Bankers asked to install CCTV cameras

Amritsar// September 25, 2009 Amritsar Police asked the bankers to install CCTV cameras in all the banks and comply with the directions given by the police to ensure smooth functioning of the banks. SSP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh while addressing the quarterly meeting of ‘District Security Committee of Banks’ expressed dissatisfaction over the progress made by the bankers to install CCTV cameras as well as to provide escort vehicles for cash carrying vans. He said that not a single incident with regard to banks occurred in the last quarter because of proactive measures taken by the police to ensure security of banks and safety of the customers. However similar gesture is required from bankers’ side to make the banks and customers safe and secure. He further asked the bankers to take prior approval from the police before any branch or ATM centre in the city as it is the police who can better advice from vulnerability point of view. The SSP also sensitised the bankers about illegal circulation of Fake Indian Currency and advised to report such cases to the nearest police station. However Police Stations Kotwali and Civil Line were earmarked for this purpose for the convenience of the banks. He asked the bankers to keep armed guard in all branches irrespective of cash retention limit. At this occasion, the SSP made an impressive PowerPoint presentation highlighting the recent trends of cyber frauds especially related with the banks and their customers. Mr RS Chatha, Lead District Manager, assured that security guidelines issued by the local police will be complied in letter and spirit. He also reviewed the progress made by the bankers on the decisions taken in the last quarterly meeting. The representatives of all the banks operating in Amritsar participated in the meeting.

Rotary organizes seminar on Cyber crime

Rotary Club Amritsar Main and Rotary Club Amritsar Civil Lines jointly organized a seminar on Cyber Crime-its spread and implications. This seminar was addressed by Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, IPS, Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar. He had recently undergone a specialized training on Cyber Crime at National Police Academy Hyderabad. He made an excellent power point presentation on the topic. `The meeting which was largely attended by Rotarians, members of Tea Industry, Hotel Industry and press were explained at length how one is vulnerable when one does not take adequate precautions on the web specially dealing with unsolicited mail and even responding to unsolicited SMS on one’s mobile. He explained how all the major terrorist acts have used the power of the internet and telecommunications to perpetuate the heinous crimes. The gathering was educated on how to use security measures for internet banking-mail handling and means to protect their confidential financial records and pass words. The session was followed by free and interactive session where SSP fielded questions as diverse as Traffic management to snatchings and property disputes. The audience was greatly impressed with the detailed knowledge of the District Police Chief of each problem which he freely shared and explained to the public. He shared the newly developed website-www.amritsarpolice.com and demonstrated online its various features. Along with the newly opened community police resource centre was discussed and members were explained the single window options available to the public whether it is for passport or any other police verification, family counselling, foreigners or missing report etc. Needless to say it was an impressive meeting where the audience gave a standing ovation to the district police chief and thanked him for the hard and sincere efforts being put by him.

Rotary seminar on Community Policing

September 19, 2009 A seminar on community policing was organised in the Bhawans SL Public School Amritsar which was attended by all the Rotary Clubs of Amritsar. Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar addressed the esteemed gathering and informed about recent steps taken by the police to strengthen police-community relations. He highlighted the facilities being extended by the newly started CPRC (Community Police Resource centre) for the convenience of the common citizens. He reiterated that the CPRC Amritsar is committed to provide a number of public utility services like FIR Registration, Public Grievances system, Passport verification, Family Counseling, Women Helpline, Traffic Helpline, Tourism Helpline, Untrace Report, Permission for Public functions, RTI, Senior Citizens help, PCC etc under one roof. He further thanked the people of Amritsar for providing whole hearted support in curbing crime and building community relations in the holy city of Amritsar. Sh. Avinash Mahemdru, Chairman of Amritsar Chapter of Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan and Past Rotary Governor presented vote of thanks at this occasion. President Rajesh Mehra of Rotary Club Amritsar Main, President M.M. Khurana of Rotary Club Amritsar South, President Lochan Kundra of Rotary Club Amritsar Cantt., President Ashwani Babbar of Rotary Club Amritsar Mid Town, President Dr.Bhupinder Singh of Rotary Club Amritsar Central, President Paramjit Singh of Rotary Club Amritsar North and President B.S.Bumrah of Rotary Club Amritsar South East, Principal Daljeet Singh of Khalsa College were present at this occasion besides fellow Rotarians and Principals and teachers of various colleges and schools.

