Monthly Archives: August 2018

Incident happened after an ‘altercation’ on a public transit bus in British Columbia province

IANS

Toronto, September 14

The Canadian police are investigating an incident in which a 17-year-old Sikh student was “kicked, punched and pepper-sprayed” after an “altercation” on a public transit bus in British Columbia province.

“The incident happened at the intersection of Rutland Road South and Robson Road East in Kelowna shortly before 4 pm on Monday,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Wednesday.

“Officers determined a 17-year-old Sikh student was either beer or pepper sprayed by another teenage male after exiting a public transit bus on his way home,” a statement from Kelowna RCMP read.

It added that before the assault, there was “an altercation” aboard a bus, which resulted in those involved being kicked off.

Calling an investigation into the incident, the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSOC) identified the Sikh as a Grade 11 student, who was attacked while riding a transit bus from Rutland Secondary School.

“Monday’s attack on a Sikh high school student in Kelowna is shocking and unacceptable,” said Guntaas Kaur, WSO vice president for British Columbia (BC).

Giving details of the incident, a release issued by the WSOC said: “Two individuals approached the student and first barred his entry onto the bus and then, once allowing him to board, began to threaten him with a lighter and (began to) photograph and record him from a close distance with their phones”.

“When the Sikh student turned away, the attackers’ phone fell from their hands and they began to kick and punch the Sikh student in front of the bus driver,” the WSOC statement read.

It further said that the bus driver did not intervene, and, in fact, ordered the Sikh student and his attackers off the bus at the Rutland and Robson stop.

After getting kicked off the bus, the two continued to attack the student, including pepper spraying him, until intervention by the passers-by.

While the student wasn’t named, WSOC said it was the second attack on a Sikh student this year in Kelowna.

In March, 21-year-old Gagandeep Singh was swarmed and beaten by a group of people who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair in the city.

The WSOC’s statement said that the student is a newcomer to Canada who “did not understand why he was attacked or the slurs and insults that were shouted at him during the incident”.

He’s afraid of being attacked again if he returns to school, Kaur said.

Kelowna RCMP confirmed to Global News that an active investigation into the case is underway with investigators speaking to several witnesses and collecting video evidences.

Police further said that they have identified a teenage suspect in the case and are “taking steps to determine the motivation of this crime”.

Was sacked after a complaint by Pakistan People’s Party leader and former minister Shazia Atta Marri

Harmeet Singh had sent a written apology to Shazia Marri acknowledging his mistake. ANI Photo
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ANI

Peshawar, September 14

Pakistan’s first Sikh journalist and anchor, Harmeet Singh who was recently terminated from his job by Public TV alleged that he is facing extreme challenges to survive in the country.

He was sacked after a complaint by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former minister Shazia Atta Marri, who blamed Harmeet for spreading fake news about the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raid on her and recovery of PKR 97 billion from her possession.

According to Harmeet Singh, who made his mark as Pakistan’s first Sikh journalist, acknowledged that last week he shared a news on his X (formerly Twitter) handle @HarmeetSinghPk that NAB had raided the residence of Shazia Atta Marri and had recovered Rupees 97 billion from her.

He said that he had shared the news after the same was circulated in several local news channels and several independent journalists of Sindh on their social media accounts.

Harmeet Singh, who also runs a YouTube channel, said that after he learnt that the news was fake, he deleted the tweet and sent a written apology to Shazia Marri acknowledging his mistake.

He further said that instead of accepting his apology, Shazia sent him a legal notice of a Rs 10 billion defamation case and used her political power to dismiss him from his job while threatening that if he is not removed, all government advertising would be stopped and the channel’s license will be cancelled.

Although, Harmeet along with senior journalists met the caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Murtaza Solangi on September 9 and was assured of all possible help, Harmeet Singh informs that he had been categorically told by leaders of PPP that the doors of every media house are closed for him and his journalistic career is now over.

Harmeet posted his video on YouTube and said, “It’s becoming very difficult for me to survive. I got a lot of job offers from foreign channels, but I wanted to work for my country. But, I was not aware that this country is a club of the elite class.”

He added, “Everyone is aware about the situation of this country. Sikhs in large numbers are migrating from here. I had a wish to serve this country, and make people aware about the beauty of this country. But, I misjudged and besides the common people I didn’t get any support.”  

