Pakistan balloon lands in Muktsar

MUKTSAR: Just a few hours before the Independence Day celebrations, a balloon from Pakistan landed at a field in Muktsar town on Tuesday night, creating panic among residents. There was something written on the balloon in Urdu with a picture of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Later, the cops took the balloon to the police station and called someone to read Urdu, who informed that it carried the message of Pakistan's Independence Day. In Abohar, a 7-ft balloon filled with hydrogen gas fell in a border village near Sriganganagar on Wednesday. Witnesses claimed the balloon carried slogans that read "Dil dil Pakistan, jaan jaan Pakistan". It also carried picture of Jinnah. TNS

80,000 throng Sadiqi post in Fazilka 

Fazilka: A patriotic cultural programme was organised near the zero line at the Joint Check Post (JCP), Sadiqi, on Independence Day. BSF Sector Commandant Rattan Lal and Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya attended the ceremony. Braving the humid weather, a strong crowd of about 80,000 people (as per BSF sources) thronged the JCP on August 14 and 15. People came from Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana in a hope to see their relatives living in Pakistan. OC

BSF jawan shoots self in Tarn Taran

Tarn Taran: A BSF jawan allegedly shot himself dead with his service rifle on Wednesday at Kulwant Post, 40 km from here. Rama Kant Kamria (30) of the 77th Battalion hailed from Madhya Pradesh and had returned from his home after a leave. The police have initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of CrPC. The police said Kamria was on duty when he shot himself. He was found dead by officials who visited the spot after hearing the gunshot. OC

Workshop on cyber security for cops

Chandigarh: Senior officers of the Punjab Police on Thursday were sensitised on vulnerable issues of cyber crime, hacking, cyber threats and auditing in a workshop organised by the Punjab Police in collaboration with the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre, New Delhi, at the Punjab police headquarters. DGP, administration, MK Tiwari, DGP provisioning, modernisation and IT&T VK Bhawra, ADGPs and IGPs were also present. TNS

Hoshiarpur sailor dies in blast on ship 

Hoshiarpur: Hardeep Singh (24), who was working in merchant navy, died in a blast on the ship to Muscat from Gujarat. The incident took place two days ago. It is not yet known that how the blast occurred. Besides Hardeep, two other people have died in this mishap. Hardeep was from the district's Khurdan village. His father Rajveer Singh said he was working with the shipping company for the past three years. OC

Two booked for rape

Abohar: The police have registered a case against Dilraj Singh under Section 376 of the IPC and the POCSO Act. A 17-year-old girl had alleged that he lured her to travel to Amritsar a few days ago and raped her there. In another case, the police in Sriganganagar booked Gurpreet Singh for allegedly abducting a 30-year-old woman from her house on Wednesday and raping her. OC

19 injured after bus overturns

Ferozepur: Around 19 persons were injured after a bus overturned near Bukkan Khan Wala village on the Ferozepur-Muktsar road on Thursday afternoon. The bus which was going from the cantonment area to Jhoke Tehal Singh Wala village lost control and overturned near Bukkan Khan Wala village in which 19 persons were injured. However, no causality was reported. The condition of the injured is stated to be stable. OC

2 found hanging at cremation ground

Sangrur: Two sisters allegedly ran away from their house at Bahadurpur village on Wednesday. The body of the younger sister was found hanging along with the body of a youth at the cremation ground of their village on Thursday, while the elder one is missing. “I suspect that my daughters mixed some sedatives in our food. When I woke up in the morning, both were missing,” said Kirpa Singh, father of the girls. Some villagers informed them that the body of his younger daughter was hanging in the cremation ground along with the body of a village youth. Both were reportedly in love. “Since both were from different communities, their families were unwilling for their marriage. We have not received any written complaint about the missing of the elder sister,” the police said. TNS

Spurious milk seized in Patiala, Moga

Chandigarh: KS Pannu, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, in a press note here on Thursday said the food safety teams seized huge quantities of milk and milk products in Patiala and Moga areas. He said on a tip-off, the teams along with the police conducted a raid at Singla Milk Chilling Centre in Patiala and seized a large quantity of spurious milk and milk products. Another team raided Vishnu Milk Centre Baghapurana in Moga and seized one quintal skimmed milk powder, 15 kg detergent powder, 28 quintals spurious desi ghee, 300 litres curd and 300 kg paneer. TNS