L U D H I A N A

Woman abduction case takes new turn

Ludhiana, June 3 The much publicised three-month-old abduction case of a middle-aged woman, Bimla Devi, allegedly abducted and married off to some person by a city financier is set to become one of the most intriguing crime case in recent times as it has now come to light that the woman was allegedly murdered a fortnight after she had disappeared.

Bimla along with her husband Sant Ram Dugri at the time of their marriage.

• Chronology of events

3 Satluj Club members suspended
Ludhiana, June 3
For a change, the swimming pool of Satluj Club looked like a freestyle wrestling ring, with an extended family feud being settled there. Taking prompt action, the general secretary of the club Mr Ajit Singh Chawla, ordered the suspension of the three members, including a woman, for this incident. The suspension order was displayed on the notice board of the club.

Nepalese mourn death of royal family members
Ludhiana, June 3
A pall of gloom descended on the entire Nepalese community living in Ludhiana over the tragic massacre of the royal family, which left most of its members dead. There are thousands of Nepalese living in Ludhiana, employed in various institutions and establishments. King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya were shot dead by their own son and crown prince Dipendra, who also killed eight others, wiping out almost the entire royal family.

A squirrel under a parked bus trying to escape the scorching sun. The mercury has crossed the 42°C mark in the city. — Photo Inderjit Verma

	Missing youth case heads towards dead end June 3, 2001
	No takers for industrial plots at Ladowal June 2, 2001
	Police ‘tortures’ cable operator June 1, 2001
	Armed robbers strike in Bharti Colony; 3 injured May 31, 2001
	Loan sharks back to their killing ways May 30, 2001
	Aakshi Sareen tops in Class X CBSE examination May 29, 2001
	Khanna is scared after robberies May 28, 2001
	Gentleman’s game marred by brawls, 8 booked May 27, 2001
	Boys outshine girls in Class XII exam May 26, 2001

Dharna held outside police station
Ludhiana, June 3
Activists of the local unit of the Indian Mulsim League and a number of other residents of Basti Jodhewal, today staged a three-hour long dharna outside the Basti Jodhewal police station in protest against the alleged police inaction in the forcible closure of more than 10 houses of the community in the colony.

Activists of the local unit of the Indian Muslim Council stage a dharna outside the Basti Jodhewal police station on Sunday. — Photo Inderjit Verma

School boy missing
Ludhiana, June 3
Another city boy, 12-year-old Rahees Khan, who went to his school, Krishna Model School, Radha Soami road, on May 31, has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, according to his father Rahim Khan , who is a migrant from UP and works as a barber in the city.

Joint rally against WTO invasion
Ludhiana, June 3
To oppose the anti-labour and anti-employee policies of the Central Government and its approval of the policies of the WTO and the World bank, a large number of unions and organisations have planned a rally here on June 21.

CITY SCAN
Sutlej merits care
ONCE most of the Malwa region was a jungle. Our folk songs preserve an interesting imagery and significant similes. From Moga to Bathinda, there used to be rain-fed growth in patches. It had big sand dunes at many places.

COMMUNITY

Irregularities in garden project alleged
Ludhiana, June 3
Mr Bal Kishan Pappi, general secretary, DCC(I), at a press conference here today alleged that irregularities were being committed in the construction of the Mini Rose Garden at the old jail farm site in Kidwai Nagar.

District Akali leaders back Dhillon
Ludhiana, June 3
A public meeting of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) was held here today at Model Town gurdwara. The meeting was chaired by the acting district president of the party, Mr Avtar Singh Makkar. It was organised to felicitate the youth Akali leader, Mr Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, for his efforts to strengthen the party.

FCI union plans to hold rallies
Ludhiana, June 3
The All-India Food Corporation of India Employees Union has decided to expose the ‘self-destructive policy’ of the management. The union is opposing the government’s decision under which the FCI would not provide labour to the state warehousing and central warehousing corporation for storing foodgrains in the newly constructed godowns.

