Amritsar, October 26
Killing of a youth belonging to a particular community by a close relative of an Akali MLA on the eve of Valmiki Diwas triggered off wide-spread violence here today. Protesters pelted a police station with stones, looted and damaged 100 vehicles in various parts of the city. They also damaged a petrol station belonging to the MLA near the police station.

The youth was killed in a road scuffle in the wee hours near Hathi Gate when Harjinder Singh Gill, alias Bonny Gill, owner of Gill Farms, opened fire killing one Shanker Dass on the spot. Bonny Gill, a close relative of Akali MLA Raminder Singh Bolaria, fled after the incident in his luxury car along with a companion. People noted down the number of his vehicle and told the same to the police.

District police chief Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh said the assailant was identified on the basis of the number of the vehicle by getting it verified from the District Transport Office, which was got opened even before the regular time.

The relatives of the deceased were timely informed about the identity of the accused after registering a case against him.

However, some political persons allegedly “provoked” the relatives of the deceased with a view to taking political mileage out of it. The agitated relatives went to D division police station and started pelting its building with stones. They also damaged the petrol pump of the Akali MLA situated near the police station.

The political leaders, mostly from the Congress, sought the immediate arrest of the Akali MLA. However, Bolaria (Akali MLA) said though Bonny Gill was his close relative, he would like law to take its own course. He criticised the opening of fire on the youth by his relative. He, however, urged his political opponents not to vitiate the peace of the city by exploiting the sentiments of the people for political ends.

Sources said the trouble started when the scooter of the deceased collided with the vehicle of Bonny Gill, who was on his way to his house in the late evening. Bonny shot him dead.

The agitating youths, brandishing unsheathed swords, also attacked vehicles parked outside the cremation ground. The old, young and even children were not spared.

The police also suspected the role of an SP from Amritsar, who allegedly fomented trouble. The agitating youths also looted many shops in the Hall Bazaar and other bazaars of the city. Shopkeepers downed shutters following looting.

Deputy commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu said the administration had constituted a five-member committee of the shopkeepers to assess the damage caused due to looting of their shops in the city.

Later, the relatives of the deceased sat on a dharna outside the police station with the body. The police and the local administration had a tough time to persuade them to cremate the body late in the evening.

It may be mentioned here that on October 22 last year a similar type of violence had erupted following the killing of two youths in Angarh belonging to the same community. This had triggered off wide-spread violence when the youths went around smashing vehicles, attacking buildings, including a private hospital, thereby creating panic in the city.

Meanwhile, more police force was requisitioned to handle the violent mob. Life in many parts of the city was paralysed throughout the day. 

Amritsar, October 26
Jasbir Singh from the USA, a crucial eyewitness of genocide of Sikhs, allegedly masterminded by Jagdish Tytler, senior Congress leader from Delhi, has offered himself to testify in the court of law.

Jasbir had given an affidavit to Jain Aggarwal and the Nanawati Commission and also to the CBI against the Congress leader alleging that he had rebuked his henchmen for killing less number of Sikhs as compared to other parts of Delhi.

In a statement sent through his attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based attorney, to president of the All-India Sikh Student Federation Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, Jasbir said he was ready despite the serious threats of life to him and his family for any inquiry or affidavit to pursue case against Tytler. The CBI may contact him through his lawyer to pursue the case.

Claiming to be an eyewitness to the infamous statement allegedly made by the Congress leader in the aftermath of Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi’s assasination in October 1984, where he had rebuked his henchmen for killing a large number of Sikhs but they had betrayed him.

He said the CBI had recorded in their files that Jasbir could not be examined as he lives abroad. He pointed out that the premier investigating agency had committed a gross negligence for its failure to follow his crucial testimony, which was mentioned in detail in his affidavit and added that he was still available to corroborate his statement before the CBI.

He had organised many affidavits from various eyewitnesses and put them before the Jain Aggarwal Committee in Nanavati Commission. He said since he was a key eyewitness to personal promptings of his henchmen to indulge in the large-scale mayhem as was organised in other parts of Delhi, the threat to his life made him move to the USA.

Seeking security for his family who were still living in India from the government he said he was ready to testify against Jagdish Tytler before any court or law or judicial authority.

