27082022-ATR-01.qxd 8/27/2022 12:07 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar TRIBUNE PATWARIS HOLD PROTEST OVER ABOLITION OF POSTS Patwaris appealed to minister Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar to roll back the government’s move to scrap 1,056 patwar halqas. FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY SKY INBRIEF 4 MISSING DELHI GIRLS FOUND IN CITY Amritsar: Four minor girls who went missing from their houses in Badarpur area of Delhi were found from Golden Temple inns here on Friday. Sub-Inspector Paramjit Singh, in-charge, Galliara police chowki, said the police received information from Delhi about the missing girls along with their pictures. Their pictures went viral on social media. He said police teams along with SGPC employees searched the Golden Temple complex and nearby areas, including inns. During the search, the girls were found sleeping in the inns. He said family members of the girls along with police teams were coming to take them back. They had a quarrel with their family members, therefore, they left the house and reached Amritsar. TNS TWO SNATCH WOMAN’S PURSE Tarn Taran: Two miscreants on a two-wheeler snatched the purse of a woman, who was on the way to work on Friday. Chandandeep Kaur, a teacher at the local Government Elementary School, Fateh Chak, said the purse contained cash, a mobile phone, an ATM card and some important documents. A complaint has been lodged at the local city police station. ASI Gurmeet Singh said the CCTV footage of cameras installed near the crime spot were being scrutinised. OC THREE HELD WITH 165-GM HEROIN Amritsar: The Cantonment police seized 100-gm heroin and arrested Kamal Kumar of the Sadar Bazaar cantonment area. A case under Sections 21B, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against him. Meanwhile, the police also nabbed Vishal Kumar of Kirpal Colony and Deepak of Batala Road with 25-gm and 40-gm heroin, respectively. TNS PAGE 3 JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN JOINS CAST OF THE BOYS SEASON 4 Anu, who worked with Sawan Kumar in Khal Naaikaa, says he was a brave filmmaker and an extraordinary visionary. SUNSET SATURDAY 7:01 PM PAGE 4 Veteran actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been roped in as a recurring guest star for The Boys Season 4. SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:03 AM SATURDAY | 27 AUGUST 2022 | AMRITSAR GMC doc gets extortion call Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 26 A case has been registered against an unidentified person for allegedly blackmailing a doctor at Government Medical College (GMC) for extortion. The police have launched further probe into the incident to identify the suspects. Dr Rajiv Arora, posted at Swami Vivekanand De-addiction Centre at GMC, in his police complaint alleged that on August 19, he received a WhatsApp video call in which an unidentified nude woman wanted to talk to him. However, he immediately cut the call and blocked the number. He said he again received a video THREATENED WITH ‘OBSCENE’ VIDEO ■ Dr Rajiv Arora, posted at Swami Vivekanand De-addiction Centre at GMC, in his police complaint alleged that on August 19, he received a WhatsApp video call in which an unidentified nude woman wanted to talk to him ■ However, he immediately cut the call and blocked the number. He said he again received a video call from the woman, who claimed to have recorded an obscene video of him ■ She threatened to circulate the video on the social media and sought Rs 20,000 cash for not doing it. He said he again blocked the number ■ He alleged he received a call from a person who claimed to have a channel on social media. He said he had his ‘obscene’ video and demanded Rs 7,000 for not uploading the same call from the woman, who claimed to have recorded an obscene video of him. She threatened to circulate the video on the social media and sought Rs 20,000 cash for not doing it. He said he again cut the call and blocked the number. He alleged that yesterday around 10.20 am, he received a call from a person who claimed to be a “press reporter” having a channel on social media. He said he had his “obscene” IED under SI’s vehicle: Remand of Harpal, Fatehdeep extended Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 26 The local court extended the police remand of Harpal Singh and his nephew Fatehdeep Singh by three days, while their third accomplice Rajinder Kumar alias Bau was sent to judicial custody. They were produced in the local court after expiry of their police remand on Friday. They were arrested by the Punjab Police in connection with planting of IED under the vehicle of SubInspector Dilbagh Singh. A police official said Gurpreet Singh and Varinder Singh, both accomplices of Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, who were brought on production warrant from the Goindwal jail, have been sent back to judicial custody, following interrogation. He said the police recovered a The three accused being taken to a court on Friday. VISHAL KUMAR video and demanded Rs 7,000 for not uploading the same. He also