Kapurthala, June 8
A rumour that the musk melon crop reaching Srinagar markets was affected by insects has left the local growers high and dry. More than 300 vehicles loaded with the crop were lying parked in different markets of the valley since Tuesday evening in the absence of any buyer. The rate of the fruit has also slipped to Re 1 from Rs 4 per kg in the wholesale market.

The rumour spread after a private television channel on Tuesday evening reportedly telecast the news about the presence of fruit fly in the musk melon crop arriving at Srinagar from different markets. After the telecast, the demand of the fruit in the valley reduced to nil leaving the Kapurtahala growers of musk melon in lurch. More than 30 per cent yield of the growers from Kapurthala, which is the biggest market of musk melon in Asia, was consumed in the valley, Mr Devinder Bir Singh Chahal, President, Potato Grower Farmers’ Association, Kapurtahala, said.

Because of the early perishable nature of the fruit, the farmers were going to suffer huge losses if no remedial measures were taken immediately, he added.

There had been a demand of more than one hundred vehicles loaded with musk-melon in Kashmir daily, he said.

More than 300 vehicles leave daily carrying musk melon from Kapurthala to different states, including Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Chahal said, adding that after the telecast, however, there was no dearth in demand from other states, but it had affected the demand from the valley, the biggest importer of the Kapurthala melon.

Mr Maqbool Ahmad, a trader from Srinagar, alleged that a retailer had misguided the news channel.

The accused retailer was facing a boycott from the wholesalers, he claimed. The retailer, in turn, managed to portray that the crop arriving at Srinagar was affected with insects, Maqbool Ahmad further said.

“There are strict grading of the fruit by the buyers before it is sent to the market, then how can one claim that the crop procured from this region is not fit for consumption,” said Mr Amar Bir Singh Lally, another prominent farmer from the region.

Dr Surjan Singh, a retired scientist of fruits and vegetables from Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, claimed that there was no chance that the whole crop could be affected by the fruit fly. 

Jalandhar, June 8
Holding the doctor of a local hospital responsible for the death of their ten-year-old daughter, a couple, along with the residents, staged a protest in front of the hospital near Ambedkar Chowk here today.

In a complaint lodged with the police, the family of the girl alleged that the girl, Sakshi, died due to the negligence of the doctor, Dr Naven Chitkara, who had conducted three operations on the back of the girl’s head for treating a tumourous growth, at the Oxford Hospital, according to the SHO Harbans Singh.

Sakshi, daughter of former councilor Vipan Kumar, was later referred to the PGI Chandigarh, where she died yesterday.

The family and relatives held a dharna outside the hospital and demanded action against the doctor. They said that the doctor should have referred the girl to the PGI before conducting the operation. 

Phagwara, June 8
One person was done to death with sharp-edged weapons allegedly by his uncle, who also inflicted serious injuries on his three sons over a land dispute at Niamatpur village falling under Rahon police station in Nawanshahr district today.

Ratta Ram, father of the deceased Harbilas, in a complaint lodged with the Rahon police, said that Harbilas had five kanals of land, but was in dispute with his uncle Gian Chand over the land. “Many meetings were convened by the village panchayat in this connection and every time the decisions were made in my son’s favour,” Ratta Ram claimed.

A complaint in this connection was also lodged with Nawanshahr Deputy Commissioner, Krishan Kumar, who fixed June 12 as the deadline to solve the dispute, Ratta Ram added. “My son tried his very best to solve the dispute amicably with his uncle Gian Chand on Thursday. But Gian Chand and his family members, including his two sons, hit my son on the head with sticks and an axe, killing him on the spot and inflicted serious injuries to his three grandsons,” Ratta Ram alleged in the complaint.

Inderjit Singh, SHO, Rahon police station, told The Tribune that the police had booked Gian Chand, his sons Bhagirath and Narender, daughter Jeeto, wife Bhajno, all residents of Niamatpur village, Ravi and Gagan, both residents of Mohalla Tajpur in Rahon and three other unidentified persons.

“All the accused are absconding and police teams have been dispatched to various locations to nab them,” the SHO said.