Cops checking out Kashmiri traders
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15
The Delhi Police have launched an extensive exercise to verify the antecedents of at least three thousand Kashmiris, staying temporarily in the walled city to ascertain if any of them is associated with the terrorists who stormed Parliament on Thursday.

The elaborate exercise was apparently launched following intelligence reports that some terrorists might be posing as Kashmiri traders and lying low in the Capital, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Most of the Kashmiris descend on Delhi as winter nears and trade in shawls and woollens. They return to the Valley after the snow melts. Many of them stay in guesthouses or small rooms in Daryaganj, Jama Masjid, Chandni Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Suiwalan Churiwalan and Turkman Gate areas of the walled city.

Those who are regulars normally register themselves with the area police stations to prevent any harassment. The police swoops down on these areas whenever there is a terrorist strike. Some of the Kashmiris claimed that they had been told to leave the city and return to the Valley immediately. However, the police refuted the claim.

The Kashmiris said that their families might starve as they would not be able to bring home the bacon for want of any work in Kashmir. “Whatever we earn here during winter, it goes into financing the needs of our families for the rest of the year,” one of them told the NCR Tribune, requesting anonymity lest he should face harassment.

The police sources, however, insist that many terrorists enter the Capital posing as traders and then disappear. There were instances

where arms and ammunition had been recovered from their baggage, ostensibly containing woollen shawls and cardigans. “We are only trying to make the Capital safe for the ordinary citizens,” an area police officer involved in the exercise said.

Meanwhile, the stringent security measures in the city continued to be enforced religiously with spot checking of vehicles, frisking of suspicious persons and close scrutiny of brief cases and bags of persons visiting busy markets, government buildings or complexes.

The police said that barricades put up all over the city and at the borders were being manned round the clock and senior officers were monitoring the security measures.

In the New Delhi area of the Capital, the seat of the Union Government and residences of senior ministers and officials, a round-the-clock patrolling was being supplemented by static posts at all the vantage entry and exit points.

Binocular-toting sharpshooters have been stationed on the rooftops of the high-rise buildings in the VVIP area, especially around the foreign consulates.

The Indian Army contingents, deployed at seven locations in the New Delhi area, continued to keep vigil and were coordinating closely with the local police. Security officials said that the situation would be reviewed shortly, but there was no likelihood of withdrawing the stringent security in the next few days. Officials feel that such a step can only be taken when the entire network of terrorists in the Capital is exposed.

Nanak Chand cremated with full honours
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, December 15
The body of Assistant Sub-Inspector of Delhi Police Nanak Chand, who was killed in Thursday’s attack on Parliament by the terrorists, was cremated with full state honours at his native Ratdhanna village, 5 km from here, last evening. The wooden casket, carrying the embalmed body of the martyr, arrived late in the cold and foggy evening. Students from various schools in the district, local residents, senior officials and political leaders came to attend the cremation.

The sound of the approaching truck was greeted with a subdued murmur. Nanak Chand’s mother accompanied the casket from Delhi. Mr Ajay Chautala, an INLD MP and son of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, a BJP MP, Mr Suraj Mal Antil and Mr Padam Singh Dahiya, both INLD MLAs, Mr Rajiv Jain, general secretary of the Haryana

Vikas Party, Mr Dharampal Singh Malik and Mr Azad Singh Nehra, both Congress leaders, Mr S. N. Roy, Deputy Commissioner, Dr Sultan Singh, SDM, Mr Hardeep Singh Doon, DSP, Mr Raj Singh Dahiya, chairman of the Sonepat Zila Parishad, and others placed wreaths and paid homage to Nanak Chand. The Haryana DGP, Mr M. S. Malik, visited the village and paid rich tributes to the martyr and promised all assistance to the members of the bereaved family on behalf of the state police and the state government.

Earlier in Delhi, the Vice-President, Mr Krishan Kant, was the first to place the white gladioli wreaths.

Our Correspondent Parmindar Singh adds from Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad mourned the death of Desh Raj, a gardener who was one of the seven, shot dead by the intruding terrorists in Parliament House Complex on 13 December. In a defensive fire, three personnel from the Provincial Arms Constabulary (PAC) of the UP police and one from CRPF shot dead three terrorists. The three personnel from the UP’s PAC and an Allahabad lad from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) posted at Gate Number 6 of Parliament House saved the day by foiling, what could have been the most bloody terrorist assault, in the country.

