Rival groups clash at Hero heart institute
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 7
Two rival groups of Hero DMC Heart Institute were involved in a clash inside the hospital here today. While no member of the management was available for comments, sources in the institute maintained that the clash was a result of ongoing tussle for supremacy among union leaders, representing the workers of DMC Hospital and the heart institute.

According to eyewitnesses, the workers belonging to the two groups exchanged hot words in the room of the institute Director, Dr G.S. Wander, when a meeting was in progress with the group led by the DMC Employees Union, Mr Chander Mohan Kalia. Supporters of the other group, headed by Ms Rajwant Kaur, also forced their entry into the office and challenged the right of Mr Kalia to represent the employees.

After a bitter exchange of words, some of the agitated workers broke windowpanes and in the pandemonium a few employees were hit by pieces of broken glass. Mr Kalia, who also sustained minor injuries, however, alleged that he was stabbed with a knife and the attack was engineered by the leaders of the union, who were sympathetic to the management in a bid to intimidate him. Irate workers also manhandled the institute security chief, Mr T.S. Kanwar, whose turban fell down on the ground, as he was trying to bring the situation under control.

Talking to Ludhiana Tribune, Dr Wander said the demands of the employees were already being taken up with the management and even otherwise it was an ongoing process. 

Gunmen barred from carrying weapons home
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7
After the triple murder case allegedly perpetrated by a gunman of a senior Punjab police officer, the local police today passed an order banning carrying of weapons by the cops, especially gunmen, to their homes. It has made the officer to whom the gunman is attached responsible for the violation of the order. The officer would be penalised if his security guard is found violating the order.

Confirming the ban, the SSP, Mr Narinderpal Singh, said he was taking several measures to avoid such incidents in the future. He said it was a violation on the part of the gunman to carry the weapon home and the violator could face separate action for that.

Under the existing rules, the gunman cannot carry the weapon home unless the officer is with him. He is supposed to deposit the weapon at a designated place, whether in the office or the house of the officer.

It had become a usual practice for the bodyguards to carry the weapon wherever they desire. Police sources said there were verbal instructions that the bodyguards could even deposit the weapons at the security guards makeshift tent houses if they were far away from the actual office. However, this too was not being followed in practice.

In another development, the police has directed constables to attend a training course for being posted as gunmen. The sources said from tomorrow nearly 50 cops would attend the course at police lines. They said the police might go in for rotation of the bodyguards.

Dacoity at transporter’s house; jewellery worth 2 lakh looted
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7
Five dacoits armed with revolvers and sharp-edged weapons struck at the house of a transporter in Sector 32, Urban Estate, here last night and decamped with jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh, three mobile sets, Rs 25,000 and household items. The incident took place near the Division No. 7 police station.

The dacoits, who were speaking Hindi, robbed the family of Mr Subash Sachdeva at gunpoint. The dacoits beat up Subash’s wife who was not giving them keys of lockers.

The dacoits locked the three children of the transporter in a room and forced his wife to show them the lockers. Mr Sachdeva reached home when the dacoits were inside. He was overpowered and forced to part with mobile sets and Rs 7,000.

The police has registered a case. Police sources said a sketch of the dacoits was being made on the basis of the information provided by victims, including children.

Narrating the sequence of events, Shilpa (12) said she was the first to see the robbers. She had opened the door when four persons barged in. They were joined by a fifth person. They ordered them to keep their mouth shut.

The dacoits disconnected telephones first and then locked the children in the room. They then demanded the keys of the lockers. The mother of the children tried to waste time by taking them to different rooms on the pretext of searching the keys. The dacoits, however, succeeded in getting the keys.

As the transporter reached the house, he was overpowered by the dacoits. Mr Sachdeva pleaded with the dacoits not to hurt his family and take away whatever they want. Later, the dacoits locked him and his wife in the room where the children were locked. They ransacked the house for almost half an hour.

Rs 2.65 lakh looted
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7
Some unidentified burglars broke the tool compartment of a scooter and decamped with Rs 2.65 lakh belonging to a local businessman today. The incident happened outside the District Transport Office (DTO) in Mini Secretariat here.

The victim, Gulshan Kumar, had gone inside the office for some work and had kept the money in the tool compartment. When he came back, he found the money missing. The scooter was standing in the parking lot but no one claimed to have seen anyone near the scooter.

