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Dera chief held on rape charge
Outraged followers, area residents thrash Sant
Ludhiana, July 18
Sant Shamsher Singh Jaghera, who heads a dera near Dugri Bridge here, was allegedly caught red-handed by some of his followers and area residents while raping the wife of a sevadar of the dera around 2 a.m. today.

Residents gather outside the dera of Sant Shamsher Singh Jaghera at Dugri. — Photo Pradeep Tewari

State-level swearing-in functions flayed
Ludhiana, July 18
The Marxist Communist Party of India (MCPI) has expressed anguish over the misuse of government machinery in holding state-level swearing-in ceremonies of newly elected sarpanches and panches at Jalandhar, Bathinda and Patiala.

B.Sc (home science) loses sheen
Ludhiana, July 18
Once considered to be the most coveted undergraduate degree programme by young girls of Punjab, B.Sc (home science) has registered just 12 students in Punjab Agricultural University for the current session.

CBI begins probe on assault on ex-MC official
Ludhiana, July 18
The CBI formally began investigations into the case of a murderous assault on Mr Kewal Krishan Jindal, a former acting chief of the municipal committee, Malerkotla. The case was handed over to the premier agency following orders of the Punjab and Haryana High court on May 20.

3 cops suspended for graft
Ludhiana, July 18
The Khanna police has suspended three cops, including an inspector, a sub-Inspector and a Head Constable posted at Payal police station, on corruption charges. They have been accused of taking bribe from the villagers to release a man caught under the anti-narcotics Act by the police.

Another theft at McDonald’s
Doraha, July 18
Another theft has been reported at the parking lot of McDonald’s, a highway restaurant near Doraha. Mr Devinder Singh who was coming on his car from Khanna towards Phillaur stopped at McDonald’s yesterday.

COMMUNITY

I-cards for Koom Kalan voters from July 22
Ludhiana, July 18
Final round of photography to issue photo identity cards to all voters in Koom Kalan constituency would be carried out from July 22 to July 25 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Kolkata meeting to focus on city MC working
Ludhiana, July 18
A national-level workshop on ‘Good governance practices in India’, being organised by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on July 18 and 19 under the Kolkata Environmental Improvement Project will discuss ‘water for all’ scheme in detail.

Fraud in sale deed detected
Ludhiana, July 18
The District Administration has detected a fraud in the execution of sale deed of a plot in Rurka village allegedly committed by a resident impersonating himself as the owner of the plot.

Fulfil vows, Maha Sabha tells administration
Ludhiana, July 18
More than a year after the Maha Sabha, Ludhiana, a social organisation, had helped the local Improvement Trust remove encroachers from Sunet village and the latter had promised it that a stadium and a library would be set up on the place, the Maha Sabha is yet to see its dream project see the light of the day.

Encroachments galore in Samrala
Samrala, July 18
There is no road, bazaar or street which is not encroached upon in Samrala town. Shopkeepers fruits and vegetable sellers, rehriwalas, all have encroached upon the government land. Rehriwalas stand on both sides of the Chandigarh-Ludhiana road creating hurdles for the flow of traffic.

Municipal property demolished
Mandi Ahmedgarh, July 18
The Municipal council authorities have reported two incidents of demolition of municipal properties and theft of their rubble. Local police and Latala police have confirmed having received the complaints against unidentified culprits.

Why discrimination against us, ask Sehajdhari Sikhs
Ludhiana, July 18
The decision of the Centre to deprive Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) elections is allegedly a deep-rooted conspiracy by the RSS to drive a wedge between the already fragmented minority community, besides denying representation to more than 80 per cent of the Sikhs in the world, claims Dr Paramjeet Singh Ranu, national president of the Sehajdhari Sikh Federation.

Police thanks good Samaritans
Ludhiana, July 18
Mr Ashok Jain was pleasantly surprised when he got a call from the police yesterday, thanking him and his family for informing it about the accident that had taken place in front of their house on July 15. The caller said their timely information had helped the accident victim to survive.

CRIME

Decomposed body found
Ludhiana, July 18
The highly decomposed body of a 55-year-old farmer was found in his house in Baddowal village, today evening. The police said it seemed that some persons had murdered the farmer more than two months ago and then dumped the body here.

Gang of robbers busted
Sahnewal, July 18
The local police claims to have busted a gang of robbers, responsible for a number of thefts and robberies in and around the town, from Uchi Mangali village near here last night.

Ex-pilot, wife held in dowry case
Ludhiana, July 18
The Sarabha Nagar police has arrested a former Air Force pilot and his wife from Noida near Delhi on a charge of harassing their city-based daughter-in-law for dowry.