They gunned down three terrorists as they rushed towards Gate Number 8. The intelligence agencies in Delhi reportedly communicated the show of valour of the UP personnel to the police brass late on Thursday evening.

The officials were now contemplating an out-of-turn promotion for the four security personnel.

It is learnt that Head Constable Sami Ullah, Constable Suresh Singh and Naik Inderpal Singh of ‘C’ company from 30 battalion PAC (Gonda) and Constable ‘B’ Santosh Kumar of the CRPF were posted in the inner cordon security at Gate Number 6.

They spotted the three terrorists rushing towards Gate Number 8 and opened fire, killing three of them, and forcing the fourth ultra to run for cover only to be gunned down later. Union Home Minister L K Advani is learnt to have appreciated the valour shown by the personnel.

Indicted DTC officials likely to be relocated
Ramesh Ramachandran
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15
Persons of doubtful integrity continue to hold sensitive positions in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) despite the chief vigilance officer’s express instructions.

At least three officers have been named in a report prepared by Chief Vigilance Officer Narender S Rana. These officials were inducted in spite of adverse comments recorded against their names. Taking note of the chief vigilance officer’s note, Transport Minister Ajay Maken is learnt to have ordered the relocation of these officials elsewhere, pending a decision on their continuance in office.

In a letter written to the CMD of the corporation, the minister has sought fixing of responsibility without delay for this “gross negligence” and also given directions for initiating “necessary disciplinary action” against the officials concerned.

In a related development, the minister sought the formulation of a “human resource development policy” whereby the employees of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), up to the rank of an assistant traffic inspector, would get the option of choosing a specific geographical location for the discharge of their duties. The minister sounded the deathknell for the “transfer postings”, flourishing in the corridors of Parivahan Bhawan.

Sources tell the NCR Tribune that this would not only help streamline the ‘transfer policy’ but also remove the ‘anomaly’ of an employee, residing at Najafgarh in west Delhi, having to report for duty in the trans-Yamuna district.

Similarly, the transfers of middle and higher-level officials would henceforth be ordered only after an objective assessment of their past performance and on the basis of annual confidential record.

According to sources, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the office of the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) had forwarded lists containing the names of certain officials whose continuation in office was considered improper. They remain glued to their posts in spite of the CVO’s instructions that persons of doubtful integrity should not be kept on sensitive positions.

When contacted, Mr Maken told the NCR Tribune that he favoured a transparent ‘transfer policy’ that left no opportunity for corruption or mal-administration. “There were several complaints of this nature. I now intend to streamline the procedure that would benefit the employees of the corporation,” he said.

Unhealthy nexus costs patients dear
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, December 15
An unhealthy nexus between the staff of government health centres and private clinics is costing the patients dear. While the Government claims to provide free medical check-up in its hospitals and primary health centres, the private clinics and laboratories have mushroomed in all the urban and semi-urban pockes. And thereby hangs a tale of bleeding the patients dry, Shylock-style.

The staff of the government health centres and private testing laboratories are hand in glove. As a result, patients are forced to avail the services of private laboratories for various tests.

The charges for different tests – blood test, urine test and sugar – are between Rs 10 and Rs 30 in a government hospital. The X-ray, ultrasound and CT scan are several times more costly in private laboratories. The state of affairs in civil hospital at Faridabad, which receives over 300 patients daily in its OPD, is not healthy either. There is no CT scan facility here. The ultrasound machine is very old. The machine does not even provide film of the reports to the patients.

The X-ray machine is often reported to be out of order. There are pathological test facilities, but patients are generally advised to go in for tests in private laboratories for quick and sure result.

The district health authorities have identified about 113 ultrasound facilities in the district. The majority of the centres are reportedly overcharging and are engaged in conducting illegal foetus tests. One such test fetches them Rs 1200 to 1800.

Even the retail drug shopkeepers have some kind of an `understanding’. Besides, many patients who get the tests done in private laboratories are not even given proper receipts.

Teacher, girl student in suicide pact?
Our Correspondent

Jhajjar, December 15
A teacher of the H D Senior Secondary School at Salawas died while a girl student of the same school was serious after the duo consumed poisonous sulphate pills under mysterious circumstances last evening.

An affair between them is reported to be the reason behind the incident. A district police spokesman said here today that both were rushed to the PGIMS in Rohtak by the staffers of the school where Sunil Kumar taught chemistry. He breathed his last around 9 pm. The 16-year-old girl, a student of 10 plus 2, was still unconscious, according to the reports.

