The Tribune – SGPC Poll; Gurdwara panel orders probe into voting by Sehajdharis

Naveen S Garewal, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20. Gurdwara Election Commission has ordered a probe into the cases of alleged bogus voting and voting by Sehajdharis in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections held on Sunday. Justice HS Brar (retd), Chief Commissioner of the Gurdwara Election Commission, has asked all Commissioners, who oversaw the election process, to investigate and submit a report immediately.

Justice Brar told The Tribune that the commission had taken a very serious view of the reported poll violations, but action could only be taken after violations were established. The commission had issued a clear directive that only Keshdhari Sikhs were allowed to cast their votes. The polling officials had been given the right to physically verify that all voters were Keshdharis.

The Chief Commissioner said once it was established that the orders of the commission had been violated, strictest of punishment would be imposed upon the erring officials, irrespective of their stature and rank. “Our orders were clear and these were violated, none responsible for it would be spared”, Justice Brar said.

In a letter sent out to all Commissioners last evening, it has been stated: “The Gurdwara Election Commission had issued directions to officers, including the presiding officers, and had also issued press notes to the effect that only Keshadhari Sikhs be allowed to cast their votes. The orders were reiterated in letters dated August 26, September 7 and again on September 16. Yet there are news reports in some daily newspapers (cuttings enclosed) reporting that non-Keshadhari Sikhs have also caste their votes”.

Further the commission has said, “If it is so then immediate appropriate action is required to be taken at your end.

Also, action be taken against the delinquent officials and officers who have gone against the directions of the commission. Immediate report on the matter be sent to this commission”.

Justice Brar said the entire polling process had been videographed by the candidates. Once the commission received complaints from the candidates and aggrieved parties, the entire evidence would be evaluated and strict action would be taken under various provisions of the law available with the commission. “I have asked for an immediate report which I expect should come within the next one or two days”.

He further said not many complaints had been received by his office. “Only two or three complaints of minor nature have been received which are being looked into”.

Meanwhile, it is learnt from sources that the Union Home Ministry has asked the commission to send a “factual report” about media reports. When asked about it, Justice Brar said it was an ongoing process to brief the Centre.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110921/main3.htm

The Hindu – Sikkim quake toll rises to 60

Dikchu (Sikkim), 21 September 2011. Seven more bodies were found in the quake rubble, taking the death toll in the calamity in Sikkim to 60 as rescuers on Wednesday struggled to reach the devastated areas where “heavy casualties” were feared.

Official sources said six bodies were found in East Sikkim and one in North Sikkim, where the 6.8 magnitude temblor was epicentred.

Fresh landslides triggered by heavy rains were reported in the worst-affected areas of Mangan, Lachung, Lachen and Sighthan areas of North Sikkim last night.

The landslides and landslips along the 60 km stretch between Gangtok and Mangan along NH31A, the lifeline of the mountain state, was affecting rescue operations in the higher reaches in the mountains, army sources said.

Army sources said a 8-10 km stretch at Tung, which is 16 km off Mangan, had caved in impeding rescue operators from reaching worst-hit Chungthang.

Sikkim Director General of Police Jasbir Singh said Border Road Organisation personnel were deployed to clear the highway.

High casualties feared

District collectors have been asked to reach Mangan, Lachen, Lachung and Chungthan, rendered inaccessible by the landslides, immediately by air as more bodies are feared to be trapped in under quake debris.

“Heavy casualties are feared in these areas,” he said.

Indian Air Force continued recces in North Sikkim, where relief material was airdropped on Tuesday.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2472636.ece?homepage=true  

Visit to the UK from 17 till 27 June 2011

On Friday June 17 I went by Eurostar to London St Pancras and from there to the house of my brother Amrik Singh in Hayes, Middlesex, just west of Southall. In the coming weeks I will post pictures of this visit. Monday 27 June I went back to Sint-Truiden, Belgium.