www.amritsarpolice.com

Dear Citizens,

I am grateful to you for extending whole-hearted support in curbing crime from the holy city. With your active cooperation, we have been able to nab many hardcore criminals who are always treated as a threat for this city. Many criminals left the city and settled to some other locations in the past. Our idea is to provide you an atmosphere in which all activities (social, economic, cultural, religious etc) can flourish without fear or favour. Law and order situation has a wide role in every sphere of society. We have recently set up CPRC (Community Police Resource Centre) in the holy city to provide you all kinds of public utility services under one roof with quality and effectiveness. This centre is situated near Police Station Sadar and now it is your responsibility to streamline it for your maximum benefit. The present website www.amritsarpolice.com is now ready for your assistance and will provide you all kinds of information and services like FIR, Passport verification, untraced report etc in a highly professional manner. This website is full of ideas and schemes to give this holy city a model policing which I dreamt long back. We have now prepared a roadmap to advance ahead and we can add a new chapter in the history of policing. My vision and mission for this holy city will be fulfilled if and only if you extend your heartfelt support. I am thankful to every citizen, every police officer, senior officers and all others who extended even a little support in this mission.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh takes charge as SSP Amritsar

Amritsar, April 18, 2007 Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, an IPS officer of 1998 batch of Punjab cadre, has taken over as District Police Chief of Amritsar. He assumed the charge of Senior Superintendent of Police Amritsar on April 18, 2007. Before this he was posted as SSP of Gurdaspur District having additional charge of Batala Police District. His earlier stints in the holy city are Assistant Superintendent of Police (1999-2000), SP City (2002-03) and DIG Prisons (2005-06). Kunwar has distinction to begin his career in Punjab Police from this holy city in 1999 as a trainee IPS Officer. Right from the first day of his joining, Community Oriented Policing (COP) was launched in the city with a view to create an atmosphere to maintain peace and order in the society and to provide a sense of security to the citizens. His areas of priority are prevention of crime, accessibility for the common citizen, to eliminate the menace of drug and to promote brotherhood in the citizens of Amritsar.

Training Seminar for Police Accountability

A training seminar for the Police officers of the rank of Inspector, Sub-Inspector and ASI working in the police stations was organized today in the Police Line Gurdaspur on 28.03.2007. Besides SSP and other senior police officers, this seminar was addressed by the District & sessions Judge, Deputy Commissioner and District Attorney of Gurdaspur. Around 85 police officers from Gurdaspur police district participated in this seminar.

The purpose of this seminar is:

To improve day to day working of Police

To improve the quality of investigation

To make the police more accountable

To make the police people-friendly and community oriented

To inculcate basic human values and ethics in the police officers

The following topics were covered by the various speakers in this seminar:

• Day to day policing in Police Stations as per Punjab Police Rules: Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, SSP Gurdaspur
• General guidelines for the Investigation of cases: Sh. Parambir Singh Parmar, SP Detective Gurdaspur
• Personal Conduct and Behaviour with general public: Sh. R. K. Sharma, SP Pathankot
• How to improve quality of investigation: Sh. Kanwaljit Singh, District Attorney Gurdaspur

Addressing the participants, SSP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh asked the officers to improve the working of police as per guidelines given in the Punjab Police Rules and various other standing orders issued by the DGP Punjab. He also highlighted the PRO system initiated in the Police Stations of Gurdaspur to make the police more accountable towards grievances of common people. He further stressed upon the improvement in the quality of investigation to give justice to the needy persons.

Sh. Jora Singh, District and Sessions judge also addressed the participants and highlighted common errors in the investigation and role of police officers in ensuring quick trial of cases pending in the courts. He also spoke on various human rights issues and role of police in protecting the rights of commoners at the root level.

Sh. Vivek Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner also addressed the participants and spoke on the role being performed by the police in the changing scenario. He stressed upon providing quick justice to the aggrieved persons and further highlighted the need for better coordination between various functionaries of criminal justice system.

These officers were given posting as per their choice keeping in view their potential and aptitude. This entire programme was organized with the aim to deliver good results for the common people for the redressal of their grievances.

