Jalandhar, March 21
Emboldened by the inaction of the police in booking unscrupulous travel agents in the state, an agent brutally murdered a resident of Ughi village, near Nakodar, when the latter demanded money from him.

The deceased, 35-year-old Naresh Kumar, is survived by his wife, Kamlesh, and three small children. Kamlesh works in an anganwadi centre.

Naresh Kumar ran a small fruit shop in the village and wanted to give wings to his dollar dreams. Undeterred by resistance from his family, he kept searching for an agent who could help him reach foreign shores.

Sometime back he came in contact with Harnek Singh of Jallowal village who promised to send him to Europe. Initially, Rs 2 lakh were given to Harnek but after sometime he demanded more money from Naresh. With no other means to raise money, he sold his shop for Rs 10 lakh and gave the money to Harnek Singh.For the past few months, Naresh Kumar had been pressurising Harnek to either send him abroad or return the money. Not wanting to return the money, Harnek hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Naresh and reached his shop on the morning of March 19. Harnek told Naresh Kumar that he would have to accompany him since his friends were waiting with the money in Nakodar. An unsuspecting Naresh went along with him and that was the last anybody saw of him.

Raju, a relative, said when Naresh Kumar did not return home in the evening, the family members started searching for him. Repeated calls to his mobile went unanswered but late noon the mobile was switched off. The search continued throughout the night.

Meanwhile, the next morning a farmer of Bilga village noticed a body lying in his fields and informed the police. Since the police had been informed of the disappearance of Naresh the family was informed who identified the body. The body bore injuries from sharp-edged weapons.

Incensed at the brutal murder, people kept his body on the Nakodar-Kapurthala road affecting vehicular traffic throughout the night.

It was only after the assurance by the SDM and SP that a case had been registered and the accused would be arrested, the blockade was lifted. The body was cremated at noon today.

Villagers alleged that the role of ASI Shiv Kamal of Ughi police post should be investigated since he was shielding the accused and had not arrested Harnek despite knowing his whereabouts. The police has registered a case.

Jalandhar, March 21
A local coloniser, who is son of a three-time councillor of the Jalandhar municipal corporation, has been directed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum to provide proper facilities to society members of Paradise Apartments within three months and to pay them Rs 1 lakh for flouting building bylaws by not leaving adequate parking space and ensuring safety features.

Nearly 17 residents, who had purchased flats near Doaba Hospital here, had filed a joint complaint on August 23, 2006, against Chadha Colonisers and Builders Private Limited and directors, councillor Joginder Singh Tony’s son Tarwinder Singh and his nephew Tarandeep Singh. They had alleged that they had not been provided facilities, including adequate parking space that they had been promised.

They alleged that the walls of the apartments were cement plastered only and no terrace was provided in the building. They further lamented that the cement concrete in the basement had not been laid. “Only one lift had been provided for the residents even as two lifts had been committed earlier,” they had alleged.

The complainants had even alleged that the basement had been encroached upon and permanent wooden enclosures had been raised there, leaving no parking space. Safety features, including grills and fire-fighting system, had also not been provided, the residents had alleged.

The builders, on the other hand, had said that the purchasers had duly inspected the flats and were satisfied with the facilities at the time of purchase. They had said that while flats were sold off five years ago, it was now that they had started complaining. They had said the second lift in the building was being used for carrying garbage. They had replied that the additional facilities, including wire fitting and emergency exit, were to be arranged by the owners themselves.

The forum, represented by M.M. Bhalla and Surinder Mittal, found that the respondents had failed to provide any material on record that the second lift had been provided. It also found that the encroachments on the area meant for parking space was a violation of the terms and conditions. It also directed the builders to provide all necessary facilities, including the safety features, to the residents within three months, besides compensate them with Rs 1 lakh.

Councillor Tony, however, said that his son was no longer working as builder and his nephew had moved abroad. He said that he was not aware of the judgement.

Nawanshahr, March 21
The dream project of setting up Adarsh schools for providing quality education to meritorious rural students, conceived by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, is going to get a concrete shape here. The building of Adarsh School, Khatkar Kalan in Nawanshahr district, constructed at a cost of about Rs 2 crore, is being readied on a war footing to ensure its inauguration by the Chief Minister on the occasion of a state-level function to be held at Khatkar Kalan, the native village of Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh on March 23, to commemorate the martyrdom day of Sardar Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

The building houses 14 classrooms, a multimedia room, three stream rooms, three science laboratories, a kitchen and a hall.

The final touches are being given to the building so that it can be dedicated to the public by the CM. The science and commerce classes would commence in the ensuing academic session.

The various political parties like the ruling SAD-BJP combine, the Congress and the Leftists are gearing up for organising their political conferences at Khatkar Kalan on martyrdom day.

Nawanshahr, March 21
About two-and-a-half-year-old injured sambhar, which was recovered from nearby Jeendowal village and treated at the veterinary hospital here, was released into the forest by an NGO, Wildlife Conservation Society, on Friday.

NGO president Nikhil Senger, told The Tribune that the sambhar had an injury on his right rear leg. Perhaps it was hounded by dogs in the nearby Shivalik hills and in a bid to escape from them, it strayed into the town. It might have been hit by some vehicle also as there was a dislocation in his right leg.

Besides, the wounds were severely infected. It was caught with the help of forest range officer Jaswant Singh Bhatti and veterinarian Kulwant Singh and brought to the local veterinary hospital. Here, Dr Kulwant Singh treated him for about a week.