2008 kept Ludhiana cops on their toes

The year began on a humiliating note for the cops. Eight members of the dreaded Bangala gang gave the police a slip right outside the Ludhiana Central Jail in February.

The year witnessed an unprecedented rise in the city’s crime graph as 59 murders were reported till September as compared to the total 54 murders in 2007. But the city police also managed to add several new feathers to their cap during the year.SHARAT K VERMAtraces the highs and lows

Bangala gang escapes from custody
The year began on a humiliating note for the cops. Eight members of the dreaded Bangala gang gave the police a slip right outside the Ludhiana Central Jail in February. The gang was responsible for nearly 50 burglaries and dacoities.

Principal’s murder solved
The city police received a well earned pat on the back when they solving the murders of Rita Bawa, principal of Kanya Maha Vidyalya in Jalandhar, and three employees who were murdered on the college premises on January 6. After the Jalandhar police failed to solve the case, the Ludhiana police arrested three persons from Bihar on July 18 to crack the mystery.

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58 kg of explosives seized
The Ludhiana (Rural) police seized over 58 kg of explosives and arrested five persons on two separate occasions. On June 17, two men — Gurbhej Singh and Manjit Singh – were held with 24.5 kg of explosives and 25 detonators. On June 26, the police seized 34.5 kg of explosives and arrested three persons, namely Amrik Singh, Daljit Singh and Sarabjit Singh alias Sokhu. During interrogation, the arrested men revealed a plan to carry out blasts in several cities and assassinate a few prominent persons.

Police station for NRIs
An exclusive police station for Non Resident Indians (NRIs) was opened in the city to ensure timely redressal of cases. Also, a police station to track cases of electricity theft was set up.

Quick Reaction Team formed
In the last month of the year, after India was rattled by the events that unfolded in Mumbai, the city formed its own Quick Reaction Team to tackle all eventualities. Another incident, however, highlighted the defenceless state of the city. On December 17, an unattended briefcase was found under the Dholewal Overbridge. The police had to wait for over three hours for the lone bomb disposal squad in the state to reach the city and conduct a check.

India, US yet to find ‘landing ground’ for trade talks, our red lines must be respected: Jaishankar

India, US yet to find landing ground, our red lines must be respected: Jaishankar on talks

India1 hr ago

Underlining that “there are things you can negotiate and there are things you can’t”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Sunday that India has been in talks with the US for “a trade understanding” where “our bottom lines and red lines are respected”. He reassured Quad is active, and India aims to go beyond defending interests and catch up in manufacturing.

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