NRI drug ring busted in Punjab; 4 held

Jalandhar, June 2
Synthetic drugs have starting making inroads into Punjab. The state police on Saturday claimed to have busted a drug ring involving NRIs and highly qualified traffickers and seized contraband worth Rs 200 crore. 
Of the seven-member gang, four are in the police net. Over 34 kg Methamphetamine and 19 kg Ephedrine, also known as “Ice” or “rave party drug,” have been recovered from the accused.
The police said the gang was running its operations in India and abroad, particularly New Zealand. It used to manufacture drugs in Punjab as well as in Delhi.
Those arrested have been identified as Amandeep Singh Cheema, a resident of Malot in Sangrur (he is now based in Mohali), Sukhwinder Singh Laddu of Chack Sangha village in Garshankar, Harkanwaljit Singh alias Harpinder Singh alias Rupa of Jindowal near Banga and Harjinder Singh alias Jindu of Behram in Nawanshahar.
Ranjit Singh Raja, a resident of Huppowal in Nawanshahar, is said to be the kingpin. He along with Gurinder Singh and Swarup Singh, both residents of Purhiran village near Hoshiarpur, are yet to be arrested.
A foreign national, Milan, is also said to be part of the gang.
“The drug has been recovered from the house of Sukhwinder Singh in Garshankar by a special team formed by Jalandhar (Rural) SSP Yurinder Singh and SP (D) Rajinder Singh,” said Jalandhar Zone IG Gurpreet Deo. “Two cars, I-20 and Indica Vista, have been recovered from the accused, who ran a well-oiled network for distribution of the drug to revellers across the country and abroad. The accused led a lavish lifestyle and had hefty bank accounts. They have properties in Mohali and Delhi too,” said the IG.

Tata Motors penalised Rs 50,000

Chandigarh, June 4 The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission while upholding the decision of the district forum-1 has increased the fine from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 on Tata Motors for its failure to rectify the fault in a newly purchased vehicle of a Mohali resident.  The respondents, Tata Motors, had gone in an appeal against the forum's order which had directed them to rectify all defects present in the Tata Indigo CS car by repairing/replacing the parts as per a report prepared by an engineering college within a month. In case, they are unable to rectify the defects as per the report, they may then refund the value of the vehicle paid by the complainant after deducting depreciation at the rate of 10 per cent per annum from the date of purchase till the date of the order. They were further directed to pay Rs 20,000 to the complainant as compensation along with Rs 5,000 as costs of litigation.  The state commission comprising president justice Sham Sunder and member Neena Sandhu directed the respondents to rectify the defects in the car/replace the defective parts thereof, as ordered by the district forum.  The respondents were also told to pay a sum of Rs 50,000 to the complainant as compensation for mental agony and harassment instead of Rs 20,000 as awarded by the district forum. The respondents will also have to pay Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 5,000 as costs of litigation. The direction given by the forum for deduction of depreciation value at the rate of 10 per cent per annum from the date of purchase of the car till the impugned order passed by it was set aside.  The complainant, Chetan Gill, submitted that on their recommendation, he had bought a car for Rs 4,80,573 from Joshi Autos Zone Pvt. Ltd (opposite party number 3) with a warranty till December 12, 2009. It was further stated that the car started giving trouble from the very first month of purchase and, consequently, the same was taken to the workshop of the opposite parties, a number of times, for major repairs, including excessive engine noise and clutch problem on September 15, 2008, excessive noise caused due to faulty fan/alternator belt on December 23, 2008, and Camshaft drive belt along with belts broke down on April 7, 2009. The car was, thereafter, handed over  to him, as fully repaired but when it was taken for test drive, he realised that the problems still persisted. He alleged that the opposite parties sold a defective product, which was not working properly, and was continuously causing him mental pain and agony.  The council for the chairman and deputy general manager, Tata Motors Limited (opposite parties), respectively, stated that there was no manufacturing defect in the vehicle and the complainant had not produced any expert opinion, or evidence, to prove the defects pointed out by him, in the same. It was further stated that the averments of the complainant stood contradicted, by the job cards, which did not mention any abnormal noise or defect in the vehicle. Whenever the complainant visited the workshop, the vehicle was fully repaired to his satisfaction, as per the conditions of warranty. It was further stated that the vehicle had already covered over 20,000 km, and the faults, if any, were because of excessive use as the vehicle was used as a commercial vehicle. The opposite party number 3 denied that the complainant was compelled to buy the vehicle and added that whenever the complainant brought the vehicle for service, his complaint was well attended to, as per the conditions of warranty. It was denied that the vehicle had broken down, due to any manufacturing defect, or that there was any engine noise, in the same.

