Amritsar, January 12
A woman in her mid thirties died while her husband and son received serious burns when the leaking LPG cylinder kept in the kitchen blasted at her house located on the second floor at Pakki Gali near the Town Hall last night.

The deceased has been identified as Maninder Kaur.

According to her husband, Rajinder Singh, the incident occurred at around 9.45 pm when she was preparing dinner for the family. Their 12-year-old son Mani was also present in the house at the time of the incident.

“The cylinder developed some leakage and caught fire in no time. Before we could save her, she was engulfed in flames. I and my son also received burns on our faces and hands in an attempt to save her, but to no avail,” he said.

A team led by sub-fire officer Sadiq Masih reached the spot. It took more than an hour for the fire men to douse the flames. The fire head spread from the kitchen to an adjoining room in the house.

Fire officials said the doors and windows of the house were damaged in the fire. The deceased was cremated this morning. Her husband and son were stated to be out of danger.

A case under Section 174 of the CrPC has been registered in this regard. 

Amritsar, January 12
A 13-year-old boy was electrocuted while trying to retrieve his kite from high-tension wires at the Tungbala area on Friday evening.

The mother of Nishan Singh (inset) wails holding his picture in Amritsar on Saturday. photo: Vishal Kumar

The deceased, identified as Nishan Singh, was the only child of his parents.

The parents of the deceased did not want any police action in the matter.

He was flying kite at the terrace of his house in Kabir Nagar last evening when the kite he was flying got stuck in high-tension wires passing near the house.

The police said the boy did not notice the live wires. “He was flying kite bare foot. Since his parents did not want any police intervention, no case has been registered in this regard,” said the police.

Fatal end

13-year-old Nishan Singh was flying kite on the terrace. His kite got stuck in high-tension wires passing over the terrace

Amritsar, January 12
Three members of a family were injured in a burglary incident at their house in the Vrindavan gardens residential area on Fatehgarh Churian last night.

Eye surgeon Beant Singh, his wife Davinder Kaur and her brother Harjit Singh sustained head injuries after being attacked by three miscreants, who broke into the house at 2 am.

The miscreants took Dr Beant Singh’s son Akash, a student of Class X who was sleeping in his room at the first floor, hostage with a sharp-edged weapon. Then they asked the family to hand over the valuables.

However, as the family put up resistance, the miscreants ran away. “But before leaving the house, they attacked us with the sharp-edged weapons and injured us,” said Dr Beant.

He said, “Three miscreants, who appeared to be teenagers, had their faces covered. One of them even had a pistol with him.”

He said they decamped with two mobile phones from his son’s room.

The Vrindavan gardens residential area has a security guard at the main entrance, but the burglars scaled a wall to get into the house.

The three injured were treated at the Civil Hospital today.

A police case has also been registered.

“We thought we were safe in a residential colony which had security at night,” said Dr Beant Singh, who is posted at a government health institution at Harike and is in charge of the school health programme in Tarn Taran district.

Amritsar, January 12
The district administration today decided to open a drug de-addiction counselling centre in the Maqboolpura locality, also known as a ‘locality of widows’.

The decision was taken during a meeting held under Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal. “On the auspicious occasion of Lohri, it is befitting to start a campaign to eradicate addiction from the holy city.”

The meeting was attended by officials of the police, health department and medical college. Master Ajit Singh, who runs Citizen Forum Vidyamandir School for the children of drug addicts in the locality, was also invited at the meeting.

He stressed the need to increase police patrolling and asked the health department to plan more activities for the area.

The DC directed Civil Surgeon Dr Yash Mitra to open a counselling center to make drug users leave addiction.

He said a doctor must be posted at the centre to diagnose and prescribe medicines to addicts. He also said a mobile unit must also visit the locality regularly to carry out required tests and X-rays.

Apart form this, he directed the officials of the police, health department and medical college to chalk out a comprehensive plan to make Amritsar addiction free. He said the police must be more accountable in its working.

