08082024-LT-01.qxd 8/8/2024 12:22 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CASO LAUNCHED BY POLICE IN THREE VILLAGES NAWAZUDDIN ALL SET TO PLAY NOTORIOUS JUDGE IN NEXT FILM CELEBRITIES PRAISE WRESTLER VINESH PHOGAT’S RESILIENCE Police launched Cordon and Search Operations at Rampur, Jaipura and Satnam Nagar in Doraha. P2 Nawazuddin Siddiqui is all set to play notorious Assamese judge Upendra Nath Rajkhowa in his next film. P4 Vinesh Phogat might have been disqualified from Olympics, but celebrities praise her resilience, determination & spirit. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET THURSDAY 7.10 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:46 AM THURSDAY | 8 AUGUST 2024 | LUDHIANA CBI nabs CCIT aide accepting ~8K bribe Ludhiana, August 7 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Ashok Kumar, administrative officer-cum-PRO to the Chief Commissioner Income Tax (CCIT) in Ludhiana while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000, the federal agency said here on Wednesday. It said the suspect had demanded Rs 15,000 to pass undue favour to the complainant. A case was registered by the CBI against the suspect on a complaint lodged in the matter. The complainant runs a business of the air-conditioner (AC) repair work and has undertaken repair of ACs installed in the Income Tax office in Ludhiana. According to the CBI, the complainant visited the Income Tax office and requested the administrative officer to clear his pending bill and also requested for providing him fresh work related to AC repairs. “Subsequently, the suspect demanded a bribe of Rs 15,000 for assigning him fresh work related to AC repairs,” the probe agency revealed while stating that the CBI laid a trap and caught the suspect red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 from the complainant. “Searches are being conducted on the residential and official premises of the official,” the federal agency stated, adding that the probe was underway in the case. — TNS Area under DSR up from 1.72L acres to 2.48L acres in state PAU expert expresses satisfaction over increase to help save water Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 7 “It is encouraging to see an increase of 44 per cent in the area (2.48 lakh acres) under direct seeded rice (DSR) method in 2024 compared to last year (1.72 lakh acres) in the state,” remarked Dr Makhan Singh Bhullar, Director of Extension at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) while chairing the monthly research and extension review meeting held on the university campus here on Wednesday. Dr Bhullar expressed satisfaction that farmers were made aware of the late transplanting of paddy and watersaving technologies through various training programmes. He also commended the clean green drive initiatives undertaken by Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and Farm Advisory Service Centres (FASCs), emphasising the need for increased green cover to combat the adverse effects of weather changes. He praised the ongoing efforts of extension scientists in this direction and stressed the importance of conducting regular surveillance and issuing timely agroadvisories for managing fall armyworm in maize and whitefly in summer moong. He expressed satisfaction with the action taken by the KVKs. Dr Bhullar highlighted the need for strategic cultivation practices, advocating for the replacement of spring maize with spring groundnut and the cultivation of gobhi-sarson under the surface seeding technology. He also promoted the cultivation of French beans and applauded the KVK, Sangrur, for its successful sale of literature, encouraging others to follow suit. He expressed satisfaction with the inclusion of KVK and FASC news in newspapers and on the PAU website. He also praised the sale of nutri-products to dairy farmers, aimed at reducing malnutrition in dairy animals. Besides, he commended the production and circulation of a video on mat-type nursery seeders and mechanical transplanting on social media platforms by the Addi- tional Director of Communication Centre (ADCC). Dr Gursahib Singh Manes, Additional Director of Research, addressed strategies for controlling the southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus in rice. He called for intensive soil sampling from surfaceseeded wheat fields, the evaluation of weedicide performance through on-farm trials (OFTs), and continued efforts towards cultivating Kulth (Horsegram) and Mothbean. Dr Manes also emphasised the importance of herbicide management in maize crops, paddy transplanting without puddling, and the sowing of tar-water direct-seeded rice without preparatory tillage. Earlier, Dr GPS Sodhi, Additional Director of Extension Education, welcomed senior officials, faculty, and scientists from PAU’s Regional Research Stations, KVKs, and Farm Advisory Service Centres. Visual delight A case under the NDPS Act was registered by the PAU police on March 28 and 265 gm of heroin was seized from him. The property got attached through the NDPS Act. — TNS Ludhiana, August 7 On a