R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
North Zone-II tournament kicks off: More than 220 players along from about 37 schools of the North Zone are participating in the CBSE Badminton North Zone II Tournament. The competition kicked off here today. The tournament is being organised by DAV Public School under the aegis of CBSE. On the occasion, Kathak dance and aerobics were performed.

Patiala
Best NSS wing among colleges: The NSS department of Punjabi University, Patiala, has adjudged the NSS wing of Government Bikram College of Commerce, Patiala, as the best unit among different colleges. Dr Inderjeet Singh has been awarded the best programme officer. They were honoured by Punjabi University Vice-Chanceller Dr Jaspal Singh.

HARYANA

Panipat
Karnal resident’s body recovered from fields: The district police yesterday recovered the body of the president of the Narukheri Co-operative Society (Karnal district), Pradeep Narwal, from the fields of the Bhasianwal village of the district. The police said that Pradeep’s brother had been involved in a dispute over a plot in the city with one of the lawyers. His brother alleged that the lawyer had hired some contract killers to kill his brother. After receiving the complaint, the police registered a case under Sections 302, 34 and 120b, IPC, against Surjit, Ramesh, Ashok and his son, Deepak. The police said that the matter was being further looked into.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
Woman dies of snakebite: Sunita Devi (45), widow of Subhash Chand Soni of Baldwada in Hamirpur district, who worked as a shopkeeper at Panol village under Amarpur gram panchayat, near here, for the past several years with her family, died of a snakebite on Friday night. Neighbours found a snake hiding in her room and killed it. Reports said she was bitten by a snake while she was asleep in her house at night. She was rushed to the Regional Hospital here, but could not be saved despite efforts of doctors. The police got the postmortem of the body done before handing it to the family. A case has been registered and the matter is being investigated.

KULLU
One dies as truck rolls into gorge: One person died in an accident when the tipper truck (HP33-6676) he was driving rolled down into a deep gorge at Bagiyanda village on the Bhuntar-Manikaran road on Friday night. The deceased has been identified as Yashwant Singh of Shikavari tehsil, Mandi district. Police sources said the driver died on the spot. His body had been handed over to his relatives after a postmortem examination on Saturday.

130 booked under Anti-Smoking Act: The district police has boosted the anti-smoking and anti-polythene drive in the district. SP Abhishek Dular said as many as 130 persons were booked on Friday in the district and 38 challaned in the town by the SHO, Kullu, and a fine of Rs 4,500 was collected under the Anti-Smoking Act. Twenty persons were challaned under the Anti-polythene Act in the Dasehra fair ground and a fine of Rs 1,000 imposed. The SP called upon people to adhere to the directions laid under the Acts and notice boards displayed in the town.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
3 killed in road accidents: At least three persons have been killed and two tourists, including a child, have been injured in road mishaps in the Kashmir valley since Friday. A cyclist, Rizwan Ahmad Malik from Mahore in the Jammu region was killed when he was hit by a bus at Kanitar in Sadarbal, Srinagar. An Alto car driver died when his car rolled down into the Jehlum near Urnboa in Baramulla. A Tata Mobile and Innova collided at Verinag in Anantnag district, resulting in injuries to Nikhal Pande and three-year-old Abhishek, both residents of Orrisa.

DEHRADUN

Saplings planted: Kaash, a voluntary organisation, on Saturday planted saplings on Mata Mandir Road here. Shreya Sharma, president of the organisation, coordinated the programme.

Kumaon Briefs

Staff of Forest Dept attacked: A group of miscreants allegedly attacked personnel of the Forest Department posted at the Lamachaur post near Haldwani. They also managed to get away with two dumpers that had been impounded earlier for the violation of mining norms. The incident took place on Thursday night. According to information, department personnel had impounded two dumpers transporting sand and gravel without having paid the fixed royalty amount. The driver of one of the dumpers had managed to flee the spot. On Thursday night, a group of miscreants allegedly attacked the personnel and managed to flee with the dumpers. Investigations are on into the matter.

Job fair at Haldwani on Oct 10: The City Employment Office, Haldwani, will start a two-week training programme for applicants who are to appear in an examination for recruitment against group D posts advertised by the state government. According to Employment Officer Anubha Jain, the training programme would be free of cost and begin from October 12. She said the office would also be organising an employment fair for the unemployed youth on October 10. She has asked jobless youngsters to attend the fair to avail the employment opportunities being offered.

Schedule for power cuts: The Power Department released a schedule for power cuts in Haldwani and Udham Singh Nagar. From now onwards, power cuts would be made as per the schedule and people would not have to bear unscheduled power cuts. Over the past several weeks, residents of these areas have been reeling under an acute power crisis marked by unscheduled cuts. They had also been resorting to agitations on a daily basis.

Medical representative found dead: A medical representative was found dead in his room in the Himmatpur Malla area of Haldwani. The deceased has been identified as Ritu Raj Singh (30) of Jamoli village in the Bhikiyasain area of Ranikhet. He had been working as a medical representative in Haldwani for four years. Two liquor bottles were also recovered from his room. It is being assumed that he might have died of an excessive dose of alcohol.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)