Credit war over Rocky’s killing

Groups take to social media, post brazen messages on Facebook

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Jakhar questions security to gangsters

• Reacting over reports that Punjab Police guards were escorting Rocky during his visit to Shimla, Congress leader Sunil Jakhar said allegations against the SAD-led government stood proven that the party had been “shielding gangsters” to meet political ends. He said the slain Fazilka gangster reportedly faced 40 criminal cases.

SSP link?

• Senior police officers don’t think that there is any need to inquire the “closeness” between Rocky and Bathinda SSP Swapan Sharma. But the police have initiated a probe into the use of internet from jails by members of different gangs. “We are ascertaining the location of the Facebook updates,” said a senior officer.

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SSP Swapan Sharma

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Fazilka, May 1

A day after the killing of 39-year-old gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Singh Bhullar “Rocky” of Fazilka, near Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh, different groups have claimed the responsibility of killing the gangsters.

The tussle is between Shera Khubban group and Dimpy Chandbhan’s son Sunny Chandbhan’s group. The activists of both groups today stormed the social media, especially Facebook, with their posts regarding claim over Rocky’s murder.

Jai Pal Singh, a notorious gangster from the adjoining Ferozepur district, who is presently absconding, uploaded a collage of Rocky’s pictures this morning on his Facebook account with a post saying, “Jaswinder Singh @ Rocky of Fazilka was murdered yesterday in Himachal Pradesh. I killed him. Those who are saying Dimpy Chandbhan’s son has killed Rocky, I clarify that he could not even give a statement in the case of his father’s killing, how can he kill him.......”

At the end of his post, he wrote, “The game has just started. Just wait and watch”.

Jai Pal, who belongs to Shera Khubban group, is facing some 40 cases of murder, extortion, kidnapping and robbery in different parts of country. He also mocked at the police as he posted his present location at Kasauli. 

Similarly, other activists of the same group Vicky Gounder Sarawan Bodla, who is lodged in Nabha jail, had yesterday uploaded a photo of Rocky with the caption: “Ajj apne veer Shere Khuban da badla pura ho gya.....aah bnata MLA......nale ik gal hor SSP Bathinda Swapan Sharma CIA Bathinda ch mnu kehnda c mitti vich late par mein Rocky de yaar Swapan Sharma nu keha c k mein dsu jdo Rocky nu mitti ch lataya ....Aah hunda asli latena SSP Swapan Sharma.”

The Sunny Chandbhan’s group too claimed the responsibility of killing Rocky. One Sandeep Yadav from another group uploaded a post on his Facebook account: “Rocky Fazilka’s murder is done by Dimpy Chandbhan’s son. But some people are claiming that they have taken the revenge of their brother. He never let you enter Punjab. And after his death you write that you have taken revenge....Rocky had killed Dimpy and Dimpy’s son has taken his revenge...”

Further, some other gangsters called Rocky a traitor, accusing him of having engineered the murder of Dimpy Chandbhan. Rocky was booked for the murder in 2006, but he was acquitted in 2014.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Who was Rocky

Who was Rocky 

Jaswinder Singh Bhullar, alias Rocky, unsuccessfully contested the elections as an Independent from Fazilka in 2012

• He gave a close fight to BJP candidate Surjit Kumar Jyani, now Health Minister, polling 39,209 votes against Jyani's 40,901
• During the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, he backed SAD candidate Sher Singh Ghubaya from Ferozepur
• Rocky was released from jail in 2009 and was brought to his hometown in a huge cavalcade
• Earlier with the Prabhjinder Singh ‘Dimpy’ gang, he was booked for the gangster's murder in a shootout near the Chandigarh Lake Club in 2006; he was acquitted in 2014
• In March last year, the Faridkot police had arrested him in connection with an arms smuggling case and was out on bail
•  Rocky had a huge fan following in Fazilka, Muktsar; he was reportedly close to UP gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari
• He was facing about 30 cases of murder, extortion, kidnapping, conspiracy, illegal confinement and illegal weapons registered in several parts of the country

— Archit Watts

Courtesy: The Tribune

SAD men clash at CM’s house; Faction led by Mansa MC chief ‘thrashes’ sr vice-chief

SAD men clash at CM’s house

Faction led by Mansa MC chief ‘thrashes’ sr vice-chief

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Badal (Muktsar), April 29

The factionalism in the Mansa unit of SAD came to the fore today when two factions in the SAD-led Mansa Municipal Council clashed at the CM’s residence in Badal village here this afternoon.

