Tarn Taran

Protests After Masked Men Vandalise Church in Punjab

Four masked youths entered the church in Tarn Taran, pointed a pistol at the watchman’s head and tied up his hands before vandalising the building.

Amritsar: Four masked youths allegedly vandalised a church in a village close to the Indo-Pak border in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in Takkarpura village of Patti town on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, they said.

Four masked youths entered the church, pointed a pistol at the watchman’s head and tied up his hands before vandalising the church. They also broke an idol and burnt the pastor’s car before leaving, the police said.

After the incident, a police team led by Senior Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran, Ranjit Singh Dhillon reached the spot to take stock of the situation. Heavy police deployment has been made in the area, they said.

A group of Christians on Wednesday held a protest against the incident and blocked all routes leading to Khemkaran, Bhikhiwind, Patti, Harike and Ferozepur.

The protesters demanded immediate arrest of the accused.

(PTI)

‘Attacked With Swords’, Punjab Police Kills Two Nihangs

The two Nihangs – traditional Sikh warriors – were wanted in a murder case.

Tarn Taran (Punjab): Two Nihangs, traditional Sikh warriors, were shot dead by police during an encounter after the duo attacked policemen with swords at a village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran on S–unday, officials said.

The two Nihangs, identified as Mehatab Singh and Gurdev Singh, were wanted in a murder case at Nanded in Maharashtra, they said.

Also read: Punjab: 7 Held for Attacking Police Team, Chopping Policeman’s Hand

After their mobile location was traced in Sursingh village, the Nanded Police alerted the police in Punjab and a team of two SHOs were sent to nab them. The two accused attacked the SHOs with swords, leaving them critically injured, police said.

Thereafter, a heavy police force was called on the spot and an encounter broke out between the accused and police personnel in which the two Nihangs were shot dead. Meanwhile, both the injured SHOs – Balwinder Singh and Narinder Singh – were admitted to a private hospital in Amritsar.

Punjab to Introduce Bill With Death Penalty in Fatal Cases Of Spurious Liquor Consumption

The decision was taken by the Punjab cabinet in the wake of a hooch tragedy last year, in which several lives were lost due to the consumption of spurious liquor.

Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Monday decided to amend its Excise Act, introducing the death penalty in cases where people die after consuming spurious liquor.

The decision was taken by the Punjab cabinet on Monday in the wake of a hooch tragedy in the districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran, where several lives were lost due to the consumption of spurious liquor in July last year.

The Bill in this regard will be introduced in the ongoing budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, according to a government release, which said the aim is to instil fear of law among the offenders and impose stiff punishment.

Watch: Punjab Hooch Tragedy: Major Developments You Need to Know

A new Section 61-A will be inserted in the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, according to which in case of death, the guilty shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine which may extend up to Rs 20 lakh. In case of disability or grievous hurt, the guilty will be punished with imprisonment for at least six years extendable up to life imprisonment and with fine, which may extend to Rs 10 lakh. Similarly, in case of any other consequential injury caused to a person, the guilty may be punished with imprisonment up to one year and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh.

The cabinet also made a provision to provide compensation to the kin of the victim by the manufacturer and seller of spurious liquor. The court can order a compensation of not less than Rs 5 lakh in case of death and Rs 3 lakh in case of grievous hurt.

The Section 63 has also been amended to enhance the term of imprisonment from one year to three years and fine up to Rs 10,000 for the offence of alteration or attempt to alter denatured spirit.

The term of imprisonment has also been increased from three years to five years for unlawful import, export, transport, manufacture and possession of any intoxicant.

Amritsar-Bound Trains Diverted as Farmer Body Refuses to Clear Track

The Railways had resumed their services on Monday after around 30 farmer bodies had agreed to lift their blockage of passenger trains for 15 days last week.

Amritsar The Railways on Tuesday diverted several Amritsar-bound trains as a farmer body protest against the Centre’s farm laws refused to clear a track there.

The Railways had resumed their services on Monday after around 30 farmer bodies had agreed to lift their blockage of passenger trains for 15 days last week.

However, farmers protesting under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee had refused to clear the track, a move criticised by Punjab chief minister h on Monday.

