J A L A N D H A R

Rape charge a bid to malign me: Mann Singh

Jalandhar, June 18 Terming the rape charges leveled against him by two girls as baseless, Sant Baba Mann Singh termed it as an attempt to malign his image. Talking to mediapersons here today, Mann Singh said he never met the girls before. “What to talk about sexually assaulting these two girls, I have never even met them,” he said.

Sant Baba Mann Singh addresses mediapersons in Jalandhar on Monday.  — A Tribune photograph

Woman ends life, husband held
Kapurthala, June 18
A woman ended her life by jumping into a pond here on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Baksho, resident of village Latianwal, falling under Sultanpur Lodhi police station.

Widow accuses sister-in-law of kidnapping daughter
Tarn Taran, June 18
Kulwinder Kaur is a worried woman. The widow is running from pillar to post in search of her young daughter, who has been allegedly kidnapped by her (Kaur) sister-in-law. 

Insurance firm told to pay up
Hoshiarpur, June 18
The Consumer Forum Hoshiarpur headed by P. D. Goel, president and members A. S. Jauhar and Vandana Chaudhary, has directed National Insurance Company to pay a claim of Rs 49959 as assessed by the surveyor and along with interest of 9 per cent per annum and litigation expenses of Rs 1000 within one month, to Yash Pal, a resident of Mukerian.

Lighting up many lives 
Jalandhar, June 18
The Hoshiarpur-based Eye Donation Association has done yeoman’s service towards society and has lit lives of more than 300 blind persons by persuading as many as 151 persons to donate their eyes during the past seven years.

Kali Bein: Vedanti lauds Baba’s efforts
Kapurthala, June 18
Akal Takht chief Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti urged the Sikh community to desist from throwing even a single drop of dirty water into sacred rivulet Kali Bein, where Guru Nanak Dev got enlightenment.

Concern voiced over addiction among students
Hoshiarpur, June 18
Mohinder Kaur Josh, chief parliamentary secretary, with education minister, Punjab, talking to mediapersons here today, said sources of drug supply to school children must be dealt with severely. She called on teachers and parents to check their wards to stop the menace. She said she would also persuade the government not to depute teachers in works like preparing voter lists and surveys etc.

‘Woman councillor encroaching MC land’
Nawanshahr, June 18
In a written complaint submitted to the deputy commissioner Bhawna Garg, a Rahon resident Kuldip Bhushan, has accused a woman councillor Draupadi, of encroaching the land belonging to municipal council situated in Mohalla Ghati Mian Sahib.

Rape charge a bid to malign me: Mann Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 18
Terming the rape charges leveled against him by two girls as baseless, Sant Baba Mann Singh termed it as an attempt to malign his image.Talking to mediapersons here today, Mann Singh said he never met the girls before. “What to talk about sexually assaulting these two girls, I have never even met them,” he said.

Endorsing his statement, Mann said he is never alone. “Even during night, I am surrounded by sangat. However, if anyone from sangat has doubt about my character, I am ready to face inquiry,” he added.

Woman ends life, husband held
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, June 18
A woman ended her life by jumping into a pond here on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Baksho, resident of village Latianwal, falling under Sultanpur Lodhi police station.

According to police sources, Baksho was disturbed over her husband, Sadhu Singh’s, illicit relations with their daughter-in-law. The couple’s son had died a year ago.

The police further said the woman had objected to the relationship, but her husband did not pay heed.

Baksho’s miseries aggravated when to her dismay her daughter-in-law gave birth to a child ten days ago.

The incident become talk of the town, as a result the woman became very upset and decided to end her life by jumping into the pond. SHO Sultanpur Sodhi Rajesh Verma told The Tribune that woman’s husband Sadhu Singh has been arrested.

He has been booked under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. “Though the woman had left no suicide note, the case details came to light during the course of investigation,” he added.

The police also sent the body to civil hospital for post-mortem examination. 

Widow accuses sister-in-law of kidnapping daughter

Tarn Taran, June 18
Kulwinder Kaur is a worried woman. The widow is running from pillar to post in search of her young daughter, who has been allegedly kidnapped by her (Kaur) sister-in-law. Talking to newsmen, here on Monday, the woman, resident of village Johal, said her daughter was abducted on June 11 when she had gone to the market along with her elder daughter.

