*ECI ALLOWS JOURNALISTS ON POLL DUTY TO VOTE THROUGH POSTAL BALLOT: SIBIN C
• ECI includes journalists in essential service category along with staff of 6 other state government offices
Chandigarh, March 29:The Election Commission of India (ECI) has allowed media personnel on duty related to poll day coverage to vote through postal ballot in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Giving the further information, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C said that according to the notification issued by the ECI, media personnel authorized by ECI for poll day coverage and other state government department officials can vote via postal ballot under Section 60 (c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The CEO said that as per the notification, the ECI has notified journalists holding authorization letters issued by the ECI who are engaged in polling day coverage as essential service personnel, along with staff from 6 government departments. These departments include Department of Local Government (Fire Services), Department of Transport (Drivers, conductors, Work shop staff, Operations staff and Officers posted at Headquarters and Depots at District level), Department of Jails (Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and Guarding staff posted in Jails), Department of Home Affairs and Justice (Police officers, Police personnel, Civil Defense, and Home guards), Department of Power (Staff of State power corporation and state transmission corporation deputed at Generations units, Thermal plants, Hydel units (within or outside state), Staff on deputation to BBMB and field Staff posted in Grid sub station), Department of Health and Family Welfare (a) Drug Control Officers working under the Commissionerate of Food and Drugs administration (b) Medical and Para-medical Staff working/on duty on the day of poll.
He said that the aim of this is to ensure that no one is deprived of voting due to their service commitments.
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PUNJAB POLICE BUST CRIMINAL NETWORK BACKED BY USA-BASED PAVITTAR-HUSANDEEP GANG; THREE OPERATIVES HELD WITH PISTOL, FORTUNER CAR
— ARRESTED PERSONS WERE HATCHING CONSPIRACY TO CARRY OUT TARGET KILLINGS IN STATE, SAYS DGP GAURAV YADAV
— ACCUSED PERSONS WERE LIVING IN MOHALI BY CONCEALING THEIR ACTUAL IDENTITIES TO EVADE ARREST
— FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ARE ON, AND MORE ARRESTS AND RECOVERIES ARE EXPECTED: DIG J ELANCHEZIAN
CHANDIGARH, March 29: In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police’s State Special Operating Cell (SSOC) Mohali has effectively dismantled the criminal network being operated by USA-based Pavittar Chaura and Husandeep Singh of Chaura Madhre Gang with the arrest of their three key operatives after recovering one .30 bore China made pistol along with 15 cartridges from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
Those arrested have been identified as Lovejit Singh alias Love Khakh of village Khakh in Tarn Taran, Gursewak Singh alias Bamb of Goindwal Sahib and Bahadur Khan alias Khan Bhagdana of Fatehgarh Sahib. Police teams have also impounded their Toyota Fortuner vehicle.
The development came close on the heels of the arrest of Guriqbal Singh alias Robin— another member of this gang, by the SAS Nagar district Police after recovering weapons from his possession.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that all three arrested persons were wanted in number of criminal cases including murder, attempted murders, dacoity, arms act, NDPS etc. They were living in Mohali by concealing their actual identities to evade arrest, he added.
He said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the arrested persons were in regular contact with narcotic smuggler and gangster Pavittar Chaura and were hatching a conspiracy to carry out target killings and other criminal/gangster activities to disturb peace and harmony of the border state.
It is pertinent to mention that lately, Pavittar Chaura has formed a very close association with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa and his other network members.
Sharing operation details, DIG Counter Intelligence J Elanchezian said that following reliable inputs, Police teams from SSOC Mohali conducted raid at a flat in Mohali— where they were staying, and successfully apprehended all three accused persons after recovering a sophisticated weapon from their possession.
He said that the accused Lovejit Singh alias Love Khakh is a proclaimed offender (PO), while, Gursewak Bamb was wanted by the Tarn Taran police in case of an attempt to murder. Further investigations are on and more arrests and recoveries are expected in the case, he added.
A case has been registered under sections 25 and 25(7) of the Arms Act and section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Police Station SSOC, Mohali.