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P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 5.48 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:18 AM » THURSDAY | 19 JANUARY 2023 | JALANDHAR Thieves break into jewellery shop, SDM office staffer among 2 held for bank robbery steal ornaments worth lakhs, cash Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January18 A jewellery shop on Garha road here was robbed in the wee hours of Wednesday after thieves entered by cutting a hole into a wall and made away with gold and silver ornaments worth lakhs. According to the police, Neeraj Chauhan, a jeweller who owns a jewellery shop by the name ‘Raman Jewellers’ at Gurjit Nagar on Garha road, was shocked to see that his shop had been burgled when he opened it on Wednesday around 10 am. The jewellery items that were on display were missing and there was a hole in the wall towards the back of the shop. In his statement to the police, Chauhan said there was a vacant plot at the rear side of his shop and the thieves entered through the same plot by cutting a hole into a wall. He said the gold and silver ornaments that were on display had been stolen and some cash that was kept in the drawer of his counter was also missing. However, the safe containing gold jewellery was found intact. He The police during an investigation into the theft at a jewellery shop on Garha road in Jalandhar on Wednesday. Thieves made their way into the shop by cutting a hole into one of its wall. TRIBUNE PHOTOS said the thieves had brought a gas cutter with them to break open the safe but they couldn’t break it, and escaped with whatever they found on the display. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Investigation, Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said the incident came to light at around 11 am when the owner of the shop informed the police about it. He said police personnel, including senior officials, immediately reached the spot and teams had been formed to investigate the case from all angles. He further added that CCTV footage of the shop and nearby areas was being scrutinised to get clue to the incident. He claimed the case would be cracked soon, and all those involved in it would be behind bars. When asked about the exact loss the owner suffered, DCP Teja said they hadn’t still received the exact worth of ornaments stolen, but it was believed to be in lakhs. Yet another incident of robbery puts the district police in dock as there has been a spurt in criminal activities across the district lately. Residents are seem concerned about the rising crime rate. CASE WILL BE CRACKED SOON ❝ CCTV footage of the shop and nearby areas is being scrutinised. The case will be cracked soon, and all those involved in it will be behind bars. ❞ Jaskiranjit Singh Teja, DCP, INVESTIGATION Jalandhar, January18 The dream of going abroad made an employee of an SDM’s office in Tarn Taran to carry out a robbery of Rs 9 lakh at a bank in Jalandhar. He was among the two persons arrested by the Jalandhar police on Tuesday in connection with the robbery at Kotak Mahindra Bank in Jalandhar. A stolen car, which was used in the crime - has also been recovered from them by the police. The duo has been identified as Devinder Singh, a deed writer at the SDM’s office at Bhikhwind, Tarn Taran, and Ramandeep Singh, a resident of Basharke in Tarn Taran. Jalandhar SSP Swarandeep Singh said on January 11, the duo looted nearly Rs 9 lakh from Kotak Mahindra Bank on Rama Mandi to Jandu Singha Road in Jalandhar. A case under Sections 392, 506 and 34 of the IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act had been lodged at the Patara police station in this regard. The SSP said a special team of the crime branch was constituted under SP (Investigation) Sarabjit Bahia. The investigation under Crime The police address mediapersons in Jalandhar on Wednesday. DREAMT OF GOING ABROAD ❝ Accused Devinder Singh had been working as a deed writer at the SDM’s office, but he was not satisfied with the job. He took to the world of crime to fulfil his dream of going abroad. Swarandeep Singh, JALANDHAR SSP ❞ Branch incharge Push Bali led the trail to Amritsar, Jandiala and Tarn Taran area, the SSP added. During investigation, it was found that the Hyundai i10 Nios sports car used in the crime had been stolen from a showroom in Amritsar on January 4 by Ramandeep. The car was stolen at gun point on the pretext of a test drive, after which the thief had fled. A case had also been lodged in this regard at the Chatiwind police station in Amritsar. The SSP said the police received more concrete information about the involvement of Devinder Singh and Ramandeep in the bank robbery. On January 17, a police party apprehended the duo Continued on Page 2 Last MC meet ends on stormy note over LED issue Kapurthala DC Robbers strike forms panels at PSTCL power Mayor, Commissioner find themselves at receiving end as councillors pose difficult questions to stop sale of substation Tribune News Service Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Chinese string Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January18 Goods worth lakhs were stolen from the PSTCL (Punjab 's State Transmission Corporation Limited) 220 KV substation at Sultanpur Lodhi on Tuesday night. The Sultanpur Lodhi police registered a case against 8-10 unidentified persons under Sections 458, 380 and 342 of the IPC on Wednesday. The miscreants forcibly entered the control room of the substation at 12 midnight (Tuesday), tied up the staff of the station and thrashed them. The entire incident happened between 12 midnight and 3 am in the morning on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. JE in-charge substation David Baweja told the police that the miscreants beat up the men on duty and tied them with a pillar at the station. They took away copper wires, clumps among other items from the substation. As per reports the men were drunk and even took away tiffin boxes of the duty staff. Jalandhar, January 18 ‘ Chuppi apni tod de sajna, kuch taan muho bolde sajna’ Congress councillor Shamesher Khehra concluded his remarks in a poetic way and asked Mayor Jagdish Raja to at least say something regarding the action that he would take against those involved in the alleged LED scam. The mayor then said that the House would ask the Vigilance Bureau to conduct an inquiry into the alleged scam. It was again just a meeting without any new facts. MC Commissioner Abhijeet Kaplish said the Punjab Government would be requested to file a chargesheet against those who would be found guilty in the alleged scam. The commissioner also sent a show-cause notice to MC officials who failed to make a proper report for today’s meeting. He also said he was not protecting any officer. “We will take requisite action,” he stressed in the meeting. During the meeting, mem- Councillors question Mayor Jagdish Raja and MC Commissioner Abhijeet Kaplish during the last meeting of the Municipal Corporation in Jalandhar on Wednesday. PHOTOS: MALKIAT SINGH HOUSE TO SEEK VIGILANCE PROBE ‘WHEN STREETS WILL BE LIT?’ ■ After being constantly prodded and questioned over the action Every councillor who was present in the meeting asked the Mayor and the commissioner what will be done to end the blackout in the city. “No streetlights are working. Residents don’t care about the inquiry, they just want their areas to be lit,” the councillors told the Mayor. taken in the alleged LED scam, Mayor Jagdish Raja said the House would ask the Vigilance Bureau to conduct an inquiry ■ MC Commissioner Abhijeet Kaplish, who too found himself at the receiving end, said the Punjab Government would be requested to file a chargesheet against those who would be found guilty in the alleged LED scam bers questioned the Commissioner why only meetings were being held and there were no talks regarding the action taken. The councillors alleged the Commissioner just wanted to linger on the issue. “Ajj di meeting mazak hai’ , Tusi sada dil tod ditta hai’ , this is how they protested. To this, the commissioner replied and said he had no interest in lingering on this issue. The councillors asked the officials to tell them where the lights were installed in their wards and who was coming to mark the poles as they had no idea. When the official concerned started talking regarding Ward No.24 on the number of poles that were marked, the councillor of the same ward stood up and said there was no ‘truth’ behind the claim and that the actual figure was completely different from what he (official) was saying. “Tuhadi te hune sachayi saamne aa gayi’, he told the official. Jalandhar, January 18 Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal today issued an order to prevent the sale, storage and use of Chinese kite string (China ‘dor’) in Kapurthala district. The DC informed that sub-divisional committees had been formed so that the use of Chinese string could be effectively stopped. The DC said that SDMs of four sub-divisions will be the chairmen of these committees while the respective DSPs, BDPOs, Secretary, Municipal Corporation/Environmental engineers, Punjab Pollution Control Board or its representatives will work in the capacity of its members. Sarangal said the sale, storage and use of Chinese string has already been banned and these committees will be responsible for implementing the orders in a more effective manner. He asked the chairmen of the committees to endeavor to implement the order with immediate effect and send a daily report in this regard. — TNS Demand letter not accepted, Beet residents heckle Dy Speaker Activists threaten protest Garhshankar, January 18 Heated arguments took place between the people of Beet area and Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, here today when members of the Beet Bhalai Committee went to submit a memorandum of demand to Rouri. As the argument took place between the two sides, the Deputy Speaker left for his office without taking the memorandum. Angry committee members staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Speaker’s office and started raising slogans against the BEET BHALAI COMMITTEE TO BURN EFFIGY OF ROURI TODAY Beat Bhalai Committee members hold a protest in Hoshiarpur on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO state government. Beet Bhalai Committee chairman Balveer Singh Bains and oth- er members said in the Beet area, long power cuts had disturbed the daily life of people. Protesting against the power cuts in front of the electricity office on Garhshankar- c m y b Anandpur road, they handed over a memorandum to the Executive Engineer of PSPCL. The Executive Engineer assured them that they would be provided 24-hour power supply. People alleged that instead of listening to the problems, Rouri accused the leaders of the Beet Bhalai Committee of selling drugs, and following that the people blocked the traffic and staged a protest. The committee members said they would burn an effigy of Rouri at Adda Jhungian on Thursday. Rouri said that he informed the committee members that action was being initiated on their demands, but instead they started arguing withhim, which created an atmosphere of tension. Moreover, Rouri alleged that some of the persons who came to handover the memorandum were not of clean image. Some of them were allegedly involved in drug cases and FIRs were registered against them. — OC over ‘fleecing’ by schools Phagwara, January18 Workers and office-bearers of Lok Hit Sangharsh Morcha under the leadership of morcha president Jarnail Nangal submitted a letter directed to the Chief Minister, Education Minister and Deputy Commissioner Kaputhala — to Phagwara Tehsildar, urging the government to stop the fleecing of parents by private schools. Jarnail Nangal said private schools were increasing tuition fee every year and were charging various types of other charges such as computer fee and activity charges from parents. Also, private schools prescribe books that were only available in certain shops. The morcha leader also demanded that strict instructions should be issued to private schools that they should provide school ties, belts and logos to children at a reasonable price. He warned that if the government and administration did not stop these private schools from fleecing parents, then they would start a fierce struggle in the near future to stop this loot. — OC