He said the pressure continues to be exerted on his family with serious consequences and in case of any harm to them he would hold ruling party, Congress and Government of India, responsible for their failure to protect his family.

Amritsar, October 26
Even though an inquiry conducted by deputy commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu has given a “clean chit” to Dr J.P.K. Shergill, former principal of Government Medical College, Amritsar, into the controversy of the alleged removal of a kidney of a four-year-old girl, the government had on the advice of the Director Research and Medical Education (DRME), Dr J.S. Dalal, constituted another committee led by former college principal Dr B.S. Bedi, to probe into the matter.

Stating this to the media here today, Dr Inderjeet Singh Shergill, husband of the suspended principal, alleged that Dalal had contrived to misguide the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He said earlier the government had constituted a committee headed by DC Pannu to enquire into the matter, but apprehending that the DC would probably give a clean-chit to his wife, the DRME, who is also technical adviser to the government, had advised the constitution of a parallel committee headed by a former principal of the college, Dr Bedi, due to professional rivalry.

The inquiry report of the DC had mentioned that the suspended principal could not be held responsible for the operation of Sonia. So far as the removal of the left kidney of the patient was concerned, it appeared from the evidence available on the file and the record that it was necessary to remove the kidney to save the patient. This fact is confirmed from the report dated August 25, 2006, recorded in the register of pathology tests.

However, repeated attempts by this reporter to contact Dr Dalal proved futile.

Dr Shergill said the committee headed by Dr Bedi had mentioned wrong facts in its report, which stated that there was no pathology report attached with the file of the case. He said the committee constituted by Dr Dalal was biased as they (Shergill) had already filed a case against Dr Bedi, Dr B.B. Goel and Dr Dalal in the high court earlier.

He alleged that Dr Dalal was nursing a grudge against his wife as she had not accommodated his (Dalal’s) son in the final exams of the MBBS. Giving details of the entire episode, Dr Shergill said according to records his wife had given him sufficient marks in internal assessment, but in spite of that he failed to clear the exams. He alleged that Dr Dalal had even managed to change his exam centre to the CMC, Ludhiana, but that too did not help as his son could not clear the practical and theoretical papers of the MBBS.

Patiala, October 26
While Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal made an announcement on the commemoration day parade of the Punjab police on October 21 regarding the compulsory weekly off for constables and non-gazetted officers of the force, highly placed sources in the department, however, claim that certain legal hurdles have to be cleared before this was implemented.

As per the Punjab Police Act, all cops are 24-hour and seven-day employees of the government. For this extra labour they are given salary for 13 months in a year.

The extra month’s salary was given to the cops after their massive agitation in 1979 at the country level. The agitation started from Madhya Pradesh against the ‘orderly’ system that was prevalent since the British rule.

The agitation in Punjab was triggered after Dalip Singh Pandhi, the then MLA, slapped a constable and senior officials did not take appropriate action. The weekly off was one of the demands of the cops at that time.

The sources in the department said if the cops were given a weekly off, the state would have to part with at least 14 per cent of the force daily. Keeping in view the security scenario of the state, it would not be feasible to shed such a large portion of the force.

A senior police official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the demand for a weekly off was genuine. However, it would require an amendment in the police Act and large-scale rationalisation or even extra recruitment in the force to make it practical.

Chandigarh, October 26
The average per capita availability of water has gone down by almost 70 per cent in the country since 1947. This was revealed here today by the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute.

“If water resources are not managed efficiently, they are going to be scarce, causing social and political tension in the country,” said the institute which is hosting a three-day conference on “environmental and livelihood security through resource management in northern India” from October 29 to 31”. More than 200 experts from various parts of the country will take part.

Dr A.K. Tiwari, organising secretary of the conference, today said the indiscriminate usage and over exploitation of natural resources like water, land and vegetation was leading the mankind to see diminishing availability of water, depleting water table, decreasing forest cover and degradation of land resources.

The worst calamity of mechanisation and industrial revolution was environment. India today ranked fifth as far as emission of carbon was concerned. Global warming, climate change and melting of glaciers etc had emerged as the biggest global concerns.

A heavy accumulation of toxic metals and pesticides in vegetables and food products noticed in northern region had become a major threat to human health.

