The Tribune – Man shot dead in Faridkot hospital after group clash; Six supporters of rival Akali leaders injured

Balwant Garg, Tribune News Service

Faridkot, April 9. One person was killed and six others seriously injured when two groups owing allegiance to rival SAD leaders clashed in the Jaitu area of Faridkot this evening.

Members of one group barged into Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, where injured leader of the rival group was admitted after a clash at Ram Lila Chowk of Jaitu town earlier in the evening. Seven injured members of the two groups were admitted to the Faridkot hospital following the clash.

Despite heavy police deployment at the medical college, members of one group barged into the emergency ward of the medical college around 7.30 pm and opened fire, killing Ranjit Singh, the leader of the rival group.

Gurbax Singh, who was accompanying Ranjit Singh, was critically injured and was taken to Ludhiana. Faridkot SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor said the police was yet to confirm Ranjit Singh’s death.

The police believes there was an old enmity between the groups owing allegiance to two senior Akali leaders — a former minister and an incumbent parliamentary secretary. The police has arrested Chamkaur Singh for allegedly killing Ranjit Singh in the hospital and seized a firearm from him.

The groups led by Ranjit Singh and Sadhu Singh clashed in the main bazaar of Jaitu town around 5.30 pm. Sadhu Singh, his three sons, his nephew and two others sustained serious injuries in the incident.

As the injured were taken to the Faridkot hospital, both groups approached the police fearing threat to the lives of those injured at the hospital. A heavy police force was deployed in and around the hospital at Faridkot.

While the injured were undergoing treatment in the emergency ward, Sadhu Singh’s nephew Chamkaur Singh allegedly entered the hospital and opened fire at Ranjit Singh and Gurbax Singh, the police said. The Faridkot SSP said the situation was under control.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130410/main4.htm

The Tribune – Environmental toxicity in state high: Experts

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, February 10. Doctors and scientists from various parts of the country, who were here to attend a three-day Punjab Science Congress, today said that environmental toxicity in Punjab was high.

Some scientists were of the opinion that all the three major types of toxicity —chemical, radiation and biological — were rampant in Punjab. A section of doctors observed that government spending on the public health care in the state was far from satisfactory.

“The adverse effects of toxicity on animals and humans are visible and some studies have proved this. It is clear that Punjab is in a deep ecological crisis for rampant use of chemicals and pesticide in agriculture,” said Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS).

The event was organised jointly by BFUHS and the Punjab Academy of Sciences.

More than 1,200 delegates participated in the Punjab Science Congress.

The focus of discussions was the crisis that the state faced on the health front and ways by which the state could become a partner with established leaders in science and technology and emerge as the region’s innovation powerhouse.

Dr Ramandeep Singh Dang, a neuro-surgeon and coordinator of the Punjab Science Congress, said the Children’s Science Congress was also organised in Faridkot in which over 3,000 children participated. The aim was to nurture talent in science, he added.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130211/punjab.htm#8

The Tribune – Missing Maharaja’s painting; Theft case against unknown persons

Balwant Garg, Tribune News Service

Faridkot, September 19. In a dramatic turn of events, the Faridkot police last evening booked unidentified persons for stealing a portrait of the erstwhile ruler of Faridkot, Maharaj Balbir Singh, on the complaint of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Faridkot.

For the past several months, a retired judge had been in the eye of the storm for “selling” the over 100-year-old painting at London’s Antique Art Market. The market value of the painting is believed to be several lakhs.

A senior judge conducting an inquiry into the “theft” had recorded the statement of a renowned historian on the value of the painting in the international antiques market and an accusing finger was raised at a retired judicial officer.

But the FIR registered yesterday says the CJM had got “secret information” about the theft from Lal Kothi that belongs to the erstwhile Faridkot Estate. Hence, the police had registered a case under Section 378 of the IPC (committing theft) against unknown persons.

The battle between a serving senior judge and a retired judge over the ‘theft’ of the painting had reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. With the registration of the FIR, it is clear an attempt is now being made to downplay the incident.

