The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

HIMACHAL

REGIONAL BRIEFS

NATION

OPINIONS

LETTERS

BUSINESS

SPORTS

WORLD

SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI

J A L A N D H A R E D I T I O N

Thrashing of labourers, misbehaving with local leader
‘Guilty’ cops made to apologise after protests rock Balachaur
Nawanshahr, January 6
Irate residents of Balachaur gheraoed the Balachaur police station and set tyres on fire at a chowk last evening to protest against the alleged beating and rounding up of some labourers without any reason by the cops in an inebriated condition.

Cattle thief let off by cops, arrested
Phagwara, January 6
A thief, caught by a dairy owner while trying to steal cattle from a dairy at Hargobind Nagar and handed over to the police, succeeded in getting released from the police custody on Monday night.

Widow wins insurance claim fight
Hoshiarpur, January 6
Providing relief to a widow, the District Consumer Forum, Hoshiarpur, has ordered Bajaj Alliance Life Insurance Company Limited (BALICL) to pay her Rs 1.5 lakh along with litigation expenses of Rs 1,000 within a month.

Rs 3-crore facelift plan for Dinanagar bus stand
Pathankot, January 6
The bus stand at Dinanagar, about 30 km from here on the Jammu-Pathankot-Amritsar National Highway, would get a facelift with the investment of Rs 3 crore. Punjab Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal, talking to The Tribune here today, said the step was taken as he found the condition of the bus stand pathetic.

EARLIER STORIES

	Plan to insure NREGA workers: DC January 6, 2010
	BBMB Executive Engineer booked for abetment to suicide January 5, 2010
	Fog: Four killed, 8 hurt in accident January 4, 2010
	China refuses to budge on visa issue January 3, 2010
	More weapons in armoury soon January 2, 2010
	No flip-flop on Telangana: Chidambaram January 1, 2010
	Kannada film icon Vishnuvardhan dead December 31, 2009
	Young-looking BJP hopes to revive fortunes December 30, 2009
	Gadkari: JMM-BJP’s to be progressive govt in J’khand December 29, 2009
	Pro-Telangana forces to use pressure tactics December 28, 2009
	KCR gives ultimatum to Centre December 27, 2009
	AP Guv in ‘sex row’ December 26, 2009
	Performance to matter: Gadkari December 25, 2009

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Cool drive

Women take full protection against cold as they ride a scooter on a chilly day, in Amritsar on Wednesday. — PTI

Pregnant woman taken to ‘quack’, child dies
Jalandhar, January 6
Taking an expectant mother to a ‘quack’ midwife, who claimed to be a qualified auxiliary nurse, costs the life of the male child, who died even before the delivery. According to Sukhjinder, who belonged to Mana Talwnadi village, his wife Amandeep Kaur was rushed to a midwife of Ramngarh village after she had labour pains at about 8.15 pm on Tuesday.

Cold wave claims life in city
Jalandhar, January 6
Cold wave claimed a life in the city. This is the first death due to adverse weather conditions in the season. A migrant labour, Harmesh (55), died in the Jaswant Nagar area this morning. The SHO, Division No 7 police station, Kulwinder Singh, said Harmesh had been residing in a jhuggi along with his family on the Garha road for the past couple of years.

Pensioners demand additional DA
Jalandhar, January 6
Keeping in mind the steep hike in the prices of essential commodities, the All-India Central Government Pensioners Association (AICGPA) requested the UPA government to release an additional dearness relief instalment to the tune of 8 per cent of basic pay and pension for its employees and pensioners with effect from January 2010.

Batala police goes hi-tech
Launches website and SMS facility to extend its reach
Batala, January 6
Following the path of modernisation, the Batala Police started its website and SMS facility to extend its reach in the town. Talking to mediapersons here today, Batala SSP Dinesh Partap Singh said these initiatives had been taken for the redressal of public grievances.

