R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Bathinda
Body fished out of canal: Volunteers of the NGO Sahara Jan Sewa today fished out a body from a canal near Bir Talab. Sahara workers, Anil Kumar and Sonu Kansal, fished the body out of water and the matter was brought to the notice of Sadar police. The deceased has been identified as Sikandar, a father of two children. He was unemployed. Further investigation is being done by the police, the volunteers said.

Goods stolen: Material worth nearly Rs 2.30 lakhs was stolen by unidentified persons from Harpal Nagar area. The complainant Narinder Kumar said he along with his family members had gone to visit their native village after locking their house. When they returned, they found the material stolen from the house. The complainant said the stolen material included Rs 40,000 in cash, a ladies watch, gold bangles and other costly material. A case has been registered at the Civil Lines police station.

Chandigarh
Teacher suspended for ‘misbehaviour’: Following complaints by parents of certain girl students, Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka on Tuesday suspended Mahesh Kumar, a Punjabi teacher of Government Senior Secondary School, Mahinderganj, Rajpura, for his questionable behaviour in the school. The principal of the school has been transferred to GSSS, Mangat in Ludhiana district, for not taking the matter “seriously". The suspension came following an inquiry conducted by the Circle Education Officer, Nabha.

Faridkot
Varsity puts off counselling: Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) has indefinitely postponed counselling for admissions to MD/MS/PG diploma and MDS courses. Earlier, the university had fixed counselling for May 27 and May 30. Since the National Board of Examinations (NBE) is yet to start counselling, the university cannot proceed in this matter. "We are hopeful that the Medical Council of India and the NBE will start counselling in the first week of June," said Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor. 

Fatehgarh Sahib
Panel bats for right to education: Swaran Salaria, Chairman Punjab State Commission for protection of Child Rights, here on Tuesday, emphasised on free medical facility and right to education for children up to the age of 18. Speaking at a seminar, he said he would soon take up the issue with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Salaria exhorted the common people to start a social awareness programme to protect the rights of children. He also appealed to various social organisations to come forward to stop this social menace. Salaria said under Punjab Child Right Security Act 2005, the legal rights of the children were protected. 

Moga
Four killed in road mishaps in Moga: Four persons were killed and three injured in separate road accidents in the district. Kuldip Singh and an unidentified youth were killed and Tirath Singh was injured in an accident involving a scooter and a canter at Dosanjh village. In another mishap, Resham Singh of Kotla Mehar Singh village died after he lost balance while riding a scooter. A youth, Kala, was killed when his motorcycle was hit by a vehicle at Badhni Kalan village. 

Nakodar
RS 6.12 lakh snatched from villager: Two unidentified masked motorcyclists snatched a bag containing Rs 6.12 lakh from Narinder Singh of nearby Ghandhran village, who was accompanying his relative, Ajit Singh, for the registration of a property sale deed at the Tehsil Complex here. Eyewitnesses said while one of the robbers kept the two-wheeler in ignition mode, his accomplice snatched the bag and the duo fled the spot. A case has been registered. 

Patiala
Varsity to start new courses: Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law is going to begin three new diploma courses in cyber law, taxation law and intellectual property law from this academic session. There will be 50 seats each for these diplomas and graduate courses. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Dr PK Jaiswal, said the courses would benefit not only lawyers but businessmen and other professionals as well. 

Sangrur
Man killed in truck-jeep collision: A person was killed and one injured on the Sangrur-Barnala road near Kunran village on Tuesday in an accident involving a truck and a jeep. Sultan Singh of Panchkula and Sandeep Kumar of Kaithal were going to Bathinda in a jeep when it collided with a truck coming from the Barnala side. Sultan died on the spot while Sandeep suffered grave injuries. 

Man booked for blasphemy: The Moonak police on Monday booked Sarup Chand of Lehal Kalan village (near Moonak), under Section 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the IPC for making changes in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The case against Sarup Chand had been registered on the complaint of Baba Pardeep Singh from Chandpura village.