 The woman alleged that she approached the city police for registering a case, but they did not entertain her. “I have also written to higher-ups. But nothing has been done till now,” she added. When contacted, SSP Pawan Kumar denied having any information in this regards. — OC 

Insurance firm told to pay up
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, June 18
The Consumer Forum Hoshiarpur headed by P. D. Goel, president and members A. S. Jauhar and Vandana Chaudhary, has directed National Insurance Company to pay a claim of Rs 49959 as assessed by the surveyor and along with interest of 9 per cent per annum and litigation expenses of Rs 1000 within one month, to Yash Pal, a resident of Mukerian.

Yash Pal had complained that he got his truck insured from the above insurance company. The truck met with an accident on September 7, 2001 in Karnataka where an FIR under section 279 and 337 of the IPC was registered. He claimed the compensation for his damaged truck was rejected by the insurance company on the ground that a legible copy of the driving licence of the driver was not supplied to them by him.

The forum further held that the opposite party failed to get the driving license of driver Balbinder Singh verified and also failed to settle the claim which amounts to deficiency of service on its part. The forum held that as a legible copy of particulars of driving licence had been produced by the complainant before the forum, therefore the defence raised by the National Insurance Company did not stand reason.

Lighting up many lives 
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 18
The Hoshiarpur-based Eye Donation Association has done yeoman’s service towards society and has lit lives of more than 300 blind persons by persuading as many as 151 persons to donate their eyes during the past seven years.

Kartar Kaur (76) of Ali Mohalla, who died on Tuesday, became the latest donor when she pledged donation of her eyes just days before her death after she was persuaded to do so by Jasbir Singh, secretary of the organisation.

“Kartar Kaur’s eyes were donated in the presence of her family members.

After her death, her eyes were sent to Punarjot Eye Bank of Punjab at Ludhiana for transplantation,” said association president Bahadur Singh Sunet.

The journey of light, spearheaded by the association has been a long one. “We had started our operations in 2000.

Since then we have managed 151 eye donations. With these over 150 donated eyes, nearly 300 blind persons have got eyesight.

We are extremely happy that people of Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and adjoining districts are very receptive in view of eye donation,” said Sunet and Jasbir Singh.

Sunet said to expand its operations in the Doaba region of Punjab, the association was holding parleys with Jalandhar-based skin specialist Jasbir Dosanjh, who was running a spiritual centre at Dehrian village in Hoshiarpur district where he had been holding free medical camps regularly.

Kali Bein: Vedanti lauds Baba’s efforts

Kapurthala, June 18
Akal Takht chief Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti urged the Sikh community to desist from throwing even a single drop of dirty water into sacred rivulet Kali Bein, where Guru Nanak Dev got enlightenment.

Lauding the phenomenal task of the chairman of Ek Onkar Chairtable Trust Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, Vedanti said Sikh community should help Seechewal in keeping the sacred rivulet clean.

Visiting the Bein for the first time after its cleansing, Akal Takht chief also appealed to the Punjab government of making efforts to stop the sewage water flow of several villages into Bein. Joyous over the appreciation, Seechewal said it would further encourage the sangat to continue efforts of keeping the Bein clean. — TNS

Concern voiced over addiction among students
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, June 18
Mohinder Kaur Josh, chief parliamentary secretary, with education minister, Punjab, talking to mediapersons here today, said sources of drug supply to school children must be dealt with severely. She called on teachers and parents to check their wards to stop the menace. She said she would also persuade the government not to depute teachers in works like preparing voter lists and surveys etc.

She emphasised the need to improve student-teacher relations and expressed concern over poor results of various schools this year. She said recruitment of teachers to fill up vacant posts in government schools would begin after the budget session of the assembly. On drug addiction among school children she said sources of drug supply to children must be dealt with severely. She called on teachers and parents to check 
their wards. 

‘Woman councillor encroaching MC land’
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, June 18
In a written complaint submitted to the deputy commissioner Bhawna Garg, a Rahon resident Kuldip Bhushan, has accused a woman councillor Draupadi, of encroaching the land belonging to municipal council situated in Mohalla Ghati Mian Sahib.

“The councillor has started constructing boundary wall around the said land,” alleged Bhushan in his complaint.

Bhushan said in his previous complaint, submitted last year to the municipal council authorities, a request was made to construct a concrete floor on the aforesaid land so as to foil the encroachment bid of the councillor.

However, the MC authorities did not take pay heed to it, the complainant further alleged.