The father of the girl, Suresh Kumar of Madanpur Akehar village, in his report to the police, alleged that the deceased teacher had been trying to seduce his daughter who took the extreme step under distressing conditions.

COMMUNITY

Patients pay for unpaid phone bill
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, December 15
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is reported to have disconnected the telephone connection of the Emergency Ward of the 100-bed civil hospital in this city following the non-payment of an overdue bill.

According to a report, this telephone has been working one-way for the last three days, causing inconvenience to the staff and indoor patients who have been deprived of a telephone facility even in case of an emergency.

The staff members are not able to give information to the police or to the relatives of those patients, involved in road accidents and other emergency cases. They cannot call the doctors for attending to the patients.

Both the Civil Surgeon and the Medical Superintendent of the hospital have failed to deposit the amount of the bill for the restoration of the telephone connection.

The Residents Welfare Association, the Sonepat Citizens Council and other social and voluntary organisations today, protested against the unsatisfactory working of the office of the Civil Surgeon and the Civil Hospital and urged the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to order a high-level probe into the public complaints. They have demanded stern action against those found responsible for the mess.

These organisations have also alleged that there had been no check on the sale of costly medicines from the store of the civil hospital. They have also alleged that this had caused an acute shortage of medicines forcing patients to buy them from the market.

These organisations have also demanded an immediate transfers of the medical officers, patronised by the political bosses of the ruling party. The politicians make their appointment in the Civil Surgeon’s office and the civil hospital a permanent fixture.

They have also threatened to launch an agitation against the Civil Surgeon and the Medical Superintendent if no action was taken against the authorities of the department.

Civic problems plague Malviya Nagar
Rohit Wadhwaney

New Delhi, December 15
Enter south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar and what welcomes you are bumpy and dirty roads. Hardly looking like roads, they can at best be called streaks of mud and stones. In the aftermath of the bloody Partition, Malviya Nagar became one of the colonies in South Delhi to settle and rehabilitate refugees from across the border.

However, the residents maintain that the condition of the area has not changed much over the years. “What did we get? What did we ask for? Just a nice environment from our own country! Was that too much to ask for? We didn’t even get proper roads to walk on. Fifty years have passed and we still don’t have that,” said Mr Prabjot Singh, a resident of Malviya Nagar since 1948. And it isn’t just a few roads that have the residents rather frustrated now, with all their complaints to the authorities,falling on deaf ears. Almost 90 per cent of the roads in the area are “extremely shabby”.

The residents said that during the monsoon, the roads were flooded because of the potholes. There were many places in the colony where the roads remained flooded throughout the year.

They said that they had made many complaints to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) but no action was ever taken to repair these roads. “I have never seen anyone coming here to repair these roads. Just because this is a refugee colony, the government officials think they have done us a favour by giving us shelter here. They are wrong. This country belongs to us as much as to anyone else. The least we expect is officials doing their job in the area,” said S.P. Malkani, president of Residents Welfare Association (RWA) of Malviya Nagar.

The residents further said that on a few occasions, the MCD officials had visited the colony to repair the roads, but it was just a matter of time before the condition of the roads would be back to square one. “When they repair the roads, they don’t last more than 10 days,” said Naresh Malik, secretary of the RWA. Even as the roads in the colony have been neglected, encroachments on roads are fast growing. Naturally, the narrow roads have become even narrower and traffic congestion has grown. Even a casual look around Block G reveals how the people neglect their colony. Many of the residents’ house gates have almost reached half of the road. Mr Malik said: “It seems there is no law and order in the city. Anyone can do whatever he feels like without bothering about others. No one is afraid of the law. We regret buying a house in this place. I will shift out, given an opportunity. I predict a ‘jungle raaj’ here soon.”

Above all, there are street poles right in the middle of the G Block road. There are no streetlights, and there have been several cases when vehicles have banged into these poles at night. “Where was the need for a street pole in the middle of the road? Why can’t the authorities just bring it down?” asked R. L. Jhingan, a resident.

Life, according to Mr Jhingan, had never been comfortable here because the governmental agencies have permanently ignored our problems. “We are just living. I do ask myself, why are we living here? Do I really deserve this?” An official from the MCD, on condition of anonymity, admitted that there were few roads in the colony needing an immediate attention.

“But a problem, bigger than the dirty and shabby roads, is that of encroachment. It is not easy to go and demolish an encroachment. We need proper orders. It is a different thing that we would demolish the encroachments. But the bigger issue is, why do these encroachments come up in the first place?”