Amritsar deputy commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira, on Tuesday, said the farmer body has blocked a rail track at the Jandiala railway station which is 25 km from Amritsar. Due to the same, many Amritsar-bound trains were diverted to Tarn Taran, officials said, adding that some of the trains were stopped at the Beas railway station on Tuesday morning. Passengers were taken to Amritsar through buses and other vehicles, they said.

Also read: ‘We’re Forced to Burn Stubble, Govt Has Failed to Provide Incentives’: Punjab Farmers

Khaira told reporters that officials held a series of meetings with representatives of the committee to persuade them to lift their blockade, however, they remained adamant. The deputy commissioner said the state government has no intention of using force to remove protesters from the rail track.

The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee has refused to budge from its stand till the farm laws issue is resolved. On Monday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had said the blockade by it would put people to major inconvenience and may have grave consequences for the state.

He said the committee is acting against the interests of Punjab and its people.

Punjab: 7,000 Litres of Illicit Liquor Seized in Tarn Taran District

Recently, over 120 people died in Punjab’s Tarn Taran, Batala and Amritsar districts after consuming illicit liquor.

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Wednesday seized 7,000 litres of illicit liquor from Tarn Taran district during an operation carried out with the help of drones equipped with cameras.

The operation was carried out in Mand area of Marrar village in Harike alongside Satluj riverine area in the district, they said

A manhunt has been launched to track seven people named as accused in the case, director general of police Dinkar Gupta said in an official statement here, adding that all the suspects are natives of nearby villages.

Seven boats were also recovered from the spot, six working stills were also found and destroyed at the site itself, he said.

The raid in Mand was carried out by police personnel in close coordination with the state excise and forest departments, he added.

Giving details of the raid, Gupta said a massive search operation was launched in marshy areas with the help of drones mounted with HD cameras to pinpoint the exact location of the working stills and activity of suspicious persons in the grassland.

Trained operators specially requisitioned from Punjab Armed Police, Jalandhar, were pressed into service to conduct a recce of approximately 2 sq. km area a day prior to the raid, he said.

The area is not accessible due to tall elephant grass. Hence, drones were used, he added.

The footage from the drone cameras was shown to residents of nearby villages to identify the suspects. Daler Singh, Kulbir Singh, Laly, Manjit Singh, Fuman Singh, Mohan Singh and Balwinder Singh alias Nimma have been named as accused on the basis of information provided by the locals, the DGP said.

An FIR has been registered under the Excise Act, according to police.

Recently, over 120 people died in Punjab’s Tarn Taran, Batala and Amritsar districts after consuming illicit liquor.

BSF Shoots Dead 5 Intruders Along India-Pakistan International Border in Punjab

This is the highest number of intruders killed in a single incident along the border with Pakistan in more than a decade.

Chandigarh/New Delhi: The Border Security Force shot dead five intruders along the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjab early Saturday, a senior BSF officer said.

This is the highest number of intruders killed in a single incident along the over 3,300 km-long border with Pakistan in more than a decade, officials said.

Punjab shares a 553-km-long frontier with Pakistan, apart from Jammu, Rajasthan and Gujarat, who together constitute the remaining part of the International Border.

The senior officer said “alert troops of the 103rd battalion noticed suspicious movement of intruders violating the IB” in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab.

When asked to stop, the intruders fired on BSF troops who retaliated in self-defence.

Subsequently, five intruders were shot dead, he said.

Another BSF official said the incident happened around 4:45 am near the ‘dal’ border post that is close to the Bhikhiwind town of the district.

BSF troops, officials said, first noticed suspicious activity at the border around midnight and launched a “focussed” surveillance on the intruders and set up multiple ambushes along the front after which the “contact was established” early morning, just behind the IB fence.

The intruders were seen carrying rifles and were taking the aid of the ‘sarkanda’ or tall grass to sneak into India, they said.

A photo collage released by the BSF showed two bodies piled on each other while the three others were lying separately in the slushy green tall grass. Some weapons and backpacks were visible in the photographs and the intrudes were wearing T-shirts or shirts and full pants.

The second BSF official said one AK-47 rifle and two pistols have been found.

An intensive search is underway to find other possible weapons carried by the infiltrators.

Watch | Punjab Hooch Tragedy: Major Developments You Need to Know

A majority of those who have been affected are said to be Dalits, working as farm labourers.

At least 112 people have died in Punjab after consuming spurious liquor. The worst affected districts are Tarn Taran, Batala, and rural Amritsar. A majority of those who have been affected are said to be Dalits, working as farm labourers.