The incident took place in the Mini Secretariat where the office of the Deputy Commissioner and the SSP are located. It was surprising that such an incident took place right under the nose of the police. At any given time there is always movement of cops in the area.

Air monitoring unit worth lakhs develops snag
Kanchan Vasdev

Ludhiana, July 7
The much-hyped Ambient Air Monitoring Unit (AAMU), installed at a cost of Rs 35 lakh last year to study the concentration of pollutants in the second-most polluted city of the northern region after Delhi, has been lying non-functional here for several months.

A number of persons, including representatives of industry and the district administration, were present at the time of the installation of the monitoring station. The board chairman had said that it was the first step towards ensuring a pollution-free environment for the residents of Ludhiana.

COMMUNITY

Langar favourite haunt of addicts
Madhvi Sapra

Ludhiana, July 7
The holding of langar and bhandara is turning a lot of needy but able-bodied persons into beggars. Devotees leave enough money for beggars and migrants to experiment with drugs and narcotics. Philanthropists are now realising that they have unwittingly contributed towards the alarming rise in the population of such people.

Some city-based NGOs have tried to rehabilitate them but have failed in persuading the beggars to undertake some productive work.

Mr R.K. Gupta, manager of the Durga Mata Mandir Trust, says that langar cannot be stopped as it is a religious act but building rehabilitation centres could solve the problem. The need is to help them become a responsible part of society, he says.

Once a langar is organised, there is no bar on the people who can eat there. Though langar is basically meant for the poor, professional beggars benefit the most.

Besides turning into parasites, the beggars often cause traffic jams in certain areas merely by their presence in large numbers. One such place is the road near the Durga Mata Mandir that hinders traffic.

The police had started a drive against beggars last year by arresting many of them but after a few months they were allowed to go.

The problem also exists at various other places of worship like Dandi Swami Mandir, Krishna Mandir in Model Town, Kali Mata Mandir at Haibowal and scores of other religious places. The beggars and addicts are having a gala time, enjoying lassi, ice-cream, flavoured milk, and puris being offered by the devotees.

Most of the beneficiaries pack up the eatables for later part of the day and rest in public parks. The money is used by them to buy bidis, cigarettes or drugs.

Otherwise robust, these beggars do not have any inclination to work and with time turn into goons. Many of them have become petty or even hard-core criminals. "Aadmi roti ke liye to bhaagta hai, yeh to baathei baathei hi mil jaati hai to kaam kyu karu (man works to feed himself. If I could fill my stomach by sitting idle, what is the need to work?)," said one of them. Even little children are being forced by their parents to beg on streets.

Though most people feel an urgent need to curb the growing menace, there is hardly anything concrete done so far to rehabilitate these beggars.

City sans marriage counselling centres
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, July 7
Marriages are made in heaven, but they are getting broken with greater frequency as the days goes by. The divorce rate is alarmingly going up. The causes for split of a couple can vary from minor to major issues. The causes are many, but if proper counselling was provided to the couples facing martial discord, and to solve in-laws problems, including various other problems, couples could get back.

But there are really no qualified marriage counsellers in the city that could provide advice to the distressed couple.

In case such a couple has children, they can be deeply affected by the split and develop lopsided personalities. These children may grow up as misfits. This necessitates the establishment of counselling centers where in the counsellers could pinpoint the problem areas in the married life, and suggest the ways to remove the barriers.

When the couples register there complains at a police station their problems are referred to a Marriage Dispute Cell commonly known as MD Cell. The primary aim of setting up MD Cell is to bring in reconciliation between the couples at every MD Cell, a committee is constituted of counsellersr, and some distinguished educationists under the DSP of the MD Cell. Then the complaint is referred to the committee of that MD Cell of the locality.

Both the sides put up their complaints before the members of committee. The members try to reconcile the estranged couple. If they fail in their mission, then the case is referred to DSP. He also tries his best to bring about a compromise, but a repeat failure means that the person judged to be the accused would be booked by the police. But the greatest disadvantage is that these are not professional counsellers.

An innovative initiative has been made in the city to solve martial discords by Roshni, a registered NGO. Roshni also deals with the protection of women, children, mental health and issues of under-privileged with the active involvement of the local people. This NGO has professionals having practical experience on these issues. They have been drawn from behavioral sciences and other related fields.

