Bathinda, June 2
Students of the Bathinda district have put up a better show in the PSEB class X examinations as compared to last year. Last year, only three students from the district had made it to the merit list released by the board. This year, as many as 20 students have found a place for themselves in the merit list which comprises 384 students. The PSEB declared the results on Monday morning.

Toppers from the same school

Sikander Singh Maluka, Education Minister, Punjab, has a reason to smile as 11 of the total of 20 students who made it to the merit list, are from the same school, Bharatiya Model Senior Secondary School, from his assembly segment Rampura Phul.

Rohit Kumar, a student of the school, secured the first position in the district by scoring 626 marks out of a total of 650 marks. With 96.31 per cent marks, Rohit (96.31) secured the seventh place in the state. Sachin Bansal scored 619 marks (95.23 per cent) and secured the second place in the district and 14th place in the state.

Sofia, Chirag Bansal and Nidhi Mittal, with 618 marks (95.08 per cent) secured the third place in the district and 15th place in the state.

Yugal Kumar, scored 616 marks (94.77 per cent) and secured state rank 17, Anchal scored 615 marks to secure a state rank of 18, Pooja Gupta scored 614 marks and secured a state rank of 19, Diksha Goyal and Romit Goyal secured 608 marks and the 25th rank in the state and Ravinder Singh with 606 marks secured the 27th rank in the state.

Govt schools lag behind

Only four students from government schools made it to the merit list. These include students of Government High School Bhagwangarh, Government Senior Secondary School Dhapali and Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Mehraj.

Only one student from Bathinda

Savitri Rani, a student of the SSD Moti Ram Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, is the only student from the city who has secured a place in the merit list. She scored 611 marks (94 per cent) to secure the 22nd rank in the state.

Toppers share dreams

District topper Rohit Sharma hailing from Rampura village, said he wants to become an IAS officer. He said he studied for 10-12 hours everyday. He also credited his teachers for his success.

Sachin Bansal who secured the second rank in the district said he used to study for 12 hours everyday. He wants to be a mechanical engineer.

Bathinda, June 2
A 35-year-old widow, a resident of Behman Diwana village, today alleged that she had been raped by a man of her own village. The victim was found in a serious condition at the gate of the Civil Hospital. The volunteers of the NGO Sahara Jan Sewa Society admitted her to the hospital.

The victim alleged that one person of her village took her to the district court to start the widow pension where he gave her juice to drink. After drinking the juice, she fell unconscious and the accused raped her. Later, the accused left her outside the Civil Hospital making some excuse.

The victim’s family members say she (the victim) had been out of her house for the last two days. Doctors stated that they don’t see any issue in the case, but they are taking the issue seriously and a medical examination of the woman will be conducted.

The hospital police post in- charge Partap Singh said it does not seem to be a rape case as the victim was changing her statements frequently. Sometimes, she says that she was at the district court, and later, she says that she was coming from Talwandi Sabo and Kotkapura. Partap also stated that the police are investigating into the matter.

Bathinda, June 2
The local police claimed to have arrested the third accused Gurlal Singh in a minor’s rape case of Gandhar village in Muktsar district from near his village. The accused was absconding for the last four months.

Victim’s parents along with the BKU Ekta Ugrahan had been protesting outside the IGP’s office-cum-residence for the last seven days demanding the arrest of the accused.

A large number activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan workers were again detained today when they come to protest demanding release of their leaders and workers who were arrested by the police.

It is worth mentioning that the BKU Ekta Ugrahan leaders had given a call that each day, their group of workers will protest outside the IGP office and court arrest. Accordingly, they are protesting everyday.

However, they are detained and released afterwards in the evening everyday.

Muktsar SSP Kuldip Singh Chahal said the third accused Gurlal Singh, who was at large for the last four months, has been arrested by the police today.

He stated that earlier, the police took his father and grandfather into custody yesterday and attached his property.

Bathinda, June 2
Dr Basant Garg, who earlier served as the Deputy Commissioner of Fazilka, took charge as the Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda. The outgoing DC of Bathinda, Kamal Kishore Yadav, was accorded a warm farewell by the staff of his office in the presence of the new DC.

Sharing their experience of working with Kamal Kishore Yadav, the staff of his former office praised him and stated that working with him proved to be a great learning experience.