	Thrashing of labourers, misbehaving with local leader ‘Guilty’ cops made to apologise after protests rock Balachaur Our Correspondent Nawanshahr, January 6 Irate residents of Balachaur gheraoed the Balachaur police station and set tyres on fire at a chowk last evening to protest against the alleged beating and rounding up of some labourers without any reason by the cops in an inebriated condition. The cops at the police station even allegedly misbehaved with a local leader and a relative of a victim, consequently aggravating the situation. As the situation was becoming tense, the DSP Balachaur, Jagmohan Singh, DSP, Nawanshahr, Satpal Singh Bhangu, and SHOs of a number of police stations in the district along with police parties were rushed to Balachaur police station. At last, the tension was defused with the intervention of the DSP, Balachaur, Jagmohan Singh, that too, after the tendering of an apology publicly by the cops, who allegedly misbehaved, from a local leader, Parminder Menaka. A labourer, Balbir Singh, and a tractor-trailer driver Jagtar Singh said the policemen came at the Dana Mandi and started misbehaving and beating them without any reason. The police even rounded up about six-seven persons and took them to the police station. When, some local leaders, including Parminder Menaka, reached the police station to inquire about the police action, the police allegedly misbehaved with them. Ranjit Kaur, a relative of Jagtar Singh, also accused the police of misbehaviour. “The police has beaten up Jagtar Singh and even taken away his mobile phone,” she alleged, while adding that Jagtar Singh was admitted to the Balachaur Civil Hospital. Jagmohan Singh, when contacted, while denying the occurrence of any incident of beating, said some misconception had arisen between two parties and that was resolved to the satisfaction of both the parties. When his attention was drawn towards the fact that one of the victim had been admitted to the Civil Hospital, the DSP said the police had not received any complaint or MLR in this connection so far. The police would take action as per the law, if a complaint was received, he added.
	Cattle thief let off by cops, arrested Our Correspondent Phagwara, January 6 A thief, caught by a dairy owner while trying to steal cattle from a dairy at Hargobind Nagar and handed over to the police, succeeded in getting released from the police custody on Monday night. According to information, the thief when tried to take away a cow from the dairy, his mobile phone rang up. The dairy owner woke up after hearing the mobile phone ring and he and his other family members nabbed the thief, seized his cycle and handed him over to the city police. Interestingly, the thief came to the dairy owner the next day and asked him to return his cycle as police has released him. Residents met DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh and told him about the irresponsible behaviour of the policemen in releasing the thief. The DSP told mediapersons in the evening that the thief was again arrested under sections 380 and 511 of the IPC. He said the irresponsible behaviour of the policemen would also be investigated and the guilty would be punished.
	Widow wins insurance claim fight Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, January 6 Providing relief to a widow, the District Consumer Forum, Hoshiarpur, has ordered Bajaj Alliance Life Insurance Company Limited (BALICL) to pay her Rs 1.5 lakh along with litigation expenses of Rs 1,000 within a month. In her complaint filed before the forum, Kavita of Ward 3, Dasuya, said her husband Suresh Kumar purchased invest grain-platinum insurance policy from the BALICL for Rs 1.5 lakh, which commenced from September 27, 2006 and was valid for 30 years. Her husband could not deposit second instalment due on September 29, 2007 amounting to Rs 6,649, however, she deposited the said money on May 31, 2008 along with the interest, after which the policy was revived. Unfortunately, Suresh Kumar died on August 5, 2008. When she filed a claim, the insurance company instead of giving all the benefits, sent a letter to her in which it was stated that the policy lapsed on September 27, 2007. The insurance company returned the cheque with which the insurance policy of Suresh Kumar was renewed. The authorities of the insurance company raised the defence that Suresh Kumar had not complied with the terms and conditions of the policy at the time of reinstatement of the insurance policy, which had lapsed on account of non-payment of insurance premium. At the time of depositing second policy i.e. after the grace period of 30 days, Suresh Kumar did not produce a declaration of good health which as per the terms and conditions of the policy was mandatory and the amount deposited was kept in suspense account and was