Cops pat themselves

Ever since the region was rocked by Batala hooch tragedy in August last year, which devoured more than hundred lives, the police have widened the net to nab peddlers. Normally, large seizures of heroin and other narcotics are made by the BSF from near the international border. However, this time, the Gurdaspur police pounced upon a Bolero car and struck gold. Cops were innocuously checking vehicles plying on the outskirts of the city on January 11 when the police signalled a driver to stop. Cops simply asked for his driving licence, but the man panicked. The hawk-eyes immediately got to know that something was fishy. Two men sitting on the rear seat started exchanging weird looks and also could be seen fiddling with a black bag. The policemen asked all the four occupants to get down and after frisking them they started searching the car. The black bag contained nothing, but seeing the panicky men, cops widened their search and found another bag pushed under a seat. This bag contained 500 grams of pure-grade heroin valued at Rs 2.5 crore in the international market. Sensing that they had laid their hands on something big, SSP Rajinder Singh Sohal, convened a press conference. By the time mediapersons reached the SSP office, news filtered in that the Dhariwal police had solved murder case of a middle-aged man. In this case the complainant, deceased’s wife, turned out to be the murderer. As the press conference was drawing to a close, the SSP received a call from an SHO who claimed to have cracked another murder. The cops were patting themselves on the back, but nobody was telling the mediapersons that the police had been unsuccessful, at least till yet, in cracking the triple suicide case of Dhariwal wherein a couple and their teenage daughter consumed poison after being harassed by woman’s brother. When questioned, SSP Sohal said, “We were still on the job.” In the first case, it was a job well done. In the second, the job has yet to be completed. When will it be completed is the job of cops to tell!

Kiss of the angels, curse of the devil

Villagers engaged in manufacturing of hooch are a stubborn lot. A fortnight ago, Rajwinder Kaur Bajwa, Assistant Commissioner (Excise), had led a team which raided Budha Bala village located in a difficult terrain across Beas river in Qadian. The squad had seized thousands of litres of hooch, called ‘lahan’ in local parlance. That was touted as a high profile seizure and excise officials ensured it got enough publicity to ostensibly deter others from engaging in this nefarious activity. However, the obstinate villagers had other plans. Barely had the embers of Bajwa’s raid died down, the bootleggers were back in business, this time with renewed vigour. There were reports that these villagers had produced a record 30,000 liters of ‘lahan’ within a week. Yet again, Bajwa constituted a team and again Beas river was crossed to raid Budha Bela. This time, ETO Rajinder Talwar and excise officials Harvinder Singh and Gulzar Masih were added to the raiding party keeping in view their experience and expertise in nabbing offenders. The ‘lahan’ was confiscated and destroyed. Wine shop owners heaved a sigh of relief as their businesses suffered losses as people were more intent of consuming hooch instead of buying legal liquor. One thing is sure. The villagers know the tricks of the trade better than the mandarins manning the Excise Department. As they say, liquor is the kiss of the angels as well as the curse of the devil. It can conceal but can also reveal. Bajwa’s take on this is: “People should understand that liqour is not necessary either for health or for so-called gracious living. It is the very cause of untold sorrow, suffering and material loss. Moreover, alcohol does not make you fat. It makes you ‘lean’ against tables, chairs, floors and ugly people.” The officer, for sure, has a sense of humour!

Every vote matters

Gurdaspur Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC-General) Tejinder Pal Singh Sandhu (pic) has been tasked with generating awareness among women about the importance of casting their franchise through cultural programmes. This assumes significance as elections to the Batala MC are slated to be held in February. In the first phase, Sandhu has planned to ask Asha and Anganwadi workers to take part in these programmes whose theme will be ‘importance of your vote.’ Sandhu opined, “While there are some who genuinely cast their vote, many women sit back and relax on voting day while and others are cajoled into voting for particular candidates. The importance of voting is lost among hustle and bustle of domestic life. While everyone sits and complains about this and that, and makes suggestions that the government should change this and that, the elections come and go without half female population paying scant attention. The first ever polls to the Batala MC are due shortly. This can act as a rehearsal for the 2022 Assembly polls. Women should know the significance of their vote and how it can change society.” — TNS