The chemical analysis of the seized spurious liquor has shown that denatured spirit, used in the paint and hardware industry, had been distilled by adding water and other chemicals and sold as ‘country-made liquor’ at cheap prices.

This mixture of denatured spirit released methanol, which upon consumption, changed into formic acid and killed over 100 people in the span of four days.

Many others who consumed the spirit have suffered partial blindness, giddiness, difficulty in breathing and have been admitted to hospitals.

Punjab Hooch Tragedy: As Death Toll Rises to 104, Amarinder Singh Faces Political Wrath

With the opposition parties ramping up their pressure on the government, the chief minister has, in turn, put the blame on the bureaucracy.

New Delhi: All is not well with the Punjab Police in the wake of the state’s hooch tragedy that has so far witnessed 104 deaths. Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has thrown the onus on the state’s bureaucracy for these deaths that occurred in the past four days, suspending several officers of the excise wing, besides two deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) and four SHOs of police stations in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts.

The axe on bureaucracy is being seen as a kneejerk reaction by Amarinder as he faces political backlash from rivals in the AAP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The two opposition parties in Punjab have demanded the CM’s resignation in the wake of the deaths.

Punjab vidhan sabha’s leader of opposition and AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema had reached the spot, Muchhal village in Amristar district the very next day of the hooch tragedy deaths on July 30. He demanded the CM’s resignation for holding the portfolios of the home and excise departments as well.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has also asked for Amarinder’s resignation, accusing him of giving “political patronage” to the liquor mafia in the state.

This is the second time that Amarinder is facing this allegation, after the controversial removal of the state chief secretary Karan Avtar Singh earlier in May. At that time, the chief minister faced trouble from his own ministers, led by finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal. Amarinder’s ministerial colleagues were at loggerheads with Karan Avtar Singh over the state’s liquor trade policy.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh. Photo: PTI

Of the 104 deaths in the tragedy so far, as per the official confirmation, Tarn Taran district witnessed the worst, with 80 deaths. Twelve persons each have died in Batala (district Gurdaspur) and Amritsar (the adjoining villages of Tangra and Muchhal).

The villages with 80 deaths in Tarn Taran district included Pandori Gola, Bhullar and Kang and the Muradpura suburb locality of Tarn Taran city.

On August 1, when the toll reached 86 and several others were hospitalised in critical condition, the CM issued a press note, announcing the suspension of three excise and taxation officers (ETOs), of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Tarn Taran, and four excise and taxation inspectors (ETI) in the region.

Also Read: Nine Words That Can Reduce the Deadly Toll of Liquor Tragedies

Later, the suspensions “for negligence of duty” of two DSPs of Jandiala (Amritsar rural) and Tarn Taran sub-division were also announced. The SHOs who were suspended were from the police stations of Tarsikka (in Amritsar rural), Batala City, Sadar Tarn Taran and Tarn Taran city.

The specific charges on which all these officers have been suspended would be revealed in the chargesheets that were yet to be issued to them under the Punjab Service Rules.

The state government has entrusted the task of a magisterial inquiry to senior IAS officer B. Purusartha, the divisional commissioner of Jalandhar division.

Supporters of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) shout slogan as they protest over the death of people after consuming spurious liquor in Tarn Taran, August 2, 2020. Photo: PTI

A crackdown in vain

The dead victims included a bootlegger, Jaswant Singh in Muchhal village. His wife Balwinder Kaur was, however, arrested for the first seven deaths that had occurred in this village on the night of July 29.

Jaswant Singh had earlier been arrested during a raid at his premises on May 21, but released on bail a few days later due to a flimsy FIR registered at the Tarsikka police station that contained only Section 61 of the Excise Act (penalty for unlawful import, export, transport, manufacture and possession) and no section at all under the Indian Penal Code. This allowed him to seek bail, in the absence of stricter charges under the IPC.

Jaswant resumed the illicit liquor trade after his release, which meant that the police had failed to snap the supply from his premises despite the raid on May 21. His wife, now behind the bars, had reportedly continued the illicit trade after his arrest.

The police had earlier arrested three persons hailing from Sirhali village of Tarn Taran district on July 9 at a ‘naka’ over the Sutlej bridge in Phillaur on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar national highway. The FIR pertaining to these arrests mentioned a huge seizure of a molasses-like chemical – which is used to prepare country liquor – being carried in drums in a canter from the Rajpura side to Amritsar.