To defend his position, the retired judicial officer had approached the Director (Antiquities), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi, seeking information about the historical importance and antique value of this “stolen” portrait, which is a hand-coloured photograph of Maharaja Balbir Singh dated 1895, 11-years before his death.

For decades, this work of art had remained stashed behind a wardrobe.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120921/punjab.htm#5

The Tribune – Jilted lover gets life term for setting girl afire

Balwant Garg, Tribune News Service

Faridkot, June 2. Seven months after a teenaged girl was killed by a jilted lover by setting her afire, the court of District and Sessions Judge today awarded life imprisonment to 22-year-old Hoshiar Singh.

The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on the convict and told the officials concerned to give the amount to the parents of the victim girl. On October 27 last year, Veerpal Kaur of Kotsukhia village in Faridkot was set afire by Hoshiar Singh of the same village. She succumbed to her injuries two days later.

In her dying declaration to the police, the victim alleged that Hoshiar Singh had been stalking her for the last several months.

She had said that she didn’t respond to his advances, which infuriated him and he took the extreme step.

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The Tribune – Clean water their sole demand

Balwant Garg, Tribune News Service

Faridkot, December 13 The pain and suffering of thousands of families in the district who have no access to safe drinking water seems to be losing in the electioneering din with no party speaking about the issue.

“The election issues being raised by various political leaders do not touch our lives. The politicians are only interested in attacking their rivals,” said a rather disappointed Tarsem Lal of Kaler village.

“They speak of reviving agriculture, providing employment, healthcare on the doorstep, free power and water, flour at Rs 4 a kg and pulses at Rs 20 a kg. If this is not enough, they promise to make your city as beautiful as Paris. Election after election, its the same promises,” said a bitter Shamsher Singh, a teacher.

In Faridkot, water, the elixir of life, is spewing diseases like cancer and hepatitis. Safe drinking water is the upmost demand of about 1,71,000 voters in the Faridkot assembly constituency.

“In their speeches, leaders do not touch core issues which impact our everyday life,” said Kartar Singh of Kameana village in Faridkot.

“Clean drinking water has been our main demand for the past many years. Elections come and go…. the promises remain unkept,” said Manjit Singh of Kameana resident.

“Releasing the manifesto is a mere formality. Copies of manifestos are seldom available at the election offices of political parties”, said advocate Ashu Mittal.

With the ground water containing high fluoride contents, Faridkot residents are forced to solely rely on the Sirhind feeder-the canal that has gained notoriety for its water carrying industrial effluents.

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The Tribune – Jilted lover sets teenaged girl afire

Faridkot, October 27. A youth set a teenaged girl, who had spurned him, on fire in Kotsukhia village of Faridkot today morning. With over 80 per cent burns, the condition of the girl, admitted in the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot, is reported to be critical.

The police have registered an attempt to murder case against Hoshiar Singh, the accused youth in the village.

The victim’s family members told the police that the youth had been stalking her for the last many months but she had spurned his advances which left him infuriated and he took the extreme step.

Today morning at around 9 am, when the father of the girl had already left the house for his work and the girl was in the house with her two sisters, the accused reached the girl’s house with a bottle of kerosene, poured it over her and lit a match. He then fled the spot.

“Minutes after I left home for my work, I got the information that a youth had poured kerosene oil on my daughter and set her on fire”, said the father of the victim.

The girl received 80 per cent burns and was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Kotkapura, but for her condition being highly critical, she was further referred to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot. The police said that they were trying to record the victim’s statement. No arrests have been made so far.

Sources in the village revealed that the accused was stalking the girl for last many months and the girl has spurned his proposal of marriage. (TNS)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111028/punjab.htm#15

The Tribune – Haven for inter-caste couples reels under financial crunch

Balwant Garg, Tribune News Service

Faridkot, October 25. Six months after the Punjab Government started providing protection and boarding to inter-caste couples in government rest houses, the district administration in Faridkot finds itself in a piquant situation.

While the state government is not releasing any funds for boarding and lodging of these couples, their stay in the state government rest houses apparently makes for financial burden on the district administration.

In the last five months, 14 couples reached Faridkot to seek protection and stayed in Sainik and PWD rest houses.

