BATHINDA
Violation alleged: The local unit of the Democratic Teachers Front on Monday alleged that district education authorities (elementary) had violated the norms laid down by the state education department authorities while transferring teachers from one school to another. Sukhdev Pandhi, president of the local unit, in a press note issued here, said that if the authorities concerned did not take corrective measures, the front would be forced to adopt the path of agitation.

FEROZEPUR
Opium seized: The police arrested three interstate smugglers identified as Suraj Mall, Jagdigh Godhara and Balkaran Singh and seized 5.5 kg opium from their possession. The car in which they were travelling has also been seized. The police has launched a hunt for a person named Sonu, who was supposed to have received the opium consignment at the city railway station. A search has been initiated to arrest their permanent customers, the names of whom have been revealed by the arrested dealers during interrogation.

Hoshiarpur
Minor girl raped: A six-year-old minor girl of village Dandian (Mahilpur) was raped by a youth on Sunday. The accused, identified as Inderjit Singh alias Monu is resident of the same village. He has been arrested. According to police, the girl was on her way to the house of village panch Gurnam Singh to meet her mother when the accused took her to the nearby fields and raped her. The girl told her mother about the incident who reported the matter to the police. Later, the girl was admitted in Mahilpur civil hospital.

Protesters disrupt traffic: The members of Mukerian Paper Mill Mazdoor Union, led by their president Kehar Singh, disrupted traffic and held a protest march here on Monday. They were demanding immediate acceptance of their demands including restart of paper mill, payment of their salaries and arrest of mill owner in an embezzlement case registered against him.

Goods worth Rs 45,000 gutted: Items worth Rs 45,000 were gutted today in a fire at auto service shop on Garhshankar Road. The shop belongs to Charanjit Singh son of Tarsem Singh. A short-circuit is said to be the reason behind the incident.

MANSA
Rally held: As many as 400 students of different schools of the district on Monday took out a rally here to raise awareness about the consequences of population explosion. Gurjit Singh Pannu, general assistant to deputy commissioner flagged off the rally.

MOGA
2 killed in road mishap: Two persons were killed and one seriously injured in a head-on collision between two motorcycles at Zeera-Kot Isse Khan road here on Monday. Harjinder Singh of Lohgarh village in Jalandhar district died on the spot while the identity of the other person killed could not be ascertained. Mahinder Singh of Brahmke village sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the civil hospital.

Five held: The police arrested five persons - Gurbaj Singh of Rode village, Jagjit Singh of Baghapurana, Darshan Singh, Gurtej Singh of Rode village and Parminder Singh of Rajeana village - accused of snatching Rs 4 lakh from Charandas, head cashier of Allahabad Bank in Baghapurana, two years after the incident took place. The police recovered Rs 75,000 and seized a pistol 315 bore, two rounds, a pistol 12 bore, four cartridges and sharp-edged weapons from their possession. The Baghapurana police station had registered a case of murder of Mahant Buta Singh of a dera at Rode village against two of the accused Gurbaj Singh and Darshan Singh in 2004.

Nawanshahr
Migrant labourer commits suicide: A migrant labourer allegedly hanged herself to death at village Barnala, here on Monday evening. The girl, identified as Sonia, was working with a building contractor and used to cook meals for labourers. The police has started investigation into the matter.

22 vehicles challaned: The traffic police challaned 22 vehicles for various violations here on Monday. The exercise was part of a special road safety drive in the district. Most of the violators were fined for offences, including driving without proper documents, triple riding, etc., said traffic police in charge Surjit Kumar.

PHAGWARA
Tree plantation drive: The market committee, the nagar council and the forest department on Monday launched a “tree plantation drive” in the grain market. Technical education minister Swarana Ram inaugurated the campaign by planting a sapling. More than 2,000 saplings were planted.