Chitleen K Sethi

What’s up on AAP? Suspense over Sidhu’s next move thickens as theories float

Two days after cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the Rajya Sabha, suspense continues over his switching from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Financial fraud: Punjab cops’ brush with Darknet, Bitcoins

The Punjab Police are investigating their first case of financial fraud committed using the unregulated virtual currency Bitcoin to pay for information on the Darknet.

Sidhu’s entry can’t come at a better time for AAP in Punjab

For the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the possible entry of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu to its fold in Punjab could not have come at a better time.

Punjab has 1,054 HIV-positive prisoners, drugs main reason

Punjab has 1,054 HIV-positive prisoners. Of more than 21,000 screened in the past two years, 30 with full-blown AIDS are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and of them, 14 are from Rupnagar district jail.

HT Spotlight: How Haryana is fighting female foeticide rackets in Punjab

Punjab and Haryana have the worst sex ratio. Punjab’s drive to save its missing girls by tracking pregnancies lost momentum till neighbouring Haryana got proactive a year ago and took up the fight against foeticide. Its crackdown on ultrasound centres conducting sex determination tests extends to Punjab. The recent raids in Barnala and Sultanpur Lodhi hold out hope for Punjab.

Cong leader Brar’s ‘disowned’ son-in-law held in recruitment scam

Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested Gurdeep Sandhu, son-in-law of Congress leader and former Baghapurana legislator Darshan Singh Brar, as accused in a government-job scam.

Recruitment scam: Mastermind identified, used to pick candidates from coaching centres

The Punjab vigilance bureau (VB) has identified the Haryana-based mastermind who allegedly “sold” question papers for recruitment in government departments.

HT INTERVIEW Sacrilege case a SAD-BJP conspiracy: AAP MLA

Naresh Yadav, Mehrauli legislator in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of Delhi state and accused in the June 24 Quran desecration case of Malerkotla in Punjab, has claimed to be a victim of political conspiracy. Talking to HT’s Chitleen K Sethi, the lawyer (44), who is also co-in-charge of Punjab affairs in the party, said he was ready to face any fair inquiry.

Candidates cashed in on Punjab job scam, conduit got richer by Rs 1.5 cr

Punjab recruitments are turning out to be a money-spinning racket, in which not only those who leaked the questions of various selection examinations but also the candidates and go-betweens made a quick buck.

In election-bound Punjab, Khalistan buzzword again

With the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) training their guns at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for alleged “Khalistani connections”, the emotive issue of Sikh separatism has once again come to the front-burner in Punjab politics, with barely six months to go for the state assembly polls.

After 6-year hiatus, Punjab govt to allot land to housing societies again

The Punjab government’s housing department is set to relaunch its scheme of allotting land to cooperative housing societies for the construction of multi-storey apartments. The move comes six years after the scheme was virtually closed in 2010.

Now, Punjab govt mulls cancelling exam held in Jan to recruit patwaris

The Punjab revenue department has recommended cancellation of the examination held to recruit 1,200 patwaris in January this year. The move comes in the wake of the ongoing investigations into the selective leakage of question papers of various job selection examinations held by Panjab University, Chandigarh, on behalf of the Punjab government.

Udta Punjab effect? Dope test a must for 6 lakh wannabe cops

It’s a reality check like none other. The whole of July will see a whopping 6-lakh Punjab youths willingly undergo a five-drug dope test, a sample size large enough to hopefully settle the raging controversy over the fact and fiction about the drug problem in the state.

HT Spotlight: Gunning for the gangs of Punjab

When dreaded Punjab gangster Jaipal and aides allegedly shot dead rival-turned politician Jaswinder Singh Rocky last April, the suspects’ jailed friends openly shared celebratory posts on Facebook.

Not hills, it’s destination Punjab for political biggies this summer

RSS head Mohan Bhagwat, Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers Uma Bharti and Arun Jaitley are visiting Punjab to charge up political atmosphere

How high is Punjab? No one really knows

Udta Punjab: How high is the state? No one really knows

As controversy rages over Shahid Kapoor-starrer Udta Punjab, experts say research on the subject is patchy and no study spells out the extent of the scourge or answers the crucial question: Why Punjabis take more drugs than others, if they do.

Will ‘Udta Punjab’ aid AAP in Punjab?

The controversy surrounding the release of Bollywood film ‘Udta Punjab’ has come as a godsend opportunity for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to target the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the run up to assembly elections slated for January next.

32 years after Op Bluestar, Damdami Taksal returns to preaching, education

The fountainhead of Sikh fundamentalism and once the nerve-centre of anti-government extremism under the fiery Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Damdami Taksal has gradually embraced moderate moorings, shifting focus to religious education and preaching.

Counter rallies land Hindu, Sikh bodies in soup; four FIRs filed

Punjab Police have registered four first information reports (FIRs) against right-wing Hindu bodies and radical Sikh outfits for spreading communal hatred by announcing counter rallies against each other last week.

HT Analysis: New fault lines widen Panthic rift

The murderous attack on Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale on May 17 by the supporters of Sikh seminary Damdami Taksal has created new fault lines among Panthic bodies in Punjab, a situation that experts believe suits political parties in the run-up to the assembly polls.

Question papers’ leak: More recruitments under lens with 2 FIRs

The Punjab vigilance bureau has registered two fresh FIRs in a scam wherein candidates got access in advance to question papers of the tests conducted for government jobs in different departments.

Attack on Dhadrianwale: To go after Taksal or not, Badal govt in bind

HT Analysis: Sikh preacher Dhadrianwale wants names of his attackers revealed, while taking action against fundamentalist seminary would mean ending long ceasefire

‘Everyone knows the mastermind, hope cops reveal name by May 26’

On Friday, Dhadrianwale spoke to HT assistant editor Chitleen K Sethi and dropped loaded hints on a possible Taksal hand behind the attack that left one of his fellow preachers dead.

Recruitment scam: Re-test not so soon, dept to examine cancellation legally

The department of local government, Punjab, seems to be in no hurry to re-conduct the selection exam cancelled in the wake of recruitment scam being investigated by the state vigilance bureau (VB).

Assassination bid on Dhadrianwale: Probe points to role of Damdami Taksal supporters

Police probing Tuesday’s assassination bid on preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale, 36, pointed towards the possible involvement of supporters of the Damdami Taksal, a fundamentalist Sikh seminary based at Chowk Mehta. The attack comes in the wake of a spat between Dhadrianwale and Taksal head Harnam Singh Dhumma.

With meeting trick, Badal foxes AAP leaders

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the octogenarian politician who is heading the state for the fifth time, proved to be too shrewd for the combined force of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as its leaders went to meet him on Monday.

AAP planning to turn tables on SAD, Congress with mega march on May 16

In a state that witnesses at least half a dozen protests a day by various bodies, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is gearing up for the mother of all protests. Almost one lakh volunteers of the party from across the state have been asked to reach SAS Nagar on May 16 who will then march towards Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s residence in Chandigarh.

Indebtedness bill notified; implementation to take time

It might be long before the much-celebrated Punjab Settlement of Agricultural Indebtedness Act—which was notified following approval by the governor this week—is implemented across the state.

Punjab announces ‘cycle valley’ in Ludhiana on eve of Sukhbir’s China trip

The Punjab government has set aside almost 300 acres on the outskirts of Ludhiana for setting up a “cycle valley”–a centralised facility for manufacturing bicycles.