Venus transit 2012 begins as the world looks to the sky

BANGALORE, India : If you do not look at the sky today, then you'll have to wait till 2117. Backlit by the Sun, as the bird flies across, its silhouette has often made for picture-perfect moments.

"Today's transit of Venus across the Sun is no different," confirms Dr E Ebenezer, scientist, Radio Astronomy group at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. "Only Venus and Mercury can transit this way as they appear before the Earth in the solar system," he adds. The next transit of this nature, as recorded by scientists, is slotted to occur 105 years later - in December 2117. For Akshay Kumar MA, student of Jain College who is spearheading the Sheraton Astronomy Club, this phenomenon goes beyond just witnessing it.

"I am at Nikaya Observatory with enthusiastic astronomers. Today's transit is significant given that Venus is coming in between the Sun and the Earth. Several scientific conclusions can be drawn from it.

We can find the exact distance between Sun and Earth and also calculate the Sun's diameter," he says. "For the layperson, there are many ways of watching it. While some will opt for a telescope, people in earlier times used to mix cow dung in water and watch the Sun's reflection in it. Both the methods are safe. Today, it's important to watch the transit through a space filter," explains Dr Sujata Virdhe, former Isro scientist and founder of Sunday Science School. She has also designed Nebula Solar Goggles, which has been put through various tests to sanctify the power of its solar filter.

Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations draw to close

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, center, accompanied by, from left to right, Prince Charles; Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince William; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in central London to conclude the four-day Diamond Jubilee celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the queen's accession to the throne.

LONDON, June 5, 2012  — The curtain fell Tuesday on a four-day extravaganza marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne, culminating with deafening applause from the hundreds of thousands who gathered outside Buckingham Palace to catch a glimpse of the monarch on her world-famous balcony.
Britons tend to reserve displays of gushing patriotism for high-profile royal or sporting events, and at times during the jubilee festivities the landscape here almost morphed into a sea of Union Jack flags.

Millions of people braved rainy conditions (another great British tradition) to take in the largest pageant on the Thames in 350 years, street parties across the country, and a star-studded concert featuring the likes of Paul McCartney and Elton John.
But the mood was notably dampened when Prince Philip, the queen’s husband, was hospitalized Monday for a bladder infection.
The day before, the 90-year-old royal consort stood for four hours on an open-topped boat in blustery conditions, prompting commentators to ask whether the journey was too taxing for the former naval officer, who spent Christmas in the hospital recovering from a heart operation.
The indefatigable queen pressed on with events. With her husband hospitalized, she was accompanied Tuesday by Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, in a horse-drawn carriage procession through central London. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, traveled close behind in a second carriage.
In a rare address to the nation, broadcast Tuesday evening, the 86-year-old monarch, who is as popular as she has ever been, said the outpouring of public support had “touched me deeply.”
In one of the most moving tributes to the queen, Charles, the heir to the throne, addressed her as “Your Majesty, Mummy,” before a crowd of about 500,000 revelers at the pop concert Monday night. “This is our opportunity to thank you and my father for always being there for us,” he said, “for inspiring us with your selfless duty and service and for making us proud to be British.”
Referring to his father, Charles told the crowd: “If we shout loud enough, he might just hear us in hospital.” The crowd roared: “Philip! Philip! Philip!”
While the queen is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee throughout the year, the past four days were billed as the main event. It included the lighting of 4,200 beacons across the globe from Kenya to Canada and on the highest peaks in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Some have criticized the glitzy celebrations at a time when Britain is in the throes of a recession, but many have welcomed them as a short reprieve from the gloomy headlines.
“It’s magical,” said Lynn Carr, 45, with her head cranked skyward as planes from the Royal Air Force roared over Buckingham Palace on Tuesday streaming red, white and blue trails of smoke.
“I think it’s good for the people,” said Carr, a local government official. “They need this.”
The queen is famously inscrutable, but during the wall-to-wall coverage here, royal watchers could spot her radiant smile on several occasions. She beamed, for instance, during Sunday’s river pageant upon spotting a horse puppet from the hit play “War Horse” rearing in tribute on the roof of the National Theatre.
“I think what we have seen, frankly, is the best of Britain,” Prime Minister David Cameron told the BBC on Tuesday. He added that there has been “a great resilience, people wanting to celebrate even though the weather has been pretty bad, and an extraordinary resilience on behalf of Her Majesty, who, in spite of all the problems and difficulties, has kept going with such incredible spirit.”