He also asked the Civil Surgeon to chalk out a plan to open a de-addiction centre in each Community Health Centres in the district. 

Amritsar, January 12
A person, who allegedly killed his brother over Rs 500, was finally nabbed by the police after 14 months of the incident.

The accused, identified as Kamal Kumar, was produced in the court today from where was sent to two-day police remand.

Kamal was residing in Het Ram colony in Chheharta.

Kamal and his brother Pawan Kumar dealt in fruit trade. On October 6, 2011, he had an altercation with Pawan Kumar over Rs 500. In a fit of anger, Kamal stabbed his brother with a sharp-edged ice cutter, which proved fatal for Pawan.

The accused was absconding since then. Sushil Kumar, SHO, Gate Hakima police station, said the police got to know about Kamal’s whereabouts from one of his relatives.

On interrogation, the accused admitted that he stabbed his brother several times and after killing his brother he threw the weapon in a canal.

The SHO said, “Though he was in touch with his relatives after the murder, he was living in another locality with changed identity.” 

Amritsar, January 12
In a glaring lapse, the district police and the administration have failed to confine kite flying near roads posing threat to commuters and kite fliers.

Unmindful of its repercussion, youngsters do not hesitate coming onto the main roads to fly kites.

Due to negligible vigil by the authorities, the elevated road on the main Amritsar-Jalandhar GT Road has become the most haunted place during this kite flying season.

Scores of people, including children, were spotted on this busiest route either flying kites or running after the ‘snapped kites’ without any fear of being run over by speedy vehicles.

Ironically, the police personnel (deputed on both the sides of elevated road to check wrong side driving) do not bother to prevent kite fliers.

Some of these youngsters had made an elevated stretch, leading to ramps, their permanent base for flying kites. They keep kites of different sizes and strings in one corner.

This morning some auto-rickshaw drivers too joined them while parking their rickshaws just beside this stretch on the elevated road. When enquired, these kite flying enthusiasts said they had no place other than the road.

“Where should we go to fly kites? If we go to fields, their owners object to our entering their fields. There is no playground left in the city, so we have no place but the elevated road only. It is a public place where nobody interferes,” said the kite flying brigade.

Not just the kite fliers, but even commuters, especially on two-wheelers, are at a risk. There have been instances where the commuters have been injured by the kite string.

Ram Singh, Police Commissioner, said, “It is a serious issue. I will order a special drive to check kite flying on the elevated road. There is a blanket ban on Chinese kite string and we are going to be more stringent against those dealing in it or using it.”

Amritsar, January 12
With a view to minimise cases of teachers, who move courts to redress their grievances, the secondary wing of District Education Officer (DEO) held the first sangat darshan for teachers here today.

As many as nine cases were taken up at the event. Of these four were solved. Five cases, pertaining to the local office, were regarding non-release of arrears, pending absentee complaints and others.

DEO (S) Rasal Singh Malhi, who chaired the meeting, said four other matters came under the jurisdiction of the Director Public Instructions (DPI) and would be forwarded for an early resolution.

He said the instructions for holding this in-house grievances resolution meeting was conveyed by former Punjab State Education Board Secretary Ramanjeet Kaur during a meeting on August 11.

He said from now onward, the grievances resolution meeting would be held on second Saturday of each month.

He said cases of about 30 teachers from the district have been languishing in various courts.

He said a considerable time of the officials at the headquarters goes into attending these cases in courts. He said holding these meetings on sangat darshan pattern would help teachers and may desist them from going to courts.

Amritsar, January 12
As swine flu claimed man’s life two days back, the health administration besides gearing up for the treatment of such patients has advised residents to take precautions.

Dr Balbir Singh Dhillon, Senior Medical Officer, Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Civil Hospital, said the symptoms of swine flu are usually like regular seasonal flu. He said a person if hit by swine flu might suffer from headache, cough, fever, loss of appetite, aches, fatigue, running nose, sneezing, watery eyes, throat irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

He said in chronic conditions, patient may suffer from pneumonia. District Family Welfare Officer Dr Ranjit Singh Buttar said one must be cautious and take precautions against swine flu.