Hike in phone rentals resented
Amloh, June 3
Hefty telephone bills have aroused great resentment among subscribers here, rentals for which were raised from rupees 120 to rupees 180 per month and arrears of revised rent from April to August last, at the rate of Rs 60 per month were also included in the bills, according to Mr D.P. Jindal, general secretary of the chemists association, Mandi Gobindgarh, in a press note released here today.

Zonal office of bank opened
Ludhiana, June 3
The zonal office of the Bank of India was opened yesterday at Model Town here. The new zone will be headed by Mr H.S.Bhatia, Deputy General Manager. The particular zone will be having control over 72 branches located in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

People urged to cooperate with police
Amloh, June 3
Without public cooperation it is impossible to reduce the number of crimes, the public should inform police whenever any suspected person comes to their notice, stated Mr Jagbir Singh, SHO , Amloh, in his first joint meeting with the councillors, sarpanches, public and press reporters in the police station on Saturday evening.

• Missing draft case solved
  
  

CRIME

3 held for immoral trafficking
Ludhiana, June 3
Three persons, including two women, were arrested by the city police this evening on charges of immoral trafficking.

BUSINESS

Apparel park to boost garment industry
Ludhiana, June 3
Being a leader in cotton production, Punjab can boost the garment industry by setting up an integrated apparel park. The centre has made a provision of Rs 10 crore for the park in the Budget for 2001-2002.

Plea to shift industrial units
Ludhiana, June 3
The Environmental and Welfare Association of the New Janta Nagar and Simlapuri localities has reiterated its demand for shifting of industrial units in order to save the residents from alarming level of air, water and noise pollution, caused by the industry and to uphold the spirit of six Town Planning Schemes, formulated for these localities between 1981 and 1985.

CULTURE

Poetry book released Ludhiana, June 3 ‘Ekam Da Chand’, an anthology of poems written by Harman Meet Kaur Lali, was released by the famous figure of Punjabi literature, Surjit Patar, at a function held at Punjabi Bhavan, here today. A postgraduate in Punjabi literature, she developed a love for poetry in her college days. She has chosen ‘romance and nature’ as the’ leitmotif’ of her poems.

‘Ekam Da Chand’, a book by Harmanmeet Kaur, being released at the Punjabi Bhavan, Ludhiana, on Sunday morning.

A book, a ghazal singer and a poet
Ludhiana, June 3
Two functions, one after the other were held at Punjabi Bhavan last evening. The functions, however, were different than the run-of-the-mill kinds held every day. In the first function, a collection of Hindi poems ‘Indradhanush’ by poet, Suraj Parkash, was released by eminent Hindi and Urdu writer, Dr Kewal Dheer.

HEALTH

‘Smile Train’ brings smiles to children
Ludhiana, June 3
Cleft lip and palate and other defects of the face are generally congenital i.e. present at or before birth. However, it is possible to get these defects removed by plastic surgery. It is estimated that in India approximately 30,000 children are born every year with cleft lip or palate and many of these children are born in poor families. They are, thus denied the facilities of treatment.

• De-addiction week
  
  

SPORTS

District swimming meet from June 9
Ludhiana, June 3
The Ludhiana District Sub-Junior and Junior Swimming Championship for both boys and girls in the age groups 15-17 13-14 11-12 9-10 and up to 8 will be held at the Municipal Corporation Swimming Pool in Rakh Bagh here on June 9 and 10, according to Mr Inder Mohan Singh Grewal, president, District Swimming Association, Ludhiana.

A promising powerlifter
Fatehgarh Sahib, June 3
Naresh Kumar Sharma of Kharora village in Fatehgarh Sahib district brought laurels not only to the state but also to the country by winning two silver medals in the Junior and senior groups of the World Strength Building Championship for Men held recently in Chennai. Naresh (20) had also won a silver medal in the Senior National Powerlifting Championship held in August last year at Bhubaneshwar (Orissa).

Softball teams for nationals
Ludhiana, June 3
The Punjab Softball Association has finalised the boys, and girls teams which would participate in the 14th Sub-Junior National Softball Championship to be held in Indore from June 5 to 10, according to the association’s president, Mr Sanjeev Gupta.