India celeberates World Environment Day

Environmentalists favour CFLs
Chandigarh, June 5
On the World Environment Day today, environmentalists were vocal on the use of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) to save energy for the future generation.
Dr Satnam Singh of the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology accepted that the government had not made any arrangements for the disposal of CFLs. 

He said this while interacting with mediapersons at the PGI. He said besides promoting the use of CFLs, state governments should make fool-proof arrangements for disposal.
He said the states should come up with a policy so that energy savers could not turn into environmental threats.
He said hundreds of discarded CFLs were lying unattended at garbage dumps, releasing poisonous material into the environment.
CFL bulbs and tubes contained mercury, which was highly toxic and could cause serious health problems like damage to the nervous system, kidneys and liver, he said.
The Panjab University dean, Dr AS Ahluwalia, said the public was not unaware about the health hazards from CFLs.
In the absence of a proper CFL-disposal policy, public dumped those in domestic bins. He said the UT Administration had implemented the e-waste policy, but there were no clear directions on CFL disposal.
He said paver blocks adversely affected the green cover and the seepage of water into the ground, resulting in the lowering of underground water level.
He said it had been scientifically proved that such concrete structures spoilt the eco-system of the soil and the heat around plantation affected it.
Other experts stressed the installation of rainwater harvesting in buildings to improve groundwater level.

Khushpreet’s kin say no to Rs 3-lakh relief

Chandigarh, June 5
The family of five-year-old Khushpreet, who was kidnapped for ransom and murdered in December 2010, has refused to claim the compensation amount of Rs 3 lakh that was recently handed over to them by the UT Administration.
Two months have elapsed since a cheque for Rs 3 lakh was handed over to the child’s father at their house in Burail village in Sector 45. But the family has not deposited the cheque as a mark of protest.
“A patwari came to our house two months ago and gave us the cheque. We told him we do not want it since money will not bring back our child. We desire justice from the police and the Administration, not money. As the patwari was under obligation, we took the cheque, but have not encashed it,” said Lakhbir Singh, Khushpreet’s father.
“The negligent police officers are still on duty. Merely stopping their increments does not mean justice to us. We do not want any compensation from the police or the Administration. We have suffered enough and our innocent child was killed due to the negligence of the police. We demand that these officers should be dealt with sternly,” he said.
Advocate Arvind Thakur, who fought the case in the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said after a year-long battle with the Administration, the cheque had finally been given to the family and orders in this regard were received from the NHRC today.
“The NHRC has considered the matter. The amount of interim relief as recommended by the commission has been paid to the next of kin of the deceased. Departmental action has also been taken against the three delinquent police officers. No further action is called for. The compliance report is taken on record and the case is closed,” said the NHRC in the order.