BUSINESS

Increase in yarn exports expected

Ludhiana, July 18 After the abolition of quota regime in 2004, the Indian synthetic exports are likely to register a four-fold increase. Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Rakesh Mehra, Chairman of the Synthetic and Rayon Textile Export Promotion Council, said most of the exports, about 90 per cent, were going to the no- quota countries which had not fixed any quota for the imports.

Mr V. Laxmi Kumar of the Synthetic and Rayon Textile Export Promotion Council speaks at a workshop on Central excise rules in Ludhiana on Friday.

Booklet on cycle safety standards
Ludhiana, July 18
Mr S.K. Sandhu, Secretary, Industry and Commerce, released a booklet “A Comparative Reference — Bicycle Safety Standards Specifications” at the 37th governing council meeting of the R and D Centre for Bicycle and Sewing Machine here recently.

Banks take defaulters to task
Ludhiana, July 18
Armed with the Bank Securitisation Act, 2002, for making recoveries from various wilful defaulters, several banks have started tightening their noose around defaulters. Continuing with the campaign against the wilful defaulters, the Punjab National Bank today took possession of the property of M/s Sehgal Health Care Agencies.

2 nominated to PAU management board
Ludhiana, July 18
Two members have been nominated to the board of management of Punjab Agricultural University. The Director-General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, has nominated Dr S.M. Ilyas, Director, CIPHET, as the ICAR’s representative on the board while the state government has appointed Mr Sukhdev Singh Chahal, a progressive farmer, as a member.

IGNOU launches course in audio production
Ludhiana, July, 18
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has launched a post-graduate diploma in audio programme production (PGDAPP). The diploma which is of one year duration will be open to anybody who has completed graduation. However, preference will be given to those having experience in broadcasting.

Kids celebrate Teej
Ludhiana, July 18
With the onset of monsoon, children of Hollyhock Nursery School, Civil Lines, celebrated Teej at a function organised here today. All children were dressed up in traditional dresses. Girls wore lehngas and dupattas embroidered with ‘phulkari’ and ‘parandis’ in their hair and boys wore dhoti-kurta. The children even wore traditional jewellery like ‘kaintha’, ‘sing tapiti’, ‘saggi phul’ and bracelets. Nanya Verma danced to the tune of “Saggi Phul Waliye”, sung by Gursehaj. The boys performed bhangra to the beats of drum.

Children of Hollyhock Nursery School celebrate Teej in Ludhiana on Friday. — A Tribune photograph

Student bodies demand fee hike withdrawal
Ludhiana, July 18
To protest against the hike in college fees, activists of the All-India Students Federation and All India Naujuan Sabha, Ludhiana, staged a protest outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner here today.

COURTS

Man acquitted
Ludhiana, July 18
The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr J.S. Bhatia, has acquitted Raj Kumar of Salem Tabri from the charge of possessing narcotics, giving him the benefit of doubt. He was facing charge of possessing 1 kg of charas. Acquitting the accused the court observed that the then DSP, Gurnam Singh, had not investigated the case properly.

CULTURE

Artist gives oriental touch to Christ

Ludhiana, July 18 The three new paintings, introduced in the altar area of the Christian Medical College Chapel, are profoundly imaginative and provide plenty of food for thought. The unconventional approach of the artist, who, incidentally is net a Christian, gives a fresh approach to all too familiar figures by Italian artists. Paintings by Subhash Cheeda at CMC Chapel. —  Photo Inderjit Verma

‘Sitar Funk’ to perform today
Ludhiana, July 18
‘Sitar Funk’ is a group of young musicians with Niladari Kumar, a noted sitar player, as its leader. The group fuses Indian classical music with western music and will perform in the city on July 19.

HEALTH

4 cholera cases reported
Ludhiana, July 18
As many as four cases of cholera have been reported by the District Health Department. Since these are sporadic cases, the authorities say that there is little scope of the spread of an epidemic as of now.

SPORTS

Hockey Olympian Harpreet Singh honoured

Ludhiana, July 18 Former captain of the Indian hockey team Harpreet Singh was honoured at a function held here yesterday. The function was organised by the Ludhiana Sportsmen Welfare Association (LSWA) where Harpreet, who captained the national team in 1997, was felicitated by the association president, Mr Amrik Singh. Former captain of the Indian hockey team and Olympian Harpreet Singh at a felicitation function in Ludhiana on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

ADMINISTRATION

Unsafe building owners get ultimatum
Ludhiana, July 18
The Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana (MCL) has asked the owners of unsafe buildings in the city to demolish these themselves or face action. To prevent any mishap due to the collapse of buildings in the rainy season, the MCL has asked the occupants of unsafe buildings in the city to vacate them immediately or demolish them. Otherwise, the authorities would be forced to act tough against the violators.