Dr Tiwari said holistic and integrated approach was essential to evolve eco-friendly and sustainable methods to rehabilitate the degraded lands and efficient conservation of valuable resources with active participation of people.

He said 19 papers would be presented at the conference on the status of soil erosion, land degradation, surface and groundwater availability and quality, human and livestock impact on biodiversity.

Sangrur, October 26
With a view to improve the financial health of the rural poor, including marginal farmers and agriculture workers, the Communist Party of India (CPI) will intensify its statewide struggle in the days to come.

A member of the national executive of the CPI, Dr Joginder Dayal, said as a part of its intensified struggle for the rural poor, the CPI would hold a massive rally on November 15 at Moga, addressed by national general secretary of the CPI A.B. Bardhan, general secretary of the Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union Narinder Ojha and other national and state-level leaders.

On behalf of the party, he asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to give up vendetta politics for the development of the state. He said due to fiscal crisis in the state, suicides by farmers and others were on the rise.

Chandigarh, October 26
Within a day of Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, head of the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, getting regular bail from a court in Ambala, the underlying tension between followers of the dera and Sikh organisations in southern Punjab is once again in sharp focus.

The Punjab Police as well as its intelligence wing has stepped up the ground work to keep an eye on the plans, if any, of the dera chief to hold a congregation at Salabatpura, Bathinda.

Though there is no concrete information with the police on the future plan of the dera chief, it is keeping its fingers crossed. A case is pending against the dera chief for hurting religious sentiments by posing as Guru Gobind Singh in April this year.

Sources in the police said legally the dera chief can hold any function and with a regular bail to back him, there was a possibility of his followers holding a religious congregation in Punjab just to “test waters” and “ensure their visibility”. This could test the patience and acumen of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance and , if not handled properly. The apology made by the dera chief to Akal Takht for his blasphemous act is pending approval.

Political parties that were reluctant to come out in the open in favour of the dera chief would now be vocal. — TNS

Bathinda, October 26
The Punjab Human Rights Committee (PHRC) has informed that the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has ordered the additional director-general of the Punjab police (human rights) to submit its report on the self-immolation by the family of an ex-cop Gurjant Singh at Behman village in Talwandi Sabo in protest against police harassment and humiliation on the night of September 29. The ADGP has been asked to submit his report by December 21, 2007.

According to Ved Parkash Gupta, general secretary of the PHRC, who also happens to be the complainant in this case, “The PSHRC in its letter No. 061921, dated October 16, 2007, has intimated the Punjab Human Rights Committee, that the case under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, is registered by the commission against the police. The ADGP has been directed to submit his report by December 21.”

Gurjant Singh, the ex-cop had set himself and four members of his family (wife and three daughters) on fire on the night of September 29, when a police party, led by an ASI, reached his village to arrest him. Gurjant, his wife and two daughters had already succumbed to their injuries.

Rampal Kaur, the 20-year-old physically handicapped daughter of Gurjant Singh, had said some time back that the police medal which her father had received for his bravery during the days of terrorism, would be returned to the DGP. She had also alleged that the reason for doing this was senior officials in the department were shielding the guilty police officials who forced her father to take such a step.

The bhog ceremony of Gurjant Singh and one of his daughters on October 14, was attended by some big political leaders like ex-MP Jagmeet Brar, president SAD (A) Simranjit Singh Maan, CPI leader Jagjit Singh Joga, Ravi Inder Singh and many more.

“The Punjab Human Rights Committee found that the district police officers, instead of booking the guilty policemen for this crime, are openly supporting them,” Gupta further alleged.

Barnala, October 26
Barnala MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon yesterday expressed concern over the Barnala Municipal Committee not receiving any new funds for development purposes. He said this was the case in spite of the fact that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government had been in power for eight months.

He said the development projects, which were initiated during the Congress regime, had come to a halt for want of funds. He said the state government was giving step-motherly treatment to Assembly segments where the MLAs belonged to Opposition parties.

Dhillon was in the city to supervise the preparations for the state-level rally to be held at Barnala on October 28 to welcome PPCC president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.

While talking to reporters Dhillon said the Congress government had designated Barnala as the 20th district of the state after the repeated attempts of Barnalvis. But due to a code of conduct they could not extend the Barnala limits. Now it was up to the Akalis to expand and develop the newly formed district.

