R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
Pak frees seven Indian prisoners: Pakistan on Tuesday evening repatriated seven Indian prisoners, including a woman, through the Attari-Wagah border. They have been identified as Yashpal (UP), Seeta (Maharashtra), Raju Babu (Bihar), Lateef-ul-Haq (West Bengal), Mohammad Hanif (Gujarat), Tarlok Chand (Jalandhar) and Ram Dass (Birhar). Yashpal (25) could not even recognise his father Babu Ram whom he was meeting after two years. He had gone to New Delhi to earn his livelihood but went missing in 2010.

Chandigarh
RS 21 lakh aid for  special children: The Punjab Government has earmarked Rs 21 lakh to provide higher schooling to 7,016 differently abled students in the state during the current financial year. Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka said Rs 3,000 per student would be provided for ensuring facilities like free books, uniform, scholarship, transport allowance and aid and appliances.

Computerised check posts in state soon: The Punjab government has decided to set up inter-state computerised check posts at entry points of borders of neighbouring states in a bid to check illegal plying of transport vehicles. An official spokesman of the Transport Department said the main purpose to set up these computerised check posts was to curb the illegal operation of transport vehicles entering into the state.

Fatehgarh Sahib
2 arrested with intoxicants: The police has arrested two persons after recovering intoxicants from their possession. Mohan Singh of ward number 13 in Sirhind was arrested after 5,000 tablets were recovered from him. Similarly, 250 grams of sedative powder was seized from Joga Singh of Manjpur village in Amritsar. Both the accused have been booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Moga
Mystery shrouds youth's death: Shaminder Singh, a youth working as a labourer, died under mysterious circumstances on the premises of a rice mill at Manuke Gill village in Nihalsinghwala sub-division. The local labour unions and the family members of the deceased have alleged that the mill owners had murdered the youth, a charge rebutted as "false" by the latter. Members of the labour and farmer unions also protested outside the mill and demanded registration of a police case against its owners.

Policeman's wife commits suicide: A middle-aged woman, a mother of three children and wife of a Head Constable, allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan at her residence in Baghapurana town. Preliminary investigations suggested that the woman was suffering from depression, which could have provoked her to commit suicide. The police has initiated inquest proceedings.

Man injured in post-poll clash: In an incident of post-panchayat poll violence, Harjinder Singh of Chirag Shah Wala village in Dharamkot sub-division was attacked with sharp-edged weapons by a group of at least nine persons on Monday. He has been admitted to a hospital where his condition was stated to be out of danger. A case has been registered but no arrest has been made so far.

Youth crushed to death under train: A youth was crushed under a train in the city on Monday. He was rushed to the district hospital but he succumbed to his injuries within a few hours.

CHANDIGARH

Soccer meet: The 2013 leg of Airtel Rising Stars Soccer Talent Tournament for Boys (U-16) will start from next month. The organising committee will conduct the three-month programme in 16 cities, including Chandigarh, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Calicut, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Guwahati. A total of 11 players will get a chance to undergo training at Manchester United Soccer School. The selection procedure will include a three-month inter-school tournament-cum-talent hunt programme.

Carrom meet: The Chandigarh Carrom Association announced its sports carrom calendar . The tournament will start from July 16 at St Stephen’s School, Sector 45. The schedule: July 27 to 29: St Stephen’s Carrom Ranking Tournament; September 7 to 9: State Carrom Championship; October 19 to 21: Raj Kumar Babuta Memorial Prize Money; December 21 to 23: Prize Money Ranking Carrom Tournament.