shared his bank account details besides giving his PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm number for transferring the amount. When he did not respond, he got repeated calls demanding cash for not uploading the video. Harinder Singh, SHO of the Majitha road police station, said a case under Sections 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 506 and 34 of the IPC and Section 66-E and 67 of the Information Technology Act. He said investigations were under on to identify the suspects. SGPC told to probe maryada‘violation’ at U’khand gurdwara Amritsar, August 26 The Akal Takht has taken note of alleged violation of Sikh rehat maryada in a gurdwara located in Udham Singh Nagar of Uttarakhand on Janamashtami. A complaint has reached the Akal Takht secretariat that a girl was made to dance in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib in the gurdwara at Balram Nagar village in Gadarpur tehsil. A video of the incident also went viral on social media. Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has directed the SGPC to investigate and take strict action against the responsible persons. Earlier, a same incident had come to light in Uttarakhand only when a folk dance was performed by the girls on the campus of a gurdwara to welcome the state’s CM last year. The Akal Takht had taken notice then and the shrine management was removed for violation of maryada. — TNS Withdraw condition of departmental exam for promotion: Teachers The district unit of the Democratic Teachers’ Front submitted a demand letter to the Principal Secretary (Schools) through the District Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar. District president Ashwani Awasthi said according to the current service rule for teaching and non-teaching cadres of the Education Department the annual increment on the primary and secondary teachers, officials and non-teaching employees of groups A, B and C promoted on the basis of direct recruitment and seniority were withheld until they pass the departmental examination and computer skill proficiency test. mobile phone from Gopi’s possession. Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda had asked Varinder Singh to mediate between constable Harpal Singh and Landa. The police have confirmed that planting of IED under the SI’s car was planned by Rinda and Landa. Harpal and Fatehdeep were the main handlers here, while raids were on to arrest those who had planted the IED. The duo had received Rs 12 lakh for planting the IED which was smuggled from Pakistan through drone. “They have been identified and raids are on to nab them. As per initial probe, the duo belongs to Tarn Taran and are absconding since the incident,” said the police official privy with the investigations preferring anonymity. Three snatchers nabbed, stolen mobiles seized Workers decorate the Golden Temple with flowers ahead of the first Parkash Utsav of Guru Granth Sahib on Friday. VISHAL KUMAR Amritsar, August 26 Terming the policies of the AAP government “antiemployee”, the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) today urged the government to withdraw the condition of departmental examination for promotions. These service rules drafted by the previous government were made on the basis of direct recruitment/seniority after 2018. The DTF also requested the government to complete the process of transfer of teachers of secondary schools, without further delay. SAWAN KUMAR TAK WAS A BRAVE FILMMAKER: ANU AGGARWAL MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C | YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 26°C All decked up Tribune News Service PAGE 2 Digitisation: Govt panel visits Bhai Gurdas Library Amritsar, August 26 The police arrested three snatchers in two separate instances here on Thursday. Ramanbir Singh and Vijaydeep Singh, both of Naag Khurd village on the Majitha road, were held when they were looking for customers for the snatched mobile phones. The police recovered three mobile phones from their possession. The police also confiscated the bike used in the crime. The police said they were going from SSSS Chowk to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital on a bike when they were intercepted by the police following a tip-off. Both were habitual offenders, said the police. Similarly, the Division B police arrested Kuldeep Kumar of Mandir Wala Bazaar on Sultanwind Road for snatching a mobile phone. The complainant, Jaspal Singh, told the police that he took his rickshaw and came to Amritsar. At around 2pm, a person hired the rickshaw for Mandir Wala bazaar. He said as he reached near Miri Piri Gurdwara, the accused asked for his mobile as his cell phone was switched off. He said when he refused to give him phone, the accused snatched the phone from him and fled the spot. He said he raised the alarm following which people nabbed him. He was later handed over to the police and a case was registered. — TNS Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 26 The Punjab Government Assurance Committee consisting of 13 sitting MLAs of Punjab under the chairmanship of MLA