*LOK SABHA ELECTIONS 2024:PUNJAB CEO INSTRUCTS ALL DCS, CPS AND SSPS TO ENSURE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AND SECURITY OF CANDIDATES DURING CAMPAIGN PERIOD

- SAYS, ENSURING SECURITY OF CANDIDATES IS ONE OF THE PRIME DUTIES OF THE DISTRICT ELECTION MACHINERY

- URGES FARMERS UNIONS TO REFRAIN FROM DISRUPTING THE CAMPAIGNS OF CONTESTING CANDIDATES IN PUNJAB

Chandigarh, May 9:In order to conduct free and fair elections in view of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C instructed all Deputy Commissioners-cum-District Election Officers, Commissioners of Police, and Senior Superintendents of Police on Thursday to ensure a level playing field for all candidates and their security. The CEO stressed that ensuring the security of candidates is one of the primary responsibilities of the district election machinery and the Election Commission of India is serious about this matter.

In a circular issued to the officers, the CEO said that it has come to his attention that numerous incidents have been reported from various parts of the state. These incidents, highlighted through various complaints and reports in the media, involving political party candidates being obstructed by agitating farmers, thereby impeding the candidates' democratic right to campaign and convey their manifesto to the citizens of the state. Such actions go against the directions and guidelines of the ECI.

The CEO further said that it has been observed that gatherings by protesting farmers are often held without permissions, despite orders by the District Magistrates under Sec 144 CRPC and loudspeakers are also used without permission.

As outlined by the ECI, the CEO said that ensuring the security of candidates and adhering to its guidelines is essential to providing a level playing field for all candidates through fair campaigning.

Sibin C reiterated that it is the duty of all district election machinery to follow these guidelines and ensure their implementation in the field. No one should be allowed to take the law into their hands.

The CEO directed all officers to implement these direction in letter and spirit and if any such incidence noticed will be viewed seriously and brought to the notice of ECI.

Meanwhile, a delegation of farmers met with the Punjab CEO at his office. During the meeting, the CEO urged the farmers' unions to maintain law and order and refrain from disrupting the campaigns of contesting candidates across the state.

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31 NOMINATIONS FILED BY 28 CANDIDATES ON THIRD DAY OF FILING NOMINATIONS IN PUNJAB: SIBIN C

Chandigarh May 9:On the third day of filing of nominations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 31 nominations have been filed by 28 candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.

Disclosing this here on Thursday, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C said that one candidate each has filed nomination papers from Fatehgarh Sahib and Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha constituencies.

Two candidates each have filed their nominations from Sangrur, Amritsar, Bathinda and Ferozepur, three from Patiala, three from Anandpur Sahib, four from Khadoor Sahib and five candidates from Ludhiana filed the nomination papers.

Likewise, three candidates have filed six nomination papers from Faridkot, 4 forms have been filled by 1 candidate from here. The Chief Electoral Officer said that no candidate filed his nomination papers for Gurdaspur and Jalandhar Lok Sabha seats on Thursday.

Pertinently, as many as 68 nominations have been filed by 61 candidates from May 7 to May 9.

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PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS INTER-STATE WEAPON SMUGGLING RACKET; TWO HELD WITH SIX PISTOLS

— ACCUSED PERSONS WERE IN TOUCH WITH USA-BASED CRIMINAL ENTITY, AND RETRIEVED WEAPON CONSIGNMENTS FROM MP ON THEIR DIRECTIONS: DGP GAURAV YADAV

— TWO MORE MODULE MEMBERS NOMINATED FOR SUPPLYING WEAPONS TO GANGSTERS, POLICE TEAMS ON MANHUNT TO NAB THEM

CHANDIGARH/JALANDHAR, May 9:In an intelligence-based operation, Counter Intelligence (CI) Jalandhar has busted an inter-state weapon smuggling racket with the arrest of its two smugglers after recovering six pistols— including five .32 bore pistols and one .30 bore pistol— along with seven magazines from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.

Those arrested have been identified as Harpreet Singh alias Happy Mattu of Rayya and Rahul Masih of village Chawinda Devi in Amritsar.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the racket was working in a well-oiled manner and had procured four large weapons consignments from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh in last six months. The module members were in touch with USA based criminal entity and procured weapon consignment on his directions, he added.

He said that the Police teams have identified two more important members of this module and nominated them for supplying weapons to gangsters. Police teams are on manhunt to nab them, said the DGP, while adding that further investigations are ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages.