Members of Roshni feel that no police initiative can be complete without the active and willing co-operation of the community. The issues, which Roshni has decided to deal with, are urgent issues of our society. More broad-based initiatives on the part of social welfare agencies are required to minimise the sufferings of our fellow beings and the refinement of our social living.

Dr D J Singh, president of Roshni, highlighted the importance of NGOs and the police initiative in tackling domestic violence and related issues. He said, “If we are determined to solve social problems, we can jointly make our society as one of the best in the world. The social security system needs a lot of improvement in our country. Many sections of the society like women, children and the elderly are experiencing a lot of problems and they have nowhere to turn to. In this context the NGOs like Roshni can assess the problems, offer counselling and help solve their problems. In developed countries, many social welfare agencies contribute quite significantly for ensuring social support to victims and other weaker sections of their societies. Since India does not have these agencies, NGOs have an important role to play.Dr Ravinder Kala is the secretary general and Dr AK Kala, a renowned psychiatrist is the vice-president of Roshni. Since they are professionals, they counsel the couple and are successful in bringing the couple together.

Another welfare agency AASHI run by Red Cross with the wife of Deputy Commissioner at its head has experienced social workers as its members. They too get cases of domestic violence, drug addiction. The women listen to problems, visit homes, and try to bring about a compromise. They have been successful in reuniting some couples and those cases that are not sorted out are referred to police.

“Needed in the city are more professional marriage counsellers, easily approachable. NGOs and social welfare societies to take care of the problems of estranged couples. A website can be launched where the couples can post their problems and an agony aunt can suggest ways and means to solve them, are some of the ways, we can stop the menace of divorce,” said Mr Lakhanpal, a lawyer.

Dharna against encroachment on common land
Our Correspondent

Amloh, July 7
Residents of Rajpura village, near here, staged a dharna in front of the police station at Bhadson yesterday in protest encroachment on village common land by certain influential persons and police inaction on a complaint made by the panchayat in this regard.

Mr Gurmeet Singh, sarpanch of the village, alleged that some persons in connivance with the police tried to take possession of the Mata Rani area common land of the village. The panchayat made complaints to the police and the BDPO, Nabha. When the encroachers tried to build a wall on the common land, the panchayat objected it. Members of the panchayat were also manhandled by the encroachers. A panch, Ms Swaran Kaur, sustained injuries.

Panchayat members went to the police to lodge a complaint, but the SHO allegedly misbehaved with the sarpanch.

The dharna was lifted on an assurance of the SHO that the encroachers would not be allowed to grab the common land.

When contacted, Mr Jaspal Singh, BDPO, admitted that the matter was brought to his notice, but he was gone to Chandigarh on some urgent work. The BDPO said the encroachment would be got vacated with the help of the District Magistrate. 

LMA to hold post-Budget discussion on July 10
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7
A post-Budget discussion will be held at a local hotel on July 10 to discuss various aspects of the Union Budget-2004. The LMA has invited noted economist, Dr B B Bhattacharya, Director, Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi and Mr Sonal Sachdev, investment editor of the Financial Express, New Delhi, as the key note speakers on the occasion.

Disclosing this here today, Mr M C Munjal, president and Mr Mr V K Goyal, general secretary, LMA said, as the decks had been cleared for the presentation of the United Progressive Alliance government's first Budget with the announcements so far designed to create a favourable setting for the fiscal and the development strategy that it would unfold tomorrow.

They said although the Budget aggregates would cover only eight months left in the year 2004-05, the Finance Minister, Mr P Chidambaram's, speech would become the major economic policy document in as much as it would provide a reattempt on how the Manmohan Singh government would proceed to implement the promises and plans set out in the Common Minimum Program (CMP) and determine the fiscal health in India. 

Cong protest against wrong portrayal of woman in serials 
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7
Congress workers led by the state secretary, Mr Parminder Mehta, today held a protest demonstration against the wrong portrayal of women characters in the serials directed by Ekta Kapoor on Star Plus. They also submitted a memorandum to the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, through the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Verma, on this issue.

Carrying banners and placards the Congress workers demanded ban on the telecast of the serials like ‘Kasauti Zindagi Ki’, ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’, ‘Kahin Kissi Roz’ and ‘Sanjivni’. They alleged that the women were portrayed in a wrong way in these serials, which sent wrong signals in the society.

The memorandum observed that the telecast of such serials would set wrong trends in the society. Moreover, it pointed out, what was shown in these serials is far from reality. It said television was a powerful medium, which needed to be handled properly. The memorandum said that the director of such serials could portray better things in the society.

