The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HARYANA

Fatehabad
Man booked: The police on Thursday booked a man for outraging the modesty of a woman at Bhuna town in the district. Ramesh of Dhani Dulet went to the house of the woman who lived in a rented accommodation and allegedly molested her. The accused fled from the spot, when the woman raised an alarm.

Karnal
Labourer commits suicide: A labourer hanged himself to death in a busy vegetable market of the town on Tuesday. According to the police, the deceased was identified as Sultan Singh of Barota village of the district who worked as a daily wager and was facing money problems. The body of Sultan Singh was seen hanging by some shopkeepers, who informed the police.

Sirsa
Plastic pipes burnt: Plastic pipes worth several lakhs rupees were burnt in a fire that broke out in a godown in Dabwali on Wednesday night. Ram Phal, owner of the godown, has given the estimate of loss as Rs 14 lakh. Ram Phal and Kuldeep have a shop Sangwan Agriculture Pipes Store on the NH 10 and they have their godown in the nearby street.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
One killed in road accident: Ram Lok (32) of Lehadi village, near here, was killed and Subhash (28) of Asha Majhari village was injured when the bike (HP-24 B-8855) they were riding was hit from behind by a speeding car at Neri bridge in the Jukhala area on Wednesday night. Reports said the injured was rushed to the Regional Hospital here and his condition was said to be stable. The police is searching for Shyam Lal, the driver and owner of the Maruti car (HP24-A-8148), who is said to be involved in the case. The car driver had fled from the scene after the accident.

NURPUR
Six booked for thrashing pilgrims: Following a complaint of Bimla Devi of Baari-Khud village, the local police lodged a case of thrashing against six persons on Thursday. Out of them two were identified as Daljeet and Jagdish of Bhaloon village. According to the police, the pilgrims were returning after paying obeisance at the Ratte Dhar Mata temple on Tuesday evening when six unidentified persons stopped their tractor-trolley on which they were travelling. The accused allegedly thrashed them.

DEHRADUN

DEHRADUN
Morcha: Kejriwal hobnobbing with CM: The Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha has expressed concern over team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal “hobnobbing” with Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri. In a letter to Gandhian and Social Activist Anna Hazare, Lt-Gen TPS Rawat(retd), president of the Morcha, has urged him to check Kejriwal from giving clandestine support to the “corrupt” state BJP government. He said Kejriwal should have met the civil society in the state before hobnobbing with the CM. He reminded that the BJP had changed chief ministers on two occasions, which evidently reveals the sorry state of governance in the state. Rawat also pledged to support the anti-corruption crusade of Anna.

CM greets people on Bhaiya Dooj: Chief Minister BC Khanduri has greeted the people of the state on the eve of the Bhaiya Dooj. Khanduri said the festival of Bhaiya Dooj symbolises the strong bond between brothers and sisters. He, on the occasion, also reiterated his government’s commitment to work for the betterment of women in the state.

Left parties hail session on Lokpal: The CPI and the CPM have welcomed the convening of a two-day special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly for the passage of the Lokpal Bill in the state. In a statement issued on Thursday, CPI state secretary Samar Bhandari said the move was a welcome development and there was a need on the part of the state government to hold deliberations with representatives of all the political parties and other civil society organisations seeking their suggestions on Lokpal. Bhandari said corruption was a matter of urgent concern as political parties in power in the state took least steps to check it. Joining the issue, CPM State Secretary Vijay Rawat demanded a thorough probe into 56 scams that have surfaced during the previous Congress government’s regime and scams committed by the present state BJP government.

Sunderlal Bahuguna shifted to ICU: Eminent environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna has been shifted to the ICU of Himalayan Hospital, Jolly Grant, after he complained of a chest pain. Earlier, he was under treatment at Doon Hospital, Dehradun.

Kumaon Briefs
Elephants damage crops: Over 10 acres of paddy and sugarcane crops of farmers in Garwar village of the Halduchaura area have been damaged by a herd of elephants on Wednesday night. “Villagers failed to control the elephants as these became violent,” said Mohan Chandra Garwar, a resident of the Indrapur area of the village. Villagers alleged that they had been complaining to higher officers of the Forest Department regarding the issue but they they failed to act in this regard. “The department has spent over Rs 8 crore on measures to keep elephants away from the standing crops in the past few years, but the menace is becoming uncontrollable,” said a forest officer.

Labour unrest: The Uttarakhand Government has assured a delegation of labour leaders of Surya factory in Kashipur of sorting out the issue of labour unrest in the factory soon. “The assurance has been given by Chief Minister BC Khanduri and state Labour Secretary when the delegation met them in Dehradun recently,” said Naresh Kumar, a labour leader of the factory. The Surya factory has been closed by the management and labourers are demanding their dues of salaries and overtime, besides calling back to work,“ Naresh added.

Rs 11.96 cr for Champawat: Over 92 schemes have been assigned this year to develop the backward areas in Champawat district for which Rs 11.96 crore will be spent. TS Martolia, chief development officer of Champawat district stated this. “The amount will be spent through the tri-level panchayat institutions under which gram panchayats will get 50 per cent of the total work,” he said.

Man dies in mishap: A jeep driver died and a passenger was injured when the jeep they were travelling in plunged into a deep gorge near Kanda Dhar in Bageshwar district on Wednesday. According to the police, a jeep came with a body to cremate it on the bank of Saryu river, but fell into a 50-m-deep gorge. The vehicle was traced after some passers-by saw the damaged jeep on Thursday and informed the police. The body of the deceased, Santosh Kandpal, of Wagina village has been handed over to his relatives after autopsy and the injured, Shankar Datt Kandpal, has been referred to Haldwani base hospital.

Cows burnt to death: Two cows were burnt to death when a cowshed owned by three brothers in the Lohaghat sub-division of Champawat district was gutted in a fire on Wednesday. “Around six goats also died in the fire, which could only be put out after fire engines reached the scene,” said Man Singh, one of the owners of the cowshed. “We have demanded compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the government as these cows are our only source of income,” Man Singh added.

Lower valleys turn colder: With snowfall on the higher reaches of the district, the weather in the lower valleys has turned colder since Tuesday. The peaks of Panchachuli, Hansling, Rajrambha, Trisulaapi, Nabhidhang and Lipulekh witnessed fresh snow, according to the local weather office.

(Compiled by BD Kasniyal)