The official said, “The residents know the roads are narrow but still they park their vehicles right in the middle of the roads and wherever they feel like. So we are not totally to be blamed,” the official said.

Sonepat residents bear brunt of power cuts
R. D. Sapra

Sonepat, December 15
Power played hide and seek with the residents of this fast-growing industrial city as well as the neighbouring areas for the fifth day in succession. The day started with load-shedding, which continued till late in the evening on Saturday, according to a report. This could be the worst power crisis in the region. Normal life has been thrown out of gear. The supply of drinking water has been badly hit.

The entire city, with a population of more than 2 lakh, remained without power between 4.05 am and 5.05 am on Saturday, causing great inconvenience to the residents. Angry residents said that the officials had not responded to their complaints. “They do not even answer the phone. If at all, somebody decides to answer your call, the standard response is that the supply has been cut off from Panipat.” To make matter worse, residents of the city get water from the tubewells, which do not function without power. Thus, they have been facing an acute water shortage for the past few days.

The Public Health Department has shown a lack of imagination by failing to install diesel generators at the main waterworks at Murthal and the boosting stations in the city so that they could be used in the absence of power supply. Disturbance in lines at Bhatinda power station in Punjab has caused major power crisis in the city and its adjoining areas. Moreover, the lines from Bhatinda have been tripping frequently in the past few days, plunging the city into darkness regularly. Meanwhile, enquiries made by the NCR Tribune have revealed that the residents will have to bear with the continuing load-shed ding for some more time till the faults in lines at Bhatinda power station are removed. It is an alarming situation for the people of the city as there seems to be no let-up in the deteriorating power situation in the region. The local authorities of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) have been in a spot as they have little control over the deteriorating power situation. They often become the target of the public wrath, though they can do little to redress their grievances.

Nath shares dais with Walia
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15
In his maiden appearance at a public function after being dropped from the Sheila Dikshit ministry, Mr Narendra Nath yesterday shared a dais with his former colleague and Health Minister, Dr Ashok Kumar Walia, who retained his job in the reconstituted Cabinet. The occasion was the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the polyclinic building at Chhota Bazar in Shahdara.

Mr Nath was last seen leading a demonstration to 10 Janpath to protest against his ouster and the exclusion of a representative of the Bania community from the reconstituted Council of Ministers.

He and three other ministers – Mr Yoganand Shastri, Mr Krishna Tirath and Mr Pervez Hashmi – were dropped and four new faces inducted in the new-look Cabinet after all the six ministers had tendered their resignations ostensibly to give Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit a free hand to reconstitute her ministry.

The Bania community had termed his ouster a “humiliating experience” and threatened to launch an agitation. When seen in this backdrop, Mr Nath’s ‘guest appearance’ yesterday would be reassuring for the Chief Minister in more ways than one. Both Mr Walia and Mr Nath represent East Delhi constituencies in the Delhi Assembly.

Dr Walia, who is also the chairman of the Trans-Yamuna Development Board, told reporters that the four-storeyed polyclinic, being built at a cost of Rs 3.4 crore would become operational in the first quarter of 2003. The expenditure will be borne by the Trans-Yamuna Development Board.

Recounting the augmentation of health and medical services in East Delhi, the minister said round-the-clock emergency and maternity services had commenced at the 100-bed Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in Khichripur in addition to the expanded services offered at the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital. Construction of the Hedgewar Health Institute was also progressing satisfactorily, he said.

Construction of a 200-bed hospital in Shastri Park, a 200-bed hospital specialising in paediatrics in Geeta Colony and a 650-bed super specialty hospital in Tahirpur would begin in the first quarter of next year, he added. 

SONEPAT
Catheter lab for heart patients to be set up in city
Our Correspondent

In order to cope with the demand of the heart patients, the management of Batra Nursing Home and the Heart Disease Centre here has decided to set up a Rs 1 crore catheter laboratory in the fast growing industrial city.

Giving this information, Dr Ramesh Batra told mediapersons here on Saturday that the Lab would be equipped with modern machinery imported from the USA.

It would be linked with Batra Hospital, New Delhi and its specialists including Dr Balbir Singh, senior interventional cardiologist, would visit the lab frequently to monitor the condition of the indoor patients.

The lab would have the facilities including angiography, angioplasty, stent implantation, pace maker, balloonmitral valvotomty, peripheral angio and renal angio, he added.

