Bathinda, May 31
Activists of the World Human Rights Protection Council, Bathinda, led by its president Nagina Begam, attacked a liquor vend situtated in the local grain market and broke hundreds of liquor bottles, pint and nips after driving away its salesman.

The attackers alleged that the vend was illegal as it was located close to religious places. They entered the vend and started throwing liquor bottle boxes out on the road.

Later, Begam declared that she along with the activists of her organisation would force the closure of liquor vends in other parts of the district. She added that they were forced to take such step as the police authorities concerned had been allegedly facilitating the sale of liquor near religious places.

As the broken liquor bottles were lying scattered on the road, a large number of booze lovers took away nips and pints, which were not broken.

City police station SHO Ranbir Singh, who reached the spot about half an hour after Begam and her associates had left, recorded the statement of Sham Lal, the salesman at the vend.

The SHO said Begam should have raised her objection in connection with this particular liquor vend before it was opened in that area.

A case was registered under Sections 452, 427, 380,323, 148 and 149 of the IPC against Nagina Begam, Aman and others at the City Police Station late in the evening.

Meanwhile, Harish Kumar, who is a partner in the firm running the liquor vend, claimed that it was an approved vend and had been located at a considerable distance from the religious places. He alleged that the attackers beat up the sales man and looted Rs 3,500 from the vend. He said a stern action must be taken against the attackers by the police and district excise and taxation authorities, failing which they would not be able to run their businesses.

Excise and Taxation Officer Ravinder Singh Romana said they would write to the police authorities concerned for taking a legal action in connection with the damage caused to the liquor vend by some persons today.

Moga, May 31
As many as 14 acres of land worth about Rs 3 crore belonging to an NRI has allegedly been sold fraudulently by some persons in connivance with the revenue authorities at Rania village in Nihalsinghwala sub-division of the Moga district.

The police had registered a criminal case under Sections 420, 406, 419, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC against nine persons except the revenue authorities. The SSP has asked the SP (D) to conduct investigation in the case.

As per the details, owner of the land, Nirmal Singh was in Italy when his land measuring 14 acres was sold by one of his relatives Swaran Singh, son of Jeet Singh, a resident of Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Ludhiana, who was given the general power of attorney to take care of the land. Interestingly, when the NRI came back home a few months back, he found that the revenue records were fraudulently changed by the person holding the power of attorney, who sold this land to some persons.

The NRI, Nirmal Singh, while talking to The Tribune, alleged Swaran Singh along with a few others fraudulently got two sale deeds executed in 2009 and 2010 without his knowledge and consent by forging and fabricating the general power of attorney. Besides the main accused Swaran Singh, the police have also booked his wife Sukhjeet Kaur after finding in a formal inquiry that she was also hand-in-glove in the fraud.

The others booked are Mohammad Akbar, a resident of Ludhiana, Roshan Singh Nambardar, a resident of Kaneja village (Ludhiana), Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Ludhiana, Ajaib Singh Nambardar of Rania village (Moga), Sukhmandar Singh, a resident of Burj Dunna village (Moga), Mahinder Singh, a resident of Lalto Kalan village (Ludhiana) and Resham Singh, a resident of Khai village of Moga district.

The police in its preliminary inquiry found that the sub-registrar and other revenue authorities did not verify the antecedents of land holders and confirm the genuineness of the power of attorneys. Besides, the genuine general power of attorney given by the NRI, another power of attorney was made by the alleged accused persons to sell the land. In the preliminary inquiry, it has also come to light that the disputed land has twice been sold by the fraudsters. A local court has now ordered the revenue authorities to endorse the land to prevent it from further sale.

Moga, May 31
Widespread corruption prevailing in the office of the district transport officer was exposed when a clerk and an agent were found hand-in-glove in getting the work related to registration of vehicles and driving licences done by taking extra money than the prescribed government fee from the people.

The police had registered a criminal case under Sections 420, 218 and 120-B of the IPC against the clerk Dalbir Singh and agent Anil Kumar and arrested them.

With the detection of irregularities in the suvidha centre of the DTO office with the connivance of some employees, many startling revelations are likely to come up in the police investigation in the days to come.

