Jalandhar, November 24
Employees of the Jalandhar All-India Radio (AIR) under the National Federation of Akashvani and Doordarshan Employees (NFADE) burnt an effigy of Prasar Bharti and demanded the repeal of the Prasar Bharti Act-1990 here today. The employees shouted slogans against the “mess created in Prasar Bharti over the last 13 years”.

All channels of the Jalandhar AIR today remained off air for the second consecutive day. The AIR will resume services from 9 am tomorrow.

The NFADE members said they should be brought directly under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as government employees and the Prasar Bharti Act-1990 should be repealed.

Unit secretary, NFADE, Pardeep Kumar said the nationwide protests were being held to press the Union Government to consider their point. “Prasar Bharti has failed miserably in protecting the interests of its employees across the country. There is no promotion policy and our future is at stake,” he added.

The employees also highlighted that owing to poor policies of Prasar Bharti they could not get promotions. “Had we got timely promoted many of us would have retired as Directors, AIR. We have been facing complete stagnation for the past many years and want to get rid of the Prasar Bharti Act,” the employees said.

The boycott completely disrupted the broadcast of regional news and national news, daily composite programmes, direct broadcast of shabad kirtan from Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, and other live programmes of the FM Rainbow channel.

The direct broadcast of shabad kirtan from Sri Dukh Niwaran Sahib, Patiala, on the occasion of Shaheedi Divas of Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib was also affected.

And no fresh recordings were done in the studios during these two days.

Meanwhile, the coverage of the ongoing Asian Games-2010, being held in China, and the 41st International Film Festival of India, being held in Panaji, Goa, were also affected. The NFADE would observe the second phase of strike for 72 hours from December 13 to 16. “We would also hold an indefinite strike in the coming days and urge the government to accept our genuine demands,” they maintained.

Kartarpur, November 24
Agitated over the police failure to nab the six youths who assaulted a boy at a welding shop in the local market on Monday, residents of Kartarpur today staged a protest to demand arrest of five others.

Shopkeepers shut their shops in the morning and raised slogans against the police to take stern action in this case. The locals maintained that the culprits should be nabbed at the earliest as it had led to a widespread fear among the shopkeepers in the market. The shops remained closed till 11 am.

Investigating Officer Davinder Singh said the police had been conducting raids at various places to nab the five other culprits. “We have put up nakas at various places to check the activities of anti-social elements. Already one suspect has been arrested.”

He was produced in the court which remanded him in police custody for three days, he added.

Pankaj was assaulted on Monday evening by six motorcycle-borne youths when he was working at a welding shop in Kartarpur market. The police arrested Rohit involved in the assault on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, local residents said they would continue to protest till all the five persons involved in the assault on Pankaj were arrested.

Phillaur, November 24
The police has registered case under Sections 406, 498A and 379 of the IPC on the complaint of Amandeep Kaur of nearby Kandola Kalan village against her husband Sukhjinder Singh, mother-in-law Rajinder Kaur and father-in-law Malkiat Singh of Phagwara on the charges of harassing her for more dowry.

DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, while talking to mediapersons here today said the victim in her complaint lodged with the police said she was married to Sukhjinder on December 6 in 2007. After her marriage, she was physically and mentally tortured by her husband and in-laws who asked her to bring Rs 5 lakh from her parents to purchase a house.

The DSP said the victim along with her in-laws’ family went to Spain, but her harassment continued even in Spain. She also delivered a daughter in Spain, but her husband forced her to come to India along with him leaving the child behind under the guise of completing some documentation formalities of the child.

The victim alleged that later she was left at her parental house in Kandolan Kalan village. Her husband took away her passport and other visa documents and fled away to Spain.

The DSP said the police was investigating the matter