Jalandhar, May 19
Ignoring the court directions, the Jalandhar (Rural) police made a dowry victim to sit in Lambra police station, near here, for more than five hours yesterday. The victim, Naresh Rani, was accompanied by a municipal councillor and some other prominent persons.

Naresh Rani was allegedly thrown out of their house by her in-laws at Tahpura village for not meeting their demand for dowry. Rani had filed a case against her in-laws under section 12 of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, and was provided relief by a city court.

The court had directed the woman’s in-laws to provide her shelter by giving her a room in the house.

In her application, Naresh Rani had complained that she was tortured and thrown out of the house by her father-in-law Sardhu Ram, his wife Mindo, their elder son Ashok Kumar and his wife Madhu.

After hearing the two sides, the judge had observed that it was the duty of the in-laws to take care of the woman.

In defence the in-laws filed an appeal in the sessions court which was turned down by the judge.

Seeking compliance of the orders, Naresh Rani, wife of Hussan Lal, along with her brother Vijay Kumar, met SSP (Rural) Ashish Chaudhary yesterday morning. Ensuring compliance of the orders the SSP directed the SHO of Lambra police station to act accordingly.

Accompanied by her relatives and area municipal councillor H.R. Rana, the victim and her brother reached the police station but SHO Gulshan Lal made them sit for long hours and later told them that the judge had asked both the parties to appear in the lower court on May 15 (The SHO even did not realise that May 15 had already elapsed). “If the lower court allows her to stay in her in-laws’ house, we will definitely comply with the orders,” he added.

Jalandhar, May 19
It is celebration time for Harleen Kaur, a student of the medical stream of Lawrence International School here, who has topped the city in the CBSE plus two examination, the results of which were declared today.

Daughter of a section engineer (civil) of the Railways, Harleen has secured 96.2 per cent marks - 99 in biology, 97 in English and 95 each in physics, chemistry and physical education. The girl aims at pursuing MBBS from the AIIMS and subsequently appear for the civil services examination.

Her father Pal Singh beamed, “My daughter has always performed beyond our expectations. She has always stood first in the school from class VI onwards. She has done it again at the district level now.”

Shivangi of Police DAV Public School too has secured top rank among the city students of the commerce stream. She has secured an aggregate of 95.4 per cent. A student of Dayanand Model School, Navdeep Singh, is among the top rank holders of the non-medical stream. He has scored 94.6 per cent. Among the students of humanities, Aatma Singh of MGN Public School has a scored 91.2 per cent marks.

Tarn Taran, May 19
Ruling SAD leader Kuldeep Singh Aulakh and two others were booked in a six-month-old rape case by the Goindwal Sahib police today.

Police sources said besides Aulakh, two brothers Kuldip Singh and Amrik Singh of the Goindwal Sahib township had been identified as the alleged accused in the case. A case under sections 376, 451, 366, 511, 506 and 34 of IPC and sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered.

The victim, a 21-year-old girl of the same township, in her statement said she was raped about six months back by the three accused at an abandoned palatial house in the township.

The girl said Amrik Singh had taken her there to pay obeisance at a gurdwara, but he took her to a residence where the other accused, Kuldeep Singh and SAD leader Kuldeep Singh Aulakh, were present. She was raped on pistol point and after raping her the accused threatened her of dire consequences if she disclosed the matter to anybody.

The victim said Kuldeep Singh and his brother Amrik Singh came to her farm-house two days back and tried to lure her to come with them again. When she refused to go with them, they attacked her paternal uncle with a sharp-edged weapon injuring him badly.

SSP Preetpal Singh Virk, when contacted said a special investigation team (SIT) was formed to investigate the allegations levelled by the girl and after collecting relevant evidences further action would be initiated.

Jalandhar, May 19
Coming to the rescue of a Bholath woman who was allegedly molested and thrashed by an Akali worker, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira today alleged that the district police was working under the influence of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Addressing mediapersons, Khaira alleged that the district police had not been acting on the reports of its own officer who recommended the addition of sections 376 and 511 of the IPC in the existing sections against the suspect, Jarnail Singh, an Akali worker.

Jarnail Singh, a resident of Bholath, was allegedly booked in a case of attempt to rape on the wife of Jagtar Singh, an Army personnel posted in Jammu and Kashmir, in January.

He said Bholath DSP Mohinder Singh gave a clean chit to the suspect. Dissatisfied with the police, the victim approached the DIG, Jalandhar, who marked the inquiry to the SP (D), Jalandhar.

After investigations, the SP (D) recommended the addition of offences under sections 376 and 511 of the IPC and arrest of the accused.

He alleged that the accused, supported by Bibi Jagir Kaur, pressurised the police through Sukhbir Badal, who again directed the DIG, Jalandhar, to get an inquiry conducted by the same SP (D).

Despite political pressure, the SP (D) stuck to his original inquiry report.

To settle scores with the victim and to pressurise her to reach a compromise, a false case was registered against the victim’s relative, Sub-Inspector Mann Singh of Akala village, while he was asleep in his house.

The inquiry report of the SP (D), Jalandhar, is being purposely kept under wraps by the Bholath police to protect the accused, although the police has formally added sections 376 and 511 to the case. Though the accused is a government employee and is freely roaming about in the village, the police does not have the courage to arrest him.

The Bholath MLA has appealed to the Chief Justice of High Court to intervene in the matter, besides demanding immediate suspension of the DSP and the SHO of Bholath for shielding the suspect.

Nawanshahr, May 19
At last, after a week-long strike by the Bar Association over the alleged misbehaviour with an advocate by the SDM, Balachaur, and virtually “hide and seek” played by the SDM over the demand of tendering an apology raised by the Bar Association, the row came to an end today.

The Balachaur Bar Association called off its strike after the SDM, Balachaur, Pardeep Aggarwal, attended the meeting convened for resolving the issue at Balachaur this morning. The Balachaur Bar Association as well as the District Bar Association today passed separate resolutions regarding calling off the strike as the SDM had described the incident as unfortunate.

Mehnga Singh Banwait, Rajinder Singh, president and secretary, respectively, of the District Bar Association, Daulat Singh, president, Balachaur Bar Association, and Amrik Singh, member, Punjab and Haryana Bar Council, thanked Partap Singh and Harpreet Singh Brar, Chairman and member, respectively of the Punjab and Haryana Bar Council, and Bar associations of different districts for extending cooperation in the agitation.

Jalandhar, May 19
The Revenue Patwar Union, Punjab, has decided to stage district-level dharnas in support of their long-pending demands on Friday.

The decision of staging dharna was taken at a meeting held under the presidency of the chief of the Jalandhar unit of the union, Dalbir Singh Dhanju. In a press note issued here today, a representative of the union, Kamal Sharma, stated that the patwaris would stage district-level dharna on May 21.

Meanwhile, The Revenue Kanungoes Association has decided to support patwaris in their dharna on Friday. The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the association presided over by its state president Gurdip Singh Kuka here today.