Election Commission of India appoints General and Police Observers: Sibin C

Chandigarh, May 6:The commencement of nominations for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 is scheduled on May 7 in Punjab. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed general and police observers for 13 seats in Punjab to ensure peaceful, fair, and transparent elections. These officials will assume their responsibilities from May 14.

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C revealed that 13 IAS officers from various states have been appointed as general observers, while 7 IPS officers have been appointed as police observers. Their role is to ensure adherence to the rules and directives of the ECI during the elections, regarding the Model Code of Conduct.

Among the IAS officers who have been appointed as general observers are K. Mahesh (Batch 2009) for Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, Siddharth Jain (2001) for Amritsar, Abhimanyu Kumar (2011) for Khadoor Sahib, J Meghanatha Reddy (2013) for Jalandhar, Dr. R. Anandakumar (2003) for Hoshiarpur , Dr. Heera Lal (2010) for Anandpur Sahib , Divya Mittal (2013) for Ludhiana, Rakesh Shankar (2004) for Fatehgarh Sahib, Roohi Khan (2013) for Faridkot, Kapil Meena (2010) for Ferozepur, Dr. S. Prabhakar (2009) for Bathinda, Shanavas S (2012) for Sangrur and Om Prakash Bakoria (2006) for Patiala Lok Sabha seat.

Similarly, Police observers include IPS officers of Kushal Pal Singh (Batch 2014) for Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seats, Sweta Shrimali (2010) for Amritsar and Khadoor Sahib, Satish Kumar Gajbhiye (2002) for Jalandhar and Ludhiana, Sandeep Gajanan Diwan (2010) for Anandpur Sahib and Fatehgarh Sahib, B. Shankar Jaiswal (2001) for Bathinda and Faridkot, A.R. Damodhar (2013) for Ferozepur and Amir Javed (2012) for Sangrur and Patiala Lok Sabha seats. Notably, 15 serving IRS officers have already been appointed by ECI as Expenditure observers.

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CEO Punjab seeks report from DGP after BJP complains derailing of election process in Punjab

Chandigarh, May 6-The Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C on Monday has sought an action taken report from the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) after Punjab BJP delegation raised concern over law and order situation and compliant that party's candidates are being prevented to campaign in the state.

A state BJP delegation today met the CEO at his office here and raised concern over the conduct of a free and fair elections and the right to campaign. They also expressed apprehension on the safety of their candidates during elections in the state.

The delegation submitted a detailed complaint letter, subsequently, the CEO asked the DGP to submit a fact finding and action taken report in this regard

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Lok Sabha Elections 2024

Punjab CEO Sibin C announces election schedule for Lok Sabha elections

Chandigarh, May 6: Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sibin C, has announced election schedule of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 for Punjab.

Giving the further information, the CEO said that the Gazette notification for the elections is scheduled to be issued on May 7th, 2024. The last date for making nominations is May 14th, 2024 (Tuesday), with scrutiny of nominations to take place on May 15th, 2024 (Wednesday). The Candidates can withdraw their nominations till May 17th, 2024 (Friday). The Polling day is scheduled for June 1st, 2024 (Saturday) in Punjab, with the counting of votes set for June 4th, 2024 (Tuesday) encompassing the entire country, including Punjab. The final date for the completion of elections is June 6th, 2024 (Thursday). He informed that hours of poll will be from 7AM to 6PM.

Sibin C said that nominations can be filed to Deputy commissioners-cum-Returning Officers in all Constituencies, between 11.00 AM and 03.00 PM on any of the notified days other than a public holiday from 7th May 2024 to 14th May, 2024. The nominations papers are to be filed in FORM 2A. Blank forms are available with the respective Returning Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner. Typed nomination papers will also be accepted provided they are in the prescribed format, which is also available in CEO Website (https://www.ceopunjab.gov.in).

He said that 10th May, 2024 being Lord Parshuram Jayanti is not a holiday under negotiable Instruments Act, 1881; therefore, nomination papers can be presented to the Returning Officer on that day and 11th May, 2024 being second Saturday and 12th May, 2024 being Sunday is a holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881; therefore, nomination papers cannot be presented to the Returning Officer on that day.

The CEO said that the Model Code of Conduct has come into force in the State from the date of announcement of elections (16th March, 2024) by the Election Commission of India and shall remain in force till the completion of the election process i.e 06.06.2024.