While the stay of these couples, up to 25 days in some cases, escorted by police guards in the rest houses, created a space problem for government guests, another problem area is provision of food to these couples and the police guards accompanying them.

As there is no financial provision to foot these bills, some revenue officials are bearing the expenses, hoping there would be reimbursement by the state government.

But the chances of reimbursement look bleak. In the last two months, the Faridkot Deputy Commissioner’s office has written three letters to the Home Affairs and Justice Department Punjab for payment of the bills, but so far, there has been no response.

“We are hopeful of getting the funds in the coming days,” said Ravi Bhagat, DC Faridkot.

“So far, there is no provision of funds for payment towards boarding and lodging for these couples, so we have written to the state government,” said the DC.

D S Bains, Principal Secretary, Home Affairs and Justice Punjab, said he was not aware of the problem.

“I don’t know whether the state government is supposed to bear the food expenses for the stay of the couples in the government rest houses. Until I go through the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders, I can’t comment on this issue,” he said.

The scenario follows many honour killings in Haryana and Punjab and many inter-caste couples rushing to the High Court, seeking police security to escape the wrath of their family members.

To prevent honour killings, in March 2011, the High Court had directed the state government to provide protection to such couples. The protection umbrella includes provision of accommodation at government rest houses and police protection to save them from any attack by their relatives or family members.

Another problem area for the district administration is shortage of space for government guests. “While eight rooms of Circuit Rest House in Faridkot have already been allotted to the Commissioner’s Office for official work, the long stay of newly wed couples has further created space shortage for government guests,” said a supervisor.

A senior officer in Home Affairs and Justice Department in Chandigarh said keeping in view the shortage of space in the rest house, the department has decided to provide accommodation to these couples for a maximum of 10 days, with the couples having to pay a minimum fixed amount. Moreover, the couples will have to foot the food bills, he added.

In August last year, the state government issued directions to all district police chiefs in the state to constitute five-member district-level counselling cells to assist imperilled lovers. The cell was meant to guide parents in resolving differences due to caste, creed or social status barriers.

Over a year down the line, these cells are a mere formality. There was not even a single meeting of this cell in the last one year and no case was referred to it for counselling, said Vishav Jyoti Dhir, a noted short story writer who is also a member of the District Honour Killing Counselling Cell in Faridkot.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111026/punjab.htm#2

The Tribune – Mean Parenting; Lure for extra bucks sees parents pushing kids into drugs

Balwant Garg, Tribune News Service

Kotkapura (Faridkot), October 3.  Ever heard about parents pushing their children into drug addiction? Eleven kids of Kotkapura, all below 13 years, were made to take synthetic drugs by their parents and some adults so that they don’t face any inhibition in begging, stealing, snatching or rag-picking. It is probably the worst form of child labour.

The District Red Cross Society, Faridkot, came across these children 40 days back following a tip-off.

“The informer disclosed that a group of small children in the railway station area of Kotkapura were hooked to some dangerous synthetic drugs and they were indulging in various crimes like pick-pocketing and purse snatching,” said Roshan Lal Goel, secretary of the DRCS.

The information was shared with Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat. Following this, the administration sent a van to Kotkapura and 11 such children were brought to Faridkot on August 16. The kids underwent treatment at the Red Cross De-addiction Centre. Addicted to various synthetic drugs, these children told the counsellors that they were encouraged to start taking drugs by their own parents and some adult drug addicts. Once addicted, they were given the drug dose only after they met certain demands of the adults. The demands were to bring more and more money, indulging in pick-pocketing, rag-picking or purse snatching, said DC Ravi Bhagat.

“We summoned the parents of these children and warned them of serious legal action if they pushed the children back into drugs or any other crime. We have also written to the district police to identify and arrest the drug addicts and chemists who were providing and supplying drugs to such children,” said the Deputy Commissioner.

After their treatment at the de-addiction centre, the DC met these children on Friday. “We have handed over the custody of these children to their parents and asked them to send the children to schools,” said the DC.

Sources said the DRCS and the district administration would keep a constant watch on these children and the activities of their parents. The parents of these small children were poor migrants from Bihar and some of them also indulge in rag-picking.

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