Mr Mehta said that people were watching these serials with a lot of interest through out the country. He warned that such serials were more dangerous than any other propaganda matter as these would shake the very foundations of the society. Particularly the younger generations would get wrong signals.

The memorandum said that there was a lot of resentment against the portrayal of women characters in such a manner. This amounted to insulting the women, who were otherwise respected a lot in the country. Mr Mehta warned that the Congress workers would continue to raise their voice against such television programmes, which seek to denigrate the dignity of women.

Scanty rainfall in city

Ludhiana, July 7
Residents of the city woke up today to say welcome to the much-awaited monsoon as dark clouds enveloped the surroundings causing an appreciable fall in the temperature.

But those who were expecting a brisk rainfall were disappointed as it rained briefly in some areas. By 10.30 am, the drizzle that started at around 8.30 am stopped and the clouds slithered. OC

A woman vet who takes care of police dogs
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 7
Dr Aman Deep Kaur, a veterinarian, says that she had regularly been writing for animals sites.com and perhaps is the only Indian doing so. ''Inspector Suman Kumar, in charge of the Punjab Police Academy Dog Squad, liked my articles and invited me to take care of the police dogs. When I visited Satlij Kennel in Phillaur, I was happy to see 20 well- groomed labradors, dobermans and German Shepherds. They acquired four dogs from Uttaranchal too. They have their trainers. My job is to look after their health. I went there for a year to look after their treatment," she says.

Now she goes to check the dogs now and then and has to rush to the PPA in an emergency. Sometimes the dogs are brought to her clinic. She loves pets and feels that it runs in her genes and that is why she became a veterinarian. Her father, uncles and her husband, too, are veterinarians. No one was surprised when she opted for a veterinarian course in Punjab Agricultural University and received a scholarship. 

Railway Budget hailed
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 7
Mr Tulsidas Jaitwani, president, Punjab Beopar Mandal, today hailed the Railway Budget presented yesterday. Mr Jaitwani said that Mr Laloo Prasad had done a favour to trade and industry by not raising freight charges and fares. This was a people-friendly Budget, he said.

Mr Jaitwani urged the Railway Minister to speed up work on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh rail link and get it completed at the earliest. He suggested that a Yatri Niwas should be constructed at all important railway stations to save passengers from being fleeced by hotels and guest houses.

BJP to hold protest march on July 13
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 7
The Ludhiana district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold a protest march here on July 13 against the inclusion of “tainted” ministers in the Union Cabinet and the removal of four governors under a political conspiracy by the Congress-led UPA government.

Stating this here today, the district chief of the party, Dr Subhash Verma, said that the march, being held in response to call given by the state and central units of the BJP, would also mark the conclusion of “Rashtriya Swabhiman” week being observed all over the country from July 6 to 13 by the party to safeguard democracy.

He said party workers, carrying black flags and wearing black bands, along with like-minded city residents, would assemble at Clock Tower Chowk at 10 a.m. and march towards Chowk Div No 3 passing through Girjaghar Chowk, Saban Bazar Chowk and Dr Kali Charan Chowk, where a rally would be organised. Party leaders would address the rally to expose the “tainted” ministers.

Dr Verma said the BJP was compiling a pamphlet on the corrupt and criminal background of certain members of the Union Council of Ministers.

CRIME

Bakery burgled
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 7
A bakery on the Deepak Cinema Road was burgled in the wee hours today by eight burglars. However, due to the timely detection by the night watchman, they could succeed only in taking away some cash from an unlocked drawer.

According to information , at 4.30 am the night watchman Teg Bahadur noticed that one of the shutters of Lucky Bakery was partly open and that broken locks were lying outside. According to him, at least four accomplices of the thieves, who were waiting on the road outside the shop, slipped away as soon as he reached there.

Four burglars, who were inside the shop, had switched off the lights and were ransacking the shop with the help of a flashlight. Just as the watchman tried to look inside the shop, one of the burglars hit him hard on the head with an iron rod. The watchman raised an alarm. One of the burglars was nabbed on the spot while three of his accomplices managed to escape.

The police , without disclosing the identity of the accused, said that he was between 20-25 years of age.

Gang of robbers busted; four held
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7
The district police today claimed to have busted an interstate five-member gang of robbers with the arrest of four of the members, including a proclaimed offender, who was wanted in a murder and a rape case.

