Nawanshahr, December 15
A case of “honour killing” was reported at Musapur village in the district on Tuesday, where Sukhdeep Singh (21) murdered her sister Rupinder Kaur (22) who had been living in the same village after solemnising inter-caste court marriage about four years ago.

Raj Rani, mother-in-law of Rupinder Kaur, in her statement, said that in a frenzy, Sukhdeep holding a sword in his hand entered her residence in broad daylight and started attacking his sister with the sword. She tried to push him away and raised 
the alarm, but he continued to attack his sister.

After killing his sister, he bolted the door of the room from inside. When asked about the reason behind the incident, she said that her son and daughter-in-law had been living happily for the past four years. Though both of them had solemnised court marriage, the mother of Rupinder Kaur had given her consent and there was absolutly no problem till now, said Raj Rani while expressing surpise over the frenzied behaviour of the brother of her daughter-in-law.

Banga Sadar SHO Swaran Singh Bal said the police had arrested accused Sukhdeep Singh along with the sword used in the crime and registered a case under section 302, IPC, against him on the basis of the statement of Raj Rani.

Amritsar, December 15
A drama was witnessed at the Durgiana cremation ground here today over the cremation of a 25-year-old youth, which had to be stalled midway because of an apparent family feud.

This was done on the behest of the wife of the deceased, who smelt some foul play in the cause of his husband’s death, and the half-burnt body was taken out of the burning pyre.

Police officials said, “We had to stop the cremation proceedings in the middle on the instance of Rajni Mahajan, the wife of the deceased, only. She complained of a conspiracy by her in-laws and asked us to intervene in the matter.”

According to police sources, both husband and wife did not have cordial relations with the father of the deceased, Sham Sunder Mahajan.

Meanwhile, Rajni in her recorded statement to the SDM and police, said she went to her parents’ house in the Gopal Nagar area with the consent of her husband Saurabh. However, she was informed about her husband consuming poison and being admitted to a private hospital in the Putlighar area. Later, she said, she got information about the demise of her husband.

Suspecting some foul play, she asked for the conducting of post-mortem examination of her husband and the police had to get the cremation process stopped midway. She also lodged a complaint against her in-laws.

The police said after dousing the flames of the pyre, the half-burnt body had to be extracted from the pyre and the body was sent for post-mortem examination. Further action would be taken after the post-mortem report.

Jalandhar, December 15
A police party from Hardwar in Uttaranchal conducted raids on the houses of three city-based persons who were named by Ashwani Jerath in his suicide note, here today.

A resident of Shakti Nagar, Jerath had committed suicide by jumping into the Ganga in Hardwar on November 7.

Noori Jerath, wife of the deceased, received a courier from Roorkee some days ago. The family was shocked to find a suicide note of Ashwani Jerath in the packet. The family then approached the Hardwar police and a case was registered against three persons named in the suicide note.

In the note, Jerath has mentioned that he was disturbed after pledging his entire property with three persons, Pankaj, Jony and Masterji.

The police failed to nab the suspects today as they had gone underground after receiving information regarding raids by the Uttaranchal police.— TNS

Hoshiarpur, December 15
Residents and NGOs of historic town of Dasuya in Hoshiarpur district and its surrounding areas, including the backward belt of Kandi, have made repeated representations to the railway authorities and the Railways Minister to allow halt of the 2471/72 Mail Express train at Dasuya railway station and start of a new passenger train between Jalandhar and Pathankot, but their requests have fallen on deaf ears.

Advocate B.M. Rishi, social activist Tulsi Dass Jagga, PPCC secretary Vipan Ghambir and0 ex-President of the Rotary Club Dasuya Devinder Kaur said that Dasuya was a historical place and once used to be called Virat Nagri. The Pandavas spent their last years of exile there. Keeping in view its historic background, Union Minister for Tourism Ambika Soni had provided a grant of Rs 1.06 crore for the renovation and development of the sarovar and a temple for making it a tourist spot. An ancient gurdwara and a sarovar of the period of Guru Hargobind is also located at Garna Sahib adjoining to the town where hundreds of persons from all over the country came to pay their obeisance.

They urged Mamta Banerjee to allow halt of 2471/72 Mail Express train at Dasuya railway station and start a new passenger train between Jalandhar and Pathankot for the benefit of the passengers.