First case of business fraud registered Businessman had been duped of Rs 17.3 lakh through Internet

Chandigarh, July 20
The cyber crime cell of the Chandigarh Police today registered the first case of business fraud in the city through the Internet. The cell has booked six persons in a case of cheating under various sections of the IT Act following a legal opinion.
On the complaint of VK Malhotra, an Industrial Area-based businessman, the police booked UK resident David Afburn Cassabery, Belgium-based Charles William, Sanjeev Malhotra of Malhotra Enterprises, Mumbai, Surinder and Joseth. The accused allegedly took Rs 17.31 lakh from the complainant and supplied him duplicate quartz stones through a well-executed conspiracy. As per the case, VK Malhotra allegedly lost Rs 17.31 lakh to a fraud proposal received in response to his online advertisement for expansion of business in quartz stone used in watches.
Malhotra ended up paying the amount for purchase of four kilogram of quartz stone, which infact turned out to be another stone ‘galena’, which cost around Rs 4,000.
Inspector Neeraj Sarna, in charge, cyber crime cell, said the deal featured a London-based company, the owner of which offered the complainant a partnership to earn profit through the Internet. “He gave the complainant number of a dealer in Mumbai following which the matter was referred to a Belgium-based expert who was supposed to purchase the quartz and complete the deal. The deal went on fine till Malhotra paid the money and discovered that dealers in all the quarters were part of an international gang who duped him in a well-executed plan,” he said, adding that there were at least six accused in the case as per the complaint. 

Posed himself as Canadian diplomat

Posed himself as Canadian diplomat

Chandigarh, July 20
The Chandigarh Police today registered a case against a fraudster for fraudulently providing a fake visa to a resident of Bangladesh for work permit.
The accused posed himself as a Canadian diplomat and has been identified as Jocelyn Miller. He corresponded with the complainant through emails for a month and gave him a fake visa for Rs 72,000.
The transaction took place in Chandigarh. The case has been registered on a complaint of Pierre Bosse Counsul, Consulate General of Canada in Sector 17-A. The accused impersonated as Canadian diplomat Faisal Waqar. A case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered against the accused at the Sector 17 police station.
The police said the deal was struck for Rs 72,000 and the accused sent his representative to meet the complainant in Chandigarh who needed the visa for his cousin. After obtaining the visa, the complainant realised it was fake and reported to police. DSP (CID) Anil Joshi conducted an inquiry and the case was registered today. The police is in the dark about the actual identity of the accused as the correspondence took place through emails.
The case has now been transferred to the crime branch for further investigation.

Crackdown on illegal PG houses

Estate Office seals house at Sec 35

Chandigarh, July 20
Cracking down on illegal paying guest (PG) accommodations in residential premises, the UT estate office sealed the first-ever such accommodation here this morning.
A one kanal house (no. 320) in Sector 35, with eight rooms located on the upper floors, became the first target of the estate office after it was sealed. As many as 40 paying guests were being housed there.
The estate office’s team accompanied by the local police swooped on the premises at around 8 am and started legal proceedings. The team found that five rooms on the first floor and three rooms on the second floor were being used to accommodate around 40 students.
The action was taken following a complaint alleging that the owners of the house were running the PG facility without taking the required permission from the estate office.
While Rupinder Kaur, who claimed to be the owner of the house, alleged that she did not receive any prior notice or warning from the estate office, officials maintained that all required legal procedures were followed in the case.
“A prior notice was served on September 13, 2010. Besides, we used to paste a copy of the notice on the wall of the premises as per rule. It was done in this case,” said Ravinder Sharma, Inspector (misuse and enforcement).
Despite sufficient opportunity and time given to the owner as well as to the occupier to stop running the PG without permission, they did not pay any heed to stop the misuse, he said.
“We found around 40 students staying in the house. Each room had at least five beds and most of the PGs were present in the house when we conducted the raid,” said Sharma.
Apart from sealing the premises, the department would also demand misuse charges from the owner as well as the occupier of the premises, he added. The charges are Rs 500 sq ft per month from the date of serving of the notice. The estate office has already issued about 120 notices to residents of the city.
“As the Administration has sped up its work in the direction, more sealing of such premises is on the cards,” said Rahul Gupta, Assistant Estate Officer. He advised people seeking PG accommodation to ensure that house owners had taken permission.
Even though hundreds of people are staying in the city as PGs, a mere six residents have sought permission from the estate office so far.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had recently directed UT Home Secretary Ram Niwas to look into the representation of a local resident in accordance with law, wherein it had been pointed out that a large number of unauthorised PGs have been residing in Sector 35.
Meanwhile, all PGs, most of whom are students of various educational institutes here, had a tough time after the authorities sealed the rooms. They spent the day sitting in a park or in front of the house, but found it hard to make arrangements for the night. “Some of us have booked rooms in a bhawan while the others will be staying at their friends’ places or gurdwaras. We are suffering for no fault of ours,” said a PG.

