B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Mentally-challenged girl’s rape case
DNA samples of accused, child taken after 15 months
Faridkot, January 9
Over 15 months after a 22-year-old mentally-challenged girl was raped following which she gave birth to a child, the Moga police has now relied upon DNA fingerprinting to identify the real culprit among the two accused.

Punjab bans entry of sleeper buses from R’than
Abohar, January 9
Punjab banned the entry of Delhi-bound sleeper buses from the neighbouring Sriganganagar last night. Officials of the Punjab Taxation Department, at the inter-state barrier, last night forced the buses to return to the border district town. Hundreds of passengers who had boarded the buses for Delhi and other cities were stranded as no night train was available.

Shagun Scheme cheques by Mar 31: Harsimrat
Bathinda, January 9
Around 350 families related to the People's Party of Punjab (PPP) joined the SAD today in the presence of MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. The families belonged to villages of Pathrala, Rulduwala, Kotshamir, Virk Khurd and nearby areas. The MP welcomed them into the partyfold by presenting them with siropas.

Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner Manjit Singh Narang conducts a surprise checking at the Civil Hospital on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Two die of cold in Abohar
Abohar, January 9
Two persons are believed to have died of cold in this sub-division today. The body of Milkhi Ram (65) of Choohriwala Dhanna village was found in a field near Sappanwali village on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road. His kin said he was under depression and had gone missing last week. 

Minor girl run over by train
Abohar, January 9
A minor girl, identified as Akwinder Kaur of Khuyiansarwar village, was run over by a passenger train near Panjkosi railway station on the Abohar-Hindumalkot section. The GRP has initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC. The grief-stricken parents of the girl said she was not keeping well. — OC

 Mentally-challenged girl’s rape case
DNA samples of accused, child taken after 15 months
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, January 9
Over 15 months after a 22-year-old mentally-challenged girl was raped following which she gave birth to a child, the Moga police has now relied upon DNA fingerprinting to identify the real culprit among the two accused.

While the deaf, dumb and mentally-challenged victim belongs to a poor family in a village under Dharamkot police station of Moga, one of the two suspected accused is a self-styled priest reportedly having political support.

After getting a complaint from the father of the girl, though the Dharamkot police had booked Pritam Masih, the ‘priest’, and one Jagdish Lal in October 2011 for rape, the case moved at a snail's pace. The accused claimed to be innocent alleging they were implicated in a case due to their political links. So in the name of reinvestigation into the allegation, the accused were not arrested.

However, in April 2012, when the victim gave birth to a child, her father again approached the police for action against the accused. In April 2012, the police collected blood samples of the accused and the child and sent them to the State Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh for DNA analysis to ascertain the paternity of the baby and nail the rape accused.

As the laboratory in Chandigarh was not competent for DNA testing, the Moga police did not get the DNA fingerprinting report and no action was taken against the accused. But oblivious of the reality, the victim’s family kept waiting for the DNA report from Chandigarh for nine months.

Following the Delhi gang rape incident, while the Punjab Police was flipping through the rape cases it had registered, the rape case lodged at the Dharamkot police station surfaced.

The DGP’s office was aghast to find out that the blood samples in this case were sent to the forensic lab in Chandigarh for DNA testing.

Once again, fresh DNA testing of the accused and the child was ordered.

"After getting directions from the DGP and the Moga SSP’s office, the police took the accused Pritam Masih and Jagdish Lal, and the child to the Civil Hospital in Moga on Monday and collected their blood samples for DNA analysis," said Dharamkot SHO Jaspal Singh Dhami.

The samples have now been sent to Gandhinagar in Gujarat for DNA analysis, said Moga SSP Surjit Singh Grewal.

 Punjab bans entry of sleeper buses from R’than
Raj Sadosh

Abohar, January 9
Punjab banned the entry of Delhi-bound sleeper buses from the neighbouring Sriganganagar last night.

Officials of the Punjab Taxation Department, at the inter-state barrier, last night forced the buses to return to the border district town. Hundreds of passengers who had boarded the buses for Delhi and other cities were stranded as no night train was available.

Night buses equipped with sleepers and seats originate from Sriganganagar for Delhi, Jammu, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Amritsar and Jalandhar.

It is learnt that the department had been charging tax from the tourist buses as they crossed Sadhuwali inter-state barrier. Sometimes, the revenue was Rs 50,000 a day on account of penalty and road tax.

In the past, the transport and taxation officials had seized a few buses but the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) had reportedly disapproved it asserting that the action put the commuters to inconvenience.

As many as eight luxury buses owned by transporters based in Sriganganagar had been awaiting their release from police stations in Abohar and other places.

While most of the operators avoided comment on the fresh action by Punjab officials, a passenger, Sonu Aneja, said the politicians in Punjab, who were known as transport operators too, were misusing the state machinery to ensure complete monopoly in the field by harassing transporters based in neighbouring states.

 Shagun Scheme cheques by Mar 31: Harsimrat
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 9
Around 350 families related to the People's Party of Punjab (PPP) joined the SAD today in the presence of MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

The families belonged to villages of Pathrala, Rulduwala, Kotshamir, Virk Khurd and nearby areas. The MP welcomed them into the partyfold by presenting them with siropas.

She said the beneficiaries under the Shagun Scheme would be given cheques by March 31 this year.

Bathinda (rural) MLA Darshan Singh Kotfatta, Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav, SSP Ravcharan Singh Brar, SDM Ramvir and others were also present.

The residents of Pathrala said the buses did not halt at their village, which proved to be detrimental for the female students who had to travel to far-off places for higher studies.

She directed the authorities in administration to ensure that bus stops at the village too and students do not face any problem. Transporters not following these orders will face strict action, she added.

  Two die of cold in Abohar

Abohar, January 9
Two persons are believed to have died of cold in this sub-division today. The body of Milkhi Ram (65) of Choohriwala Dhanna village was found in a field near Sappanwali village on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road. His kin said he was under depression and had gone missing last week. 

Another body was found near Dhaani Chiragh on the outskirts of this sub-divisional town today. The deceased was identified as Munna (22) of Indira Nagari.

The police said prima facie, it appeared that both of them died due to cold. — OC