Police goes hi-tech; Internet replaces ‘munshi’ system

Bipin Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, March 26

Going hi-tech, the district police has done away with the munshi and the daroga system. In the era of computers, munshis and darogas, who were in direct public dealing since the British rule, have now been replaced with the Internet.

The e-mail system has been introduced in the functioning of the department by the district police chief Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who is also heading the charge of Batala, a separate police district created during militancy.

To ensure accessibility, three mobile cell numbers, 9876170350 at the police control room, 9876424042 at the SSP office and 9814085205 with the SSP, have been made available round the clock. In addition, an e-mail ID (policehelp100@gmail.com) has also been dedicated to receive complaints and suggestions from general public.

Talking to The Tribune, Vijay Pratap Singh claimed that teams of public relation officers (PROs) had been constituted to hear public grievances at each police station. Complainants feeling unattended at police stations could contact the PRO team and lodge their complaints.

"We have also separated investigation from law and order at police stations and at the district level as well. We already have standing order from the inspector general of police (IGP) since 1977, however, it was not operational at the police station level. We have implemented it with partial modifications," the SSP claimed.

The complainants can send their complaints to the SSP directly on the e-mail and the FIRs will be registered on the basis of information sent at this account.

Complaint/ suggestion boxes have also been placed at all police stations and public places in Gurdaspur and Pathankot. Informers can drop details of crime and criminals in these boxes.

(http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070327/punjab1.htm#14)

Community Oriented Policing in Gurdaspur District

Gurdaspur Police has launched Community Oriented Policing to provide better services to the common people. In order to streamline the grievance redressal system, PROs (Public Relations Officers) have been posted in each Police Station headed by an ASI assisted by four Constables/Head constables including two Lady Police officers of the rank of Constable/Head Constable. The PROs are working as Community Police Officers. People coming to the Police Station can lodge their grievances with the PRO team. The FIR book and Station diary remain with this team. The system has received very good response from the common public. Basically, this has wiped out British model of Munshi system and Daroga system from the policing at the root level.

Besides this, complaints cum suggestion boxes have been installed in each Police Station as well as at public places in the cities of Pathankot and Gurdaspur. People can drop their grievances if they are not entertained in the Police Stations. The common people are also coming forward with suggestions and information regarding crime and criminals. The keys of the boxes are with the SSP and he personally opens it, daily in the cities and weekly in the rural areas.

To ensure better accessibility, three mobile numbers (cell phone) have been made public -- One is with Police Control room, another in the SSP office and the third one is with the SSP. All the three mobile numbers remain open round the clock. The SSP does not hesitate to attend phone calls even at midnight if someone is in trouble. All the officers now take keen interest to listen to the common people

Contact details:

PCR: 01874-221966, 9876170350

SSP office: 01874-241173(office hour), 9876424042(24 hours)

SSP: 9814085205, 9915737465(24 hours)

E-mail: policehelp100@gmail.com

Community Oriented Policing in Gurdaspur District

‘Right to Sight Camp’ at Amritsar Jail

Amritsar jail organized Right to Sight Camp on March 03, 2007 in collaboration with Rotary Club Amritsar and Dr. Om Prakash Satyam Netralaya Amritsar. Out of total 2200 inmates, around 500 short listed prisoners were checked up in this eye camp. Around 222 inmates were provided goggles free of cost and another 22 were operated upon for various diseases.

Inaugurating this eye camp, the fountain head of the Prison reforms, Dr Kiran Bedi, a Megasaysay award-winner said, “prison reforms in the country has become an irreversible movement, which provides fresh hope to jail inmates”. Dr Bedi said the initiative taken by DIG Prisons Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh should be replicated in several prisons in the state, for improving the quality of life of the inmates.

Appreciating the contribution made by Rotary Club under its President Sumant Sud and Dr. Rohit Om Prakash of Om Prakash Satyam Netralaya Amritsar, she said it was everybody’s duty to contribute towards the welfare of this neglected lot. Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, Member SGPC also shared her views on this occasion.

Later, addressing the annual convocation of Khalsa College for Women here, Dr Bedi said women power was being recognised as a force to reckon with and Indian women had shown that through sheer determination, they could make a significant change in the lives of people.