It may be mentioned that in October 2009 also, the local police registered a criminal case against two employees and some agents. An agent identified as Baj Kumar of Baghapurana was allegedly found acting as a mediator for getting work done related to registration of vehicles, driving licences, waiving off or reducing the fines of challans, from the DTO office.

Investigation being made by the police has also revealed that many more agents of Moga, Dharamkot, Kot-ise-Khan, Nihgalsinghwala and Moga could also be involved in the racket.

The DTO office had been under scanner for the past couple of years and people have been making constant complaints that a well-organised racket with the help of touts, agents and the employees of the DTO office is running at the district headquarters, here.

Abohar/ Fazilka, May 31
Himanshu Gupta has got 10th rank in the CBSE PMET besides obtaining 100 per cent marks in Physics. His father Shiv Charan Gupta is a teacher in Physics and runs a coaching centre at Chandigarh.

“My grandfather Sumer Chand Gupta, a physician in Ayurvedic system of medicines and social activist, has always been a source of inspiration for me, Himanshu said.

Mohak Kataria, a resident of Fazilka, has brought laurels to the border town by getting 30th rank in the All India CBSE pre-medical test. The result was declared today.

The son of Dr Chander Mohak Kataria, posted as medical officer at Community Health Centre, village Khui Khera and Anita Kataria (mother), posted in the local civil hospital as dentist, has got his education up to class XIIth at the Army School, Fazilka. Mohak got coaching from the local teachers.

He said, “I want to serve the suffering humanity preferably in the rural border areas like my father as the residents of the border villages have been constantly living in conditions devoid of medical facilities.”

Abohar, May 31
Anguished over unprecedented deterioration in water supply and sewerage system, five councillors of the ruling BJP walked out of the long-awaited meeting of the local Municipal Council today. Putting the saffron party to further embarrassment, they turned up after a few minutes in the town hall to record ‘no voting’ along with eight members of the opposition Congress as the Council resolved to increase the users charges for water and sewerage connection by 100 per cent.

The dissidents included former president of the city BJP and Mahila Morcha, Geeta Chaudhary, Ravi Makkar, Kamal Nagpal, Buta Singh and Kaushal Pihwal, former vice-president of the Council. They also denounced the president, Shiv Raj Goyal, for holding the meeting under the cover of the Punjab police.

While spearheading the attack on the BJP, a senior Congress councillor Vimal Thathai said the Council had failed in maintaining water supply and sewerage system after forcing the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage officials to pack off sub-divisional office. While joining the issue, BJP councillors Geeta Chaudhary, Ravi Makkar, Kamal Nagpal, Buta Singh and Kaushal Pihwal said the president had shattered the faith that the electorates and councillors had expressed in him. The sub-divisional town, they said, had emerged as a living hell with garbage dumps visible in all the localities including the ward represented by the MC president.

They had no hesitation in alleging that corruption in the Council affairs had brought bad name to the saffron party. The BJP dissidents and Congress councillors recorded 'no vote' as the Council resolved to revise the rates for water supply and sewerage connection ruing that this would put an additional burden exceeding Rs 10 lakh per month on the consumers.

The Council had been recovering Rs 15 as water users' charges and Rs 30 as sewerage connection charges from each consumer but the hike effective from June 1 would require each consumer to pay Rs 110 as minimum monthly charges. The amount would go up in accordance with size of the house. As 13 councillors voted in favour and 13 opposed the resolution, the president Shiv Raj Goyal exercised special powers exploring 'casting vote' to get the resolution passed. He said barring 2-3 Councils, all had adopted revised rates for billing. Denying hike would result in withdrawal of exemption accorded to the five Marla houses, he asserted.

Abohar, May 31
Encroachments that obstructed traffic on the Railway road in Abohar were removed today after some of the watermelon sellers created problem in downloading of newspaper bundles and misbehaved with the newspaper agents.

Police had to intervene and one of the sellers was rounded up.

Notably, former SDM Amit Dhaka had banned rehris and other temporary encroachments on the Railway road but the encroachers ruled the roost after his transfer to Muktsar.