The arrested gangsters included Mohinder Singh, alias Bhinda of Muktsar, Dalvinder Singh Chhina of Badal village, Jagtar Singh, alias Taari and Kirpal Singh, alias Gabba. Addressing the mediapersons today, SP Gurpreet Singh Toor said that their another accomplice, Harbans Singh, alias Khanna escaped.

The police officer said that Bhinda was a proclaimed offender and was wanted in more than a dozen crime cases. He said that the police from a locality near Shimla Puri nabbed the gangsters, when they were planning more snatching incidents and bank robberies. The police recovered four pistols and 12 cartridges from their possession.

The police claimed that Bhinda was staying with his accomplices in a rented house in Shimla Puri and had allegedly kidnapped a woman yesterday and raped her. She had managed to escape. Ferozepore, Muktsar and Bathinda police wanted Bhinda also.

Further investigations are on in the case.

Manager ‘disappears’; found unconscious
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7
Mystery shrouds the 'disappearance' of a manager of an industry situated in the Focal Point area here. The manager was found in an unconscious state at Mandi Gobindgarh last night after he had gone missing last morning. A sum of Rs 2 lakh in his possession was also found missing.

Focal Point police sources said no case had been registered as the owners of the industry where the manager was employed, had not filed a formal complaint in this regard.

Yesterday morning, the manager along with a driver had gone to withdraw money from a bank, travelling by the owners' Lancer. But he failed to return.

Last night, he was found in unconscious state. He claimed that the driver had given him cold drinks after which he was unaware of what had happened. The driver was also missing.

Chain snatched near Dandi Swami
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 7
Two motorcycle borne youths accosted a woman near the Dandi Swami Temple in the Civil Lines last evening and snatched her gold chain before speeding away. According to the police, Ms Ram Darshi, a housewife living in New Kundan Puri, was going on foot to the temple along with another woman, Ms Bimla Devi. 

Just as they reached the temple, the miscreants came from behind and snatched her gold chain. The division number 8 police has registered a case under the Sections 356 and 379 of the IPC but no arrest has been made so far.

Spate of thefts

The Haibowal police yesterday registered a case under the Section 379 of the IPC on the statement of SDO, Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), Unit number 2 at Haibowal, against Rai Kumar, who lives in Rishi Nagar.

The complainant had stated that the accused had stolen transformer oil, wire and other electrical goods from the PSEB premises in Haibowal. The police said today that the accused was arrested and the goods recovered.

The division number 6 police also registered a case of theft under the same section of the IPC on the statement of Mr Ashok Kumar, who lives in Transport Nagar, against Panjab Singh and Gulab Singh , residents of Pipal Band village in Jind district of Haryana, and Bhupinder Singh of Delhi.

The complainant had stated that the accused had stolen his Maruti car near plot number 38 in Transport Nagar on Monday. No arrest has been made so far.

The Sadar police yesterday registered a case under the Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Davidner Singh, who lives in Nanak Enclave on the Dhandra Road, against unknown persons who broke open the locks of his house on the intervening night of July 3 and 4 and decamped with Rs 15000, 150 gm of gold ornaments, a watch, Kisan Vikas Patra worth Rs 25,000 and other household goods. No arrest has been made so far.

The Shimla Puri police yesterday registered a case under the Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Harpal Singh, who lives in Guru Gobind Singh Nagar on the Barota Road, against Gurpreet Singh and Sanjeev, who live in the same locality.

The complainant had stated that the accused had stolen an array of shuttering material from his shop in the locality on Monday. No arrest has been made so far.

On the statement of Mr Subhash Chander, who lives in Sector 32 of PUDA Urban Estate along the Chandigarh Road, the division number 7 police yesterday registered a case under the Sections 456, 380 and 34 of the IPC against five unknown persons.

The complainant had stated that the accused came to his house last night, tied up all his family members at knife point and stole gold ornaments and some unaccounted cash from the house before running away. No arrest has been made so far.

Suicide bid alleged

The Civil Lines police yesterday registered a case under the Section 309 of the IPC on the statement of ASI Dharam Pal Singh, against a murder under trial Des Raj Verma, who hails from UP.

The complainant had stated that the accused, who was already lodged in the Central Jail on the Tajpur Road, had tired to commit suicide by banging his head against the iron rods fitted in the windows of the 'bakshikhana' at the New Courts on Monday where he had been taken in connection with a court hearing. He was admitted to the Civil Hospital for treatment, added the complainant.