During the melee, the turban of Gurmel Singh, senior vice-president, Mansa Municipal Council, was allegedly tossed. Councillor from ward 21 Mandeep Gora, who is SAD’s urban wing president of Mansa, sustained a minor injury on his arm.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had called both factions to his residence to settle some dispute that had arisen over the utilisation of MC funds.

The incident reportedly took place when the faction led by Gurmel Singh came out of the camp office of Sukhbir around 12.30 pm. The other faction led by Balwinder Singh ‘Kaka’, president of the Mansa Municipal Council, was that time reportedly waiting in the courtyard. Both the factions first indulged into a verbal duel and then had a clash.

Gurmel Singh claimed that his turban was tossed during the ruckus. He alleged, “Balwinder had indulged in some illegal activities and bungling the MC funds. We had raised this issue in the House meeting on April 20 and passed a no-confidence resolution against him. It was signed by 21 out of the total 27 councillors. The issue even came to the notice of Sukhbir, who had called us today for a meeting.

“We told the matter in detail to Sukhbir and also showed some documents to substantiate our claim. He marked a probe to DIG, Bathinda range, to investigate the matter and file a report by May 5.

“But when I came out of the camp office, the other faction, including Balwinder, his nephew Jaspal Singh ‘Kala’, an aide Rajiv Thekedar, Balor Singh and 10 others, thrashed me and tossed my turban.

“Mandeep Gora, a councillor from ward 21, tried to protect me. But he was attacked with a ‘kada’ and sustained an injury on his arm,” alleged Gurmel Singh.

After this alleged episode, Gurmel appeared before Sukhbir without his turban and sought action against Balwinder Singh and his accomplices. Later, he along with his supporters and councillors went to the Lambi police station and recorded his statement. However, Balwinder refuted the allegations.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Badal to sweat it out to check rivals’ campaign

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 28

To counter the Congress’ “Coffee with Captain” and AAP’s “Punjab Dialogue” programmes, SAD patron and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is all set to hold back-to-back sangat darshan programmes in blistering heat. In May alone, he will be holding such events for 20 days across the state.

Badal will hold sangat darshan in Muktsar town on May 1, Lambi May 2-3, Nawanshahar May 6-7, Muktsar May 10-12, Dirba May 15-17, Balluana May 20-22, Nakodar May 24-26 and again in Lambi from May 28-30.

Badal during his speeches has always termed his direct public interface sangat darshan programme as the best method to solve the problems of the commoners. “I am an elected representative and Chief Minister of the state. It is my duty to meet my people, hear their grievances and address them,” he says.

Congress’ poll strategist Prashant Kishor had recently concluded a campaign called “Coffee with Captain” wherein PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh interacteds with youngsters over a cup of coffee. He is again set to continue with his youth interactions after returning from the US tour.

Similarly, AAP last week launched an interactive programme across the state with different sections of people “Punjab Dialogue” to help it prepare the election manifesto.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Cong, AAP want to turn state into desert: Badal; CM to open personal call centre in Chandigarh; Cong activists lodge protest, detained

Cong, AAP want to turn state into desert: Badal

Cong activists lodge protest, detained

• At least 15 activists of the Congress’ Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Cell on Wednesday lodged a protest near the CM’s sangat darshan venue on the Jalalabad road. They alleged that each empty gunny bag was being weighed 750 gm, which, however, actually weighed 450 gm. They were detained and taken to the police station. They were later released after the programme.

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Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal holds sangat darshan in Muktsar on Wednesday. Tribune photo

The police detain activists of Congress’ Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Cell in Muktsar on Wednesday. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 27

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today termed the river water dispute the current biggest problem of the state and asked the people to be prepared for making supreme sacrifices for it.

Badal alleged that the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were jointly hatching a conspiracy to turn the state into a desert by snatching the state’s river waters.

“All of us will have to struggle relentlessly to ensure that not even a single drop of water is taken away from us,” said Badal on the sidelines of his sangat darshan programme in Muktsar town.

He cautioned the people in every ward not to fell prey to the “malicious” propaganda of the AAP and Congress, saying, “Both of these parties are hell bent upon ruining the state. For instance, the Congress had signed various agreements to deprive the state of its river waters.”

