The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Bhai Nirmal Singh gets Padma Shree Varinder Walia Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 31 It was proud moment for the city residents as Hazoori Raagi Bhai Nirmal Singh today received the Padma Shree award from President Pratibha Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan today. Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Atomic Energy Commission of India (AECI) chief Anil Kakodkar were among other recipients of the Padma awards. This is for the first time that the Padma Shree was bestowed upon a Hazoori Raagi. Trained in classical music and the art of gurbani, Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa has been performing gurbani in classic and light music in the country and abroad for the past 26 years. His initial music teacher was Prof Avtar Singh Naaz and later gazal maestro Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan from Lahore chiselled his musical skills. Besides, he has performed gurbani at all the revered five takhts, historical gurdwaras in India and 53 countries. The T-series company, Music Today, Music Memories, Tips, Fine Touch and Saaga, had released more than 50 audio cassettes, VCDs, DVDs, MP-3 of Bhai Khalsa. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Punjab Languages Department for selection of awardees in the field of development, besides SGPC kirtan subcommittee member. Adjudged “A” grade gurbani kirtan performer by Prasar Bharti, he has received the Deeva National award by the Indian Musical Industry, Bombay, for his devotional singing in 1994. He received the gold medal and the Shiromani Raagi award by Khalsa Fateh Jang, Ferozepore, Punjab, in 1999. The United Sikh Organisation, Delhi, conferred on him the Sifti award in 2003, while the International Institute of Gurmat Studies, Los Angeles, USA, honoured him with the Bhai Mardana award in 2004. The SGPC extended appreciation for kirtan recitation on string instruments in 2006. The Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, conferred on him the Shiromani award on the occasion of 300th anniversary of compilation of Guru Granth Sahib in 2006. The Sikh Supreme Council of Africa bestowed special honour on him in 2005. The Chief Khalsa Diwan also honoured him for recitation on string instruments in 2007. He received the Bhai Sahib Bhai Heera Singh in 2004.
	Hans Dhwani Sing a song and get a vote Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 31 Being a singer was certainly a gain with SAD Jalandhar Lok Sabha candidate Hans Raj Hans. And he seemed to be exploiting the fact. Not only was he singing a line or two wherever he went to woo his voters at nukad meetings, his pre-recorded video albums carrying shabads, bhajans and songs playing on the local cable network in the prime time are coming handy. Even more advantageous position for him was the fact that the local channels were toeing the lines drawn by the Akalis. While earlier Hans was sporadically seen on these channels, he has now become a regular face for the past one week. His albums run in continuity on these channels through the mornings and evenings. But his opponents had taken note of it and are demanding action against him. District Congress Committee General Secretary Varinder Sharma termed it as a code violation. “We are planning to lodge a complaint with the Election Commission in this regard,” he said. The Deputy Commission-cum-District Returning Officer Ajeet Singh Pannu reacted by saying only that it was a very peculiar problem. “Hans is not shown canvassing on the channels. It is simply that his existing albums are being played. After all, he is a world-renowned singer. We are still contemplating as to how to go about it,” he said. Congress leader Tejinder Singh Bittu, however, contradicted the DC’s statement as he argued, “What if he is a renowned singer. He is a candidate today and his albums need to be shelved as of now. This clearly is a dummy campaign. The District Returning Officer should take note of it. Such misuse of the electronic channels for promoting the candidate should be stopped with immediate effect and the expenses incurred till date for taking the slots on the channels be added to the SAD candidate’s poll expenditure.” Hans Raj Hans, when contacted, denied that he was carrying out such a campaign on the TV channels. “Had I paid it all, I would have asked the channels to play my cassettes of songs in which I have given a social message or some good Sufi numbers. But it is just contrary to that. My very old albums with songs that I have almost given up singing are being played on these channels. I believe that this is the handiwork of my opponents who are paying up for the slots just to embroil me in the controversy,” he contradicted.
	JD(U) Punjab wants to contest 3 seats Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 31 The Janata Dal (United), Punjab, has urged the party high command to contest at least three Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. A decision to this effect was taken by the political affairs committee of the state unit of the JD (U) at its meeting held in Ludhiana. Partry spokesperson Tejinder Singh Bedi said in a press statement that the committee appealed to the high command to field national general seceretary Javed Raja from the Ludhiana constituency. Javed Raja was also present at the meeting. Talking to mediapersons, Javed Raja said the Janata Dal (U) was a constituent of the NDA. He regretted that during the last assembly elections in Punjab, the national leaders like Sharad Yadav, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and two other xBihar ministers worked for victory of SAD-BJP candidates, but Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had not nominated any JD (U) leaders on the board and corporation although more than two years had passed. In a separate press release, Punjab JD (U) president Inderjit Singh Saini said that some vested interests had made George Fernandes to declare that he would contest the Lok Sabha election from Muzzafarpur as an independent candidate. These people were using Fernandes for their self-interest. Saini appealed to the well-wishers of Fernandes to save him from this unwarranted humiliation at this juncture of his life.
	No Prior Notice Forum tells insurance firm to pay up Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, March 31 Providing relief to Charanjit Kaur, widow of Ajit Singh, and her sons Baljit Singh and Raghubir Singh, all of Mehmoodpur Batala village (Mukerian), the District Consumers Forum has ordered The New India Assurance Company, Hoshiarpur, to pay Rs 9,97,426 towards the Janata Personal Accident Insurance Policy and Rs 1 lakh towards Rasta Apati Kavach along with litigation expenses of Rs 2,000, to the former and her sons within one month. Charanjit Kaur and her sons had filed a complaint under section 12 of the Consumers Protection Act stating that they were the legal heirs of Ajit Singh who died in an accident on August 30, 2006. Ajit Singh had obtained a Janata Personal Accident Insurance Policy on December 2, 1997, for Rs 10 lakh for a period up to December 1, 2012, and the Rasta Apati Kavach policy on June 16, 2001, for Rs 1 lakh for a period up to June 25, 2016. After the death of Ajit Singh, they approached the insurance company for getting the insured sum, but to no avail. The insurance company repudiated their claim on the plea that the insurance policy had been cancelled as per the guidelines of the regional officer and it had refunded the premium amount of Rs 2,574 paid by Ajit Singh through a cheque which had been encashed by the latter. Therefore, the said policy was not live at the time of the death of Ajit Singh. The second policy had covered the risk of road accident only and the complainants had failed to prove that Ajit Singh died in a road accident. The forum, headed by P.D. Goel, observed that as per the guidelines of the insurance company, notice was required to be sent prior to cancellation and in the present case there was no other evidence to prove that a notice was served on Ajit Singh prior to cancellation of the policy. The insurance company had straightaway sent a premium refund voucher of Rs 2,574 to Ajit Singh. Consequently, it was held that the insurance company had not complied with the condition. Since the policy had not been cancelled as per guideline 4, the insurance company could not take any advantage from the premium refund voucher. As regards the Rasta Apati Kavach policy, Charanjit Kaur and her sons had produced sufficient evidence to prove that Ajit Singh died in an accident and due to lack of knowledge, the matter with regard to death of Ajit Singh could not be reported to the police.
	Woman elopes with paramour Tarn Taran, March 31 Rajwinder Kaur (30), a married woman of Sarhali village, 22 km from here, today ran away from her in-law’s house after serving intoxicated milk to her father-in-law. Rajwinder took away Rs 10,000, gold ornament worth Rs 36,000 besides her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and 16-year-old niece. Amarjit Singh, father-in-law of Rajwinder, in his statement to the police alleged that three days back his daughter-in-law served him intoxicated milk while he was going to bed as a results he became unconscious. He said when he got up in the morning he found his daughter-in-law missing with Rs 10,000, gold ornaments worth Rs 36,000 besides his granddaughter and her 16-year-old niece who had come here. Amarjit alleged that Rajwinder run away with her paramour Shinder Singh of Dhotian village who used to come to their house. A case under sections 328, 363, 366 and 380 of the IPC has been registered against Rajwinder and her paramour Shinder Singh last night by the Sarhali police. — OC
	Indian falls victim to hate crime in UK Bipin Bhardwaj/Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 31 Family members of 30-year-old merchant navy officer, who fell a victim to hate crime in the UK on Friday night, are still waiting for the mortal remains of their son. Employed with a Singapore-based company, the young officer, Kunal Mohanty, went to Glasgow on March 2 for his nautical examination in the merchant navy for further promotion. Son of former DIG (BSF) Dr D.K. Mohanty, the officer was stabbed to death by certain assailants in Glasgow in Bedford Street, near Citizen Cinema, where he had gone to have food along with some of his Indian friends. The family came to know about the incident when Dr Mohanty, a resident of Punjab Avenue Colony, here received a call from the British police on Sunday evening regarding the death of his son. The caller, however, did not disclose the cause of Kunal’s death. With a choked voice, Dr Mohanty told The Tribune that he searched the Internet to know about the reasons and more about the death. “I was shocked to know that Kunal died in a stabbing incident in Glasgow on Friday evening. He was out on a walk with three of his friends when he was stabbed. As per news reports on Internet, my son was totally innocent. He was taken to Victoria Hospital for treatment where he died,” lamented the shattered father. Family members said Kunal’s wife is in a family way and is under huge shock and depression since she received the news. Delay in providing accurate information regarding the tragedy has further added to the agony of the family. The family members have been desperately waiting for the mortal remains so that the last rites may be performed soon. The father of the deceased has solely held the British police, which passed on the information after 48 hours of the incident to the parents, responsible for this damage. The family has not been getting accurate information regarding the arrival of the body and is in continuous contact with the Indian Consulate at Birmingham, acting Consul-General, Srinivasan, and Consul P.C. Biswas.