Kangra girl alleges immigration fraud

Jalandhar, July 20
The functioning of a Chandigarh-based immigration consultancy -World Wide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS)- has come under a scanner with cheating allegations levelled by a Kangra-based girl against its officials.
Prachi Chaudhary, a resident of Tharu village in Nagrota Bagwan town of Kangra district, has alleged that the company’s employees at its Jalandhar-based office cheated and betrayed her on the pretext of sending her to Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Canada to pursue a course in emergency management.
She alleged that the consultancy charged Rs 20,000 from her and issued an offer letter for admission. Interestingly, she was later denied her admission claiming that because she could not qualify the entrance test her papers were rejected by the institute, but the company failed to show documents proving she had been rejected, alleged Prachi’s father, Satish Chaudhary.
Chaudhry also alleged that Vandana Bedi, who looks after students’ VISA section of the WWICS’s Jalandhar office, demanded Rs 10,000 claiming that the company had not received an equal amount in its account. The amount was deposited in her account (008201545379) in the ICICI Bank on April 8, 2011, he claimed.
When he was contacted, Pankaj Sahi Assistant Branch Manager of the WWICS, Jalandhar, claimed that he was taking up the matter with his superiors at Chandigarh personally and the issue would be sorted out soon.

Indians on death row in Dubai strike blood money deal

Chandigarh/Dubai, July 20
Seventeen Indian youths, 16 from Punjab and one from Haryana, facing death sentence for the murder of Pakistani boy Mishri Khan may be released soon. The Sharjah Appeal Court was informed today that the process for “Diya”, payment of blood money, had been initiated.
After Dubai-based Punjabi businessman SP Singh Oberoi produced a receipt of payment of the first installment of 1 million Pakistani rupees to Sarfraz Ahmed, brother of the victim, the court directed the defendants to complete the “Diya” proceedings before the next hearing on July 27.
The youths on death row are: Sukhjinder Singh of Patti, Sukhjot Singh of Sanghera, Ram Singh of Kanvi, Amritsar, Arvinder Singh of Ghokulwada, Gurdaspur, Baljeet Singh of Sangwal in Jalandhar, Daljeet Singh of Aitiana in Ludhiana, Dharampal Singh of Jhoke Tehal Singhwala in Ferozepur, Satgur Singh of Khanaur Jattan in Sangrur, Satnam Singh of Koolikalan in Ludhiana, Kashmir Singh of Rattu Ke in Taran Tarn, Suban Singh of Lohian Khas in Kapurthala, Kulwinder Singh of Bansipura in Ludhiana, Kuldeep Singh of Kukrana in Moga, Sukhinder Singh of Nikki Miani in Kapurthala, Namjyot Singh of Raikot in Ludhiana, Harjinder Singh of Phagwara and Taranjit Singh of Kaithal.
A battery of lawyers engaged bv the Indian Consulate-General in Dubai had filed an appeal against the death sentence awarded to them for killing Mishri Khan in a brawl in 2009. While the proceedings in the appeal case were in progress, the court asked the defendents if they were willing to go for settlement with the family of the victim.
While the defence team informed the court that it would seek directions from the Indian Consulate-General, the convicts opted for a “compromise”. All have been in jail for more than two years now.
At the last two hearings, the nominee of the victim’s family, Mohammed Ramzan, had told the court that none had approached him for a settlement. Today he told the court that a compromise had been reached for payment of eight crore Pakistani rupees to the family.
Oberoi told The Tribune on the telephone that frantic efforts were on since the past 10 days to convince the family of Mishri Khan to opt for a compromise. The payment of the first instalment of blood money was organised through Lahore-based Khalid Mohammed Khalid. The compromise was facilitated by PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh and his associates Sukhwinder Singh Chhina and Gursharan Singh.
The full and final amount would be made in court on July 27 after which the death sentence would be waived.
“We are thankful to Capt Amarinder Singh. Last year he met the boys at the Sharjah Jail and promised to help them. He has kept his word. We are also thankful to Sukhwinder Singh Cheena and Gursharan Singh for their help,” Oberoi added.