Says the army has tried to neutralise foreign terrorists along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch

PTI

Jammu, September 13

Pakistan is making full efforts to infiltrate foreign terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir to hinder the progress being made in internal security conditions in the region, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said on Wednesday.

He said that the army has tried to neutralise foreign terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch.

“The biggest thing is that Pakistan is trying to make efforts from its side to send foreign terrorists here, despite the better internal conditions (security situation), so that they can create some kind of obstacle.

“This is because of the progress that we are making in Jammu and Kashmir,” Lt Gen Dwivedi told reporters on the sidelines of the North Tech Symposium at the IIT campus at Jagti on the outskirts of Jammu city.

He said that in 2022, over 1.88 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir. “Our efforts are to have 2.25 crore tourists this year. They are trying to stop this journey of progress but we will not allow them to succeed,” he said.

His remarks came on a day Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish and Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat were killed in a gunfight with terrorists in Kokernag area of Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Replying to another question about the Rajouri encounter, he said that in Poonch and Rajouri “we tried to neutralise foreign terrorists on Line of Control (LoC) itself”.

“But some come… and try to do some acts here. We have done good action in this recent encounter. One of jawan was martyred”, he said.

On the death of sniffer dog Kent in gunfire by ultras, he said, “Our Kent laid down his life to save his handler. He attacked the terrorist by moving ahead first.”

Two terrorists were killed in an encounter in the remote Narla village.

An Army personnel and Kent, a six-year-old female Labrador of the Army’s dog unit, also died while three security personnel were injured in the gunfight.

Death of soldiers is announced only after kin are informed

L-G Manoj Sinha pays homage to Col Manpreet Singh and Maj Ashish Dhonchak in Srinagar. PTI
Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, September 14

As an encounter ensued at Kokernag in Anantnag, the Army was battling a barrage over social media on the afternoon of September 13. X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook had been used by some of Army’s own veterans who put pictures of the bravehearts who lost their lives. All this happened before the Army had officially announced the deaths. Information that Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Aashish Dhonchak and DSP Himayun Bhat had been shot dead in the encounter was known among media circles since 1 pm on September 13. The information on social media was not being put out by journalists on Ministry of Defence beat in New Delhi or by reporters in Srinagar, but by veterans, observed an officer. Army headquarters were aghast that veterans had started tweeting pictures and information without waiting for the Army to announce the death. The death of a soldier is announced after the next of kin are informed about the demise. There is a laid-down process which is followed.

A senior officer told the Tribune, “While the media waited for the established protocol of Army declaring the death, before disseminating information about the name and regiment of the officers, our veterans had started tweeting pictures of Col Manpreet Singh.”

Calls were placed to a few veterans informing that there was no clearance to release the name and picture as the operation was still on, but by then the pictures and information had gone viral.

An official said pictures and information being tweeted was akin to some veterans ‘jumping the gun’.

he convicted former Punjab police officers outside the CBI court in Mohali on Thursday. ANI Photo
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 14

A CBI court today sentenced three former Punjab Police cops to life imprisonment and fined them for murdering Amritsar youths, Harjit Singh, Jaspinder Singh and Lakhwinder Singh in a 31-year-old fake encounter case.

The three victims were picked up from Thathian bus stand on April 29, 1992, and were killed on May 12, 1992, along with two other persons, in a fake encounter by a police party headed by SI Dharam Singh, the then SHO, Lopoke police station.

The court sentenced Dharam Singh, Surinder Singh and Gurdev Singh to life imprisonment and fined them under Sections 302 and 218 of the IPC.

The CBI had presented a charge-sheet under Sections 364,120-B, 302 and 218 of the IPC against nine Punjab police officials — Inspector Dharam Singh, SI Ram Lubhiya, head constables Satbir Singh and Daljit Singh, Inspector Harbhajan Ram, ASI Surinder Singh, ASI Gurdev Singh, SI Amrik Singh and ASI Bhupinder Singh. Four accused Ram Lubhiya, Satbir Singh, Daljit Singh and Amrik Singh had died during the trial and another accused Bhupinder Singh was declared proclaimed offender by the court.

Ashok Bagoria, public prosecutor who appeared for the CBI, along with Sarabjit Singh Verka, Jagjit Singh Bajwa and PS Natt, advocates appearing in this case on behalf of the complainants/victims, stated that the CBI had cited 55 witnesses, but due to delay in statements, only 27 witnesses had been recorded as many others had died.