Dr Batra said that the lab would be the first of its kind in Haryana. This facility was not yet available at PGI, Rohtak. He maintained that hitherto, the heart patients had to go to Delhi and other places for diagnosis.

Dr Batra also said that the charges would be much less than those at the private hospitals in Delhi and other places.

COP FOUND HANGING

The body of a police constable, Bhim Singh (50), was found hanging at his house in Nahra village, about 25 km from here, on Friday.

The police believe that it may be a case of suicide. The victim was posted at Faridabad. The police are still verifying the causes of the suicide.

2 HURT IN MISHAP

Two persons sustained serious injuries when a Tata 407 was hit by a bus from behind on the G. T. Road near Rai village, 13 km from here, on Friday.

According to a report, one of the injured was sent to a Delhi hospital for further treatment. The injured persons belonged to Chaneli village in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.

COURTS INSPECTED

Mr Justice N. K. Sodhi of the Punjab and Haryana High Court inspected various judicial courts in the city and Gohana town on Friday. According to a report, Mr Justice Sodhi had talked to Mr S. K. Sardhana, District and Sessions Judge, in connection with the functioning of the courts.

Evening dedicated to unemployed
Our Correspondent

New Delhi, December 15
The Laxmi Nagar-based social service organisation, Berojgaar Sena, with support from the Preet Vihar Society Welfare Association organised a cultural programme, Ek Shaam Berojgaar Ke Naam, at the Preet Vihar police station recently.

Bollywood actor and Member of Parliament Vinod Khanna was the chief guest of the occasion.

President of the Berojgaar Sena, Mr Rajiv Kumar, informed that folksongs and dances of different states were performed by members of the organisation on the occasion.

Apart from the founder president of the Preet Vihar Society Welfare Association, Mr Ratan Singh, Mr Raj Kumar Dhingia and Mr Jaloon Ahmed were also present on the occasion.

CRPF welfare exhibition ends
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15
The three-day Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Welfare Exhibition-cum-Fete came to an end today. The exhibition was organised for the benefit of the family welfare centres which work for the welfare of disabled personnel and children and widows of CRPF personnel.

The exhibition was declared closed by the chief guest, Mrs Chitra Mishra, president of the CRPF Wives Welfare Association, in a brief ceremony. Prizes were given to the best stalls in the fete. She also distributed prizes to the best three family welfare centres and four best mahila workers at these centres in the function. 

Two arrested in Jain temple murder case
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15
With the arrest of two persons, Abdul Latif and Insar Ali, alias Sadde, the anti-homicide section of the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has claimed to have worked out the sensational triple murder and dacoity at Digambar Jain Mandir on September 20 last year. The police have seized two stolen “Chattaras” and one bicycle from the accused.

Further investigations are on and a manhunt has been launched to nab the main accused, Santosh, and two others who have absconded.

The accused on September 20, 2000 allegedly killed caretakers of Digambar Jain Mandir, Ram Dev Mishra, Surinder Tiwari and Sudhir Kumar, alias Vidhyadhar Mishra, inside the temple and ran away with three idols of Bhagwan Mahabir Swami, Bhagwan Padam Prabhu and Matta Padmavati, all made of ‘ashath dhatu’, 4-5 silver “chattras”, a gold chain, one “mukut” and one cycle. Few shirts and trousers of workers of the temple were also missing from their room in the temple.

The police had formed many teams which were sent to Lucknow, Bhiwandi and Sultanpur several times for conducting investigations. The teams also interrogated family members, friends and relatives of all the three deceased who were residents of Sultanpur and found out that the deceased had no enmity with others in the district.

During investigation, the police found out that the deceased, Ram Dev Mishra, was a close friend of Ramyagh Mishra, resident of Senduri village in Sultanpur, and used to visit his native village frequently. Ramyagh Mishra (65) was working in Jain Temple, Model Town III, and his wife was about 25 years younger to him. Investigations also revealed that the wife of Ramyagh Mishra had an illicit relation with Ram Dev Yadav, which was resented by her son, Santosh.

The police said, Santosh (22) had visited Delhi and Digambar Jain Temple before the day of the incident and he did not attend the funeral as he was known to the deceased. Thus the police suspected his involvement in the case, and raided his village and his possible hideouts in Sultanpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Amethi and Partap Garh, but the accused could not be located and remained absconding. The team also picked up several persons.

