R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
INAUGURATED: SDM Jaskiran Singh inaugurated the Press Club of the Youth Journalists Association here on Thursday. Senior educationist Chander Parkash Narang presided over the function while senior journalist Dinesh Sharma was the guest of honour. Speaking on the occasion Additional District Public Relations Officer B. S. Gill offered all assistance to the journalists.

Amritsar
RAPE ACCUSED: The Chheharta police has arrested Lakhwinder Singh Lalli, a resident of the Harkishan Nagar area, for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman. The complainant has alleged that he threatened to kill her child and raped her. She raised an alarm when the accused tried to flee with jewellery and cash and he was caught.

BAIL PLEA REJECTED: The Additional Sessions Judge, Ms Archana Puri, here on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Mr Kanwarpal Singh Bittu, general secretary, Dal Khalsa, and five others in a sedition case.

Batala
CHILD FOUND: The Batala police has found Jujhar Singh, son of Hardeep Singh, here who had gone missing on Monday. The boy was spotted at the railway station here. He was reunited with his parents on Wednesday.

Bathinda
DARE DEVILS PERFORM: The corps of Signals Motor Cycle Rider display team popularly known as “dare devils” performed at local military station on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to a press release, the team gave its breathtaking and scintillating performances at the function, which was opened to all Army personnel and school children of the town.

Jalandhar
MANGO MANIA: Mango dishes and drinks will be served during the Monsoon and Mango Mania, at a local hotel from July 8 to July 24.

Kapurthala
NOMINATED: Mr Surjit Singh Sandhu, a farmer of Arianwala village, was nominated as the Chairman of the Kapurthala Market Committee here on Wednesday. Pepsi Food Limited’s “Grower of the year” award winner in 1996, Mr Sandhu has been the member of an advisory committee of Punjab Agricultural University since 1991.

Patiala
Needy students given cycles: Cycles were distributed among needy students of Government Senior Secondary School Kulburchan by the Village Development Committee (VDC) and school staff. The Chairman of the VDC, Mr Amarjit Singh while praising the Principal for good results shown by the students in board examination held this year, asked them to work hard.

Help for Thalassaemia Patients: A blood donation camp will be organised to help patients suffering from Thalassaemia at Rajindra Hospital on July 9 at 9 am. The camp, which will be jointly organised by the Red Cross and State Bank of India, is expected to attract atleast 150 donors. The blood bank in charge, said thalassemia patients need blood in large quantity and urged the citizens to participate in the cause in a big way.

Improvement Trust: Mr Rupinder Pal Singh has been unanimously elected President of the Patiala Improvement Trust Employees Union. The other office-bearers of the union are: senior patron — Mr Lal Singh Tiwana; patron — Mr Surinder Singh, senior vice-president — Mr Basant Singh, vice-president — Mr Pawan Kumar, general secretary — Mr Rajiv Garg; and treasurer — Mr Narinder Singh.

PROTEST: Activists of the Shiv Sena Hindustan, led by its district president Ajay Mehta, burnt an effigy of Lashkar-e-Toiba militant group at Gol Chowk on the G.T. Road here on Thursday in protest against the attack on Ayodhya temple.