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, September 14

The bodies of Commanding Officer Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchak of 19 Rashtriya Rifles were recovered today amidst relentless firing in the rugged mountains of Kokernag in Anantnag district of Kashmir.

DSP called home for help

• After coming under militant fire, the injured DSP Bhat talked to his family till 2.30 pm on Wednesday on WhatsApp
• Bhat’s father, a retired DIG, told him how to roll down and descend from hillock, but the injured DSP said: “I can’t move”

The Army said on Thursday that two soldiers were wounded in the ongoing operation.

The counter-insurgency operation, which began on Tuesday night, resumed in the wee hours of Thursday at Hallpora village of the Gadool area of Kokernag.

The intelligence-based operation went haywire yesterday, leading to the killing of three officers, including J&K DSP Himayun Muzamil Bhat.

Helicopters continuously hovered over the forested area throughout the day, providing aerial support to the ground forces. The affected areas have been cordoned off, isolating the battlefield from the neighbouring villages.

Security forces deployed under-barrel grenade launchers (UBGLs) and directed high-intensity fire toward the jungle, where militants are believed to be hiding. Additional troops have been deployed at the encounter site, and an extensive operation has been launched to secure the entire forested region of Gadool to capture the terrorists. Officials have confirmed that an intensive search operation is currently underway, with helicopters being mobilised to bolster the effort. 

Local ultra Uzair behind ambush? 

Security forces are directing high-intensity fire towards the jungle, where at least 2 LeT militants, including Uzair Khan from Nagam village in Kokernag, are hiding. 

The Army called in commandos from the mountaineering wing to retrieve the bodies of the two Army officers. With the help of helicopters and drones, they identified and retrieved the bodies of the officers, officials said. The ill-fated operation was launched based on intelligence suggesting the presence of militants in a forested area. 

However, the joint team of security forces were stripped of their tactical advantage, as the militants swiftly detected their presence and responded with a relentless hail of gunfire from their assault rifles. Chaos ensued, and evacuation efforts were thwarted as the injured officers came in the line of fire, officials said.

In the initial fire, Col Manpreet Singh was killed while Major Dhonchak and DSP Bhat were wounded. The injured officers died after extensive blood loss. 

After being injured, Bhat talked to his family members and colleagues until 2.30 pm on Wednesday on a WhatsApp video-call. His father, a retired police officer, offered him guidance to descend from the hillock, but Bhat’s limbs lay numb. “I cannot move my legs,” he told his father. “The soldiers on the ground could not rescue them because of the presence of militants in the forest,” said a police officer.

All three officers were gallantry awardees.

“In a solemn tribute to the unwavering valour of Col Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak and DSP Himayun Bhat who laid down their lives leading from the front during this ongoing operation, our forces persist with unwavering resolve as they encircle two LeT terrorists, including Uzair Khan,” the police said.

Khan is a militant of the Lashkar-e-Toiba from Nagam village in Kokernag. He joined militancy in June 2022. Sources said Uzair Khan was accompanied by another militant. In August, militants had carried out an ambush in south Kashmir’s Kulgam, killing three soldiers. They later released a video of the attack.

Top security and civil officials paid homage to Col Manpreet Singh and Major Dhonchak at a wreath-laying ceremoy at Badamibagh Cantonment in Srinagar. 

PTI

Chandigarh, September 15

The mortal remains of Major Ashish Dhonchak, who was killed in a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag, reached Haryana’s Panipat where the last rites will be held on Friday.

The mortal remains of Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was also killed in the gunfight, have been brought here and are expected to reach his home in Mullanpur in Mohali district shortly, sources said.

Major Dhonchak had planned to shift to a new house in Panipat in October. The family had been living in a rented accommodation. The Major’s mortal remains reached his Panipat home in an Army vehicle.

Scores of people turned up on Friday at the residence of Dhonchak.

His family members were inconsolable as the body reached his Panipat home.

The body is being taken to the cremation ground in an army vehicle and the last rites will be conducted shortly.

At Colonel Manpreet Singh’s house in Mullanpur, there was a steady stream of mourners. The families of the Army officer were inconsolable.

His wailing mother was seen waiting at the doorstep for her son’s mortal remains.

A third-generation soldier, Singh leaves behind his mother, wife, a two-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son.

Dhonchak’s family includes his wife, a two-year-old daughter and three sisters.