Pointing towards his arch rival, former MLA Keetu, Dhillon said the Akalis only boast of development work, but in actual nothing had happened in black and white. During the formation of the district, the Akalis were criticising its formation saying it was a very small district, but now it was their time to provide solutions to their complaints.

Chandigarh, October 26
A two-day conference of the Indian Psychiatry Society, North Zone, is beginning at Jalandhar tomorrow. As many at 200 delegates from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh are expected to participate in the 32nd annual event.

The president of the North Zone chapter of the society, Dr Kuldeep Sharma, said the participants would discuss the issue of social problems leading to suicides and psychiatry among the alcoholics. A number of eminent doctors from the region are among the key speakers. — TNS

Kharar, October 26
Taking a cue from the Indo-Pak ODI of 2005, when six Pakistan nationals had gone missing, the security measures, this time, have been made more stringent.

As many as 11 Pak nationals, who had come to watch the match at Mohali PCA stadium had gone missing in 2005. Later, five of them were traced, while whereabouts of six are still unknown.

"In 2005, the Government of India had given all Pakistani nationals open visas. They were allowed to move around freely. In fact, many of them were on a travel spree visiting Rajasthan and Haryana too. This led to lack of tab on these people and these six went missing,” pointed a local intelligence official.

He added that keeping the earlier sour experience in view, this time, only 250 Pakistan nationals have been allowed to visit India for the match. A detailed list of all these visitors, along with their addresses and places of stay in India, will be sent to the Mohali police by October 30.

Accordingly, the police will chalk out a strategy to monitor these visitors along with the intelligence people. A special bus will be put on route to ferry fans from Wagah border to Mohali and back.

The visitors are being given visas only for Chandigarh and Mohali, wherein it will be easier for the cops and intelligence agencies to keep a check on them.

SSP Mohali R.S. Khattra said checkpoints were being put up and patrolling had been intensified in the area. He added that efforts will be made to make the Pakistanis feel comfortable as well as keep the security measures stringent.

Fatehgarh Sahib, October 26
Rural doctors working under zila parishads in Punjab and the Rural Medical Services Association of Punjab has condemned the alleged attack on Avtar Singh Jarewal, civil surgeon, Mansa, and his team, when they had gone to Bhikhi village in Mansa district as part of official tour.

In a statement here today, the RMSA state president Dr Aslam Parvez said the attack was shameful and the association would take this matter to the highest level.

He demanded that the culprits be immediately arrested. He said in case no action was taken in this regard, the association would resort to agitation. The health officials were taking samples of sweets at the time they were attacked.

Dr Aslam said during festive season, lots of synthetic milk products were made available in the market for easy money which pose serious risks to the consumers’ health. He said the chemicals added to prepare these products were cancer causing and could also cause serious health problems in the long run.

He demanded that magisterial powers should be given to the SMOs and civil surgeons for carrying out checks and appropriate control measures.

Dr Aslam appreciated the health minister’s movement against adulteration and also demanded that for administrative purposes, the civil surgeons should be allowed to use red light atop of their vehicles.

Phagwara, October 26
The Phagwara police today arrested Bhupinder Kumar, his father Anokhi Ram and mother Lila Devi, of Kaleen village, in Solan district of Himachal Pardesh, under Sections 420,419,406 and 506, IPC, on the charges of duping the parents of a girl of Rs 2 lakh, and posing as a BSF officer, with the connivance of his parents.

Phagwara DSP H.P.S. Khakh while giving details of the incident told The Tribune here this evening that former Phagwara senior medical officer Buta Ram Gill had lodged a complaint with the Phagwara police on June 19, 2007, that he had put in a matrimonial advertisement in September last year for his young daughter. The accused Bhupinder Kumar responded to the advertisement and posed as a commandant in 36 Battalion of the Border Security Force posted at Sriganganagar and sent his photographs in a BSF uniform.

Gill in his complaint said he gave his consent and the accused started meeting the girl. After some days, the accused called Gill from Sriganganagar and narrated a false story of the accidental death of his entire family, including his parents, brothers and sisters in Goa, and expressed an urgent need of Rs 1.5 lakh for their last rites. Gill immediately rushed to Sriganganagar and handed over the required amount to Kumar who was in his uniform. After this the accused demanded another Rs 50,000 after a week and Rs 4 lakh soon after, which made the family suspicious. The DSP said inquiries revealed that he was not employed with the BSF the conspiracy had the consent of his parents.

