08112024-JTR-01.qxd 11/7/2024 10:38 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MINISTER REVIEWS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN SULTANPUR LODHI Minister Dr Ravjot Singh visited Sultanpur Lodhi on Thursday to review the ongoing development projects. P2 » RIMA DAS SAYS SUCCESS IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT IS VISIBLE Rima Das, whose film Village Rockstars 2 won Kim Jiseok Award for Best Film, says success is not always what is visible. P4 » BAD GUYS HAVE ALL FUN UNTIL THE END: DENZEL WASHINGTON Bad guys have all the fun, says Denzel Washington who turns antagonist for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. P4 FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 31°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 31°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5.33 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:50 AM » FRIDAY | 8 NOVEMBER 2024 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF 3 BOOKED FOR BURNING STUBBLE Nakodar: The Mehatpur police have booked two farmers for burning paddy stubble. Investigating Officer (IO) Jaspal Singh said the suspects were identified as Piara Singh of Gounsuwal village and Ranjit Singh of Singhpur Bet village. He said the police received reports of burning paddy stubble in Gounsuwal and Singhpur villages. Circle revenue patwaris verified the name of suspects. The IO said cases were registered against suspects. In the third incident, the police booked Swaran Singh of Bahmannia village for burring crop residue in fields, said IO Balbir Chand. OC ONE NABBED UNDER NDPS ACT Nurmahal: The police have arrested one person on the charge of selling intoxicant tablets. Investigating officer (IO) Jaswinder Pal said 102 intoxicant tablets (loose) were recovered from the possession of the suspect, identified as Indar Jit Singh, a resident of Tagarr village. The IO said a case under Sections 22, 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered against the suspect. OC ONE HELD FOR STEALING GOODS Nurmahal: The police have arrested a man on the charge of stealing goods from a house. Investigating officer (IO) Resham Singh said the suspect was identified as, Deepak Kumar, alias Deepu, a resident of Rajowal village. Kiran, wife of Raj Kumar, a resident of the same village, complained to the police that the suspect stole household goods from her residence on October 28. The IO said a case under Section 305 of the BNS was registered against the suspect and stolen items recovered from his possession. OC THREE SNATCHERS ARRESTED Nakodar: The Nakodar Sadar police have arrested three miscreants on the charge of snatching a migrant’s cellphone. Station House Officer Baljindar Singh and investigating officer (IO) Rajindar Kumar said the suspects were identified as Sunni and Gurpreet Singh, both of Chuharr village, and Gurwindar Singh of Harike village in Tarn Taran. Raman Mehta, a native of Bihar, presently living at Chuharr village, complained to the police that he was standing near his home on November 3 night when three miscreants snatched his cellphone. The IO said a case under Sections 304 (2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against the suspects and snatched cellphone recovered from them. OC BIKERS SNATCH WOMAN’S CHAIN Phagwara: Two unidentified bike-borne miscreants snatched a gold chain from a woman in Chahal Nagar on Thursday morning. Later, both snatchers made an unsuccessful bid to snatch a gold chain from former JCT GM Ashwini Thapar, but he foiled their attempt and the miscreants managed to flee from the spot. The police was informed about both the snatching incidents. OC Candidates make all out efforts to woo SAD voters father Dr Raj Kumar, a twotime Congress MLA, is presently the AAP MP . Congress candidate Ranjit Kumar was in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for a long time. He had contested the last Lok Sabha election on the BSP ticket. He is confident of getting support from his old friends from the BSPdominated areas. On the other hand, the BJP candidate Sohan Singh Thandal was a minister in the Akali-BJP-led state government. He remained with the SAD for more than two decades. He contested the recent Lok Sabha elections on the SAD ticket. He suddenly left the party and joined the BJP . Besides traditional vote bank of their respective parties, all candidates are eyeing the votes of SAD, which made its strong presence felt during the Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly polls in 2022. While Thandal is battling on the anti-BJP sentiment that intensified after the farmers’ movement, Dr Raj Kumar and Ranjit Kumar are trying every trick to woo SAD voters. In the 2022 Assembly elections, the BJP got 4,073 votes. Its vote share increased to 9,472 in the Lok Sabha polls held this year. Similarly, SAD got 19,329 votes in the Assembly polls held in 2022, which decreased to 11,935 during the recent Lok Sabha elections. Dr Raj Kumar got 47,375 votes in these elections. During the Lok Sabha elections after Dr Raj Kumar joined the AAP Congress , candidate Yamini Gomar could garner only 18,162 votes. The AAP which got , 39,729 votes from Chabbewal in 2022 polls, managed to get 28,955 votes in the Lok Sabha elections. During the Lok Sabha elections, a big change was witnessed in the vote percentage of the parties. If this trend continues in the Assembly by-election, then traditional vote bank of the SAD, which is not contesting the bypoll, is likely to play a big role in the election results. Truck rams into wall of 3 shops One booked for bid to outrage modesty huge damage in the accident. The truck was coming from Himachal Pradesh when its driver lost control over the vehicle and it rammed into wall of the three shops. The impact of the collision was so severe that the wall of the three shops and a front gallery were badly damaged. Iron rods also came out of the lintel of the shops. One of the traders Rana Ashok Kumar, a resident of Phagwara: On a complaint of a woman, a resident of Vishwakarma Nagar, the police have registered a case against Sopan, a resident of Ramgarhi, Gurdwara Road, on the charges of assaulting complainant and her in-laws with an intent to outrage her modesty. The victims were returning home after attending a religious congregation when the incident happened. The suspect is still at large.