tip-off, the Jagatpuri police today busted a gang of snatchers and arrested three of its members. Three motorcycles, 10 mobile phones and two sharp weapons were seized from them. On August 4, a case was registered against the suspects under Sections 304 and 307 of the BNS at the Haibowal police station. During checking near the Jagatpuri area, the police arrested Rahul Mishra, a resident of Kali Sarak, Mohit Kumar of Jassian village, and Lovpreet Singh, a resident of Peeru Banda, who were wanted in the case. The police are interrogating the suspects to get information about their involvement in past incidents. UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES Pay ~10K relief to consumer, Flipkart told Ludhiana, August 7 In a landmark ruling, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Ludhiana, has directed Flipkart to pay Rs 10,000 as costs and refund Rs 7,400 to an aggrieved consumer for indulging in unfair trade practices. The order was issued by Commission president Sanjeev Batra and member Monika Bhagat, emphasising the need to protect consumer rights in the rapidly expanding e-commerce sector. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 7 The police have arrested Sagar, alias Sunny, Suraj and Abhishek, all residents of Maharaj Nagar, near Vishal Mega Mart, for thrashing some youths and allegedly beating one person to death. According to information, the suspects were arrested near Vishal Mega Mart and a case was registered against them on August 5 at the PAU police station. The case was registered on the complaint of Deepak, a resident of Valmiki Chowk, Ghato Mohalla. The complainant said he along with his friends, Yuvanshu, Mohit Kandiara, Mohit Padam, Manthan, Deepak, Gautam, Arjun, Mohan and Nikhil, were returning after attending a party on Sunday night. When they reached near Maharaja Nagar, Ferozpur Road, they were stopped by two youths. The duo called some more persons, who started beating the victims. All of them, except Mohit Padam, Yuvanshu and Deepak, escaped from the scene. The three vic- tims were badly beaten by Suraj and Sunny along with their friends. Mohit Padam was admitted to the CMCH following serious injuries and later succumbed to his injuries on Monday. The PAU police also added Section 103 (1) of the BNS to the case against the suspects on the complaint filed by the complainant. The police are investigating the matter and others involved in the incident would also be arrested soon. The police have recovered an iron rod and a sharp weapon from the suspects. The complainant had submitted before the commission that being a plus member of Flipkart, he had ordered an iPhone 13 (128 GB, Blue) during the Big Billion Days sale on September 22, 2022, for Rs 48,119. Despite multiple delivery timeline extensions, including promises for delivery on September 26, October 2, and October 7, the order was ultimately cancelled by Flipkart on October 8. Subsequently, he was advised by Flipkart’s customer service team to place a new order, leading him to purchase an iPhone 13 of same configuration for Rs 55,519, which was Rs 7,400 more than his original order. Under the compelling circumstances, he placed the fresh order and the same was delivered in the next three days. Hence, he was duped on the pretext of sale, the complainant added. So, he sought compensation for the higher price paid for the second phone, as well as Rs. 15,000 for mental harassment and Rs. 10,000 for litigation expenses. Flipkart, in its defence, contended that it functions merely as an intermediary platform facilitating transactions between sellers and buyers. The company argued that it was not responsible for the actual sale or delivery of products, which are handled by independent third-party sellers. It maintained that the sale contract existed solely between the buyer and the third-party seller, and not with Flipkart itself. However, the commission found Flipkart’s defence insufficient, pointing out that it failed to deliver the product as promised and subsequently forced the complainant to purchase the same product at a higher price. The commission emphasised that such conduct amounts to c m y b unfair trade practices and price manipulation, violating the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. These rules mandate that e-commerce entities provide transparent information regarding sellers and ensure fair trade practices. The Commission also noted that Flipkart did not disclose clear information about the seller or logistics partner involved in the transaction, which is a violation of the rules. This omission was significant, especially since Flipkart had charged shipping and packaging fees for the order. Bull’, which claimed to be dealing in the share market. The SHO said the victim started with small investments such as Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 but since the return was guaranteed, as per her, she started investing huge amounts in the firm. She invested Rs 25 lakh on purchasing of shares suggested by the firm. Later, she got to know that the amount was increased