The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	First Lohri of 276 newborn girls celebrated Our Correspondents Nawanshahr, January 9 The district-level NGOs coordination committee, UPKAR, which has been mobilising public opinion against sex discrimination and female foeticide, today organised a district-level function at Baradari Garden here to celebrate Lohri of the newborn girls in the district. Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh was the chief guest. He presented gifts to 175 baby girls to mark their first Lohri. Among them, one girl belonged to UK-based NRI Surinder Singh Johal, who has specially come here to celebrate Lohri of his grand-daughter. He also donated Rs 10,000 to the NGO for spearheading its campaign against female foeticide. Besides, NRI couple Milkh Singh and Harjinder Kaur Lail sponsored the gifts. Jaspal Gidda, president of UPKAR, said that within the short span of about four years, the NGO had set some unprecedented trends for launching a crusade against female foeticide. Consequently, the sex ratio in the district had improved considerably. “Presently, the district has 872 girls against 1000 boys in the age group of 0-5 years,” said Gidda. Gurkirat Kirpal Singh while congratulating the parents of the newborn girls, exhorted them to take the drive of bringing in a change in the mindset of the people to their neighbourhood. Though the Department of Health and Family Welfare, under the PNDT Act, has been taking punitive action against the erring scan centres and nursing homes to check female foeticide, it cannot be eliminated unless there is a change in the mindset of the people,” said the DC. TARN TARAN: The Kalpna Chawla Pragatisheel Society organised a function to celebrate Lohri of 101 newborn girls at Government High School, Kallaha, 15 km from here, on Saturday. Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Punjab Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat, was the chief guest and Alwinder Pal Singh Pakhoke, Chairman, Punjab Warehouse Corporation, presided over the function. Brahmpura appreciated the society for organising the function to promote the trend of welcoming the birth of female children. He announced Rs 5 lakh for the construction of the boundary wall of the school and Rs 51,000 for the society. Parminder Singh, president of the society, presented a vote of thanks and highlighted the activities of the society.
	Wife fails to attend Tariq’s last rites in Pak Our Correspondent Phagwara, January 9 She is a Hindu Brahmin. He a Pakistani Muslim. They met, fell in love and married in the UAE. As if this wasn’t enough to celebrate, the parents too stepped in to be part of the party. Priyanka and Tariq were supposed to get married all over again in Hindu style yesterday. Blame it on God, destiny or technology-gone-awry, a suffocated Tariq (courtesy a hot-water bath through a gas geyser) collapsed in the bathroom and died. The wedding-cum-reception party hosted by UK-based Phagwara resident Surinder Mohan Sharma in honour of his newly-married daughter and her UAE-based husband Mohammad Tariq Hussain, scheduled to be organised near their local Urban Estate residence, turned into a condolence gathering. What’s sadder? The boundaries stepped in again and didn’t even let Priyanka attend the last rites of her husband at his village in Pakistan. Priyanka had also changed her name to Sanha (Muslim name) after her marriage to Tariq in the UAE on April 14, 2009. Surinder Mohan Sharma said he had been residing in the UK for the past five years and had approved the wish of his daughter and had fixed this trip to India only to participate in the wedding. Balwinder, an uncle of Priyanka, said his niece had even sacrificed her religion for her love and accepted Islam when the couple got married in the UAE and also had a court marriage. Sharma said the couple arrived in Phagwara on December 29 and first a jago was fixed for January 7, one day before the wedding ceremony. Tariq also celebrated New Year Eve with great enthusiasm, the festivities continued till the morning of January 1, but no one knew death was knocking at the door. Sharma said both families were happy and the family members of the groom were also expected to participate in the reception. He said Priyanka wanted to go to Pakistan along with the body of her husband, but was denied visa and she could not attend the last rites of Tariq held in his native village Baramwala in Ladhran district in Pakistan. Many Phagwara residents went to the Wagah border to hand over the body of Tariq to his brother on Monday. Sharma said though both were married and the name of Tariq was added to Priyanka’s passport, but her name could not be entered in the Pakistani passport of Tariq. Sharma said Priyanka wanted to go to Pakistan but Tariq wanted to come to India first and she agreed to his proposal. Though boundaries could not create hindrances for them, destiny had something else in store.