26 June, walking from Hayes to Southall
Bridge across the Grand Union Canal just south of Hayes station

26 June, walking from Hayes to Southall
Costly new apparment blocks in between railway and canal

26 June, walking from Hayes to Southall
A happy boatman

26 June, walking from Hayes to Southall
This boatman did not want to greet me …

More UK pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
 Man in Blue

The Tribune – Batala NRI murder case: Suspension of SHO revoked

Ravi Dhaliwal, Tribune News Service

Batala, September 20. The high-profile murder case of Canada-based NRI Gurinder Singh Gill has taken a new turn with SSP Gurkirpal Singh revoking the suspension orders of Batala (City) SHO Parladh Singh.

Notably, the SHO was placed under suspension a day after Gurinder Singh was gunned down in broad daylight by a local councillor, Rajbir Singh Bhullar, in front of the local courts, barely 50 metres away from the SSP’s residence on September 9.

The police had registered an FIR against six persons, including Bhullar. Two of the accused, including Rajbir’s brother Yadvinder Singh, were still at large.

The SSP said an inquiry had been initiated into the SHO’s role by SP (headquarters) Narinder Singh Bedi and his conduct was found to be “unimpeachable in all respects”. However, this claim is being contested by senior Congress leaders, including former Minister and Gurdaspur District Congress Committee president Sukhjinder Randhawa, who has alleged that the police in general and the SHO in particular were sheltering Yadvinder.

“Ten days have elapsed after the brutal murder and the police are still groping in the dark. The role of the SHO has come under scanner and I will be petitioning DGP PS Gill to conduct a fresh inquiry into his conduct,” said Randhawa.

On why the police had failed to arrest the remaining two accused, the SSP said the cops were busy in the SGPC elections over the past few days. DSP (City) Sakattar Singh echoed the same views.

Meanwhile, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Ashwani Sekhri has demanded a CBI inquiry into the murder.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110921/punjab.htm#9

Dawn – Seven sentenced to death for Sialkot lynching

By Akram Malik

Gujranwala: A local anti-terrorism court convicted on Tuesday night 22 people, nine policemen among them, in a case relating to the lynching of two brothers in Sialkot.

The court sentenced seven of the convicts to death on four counts, gave life-term on four counts to six of them and jailed nine policemen, including a former district police officer, for three years.

The court acquitted five co-accused on grounds of insufficient evidence.

The brothers, Hafiz Muneeb and Hafiz Mughees, were lynched by a violent mob on Aug 15 last year outside the office of Rescue-1122 in Buttar village, near Sialkot, in the presence of police.

Police registered an FIR the same day in which the two brothers had been accused of committing murder and robbery. A second FIR was registered after a video of the lynching was aired on different TV channels.

The Supreme Court had also taken notice of the incident.

ATC judge Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad sentenced to death on four counts Ali Raza alias Peter, Muhammad Iqbal, Jameel alias Jeela, Shafeeq alias Foji, Sarfraz Ahmad, Rashid and Muhammad Amin under section 302 of the PPC and 7ATA.

They were also fined Rs500,000 each.

Life-term on four counts with a fine of Rs300,000 each was given to Muhammad Waris, Jamshed alias Sheeda, Hassan Raza, Qaiser alias Mooda, Ateeb alias Nosha and Asgher Ali.

Three years imprisonment under section 155C with a fine of Rs50,000 each was awarded to former Sialkot DPO Waqar Ahmad Chohan, former SHO Inspector Rana Ilyas, ASI Waris and constables Mubarak Ali, Tariq Mahmood, Muhammad Akram, Naseer Ahmed, Muhammad Yasin, and Muhammad Bashir.

Another accused in the case, Constable Nazir Hussain, died of heart attack three days ago.

The court acquitted Muhammad Awais, Asgher, Shammas, Nadeem and Ikram.

The judge completed the hearing at 1pm, reserved its judgment and announced the verdict at about 11pm. The accused were locked up before the announcement of the verdict.

Talking to Dawn, the family of Mughees and Muneeb said they were satisfied with the verdict.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/21/seven-sentenced-to-death-for-sialkot-lynching.html