Nod to Panchayat Amendment Bill

Now, sarpanches to be elected directly by voters, earlier panches used to choose them
Chandigarh, March 28
The Vidhan Sabha today passed the Punjab Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2012, to provide for "wardbandi" and reservation of panches offices by deputy commissioners.
The elections to gram panchayats next year would now be held under the amended provisions. By doing so, the state government has reverted to the old system where the villagers directly used to elect a sarpanch.
The old system had been altered and the panches were given the power to elect a sarpanch from among themselves. As a result, at times even a person who did enjoy much support in a village used to become a sarpanch. Minister for Rural Development Surjit Singh Rakhra said the amendment had been necessitated as the previous system of indirect elections had been leading to factionalism in villages, which was hampering development.
The Bill, the last item of the day's agenda before the House was adjourned sine die, was passed without much debate. Only Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa of the Congress rose to make a suggestion that reservation in panchayats should also be provided for categories other than women and Scheduled Caste. But, Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal overruled it saying such an amendment could not be brought at this stage. Earlier in the day, the House passed the vote-on-account approving Rs 14,245 crore as expenditure for three months from April 1 to June 30.
Finance Minister Parminder Dhindsa presented the supplementary demands and the vote-on-account before the House. He assured the House that the promises made in the elections manifesto would be taken care of in the regular budget.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Sunil Jhakhar pointed out that the SAD-BJP government had promised unemployment allowance of Rs 1,000, increase in old age pension to Rs 500 and an enhanced Shagun Scheme. But the vote-on-account did not have any provisions for this. He said provisions should be kept and an additional Rs 120 core should be added for unemployment allowance, Rs 150 crore for increased pension and Rs 90 crore for Shagun Scheme as these people should not be made to wait for three months if the government was serious about implementing its promises.
Congress legislator Ashwani Sekhri said the Punjab Government must also keep aside Rs 142 crore as 1 per cent matching grant contribution to get central funds under the Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) for 138 cities in Punjab that required repair of roads, sewerage, etc. But, Atwal said it was not possible to make any amendments at this time.

Patiala Judge Murder Case

Lady doc among 2 convicted 

Accused Ravdeep Kaur and Manjit Singh come out of the district courts in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

Chandigarh, March 28
After seven years of trial in the case relating to murder of a senior Patiala judge, Chandigarh Court today convicted two accused including a lady doctor.
The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge VP Sirohi convicted Dr Ravdeep Kaur and Granthi Manjit Singh under Section 302 of the IPC. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on Friday.
The murder occurred on October 13, 2005 when Vijay Singh, who was the Additional District and Sessions Judge, was attacked with swords while he was on a late night walk in the high-security area of the Polo Ground in Patiala. He was stabbed repeatedly by the accused. Vijay (42) was holding the charge of presiding officer of the Chandigarh Labour Court at that time. He was son of former chairman of Punjab Public Service Commission Amarjit Singh.
Four days after the murder, the Patiala police had arrested two persons — a lady doctor working with a private hospital, Ravdeep Kaur, for masterminding the murder and Manjit Singh, who was a contract killer and executed the crime. He was paid an amount of Rs 5 lakh for executing the murder, police had said. The trial was transferred from Patiala to Chandigarh Court as no counsel in Patiala was willing to represent any of the accused in the case pertaining to murder of the judge. The case was transferred to Chandigarh in February 2006.
While establishing the motive behind the crime, the prosecution stated Dr Ravdeep had an affair with Vijay and was compelling him to marry her and divorce his wife. Vijay had three children and he refused to tie the knot with Ravdeep, following which she turned bitter against him and hatched a conspiracy to kill him.
Public prosecutor from Punjab Vijay Singla said strong circumstantial evidence led to the conviction. Call details of Ravdeep proved that she took an add-on connection three months prior to the murder, which was used to maintain contact with Manjit. She was in touch with him before and after the murder. Bloodstains and DNA samples of the victim matched with the blood stained clothes of accused Manjit.
The prosecution also stated Ravdeep made anonymous complaints against Vijay to the Chief Justice. It was proved that the anonymous letters were written by Ravdeeep. The police had also recovered Rs 4 lakh cash hidden in the harmonium of Manjit.