Amritsar North Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh visited Bhai Gurdas Library to assess the digitisation and automation of the library. The delegation consisted of Jeewan Singh Sangowal, Raghubir Singh Rai, Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Madan Lal Bagga and Balkar Singh Sidhu along with other secretariat officials visited the library and took note of the services being offered. They visited various sections like the Periodicals, Acquisition, Rare Books, etc, and were apprised of digitisation and automation by Dr Amit Kauts, Professor in-charge, library, and Sarbjit Singh, System Administrator. A newly implemented RFID system with complete integration with students and faculty member smart cards was demonstrated to the delegation. An AI trolly and RFID based Self Check in/Checkout kiosks have been installed for issue and return of the books without any human intervention. Committee members further visited digital lounge — consisting of 100 computers — which has been set up and being used c m y b SYSTEM DEMONSTRATED ■ A newly implemented radio- frequency identification system with complete integration with students and faculty member smart cards was demonstrated to the delegation ■ An AI trolly and RFID-based self check-in/checkout kiosks have been installed for issue and return of the books without any human intervention as a digital learning centre and provide access to all the eresources, e-journals and ebooks purchased by the university. Bhai Gurdas Library has also procured resources from the Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) as per the MOA with CEC. This Digital Lounge also facilitates access and use of these CEC resources. The committee visited the rare book and manuscript section where they were shown manuscripts, coins, rare books, paintings and sculpture, etc. Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, chairman of the Punjab Government Assurance Committee, expressed his satisfaction over the development in digitization and automation work being done by the library. Being an alumnus of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, he expressed his commitment to provide all types of support to facilitate a quality learning environment for the students. A differently abled woman, Padma (C), who was staying at Nari Niketan in Amritsar. TRIBUNE PHOTO After six years, differently abled woman sent back to Karnataka Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 26 A mother of two, 35-year-old differently abled Padma was sent back to her parent state Karnataka to be reunited with her family. Escorted by two women cops, a male cop and an attendant, she was sent back home by train recently. She would stay at Aftercare Home for Mentally Retarded and Women Social Service Complex in Bengaluru where staff would approach her family to take her back. During her stay here, she was put up at Sehyog Half Way Home, a governmentrun intellectual disability centre, which is situated in the Nari Niketan, for nearly six years. The destitute woman faced different issues like language, food habits and cultural gap. Her intellectual disability was found to be 50 per cent and intelligence quotient 67 per cent. Earlier, she was dispatched to the Sehyog Half Way Home on the directions of the court. She was not mentally sound enough to converse and convey her address. Her leg was injured and her address was found missing in records. Savita Rani, Superintendent of Sehyog Half Way Home, said her unique disability ID was formed and a counsellor was hired. The psychiatrist counselled her and gave her treatment. Subsequently, she normalised. But then language barrier did not allow much to know about antecedents. So, a translator well conversed in Kannada and Hindi was hired. Eventually, she gave out the mobile number of her brother and address of her home. Now her family was reluctant to take her back, she said. Asked about the reason, they did not give a clear reply. Officials of the Department of Women and Social Security narrated the matter with their counterpart in Karnataka, the Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens. Then they persistently followed it up with the department so that she could return to her cultural and linguistic background. Man held with 270-gm heroin, drug money Amritsar, August 26 The crime branch of the Amritsar rural police has arrested an interstate drug peddler identified as Raja Singh of Rangarh village. The police have recovered 270 gm of heroin and drug money to the tune of Rs 7.8 lakh from his possession. Swapan Sharma, Amritsar SSP rural police, said Raja , used to supply contraband in different districts of Punjab and in other adjoining states too. He said yesterday a special naka was set up near Khasa to check vehicles. During the search of Singh’s vehicle, the police found con- traband and drug money. He was going towards Khasa and even attempted to flee. The SSP said Raja had several cases registered against him under the NDPS Act. “Investigation has revealed that he was in touch with drug smugglers across the border,” he added. — TNS