not adjusted in the policy account. The company had not sent any communication regarding reinstatement of policy to Suresh Kumar. The status of the policy remained as lapsed on the date of death of Suresh Kumar and the death claim was rejected as non admissible. The consumer forum held that the offer to pay the premium through cheque was made on May 31, 2008 to the insurance policy. Admittedly, the said cheque was received by the insurance company without any protest, therefore, it amounts to unconditional acceptance of the premium on the part of the opposite party, therefore, in view of the provisions of section 64 VB of the Insurance Act, 1938, the contract is complete, thus the insurance company is not at liberty to say that the policy was in lapsed condition on the date of death of the policyholder.
	Rs 3-crore facelift plan for Dinanagar bus stand Bharat Bhushan Dogra Pathankot, January 6 The bus stand at Dinanagar, about 30 km from here on the Jammu-Pathankot-Amritsar National Highway, would get a facelift with the investment of Rs 3 crore. Punjab Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal, talking to The Tribune here today, said the step was taken as he found the condition of the bus stand pathetic. According to the minister, the bus stand had neither space for more than three buses at a time nor basic amenities for passengers. Long route buses hardly enter the bus stand to avoid congestion. The minister said he had offered a comprehensive plan to the authorities of the Dinanagar Municipal Council for the conversion of the present bus stand to a full-fledged bus terminal to be named after Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He said he had met council president Vijay Mahajan and other authorities to have a detailed discussion on the proposal. Since the land on which the bus stand is located belonged to the council, it had become necessary that the land was transferred to the Transport Department before the project is taken, Lal added. He further said if the land of the bus stand was transferred to the department, he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister for the purchase of more land adjoining the existing bus stand so that a more spacious and good looking bus stand on the design pattern of Amritsar or Jalandhar bus stand could be built. He said he was keen to bring Dinanagar bus stand on the nationwide roadmap as the town falls on the roadside of Amritsar-Jammu national highway, as both Amritsar and Jammu have their historical significance with Sri Harimandir Saheb and Vaishno Devi Shrine, respectively, where devotees in lakhs come from across the country to pay obeisance every year. Besides the people willing to spend holidays in the summers in Himachal Pradesh had to take the route passing through Dinanagar, which enhances the importance of this town following which a facelift becomes necessary for the bus stand of the town, the minister added.
	Pregnant woman taken to ‘quack’, child dies Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 6 Taking an expectant mother to a ‘quack’ midwife, who claimed to be a qualified auxiliary nurse, costs the life of the male child, who died even before the delivery. According to Sukhjinder, who belonged to Mana Talwnadi village, his wife Amandeep Kaur was rushed to a midwife of Ramngarh village after she had labour pains at about 8.15 pm on Tuesday. The midwife assured them that the baby would be delivered within two hours. But, the condition of the Amandeep deteriorated and the midwife expressed helplessness to do anything further, forcing the relatives of Amandeep to rush her to the Civil Hospital, Kapurthala, at 4 am today. Ironically, the staff at the hospital told Sukhjinder that they couldn’t do anything in this matter since a gynaecologist had to be summoned from Jalandhar, which was not possible at that hour, he said. Following this, the patient was rushed to a private maternity home in Kapurthala where the doctors delivered the dead male child and informed the family members that the condition of the patient was serious. Sukhjinder said they met the SSP of Kapurthala who ordered an inquiry into the matter.
	Cold wave claims life in city Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 6 Cold wave claimed a life in the city. This is the first death due to adverse weather conditions in the season. A migrant labour, Harmesh (55), died in the Jaswant Nagar area this morning. The SHO, Division No 7 police station, Kulwinder Singh, said Harmesh had been residing in a jhuggi along with his family on the Garha road for the past couple of years. He went to a gurdwara in the Jaswant Nagar locality to have tea, but collapsed while on his way back to his jhuggi. The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem examination at the Civil Hospital this evening.