21032024-JTR-01.qxd 3/21/2024 12:46 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune NDRF TEAM HOLDS DEMO AT SAINIK SCHOOL, KAPURTHALA TEACHER ON FAST UNTO DEATH REFUSES TO BUDGE TRIPTII DIMRI SHARES UPDATE ON BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 The 7th Battalion of the NDRF on Tuesday held lectures and demonstrations at Sainik School in Kapurthala. P2 As fast unto death by Jaswinder, entered the fourth day, she refused to take meal or get down from overhead water tank.P3 Actress Triptii Dimri has shared details about her upcoming film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, co-starring Kartik Aaryan. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 30°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 13°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.34 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:25 AM THURSDAY | 21 MARCH 2024 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF Policeman dies after consuming wrong medicine DRIVER BOOKED FOR RASH DRIVING Phagwara: The Nurmahal police have booked an unidentified car driver on the charges of rash driving, endangering the life and safety of others. Amrit, a resident of Batura village, complained to the police that an unidentified car driver, who was driving his vehicle fast, hit his nephew Danial near a rice mill on the Nurmahal-Jandiala road on the evening of March 17, leaving him seriously injured. Investigating Officer Varinder Mohan Singh said a case under Sections 279 (rash driving on a public road), 337 and 338 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC had been registered against the unidentified driver. OC ONE BOOKED FOR KIDNAPPING YOUTH Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked an unidentified man on the charge of kidnapping and confining a youth. Charan Singh, a resident of Mannakpur village, complained to the police that an unidentified person kidnapped his son Pritam Singh (31) on March 15 and confined him somewhere. Investigating Officer Puran Singh said a case under Section 346 (wrongful confinement in secret) of the IPC had been registered against the suspect. OC SEVEN BOOKED ON CHARGE OF ASSAULT Phagwara: The Nurmahal police have booked seven persons, including two women, for assaulting a villager. Investigating Officer (IO) Varinder Mohan Singh said the suspects, were identified as Kamaljit, wife of Tota Ram, their son Karan, Mota Ram, Bindu Aman, Kartik, Gairi and Mota Ram’s wife, all residents of Nahal village. Kulwinder Kumar, a resident of the same village, complained to the police that the suspects barged into his house on March 17 and assaulted him. The IO said a case under Sections 323, 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with weapons), 452 (house trespass), 427 (mischief) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC had been registered against the suspects. OC TWO PROCLAIMED OFFENDERS HELD Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for the last many years. Investigating Officer Davinder Singh said the suspect had been identified as Som Lal, alias Soma, a resident of Warianna Dona village under the Kapurthala Sadar police station. He was wanted in a murder case registered in 2019. The Lohian Khas police also arrested a PO, identified as Ramesh, a resident of Rame village under the Shahkot police station. He was wanted in a case of drug peddling. OC YOUTH HELD FOR MINORS RAPE Phagwara: The Nakodar Sadar police have arrested a youth who kidnapped a minor. SHO Jai Pal said the victim was rescued from the clutches of suspect. The SHO said Kuldeep Singh, alias Deepu, a resident of Jahangir village, was booked for rape on the basis of the victim's statement. The SHO said a case under Sections 363 (kidnapping) and 366 (kidnapping a woman to compel her for marriage), 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act was registered against suspect. OC Our Correspondent The Integrated Control and Command Centre; and (right) high-resolution CCTV cameras installed at BMC Chowk in Jalandhar. SARABJIT SINGH When will ICCC project go live? Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 20 The much-anticipated Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) Project, slated to enhance city’s surveillance and streamline traffic management, is once again facing delays in its operationalisation. Earlier, set for completion before or on January 26, the project has been plagued by setbacks, with no confirmed date for its launch yet. However, officials involved suggest that it might become operational between 25 days and a month. Initiated with much enthu- siasm in 2018, the ICCC project has continually missed its scheduled deadlines, despite assurances of its becoming functional time and again. Former Deputy Commissioner (DC) Vishesh Sarangal had set December 15 as the deadline for its completion, but successive delays, attributed to frequent transfers of MC Commissioners and lack of sustained attention by the authorities concerned, hindered progress of the project. Recent developments, including the installation of poles and high-quality CCTV cameras across the city, had sparked speculations among residents for improved surveillance and enforcement measures in the city akin to those in Chandigarh. However, a lot of work is yet to be done before the project can go live, according to the municipal corporation (MC) authorities. They said former MC Commissioners Abhijeet Kaplish and Aditya Uppal had spearheaded efforts to operationalise the project, overseeing the installation of over 800 CCTV cameras and associated infrastructure. However, their transfers disrupted the project’s momentum. “With ensuing elections, the project is expected to face further delays as offi- cials are busy with poll-related work,” they said. The ICCC project, meanwhile, aims to deploy 142 red light violation detection and an automatic number plate recognition systems at 11 intersections, among other components, to enhance traffic management and public safety. Acknowledging the delays, MC Commissioner Gautam Jain attributed these to procedural formalities and coordination with various departments. He, however, expressed optimism that with the ongoing efforts, the project would become operational soon, probably within next month. Hoshiarpur, March 20 A cop identified as Dinesh Kumar, who was posted at Chandigarh, and living