Jalandhar, July 19
If the recently issued directions to the civil surgeons of the state are to be believed, the state government is in a mood to tighten noose around those ultrasound scanners that were registered after 2002 in the state.

As per the amendments made in the PNDT Act, 1994, an ultrasound centre will be considered illegal if it will not have MD (radiodiagnosis) or a diploma holder (radiodiagnosis) on its rolls.

Sending clear signals that the government will act tough against the violators of the PNDT norms, the higher authorities concerned have shot off letters to all the civil surgeons to not to renew the licences of such ultrasound centres, sources said.

Dr Jagdeep Cheema, Deputy Director, State PNDT Cell, said the amendments were made in 2002 and came to effect on February 14, 2003.

“The amendments have made it mandatory that all the centres, registered after this date, can conduct ultrasound test only in the presence super-specialists or diploma holders in radiodiagnosis,” Dr Cheema aid.

Besides, an MD/MS doctor can also conduct tests but only after passing short-duration courses in radiodiagnosis from the institutes recognised under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, Dr Cheema added.

“There are approximately 1,300 ultrasound centres registered in the state and around half of these centres were registered after 2002,” a senior official said.

As the state is already jostling with the severe shortage of super-specialists and diploma holders in radiodiagnosis, the recent move of the government has virtually pushed the ultrasound centres on the verge of closure, he added. 

Hoshiarpur, July 19
A decomposed body of Jarnail Singh was found lying on a bed at his house in Ajnoha village yesterday.

According to police sources, deceased Jarnail Singh’s daughter Jaswinder Kaur, wife of Sat Pal of Dumanda, Adampur police station, stated that she had talked to his father on telephone on July 15. Yesterday, she went to Ajnoha to meet her father, but found the main door of the house locked from outside. An overpowering stench was also being emitted from the house.

With the help of neighbours, she broke opened the lock of the gate and went inside where she found the body of his father lying on the bed.

She alleged that her father was suspicious about the character of her younger sister Devinder Kaur who along with her daughter was living with Jarnail Singh following a divorce case with her husband. Jarnail Singh had thrown them out of the house about a month ago.

Enraged over that act, Devinder Kaur and her daughter might have killed Jarnail Singh, she alleged.

The Mehtiana police has registered a case under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC against Devinder Kaur and her daughter.

Hoshiarpur, July 19
Jaspal Singh (45) of local Mohalla Nai Abadi succumbed to his injuries at the PGI, Chandigarh, last evening.

Following his death, the city police has registered a case under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC against Nanu financier of Pur Hiran and two of his accomplices.

According to police sources, Jaspal’s wife Suman Rani stated that on July 15 Nanu financier and his accomplices came to her residence and bundled her husband in their car and took him to their office at Pur Hiran where they mercilessly beat him over some money dispute. When they saw his deteriorating condition they freed him and allowed him to go to his house. On seeing his critical condition, he was shifted to the PGI, Chandigarh, where he breathed his last.