Bathinda, January 8
The police today arrested a man for concocting a snatching story and filing a complaint of the same. The accused had reported a snatching of Rs 1.5 lakh from near Mandi Kalan area yesterday.

The accused in police custody in Bathinda on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

On January 7, Gurmeet Singh, alias Ruldu, from Behniwal village, who works as an agent and transporter at Banawali Thermal Plant, Mansa, had lodged a complaint with the Balianwali police alleging that around 10 am, he was going towards Rampura to make some payments to other private transporters. He said that he was on his motorcycle and was going from Maur Mandi to Rampura Mandi to make payments to owners of Malwa and PGR Transports. When he reached from Mandi Kalan, three men in an Alto car, stopped him and borrowed his mobile phone on the pretext of using it. The trio later snatched the mobile phone, Rs 1.5 lakh and fled away from the scene.

The SHO Balianwali registered a case on January 7. During investigation, the CIA staff found that Gurmeet had concocted the story of snatching and did not want to make the payment. “Gurmeet is physically-disabled and may be going through a rough economic phase. He concocted the story of snatching in order to gain sympathy. He was to pay Rs 3 lakh to some private transporters, which he did not want to pay,” said the CIA in-charge, Jagdish Sharma.

The police has arrested the complainant, Gurmeet Singh. The police also recovered Rs 1.5 lakh, the motorcycle and a mobile phone from his possession.

Bathinda, January 8
The district police have quashed the first information report (FIR) filed against the cancer specialist, Dr Manjit Singh Jaura, on September 15 last year in which a cancer patient had accused him of misguiding her and getting her treated at a private hospital instead of a government hospital.

The complainant, Usha Rani, a cancer patient, is a resident of Peerkhane Wali Gali in Bathinda. In her complaint to the police, she had alleged that the associate professor, oncology, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot, Dr Manjit Jaur had taken Rs 5 lakhs for her treatment at a private hospital located on Bhatti Road.

A detailed inquiry conducted into the case by Superintendent of Police (SP) Des Raj found that though the complainant Usha Rani indeed suffered from cancer, she had been unable to produce documents or witnesses to substantiate her claim about Dr Jaura duping or misguiding her.

The inquiry has absolved Dr Jaura of the charge of duping the patient as he did not have the authority to pass or distribute the financial aid given to cancer patients under the Chief Minister's Cancer Patients Relief Fund. Though Dr Jaura, posted at the government institute in Faridkot since 2007, has been found to be engaging in private practice at a private hospital, the matter did not lie within the jurisdiction of the police.

"Dr Jaura's private practice is an issue that the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College has to deal with. The police have no say in it," observes SP Des Raj in his report. On the basis of this report, the police filed for cancellation of the FIR against Dr Jaura on December 3 in the court of the additional sessions judge (FTC) Rakesh Kumar.

It is pertinent to mention here that the complainant Usha Rani has been suffering from breast cancer since 2002. Till October 2011, she underwent treatment for cancer at Acharya Tulsi Das Cancer Hospital, Bikaner. After that, she approached doctors at Pragma Hospital, located on Bhatti Road in Bathinda, to get herself treated for some complications. In November 2011, it was detected that the cancer had spread to her lungs.

She then approached Dr Manjit Jaura at the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College where she was diagnosed to be suffering from stage 4 cancer. In her complaint, Usha Rani claimed to have paid Rs 5 lakhs to Dr Jaura for her treatment and added that Dr Jaura was not releasing the amount sanctioned to her from the CM's Cancer Patient Relief Fund.

However, Dr Jaura rebutted the claim mentioning that he had no role to play in the disbursal of financial aid and that he had not taken Rs 5 lakhs. During the police investigation, Usha Rani could not produce any document to support the Rs 5 lakh claim.

While checking the records of the medical college, Faridkot, the police found that a cheque for Rs 1 lakh in the name of Usha Rai lay with the medical superintendent of the hospital at Faridkot, which neither Usha Rai nor any of her family members had collected.

Bathinda, January 8
The local police have arrested two men with 1.4 quintals of poppy husk near Gatwali village in the Talwandi Sabo area. SHO, Raman Sandeep Singh, and ASI, Kulwant Singh, had set up a check point near Gatwali village brick kiln when they spotted a Bolero jeep (PB 31 H 0274) coming from the village side. When the policemen stopped the vehicle for checking, they found seven bags of 20 kg each having poppy husk stuffed in them.

