Moga, September 27
A drug addict has allegedly killed his wife with a sharp-edged weapon over a family dispute at Saide Shah Wala village in the Moga district, late on Sunday night.

The police after registering a criminal case under section 302 of the IPC has arrested the culprit and also recovered the sharp-edged weapon that he used to kill his wife.

As per the details available from the local people, the arrested man Resham Singh had got married to Baljinder Kaur about eight years back.

“His financial condition was very poor. Besides, he had developed extra-marital relations with another woman of the same village whom he was providing with financial help. The accused did not have smooth relations with his wife and often had a dispute with her as she had been asking him to give up his relationship with that woman,” said the accused’s associates.

Last night, Resham Singh, under the influence of drugs, allegedly beat up his wife and suddenly took out a sharp-edged weapon and killed her on the spot.

After committing the crime, he raised an alarm that some miscreants had attacked his house. However, the local people alleged that Resham Singh was trying to mislead them by giving an impression that the miscreants had killed his wife.

When the police reached the spot and inquired into the incident, the truth came out after which, he was taken into custody. During preliminary investigations, he also handed over the weapon that he used to kill his wife.

The body was handed over to the family members of the deceased after conducting a post-mortem in the afternoon.

Abohar, September 27
Scores of farmers staged dharna and shouted slogans against the Market Committee officials as the latter showed reluctance in initiating action against the local traders, who had resolved to boycott purchase of the raw cotton today.

As per the information, the local traders had boycotted the purchase to express resentment over entry of the mega cotton unit buyers from other towns. The purchasers from other towns offered price ranging Rs 3800-3900, which the local traders did not consider to be suitable.

The Arhtia Association too resented the attitude of the local traders. The authorities later managed to resume the auction of the raw cotton confirming that arrivals today had exceeded 4,000 quintals.

Speaking to the media, Sukhminder Singh, district secretary of the Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan, said exploitation of the farming community continued unabated notwithstanding the claims made by the state government. The farmers had started stacking paddy after cleaning and drying the new yield since September 24 but none of the government purchase agencies or traders had so far turned up to start the purchase. More than 1,500 quintals of paddy was lying unattended and the growers had sleepless nights to take care of it, he said.

Raising another issue, he alleged that more than 8,000 bags of DAP fertilisers had been received by the traders in the sub-division from a private manufacturing unit.

A random check outside village Gumjal indicated that the bags were underweight. An official of the agriculture department posted at Khuyiansarwar block confirmed it during the physical checking and had sealed 167 bags but further proceedings were awaited.

The BKU leaders alleged that some factory owners were indulging in underhand deals in cotton to evade payment of taxes. This had already been reported to the authorities concerned. 

Sriganganagar, Sept 27
Even as the close associates of yoga guru Baba Ramdev remained tightlipped over it, people by and large believed that the Bharat Swabhiman Andolan Yatra in Rajasthan was planned in such a way that it virtually chased the route fixed much earlier for the Queen’s Baton Relay-2010, sources said.

Baba Ramdev had recently kickstarted the yatra to the West Rajasthan deserts after seeking blessings from Dadi Janki, 94-year-old chief of Brahmakumaris organisation, at Mount Abu.

Thousands of men and women thronged the huge complex at Suratgarh last night as well as Hanumangarh to greet and listen to him. The yoga guru said, “The upcoming general election would be a turning point when all the corrupt politicians will be wiped out, if once the Bharat Swabhiman Andolan comes to power.”

He further said, “One of the main objectives of the movement is to eradicate corruption and to bring back 
more than Rs 300 lakh crore of black money from abroad for the country’s development.” “I have offered solutions to many health problems. Now, I want to purify the political system that prevails in India,” added Baba Randev.

Speaking on the Kashmir issue, he said wrong strategy and corruption had worsened the situation in the Valley. About the Naxal issue, he again blamed the Centre for its ‘failure’ to protect the rights of the tribal people, which is the main cause behind the uprising.

He expressed displeasure over the welcome being accorded to the Queen’s Baton relay describing it as a sign of mental slavery that haunted our minds even six decades after independence. 

Fazilka, September 27
In view of the approaching festival season, the officials of the excise and sales tax department of Punjab have been directed not to harass the traders during the coming festival season.

The officials will have to seek prior permission from the officials at least of the rank of the assistant excise and taxation commissioner before checking the stocks of the traders lying in the shop or during the transportation on the pretext of evasion of sales tax.

This was disclosed by Madan Lal Kapoor, chairman, Small Traders’ Board, Punjab and president, Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, who has been holding the charge of excise and taxation department, while talking to the media at the business establishment of the Beopar Mandal Fazilka unit president Ashok Gulbadhar.

The Beopar Mandal chief said a state-level meeting of traders would be held on October 7 at the Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh to discuss their problems, in which, the financial commissioner (Excise) would also participate.

He said the Punjab Beopar Mandal has prepared a charter of demands, which would be presented at the meeting.

The major demands of traders included exemption in issuing bills up to Rs 500, abrogation of sales tax on pulses, marble, oil cake and entry tax on sugar.

He has claimed that while conceding the demand of the traders, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has reduced market fee and Rural Development Fund (RFDF) on cotton from two per cent to one per cent.

The Beopar Mandal president disclosed that a state-level meeting of the coordination committee of the income tax department would be held at Fazilka on October 29.