ajay Aggarwal, said Dastak would launch an awareness drive through seminars to educate people about the ecological significance of weaver birds.

He said that during 2007 to 2013, the NGO had installed 500 wooden nests free of cost in different residential areas of the city under the Save Sparrows Programme.

Prof Sandeep Chahal, president of the NGO, said the colourful baya weaver (ploceus philippinus) or ‘bijda’ is a weaver bird found across Punjab and the Indian sub-continent.

Weaver bird colonies are usually found close to water bodies during the onset of the monsoon season in the months of June and July.

Baya weavers are best known for the elaborately woven nests constructed by the male weavers. These pendulous nests are retort-shaped with a central nesting chamber and a long vertical tube that leads to the side entrance of the chamber.

The nests are woven with long strips of paddy leaves, rough guinea grass and long strips torn from palm fronds. Each strip can be between 30 and 60 cm in length. It is learnt that a male bird makes up to 500 trips to complete a nest with more than 3,000 strips.

The nests are often built hanging over water from thorny and palm trees to keep safe from predators like hawks and snakes. Weaver birds have ecological significance as they are insectivorous and help in the maintenance of ecological balance.

The members of Dastak organised an awareness drive in Wadala village to motivate the populace to not to destroy and dislodge nests during the monsoon season.

Jalandhar, June 24
With a view to spread awareness among youngsters about the drug menace, a city-based NGO - Society for Poor’s Education and Economic Development (SPEED), will organise a rally on June 26.

NGO’s general secretary Janak Raj Chauhan said they were prepared to do anything to get rid of the drug menace.

A theatre play about drug addiction will also be performed at Lions Bhawan.

He said the NGO had been working for the education of the children belonging to weaker sections of society for past five years.

Jalandhar, June 24
Hindi novel ‘Bhagwa’, authored by renowned novelist Dr Ajay Sharma, was released yesterday. The releasing ceremony was organised by the Jalandhar-based NGO Janshree.

Male infertility expert at Shivam Infertility & IVF Centre, Dr Ajay Sharma, while speaking with Jalandhar Tribune said the novel had been published in the Hindi literary magazine called ‘Sahitaya Silsila’ in 2013.

He said the slogan ‘Jay Jawan Jay Kisan’ was given by former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shashtri. Observing the need of the hour, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Bajpai added ‘Jay Vigyan’ to the slogan.

“I feel that to add ‘Jay Emaan’ to the same slogan is need of the hour as corruption is at its peak. This is what I have tried to explain in this novel,” Dr Ajay said.

“It took around three years continuously to write the novel. I started writing it in 2010 and finished in 2013. It’s my eighth novel,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Harmohinder Singh Bedi, who is a Hindi Shiromani Sahitkar, said the novel highlights the economical, historical, racial, social and political circumstances of the country during its struggle for independence against the backdrop of Hindutva.

Hindi writers Simar Sadosh, Tarsem Gujral, Dr Kulwinder Kaur, Deepak Jalandhari and Selly Baljit were also present on the occasion as guest of honours.