Jalandhar, June 6
Four members of a family from Jalandhar were killed in a collision between a Maruti car and a truck near the Maqsudan railway tracks here this evening. The victims include three women.

The car the victims were travelling in was crushed under the truck that had turned upside down.

The police took out the bodies buried under the truck. The driver of the truck, Ram Kumar, a resident of Hanumangarh, has been arrested.

The victims, residents of House Number 672 in Mota Singh Nagar, are the wife of Shashi Chadha, the District Revenue Officer of Kapurthala, Kamlesh Chadha, his daughter, Megha Chadha, his son, Amit Chadha and Amit’s wife Disha Chadha, SHO of the Maqsudan Chowki in-charge Piara Singh said. The DSP, Mr Rajinder Singh, also visited the accident site.

It took the police over an hour to take out the bodies from the car lying beneath the overturned truck.

The four deaths in the Chadha family sent shockwaves in the area.

Meanwhile, Reema from Rajasthan, who was seriously injured after being hit by the Tata-Moorie Express while she was reportedly crossing the Phagwara-Ludhiana main section railway line on June 2, succumbed to her injuries yesterday evening.

In another case, a unidentified woman in her mid-thirties, was found dead on the Santokhpura railway crossing track this morning. 

Kapurthala, June 6
The Kapurthala district administration today set up a four-member committee headed the SDM, Mr A.K. Sikka, to inspect Jagatjit Industries after villagers living in nearby areas alleged that the factory was creating air and water pollution.

The committee would visit the factory and its surrounding areas and note the grievances of the affected villagers. It would submit its report to Deputy Commissioner within 10 days. The other members of the committee are SDO, Pollution Board, Civil Surgeon and president of the Bhagwan Balkmik Tirath Gian Ashram Volunteer Force.

Residents of nine villages protested against the alleged air and water pollution by the factory and had launched an agitation against the management. The Deputy Commissioner had assured the villagers to solve their problems.

Meanwhile, the indefinite hunger fast by the villagers on the issue in the district courts entered its fifth day.

The villagers alleged that the underground water in the villages adjoining the factory were contaminated and the burning of paddy husk had damaged their eyes. They demanded supply of safe drinking water. 

Kapurthala, June 6
A special meeting to discuss the proposals of district administration to protect the Kali Bein from pollution would be convened by Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, in Chandigarh tomorrow.

The memorandum submitted by Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal would also be discussed during the meeting, which is likely to be attended by the Deputy Commissioner of Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur. Chief Engineer Drainage and S.E. Drainage had also been instructed to be present during the meeting.

Mr Raminder Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurtahala, had submitted a proposal of Rs 69 crore for permanent and temporary solutions to tackle the problem of sewerage water being discharged into the Bein, during a meeting with the CM on May 30.

Environmentalist Baba Seechewal had also submitted a memorandum of demands that included release of water from Mukerian Hydel Channel, deepening of the Bein, and checking discharging of sewerage water among others.