Fazilka, May 31
To mark the World Tobacco Eradication Day a programme was organised in the local civil hospital under the chairmanship of Senior Medical Officer Dr SP Garg.

The speakers Dr Hans Raj Malothia, Dr Davinder Kumar Bhukkal, Social Welfare Society president Raj Kishore Kalra, Dr Renu Dhuria, chief pharmacist Shashi Kant said the use of tobacco adversely affects the health. Raj Kishore Kalra called upon the audience to take pledge not to use tobacco and appealed them to motivate others as well.

Sriganganagar, May 31
Three members of a family that runs a canteen in the Military Station at Bathinda were killed while five others sustained injuries as the car by which they were travelling collided head-on with a pick-up van near Purabsar late last night.

One Naresh Asija said the family was returning to Bathinda after attending a prayer meeting following death of a close relative in Neem Ka Thana segment of Sikar district. Their car was badly mangled in the collision on the Pallu road making part of the Mega highway.

Rajinder Kumar Aggarwal died on the spot while his brother Pramod Kumar Aggarwal and his son Rahul (8) died on way to the civil hospital. Five injured persons were referred to Jaipur. Bodies of the deceased have been taken to Neem Ka Thana for cremation.

Fazilka, May 31
Paramedics and Health Department employees would stage a protest rally on June 3 before the office of the Director Health Services, Chandigarh, against the alleged adamant and negative attitude of the Punjab government for not accepting the long-pending demands of para medical employees in the state.

This was disclosed here by convener of the Coordination Committee and Health employees (Punjab) Ravinder Luthra and press secretary of the state unit Shashi Kant in a statement released here, today.

Luthra and Kant have alleged that following the wrong policies of the department, the health services in Punjab have crumbled.

The employees’ leaders said the contractual employees have been discharging their duties well in the National Rural Health Mission and Punjab Health Systems Corporation. They have been assigned the job of implementing Revised National TB Control Programme, National Leprosy Eradication Programme, National AIDS Control Programme. The services of the contractual employees should be regularised, they demanded.

They warned that if their long-pending demands were not accepted, they would intensify their agitation after the protest rally of June 3.

Badal (Muktsar), May 31
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal appeared a bit cheerful as his old-time Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) colleague and former president of the SGPC Jagdev Singh Talwandi visited his house here today to express grief over the death of Surinder Kaur Badal.

The veteran Talwandi, who had always remained in the limelight and was at times critical of the SAD, met the CM after a long gap as he himself was not keeping well due to old age.

Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal was also present as Talwandi remained with the family for more than 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, security arrangements here have been tightened as top national-level leaders were expected to come in the next two days to the Badals for expressing condolences and participate in the Bhog on June 2.

Top BJP leaders LK Advani, Raj Nath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Anant Kumar are among those expected to come.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are coming here tomorrow. Former ministers Jaitley and Anant Kumar will accompany them.

Advani, Raj Nath Singh and Sushma Swaraj will participate in the Bhog on Thursday.

The helipads in Bathinda and Kaljharani near here are also being upgraded to receive the VIP flights.

Bathinda, May 31
Sunil Kumar alias Sonu, a notorious drug peddler of this region, fell into police trap at a special check-post laid by the Rampura Phul police on the bridge of a drain at Pitho village late last evening.

As many as 57,350 tablets of different brands, 360 vials of syrup and 250 gram of intoxicating powder were recovered from the car he was travelling in. Sunil could not produce the registration certificate (RC) and other documents of the car, which was bearing the registration number of Chandigarh. The car has been impounded.

The accused also failed to produce any licence or permission from the authorities concerned authorising him to carry and sell the drugs.

Earlier, the Rampura Phul police found Sunil, a resident of Maur Mandi, moving in suspicious circumstances and stopped him. On searching, intoxicants were recovered from the car.

Police sources said Sunil, who had been operating in Bathinda and Barnala districts for past many years, had been supplying intoxicants to his customers and agents at their doorsteps. The accused is already facing three cases - two in Maur Mandi police station and one in Rampura police station - for his involvement in smuggling and sale of intoxicants. He used to bring the contraband from Delhi but did not disclose the exact source.

A case had been registered against him under the NDPS Act at the Sadar police station, Rampura Phul.