Nakodar, April 19
Unwanted rain accompanied by hailstorms yesterday played havoc with crops and destroyed majority of them in the adjoining villages here. Executive Magistrates of Nakodar and Shahkot today visited the area to take stock of the damage.

Nakodar Executive Magistrate Rajeev Verma, while talking to The Tribune, claimed that hailstorm and rain have really devastated the crops, including sunflower, maize, melon, chilly and mentha. He said the wheat crop that was on the last stage of ripening has suffered a huge loss.

Wheat crops at some fields have even suffered 80 per cent damage, Executive Magistrates said, adding that within two days, after due inspection and assessment of loss, report of actual damage would soon be forwarded to higher authorities.

Worst affected villages of Nakodar include Aalewal, Bhular, Nawan Kila, Nawapind, Pandori, Baada Jagir, Sidhpur, Gandhra and Mandyala. While in Shahkot, hailstorm played havoc with the crops in Thammuwaal, Rampur, Baopur, Ramey, Bhadma, Saanda, Danewal and Burewal, claimed Executive Magistrates accompanied by Patwari's and a large number of farmers from respective villages.

Farmer of Aalewal village Balwinder Singh alleged that he had sown wheat in 100 acres that costs him lakhs of rupees, including expenditures of seed, pesticides and cost of labour, he said, alleging that his crop of sunflower, which was sown in more than 50 acres was totally destroyed and now, there was very meagre hope that this crop would regain its earlier status.

“One kg of seed of tomatoes that costs Rs 110,000 to me, which I had sown in 30 acres had also been badly destroyed,” alleged another farmer.

"I had sown chilly in 2.5 acres and it cost me around Rs 2.5 lakh. Expenses of labour and pesticides were separately incurred. All got wiped away in rain,” another farmer demanded that government should announce adequate and immediate compensation to the affected farmers.

Phillaur, April 19
Former Congress Ministers Ch Santokh Singh,Gurmail Singh and Joginder Singh Maan have demanded adequate relief for the farmers whose standing wheat crop was damaged by unseasonal rains and hailstorm across the state. In a separate press statement issued here today, they asked the government to conduct special girdawari in a time-bound manner for assessing the loss and providing relief to the farmers. They said, “It was quite unfortunate that the farmers had to suffer huge losses due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm.” — OC

Amritsar, April 19
The Khalsa College row, which has now started hitting the university examination process, has left students a worried lot.

It is important to note that the majority of the teaching fraternity on the call of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) resorted to boycotting the evaluation process of the university examination.

The students said this would delay the results and they would not be able to meet the deadline to take time-bound entrance tests of various professional courses or competitive examinations.

RK Bedi, Professor In charge (examinations) Guru Nanak Dev University, confirmed that the evaluation process remained disrupted today.

“If this boycott continued, at least 1.2 lakh students of various colleges associated with the university would suffer”, he said.

Nevertheless, the students believe that since the issue of converting the Khalsa College into a private university has been shelved for quite some time, the other issues like suspension of some teachers, the filing of police cases and the house evacuation notices should be revoked by the management. Gauri Chadha, a BA student emphasised that the management should withdraw all harsh decisions and bring back the peace in the campus.

“The adamant attitude of both sides would make the things from bad to worse. Those on the other sides are teachers not criminals, the management should take the first step to withdraw all harsh notices and think about raising the academic standards of the institution, for which it was once known for,” she said.

Sulekha Mehta, a student of B.Sc opined that since the agitating ones are teachers by profession and they should be bit considerate about the students’ future. “I don’t say that they should be desisting from raising their voice against the Khalsa College management’s proposal but they can lodge their protest in so many other ways. What was the point of taking such a harsh decision which would ultimately hit us? At least, they should keep the sanctity of the position they hold in society,” she questioned.

Tarn Taran, April 19
A police party was attacked in Verowal Bawaian village, 30 km from here, late last evening. A case has been registered against nine persons, including two women.

Uniform of ASI Bikramjit Singh, who was heading the police party, was torn and his turban was also removed in the attack. Other member of the party, Head Constable Bhupinder Singh received injuries and their official vehicle was badly damaged by the miscreants.

SSP Preet Paul Singh Virk told The Tribune that a case under section 307, 353, 186, 332, 427, 148, 149 of the IPC has been registered at the Verowal police station against Kuldeep Kaur, her three sons Jasbir Singh, Ranjit Singh and Mangal Singh and Kamaljit Kaur and her two sons Pal Singh and Pinku, along with Daljit Singh and Gurmit Singh. According to information, the party had gone to the village regarding some complaint against Jasbir Singh, received by one Swarn Singh.

When the police party was investigating the matter, the accused attacked the party with sharp-edged weapons. The miscreants pelted stoned at the police party, which saved itself by running from the spot, while the accused after committing crime absconded from the spot.

Raids have been conducted at their possible hideouts, said SSP Preet Paul Singh Virk. 

Amritsar, April 19
Mystery shrouds death of a young girl whose body was found beneath the railway over bridge near Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School situated on the main GT Road here today.

Although there was a suicide note found near her body, yet the police authorities claimed that as per preliminary investigations, the girl seemed to be strangled to death.

The body was sent for postmortem examination and would be kept at the Government Medical College for three days for identification. The police authorities denied occurrence of any rape. However, they added that things would be clear after the postmortem examination report comes.

“Though the suicide note found near the body describes the name of deceased as Geetu, but it does not mention address of the girl. It seems that the girl had come from outside Punjab,” said in charge Circuit House police chowki Hans Raj.

He said as per the suicide note she had two marriages. Her family members forcibly got her divorced from her first marriage, as they did not like the boy, while she was unhappy with her second marriage.

The investigating officer said as the preliminary probe the girl was first strangled to death and then the accused threw her body in the secluded place near the bridge, as people usually do not pass through that area. Majority of people living in the area are railway employees and street adjoining the railway over bridge remains busy only during morning and evening hours.

The murder occurred at night. A brief case was also found near the body. Further investigations are on and a case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered against unidentified persons, said Hans Raj.