Latest news with #DevenderSingh
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
From frontlines to margins, Delhi's civil defence volunteers feel they are getting eased out of disaster response work
Less than two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack, when the mock drills were held across the country on May 7, Delhi's civil defence volunteers (CDVs) came under the spotlight again nearly two years after thousands of them were pressed into action to help with rescue and relief during the July 2023 floods. Before the floods, the CDVs were deployed in the Capital's fight against the pandemic to ensure that lockdowns were observed strictly and essential services reached the needy. They have also been deployed in cases of building collapse, given that the force, which today is 1.7-lakh strong, is trained in handling stampedes, firefighting operations, communications, and a number of other life-saving skills. However, many of the CDVs, which include retired professionals, college students, and homemakers, all of whom are paid nothing, except an amount ranging from ₹800-₹900 daily during deployment, feel their significance has declined over the years. 'Inspired by father' Pankaj Kumar, 32, who works in the Sadar Bazar wholesale market and has been a CDV for the past decade, says he was motivated to join the force after seeing how everyone admired his father for the work he did as a volunteer in his time. 'During COVID-19, we were considered essential workers. We ensured that the lockdowns weren't violated, and it was to us that people turned for information. However, we haven't been getting much work since then,' he said. Due to the reduced workload, dedicated spaces for training and regular meetings that the CDVs had in every police station have also been reduced, say volunteers. The Hindu visited five police stations in areas including Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazar, and Civil Lines, to corroborate these claims, and found that the spaces meant for the CDVs had been turned into creches, waiting rooms or utility rooms. Devender Singh, a 77-year-old retired bank employee, has been working as a volunteer since 1995. Mr. Singh, who now walks with a cane for support, said he has aided the police and the National Disaster Response Force many times with crowd control, building collapses, and other emergency calls. 'But over the years, the demand for volunteers has gone down, which means that there's little enthusiasm or availability of young, well-equipped volunteers,' he said. Omkar Singh, who has been a CDV since 1989 and works as a driver and carpenter for a living, said he enjoyed his volunteering days. 'We used to meet every Sunday to practise as well as help young volunteers learn the ropes. These days, even if we find young, willing volunteers, we don't have the resources to teach them,' he said.
India.com
19-05-2025
- India.com
How Haryana Man ‘Honey-Trapped' By Pakistani Agent For ‘Spying', ‘Leaking Military Secrets'
Kaithal (Haryana): Devender Singh, 25, a resident of Mastgarh village in Haryana's Kaithal district, was allegedly honey-trapped by a Pakistani woman and subsequently arrested for spying for Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). The police say he spent about a week with the woman in Pakistan. During his stay across the border, he allegedly came into contact with ISI operatives and began leaking sensitive Indian military information, including details of 'Operation Sindoor'. Singh was first detained on May 13 after the police found a suspicious Facebook post wherein he was seen posing with illegal firearms. The cops said further interrogation revealed that he had been sending classified information to Pakistani intelligence. The case was immediately escalated to national security agencies. Investigations claimed to have found that he traveled to Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor under the guise of a religious pilgrimage. He visited several sacred sites such as Kartarpur Sahib, Nankana Sahib, Lahore and Panja Sahib. During this trip, he was reportedly recruited by ISI agents. At the time of his arrest, Singh was studying in Patiala. Authorities say he secretly took photographs of the Army cantonment area in Haryana and Punjab and transmitted these along with other military secrets to Pakistan. It is believed he was in contact with over five Pakistani agents. Upon suspecting the investigation, Singh attempted to delete incriminating data from his devices. However, police cyber teams are working to recover the deleted information. His mobile phone and other devices have been seized. DSP Veerbhan Singh confirmed charges against Singh such as misuse of religious travel for espionage and leaking sensitive national security details. He is currently in police custody for further questioning, and the probe is expanding to uncover additional collaborators.
