R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
Journalists’ demand: The Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists on Tuesday demanded the immediate intervention of SGPC chief Avtar Singh to solve an issue between journalists and Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti. President of the union Jasbir Singh Patti alleged that the Jathedar had misbehaved with him on account of a news item recently.

Batala
Addicts given medicines: A de-addiction camp was organised at the local Suhaag Palace on Tuesday. The addicts, who had turned up on large numbers were given medicines and literature on drugs free of cost children of local schools and colleges, presented skits and songs with the message of shun drugs. Local schools, clubs, Red Cross joined hands to make the camp a success. It was the initiative of Dr Jitendra Kumar Jain, SSP, Batala.

HOSHIARPUR
In-laws booked: On a complaint of Prem Lata (45), widow of Baldev Singh of Mohalla Jassian, here the police has registered a case under Sections 498 A and 34 of the IPC against her mother-in-law Leela Wati and brother-in-law Parveen. Prem Lata has alleged that her in-laws used to maltreat and beat up her on petty issues.

Travel agent, wife booked: A case of cheating was registered against a travel agents and his wife on Tuesday. Teja Singh of Nagra has alleged that travel agent Swinder Singh and his wife Gurmeet Kaur of Lamin village took Rs 1.10 lakh from him for sending his son abroad. However, they neither sent his son abroad nor returned his money.

KHANNA
Basant: The Basant festival was celebrated at DAV Public School on Tuesday. Students of the pre-nursery wing participated. Mehima of pre-nursery, Gaurika of nursery, Varinda of LKG and Stuti of UKG, were adjudged Basant Princess whereas Kaplish of pre-nursery, Nidish of LKG and Jasdeep of UKG won the title of Basant Prince.

NANGAL
Cartoon exhibition: With a view to spreading awareness about the ills of female foeticide, the Bharat Vikas Parishad, an NGO, on Tuesday organised a cartoon exhibition and camp here. The cartoons by S.C. Bhattacharya depicting female foeticide as social evil, were displayed.

NAWANSHAHR
Shabad gayan: An inter-college Shabad gayan competition’ was organised at Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College, Mukandpur, about 20 km, from here, on Tuesday. 10 teams from different colleges participated in it. Ramgarhia Girls College, Miller Ganj, Ludhiana, and HMV, Jalandhar, jointly won the first prize. Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women, Ludhiana, won the second prize, GN Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana and Government College for Women, Ludhiana, were adjudged the joint third. Mr M.S.Dosanjh, member, college managing committee, gave away the prizes to the winners.

Inaugurated: Mr Parkash Singh, Parliamentary Secretary, inaugurated a health club here on Tuesday. Addressing the gathering, he said an effective programme for employment generation involving the launch of 122 big industrial projects with an investment of Rs 54000 crore was under way in the state. Twentyseven projects had been approved by the Chief Minister.

Cycle rally: More than 100 volunteers of various NGOs under the aegis of the Upkar, an NGO on Tuesday took out a “cycle rally”, with a view to creating awareness against female foeticide in the district. Mr Krishan Kumar, Deputy Commissioner and his wife Ms Sarita, flagged off the rally at the nearby village of Khatkar Kalan, which is the native village of Shaheed-E-Azam- Bhagat Singh. The rally’ passed through Karnana, Raipur Dabba, Herian, Jhingeran,Paragpur, Laroya, Garhi Ajit Singh before culminating at Grurdwara Shaheed Ganj at Urapur.

HARYANA

Protest: Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Manav Seva Samiti started a fast here on Tuesday to press for a railway link between Kaithal and Delhi. Mr Sat Pal Gupta, president of the samiti, lamented that in spite of promises made by elected representatives and senior department officials no step has been taken in this regard. The members of samiti have also urged the railway authorities to stop shunting on the Kaithal-Kurukshetra stretch of the railway line and carry on shunting on the Kaithal-Narwana side as this leads to the rail crossing on the Jind-Kaithal road remaining closed for a very long time.

Rewari
Demonstration: Activists of the BJP, led by senior party leader Laxman Singh Yadav, held a demonstration at Kosli on Monday against the continued apathy of the Hooda government towards the people’s requirements. They demanded a special girdawri of the coldwave-damaged mustard and vegetable crops and payment of adequate compensation to the farmers, construction of a flyover at the railway crossing at Kosli Mandi, establishment of a municipal committee in the Kosli town and adequate power supply in the region.

Sonepat
Youth arrested: The Murthal police arrested a youth during patrolling near Bakhtawarpur village, about 15 km from here, on Monday. The youth was identified as Sunil of Barwasni village. The police also recovered a country-made pistol and two live cartridges from his possession. A case under the Arms Act has been registered against him.

Judicial custody: The Rai police has arrested Ram Lal of Jajal village in connection with a dowry death case registered against him. A complaint was lodged by Mr Ranjit Singh, a resident of Sitana village in Baghpat district of UP alleging that his daughter had been set on fire by her husband and other members of the family, following her failure to bring cash from her parents. The arrested person was sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court.

Pocket picked: The pocket of Mr Satish Saini, a leader of the Youth Congress, Ambala, was picked during the state-level Sharadhanjli Samaroh at Gandhi Chowk here on Monday. Mr Saini has lodged a complaint with the police in this connection. The purse contained $300, Rs 5,000 in cash and a driving licence.

Exhibition: The first state-level buyer-seller meet and exhibition on mushroom was inaugurated by Mrs Navraj Sandhu, Chief Administrator HSAM Board, Panchkula, on Tuesday at Rai (Sonepat). The chief guest Mr R.A.S. Tyagi, Joint Director, Horticulture, welcomed the chief guest. The meet was organised with an objective to help farmers to find the right market and good buyers for his produce and improve the quality of his product.

Suicide: A widow, Ms Krishna, committed suicide by allegedly hanging herself in her house in Devi Nagar area of Gohana town, 35 km from here, on Wednesday. According to a report, the police has sent the body for a post-mortem examination.

Arrested: The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Wednesday arrested two youths in connection with the looting and assaulting of passengers travelling on the Delhi-bound Flying Mail (Shaheed Express) on the night of January 29. According to a report, the duo has been identified as Manjeet and Deepak of Panipat. Their three accomplices are absconding.

Elected: Mr V.P. Sharma, a social activist, was unanimously elected president of the local unit of the All-India Crime Reforms Orgnisations at a meeting held here on Wednesday.

Cremated: The body of a commando, Surinder Kumar, was cremated with full state honours at his native village Bajana Kalan, about 20 km from here, on Tuesday. Mr Chander Mohan, Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Dharampal Singh Malik, MLA and former HPCC chief, Mr Azad Singh Nehra, president, DCC (Rural), along with officials of the district administration were present. Surinder was killed when escort vehicle on which he was accompanying Mr Bhajan Lal overturned.

Yamunanagar
Killed: A 26-year-old resident of Bhagwanpur village here was killed after being hit by a vehicle near Kail village on Monday night. He was on a motor cycle. A case against the driver of the vehicle has been registered. In another case thieves broke into Garwahali temple located in Mahavir Colony here and took away cash from the donation box. A case has been registered.

Raids: The District Food and Supplies Department on Tuesday raided several dhabas and other eateries here and seized 16 domestic LPG cylinders which were being used for commercial purposes. The department has constituted seven teams to conduct such raids to check misuse of domestic cylinders in the district, according to Mr J.P. Singh, District Food and Supplies Controller.