He advised that one should wash hands frequently with soap preferably with hot water. He said if hot water is not available, one should use any alcohol-based hand gel.

He said a person should cover mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing and thereafter wash hands.

Dr Buttar also advised against going near to others who might be down with flu. He said those with any of the symptoms must prefer to stay home and consult a doctor. The district health department has already ordered private hospitals to prepare isolated wards for such patients. The wards have been readied at the Civil Hospital and Guru Nanak Dev Hospital.

Civil Surgeon Dr Yash Mitra has also asked the medical staff to wear masks to protect themselves from getting infected. 

Amritsar, January 12
The local Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Civil Hospital celebrated the Lohri festival of the newborn girl children at the hospital today. The 12 girl children born today and yesterday were provided gifts by senior medical officer Dr Balbir Singh Dhillon and other staff of the hospital.

Dr Jaswinder Kaur, a gynaecologist at the hospital, said their parents had also been encouraged to provide best education and other facilities to them.

Dr Dhillon said in the present age girls and boys were equal for their parents and parents must love their children without any discrimination.

A change in the mindset of the parents was also noticed. Education and the government had done a lot to bring this change in society, he added.

Amritsar, January 12
Lohri is probably the only festival in today's consumer-dominated calendar celebrations that still retains its traditionality.

While all other festivals have fallen prey to materialistic temptations, Lohri remains high on basics like kite flying, Dulha Bhatti, til bhugga and bonfire.

The holy city welcomes and celebrates Lohri like nowhere else. And while everybody celebrates the festival with their family, lighting up bonfire and dancing to dhol beats, some party lovers take it to another level by having a barbeque along with the bonfire festival.

Take it from 25-year-old Smita Kumar from city, who is doing fashion designing in Delhi.

“We have arranged a party in my garden to celebrate Lohri with my family and friends. It will have a small tandoor set up in the centre and a huge bonfire. Add dance and sizzling food to the picture and we will have a rocking time,” she says. Now, she is not the only one to take a cue from the chill and warm it up with a barbeque or bonfire party this Lohri.

Keeping up with the festive spirits and traditions, most people have organised community bonfires around the city.

From barbeque to sarson ka saag and gachak to gajjar ka halwa - the Lohri savouries are in great demand during these parties. Steaming paneer tikkas, pakodas, coupled with local favourites like khajoors and til bhugga are enough to keep the party alive. Lohri makes it a perfect time to have a bonfire party. And since the mercury level too is far too low, one can enjoy some sizzling snacks and Lohri songs,” shares Samarjit Bajwa, a businessman who is hosting a rooftop bonfire on Lohri.

“We have a theme-based Lohri party where everybody is supposed to wear colourful jackets. The folk songs and dhol beats would be good enough to set the guests in groove,” says Sumedha Kahlol.

The traditional dhol and boliyan is an inseparable part of celebrations. “Lohri is all about traditional Punjabi music. Dancing around the bonfire on

dhol beats in traditional dresses is the best way to celebrate the festival,” says Khushi Pandher, a resident of White Avenue. Going by the changing mood of youngsters, groovy Punjabi numbers too find their place in the festivities.

Amritsar, January 12
A delegation of the All-India Vimukat Jatis (de-notified tribes) Sewak Sangh (AIVJSS) returned from Delhi after submitting a memorandum to Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

The delegation apprised the Union Minister of their long-pending demands including scheduled tribe status for 193 tribes.

They also met Porika Balram Naik, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, and submitted the memorandum.

Baldev Raj, national advisor to the AIVJSS, said, “Of the 193 tribes, 43 were declared as backward classes while the rest of them were clubbed in the Scheduled Castes category on August 31, 1952 in Parliament”.

He said there are about 15 crore people, belonging to these tribes, in the country, including 25 lakh in Punjab.

Baldev said the delegation also demanded separate funds for the socio-economic development of the vimukat jatis in the five-year plans.