AMRITSAR
Man crushed to death in road accident: Makhan Singh of Tung Pai was crushed to death when a truck hit the motor cycle, he and his two cousins Neetu and Manjit Kaur were riding on, head on in the Ram Bagh police division area here on Wednesday. Neetu and Manjit were admitted to the local Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in a serious condition.

Batala
IT raids: The sleuths of income tax department raided different properties of Khosla Rice Mills, here on Wednesday. The officials along with police contignents sealed the premises of Khosla Rice Mills, including the godowns. The search operation was also conducted at the residence of the miller. Notably, Khosla Rice Mills are one of the big exporters of rice of the northern region.

BATHINDA
Cong flays SAD: Firing salvos at the ruling SAD-BJP combine in the state, the Bathinda District Congress Committee today said that the Bhindranwale portrait issue had exposed the real face of the party in power. Ashok Kumar, president of the DCC (City) accused SAD of fomenting social divisions. District Congress Committee president Iqbal Singh Dhillon also demanded the intervention of the CM in the portrait controversy to maintain peace and social harmony in the state. The Congress leaders also accused the BJP of being power hungry and asked it to explain the party’s position on Bhindranwale’s portrait.

Protest: Teachers from Bathinda would also participate in the protest to be staged in Chandigarh by the Government Teachers Union, Punjab, Bathinda on December 6 against the state government’s proposal to privatise electricity, water, roads, health and education departments. Giving the information, Balkaran Singh, district press secretary of Government Teachers Union, Punjab, said here today that as many as 17 associations, including that of farmers and electricity board employees, would take part in the protest.

Seminar held: A seminar on AIDS awareness was organized at the MHR Senior Secondary School for the volunteers of NSS, here on Wednesday. During the programme, UN AIDS educator Naresh Kumar informed about the root cause of the disease and ways to prevent it.

Drug abuse: The Village Welfare Committee organised a seminar against female foeticide and drug abuse at the Government Senior Secondary School in Maisarkhana village. The Red Cross’s drug de-addiction centre, Goniana road, held an exhibition on awareness on drug abuse and the ill effects of drug addiction was communicated. Baljinder Singh, project director at the de-addiction centre, said the centre had been catering to people since 1992 and appealed to the people to bring drug addicts who wanted to leave the habit, there. DIG Jatinder Jain was also present on the occasion and administered the oath against drug abuse to children.

KHARAR
Homeopathy camp: As many as 94 patients were examined at a free medical camp held at Universal Disabled Care Taker Society, Padiala village. Dr Inderpal Singh from homeopathic dispensary of Sector 39, Chandigarh, conducted this camp. Free treatment and medicines were distributed to inmates of the society and other people of the surrounding areas.

Woman rescued: The woman, who was found sitting idle outside the gurdwara sahib of Sotal Baba village, Ropar, was taken back by the panchayat members of Kajheri village on Tuesday. She seemed to be mentally upset and was abusive. Villagers had left her at Padiala ashram where she claimed to be Sneh Lata and said her husband Suresh Kumar worked as an electrician at Kajheri village. Her guardians were then informed.

Nawanshahr
NRI assaulted: Some unidentified miscreants assaulted NRI Baldev Singh with sharp-edged weapon at Rai Colony here on Wednesday. According to his daughter-in-law Jaswinder Kaur, the miscreants came to their residence on motorcycles and attacked Baldev Singh with sharp-edged weapon and fled. The injured NRI has been referred to Ludhiana hospital. SHO (city) Rakesh Kumar said as the family members of the victim had gone to Ludhiana for his hospitalisation, so far no statement could be recorded for registering a case.

PATHANKOT
Families of Army personnel take part in knitting contest: Over 500 families of Army personnel participated in a hand-knitting contest organised by the Army Wives Welfare Association at Gurj division, Mamun, here on Wednesday. Women knit mufflers, caps, scarves and sweaters. Chief of the body Geeta Nagpal distributed prizes among the winners.

PATIALA
IAF “warriors” on cycle rally to attract youth to forces: In order to attract the youth to the Indian Air Force, the local station authorities on Wednesday launched a five-day cycle expedition from Patiala to Wagah border (Attari). It was flagged off by Wing Commander K.J.S. Dihot, station commander.

Plays staged: The National Theatre Arts Society (NTAS), in collaboration with District Public Relation Office, Patiala, presented its 75th garden theatre ‘Punjabi Haas Raag Rang’ programme in which two Punjabi plays ‘Galwakri’ and ‘Nahi Labhne Lal Guwache’ were also presented. Shyam Lal Gupta, Ishwinder Singh Grewal, DPRO, and Taranjit Singh Aneja honoured 15 artistes by presenting them with shawls and cash prizes.

Phagwara
House burgled: Cash worth Rs four lakh, including 8,000 US dollars, besides gold ornaments worth 20 tolas were stolen from the house of an NRI Bimla Devi at mohalla Dharamkot here on Wednesday night. According to reports lodged with the Phagwara police, Bimla was attending the marriage of her nephew in the neighbouring house when the miscreants entered in her house and decamped with valuables worth Rs six lakh. Police has registered a case and is investigating the matter.

Phillaur
2 brothers held for murder: The police solved a murder case of Mansurpur village by arresting two killer brothers within 24 hours of the murder today. DSP Rajinder Singh Sohal said three persons had entered the house of Bhajan Dass (50) and murdered him with sharp-edged weapons at Mansurpur village last night. They took away six bags of wheat and corns. The DSP said forensic experts were summoned and the police succeeded in arresting the two killer brothers, Avtar Singh, alias Tari, and Kulwinder Singh, alias Nikka, residents of Atti village, while their third accomplice was still at large.

MOHALI
Theft: Gurnam Kaur, a resident of Phase VII, complained to the police that over 12 beggar women decamped with the greeting money (shagun) during her son’s wedding. She told the police that her son’s wedding took place on Wednesday and when the family had gathered outside their house, the beggar women surrounded them and started asking for money. Later, they found that shagun envelopes worth Rs one lakh were missing. The police was called who picked up atleast six women and questioned them.