Chandigarh, February 16

A day after four children were charred to death in a fire tragedy involving a ramshackle van in Punjab’s Sangrur, police slapped murder charges against the driver and the owner-cum-principal of the school to which the vehicle belonged.

Confirming it, Sunam DSP Sukhbinder Pal Singh said school owner-cum-principal Lakhwinder and van driver Dalbir were arrested on the murder charge on the complaint of a girl’s father.

Meanwhile, a tearful adieu was given to the children at their native place in Sangrur on Sunday.

“The complainant has stated that on previous occasions, too, the school principal and the driver had been warned about the condition of an auto-rickshaw which they had provided for ferrying children,” the DSP said over the phone.“The complainant alleged that when the school van was provided, it was even riskier than the previous vehicle and the deliberate act on the part of the accused endangered the lives of children,” the DSP added.

When asked that the van was stated to be very old, the DSP said they have sought all records from the regional transport authorities.

“These should be available on Monday,” he said.

Earlier, police had booked the principal, school management and the van driver on charges of causing culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code. The murder charge was added later.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the apex religious body of Sikhs, has announced Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of the each victim.

SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal demanded strict action against the officials whose negligence led to the plying of unfit vehicles on roads.

The children, who were charred to death inside the vehicle, included a nearly three-year-old girl visiting the school for the first time, police had said.

“She was fond of ‘paranthas’ and I had packed them in her tiffin,” said her inconsolable mother on Sunday.

The petrol vehicle, stated to be a 1990-model, fitted with an LPG cylinder, was bought by the school authorities on Friday and deployed to ferry children for the first time on Saturday.

The accident took place on the Longowal-Sidsaachar road, police had said, adding that 12 children were in the van at the time of the incident.

While eight children were rescued from the burning van by people working in nearby fields, four, including the three-year-old girl, were burnt alive, they added.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh too had ordered a magisterial probe into the incident while ordering the state Transport Department to launch a statewide checking of the road worthiness and fitness of all school buses.

He also ordered an ex gratia of Rs 7.25 lakh to each of the victim families. — PTI

Read: Punjab CM commends 14-year-old for rescuing 4 kids from burning van

According to police, the incident took place around 11 am at Sharifda village when Akash Kumar Koitiya (22), a jawan with the military police wing of the Army, started on his wedding procession.

A Dalit, Koitiya had recently finished his training in Bengaluru and was about to join his posting at Meerut. He was on leave for his wedding.

Despite police protection, the wedding procession of a Dalit Army jawan in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district was on Sunday pelted with stones by a group of people, allegedly from another community because the groom rode a mare.

According to police, the incident took place around 11 am at Sharifda village when Akash Kumar Koitiya (22), a jawan with the military police wing of the Army, started on his wedding procession. A Dalit, Koitiya had recently finished his training in Bengaluru and was about to join his posting at Meerut. He was on leave for his wedding.

“Earlier, we received threats from a few people from the Thakor Koli community that they would not allow the procession to pass through the village if the groom rode a mare. We gave a written request for police security after which 6-7 police personnel were deployed to accompany the wedding procession. However, after the procession started moving, a group of people started throwing stones. The groom narrowly escaped an injury and was taken to the police control room van. However, three of our relatives, including two women, were injured in the stone-pelting,” said Vijay Koitiya, the elder brother of Akash. Vijay, too, is with the Army and is posted in Jammu and Kashmir.

Following the incident, multiple police teams were rushed to the village. “At least 50-60 policemen joined the wedding procession as security convoy so that the groom and other baratis could reach the bride’s village, Sundha, in Palanpur taluka. The wedding went on without any incident,” said Dalpat Bhatia, a Dalit rights activist based in Banaskantha.

Taking cognizance of the complaint lodged by the groom’s family, an FIR has been filed at Gadh police station in Banaskantha against 11 people belonging to the Thakor Koli community.

The accused have been identified as Senji Koli, Shivaji Koli, Deepak Koli, Tushar Koli, Bhavan Koli, Vinod Koli, Ramaji Koli, Deepak Ishwar Koli, Bai Koli, Manju Koli and Jeetu Koli.

“The groom and his procession were attacked with stones by a group in the village who objected to him riding a mare. We provided security in advance and after the incident, more personnel were deployed. We have booked 11 accused under Indian Penal Code sections 323 (assault), 337 (causing hurt by rash act) 294 (obscenity), 506 (criminal intimidation) 147 (rioting) and 148 (rioting with deadly weapon) along with sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act),” said P G Rajput, officer in charge of Gadh police station. No arrests have been made yet, police said.

Our Correspondent

Kathua, February 15

Pakistan targeted the Indian forward posts and villages along the international border in the Hiranagar sector of the district with small firearms and mortars on Friday morning, forcing the Border Security Force (BSF) to retaliate in equal measure.

According to police sources, Pakistan opened unprovoked fire from their Papuchak post being manned by 25 Chenab Rangers (Pak Rangers) and fired 210 rounds of small firearms and mortars targeting Indian forward posts and villages along the international border around 4 am on Friday morning.

The BSF’s 19 Battalion, guarding the border, retaliated from their Chadwan post to silence the Pakistan guns. The exchange of fire continued till 6.15 am, the sources said.

The police said there was no report of loss of life or injury on the Indian side but two dish antennas and three water tanks on roofs of houses of Vijay Kumar, Om Prakash and Mohinder Lal, all residents of Chann Tanda village, were damaged in the Pak shelling and firing.

Jammu, February 16

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has extended the 2G mobile data service and fixed-line internet connectivity wherever provided across the union territory till February 24, an official spokesperson said on Sunday.

However, the internet service providers (ISP) have been given directions to ensure access to 1,485 white-listed sites only and not to any social media applications allowing peer-to-peer communication and virtual private network (VPN) applications, he said.

“The directions shall be effective from February 16 and remain in force till February 24, unless modified earlier,” he said quoting an order issued by the Home Department.

The 2G internet facility on mobile phones was restored in Jammu and Kashmir on January 25 after remaining suspended since August 5 last year after the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370 provisions and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into union territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

“Whereas, reports have been received from the intelligence and law enforcement agencies inter-alia bringing out the manner in which social media sites are being accessed through the virtual private network (VPN) applications, for coordinating terror activities as well as to upload provocative material aimed at disturbing the public order.

“It has also been reported that attempts have been made to disturb the public peace by spreading rumours to incite the general public over the last week which necessitated temporary suspension of the mobile data services for limited period of time by the authorised officers,” read the order issued by Principal Secretary, Home department, Shaleen Kabra.

With regard to mobile data service, he said ISPs would ensure access only to the 1,485 whitelisted sites and not to any social media applications allowing peer-to-peer communication and VPN applications.

“Data services shall be available on the postpaid mobiles and on prepaid SIM cards of such holders whose credentials have been verified as per the norms applicable for postpaid connections; and the internet speed shall be restricted to 2G only,” he said in his order.

About fixed line internet connectivity, he said, “Wherever connectivity has been provided with effect from January 14 and onwards, ISPs shall ensure that access is limited to the whitelisted sites and not to any social media applications allowing peer-to-peer communication and VPN applications.

“Internet connectivity shall be available only after mac-binding. It is further directed that all those who are provided access to the internet shall ensure that it is not misused for uploading the provocative material inimical to the interest of the state,” the order read.

Kabra said the access or communication facilities made available by the government by way of e-terminals or internet kiosks apart from special arrangements for tourists, students and traders would continue.

The inspector generals of police, Kashmir and Jammu, would ensure communication of these directions to the service providers forthwith and ensure implementation of the directions with immediate effect, the order said. PTI