B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

One case registered daily under NDPS Act in Muktsar district
Muktsar, October 15
If one were to go by the official figures, on an average, the Muktsar district police has daily registered one case under the NDPS Act in the last six months. The data procured from the district police from April 1 to till date this year revealed that 199 cases had been registered under the NDPS Act in 198 days (till October 15) and 239 people have been arrested.

4 cases of dengue in Fazilka
Fazilka, October 15
Four cases of dengue have been reported in Fazilka district so far. Dr Baldev Raj, Civil Surgeon, Fazilka, said symptoms of dengue were found in seven cases in the district of which four have been found to be positive. Out of the four, three belong to Fazilka subdivision.

Rape victim climbs down from overhead tank
Abohar, October 15
A rape victim and her sister-in-law finally agreed to step down from an overhead water tank in neighbouring Sadulshehar, about 30 km from here in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan today. They had climbed atop the water tank yesterday and were carrying with them a bottle of kerosene.

Labour union activist commits suicide
Moga, October 15
An activist of a labour union who had been spearheading the cause of the landless labourers for the past two decades ended his life by consuming a poisonous substance under the burden of debt and poverty at Madoke village in Moga district last night.

One case registered daily under NDPS Act in Muktsar district
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 15
If one were to go by the official figures, on an average, the Muktsar district police has daily registered one case under the NDPS Act in the last six months. The data procured from the district police from April 1 to till date this year revealed that 199 cases had been registered under the NDPS Act in 198 days (till October 15) and 239 people have been arrested.

The recovery made by the police also showed that nearly 54 kg of opium, 29.3 quintals of poppy husk, 172 gms of smack, 3.7 kg of sedative powder, 50, 272 of sedative tablets, 415 sedative injections, 600 bottles of sedative cough syrups and one kg of pseudoephedrine, which is known as synthetic drug, has been recovered.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Muktsar, Surjit Singh said the arrest of drug peddlers was a result of strictness of the district police after following the directions of senior officials of the department.

"We are spreading awareness among the people about the harmful effects of drugs and educating habitual addicts to abandon the usage of drugs," he added.

Surjit Singh further said that in his one year tenure as the SSP of Muktsar district, he had personally supervised operations against the drug peddlers who were smuggling from adjoining states like Rajasthan and Haryana.

Meanwhile, the Malout police claimed to have caught a drug peddler with 10-kg opium and seized his motorcycle. The accused has been identified as Satpal Singh of Sri Ganganagar district in Rajasthan. The SSP said that a police team headed by Sub-Inspector Ashok Kumar, in-charge, CIA, Malout, was going from village Malout to Abulkhurana and nabbed a drug peddler at the bus stand in Rathrian village. A case in this regard has been registered at Malout city police station.

During the preliminary investigations, the police came to know that Satpal was a habitual offender and was involved in three cases of opium smuggling. He was convicted in one case for 10 years. Besides, one case is under trial and in the third case, he had been acquitted by the court.

4 cases of dengue in Fazilka

Fazilka, October 15
Four cases of dengue have been reported in Fazilka district so far. Dr Baldev Raj, Civil Surgeon, Fazilka, said symptoms of dengue were found in seven cases in the district of which four have been found to be positive. Out of the four, three belong to Fazilka subdivision.

They have been identified as Parkash Chand and Anita of Fazilka town and Karaj Singh, a resident of border village Pakka Chisti.

“The patients are under treatment at Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, while the fourth patient Bharti, a resident of Abohar town, is convalescing at home after receiving the treatment,” said the CS.

According to unconfirmed sources, four dengue positive patients have also been reported from Jalalabad sub-division. It is stated that they have been shifted to private clinics in Muktsar town in the absence of proper medical facilities at Jalalabad. — OC 

Rape victim climbs down from overhead tank

Abohar, October 15
A rape victim and her sister-in-law finally agreed to step down from an overhead water tank in neighbouring Sadulshehar, about 30 km from here in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan today. They had climbed atop the water tank yesterday and were carrying with them a bottle of kerosene.

The women resented that the police had initially refused to register an FIR against three persons. A case was registered under the directions of the court on August 14. Since then, three investigation officers had been changed as the persons identified by the victim reportedly enjoyed political influence. As the women threatened self-immolation, some of her relatives staged a sit-in. They alleged that the accused had been threatening them with dire consequences if the complaint was not withdrawn.

Meanwhile, the officials today promised to finalise the investigation within seven days making the protesters relent. — OC

Labour union activist commits suicide
Tribune News Service

Moga, October 15
An activist of a labour union who had been spearheading the cause of the landless labourers for the past two decades ended his life by consuming a poisonous substance under the burden of debt and poverty at Madoke village in Moga district last night.

The deceased labour union leader, identified as Shamsher Singh (47), is survived by his wife four children.

Kuldip Singh, a senior leader of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, said the plight of labourers in Punjab was at its worst due to the halting of the construction work in the wake of ban of sand mining, continuous rise in prices of essential commodities and lesser remuneration in the absence of effective implementation of minimum wages.

The Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union has demanded a compensation of Rs 5 lakh from the state government for his family. The wife of the deceased, Paramjit Kaur said her husband was upset due to less job avenues and was unable to meet the expenses of the studies of their children.