Garg revealed that he had had a chance of working with Yadav in Ferozepur where Garg was posted as an ADC. He expressed his hope that Yadav will command the respect and support of his new colleagues and staff members in Jalandhar like he did in Bathinda.

ADC (D) Sonali Giri thanked Yadav for having a cool demeanour. She said when she was posted to Bathinda, she had apprehensions about the officials she would have to work with. “All my apprehensions and fears were allayed when I arrived at the District Administrative Complex in Bathinda. During the time I worked with him, I got a chance to learn several things,” she said talking about Yadav.

DDPO Rajinder Batra, whose eyes welled up and he struggled to speak, stated that although Yadav was younger to several of the officials in the complex, he always worked and guided them like an elder brother. He also praised Yadav for maintaining cordial relations not only with his staff members but also with the people in the district and attended both the sections of visitors with a very cool mind.

SDM, Rampura Phul, Sakattar Singh Bal thanked Yadav for guiding him through the early phase of his career as Bal had worked as trainee under Yadav. He added that although Yadav would move away from Bathinda soon, he would always have a place in the hearts of the officials here.

Thanking the officials for their kind words, Yadav said he was glad that he was given a chance to spend some part of his career in Bathinda as well. He expressed his gratitude towards his staff members for helping in facing tough situations.

Bathinda, June 2
Union Cabinet minister and Member of Parliament from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, is keeping the workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) waiting even as party leaders and workers in the district have installed flex boards congratulating her on her elevation as a Union minister. But the wait is proving to be a long one as Harsimrat is yet to arrive in the city after winning the election.

Sources in the party claimed that it seemed as if she was not interested in coming to Bathinda as she was upset having trailed by nearly 30,000 votes from the constituency. On the other hand, Congress-PPP candidate, Manpreet Badal, who lost the election, is holding meetings to thank the people for supporting him in the election.

SAD leader and former municipal councillor Rajinder Sidhu said Harsimrat Badal is annoyed with voters in Bathinda because she had trailed but he feels she should come and thank the people, as trailing and leading is part of the electoral process and she should not disconnect herself from the people.

Former Mayor and SAD leader Baljit Singh Birbehman said Harsimrat will visit the city after attending the Parliament session, as she is busy in Delhi these days.

President of the Bathinda urban unit of the BJP Parminder Goyal said, “We are waiting for Harsimrat Badal to come and will honour her, but she is busy attending cabinet meetings and will visit the city soon.”

It may be mentioned that Harsimrat Badal had not visited Bathinda after the result of Lok Sabha election was announced, not even to collect her winning certificate from the returning officer.

There were no celebrations in the city even on the day she won the elections, as no victory procession was taken out and no sweets were distributed.

At present, she is busy in Delhi attending cabinet meetings. She will then be busy with the parliament session which is starting on June 4 and will continue till June 11.

It will be interesting to see if Harsimrat visits the city after the parliament session. Even during

her last tenure as an MP, she hardly held her sangat programme in Bathinda city. In the 2009 Lok Sabha election also, she had trailed by nearly 15,000 votes from here.

Bathinda, June 2
Dr Amanish Singh, an orthodontis, has been invited to the University of Valencia, Spain, to make a scientific presentation. He is also the principal of Adesh Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, Adesh University Campus.

Dr Amanish will be presenting his research work titled ‘Facial symmetry and science of sex appeal’.

Being a Fellow of World Federation of Orthodontist and member of the American Association of Orthodontists, Dr Amanish has earlier also presented papers on international platforms in Chicago, Boston and Istanbul,

He is part of 50 orthodontists from the country attending this mid-year conference in Valencia in Spain. Dr GPI Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Adesh University, congratulated Dr Amanish and said scientific presentation on such a platform is an honor for the university and the city.

Bathinda, June 2
Harvinder Singh Bindi (29),an RMP of Moga, was today awarded 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) for carrying medicinal drugs without having any valid prescription around three years ago.

The special court of Jasjit Singh Bhinder announced the verdict and ordered Harvinder Singh Bindi of Samadh Bhai village to undergo 10-year RI. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on him. In case of default of payment of the fine, the accused will have to serve a sentence of two more years.

A case under Section 22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered against the accused.

He was caught carrying the drugs in Bhodpura village of the district.

As many as 20 vials of Rexcof and 5000 tablets of Phenotil were recovered from his possession.

The accused failed to produce any valid document to support the legal validity of carrying such huge quantity of drugs.