A team led by ACP Gurbax Singh and Inspector Samay Singh went to the native village of Santosh and Latif and raided adjoining areas. It also came to the notice that Latif had recently gone to Delhi with Insar Ali, alias Sadde. The team then returned to Delhi, and upon a secret information nabbed the criminals from Pushp Vihar, when they came to decide about the disposal of stolen property.

During sustained interrogation, they confessed to have involved in the gruesome murder and dacoity. They revealed that Santosh, who suspected illicit relationship between his mother and Ram Dev Mishra, had planned to eliminate him. He allegedly roped in his friends Latif, Ansar Ali and two others to rob the temple on the pretext of getting huge cash.

On the night of the incident, Santosh slept with Ram Dev at his house. Around 2 am, he opened the main door of the temple and ushered in his four accomplices. As per plan, they killed Ram Dev and killed other two inmates.

They duo also confessed that they chased the victims and killed them with ‘ustras’ and knives. After committing the murders, they changed their blood-stained clothes, washed their hands and stole three idols. Then, all escaped and assembled at JJ colony, Khanpur where Latif and Sadde were living in rented accommodation. Latif, Sadde and others had been working as cement bag loaders, the police said. 

Mid-corporate branch of PNB opened
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15
The first mid-corporate branch of Punjab National Bank was opened at New Delhi House, Barakhamba Road today in the Capital by the chairman and managing director, Mr S. S. Kohli.

The branch would meet the requirements of mid-segment corporates who need credits ranging from Rs 3.50 crore to Rs 25 crore.

The bank had plans to open 13 mid-corporate branches all over the country, Mr Khli said, adding that the setting up of specialised branches was part of the implementation of the Boston Consultancy Group recommendations.

Two die in multiple collision
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15
Two persons were killed and one injured when a speeding truck hit three vehicles which were halted at the Kashmiri Gate red light last night.

A Maruti car, a van and a scooter were halted at the red light when a truck which was coming from the ISBT side hit the car. The car in turn collided with the van which hit the two-wheeler on which two persons were travelling. The scooter riders who were coming from Seelampur fell down and died on the spot. They were identified as Ansar (45) and his son, Urooj Mehadi (18).

The injured, Manoj Sharma, who was in the Maruti car, was admitted to Hindu Rao Hospital where his condition was stated to be serious.

The truck driver, Nambiar Singh, who belonged to Etah district in Uttar Pradesh was arrested on charges of causing death due to rash and negligent driving.

Dhaliwal Award

The Delhi-based Punjabi Sahit Kala Sangam will honour Punjab’s theatre couple Pran Sabharwal and Sunita Sabharwal, along with other noted personalities, with the National Dhaliwal Award for their life-time achievements.

The other awardees included Balbir Singh Momi, Satnam Singh Hitkari, S. Saqi, Ms Chandan Negi, O. P. Anand, Prof Swaran Singh, Santok Singh Safri, Harchand Singh Dilber, Darshan Singh Buttar, Gurbax Balvi, Bhai Dilbagh Singh, Kulbagh Singh, Sham Chaurasi, Davinder Singh, Surinder Nath and Jaswant, the president of the sangam, Mr Harbhajan Singh Rattan, said here today.

He said the awardees would be presented a shawl, citation, memento and a cash award by the Union Minister, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa , at a function in the Capital tomorrow.

Five die in mishaps Ghaziabad

Five persons were killed in separate mishaps in the city since Friday. While, four persons, including two cyclists, were killed in separate road accidents, one person was run over by a train.

Anju Sharma of Chandi Road, Hapur, was run over by a bus plying at full speed in front of the old bus stand here. In another incident, Kali Charan succumbed to his injuries he received in an accident in Sector 39 at Noida crossing yesterday night.

In yet another accident, Vijay Kumar of Anand Vihar, Delhi, was injured after he was hit by a Tata 407 yesterday morning near police post in the industrial area link road. He was rushed to Narinder Mohan Hospital but the doctors could not save him. A 55-year-old unidentified woman was run over by a fast moving vehicle in the same police station area.

One Trilok was run over by train near the Rajnagar railway crossing in Kavi Nagar.

Stolen wireless sets recovered

New Delhi: Wireless sets stolen from Excel Electo Private Limited were recovered from Defence Colony this afternoon. The sets were stolen from Greater Kailash – I office of the company on October 12.

Packed in a carton, they were recovered from the back lane of house number B-17 in Defence Colony.

The police said that the thief had thrown the carton as raids were being conducted in different places in connection with the terrorist attack. He was afraid of being caught. Though this had no connection with the Parliament attack case, the police added.