The driver of the vehicle has been identified as Mangat Rai, alias Vicky, from Khiwa Kalan village, Bhikhi, district Mansa, and another occupant of the jeep, Sohanjit Singh, from Ladhuwas, Ratiya, Fatehabad, Haryana were arrested. The police have registered a case registered under the NDPS Act at the Raman police station. The accused have told police that they bought poppy husk from Daddu village in Haryana at Rs 900 per kg. It was to be further sold at Rs 1,500 per kg, said the police. — TNS

Bathinda, January 8
Voter I-cards of the district residents would be sent to the booth-level officers by January 25 for further distribution. District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Kamal Kishore Yadav, stated in a press statement issued here today.

Yadav said final lists of all the six constituencies of the district have been published. These lists can be checked at the offices of District Election Officer, concerned election registration officer and concerned booth-level officers.

He added that a total number of voters in the district has reached 9,63,855, including 5,14,050 men and 4,49,705 women. He appealed to the voters to check their details in the lists and get anomalies corrected at the earliest.

Those who have not received their voter I-cards can approach the concerned BLOs and concerned election registration officers. 

Bathinda, January 8
A 24-year-old woman from Kore Singh Wala village died of poisoning while her husband is battling for life at a hospital in Bathinda. The victims have been identified as Sandeep Kaur and her husband, Sukhpreet Singh. They were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, where Sandeep died after which, her husband, Sukhpreet, was shifted to Adesh Hospital, where he is battling for life.

The Dyalpura police station received information last night that a couple had consumed poison at their home in Kore Singh Wala village.

SHO, Dyalpura, said that the police have registered a case under Section 304 B against Sukhpreet Singh on complaint of Sandeep's father who alleged that Sukhpreet and his family had been torturing Sandeep for dowry since the time of their marriage three years ago.

“Sukhpreet is not in a condition to give statement. As soon as he gets better, we will note his statement too,” SHO added. — TNS

Bathinda, January 8
A remote-controlled helicopter fitted with camera seems to be in vogue these days which capture aerial video footage from a high altitude during marriage functions. These cameras, however, also capture images of the private buildings, houses, vital installations and government buildings and may pose a serious security threat as well.

An aerial view of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant taken by a battery-operated helicopter in Bathinda. A Tribune photograph

Though the officials at the Deputy Commissioner and the SSP denied permission to anyone for aerial photography in or around Bathinda, the ‘helicopters’ could be seen used by various production houses catering video and photography during marriage functions.

The photography of the vital installation from any angle is banned but these flying objects continue to capture the images from a considerable height.

“In a bid to embellish the video shoot during marriage functions, the camera is used to capture the entire arena of the marriage function. To add more colours, the equipment is also taken at high altitude to capture the ‘scenic beauty’ of the city,” said a photographer pleading anonymity.

He said the owner of these gadgets charge around Rs 1.5 lakh to capture the video at marriage functions.

Not ruling out the access to sensitive and vital installations of the city, people using the gadget said so far nobody has put a question mark over the use of their gadget, which in common parlance is called a ‘helicopter’.

A section of legal experts said photography of vital or important installations by private people should not be allowed as anyone could get an easy access to the photographs which are important from security point of view.

The video camera, fitted on the gadget, takes highly specialised close range pictures from different angles and altitudes. The lightweight battery-operated flying objects does not make much sound which is operated a using remote control.

Apart from the government installations, many private high-rise buildings in the city too are been captured by these gadgets without any check.

SSP, Bathinda, Gurpreet Bhullar, said so far nobody has informed him about such a gadget being used for photography. He assured of taking necessary steps to look into the issue and its pros and cons. 

Bathinda, January 8
After more than a week of bright sunshine, the city shivered as the sun played hide and seek throughout the day and the wind velocity increased in the late afternoon. The chill in the wind forced the residents to stay indoors.

As per the agri-met department of the PAU regional station, Bathinda, the minimum temperature was recorded at 4.6 degree Celsius while the maximum temperature was recorded at 18 degree Celsius.

According to the latest forecast released by the department, the region may get a little respite from the chilling weather as there is a possibility of light rain in the next 48 hours. The department also predicted that the sun may continue to be behind cloud but this would raise the minimum temperature and bring down the cold a little.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has also predicted that Bathinda and its surrounding areas may experience partly cloudy sky for over the next two days and mainly clear sky on Saturday and Sunday. As per the latest forecast issued by the IMD, the minimum temperature in the region will hover around 3-4 degree Celsius while the maximum temperature is expected top be recorded around 19 degree Celsius. — TNS

Bathinda, January 8
A group of disgruntled Congress workers today drafted their own memorandum of demands to be submitted with the Chief Minister. The workers, under the banner of Worker Action Committee Congress said they had decided to take up their demands on their own since they didn't like the ways of the Bathinda District Congress Committee.