Rajoana hanging stayed

New Delhi, March 28
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday stayed the hanging of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassin, Balwant Singh Rajoana.
The convict was supposed to be hanged on March 31 at a jail in Patiala. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal announced the decision of the MHA by showing the letter they received from the ministry to the media. Earlier, the Chief Minister called on President Pratibha Patil and sought clemency for Rajoana.
The MHA acted on a plea filed by the Shiromani Gurdawara Parbandhak Committee and has informed the Principal Secretary, Home (Punjab) about its decision. The SGPC cited Article 72 of the Constitution to seek clemency for Rajoana. The President has powers to grant pardons, to suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases under this Article.
Joint Secretary (MHA), JL Chugh, in his orders passed tonight, said: “As per the procedure regarding petitions for mercy in death sentence cases, the execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana is stayed till the order of the Supreme Court in the matter of the criminal appeal no 2277/2022 and 1464/2011 or till the order of the President on the said mercy petition, whichever is later”. Rajoana’s case is unique as he has not sought clemency for his act. The special CBI court had awarded death sentence to Rajoana and Jagtar Singh Hawara in the Beant Singh case on August 1, 2007. Three others - Lakhwinder Singh, Gurmit Singh and Shamsher Singh - were sentenced to life imprisonment for hatching the conspiracy to kill Beant Singh. A Chandigarh court had issued death warrants to Patiala jail authorities earlier this month, asking them to hang Rajoana on March 31. Rajoana did not appeal against the judgment.
The death penalty of Hawara, who filed an appeal against it, was commuted to life term. Sukhbir Singh Badal told reporters that clemency for Rajoana was not a political issue. The residents of Punjab want him to be pardoned, said the Deputy CM of Punjab.

Rajoana village celebrates

As soon as news of the stay on Rajoana’s hanging reached his native village Rajoana Kalan, a wave of joy swept through the village. The villagers were seen bursting crackers and congratulating one another. Village sarpanch said, “We are very happy about the stay. We thank all those who supported the cause”.

Decision in interest of peace: Gurkirat

Chandigarh: Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Khanna MLA and grandson of the late Beant Singh, said the stay on the execution would ensure long-term peace in Punjab. “The hard-earned peace achieved after several sacrifices, including that by martyr Beant Singh, cannot be jeopardised and any step in the interest of peace and harmony will always be supported by us”, he said.

Capt lauds decision

Chandigarh: Appreciating the stand taken by the UPA Government, PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh said the decision will go a long way in maintaining the hard-earned peace in Punjab. Appealing to the people of the state to maintain peace at all costs, he pointed out that the Congress-led UPA Government respected the sentiments of the people of Punjab.

Khalsa March put off

Amritsar: Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh has stated that the Panthic outfits have postponed the Khalsa March which was scheduled to start on Thursday in view of the stay on Rajoana’s hanging. A group of Panthic outfits had given a call to start a march from all three Takhts in Punjab to Patiala on March 29. Meanwhile, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has hailed the Centre’s move to stay the execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana.