	Ex-sarpanch shot Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, January 9 Gursahib Singh (38), former sarpanch and a SAD leader, was shot dead, while Dilbag Singh, his associate, was injured at Shahid village, 30 km from here, late last evening. Harpal Singh and Ajaypal Singh, both brothers of the same village, have been booked under sections 302, 303, 427 and 34 of the IPC and sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act for the crime. According to information here today, Gursahib Singh, whose mother is the sarpanch of the village, was sitting in the house of Dilbag Singh. Harpal Singh and Ajaypal Singh started damaging the car of Gursahib parked outside the house of Dilbag. When Gursahib tried to stop them, the accused opened fire at him and the bullets struck him in the head and stomach, killing him. Dilbag was also injured. The SSP, Sukhdev Singh Brar, said Harpal Singh, who was a panch, had been trying to be the sarpanch of the village. Being the son of the sarpanch, Gursahib became his enemy. The SSP said raids were being conducted to nab the accused, who fled from the spot. 8 booked for demanding dowry Tarn Taran: Eight members, including three women, of a family have been booked under sections 498A, 506 and 406 of the IPC by the city police for demanding dowry and torturing a married girl. According to information, the accused have been identified as Varinder Singh, his father Jugraj Singh, mother Amarjit Kaur, brother Jatinder Singh and his wife Kawaljit Kaur, grandmother Balbir Kaur, Gurnam Singh and Sawinder Singh. The victim, Gurwinder Kaur (22), in her complaint alleged that her husband Varinder Singh and the other accused started harassing her soon after her marriage and the accused kicked her out of the house after torturing her. Gurwinder is the daughter of Piara Singh of the local Guru Teg Bahadur Colony and was married to Varinder of Dhallake (Moga) on August 7, 2007. The SSP, S.S. Brar, said police parties had been dispatched to nab the accused. Goods worth Rs 4 lakh stolen Amritsar: Taking advantage of dense fog, three cases of theft were reported last night and identity of the culprits has not been ascertained as yet while the cases have been registered under relevant sections of the IPC. In the first attempt committed at the State Bank of India branch on 100-Foot Road unidentified persons entered the premises through air-conditioner ducts. According to information received here, the thieves decamped with computer LCD screens and two printers. However, they also tried to break open the strongroom but could not do so. SSP P.K. Rai said the crime was apparently committed after 3.30 am as the security persons of the bank remain there till that time. The theft was well planned. The thieves changed the direction of the cameras installed in the bank before committing the crime. A case under the relevant sections had been registered and further investigation was on. In another incident on Majitha Road some unidentified persons broke into a jewellery shop and decamped with jewellery items estimated to be worth Rs 90,000. The accused cut the gate locks with the help of a gas cutter and gained entry into the shop. The police has recovered the vehicle and gas cutter found abandoned in the Maqboolpura area. Later it was found that the vehicle used in the crime was also a stolen one. Meanwhile, another theft case has come to light on Tarn Taran Road where the thieves gained entry into a glass selling shop by breaking the wall and decamped with costly glass pieces, a computer and scrap. The total loss as reported to the police has been mentioned worth over Rs 3 lakh. Police officials said that in this case the thieves could not break upon the dual locks of the shop, therefore, they chose to break the wall from the adjoining vacant plot to gain entry into the shop. Rs 1.6 lakh looted from villager Batala: An amount of Rs 1.6 lakh was looted from a villager by causing him injuries with sharp-edged weapons on Friday night. Former agricultural inspector Kulwant Singh of Bahadur Hussain Kalan village, 12 km from here, was possessing this amount after selling his land. Miscreants entered his house by breaking open the door on Friday night and demanded the money. On refusal he was attacked and injured with sharp-edged weapons. The miscreants then decamped with the money. The matter was reported to the police but no case was registered till today.
	Body of Bhag Singh finally buried Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 9 The body of 85-year-old Bhag Singh, who died on December 26, 2009 at Kalra village, was finally buried yesterday. The family members of Bhag Singh were not holding his funeral as he had assured them before dying that he would come back to life exactly after 40 days of his death. A police team along with medical experts from the Primary Health Centre, Adampur, yesterday reached the house where the body of Bhag Singh was kept and directed the family members to bury the body after the team of doctors declared him dead. The team of police also warned them of dire consequences as family was still reluctant to bury the body. Doctors found that body was fully decomposed and emitting foul smell. Earlier, sons of Bhag Singh were of the view that their father was not dead but in a “samadhi”. “Before going into ‘samadhi’ our father told us that we should not cremate his body as he will return to life after 40 days,” said Bhajan Singh, one of the deceased’s three sons.
	Sugarfed chief cremated Pathankot, January 9 Senior SAD leader and Chairman of Sugarfed Pritam Singh Kaunta (67) was cremated at his native Kaunta village,44 km from here, today. Kaunta had been sick for the last 15 days and was under treatment at Tagore Hospital, Jalandhar. After his condition deteriorated yesterday, he was being shifted to the DMC, Ludhiana, but he died on the way. His body was brought to Kaunta village late last night and cremated today.
	Woman, beggar die of cold Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 9 The intense cold wave in the region claimed the life of a 55-year-old woman, Mohinder Kaur, resident of Chak Bala village, under Ajnala police station, here last night. The police initiated the action under section 174 of the CrPC, while the body was handed over to the family after conducting post-mortem examination at the Civil Hospital in Ajnala. The police authorities said Ranjit Kaur, daughter of the deceased, told the police that Mahinder Kaur died due to severe cold conditions. Phagwara: An unidentified beggar (27) died due to severe cold on a platform at Phagwara railway station yesterday. The GRP has sent the body to the local Civil Hospital for a post-marterm examination.