— OC CHABBEWAL BYPOLL Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi Hoshiarpur, November 7 The Chabbewal Assembly by-election scheduled for November 20 has become interesting with the absence of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) from the poll fray for the first time. All parties, except the SAD, have fielded candidates. Interestingly, all of them are contesting from parties which they have vehemently opposed earlier. As a result, the mathematics of vote bank might become a bit complicated this time. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Dr Ishaan Chabbewal’s Our Correspondent Garhshankar, November 7 A speeding tipper (truck) went out of control and overturned after ramming into wall of the three shops around 3.30 am at Adda Jhungiyan village on Garhshankar Nangal Road today. Till late evening, the truck was yet to be removed from shops which suffered Garhi Mansowal village, said the building of his shop had suffered a loss amounting to Rs 5 lakh. Another trader Sonu, who runs vegetable and fruits business in one of the shops, said, “Vegetables and fruits lying in my shop have been destroyed. Grills, air-conditioners and freezers have got damaged in the accident. I have suffered a loss of Rs 3 lakh.” Man dies after tractor-trailer hits bike Phagwara, November 7 In a tragic incident, a man lost his life in a road accident near Khalwara Colony on Khalwara Road close to Parmar Nagar, Phagwara, last evening. The deceased has been identified as Ashwani Kumar Teji, 31, a resident of Dhakk Pandori village, Phagwara tehsil. According to reports, Ashwani Kumar was returning home at Dhakk Pandori village on his motorcycle bearing the registration number PB 08 AW 7186. As he approached Khalwara Colony, his motorcycle collided head-on with a tractor-trailer coming from the opposite direction. Ashwani Kumar was severely injured in the collision and his motorcycle was badly damaged. He succumbed to his injuries on way to the hospital. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accident was caused by a deep pothole on the road which forced the tractor-trailer driver to swerve the vehilce, leading Man attacks father-in-law Our Correspondent Chief Minister Bhagwant Maan, Member of Parliament Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, former minister Joginder Singh Maan welcome BJP leaders Gurdeep Singh Deepa and Ravi Kumar into the AAP. Jolt for BJP as ex-councillor, SC Morcha secretary join AAP Our Correspondent Phagwara, November 7 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Phagwara received a severe jolt with two senior leaders, former councillor Gurdeep Singh Deepa and state secretary of saffron party’s SC Morcha Ravi Kumar, officially joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today. Gurdeep Singh Deepa, who was elected as a councillor on the BJP ticket when the Phagwara Municipal Corporation was formed in 2015, has previously served in prominent positions, including general secretary of the BJP in Kapurthala district, president and state secretary of the BJP BC Morcha, and town head of the RSS. Ravi Kumar, cur- Two killed, woman hurtinroadaccidents Our Correspondent The motorcycle which was damaged in the accident. to collision. Following the accident, the tractor-trailer driver fled from the spot with his vehicle. The police are reviewing the CCTV camera footage from nearby areas to track the tractor-trailer driver. The body of the deceased was handed over to his family after a post-mortem. — OC Hoshiarpur, November 7 The police have registered a case against a man on the charge of forcibly entering his in-laws’ house and attacking his father-in-law. Ramdas, a resident of Bilaspur village, told the police that on November 1 around 8.30 pm, his son-inlaw Balveer Singh, a resident of Bajwara village, entered their house and attacked him with a knife leaving him injured. When the complainant raised an alarm, the suspect ran away from his in-law’s house. The complainant told the police that his daughter and his brother got him admitted him to a hospital. He said his daughter Seema had filed case in a court against her husband. He said his son-in-law attacked him because of the enmity between them. rently the state secretary of the BJP SC Morcha, also cited his disillusionment with the party’s policies and his admiration for the AAP’s focus on public welfare as reasons for his decision to join the AAP . Both leaders expressed their support for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s progressive policies, which they believe were driving Punjab towards growth. While criticising the BJP’s “antifarmer” and “anti-Punjab” stance, they said the AAP’s inclusive vision for Punjab resonated with their aspirations for the state. Welcoming Deepa and Ravi Kumar into the party, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, MP and , constituency in-charge Hoshiarpur, November 7 Two people were killed while a woman was injured in separate road accidents in the the district. The police have registered cases in both the instances. According to information, Manohar Lal, a resident of Jamsher Chathiyala village falling under the Garhdiwala police station, told the Model Town police that Amrik Singh, alias Mika, a resident of Garhdiwala, was travelling with him in a tempo loaded with vegetables from Hoshiarpur mandi. When they reached near Tanda bypass, a car passing by hit their tempo due to which the vehicle overturned. He said Amrik Singh, who was injured in the accident, was first taken to a hospital located near the accident site, from where he was referred to the civil hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The Model Town police have started further inquiry after registering a case in this regard. In another incident, Somraj, a resident of Khokhar Dawakhari village, falling under the Garhdiwala police station, told the Dasuya police that Sujan Singh of his village was going to Dasuya with his daughter-in-law Sandeep Kaur to buy medicines. When they reached near Kaharwali village, a truck passing by hit them. According to Somraj, Sujan Singh died on the spot while his daughter-in-law was injured in the accident. The police registered a case against the truck driver, Mohammad Sharafat, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, and arrested him. Joginder Singh Mann assured them of support within the AAP and encouraged them to work collectively for the party’s growth. The induction follows the recent move of several other key BJP leaders from Phagwara, including district-level BJP youth leaders Ashish Ahluwalia, Kuljit Singh Basra, and former senior president Sunny Batta, who also joined the AAP last month. AAP spokesperson Harnur Singh Harji Mann, senior leader Daljeet Singh Raju, block president Fauji Shergill and Sarpanch Varun Bangar, who were also present at the event, welcomed former BJP leaders into the party fold. 50 liquor crates stolen from vend Our Correspondent Garhshankar, November 7 Thieves broke locks of vend and stole 50 crates of liquor at Kalewal Beet village in the Beet area of Garhshankar around 1.30 am yesterday night. The police are examining CCTV footage of the cameras installed in the area to identify thieves. Besides, thieves also took away a cylinder from an adjoining shop. In the CCTV camera footage, thieves were seen coming in a Chota Hathi (a small pickup truck) and taking liquor crates in it. Liquor contractor Numberdar Paramjit Singh said thieves stole 50 crates of different liquor brands worth Rs 3.5 lakh from his vend. ASI Balveer Singh said the registration number of the small pickup truck was not visible in the CCTV camera footage. An investigation was in progress and thieves would be apprehended soon, the ASI said. Postal Dept penalised for service deficiency, ordered to return ~9L with interest to complainant Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 7 The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed the Postal Department to pay Rs 9 lakh, along with six per cent annual interest, to complainant Krishna Devi for deficiency in service and unfair trade practices. The commission also awarded Rs 20,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 10,000 for litigation expenses to the complainant. The judgment came after Krishna Devi filed a complaint highlighting the Postal Department’s negligence in man- aging her Monthly Income Scheme (MIS) accounts. Krishna Devi had opened two MIS accounts, one single account with a deposit of Rs 4.5 lakh in 2012 and another joint account with her husband, Suraj Parkash Birdi, for the same amount in 2013. Both accounts were renewed in 2017 after maturity, adhering to the Postal Department’s norms. However, in 2022, the Postal Department informed Krishna Devi that she had received excess interest due to deposits exceeding the prescribed limit of Rs 4.5 lakh for single account and Rs 9 lakh for the joint account. HAD OPENED TWO MONTHLY INCOME SCHEME ACCOUNTS Complainant Krishna Devi had opened two Monthly Income Scheme accounts, one single account with a deposit of ~4.5 lakh in 2012 and another joint account with her husband, Suraj Parkash Birdi, for the same amount in 2013. Both accounts were renewed in 2017 after maturity. However, in 2022, the Postal Department informed Krishna Devi that she had received excess interest due to deposits exceeding the prescribed limit of Rs 4.5 lakh for single account and ~9 lakh for joint account. The department demanded that she should return ~75,657, while claiming it was excess interest paid to her over the years. The department demanded that she should return Rs 75,657, while claiming it was excess interest paid to her over the years. The complainant, however, argued that she had never violated the postal rules and that accounts were opened through authorised agents, who should have ensured compliance with the regulations. She c m y b alleged that the department failed to inform her about any irregularities for nearly a decade and only raised the issue during the renewal process in 2022. Krishna Devi also pointed out that department officials had accepted her deposits without objections, reflecting their negligence. The Postal Department, meanwhile, in its defence, cited Rule 4 of the MIS Rules and Rule 109(1) of the Core Banking Solution (CBS) for Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) Manual, which mandate recovery of excess interest paid on deposits beyond permissible limits. However, the commission found that the department failed to inform the complainant about these rules at the time of account opening or during the investment period. The commission criticised the department for its lack of diligence, highlighting that no recovery notices were issued until 2022, despite the alleged rule violation occurring in 2013. The commission ruled that the department’s failure to monitor compliance and notify the complainant in a time-bound manner amounted to a clear deficiency in service and unfair trade practices. The panel also dismissed an inquiry conducted by the department, calling it biased and an attempt to shield negligent officials. In its verdict, the commission partly allowed Krishna Devi’s complaint, directing the Postal Department to release Rs 9 lakh with interest from the date of maturity. Besides, the department was ordered to compensate her for the mental distress caused and cover her litigation expenses. The judgment emphasised on the department’s responsibility to educate consumers about rules and ensure proper checks during transactions. The Postal Department has been given 45 days to comply with the orders of the commission.