to Rs 81 lakh and the software of the company also showed a profit of Rs 81 lakh. Man gets 10-yr jail in rape case An overcast sky makes for a beautiful view in Ludhiana on Wednesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN Tribune News Service Rajneesh Lakhanpal Miscreants thrashed victim, his friends; accomplices at large Ludhiana, August 7 Kulwinder Kaur, a resident of Barewal Awana, here, became a victim of an online fraud. She was duped by a fake online trading company in which she invested a whopping amount of Rs 25 lakh. The cyber crime cell here has registered a complaint under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC against the unidentified miscreants. According to Jatinder Singh, SHO, cybercrime cell, here, Kulwinder Kaur, joined an online institute, ‘Trade Drug smuggler’s property Three of snatchers’ gang nabbed worth over ~38L attached Ludhiana, August 7 The Ludhiana police have attached property worth Rs 38,80,000 of a drug smuggler, Gurvinder Singh, alias Soni, a resident of Mand Tihara village, Sidhwan Bet. 3 held for murdering youth Woman duped of ~ 25L in online investment scam Minor boy goes missing Ludhiana, August 7 The Jodhewal police have registered a missing case on the basis of a complaint filed by the father of a minor boy. Arvind Kumar, a resident of Kali Sarak, lodged a complaint that his 16-year-old son went missing. His son had left the Fabra road factory for home for having lunch. After having food, he left home but did not reach the factory. He said some unidentified person might have abducted his son for vested interests. — TNS The suspects in police custody in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO MP demands to address 5 lakh pending cases before CIT Appeals in RS Legal Correspondent Ludhiana, August 7 The Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Shiv Mohan Garg, has sentenced Rohit Sahota, a resident of Rama Mandi, Samrala, to 10 years of imprisonment for rape on the pretext of marriage. Additionally, the court has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the accused. The case was registered on March 8, 2023, at the Samrala police station. According to the police report, the victim accused Sahota of repeatedly raping her on the pretext of marriage. She revealed that she was known to the accused and had given birth to two children as a result of their physical relationship. Despite his promises, the accused failed to marry her and reneged on his commitment. The victim lodged a complaint after the man refused to honour his promises. In court, the accused pleaded innocence. However, after considering the evidence on record and hearing arguments from both sides, the court found him guilty and handed down a stringent punishment. Ludhiana, August 7 RS MP from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora while speaking in the ongoing session of the Rajya Sabha recently urged the government to address huge pendency of cases before the Commissioner of Income Tax (CIT) Appeals across the country. Arora expressed concern regarding the significant backlog of appeals pending before the Commissioner of Income Tax (CIT) Appeals in the country. He said the current situation was worrisome, as of April 2024, a staggering number of five lakh appeals remain unresolved with the CIT and the majority of these were lodged within the recent implemented faceless appellate system. He pointed out that the immense backlog raises serious questions about equity and fairness within the tax system. He said in the past financial year, only 61,311 cases (around 12 per cent) were resolved. “And I am sure an equal number must have been filed also,” the MP said. Kulwinder Kaur wanted to get back her money along with profit but when she asked for the same, she was told to further deposit Rs 25 lakh to get Rs 81 lakh. Then, the victim realised that she had been trapped and the firm was fake. On her complaint, the cyber crime filed the FIR. The SHO said credentials of the firm and its WhatsApp number were being verified. “We are on probing the matter and it will take some time to find all details,” he said. — TNS To address the critical situation, he urged the minister concerned to consider certain measures in the future. Arora suggested to enact appropriate legislation to enforce stricter time limits on CIT Appeals for their disposals. He said the current advisory limit of one year was insufficient, adding that it was an advisory limit but it was not being adhered to. He also suggested to introduce measures to provide relief to taxpayers, waiving the requirement of 20 per cent prepayment before filing an appeal. Arora also suggested to refunding excess tax recovered during prolonged delays, granting automatic stay on penalties and prosecution for appeals exceeding the specific time frame. He said the current pendency crisis discourages taxpayer compliance and undermines the integrity of the tax system. Arora hoped that taking swift action through these proposed measures would ensure a more efficient, fair and transparent appellate system. — TNS