Dal Khalsa releases ‘Directory of Martyrs’

Amritsar: Radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa has come out with the third edition of the “Directory of Martyrs” featuring those who “laid down their lives defending the Akal Takht” during Operation Bluestar in June, 1984.
The directory, which includes the profiles of 220 “martyrs”, was released in the presence of their family members on the eve of the 28th anniversary of the military operation. Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa and representatives of various radical groups presented copies of the “directory” to Ishar Singh and Tarlochan Singh, sons of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Bhai Amrik Singh, respectively.

22 judicial officers promoted in Punjab

Ludhiana, June 5
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has promoted 22 judicial officers to the rank of Additional District and Sessions Judge and Chief Judicial Magistrate in Punjab. Nine judges, heading different Fast Track courts, have been promoted to the rank of Additional Sessions Judge and transferred to different stations, include Anshul Berry to Patiala, Sanjay Kumar Sachdeva to Sangrur, Neelam Arora to Amritsar, Dr Rakesh Kumar to Ferozepur, Jaswinder Sheemar to Mohali, Gurnam Singh to Jalandhar, Sant Parkash Sood to Ludhiana, Manjot Kaur to Mohali, Rajiv Kalra to Gurdaspur and Sanjay Agnihotri to Jalandhar.
Sanjay Kumar Sachdeva, Civil Judge (Senior Division), has been transferred to Sangrur, on promotion CJM Mansa Budh Ram Garg has been transferred to Hoshiarpur. Whereas ADJ Hari Singh Garewal has been transferred to Ludhiana.
Seven Additional Civil Judges (Senior Division), who have been promoted to the rank of Chief Judicial Magistrate, include Harish Anand (Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar), Ashok Kapoor (Mansa), Karamjit Singh Sullar (Rupnagar), Ranjeet Kaur (Amritsar), Rakesh Kumar (Faridkot), Jaspinder Singh (Fatehgarh Sahib) and Rajeev K Beri (Moga). Whereas Civil Judge (Senior Division), Jalandhar, Sanjiv Joshi has been transferred to Mansa, Shivinder Singh, CJ (Senior Divison), transferred to Barnala, Rupnagar’s CJM Mandeep Kaur transferred to Jalandhar.
Four judges, who have been promoted as Fast Track Court Judges, include Rajiv Malhotra, Harjinder Pal Singh, Baljinder Sidhu and Gurmail Singh.

Manpneet Kaur is crowned Miss Australia Punjaban 2012

Melbourne - Manpuneet Kaur Grewal a first year Accounting student at Melbourne's Deakin University, was crowned ‘Miss Australia Punjaban 2012’ at a well attended and appreciated event held here.  She has secured a place to compete with other contestants who will be representing other parts of the world and vying for the title of ‘Miss World Punjaban 2012’.

The main event is due to be held at Ludhiana in Punjab in November 2012.

Australian born Manpuneet Kaur, a 9’9” ‘Punjaban Mutiyar’ who resides in Melbourne and is studying commerce at Deccan University, impressed the judges with her beauty, knowledge and talent to bag the prestigious title.

Parminderjit Waraich from Brisbane finished Ist runner-up while Gagandeep Kaur from Melbourne was declared 2nd Runner-up.  

Ten beautiful Punjabans hailing from Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney took part in the show organized by Sabhayachark Sath Punjab in association with South Pacific Institute.

The different rounds showcasing talent of the contestants were of immense interest to the audience. The contestants danced to the tune of Punjabi folk songs, displayed special talents and had a question-answer round where they were asked questions related to Punjabi Heritage.

Jagpreet bagged award for Best folk Dance, Ramandeep Kaur bagged award for being declared ‘Gunwanti Panjaban, Baljit Kaur was declared ‘Sughar-Syani Punjaban’ and Rajdip Kaur was conferred with ‘Gidhian di Rani’ sub-title. Amrit Kaur, Navjot and Semris were given special prizes.

Renowned Literary Personality Dr.Satish Verma who had specially flown from India, SBS Radio Anchor Manpreet Kaur and known Bhangra Expert Varinder Saran, were the judges at the event.

