LAHORE: Karam Singh Sobti, an automobile engineer of Lahore, was sentenced by the District Magistrate, Lahore, to an aggregate term of nine years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 3,02,500 on charges of contravening the provisions of the Motor Spirits Rationing Order, forgery and cheating. According to the prosecution, the accused had entered into a contract with the military authorities for the supply of civilian vehicles to an M.T. training team at Jhelum. He was supplied with special receipts to withdraw petrol for taking the vehicles engaged from the places of engagement to Jhelum. The accused is alleged to have withdrawn petrol and misappropriated it. The accused in another case was alleged to have committed forgery of certain [kinds] and cheated the military authorities at Jhelum in respect of his claim for payment for vehicles supplied by him to the military authorities.

[Meanwhile,] the recent ban imposed by the Government of India on entry into British India of “Civil War in France” by Karl Marx is characterized as ‘quaint’ by Daily Times columnist who asks: “Do they think that Marx and Lenin write about the France of today? Or is it just an old-fashioned idea of not giving people ideas?” (Dawn, Delhi)

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2014