Near-total bandh in Punjab over Rajoana’s hanging

Chandigarh, March 28
Punjab was in the grip of a saffron wave in support of former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana with a near-complete bandh having been organised to demand clemency for Rajoana on a call given by the Akal Takht and various panthic organisations.
Patiala witnessed tension and even violence after the district police failed to prevent youth, raising pro-Khalistan slogans, from moving into the Hindu-dominated inner city around the Arya Samaj chowk. This resulted in injuries to four persons besides a police commando.
In Jalandhar, members of a radical outfit assaulted a head constable with a sword. They also tried to damage a statue of Beant Singh at the BMC chowk but thwarted from doing so.
State Home Secretary D S Bains claimed that the bandh passed off peacefully except for sporadic incidents of violence.
Bains said the police had to resort to mild lathi charge at Jalandhar and also in Deena Nagar. Trains were stopped at eight places, including Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Patiala and Tarn Taran districts.
Sources said though the bandh was, by and large, peaceful, fear psychosis had been created at some places with the impression gaining ground that the administration, particularly the police, was giving kids glove treatment to radical groups engaged in the protest. At most places, police personnel remained mute spectators and were even reluctant to intervene when shopkeepers were forced to down shutters.
Meanwhile, Congress legislators accused the government of supporting the bandh. Banga legislator Tarlochan Singh Soondh said the people’s attention was being diverted from real issues.
Patiala legislator Brahm Mohindra said a legal matter was being turned into a religious one. Congress legislator Sukhpal Khaira said the government was empowered to commute any sentence, including the death penalty under Section 433 of the CrPC and there was no need to approach the Centre on this account.
SAD spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema derided Khaira’s statement as gimmickry, saying Khaira should realise that it was for the Centre to act in the matter as the incident pertained to the union territory that is controlled by it. He refuted allegations that the government had supported the bandh, saying it was spontaneous in nature.
The BJP broke its silence on the issue, with State BJP President Ashwani Sharma saying peace should be maintained at all costs. Senior leader Balramjidas Tandon was more vocal.

Clashes in Patiala leave five injured

(Left) Protesters block railway tracks at the Patiala railway station; (Right-above) security personnel at Chaura Bazaar in Ludhiana; and (Right-below) a jawan of paramilitary forces quenches his thirst.

Chandigarh, March 28
Apart from a police lathi charge on protesters in Patiala, Jalandhar and Phagwara, the statewide bandh passed off peacefully today.

Students stranded at the Patiala bus stand

Tension gripped Patiala after five persons, including a police commando, were injured in a clash when some youths brandished swords and raised pro-Khalistan slogans.
Sikh radicals had declared a Punjab bandh today to demand clemency for Balwant Singh Rajoana convicted in the Beant Singh assassination case.
The clash occurred in Arya Samaj area at 11.30 am when some youths took out a procession and raised pro-Khalistan slogans. Area residents objected to such sloganeering and a clash ensued which soon turned bloody with a mob of over 100 youths thronging the locality, attacking policemen on duty and damaging two cars and a two-wheeler.

Closed shutter of a bank in Amritsar

For some 10 minutes, area residents threw stones from inside their houses while some youths on the streets were thrashed by a mob. The policemen on duty, most of them young recruits, ran for cover instead of taming the mob.
The youths brandishing swords and sticks challenged the cops. Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill, who reached the site, suffered minor injuries when pushed around by the mob. The police then resorted to a mild lathi charge. Additional force was summoned and the situation was brought under control.
Commando (constable) Gurcharan Singh was injured and admitted to a private hospital.
Patiala DC Vikas Garg, who reached Arya Samaj area, faced a barrage of complaints and he left within minutes. Patiala IG Paramjit Singh Gill and DIG LK Yadav also visited the spot. Later in the evening, Garg said that the administration would pay the medical bills of the injured.
Patiala SSP Gill said they are trying to identify the culprits through video-recording and an FIR would be registered thereafter. Most business establishments in the city remained shut. Some trains were stopped. A group of radicals blocked the national highway near Rajpura for a few hours, causing inconvenience to commuters. A report from Sangrur said members of Sikh organisations clashed with shopkeepers in Lehra. Two persons received minor injuries.