Gurvinder Singh Nagra welcomed the guests and audience while Harleen Sohana and Dr. Preetinder Grewal were the anchors for the show.

Teams of ‘Folk Art’, ‘Bhangra Rockers’, ‘Bhangra Federation’ regaled the audience with their performances. Parddeep Kaur, Poonam and their team members also presented Punjabi dance items. Charnamit Singh made the audience laugh with his comedy items.

Punjabi woman Roopak Kaur Sodhi who is the first Punjaban to be recruited in Victoria Police and ‘Singh Sabha Bhangra Group’ – contestants of ‘Australia has got Talent’ were specially honoured for their contribution towards the community.  They were awarded by Harbhajan Singh Khaira and Kanwalpreet Singh Sandhu.
Ajit Singh Rahi’s book ‘Teeja Ghallughara’ was released during the show.

Chairman-Director Jasmer Singh Dhatt told ‘Yes Punjab’ that those who contributed their best to make the show a success include Amardeep Singh, Manjot Kaur Dhaliwal, Amanpreet Singh, Upkar Singh, Gurpal Singh, Jaskunwar Singh.  

Others present include Prem Singh Khaira and Ruban Sohana from Sydney, Jasmel Singh Khaira, Gurpreet Singh Sangha, Sukhdeep Deol, Imtiyaz Khan and Ravi.
The event, fourth of its kind in Australia, hosted under the direction and supervision of Chairman-Director Jasmer Singh Dhatt at Monash University’s Robert Blackwood Hall with a capacity of 1100 was well received and well attended.

Jasmer Dhatt said that ‘Miss World Punjaban 2012’ beauty pageant has taken  a start with Australia event and now the  pageant is scheduled to  travel to Europe, America, Canada, New Zealand and Pakistan where such events shall select more Punjabi beauties to take part in the finals to be held at Ludhiana.

Ranbir fake encounter:11 Dehradun cops surrender, sent to jail

Dehradun - Eleven of the 18 Uttarakhand Police personnel, accused in the 2009 fake encounter case of MBA student Ranbir Singh in Dehradun, on Tuesday surrendered before a Delhi court which sent them to jail.
The accused policemen surrendered before Special CBI Judge V K Maheshwari in pursuance of the non-bailable warrants issued against them in May this year.
“They be taken in custody and sent to judicial custody,” the court said.
The accused cops who surrendered today include the then constables Satbir Singh, Sunil Saini, Chander Pal, Saurabh Nautiyal, Nagendra Nath, Vikas Chandra Baluni, Sanjay Rawat, Mohan Singh Rana, Inder Bhan Singh and Manoj Kumar and Head operator at city control room Jaspal Singh Gosain.
The constables are among the 18 policemen chargesheeted by the CBI in connection with Ranbir Singh encounter case that rocked the hill state in July 2009.
The other accused in the case are presently lodged in Tihar Jail. They include then inspector Santosh Jaiswal, sub-inspectors Gopal Dutt Bhatt, Rajesh Bisht, Neeraj Kumar, Nitin Chauhan and Chandra Mohan and constable Ajeet Singh.
They were arrested in wake of evidence that 22-year-old Singh, an MBA student from Ghaziabad, was allegedly gunned down by Uttarakhand Police after being caught at Mohini Road where he and his companions were allegedly trying to commit some crime on July 3, 2009.
The court fixed July 4, the next date of hearing and also allowed the plea of these 11 accused that they be kept together in jail as they are police personnel and apprehend fear from other inmates.
The case was transferred to Delhi by the Supreme Court on the plea of Ranbir's father Ravindra Singh.
The court had issued NBWs against them to ensure their presence before it.
Ranbir's father had alleged that his son had gone to Dehradun in search of a job where he was arrested by the police on July 3, 2009 on pretext of being involved in some robbery.
He had alleged that on the same day, 29 bullets were pumped into his body and the incident was passed off as an encounter.
All the 18 policemen have been charged for various offences such as murder, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and public servant framing incorrect record.