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VB registers case against seven persons for obtaining Rs 40 lakh bank credit limit using fake documents, arrests three accused

Chandigarh May 6 -The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has lodged a case against seven persons for obtaining an agricultural credit limit of Rs. 40 lakh out of which three accused have been arrested and further investigation of this case is under progress.

Giving this information, the spokesperson of VB said this case has been registered against Navdeep Singh, resident of village Kohar Singh Wala, Tehsil Guruharshai, District Ferozepur, Vinod Kumar and Amarjit Singh, both revenue Patwari, Halka Bahadur Ke, Tehsil Guruharshai, District Ferozepur, Joginder Singh alias Bittu, private accomplice of Patwari, Parminder Singh, A.S.M. Fard Kendra Guruharshai, Kulwinder Singh Relationship Manager, HDFC Bank, Branch Guruharshai and Guarantor Davinder Singh Village Kohar Singh Wala, District Ferozepur. Among these accused, Joginder Singh alias Bittu, Amarjit Singh Patwari and Davinder Singh have been arrested.

Giving details of this case, he informed that the said case has been registered after investigation of a complaint number 89/19 of Ferozepur. During the investigation of this complaint, it was found that the said Navdeep Singh, Vinod Kumar Patwari, Joginder Singh alias Bittu and Parminder Singh A.S.M. in connivance with each other, prepared fake 'fards' (extract of land ownership) by making fake entries in the revenue records, on the basis of which, in the year 2016, Navdeep Singh got a credit limit of Rs 40 lakh from HDFC bank in collusion with bank employees.

The spokesperson added that later on coming to know about this scam, the said accused in the year 2019 deposited the entire amount obtained from the bank. Similarly, in another crime, Navdeep Singh of village Kohar Singh Wala in 2016 applied to take a loan from Canara Bank Faridkot, but he dishonestly didn't mentioned the Khasra numbers of the land already pledged with the HDFC bank Guruharshahai and the Canara bank declined this loan case.

Apart from this, the said accused Joginder Singh alias Bittu had filed a case to get a credit limit of 32 lakh rupees from Axis Bank Jalalabad, District Fazilka by preparing a fake fards of 122 Kanal 13 Marla in his name, but the bank came to know about the fake documents during physical verification and declined the same agricultural credit limit. After the transfer of Vinod Kumar Patwari, Amarjit Singh Patwari despite knowing the facts didn't took any action against the said persons for forging the revenue documents, namely Vinod Kumar Patwari, Joginder Singh Private Assistant of Patwari and Parminder Singh A.S.M., instead he prepared a report regarding the correctness of the entries of those fake pledges and got its approval from Halka Kanungo and Tehsildar Guruharshai. Apart from this, Kulwinder Singh, Relationship Manager, HDFC Bank branch Guruharshai helped the accused in obtaining agricultural credit limit by physically verifying the land with fake fard. Similarly, guarantor Davinder Singh of village Kohar Singh Wala gave false guarantee/testimony on Navdeep Singh's forged documents.

The spokesperson said that in this regard a case under section 13 (1) (A), 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 409, 420, 465, 466, 467, 471, 120-B of IPC have been registered against all the said seven accused at VB Police Station Ferozepur Range. The rest of the accused would also be arrested soon.

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Vigilance Bureau apprehends bank manager declared Proclaimed Offender in loan fraud case from Delhi airport

Chandigarh, May 6, 2024 -Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), has apprehended bank manager Sukhwant Singh, an accused and Proclaimed Offender (PO), from IGI Airport, New Delhi upon his arrival from USA.

Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said that the above mentioned accused was wanted in a case no. 32 dated 24.08.2006 registered under section 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of IPC and 13 (D) read with 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act at VB police station Amritsar range. The

accused was declared PO in the aforementioned case by the court on 06-04-2011 for fraudulently giving loans amounting to Rs 2.50 crore by misusing his official position as Manager of the Central Cooperative Bank, branch Guru-Ka-Bagh, Amritsar.

The accused had fled to USA and subsequently a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him by the Bureau.

He further informed that Vigilance Bureau was alerted about the arrival of the accused by Immigration Authorities of IGI Airport. Immediately a VB team was dispatched and the accused was arrested from the Airport.

He further informed that the accused was produced in the competent court accordingly and sent to judicial custody, he said