BARNALA
Cash looted: The three car-borne unidentified youths looted a businessman at pistol point near the Barnala sub-jail. On Sunday evening,when Harbans Lal, resident of Bhadaur, was coming in his jeep from the Bathinda side,three youths in a Zen car stopped his vehicle at pistol point. They compelled him to part with the Rs 70,000 he was carrying, after which they sped away from the scene. A case has been registered.

Thief escapes: A thief managed to flee from police custody here on Monday when the police was taking them to be produced in court. The police had arrested four computer thieves Manjeet Singh, Deepak, Gurpreet and Jagjeet near Handiaya on Saturday.When they were being taken to court, they all tried to run and Jagjeet Singh managed to escape.

GURDASPUR
Killed: A cyclist was crushed to death under a jeep in the Sathiyali locality, near here, late Sunday night.According to the police, Jagir Massi, a resident of Kot Yograj village, was riding his bicycle when a jeep (RRK-3187) mowed him down. The jeep driver sped away from the scene after the accident. A case has been registered against the jeep driver and the body was handed over to the family.

Streetlights: The market committee, Sector 29-C, has alleged that streetlights in and around the market had been non-functional for the past over 15 days. In the absence of the streetlights, the area had become accident-prone, according to a press note.

BILASPUR
Two projects: At least two main projects which were to be implemented by the government for enhancing beauty of the place and to provide essential facility to people at Suharghat, are still lying in cold storage though foundation stones of both of the projects were laid by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on July 26 last year.

Gastroenteritis: Akadhashi Devi (61) died of gastroenteritis while 24 others from Chalaihli, Parohi and Barahmpukkar villages were admitted at the district hospital here. District health officer Dr. P. S. Bains said a health team headed by a doctor had already been sent to the villages.

Vocations: IGNOU is helping employees and others involved in day-time vocations and providing them easy opportunity to attain higher academic educational qualifications. This was said by principal Manjulla Sharma, while presiding over a first introductory meeting of the students admitted for the new session in various disciplines of IGNOU Centre located at Government Post-Graduate College here.

Hamirpur
Effigies burnt: ABVP activists today burnt effigies of former transport and tourism minister G.S Bali in Nadaun and Hamirpur colleges, decrying his attendance in his birthday party in a hotel at Dharamsala in which a few call girls were allegedly seen dancing with a few VIPs.

Shimla
Elected: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Himachal Power Engineers’ Association: president-Latesh Malhotra; senior vice-presidents-J.P. Kalta, S.D. Rattan; general secretary-Suneel Grover; joint secretaries-Ram Prakash, R.V. Mehta and S.K. Kaul; organising secretary-Pankaj Dadwal; joint organising secretary-Sanjay Diwan; and finance secretary- J.S. Parmar.