UK PHONE-HACKING SCANDAL

Cameron regrets hiring tainted editor

London, July 20
Prime Minister David Cameron, defending his integrity to parliament in emergency session today, said he regretted hiring a journalist at the heart of the scandal that had rocked Britain's press, police and politicians.
But in two stormy hours of questioning, he seemed to rally his Conservative Party behind him and stopped short of bowing to demands that he apologised outright for what the Labour leader called a "catastrophic error of judgment" in hiring as a spokesman a former editor of Rupert Murdoch's News of the World.
Only if Andy Coulson, who has since resigned, should turn out to have lied about not knowing of illegal practices at his newspaper would the Prime Minister offer a "profound apology".
But the 44-year-old premier spoke with apparent feeling about his toughest two weeks in power. "You don't make decisions in hindsight; you make them in the present. You live and you learn - and believe you me, I have learnt," he said.
"It was my decision ... Of course, I regret and I am extremely sorry about the furore it has caused. With 20:20 hindsight ... I would not have offered him the job."
Beleaguered but hardly under serious threat of being ousted by his party allies after less than 15 months in office, Cameron defended his actions and those of his staff in dealings with police chiefs who resigned this week over the affair and with Murdoch's News Corp global media empire.
"He seems to have gained a bit of breathing space over the course of this debate," said Andrew Russell, senior politics lecturer at Manchester University. "He looked more self-assured today than he has been for a little while."
Labour's Ed Miliband, whose muted first year as opposition leader has been fired up by attacking Cameron on the scandal, has stopped short of demanding Cameron's resignation.
But he asked during the debate: "Why doesn't he do more than give a half-apology and provide the full apology now for hiring Coulson and bringing him into the heart of Downing Street?"
Opposition members of parliament questioned the credibility of Cameron's defence that Coulson had assured him when being hired in 2007 that, as the editor of the News of the World, he knew nothing of the hacking of voicemails that had led to the paper's royal correspondent being jailed earlier that year.
Murdoch, 80, who was attacked by a protester with a foam pie during Tuesday's committee hearing, sent a message to his staff that his company was taking steps to ensure that "serious problems never happen again".
"Those who have betrayed our trust must be held accountable under the law," he said in an email sent late on Tuesday. Media Minister Jeremy Hunt said News International needed to explain how malpractice happened without Murdoch or his son James, a top News Corp executive, being told. They shut down the 168-year-old News of the World this month.


Indian in probe panel
LONDON: Shami Chakrabarti, an Indian-origin human rights activist, was today named by British Prime Minister David Cameron among six independent experts who will form a panel to examine British media practices in the wake of the raging phone-hacking scandal.
Chakrabarti, 42, is a barrister and director of the London-based human rights group Liberty.
The panel of independent experts will help Lord Justice Leveson examine media practices in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal and is expected to report within 12 months.
Cameron told lawmakers that the newspaper inquiry would be widened to take in different types of information-related crimes and other media such as broadcasters and social media.

ਅਕਤੂਬਰ ਮਹੀਨੇ ਤੱਕ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਦੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ ਹੋ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ 7 ਅਰਬ

ਸੰਯੁਕਤ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ, 20 ਜੁਲਾਈ (ਏਜੰਸੀ)-ਇਸ ਸਾਲ ਅਕਤੂਬਰ ਤੱਕ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਦੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ 7 ਅਰਬ ਤੱਕ ਪਹੁੰਚਣ ਦੀ ਉਮੀਦ ਹੈ। 'ਡੇਲੀ ਮੇਲ' ਦੀਆਂ ਖ਼ਬਰਾਂ ਮੁਤਾਬਿਕ ਕਰੀਬ ਇਕ ਦਹਾਕੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਤੱਕ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਦੀ ਜਨਸੰਖਿਆ 6 ਅਰਬ ਸੀ ਪਰ ਪ੍ਰਤੀ ਸਕਿੰਟ ਪੰਜ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਜਨਮ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਹਰੇਕ ਸਾਲ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਦੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ ਵਿਚ 7.8 ਕਰੋੜ ਦਾ ਵਾਧਾ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਸਾਲ 1960 ਵਿਚ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਦੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ ਤਿੰਨ ਅਰਬ ਸੀ ਜਦ ਕਿ 1999 ਵਿਚ ਇਹ ਵਧ ਕੇ 6 ਅਰਬ ਤੱਕ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਗਈ। ਸੰਯੁਕਤ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ 2025 ਤੱਕ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਦੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ 8 ਅਰਬ ਹੋ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ। 'ਨੈਸ਼ਨਲ ਜਿਓਗਰਾਫਿਕ' ਪੱਤ੍ਰਿਕਾ ਵਿਚ 'ਸੱਤ ਅਰਬ' ਨਾਂਅ ਦੇ ਲਿਖੇ ਗਏ ਆਪਣੇ ਲੇਖ ਵਿਚ ਲੇਖਕ ਰਾਬਰਟ ਕੁੰਜਿਗ ਨੇ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਦੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ ਤਕਰੀਬਨ ਅੱਠ ਕਰੋੜ ਦੀ ਰਫ਼ਤਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਹਰ ਸਾਲ ਵਧ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਧਰਤੀ 'ਤੇ ਪਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਪੱਧਰ ਹੇਠਾਂ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਗਲੇਸ਼ੀਅਰ ਪਿਘਲ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਤਕਰੀਬਨ ਇਕ ਅਰਬ ਦੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ ਰੋਜ਼ਾਨਾ ਭੁੱਖੀ ਰਹਿ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਸਵਾਲ ਉਠਾਇਆ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਕਿਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ 2050 ਤੱਕ ਆਪਾਂ 9 ਅਰਬ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਲਈ ਭੋਜਨ ਮੁਹੱਈਆ ਕਰਵਾ ਸਕਾਂਗੇ, ਇਹ ਇਕ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਨ ਹੈ।