Sharing operation details, AIG CI Jalandhar Navjot Singh Mahal said that acting swiftly on intel-based inputs, Police teams from CI Jalandhar in a joint operation with Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) SAS Nagar laid a special Naka near Railway Station Jalandhar Cantonment and arrested the accused persons.

A case FIR no. 27 dated 07.05.2024 has been registered under sections 25 and 25 (8) of the Arms Act at Police Station State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) Amritsar.

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VIGILANCE BUREAU ARRESTS ABSCONDING ACCUSED IN BOGUS TAX COLLECTION SCAM AT STATE CHECK POST

ACCUSED PROVIDED LINK OF FORGED SOFTWARE ALIKE E-PARIVHAN SOFTWARE OF TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT

Chandigarh May 9:The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested an absconding accused namely Satpal Choudhary, a resident of village Murtzabad (Satbagri), Palwal district in Haryana who was evading his arrest after the high court has dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.

He was wanted in a scam for usurping tax collections being collected from commercial vehicles entering in the state at Tax Collection Centre, Jharmari, Lalru in SAS Nagar district by using fake computer software as well as bogus stamps/seals.

Disclosing this here a spokesperson of the VB said in this regard a case under FIR No. 08, dated 08.06.2022 under Sections 420, 465, 467, 471,120 B of IPC and 7, 7A, 13(1) (A), 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act, had already been registered at Police Station Vigilance Bureau, FS-1, Punjab, Mohali. In this case three accused persons namely Harpal Singh of village Hasanpur, Fatehabad in Haryana, Salinder Singh of village Bishanpura, Zirakpur and Praveen Kumar village Khanpur, Kharar, SAS Nagar district had already been arrested who were using fake computer software as well as bogus stamps/seals at this interstate tax collection centre. The said accused Satpal Choudhary, an accomplice of said officials, was also nominated in this case as an accused for delivering link of forged software alike e-Parivhan software of the Transport Department.

Giving more details of this scam he informed that around 2000 commercial vehicles as well as new chassis of commercial vehicles enter Punjab from outside the State daily. These vehicles have to pay tax for entering or passing through Punjab, which could be paid online by the driver/owner of the vehicle concerned or deposited with the staff posted at the said check post.

The spokesperson added that the officials deputed at the RTA Check Post at Jharmari have to collect due amount of tax after filling the requisite details, including registration number and type of the vehicle, in the e-Parivhan software.

He further added that it was mandatory to deposit the collected amount with the State exchequer. However, these officials, with the intent to usurp the money, had developed a fake software similar to the original one and used it to collect taxes due from the commercial vehicles and generate bogus receipts for the owners/drivers of the vehicles.

The spokesperson informed that the income thus generated was being pocketed by these accused since long causing a loss of lakhs of rupees to the State exchequer. "Not only this, they have also fabricated stamps/seals to be affixed on the receipts to convince the vehicle drivers/owners of the genuineness of the same," he added.

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PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS INTER-STATE WEAPON SMUGGLING RACKET; TWO HELD WITH SIX PISTOLS

— ACCUSED PERSONS WERE IN TOUCH WITH USA-BASED CRIMINAL ENTITY, AND RETRIEVED WEAPON CONSIGNMENTS FROM MP ON THEIR DIRECTIONS: DGP GAURAV YADAV

— TWO MORE MODULE MEMBERS NOMINATED FOR SUPPLYING WEAPONS TO GANGSTERS, POLICE TEAMS ON MANHUNT TO NAB THEM

CHANDIGARH/JALANDHAR, May 9: In an intelligence-based operation, Counter Intelligence (CI) Jalandhar has busted an inter-state weapon smuggling racket with the arrest of its two smugglers after recovering six pistols— including five .32 bore pistols and one .30 bore pistol— along with seven magazines from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.

Those arrested have been identified as Harpreet Singh alias Happy Mattu of Rayya and Rahul Masih of village Chawinda Devi in Amritsar.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the racket was working in a well-oiled manner and had procured four large weapons consignments from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh in last six months. The module members were in touch with USA based criminal entity and procured weapon consignment on his directions, he added.

He said that the Police teams have identified two more important members of this module and nominated them for supplying weapons to gangsters. Police teams are on manhunt to nab them, said the DGP, while adding that further investigations are ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages.

Sharing operation details, AIG CI Jalandhar Navjot Singh Mahal said that acting swiftly on intel-based inputs, Police teams from CI Jalandhar in a joint operation with Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) SAS Nagar laid a special Naka near Railway Station Jalandhar Cantonment and arrested the accused persons.

A case FIR no. 27 dated 07.05.2024 has been registered under sections 25 and 25 (8) of the Arms Act at Police Station State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) Amritsar.