A meeting of the Worker Action Committee Congress (I) was held in the city today under the presidentship of former municipal councillor Varinder Kumar Bhola. The committee demanded that the Central Government should increase the cap on subsidy given to households from nine cylinders to 12 and derided the state government for imposing property tax. They also criticised the Bathinda Municipal Corporation for collecting water and sewerage bills.

The committee also threatened that if the state government failed to heed its demands and work on it within a month, the members will sit on a hunger strike.

It is worth mentioning here that a large number of Congress workers of the district, headed by general secretary of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and former local MLA Harmander Singh Jassi, had recently organised a five-day long chain hunger strike against the property tax and water and sewerage bills.

When contacted, Jassi denied that any such Congress action committee existed. "The All-India Congress Committee or the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee has not formed any such action committee. Either it is a SAD conspiracy to bring bad name to the Congress party or the work of a few former Congress workers who wish to come back to it," he said. 

Bathinda, January 8
The staff of Deputy Commissioner's office, under Punjab State District (DC office) Employees Union went on three-day strike today suspending all the work.

Union leaders today came down heavily on the Badal family for holding rounds of sangat darshans in the district and not fulfilling genuine demands of the agitating employees. They also condemned the alleged involvement of Cabinet Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia in the drugs scam.

District president of the union, Megh Singh Sidhu, said the employees of the DC office, SDM offices and tehsildar offices were participating in the strike. The employees raised slogans against the state government. Under the first phase of its agitation, all the employees will observe pen-down strike from January 8 to 10 during which they will also observe a dharna. Under the second phase, pen-down strike and protest march will be taken out from January 20 to 22. Thereafter, the employees will go on mass leave on January 23 and will participate in the state-level rally to be held at Sangrur. 

Bathinda, January 8
A day after Priyanka Gandhi attended a Congress strategy meeting with senior party leaders in New Delhi, sparking off rumours that a major organisational revamp was on the cards, Member of Parliament from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said no one, not even Priyanka Gandhi, could now save the sinking ship of the Congress.

Addressing the media at her sangat darshan programme at Jodhpur Pakhar, she said, “No one, not even Priyanka Gandhi can save the Congress-led Central government which set new standards in corruption in the last 10 years and forced the nation into a serious financial trouble.”

“For all practical purposes, the Central Government is being run by AICC president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi. If the party had any plans to work for the welfare of the public, it could have done a lot but the party disappointed the country,” she added.

She also expressed the hope that the public, which has been waiting eagerly for the Lok Sabh elections to overthrow the Congress-led UPA Government, would use their right to vote wisely and weigh the works done by all the political parties before voting for the one which had done the most for the people during its tenure.

During her sangat darshan programmes in Rajgarh Kubbe, Jodhpur Pakhar, Burj, Harkrishanpura, Ramniwas and Dadhe, she lent an ear to the issues and problems being faced by the masses.

She also released grants for various development works at these places. She also gave away sport kits to the youngsters of the villages. She praised the state government for over all development of all areas of the state.

She inaugurated new water supply schemes in Harkrishampura and Dadhe villages. Also present during the sangat darshan were Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav, Senior Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Sonali Giri and officials from other departments. 

Bathinda, January 8
Employees of the Verka Milk Plant took out a protest rally today. They alleged that the Managing Director, Milkfed, Punjab, was not releasing 8 per cent instalment of the daily allowance of the employees, whereas the entire management was drawing salaries with the same benefit.

President of the union, Amarjit Singh, and others alleged that the milk plant's management was deliberately showing the venture to be running in losses. He added that the plant's losses should not affect the economic benefits accorded to the labour class.

General secretary of the union, BK Mittal, Jagraj Singh Kanakwal and Prem Chand Saini, too, addressed the agitating employees. 

Bathinda, January 8
Members of Contract PRTC Workers' Union (independent) continued their strike today demanding regularisation of employees working on contract basis under the kilometre scheme for the past many years.

President of the union, Jasmer Singh, said drivers, who earlier used to work overtime, stopped working after 8 hours of duty and 240 km of driving buses.

They demanded that new buses should be introduced on the lines of Haryana Roadways to break the monopoly of private bus operators, who have taken illegal possession of certain routes on permanent basis. They also demanded that the government should not sell the properties of the PRTC to raise funds for its empty coffers.