The said FIR, unlike the May 21 FIR, duly mentioned Sections 328 (administering or causing any person to take any poison, stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug) and 420 (cheating and dishonesty) of the IPC, besides sections 61 and 78 of the Excise Act, ensuring that the criminal offences could be treated seriously.

NIA Files Charge Sheet Against Nine ‘Pro-Khalistan’ Youths in Tarn Taran Blast Case

On September 4 last year, a powerful explosion took place in a vacant plot on the outskirts of Pandori Gola village in Tarn Taran in which two persons were killed.

New Delhi: The NIA on Wednesday filed a charge sheet against nine “pro-Khalistan” youths for their alleged involvement in last year’s Tarn Taran blast in Punjab in which two persons were killed, the agency said.

Massa Singh, Harjit Singh, Gurjant Singh, Manpreet Singh, Bikramjit Singh Panjwar, all residents of Tarn Taran; Chandeep Singh of Gurdaspur; Malkit Singh and Amarjeet Singh of Amritsar and one juvenile have been charged under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act, an NIA spokesperson said.

The charge sheet was filed in a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mohali.

The charges against Vikram Singh and Harpreet Singh, both residents of Tarn Taran, have abated on account of their death in the incident, the official said.

On September 4 last year, a powerful explosion took place in a vacant plot on the outskirts of Pandori Gola village in Tarn Taran in which two persons were killed and another was grievously injured. They were digging a pit to retrieve concealed explosives, the spokesperson said.

The case was re-registered by the NIA on September 23.

Also read: India Lodges Protests With UK Over Pro-Khalistan Event

The accused were “radicalised pro-Khalistan” youths who had formed a terrorist gang under the leadership of absconding accused Panjwar, the NIA spokesperson said.

The members of the terrorist gang carried out secessionist activities on the ground as well as on social media to instigate the members of the Sikh community to agitate for the secession of Punjab from India, the official said.

The terrorist gang chose targets for attack with a view to promote enmity between people of different communities, to create unrest and disturb social and religious harmony and thereby endangering the maintenance of public peace and order in Punjab, the NIA spokesperson said.

They illegally procured explosive substances, prepared and tested crude bombs to carry out terrorist acts in Punjab, the official said.

The accused had planned to target a dera at Muradpura in Tarn Taran and held a series of secret meetings before choosing the date of the attack. Harjit, Gurjant, Vikram, and Harpreet were retrieving the buried explosives when the explosion took place, the official said.

Further investigation against co-conspirators and suspects who are absconding was underway.

Punjab: Married Couple Attacked, Shot Dead by Family Members

Amanpreet Kaur and Amandeep Singh had married in August 2018, against the wishes of the former’s family.

New Delhi: In a case of alleged ‘honour killing’ a married couple was killed by relatives of the wife in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district on Sunday. Amanpreet Kaur (23) and Amandeep Singh (24) had married in August 2018, against the wishes of some members of the former’s family.

According to Hindustan Times, the couple were staying at Naushehra Dhala, a village near the India-Pakistan border, about 40 km away from Tarn Taran. Media reports suggest that Kaur’s cousins were responsible for the murder and that her parents did not have any link to the killings.

Kaur and Singh were on their way home after visiting a gurdwara near Chabhal town on Sunday morning when Kaur’s relatives forced them into a car. Amandeep Singh’s father Sukhdev Singh told Hindustan Times that he heard gunshots outside his home at around 8:30 am. “I rushed out to see my son and his wife, lying on the ground in a pool of blood. I also saw a Maruti Suzuki Swift car leaving the spot,” he said.

Amandeep Singh died on the spot while Kaur was declared dead at a private hospital.

Tarn Taran’s deputy superintendent of police Kawaljit Singh told the media that the couple was hacked and then shot. India Today reported that the couple was intentionally run over by a car and were cut with a sharp-edged weapon before being shot from a close range.

Ten people, including four relatives of Kaur have been charged by the police.

Amarjit Singh and Gurjit Kaur, the deceased woman’s parents, were also questioned by the police. According to Hindustan Times, Amarjit Singh said, “The couple was killed by my nephews (brother’s sons) and their accomplices, even as we had accepted the love marriage.” The DSP said that the police have not found any link between Amanpreet’s parents and the killings.