Parkash Singh Badal sworn in as Chief Minister for the fourth time

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fourth time amid chants of “Bole so nihal” and bursting of crackers at a well-attended but disorganised ceremony at PCA Stadium here today.

The Badal-led SAD-BJP combine set a record of sorts with all 17 ministers — 12 from SAD and five from the BJP — in the Cabinet rank. There is no minister of state.

The swearing-in ceremony was boycotted by Congress MLAs. None of the 44 MLAs turned up. Nor did former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

Badal, the 17th Chief Minister of the state, was administered the oath of secrecy and office by Governor Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd) at 1.35 pm, but before that he had to ask the youth to maintain silence to allow the proceedings to go on.

Assembly Elections peacefully conducted in the District

Elections for the Punjab Assembly were conducted in a free and fair manner despite speculations of violence. The percentage of poll was 77 %, which is 5% more than the average polling in the State. The police made a foolproof security arrangement to maintain law and order during the polls. The borders with Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were sealed and special vigil was kept on the international border with Pakistan.

Man posing as CBI SP held

Gurdaspur Police, acting on a tip off, arrested one Praveen Kumar who duped a number of unemployed persons of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of getting them lucrative jobs in the CBI. He has duped more than 20 youths in Pathankot area by issuing fake joining letters. Interestingly, many of them went to Calcutta and Bombay offices of the CBI to join there but returned back joining letters being fake. The person charged Rs. 3.57 lakhs for the post of Constable in the CBI and also promised rebate of Rs. 50,000/ for the Ex-servicemen.

After interrogation it was found that the same person was caught in Amritsar in 2002 by Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, the then SP City Amritsar(Now SSP Gurdaspur) for similar types of cases. He was on bail in various cases pending against him. The man happens to be a witness in a case investigated by the CBI and worked as an informer (source) for some CBI officers.

Kidnapped boy rescued within 6 hours

Gurdaspur Police got success to rescue a boy who was kidnapped on January 18 while going to school. A ten year old boy Sahil was on his way to school on the College road when two motor cycle-borne youths kidnapped him around 9 a.m. However the Police acting in a professional manner rescued him within 6 hours of kidnapping. All the four kidnappers were arrested by the police on the tip off given by a school teacher. Interestingly the teacher saw the boy with the kidnappers however she did not raise alarm as the boy was seen comfortable with the culprits who were distantly related with the family. This was a case of kidnapping for ransom.

When police sounded a red alert in the area, on noticing policemen at a checkpoint, the kidnappers escaped after leaving the boy and abandoning their motor cycle at a shop near Pandori Mahantan. However two of them were nabbed on the spot with the help of the community. Two persons of the community chased the culprits with the police and help to nab other two culprits also.

The police also took help from the service provider of the cell phone company to trace the identity and location of the offenders. Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, SSP Gurdaspur himself led the operation. SP Detective Parambir Singh Parmar, DSP Shailender Singh, DSP Harvinder Singh, Inspector Paramjit Singh and other Police officers alongwith members of the community were awarded with commendation certificates for actively participating in the operation.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh posted as SSP Gurdaspur

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh has been posted as Senior Superintendent of Police of Gurdaspur District. He assumed this charge on 10.01.2007. Kunwar is an IPS officer of 1998 batch of Punjab Cadre; he has earlier served as Senior Superintendent of Police Ferozepur, Superintendent of Police Mohali, and SP City Amritsar besides Assistant Superintendent of Police in Amritsar, Ferozepur, Patiala and Ludhiana Districts.

He became the youngest IPS officer to be posted in Prisons when he was told to head Amritsar Central Prison in December 2005. In less than a year, Amritsar prison became a model for Punjab. The BPR&D,Government of India, recognizing the reforms, organized a training programme ‘Seeing is Learning’ for Prison Officers of North India at Central Jail, Amritsar in November 2006 where Valedictory address was made by Dr. Kiran Bedi, DG, BPR&D. Kunwar was awarded with IVF award 2006 by Dr. Kiran Bedi and entrusted with the responsibility of Honorary Director of Punjab Chapter of IVF. Swami Ramdev visited this prison and appreciated the ongoing reforms.

Decorated with prestigious Baba Farid Award 2004 for Honesty, Kunwar detected the organ trade scam, CBSE PMT scam and first cyber crime of Punjab.