The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, October 21, 2001, Chandigarh, India

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Sentenced to life for wife’s murder
Sundernagar, October 20
The District and Sessions Judge, Mandi Division yesterday, sentenced Naresh Kumar resident of Panhartu of Jogindernagar subdivision Mandi district to life for the murder of his wife Sita Devi.

IN FOCUS
Slums thrive unchecked
Parwanoo
A number of slums have grown in different sectors since the government has failed to provide a labour colony for the industrial workers of this town. Thousands of labourers and industrial workers are forced to live in “Jhuggis” in extremely unhygienic conditions.

Army recruitment on Nov 7
Ban orders at Naina Devi shrine

A police officer examines an envelope at the Shimla General Post Office which was suspected to be containing anthrax. —photo by Anil Dayal

REGIONAL BRIEFS

YOUR TOWN

Bilaspur
Hamirpur

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Sentenced to life for wife’s murder
Our Correspondent

Sundernagar, October 20
The District and Sessions Judge, Mandi Division yesterday, sentenced Naresh Kumar resident of Panhartu of Jogindernagar subdivision Mandi district to life for the murder of his wife Sita Devi.

According to prosecution the deceased married Naresh Kumar 15 years ago and bore one daughter and one son. Life was peaceful for two three years. On April1, 2000 body of deceased was found in her house. The convict said she had committed suicide by hanging herself.

The mother of deceased was not satisfied with the version of convict and reported the matter to the police.

Which registered a case under Section 302, (murder), 201 (destroying the evidence) and 498-A (cruelty) of the Indian Penal code arrested the convict, and forwarded the case for trial.

Prosecution in its favour examined 14 witnesses. Medical expert stated that the deceased died on account of suffocation and not due to hanging.

IN FOCUS
Slums thrive unchecked
M.M. Bhandari

Parwanoo
A number of slums have grown in different sectors since the government has failed to provide a labour colony for the industrial workers of this town. Thousands of labourers and industrial workers are forced to live in “Jhuggis” in extremely unhygienic conditions.

The 8000 labourers and their families who are living in these slums have come mostly from Bihar, U.P. and Rajasthan in search of a living. Many of them are doing business on rehris or have opened small shops in the town.

Some of these slums have come up on private plots and the owners of these plots are not able to get their lands vacated as some cases are going on in courts.

Doctors of this town say that due to the unhygienic conditions in these areas, cases of diarrhoea, bronchitis, allergies and several other water-borne diseases appear in these areas, especially during the monsoon season. Despite the alert sounded to the states by the Government of India under its National Malaria Eradication Programme to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in high -risk areas, the authorities concerned seem oblivious to the danger posed by the slum areas. Stagnant water is common in these areas which expose the residents to diseases carried by mosquitoes.

The residents say that the slum-dwellers form a vote-bank for the political parties, and therefore, no leader has raised his voice against the growing slums. On the contrary, at the time of elections, the parties help them get electricity and water connections. When a jhuggi -owner leaves this place, he sells the jhuggi to some other person. The going rate for a jhuggi is said to be Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000.

The antecedents of the jhuggi-dwellers are seldom verified by the police. There has been a rise in the crime rate in this town and its surrounding areas, and most people attribute this to the growth of slums in this town.

Army recruitment on Nov 7
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, October 20
Army will hold recruitment rally for Una and Hamirpur districts at Sujanpurtira on November 7 and 8. Another recruitment rally for Bilaspur district would also be held at Polytechnic Baru (Hamirpur) on November 10.

Col. K.J. Menon, Recruitment Officer said here today that the age for recruitment will be between 16 to 21 years for the general duty soldiers; 16 to 23 years for technical and clerical duty and 16 to 25 years respectively for the trademanship.

He also informed that those clearing the preliminary fitness tests would have to appear in a written test on November 21 at the same venue.

Ban orders at Naina Devi shrine
Our Correspondent

Bilaspur, October 20
Deputy Commissioner cum District Magistrate Joginder Singh Rana here has passed an order under Section 144 Cr PC banning the carrying of all types of arms and ammunitions and explosives under the Kot Kehloor police station area during the 10-day “Ashwin Navratra” fairs at shrine of Naina Devi 75 km from here. The order also bans offering of “halwa prasad” and coconuts to the deity. The order would remain in force till October 26.