Khakh said after he was exposed, Kumar, instead of returning the money, started threatening Gill through messages. Meanwhile, the parents of the accused met Gill and assured him that they would return the whole amount back, which did not happen. Khakh said all three had been nabbed and the police was investigating the entire episode.

Kharar, October 26
A gang of youths allegedly beat up Raman Kumar, a resident of Mullapur Garibdass area, today morning.

The incident took place when Raman Kumar and his friend Shailee were coming back on a scooter after buying an LPG cylinder.

The gang attacked them with iron chains. While Raman sustained injuries, Shailee was stated to be safe.

Raman is admitted to Kharar civil hospital and is undergoing treatment.

Sources said the incident seemed to be a part of a gang war involving local youths of the area.

Meanwhile, officials at Mullapur police station have lodged a DDR in the case. The police also claimed to be conducting raids at the houses of people who have been named in the application filed by the complainant Raman Kumar.

Raman's X-ray is yet to be conducted. The police is waiting for the medico-legal report of the case.

Chandigarh, October 26
A seminar on “Role of Administration in Rural Upliftment” organised by Dainik Jagran under the platform “Save Punjab” had several academicians, bureaucrats and politicians delivering lectures on the topic.

Chief guest Prof R C Sobti, vice-chancellor, PU, stressed on cooperation as the key to solving the problems that beset the state today. “Punjab’s youth, frustrated due to lack of opportunities, are channelling their energies to drugs and drink for succour. You need to save Punjab not by using the stick but by listening, understanding and caring. Get to the root of the problem,” he said.

Dr G S Kalkat, chairman, Punjab Farmer Commission and former VC, PAU, Ludhiana, said Punjab’s agricultural productivity may have gone up but the condition of its farmers remained poor. He also emphasised the need for quality education in rural areas. Bahadur Singh, president BDO Association, Punjab, also supported his views.

In the segment titled “Policies for Rural Upliftment”, Prof B S Ghuman, dean, faculty of arts, PU, gave an background on the policies for rural areas that had been initiated in the last 50 years.

Prof R S Ghuman from Panjabi University, Patiala, said out of 66 percent of the rural population, only 4 per cent reached the level of higher education.

Giving administration’s perspective, Satish Chandra (IAS), Punjab, spoke of the need to give zila parishad’s more power to enable policies to reach the rural population faster and asked the media to also assist in disseminating this information.

Prof Balwant Singh, secretary, CPI (M), Punjab, Sukhdev Singh, president, Panchayat Union, and Umaid Singh from the State Bank of India also spoke.

Bathinda, October 26
Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College, Talwandi Sabo, won the giddha title on the opening day of the three-day Punjabi University Regional Youth Festival 2007, which started at Punjabi University Regional Campus, Bathinda, on Friday.

Results: shabad gayan: Barjindra College, Faridkot (first), Rajindra College, Bathinda (second) and Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College, Takwandi Sabo (third).

Classical music vocal: Rajindra College, Bathinda (first), Barjindra College, Faridkot (second) and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Government College, Kotkapoora.

Semi-classical vocal: Rajindra College, Bathinda (first), Barjindra College, Faridkot (second).

Classical dance: Rajindra College, Bathinda (first), Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa Girls College, Bathinda (second), Barjindra College, Faridkot (third).

Western group Song: Rajindra College, Bathinda (first) and Baba Farid College, Bathinda (second).

Western song (solo): Rajindra College, Bathinda (first), Baba Farid College, Bathinda (second) and Barjindra College, Faridkot (third).

On-the-spot painting: Pt Chetan Dev College of Education, Faridkot (first), Barjindra College, Faridkot (second) and Baba Farid College, Bathinda (third).

Clay modeling: Baba Farid College, Bathinda (first), Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa Girls College, Bathinda (second) and Rajindra College, Bathinda (third).

Rangoli: Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College, Talwandi Sabo (first), DAV College, Bathinda (second) and Guru Nanak Dev Girls College, Bathinda (third).

Giddha: Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College, Talwandi Sabo (first), Rajindra College, Bathinda (second) and Barjindra College, Faridkot (third).