13 ਸਾਲਾਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਕੱਢੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲਣਗੇ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ

ਦੂਤਘਰਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਜਵਾਬ ਨਾ ਆਉਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਲਟਕੇ ਪਏ ਹਨ ਸੈਂਕੜੇ ਕੇਸ
ਜਲੰਧਰ, 20 ਜੁਲਾਈ (ਸ਼ਿਵ)-ਦੁਆਬਾ ਦੇ ਕਈ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਲਈ ਖੁਸ਼ਖਬਰੀ ਹੈ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਖੇਤਰੀ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ਅਗਸਤ ਵਿਚ ਚਾਰ ਦਿਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਲਗਾਈ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਮੈਗਾ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਲੋਕ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਵਿਚ 13 ਸਾਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਡਿਪੋਰਟ (ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਕੱਢੇ ਲੋਕ) ਕੇਸਾਂ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿਚ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰਨ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿਚ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਾਰ ਕਿਸੇ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ਵਿਚ 4500 ਕੇਸ ਨਿਪਟਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਲਗਾਈ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। 12 ਤੋਂ ਲੈ ਕੇ 15 ਅਗਸਤ ਤੱਕ ਲਗਾਈ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਲੋਕ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਵਿਚ 2500 ਕੇਸ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ 'ਚੋਂ ਕੱਢੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਆਏ ਹਨ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਗ਼ੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਨਾਲ ਰਹਿਣ 'ਤੇ ਗ਼੍ਰਿਫਤਾਰ ਕਰਕੇ ਵਾਪਸ ਭਾਰਤ ਭੇਜ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਸੀ ਤੇ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਵਿਚਲੇ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਦੂਤਘਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿਚ ਜਵਾਬ ਨਹੀਂ ਭੇਜੇ ਸਨ ਤੇ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਬਣਨ ਤੋਂ ਰਹਿ ਗਏ ਸਨ। 13 ਸਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਵੀ ਵੱਧ ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਜਵਾਬ ਨਾ ਆਉਣ 'ਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਫਾਈਲਾਂ ਬੰਦ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਸਨ। ਖੇਤਰੀ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਅਫ਼ਸਰ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਨੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਾ ਕਹਿਣਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਕੱਢੇ ਗਏ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਲੋਕ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਵਿਚ ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਹੋਣ ਲਈ ਪੱਤਰ ਭੇਜੇ ਗਏ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿਚ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ ਮੰਤਰਾਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਵੀ ਸਲਾਹ ਕਰ ਲਈ ਗਈ ਹੈ। ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਕੇਸ ਬੰਦ ਹੋ ਗਏ ਹਨ, ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਫਾਈਲਾਂ ਦੁਬਾਰਾ ਅਪਲਾਈ ਕਰਨੀਆਂ ਹੋਣਗੀਆਂ। ਅਜੇ ਵੀ ਗ਼ੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਾਪਸ ਆਉਣ ਦੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਕਾਫੀ ਹੈ। ਇਥੇ ਵਰਨਣਯੋਗ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਜਿਹੜੇ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਗ਼ੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਨਾਲ ਗਏ ਹਨ, ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਭੇਜਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਏਜੰਟ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਲੈ ਲੈਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਵਾਪਸ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦੇ। ਇਹੋ ਜਿਹੇ ਮਾਮਲਿਆਂ ਵਿਚ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਦੂਤਘਰ ਐਮਰਜੰਸੀ ਪਰਚੀ 'ਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵਾਪਸ ਭੇਜ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ ਨੇ ਹੋਰ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਦੋਹਰਾ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਰੱਖਣ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਦੇ 500 ਕੇਸ ਵੀ ਲੋਕ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਵਿਚ ਲਗਾਏ ਗਏ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿਚ ਜੁਰਮਾਨਾ ਪਾ ਕੇ ਇਹ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਹੱਲ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਜਾਣਗੇ। ਲੋਕ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ ਚਾਰ ਦਿਨ ਚੱਲਣ ਕਰਕੇ 15 ਅਗਸਤ ਨੂੰ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ ਦਿਵਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਤਿਰੰਗਾ ਵੀ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ਵਿਚ ਲਹਿਰਾਇਆ ਜਾਏਗਾ।