R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

FARIDKOT
KANUNGO SUSPENDED: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr A. Venu Prasad, has suspended the Kanungo of Bajakhana here with immediate effect for having failed to recover certain amount from a farmer who lost a case in a court.

GURDASPUR
ARRESTED: The Sadar police has arrested Sarabjit Singh Advocate of Nardan on a charge of corruption. Mr B.K. Uppal, SSP, while talking to newsmen here on Thursday, said the accused had allegedly attempted to bribe the Station House Officer for implicating a resident of Nardan in murder of Mohinder Masih of Ram Nagar Bhoon on Wednesday.

HOSHIARPUR
32 HURT IN MISHAP: Thirtytwo passengers of a private bus were injured when it overturned near Sahora village on the Dasuya-Gogra link road on Thursday morning, the police said. Of the wounded, who were admitted to Dasuya Civil Hospital, 28 were discharged after being administered first aid, while the remaining were convalescing. The accident occurred when the bus driver lost control over the vehicle while driving it from Talwara to Badla around 7.30 am.

POPPY SEIZED: The police has arrested Kishan Singh, alias Fauji, and seized 4.80 quintals of poppy husk during a raid on his house in Mahilpur town. District police chief Gurpreet Deo said on Thursday that the contraband was found hidden under heaps of wheat chaff on Wednesday evening. She said a case under the NDPS Act had been registered against Kishan Singh, who was remanded in police custody on Thursday.

CASE REGISTERED: The Sadar police has registered a case under Section 307 of the IPC against a woman’s husband and his parents, all residents of Bagpur village, on the charge of attempting to murder her. According to police sources, Paramjit Singh allegedly sprinkled kerosene oil on his wife, Parminder Kaur, in the presence of his mother, Surinder Kaur, and father, Joginder Singh, and set her on fire at his house in the village. She sustained serious burn injuries and was admitted to the local Civil Hospital.

CRUSHED TO DEATH: Harwinder Singh of Paldi village an employee of the Hoshiarpur Express Transport Company, was crushed to death by a truck when he was travelling on his scooter near Piplanwala on Wednesday night. The truck driver fled from the scene after the accident.

REMANDED: Mr Om Parkash Sharma, Senior Lecturer of Government JBT School, Ajowal, was produced here on Thursday before the Duty Magistrate, who remanded him in judicial custody upto May 30. Mr Sharma was arrested by the Vigilance Department when he was giving tuitions to students at his house here on Wednesday.

BODY FOUND: A body was found at the Hajipur power house on Wednesday evening. A case has been registered in this connection.

LUDHIANA
CULTURAL SHOW: A colourful cultural programme and ramp show was organised at the Lakshmi Ladies Club here on Wednesday evening. Mr Amit Verma, Director, Indo-British Cultural Academy, the choreographer, said the show was basically an ethnic fusion of Arabian and Japanese dances. There were ‘shaggy’ and ‘hip-hop’ dance by the daughters of club members which was well-appreciated by the audience. The show was directed by Mr Viney Verma.

BHAGWAD KATHA: The week-long Shrimad Bhagwad Katha began at the Gauri Marketing Complex here on Wednesday with Swami Deen Dayalu Pande ji delivering the first discourse. The Swami emphasised that by merely listening to Bhagwad Katha one can attain salvation. He was earlier given a rousing welcome among others by Mr K. K.Garg, Mr Vinod Chaudhery, Mr Gopal Krishan, Mr Ashok Kumar and Ms Saroj Aggarwal. The katha, would be held from 8 am to 10.30 am and from 6 pm to 8.30 pm till May 21.

IDOL INSTALLATION: The ceremony of installing the idols of Lord Shiva and Laxmi Narayan at Shri Siddh Peeth, Civil Lines, concluded on Wednesday under the supervision of Shri Dandi Swami Shankarashram ji Maharaj. The poojan ceremony was performed by Rishi Onkar Dutt ji and a satsang was held by Mr Raj Kumar, Mr Ashwini Grover and Mr Haripal Ahuja. A langar was also held on the occasion.

EMBROIDERY CONTEST: The Mahavir Spinning Mills organised an embroidery contest at Shanti Niketan Adarsh Vidyalaya on Thursday in which 50 students participated. Neha Arora of Class X won the first prize. Sapna Rani of Class X was declared second and the third prize went to Honey Saini. Besides, five consolation prizes were also given. Mr C.B. Sharma, chief sales manager, gave prizes to the students. Mr Rajinder Sharma, principal, was also present on the occasion.

NEW GAUSHALA: Bapu Asa Ram laid the foundation stone of a new cow shelter at Sahnewal on Wednesday which would be built by the Shri Yoga Vedant Sewa Samiti on four acre of land. A spokesperson of the samiti said that the cow shelter would be completed within four months. To begin with, cows from a cow- shelter in Rajasthan would be provided a home. A large number of devotees present on the occasion pledged to donate liberally for the construction of the shelter.

JAGRAN: Shri Chhinmastika Sewa Sangh would hold its third annual jagran at the Chhinmastika Temple in Chander Nagar on Sunday according to a spokesperson of the sangh. A shobha yatra of the holy flame brought from Jwalaji would be taken out in the evening on Friday in connection with the jagran. The shobha yatra would start from the Kailash Cinema chowk and pass through Vrindavan Road, Shiv Mandir chowk, Jhandu chowk, Deep Nagar and the New Deep Nagar before arriving at the temple in Chander Nagar, added the spokesperson.

BHANDARA: The management of Sidh Yogi Baba Balak Nath temple in Gandhi Nagar will hold its 35th annual ‘chala’ and bhandara on Sunday according to Mr Dharam Pal Bhandari, chairperson of the managing committee. The ceremony of lighting the holy flame for the occasion would be performed on Saturday, added Mr Bhandari.

PENSIONERS’ DEMAND: The Government Pensioner’s Association has demanded early implementation of the High Court verdict on revised gratuity. Mr Yash Paul Ghai, Additional General Secretary of the association in a press note on Thursday said that the judgement was given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on May 3. Mr Ghai, on behalf of association members urged the state government to pay the revised gratuity within six weeks from the date of verdict to the Punjab employees who retired between July 1, 1993 to March 31, 1995 by treating dearness allowance admissible on July 1, 1993 as dearness pay. He said that it will benefit nearly 13,000 Punjab Government retirees.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KANGRA
LIQUOR SEIZED: The police arrested two persons here on Wednesday and seized 119.25 litres of country liquor and 9 litres of Indian-made foreign liquor from them and impounded a taxi used in the crime. Additional district police chief, Mr N.D. Sareen, said Nika, a worker in a shop, was arrested at Sidbhari and Prem Sagar of Rajal village was caught carrying country liquor in a taxi here. Cases under the Excise Act were registered, he said. ARRESTED: The police arrested Prakash Chand of Chanani village and seized one kg of charas from his possession on Wednesday. According to district police chief N.D. Sareen the accused has been arrested under the NDPS Act. He said Ravinder Kumar of Mundal was arrested and 3 litres of country liquor was seized from his possession.

SHIMLA
PROTEST RALLY: Members of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Employees Union held a rally in front of the Vidyut Bhavan in protest against beating up of Mr Uma Shankar, an employee, allegedly by Mr S.K. Soni, a Superintending Engineer, here on Thursday. The union demanded immediate suspension of the officer and also expressed anguish over the transfer of the 12 employees of the Chhota Shimla electrical subdivision on false allegations.