J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Crime
Senior BJP leader shot at, critically wounded
Phagwara, January 15
Two armed motorcyclists shot at and critically wounded senior BJP leader Arun Khosla, ex-councillor, at his office in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar Colony here this evening. Khosla, former vice-president of the Bhartaiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Punjab, was sitting in his office of sand and crusher company when the motorcyclists opened fire on him.

Man killed by daughter-in-law, paramour; 3 held
Amritsar, January 15
The police apprehended three persons, including a woman, for the murder of Ramphera (60), who was killed on the intervening night of January 13 and 14. A resident of Ekta Bhavan Gali in the Putlighar area, the deceased originally hailed from Uttar Pradesh.

5-yr-old rescued from a rickshaw puller
Jalandhar, January 15
The district Police claims to have rescued a Hoshiarpur-based 5-year-old boy within a few hours of his being kidnapped by a rickshaw puller from Jalandhar, yesterday.

Verification drive in border areas
Gurdaspur, January 15
After the recovery of explosives and arrest of two labourers from Dhar Kalan tehsil, the police has intensified its vigil in areas bodering Pakistan. SSP Lok Nath Angra said the police had started an intense verification drive near the Pakistan border to check infiltration.

Gurdaspur tops police districts
Gurdaspur: The district police of Gurdaspur has all the reasons to smile as it has been ranked number one by Punjab DGP, based on several performance indicators. All police districts of the state was monitored for last three months. Gurdaspur topped in tracing murder cases, action taken against proclaimed offenders, recovery of case property in theft cases, seizure of narcotics etc.

Crime
Senior BJP leader shot at, critically wounded
Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, January 15
Two armed motorcyclists shot at and critically wounded senior BJP leader Arun Khosla, ex-councillor, at his office in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar Colony here this evening. Khosla, former vice-president of the Bhartaiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Punjab, was sitting in his office of sand and crusher company when the motorcyclists opened fire on him.

He sustained critical bullet injuries on his mouth, throat, cheeks and back.

He was immediately taken to Gandhi Hospital. Dr Satnam Singh of Gandhi Hospital referred him to the DMC Hospital, Ludhiana, due to his critical condition after giving him first aid.

Hundreds of BJP and BJYM activists gathered at the Gandhi Hospital. Khosla said he tried to nab the assailants, but they kept on firing.

DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh rushed to the spot and sounded an high alert in the area.

Man killed by daughter-in-law, paramour; 3 held

Amritsar, January 15
The police apprehended three persons, including a woman, for the murder of Ramphera (60), who was killed on the intervening night of January 13 and 14. A resident of Ekta Bhavan Gali in the Putlighar area, the deceased originally hailed from Uttar Pradesh.

He was living here along with his son Phool Chand, in a rented accommodation. The accused were identified as Palad Ram, his beloved Madhuri and brother Saj Ram.

Madhuri was married to Phool Chand. However, the fact that she was living with Palad Ram in a separate rented accommodation, infuriated the deceased and his son.

Ramphera’s repeated insistence that Madhuri return home, met with reluctance from his daughter-in-law and her paramour, finally leading to his murder. According to Inspector Davinder Singh, who inspected the spot of murder, Palad Ram, along with his brother Saj Ram and Madhuri, entered the premises of Ramphera’s house in the night. Palad hit Ramphera in the face with a blunt weapon. Subsequently, they threw unconscious Ramphera to the street from the roof. The inspector said Ramphera died on the spot. — TNS

5-yr-old rescued from a rickshaw puller

Jalandhar, January 15
The district Police claims to have rescued a Hoshiarpur-based 5-year-old boy within a few hours of his being kidnapped by a rickshaw puller from Jalandhar, yesterday. A resident of Tanda in Hoshiarpur, the boy Harmandeep Singh, had come to the city with his mother, Tersem Kaur alias Neetu, and maternal grandmother Chander Lekha to pay obeisance at a shrine in Guru Gobind Singh Avenue on the GT Road.

The boy, who was not interested to go in the shrine, was left in the rickshaw by his mother. The women had a shock when they came out of the shrine and found the child and the rickshaw puller, Saravan Singh, a resident of Tajipur in Kapurthala, missing from the area.

SP Jalandhar (City-1) Dr. SK Kalia, while addressing mediapersons, said when a report was lodged with the police late last evening, the police immediately took action and after search and collecting information, recovered the boy from the rickshaw puller’s possession from a house in Kapurthala, late last night.

The kidnapper has been arrested and the reason behind kidnapping is being probed. — TNS

Verification drive in border areas
Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, January 15
After the recovery of explosives and arrest of two labourers from Dhar Kalan tehsil, the police has intensified its vigil in areas bodering Pakistan. SSP Lok Nath Angra said the police had started an intense verification drive near the Pakistan border to check infiltration.

Pathankot, a sensitive area because of its proximity to three neighbouring states and also due to the fact that the Thein dam was located in that tehsil, the police has set up nakas at various places in the town, supervised by senior officials.

The SSP said earlier there was a threat to dams in the region due to which two companies of IRB (Indian Reserve battalion) had been requisitioned. However, the local police has now substituted these companies, he added.

Sources disclosed that the police has ruled out any terrorist link with the arrested labourers, who are being questioned by senior officers. Deputy Commissioner Dr Karamjit Singh Sra issued orders banning the use of boats in the Ranjit Sagar Dam citing security reasons.