Criticising Delhi CM-cum-AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, he said, “The AAP is suffering from the anti-Punjab syndrome as the Congress. The fresh affidavit filed by the Delhi government in the Supreme Court on the SYL issue is just a political stunt. Kejriwal has anti-Punjab mindset and it has already been exposed in its earlier affidavit, which had termed Punjab’s stand on the issue as unconstitutional and anti-national.”

He said Kejriwal hailed from Haryana and so was naturally inclined towards safeguarding the interests of his parent state and nothing good for Punjab could be expected from him.

Meanwhile, he sanctioned huge funds for the development of the Muktsar constituency, including Rs 25 crore for upgrade and revamp of power infrastructure.

Tytler’s letter on 1984 riots

On Congress leader Jagdish Tytler’s letter to Harsimrat Kaur Badal on the CBI giving him a clean chit four times, Badal said, “Various commissions set up by the government have eye-witnesses and even the media reports pertaining to the 1984 Sikh carnage have indicted the Congress for planning a conspiracy to butcher innocent Sikhs. Every Congress leader is responsible for being associated with the party.”

Wheat procurement

Rubbishing all reports of farmers facing problems in grain markets, Badal said the procurement was going on in a smooth and hassle-free manner.

On farmer suicides

“Farming has gradually become a non-profitable profession. There Centre must provide some debt relief to farmers and take some more steps to make it a profitable business,” said Badal.

CM’s call centre

To keep tabs on the implementation of various welfare schemes launched by the state government and know about problems, if any, being faced by the beneficiaries, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has decided to open his personal call centre at his Chandigarh office next week.

Badal said the initiative was taken after a recent surprise check on the progress of the Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana. “I will randomly make phone calls to the beneficiaries of various schemes. The beneficiaries too will be given a chance to call me. The tele-calling facility will be launched next week in Chandigarh,” he said.

Sources in the Chief Minister’s office said the call centre was likely to be made functional on May 4. “The action taken on the grievances will also be shared with the caller within a short time,” he said.

Courtesy: The Tribune

MALOUT DALIT WOMAN’S RAPE: Second accused held, case ‘solved’

MALOUT DALIT WOMAN’S RAPE

Second accused held, case ‘solved’

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Malout, April 24

A month after a 22-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly raped by a native of her own village, Kandukhera, on March 25, the Malout police today claimed to have nabbed the remaining second accused and solved the case. 

The car used to abduct the woman was also seized today, the police said.

Jagdeep Singh ‘Jojo’, the main accused in the case, had surrendered at a local court on Friday. He was “caught on camera” dragging the woman about 100 ft from outside her workplace (a computer centre) on Indira Road here on March 25.

Talking to The Tribune, Manwinderbir Singh, DSP, Malout, said, “During questioning, Jagdeep Jojo, who is on three-day police remand, had yesterday said that he, along with his friend Sandeep Singh ‘Seepa’, had abducted the woman and taken her to Seepa’s house in Tappa Khera village.

“We arrested Seepa from Malout town today. The car used to abduct the victim has also been seized from Kandukhera village from the location disclosed by Jojo. The case has been solved.”

The victim’s parents had lodged a complaint with the City Malout police on March 30 alleging that the woman was dragged, abducted from Malout and raped at a house in Tappa Khera village. A case under Sections 341, 342, 363, 366, 376, 34 of the IPC was registered. The accused had left the woman at Malout bus stand the same day, as per their statement.

However, no arrest had been made till about a month and that too after the complainants produced video footage of the accused allegedly dragging the woman.

A report in this regard had first appeared in The Tribune on April 20 “Despite footage, rape accused still at large”. Thereafter, the police, facing flak from various quarters, had added Sections 3, 4 of the Prevention of Atrocities (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes) Act to the FIR and directed SP, Malout, Balraj Singh, to supervise the investigation.

Both Kandukhera and Tappa Khera villages fall in the CM’s home turf Lambi. The prime accused, Jojo, is said to be an aide of a politician of this VVIP Assembly segment. Jojo had allegedly tried to reach a compromise with the victim’s family by offering them Rs 20 lakh a few days ago.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Out on bail and on to big screen

Muktsar: The well-dressed former Director of Agriculture, Mangal Singh Sandhu, an accused in the multi-crore pesticide scam who is out on bail, is all set to join Punjabi films. “Acting has been my passion. In the coming months, you will see me in Punjabi movies. I don’t want to sit idle after retirement. I had to choose a profession and I opted for films. My objective is to serve farmers. In films, my priority will be to promote farming. As of now, I have three film offers with one from abroad,” says an excited Sandhu.

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune