Nawanshahr, August 5
Three young lives were snuffed out by an overspeeding truck here on Sunday morning. The incident took place at around 5.15 am at Chandigarh Chowk when the victims, all hawkers, were arranging their newspapers for door-to-door distribution.

They have been identified as Sukhwinder Badhan (17), Ravinder Badhan (18), both brothers and residents of Saloh village and Gurpreet (20) of Hargobind Nagar village. While bodies of Sukhwinder and Ravinder were completely mutilated, Gurpreet succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

The truck (PB-02-AS-9705) after running over the three collided with another vehicle coming from the opposite side. The truck driver, identified as Jagsheer Singh, tried to flee from the spot but was nabbed by other hawkers present there. As the news of the death reached victims’ village, the irate family members and other villagers blocked traffic at Chandigarh Chowk for more than six hours.

The protestors were demanding strict action against the truck driver and adequate compensation for the affected families. The mob also gheraoed Hoshiarpur BJP MP Avinash Rai Khanna at the Chowk.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner Bhawna Garg announced a sum of Rs 25,000 each for the victims from the District Red Cross Fund.

The district SAD (B) president Mohinder Singh Hussainpuri and ADC Pritam Singh Johal also announced a grant of Rs one lakh each for the affected families on behalf of the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

However, the mob rejected the proposal and started raising slogans against the government. At this, municipal council president Lalit Mohan Pthak and district Congress chief Rana Kuldip Singh also announced a sum of Rs 50,000 each for the aggrieved families.

But the protesters refused to budge. Seeing the situation becoming more tense, heavy police was deployed to check any untoward incident. Also, arrangements were made to divert the traffic.

Meanwhile, the action committee comprising former Garshanker MLA Shingara Ram Sahungra, Parveen Banga, Vinod Kumar, Dr Nachhatar Pal (BSP), Darshan Singh Mattu, Balbir Singh Jadla (CPM), Chaman Singh Bhanmazara (Congress), Sohan Singh Slempuri, Sohan Lal, Surinder Bains (CPI-ML) and former Jalandhar Zila Parishad chairman Chaudhary Malikiat Ram went to hold negotiations with the district administration.

The panel termed the Rs one lakh compensation as inadequate and demanded it to be raised to Rs 10 lakh.

It was only after the intervention of local MLA Jatinder Singh Kariha that the dharna was lifted. Kariha, who announced assistance of Rs 75,000 to each family, promised to personally submit the proposal of Rs 10-lakh compensation with the CM. He also assured a strict action against the truck driver. A case has been registered.

Phagwara, August 5
Involvement of government employees in criminal activities has contributed to the rise in crime graph of the area. Six government employees have been found indulging in criminal activities during the past six months.

According to police authorities criminals involved government employees to shield themselves.

These employees helped them in taking shelter, preparing fake documents and cheating the police at nakas, according sources.

Police authorities claim to be making serious efforts in checking the trend. When contacted IG Zonal Sanjeev Kalra, DIG Narinderpal Singh, SSP Kapurthla Rakesh Aggarwal and DSP HPS Khakh claim that the police was making its best effort to curb crime and no government employee would be spared at any cost. They said the police was committed to maintaining law and order.

As per police records an assistant commandant with the BSF, Nimma Singh, posted in Jammu and his driver Chaman Lal were arrested for smuggling of drugs to Pakistan. Sudesh Kumari, an employee with the health department in Himachal Pardesh, Jatinder Kumar, an employee with the sewerage board, posted in Jalandhar and two others were arrested with 1800 gm of cocaine in February.

A junior engineer, Darshan Singh, an employee of the Punjab State Electricity Board, posted in Jalandhar and three others were arrested by police with one kg heroin on August 1.

Randheer Singh, alias Dheera, a clerk posted in the SDM office at Baba Bakala was nabbed by the police with two other members of a nine member gang of vehicle lifters. Six stolen cars were also recovered from them on August 2.

Jalandhar, August 5
In a bid to ensure free and fair municipal corporation poll, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, the Punjab Congress party has requested the union government to deploy para military forces, stated former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Alleging that Parkash Singh Badal led SAD-BJP government failed on every front even during its initial phase, Singh expressed fear that the SAD-BJP alliance might resort to violence to win the MC poll.

“I along with PPCC president Shamsher Singh Dullo and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal met Prime Minister and Union Home Minister to deploy para military forces in the forthcoming MC elections,” said Singh.

Ridiculing the tall claims of working president of SAD Sukhbir Badal about starting metro, Singh said the state government was already facing an acute financial crisis and it would not have even money to pay salaries to its employees within the next few months.

“We left Rs 1,200 crore in state exchequer in the month of February. But now I have come to know that the government treasure has become empty due to alleged wrong policies of the state government,” he added.

“The Badal government would also not be able to fulfill its Assembly elections promise of providing wheat and pulses at cheaper rates to the needy people due to the ongoing financial crisis.

Nawanshahr, August 5
With a view to mobilise masses against the menace of female foeticide, a Punjabi play, “Neon Jarh,” was staged at Shivalik Public School. Deputy speaker, Lok Sabha, Charanjit Singh Atwal, was the chief guest and deputy commissioner Bhawna Garg presided over the function. Sarpanches, panches, ANMs, anganwari workers, students of various schools and colleges, and NGOs attended the function.

Addressing the gathering, the deputy speaker, while terming the social discrimination against women and misusing latest medical technology for killing the girl child in the womb as a crime against the humanity, called upon all sections to launch concerted efforts to wipe the stigma of female foeticide. — OC

Jalandhar, August 5
Slated to create a history, Amitoj Mann’s Kaafila will be the first Bollywood film to be simultaneously released in Pakistan and India on August 10.

The movie, based on the global issue of illegal immigration, is inspired from the real life incidents.

Talking about the movie, one of the producers Babu Singh Mann who has also written the lyrics said it took them nearly five years to complete the film. “Amitoj thought about the movie after the Malta boat tragedy in which a number of illegal immigrants had drowned. After the tragedy, Amitoj went to various places in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat to meet those persons who were victims of human trafficking. He also went to Pakistan to meet similar victims,” says Babu Singh, who also happens to be the father of the director. The movie has two Pakistan stars Sana Nawaz and Mona Lisa. The movie also stars a Bulgarian supermodel Polina Stoynova, who plays the role of Sunny Deol’s foreigner wife in Kazakhistan.

The movie, which has Sunny Deol playing the role of a Pakistan army officer, is also lucky enough to be spared from the scissors of the censor board. “The board cleared the movie without even a single cut. Nearly 20 trailers of the movie have cleared by the Pakistan High Court and the censor board. They are on air since July 27,” revealed Mann. “The problem of illegal immigration has reached an alarming proportion. It has practically engulfed the Asian countries. The movie tries to bring this to the fore,”said Mann.