Trains held up

In Jalandhar, the police resorted to a mild cane charge after activists of various Sikh outsfits assaulted head constable Harpreet Singh at a railway crossing. He received injuries on his hand. The armed activists also tried to damage the statue of Beant Singh at BMC Chowk.
Brandishing swords, the activists smashed the windows of a bank at Bhagat Singh Chowk and forced Central Government offices to shut.
More than 1,500 protesters gheraoed the Amritsar-bound Shan-e-Punjab train and the Jammu Tawi Express for almost 45 minutes.
Holding saffron flags, the activists, including women, took to the roads in open jeeps, SUVs, motorcycles and tractors. They forced the lawyers to close their chambers.
Some shops were ransacked in Attari Bazaar as also two banks at Phagwara Gate and the Mandi road.

Phagwara tense

Tension prevailed in this industrial town after a clash between Sikh radicals and activists of Hindu organisations near the old sabzi mandi on the Phagwara-Banga road this evening.
Over 12 persons- three cops, two scribes, four Sikh youths and three Hindu activists- sustained injuries. A car was damaged by some unidentified persons even as its occupants fled to save their lives. The police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disburse the mob. The police also opened fire into the air.
In Amritsar, the bandh crippled life with almost all commercial establishments, schools and colleges remaining shut. Activists of various outfits carrying sticks and swords ensured that the bandh was successful. The entire city wore a deserted look with government and private buses and auto-rickshaws off the road. The residents had a tough time getting LPG, petrol and diesel as all the filing stations and gas agencies remained shut. The police and paramilitary forces remained on their toes throughout the day. Government offices and hospitals also wore a deserted look. Dal Khalsa and Sikh Students Federation (Mehta) activists held separate marches in support of Rajoana.

Roadblocks

In Bathinda, the daylong bandh crippled life and disrupted public transport services in the district. Sikh leaders held a protest march in the city. A group led by Rajinder Sidhu, president of Khalsa Diwan Gurdwara Singh Sabha blocked GT Road outside Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Colony.Police commandos, riot vehicles and senior police functionaries were deployed there in strength.
The protesters, however, made way for the ambulances and the ailing. They squatted on the road chanting “Satnam Waheguru. There was a similar blockade near the Goniana mandi. The protesters performed ardas at Gurdwara Qila Mubarak. In Gurdaspur, various Sikh organisations forced a complete bandh in the town. State-owned and private buses remained off road. Banks too remained closed. A group of Sikh radicals tried to block the Gurdaspur-Pathankot road. However, SSP Varinder Pal Singh intervened and the protesters agreed to lift the blockade after brief negotiations.

Tibetan man dies from self-immolation in protest against a visit by China's president to India

New Delhi, 27 March 2012 - A Tibetan man died on Wednesday after setting himself on fire earlier this week in New Delhi to protest Chinese rule of the Himalayan region, activists said, hours before Chinese President Hu Jintao was due to arrive in India for a summit of emerging market nations.
Thirty Tibetans, mostly Buddhist monks and nuns, have set themselves on fire, mostly in southwestern China, in the past year, according to Tibetan rights groups. At least 20 have died.
Jamphel Yeshi, 27, set himself ablaze on Monday at a protest criticizing President Hu's visit. He died in a local hospital from his injuries, the general secretary of the Tibetan Youth Congress said in a statement.
"The fact that Tibetan people are setting themselves on fire in this 21st century is to let the world know about their suffering," Yeshi wrote in a handwritten statement found in his room.
Pictures taken by a Reuters photographer showed the activist running down a street enveloped in flames on Monday. He suffered burn injuries across 98 percent of his body.
Born in Tibet but living in exile in India, Yeshi was an activist with the youth organization, which seeks independence for the Himalayan region, under Chinese rule for more than six decades.
Hu is due to arrive in Delhi on Wednesday afternoon to take part in a one day summit between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- known collectively as BRICS.
Indian police have arrested a number of Tibetans in recent days, activists say, in an apparent bid to prevent protests marring Hu's visit.
India hosts large community of Tibetans - including exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama - one of the main sources of friction with neighbouring China, which accuses the Dalai Lama of stirring unrest.