Two die in mishap

The Focal Point police yesterday registered a case under the Sections 279, 304-A and 427 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Dalip Singh, a resident of Rajgarh village near Payal, against Randhir Singh, a resident of the same village.

The complainant had stated that his son Rajinder Singh and his friend Bikar Singh were travelling in the truck being driven by the accused, who was coming from the Sherpur Chowk to the village. While he was crossing the GT Road near the railway station at Dhandari, the truck overturned allegedly due to over speeding by the accused. Mr Rajinder Singh and Mr Bikar Singh died on the spot. The accused was also injured and admitted to a private clinic at Doraha, added the complainant. The accident occurred on Monday night, said the police.

Cases of assault

The Shimla Puri police registered a case under the Sections 323,341,506 and 34 of the IPC on the statement of Ms Veena Rani, who lives in Sahibzada Fateh Singh Nagar, against Rinku, Makhan and Sonu, who live in the same locality.

The woman had stated that the accused had beaten her in front of her house on the night of July 3 last. No arrest has been made so far.

The Focal Point police registered a case under the Sections 451,323,506,148 and 149 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Ram Lal , a resident of Sher Pur Kalan, against Jagjit Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Rinku, Charanjit Singh, Kuku, Billu and Moni, who live in the same locality.

The complainant had alleged that the accused had beaten him and his son Ranjit Singh and also threatened them. No arrest has been made so far.

Injured

On the statement of Mr Ramesh, a resident of Sukhdev Nagar in Jamalpur Colony, the division number 7 police yesterday registered a case under the Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC against Jasbir singh, who lives near the Kara Bara Chowk.

The complainant had stated that the accused, who was driving a Tata-407 vehicle had hit his cycle as a result of which he was injured on Tuesday afternoon. No arrest has been made so far.

Bookies held

The division number 6 police yesterday arrested Chaman Lal, a resident of Ganesh Nagar and booked him under the Gambling Act.

The police said today that the accused was indulging in booking 'satta' and 'darra' bets at a public place and that a sum of Rs 1025 was recovered from his possession.

Knife seized

The Sarabha Nagar police arrested Dalip Kumar, a migrant from Bihar, recovered a kamanidar knife from his possession and booked him under the Arms Act yesterday.

Four women held for duping
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7
The city police today claimed to have nabbed four women who allegedly specialised in stealing cash, jewellery or other belongings from co-passengers in auto-rickshaws and buses. The women belonging to a village in Bihar even used to carry their minor children for this purpose, the police claimed. SP (Detective) Gurpreet Singh said that alertness shown by a victim, Darshan Rani, a resident of Block-A, BRS Nagar, helped the police in arresting the four women.

The accused were travelling with the Darshan Rani in an auto and cleverly took out about Rs 1300 from the victim’s purse. The victim realised the money was missing when she was still sitting in the auto and was about to pay the fare to driver. She raised a hue and cry and suspected the four women. A police team led by SHO Division No. 5 Rajinder Singh Sohal reached the spot and found the money hidden in the clothes of one of the accused. The women later confessed the crime.

Mr Gurpreet Singh said the women have been identified as Shallu, Yashoda, Pooja and Jemmy. They are being suspected of being involved in large number of such cases.

The modus operandi of the women was to surround a victim, either male or female, while travelling and then quietly steal money, or remove gold jewellery of the victims.

Cycle industry staff stage dharna
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 7
Hundreds of bicycle industry workers today staged a dharna in front of Labour Office at Gill Road here to register protest against repressive policies of two units of Hero group.

Speakers at the dharna alleged that managements of Rockman Cycle Industry and Hero Cycle Industry (Mangli Division) were resorting to anti-worker policies and victimisation. The agreement, arrived at, on May 24 under Section 12(3) of Industrial Disputes Act was being flouted, suspended workers were not being reinstated, the workers were being denied weekly rest and the process for registration of the union was being obstructed.

Mr Jatinder Pal Singh, vice-president, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), who led the dharna, cautioned the management that if genuine demands of the workers were not immediately conceded, the agitation would be further intensified.

Mr Jagdish Chand, joint secretary, CITU, Mr Hanuman Prasad Dubey, Mr Jagdish Choudhry, Mr R.B. Yadav and Mr Ram Baran addressed the agitating workers.