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Kaithal student's interrogation reveals Pak intelligence links
Alleged links of a 25-year-old post-graduate student with Pakistani intelligence operatives have come to the fore during his interrogation in a separate matter, a senior police official said on Friday. The accused, Devender Singh, from Kaithal district's Guhla area, was arrested after an FIR was registered against him on Sunday for uploading photos on social media with weapons, superintendent of police Astha Modi said. The SP said during the investigation, it was learnt that Singh, who had been pursuing a Master's degree in political science from a college in Punjab, had gone to Pakistan's Nankana Sahib gurdwara on pilgrimage in November last year. During the visit, he allegedly came in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives and remained in touch with them even after his return, she said. 'We have seized his phone and sent it for forensic analysis,' Astha Modi said. Asked whether he has sent any sensitive information, the senior police officer said, 'He has admitted to sending some photos of Patiala cantonment by clicking pictures from outside.' Haryana director general of police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur, who was at Madhuban police academy, said, 'Whether it is Panipat, Kaithal, or another place where such people have been found, each case has different facts. The main accused has been caught, the investigation is progressing, and all links found during the probe will be followed up with further action.' 'We are also doing an audit of his finances and checking his bank account,' she said and added that now another FIR has been registered against him. The latest incident comes close on the heels of another case in which a 24-year-old youth, Nauman Ilahi, was arrested in Panipat district for allegedly supplying sensitive information to some individuals in Pakistan. On May 3, the Amritsar rural police arrested two men — Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih — for allegedly photographing and sharing sensitive details of Army cantonments and airbases. Investigators believe the duo had direct links to Pakistani intelligence operatives. In a separate case, Malerkotla police arrested two individuals — including a 31-year-old woman, Guzala, and her associate Yameen Mohamad — on May 11 for allegedly aiding a Pakistani official posted at the High Commission in Delhi. Police say the two were part of a broader espionage network operating in the region. The latest arrest before Ilahi's came from Bathinda, where on May 13, a tailor working inside the military station was taken into custody on suspicion of spying. Authorities revealed that he was the second civilian linked to espionage from that location — the first being Sunil Kumar, a cobbler arrested on April 29.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Four cops booked for assaulting hotel staff in Narnaul
Four cops were booked for allegedly assaulting a cook of a hotel at Mahendergarh's Narnaul on the night of April 27, said police. Those booked included an assistant sub-inspector Devender Singh, home guard Raj Kumar, special police officer (SPO) Sanjay and a constable. Mahendergarh superintendent of police (SP) Pooja Vashisth has ordered a probe led by DSP Narnaul Hardeep Singh. In his complaint to the police, Vikram Bahadur Bhandari, a resident of Jalandhar in Punjab and working at a hotel in Narnaul, alleged that three cops locked the door of his room at the hotel on the night of April 27. 'The cops asked me who was inside the other room of the hotel. I told them that hotel owner Satinder lives in the room, and he is out of the hotel. They picked me up and took me to Mahavir police-check post. The cops told me that unethical activities are flourishing in the hotel. I told them that I am working as a cook there and not aware about such things,' the complainant added. The cook further alleged that one more cop joined three policemen, and they started abusing him and assaulting. 'They thrashed me brutally with sticks and shoes. When my health started deteriorating, two cops in a police vehicle dropped me back at the hotel. They took my ₹10,000 which the hotel owner gave me as my monthly salary and later the owner rushed me to a hospital,' the complainant said. Narnaul police station house officer (SHO) Mukesh Kumar said that four cops were booked under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 127(2) (wrongful confinement) and 3(5) (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita act. He said that a probe has been initiated into the matter by DSP Narnaul Hardeep Singh.
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Introduce PM Question Hour in Parliament: Former Additional Secretary Devender Singh
NEW DELHI: Should the Indian Parliament introduce a Prime Minister's Question Hour (PMQH) at least once a week during session time? This idea, while potentially triggering heated debate across political circles, has found strong support from Devender Singh, former Additional Secretary of the Lok Sabha, in his newly released book The Indian Parliament: Samvidhan Sadan to Sansad Bhawan. Singh asserts that the PMQH should be institutionalised in Parliament to enhance accountability and revive legislative engagement. 'The introduction of PM's Question Hour would really be a break from the colonial past, and it would inaugurate a new era in the Indian Parliamentary annals,' he writes in the book. In a conversation with this newspaper, Singh said Parliament can only fulfil its multifaceted responsibilities if it is equipped with a strong framework of accountability, convenes regularly, and engages in informed and well-structured discussions. 'But average sittings of Parliament have dwindled precipitously,' he remarked, emphasising the need to revisit the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business to ensure Parliament meets for at least 100 days a year. Among the key reforms proposed by Singh is the weekly PMQH, aimed at ensuring greater executive accountability and rekindling the spirit of Parliamentary discourse. 'The introduction of PM's Question Hour (PMQH) once a week will act as a safety valve, allow members to raise issues of urgent concern and allow the Prime Minister to explain government policies and counter criticism,' Singh said. He further asserted, 'India will emerge as a vibrant and robust democracy if the Prime Minister's Questions Time is introduced,' and advocated for a renaming of "Private Members' business", calling it a remnant of British colonial rule. Singh also recommends empowering one-third of MPs to convene Parliament and introduce legislation. 'The Rules of Procedure need amendment to provide for convening Parliament at the initiative of one-third MPs and also introduce and consider legislation when at least one-third of the MPs so demand. This will help reduce disruption of normal proceedings of the House like the running of Question Hour and also significantly curtail the tendency to move adjournment motions,' he writes. According to Singh, the institution of a PMQH could effectively address concerns raised by the Opposition, reduce disruptions, and promote decorum in the House. He argues that a well-utilised PMQH could "take the wind out of the sail of the Opposition, soothe the ruffled feathers, pacify irate tempers and pre-empt the tendency to frequently disrupt or rock proceedings." The book also reflects on the growing public disillusionment with Parliament, attributing it to continuous disruptions, unnecessary grandstanding, and unethical conduct by some members. 'In order to have a more contemporary look and to emerge as a more effective forum of debate and accountability, the practice and procedures of Parliament need innovation,' Singh observes. He advocates for the integration of cyber interfaces to boost citizen engagement with Parliamentary proceedings and calls for a reform in the format of debates to avoid repetitive and rambling speeches. 'Further, the format of debate also calls for drastic change to overcome repetitive and rambling speeches. As the highest forum of debate and discussions, Parliament must meet at least 100 days in a year and function robustly and act as a bulwark against arbitrary actions of the executive,' he concludes.
