Shopkeepers violate weekend lockdown

Our Correspondent

Phagwara, June 20

The state government’s decision of allowing the shops to remain open till 7pm amid the weekend during the lockdown is being violated.

There are strict orders from the government that shops shouldn’t be opened beyond the fixed timings. However, several shopkeepers, having contacts with government employees, including cops have been seen operating till 8pm to 8:30 pm.

Not only this, several restaurants have been shuttered but hundreds of vendors were openly selling street food without following any norms here.

Violation guidelines is not the only problem. Taking advantage of busy schedule of officers on duty amid the Covid pandemic, many youngsters were also witnessed riding vehicles without helmets, hence violating the traffic rules as well.

Meanwhile, at several government offices, employees were seen allowing persons without masks, with no social distancing in place and sanitisation too.

When contacted, Jalandhar Division Commissioner, Raj Kamal Chaudhary, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, Deepti Uppal and SSP Satinder Singh, Kapurthala, assured to take the necessary steps to ensure the implementation of the lockdown restrictions. They have also instructed the ADC Rajeev Verma, SDM Pawitra Singh, Phagwara, and SP Manwinder Singh to follow the guidelines of the state government and take stern action against the violators.

Police solve murder case in five hours

The Goraya police have arrested two persons, identified as Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Toora village, and Gurpreet, a resident of Masani village, near Phillaur, within five hours after the murder of Sukhpreet Singh on Friday. The information was given by Senior Superintendent of the Police (Rural) Navjot Singh Mahal.

He said the suspects murdered the youth with sharp-edged weapons only after minor money dispute.

The victim had been identified as Sukhpreet Singh (27) was found murdered near the fields in Katana village, near Goraya on Friday morning. The police had registered a case under Sections 302, 201 and 34 of the IPC. The body has been handed over to the family after autopsy.