in a Police Lines quarter, died after consuming some wrong medicine at Hoshiarpur on Monday night. The city police have recorded proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC. Station House Officer (SHO) Deepak Sharma said Dinesh was a class four employee of the Police Department. “On the basis of the statement of Jyoti, wife of deceased Dinesh Kumar, the city police have recorded proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC and got his post-mortem conducted,” the SHO said. He said the wife of the deceased had stated that he had consumed some wrong medicine after which his condition had deteriorated. He was taken to the Civil Hospital and later to a private hospital where he died. SSA union leader detained for 3 hrs ahead of CM’s visit Jalandhar, March 20 Ahead of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s visit to the city today, a leader of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)/Mid-Day Meal Office Employees Union was detained for nearly three hours. A cop accompanied him to his duty at his office for the remaining day. Shobit Bhagat, the union leader, had organised a number of protests against the state government recently. He was detained at his residence in Jalandhar by the police. The union had been demanding that the state government regularise employees. Expressing surprise at the development, Bhagat said unlike earlier, the union had planned no protest today or in Student’scellphonesnatched Phagwara: An unidentified person snatched a mobile phone from an LPU student near Law Gate, Maheru, on Tuesday. The victim was iden- District committee to Fake RC case accused earlier booked by dispose of cases related VB for bogus vehicle fitness certificates to seizures in elections The investigation into the case is in progress. Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 20 The district administration has constituted a three-member committee to deal with cases pertaining to seizure of cash and other material by flying squad teams (FST), static surveillance teams (SST) and excise teams to strictly implement the Model Code of Conduct. Amarjit Bains, Additional Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, has been appointed as chairman of the committee while Aman Maini, Deputy Comptroller (Finance and Audit), and Manjit Kaur, District Treasury Officer, are its members. As per guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the committee will take decisions regarding seizure and release of cash and other items confiscated during checking so as to avoid inconvenience to the general public. Election officials said the committee would suo moto examine each case of seizure by the police, FST and SST. Upon confirming that the confiscated material was not linked with any political party or candidate, the committee would pass orders with respect to release of such seizure. They said if a person concerned presented any proof legitimatising the seizure, the committee would decide on the release of such cash or other impounded material. Notably, as per guidelines of the ECI, cash carry limit has been fixed up to Rs 50,000 in view of the Lok Sabha elections. People carrying cash exceeding prescribed limit need to keep bank receipts or proof legitimising the money. Jalandhar, March 20 Arvind Kumar, a Class XII pass person, who was apprehended on Tuesday by the city police as a key suspect in a case concerning the production of counterfeit driving licences and registration certificates (RCs), was previously detained by the Vigilance Bureau (VB) in October 2022. He was apprehended following VB’s revelation of an orchestrated corruption net involving the issuance and receipt of fitness certificates for both commercial and private vehicles, without thorough inspection. The operation was allegedly being run by the Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI), at the time Naresh Kaler, in collusion with private agents. Arvind was among the 10 private agents booked by the bureau then under Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of ❝ documents have been recovered indicating Numerous the involvement of several individuals, including some RTA office employees and officials. Due to the ongoing interrogation of the accused, further information cannot be disclosed at this time. Daman Veer Singh, ACP (NORTH) ❞ Corruption Act, along with Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC, at the VB police station in Jalandhar. The trial for this case was still going on, but Arvind was granted bail within a month or two, said police officials. However, it’s shocking that despite once being booked by the VB, he continued to operate his illegal business of producing fake RCs, licences, and other documents right under the nose of the police for the past two years. As per information, Arvind has long been working as a private agent, at his office located in Transport Nagar. With the help of RTA and Transport office employees, he ran this illicit operation. The police received a tip-off about a gang involved in producing counterfeit driving licences and registration certificates, leading them to Arvind. Upon investigation, they recovered insurance certificates for 159 vehicles (without QR codes), certificates for 222 vehicles (with QR codes), transfer files for 57 RCs, 35 registration certificates, and 180 application forms accompanying documents from his possession. When contacted, ACP North Daman Veer Singh, said that the coming days. Bhagat said, “I was detained as part of a delegation twice that includes before the CM’s visit to Sports College in Jalandhar and during our union members’ visit to Nawanshahr. On both these occasions, we wanted to meet the CM. No protest was planned for today. Cops came to my house at 8 am and detained me till 11 am. On my insistence that I had a lot of work pending at the office, one of the cops accompanied me to the Department of School Education (Primary) where I work. It was at 4 pm that I was allowed to go.” He said, “I was not even aware that the CM would be in the city today.”— TNS the investigation into the case was in progress. He said numerous documents had been recovered indicating the involvement of several individuals, including some RTA office employees and officials. He said due to the ongoing interrogation of the accused, further information couldn’t be disclosed at the time. When questioned about Arvind’s tenure in the business and specifics regarding his properties or profits, ACP said these aspects were still under investigation. He said Arvind didn’t have a fixed fee structure. Rather his charges were based on the face value and other factors, the ACP said. For instance, those deemed less educated were charged higher amounts, typically ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, while individuals, who had knowledgeable about government fee, were charged less, the ACP said. tified as Shubham, a resident of Bassi Apartment, near LPU. The police have registered a case under Section 379 of IPC in this regard. — OC Drug smuggler held with 200 gm heroin Our Correspondent Phagwara, March 20 The police arrested a drug smuggler and recovered 200 gram of heroin from his possession on Tuesday night. The suspect, identified as Raghbir Kumar, alias Raghu, was nabbed at a checkpoint near Khalwara cut. A case under the NDPS Act was registered against the suspect. Motorcycle stolen Phagwara, March 20 A motorcycle, bearing registration number PB-36B-2123, parked outside a pharmacy store near the bus stand was stolen last night. Vehicle owner Manoj Kumar, a resident of Hoshiarpur road here, told the police that he went to deliver medicines after parking his bike, but found it missing when he came out of the store. The police have registered a case under Sections 454 and 380 of IPC in this regard. — OC Sans habitat, bird population dwindles in urban areas Acting HCChief Justice inaugurates new Judicial Court Complex in Nawanshahr WORLD SPARROW DAY Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 20 The population of house sparrow (Passer domesticus indicus) once common to large swaths of India, has in the past decade or more, witnessed a steep decline, especially in the urban areas of the country. Hundreds of tiny birds once frequented the plains of Northern India chattering atop houses and balconies. Now, they are restricted only to select habitats. On the World Sparrow Day, The Tribune looks into the dwindling population of the bird in Punjab plains and causes behind it. Experts generally believe that sparrows have vanished from the urban areas due to their dwindling habitat and installation of mobile towers. Nikhil Senger, a wildlife watcher and conservationist, whose artworks bear testimony to the decline in sparrow population, says, “The bird Sparrows in a courtyard of a house in Jalandhar. MALKIAT SINGH still commonly nests in wild habitats where it finds conducive roosting and breeding conditions. The birds’ population has reduced in the urban areas because conditions which make their survival possible do not exist anymore. Houses have no room for ventilation or holes. Home gardens have lesser indigenous plants.” He said, “The urban areas have almost done away with ber or Indian plum (Ziziphus mauritiana) and other trees on which the bird commonly bred. The excessive use of pesticides and toxic food products entering the food supply chain also have a bearing on the bird population. The bird still breeds in the areas which have indigenous plants and homes with archaic architecture and jharokhas (a stone window projecting from the wall face of a building) and pockets.” Nikhil said, “House sparrows are deemed innocent and delicate birds which have a soothing effect on the minds of the people. That is why people opt for their drawings on panels.” Narbir Singh, vice president, Chandigarh Bird Club, and former member of Punjab and c m y b Chandigarh Wildlife Boards, said, “The change in the architectural pattern of houses has had a direct bearing on the common sparrow population. Previously houses had jharokhas in which the bird found plenty of areas to roost and nest. But with the ACs, these spaces are no move available. Also, people earlier brought grains directly at home which were washed and dried, giving birds plenty of food. Though birds eat only grains, they feed insects to their chicks. The decline in insects also curbed their food supplies. Besides, sparrows nested in ber trees and thorny bushes to protect chicks from predators. Even today, sparrows can be found aplenty in the areas of the Northern India where such habitat exists.” Both Nikhil Senger and Narbir Singh do not believe that mobile towers had affected the common sparrow population. They said a large population of the bird could be seen even in the areas with mobile towers. Nawanshahr, March 20 The inauguration ceremony of the new Judicial Court Complex was held here on Wednesday. Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, inaugurated the complex in the presence of Justices Lisa Gill, Harsimran Singh Sethi, Suvir Sehgal, Jasgurpreet Singh Puri, Vikas Bahl and Harsh Bunger, and Kanwaljit Singh Bajwa, District and Sessions Judge, Nawanshahr. The ceremony marked the culmination of nearly seven years of construction and signified beginning of a new chapter in the administration of justice and ease of work for the legal fraternity. In his address, Justice Sandhawalia, said, “It is a matter of great pleasure that I have got a chance to be among you for the inauguration of New Judicial Court Complex. This momentous structure, as expected, is not just a physical Honourable Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia at the inauguration of the New Judicial Court Complex in Nawanshahr. TRIBUNE PHOTO structure, but it is a testimony to our commitment to justice, fairness and the rule of law.” The new court complex is spread across an area of 11.88 acres. It comprises a court block and a spacious area centre, which is constructed over 1.65 acres. An area has been earmarked for lawyers’ chambers. The complex also has green area spread over 1.88 acres. Speaking on the occasion Justice Harsh Bunger said, “I congratulate all for the New Judicial Court Complex. I am sure that it will substantially improve the working environment for judicial officers, lawyers and court staff, which will further enable us all to pursue the noble cause of dispensing justice and embolden the motto “Satyameva Jayate”.” Kanwaljit Singh Bajwa Bajwa, District and Sessions Judge, Nawanshahr, said, “Justice will not only be delivered, but shall be served. The inauguration of the New Judicial Court Complex is a significant step forward in achieving this goal.” — TNS
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