Amritsar, September 30
Jagdev Singh (27) who was attacked by armed persons, including a son of a policeman, on September 16, today succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital.

The family members of Jagdev Singh and residents of the area held a demonstration and blocked the traffic at Maqboolpura Chowk on the main GT Road, demanding immediate arrest of the accused identified as Harpreet Singh, besides suspension of his father ASI Mohinder Singh.

Harpreet Singh is wanted in a number of criminal cases, including rape and attempt to murder.

Resham Singh, brother of the deceased while giving details, said Jagdev’s friend Kuldeep Singh had an old dispute with Harpreet Singh, a resident of Gali Number 2, Maqboolpura area.

He said a few months ago, they had a quarrel with Kuldeep, which was resolved with the intervention of prominent residents of the area. However, Harpreet kept a grudge against him, he alleged.

He said on September 16, Kuldeep along with Jagdev was present in the area when accused Harpreet Singh along with his armed accomplices attacked Kuldeep Singh.

When Jagdev tried to intervene and save Kuldeep, the armed persons also attacked the former with sharp-edged weapons, he added.

They were immediately rushed to a private hospital where there condition remained serious. The Maqboolpura police registered an attempt to murder case, besides slapping other relevant sections of the Indian penal code against the accused.

Jagdev succumbed to his injures today, which enraged the family members and residents of the area.

Resham Singh said the accused pressured him and other family members to make reconciliation. They raised slogans against the police and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits who have been on a run since the incident.

The family members alleged that the police had adopted a dilly-dallying approach in the matter as the accused was the son of Mohinder Singh, who is posted at the Majitha Road police station.

Senior police officials, including Assistant Commissioner of police Gaurav Garg, reached the spot and pacified the agitators. He informed that ASI Mohinder Singh has been suspended while a murder case has been slapped against Harpreet Singh and his accomplices. He assured the residents that the accused would be arrested soon.

Amritsar, September 30
In its drive to check sale of adulterated food items, the Health Department seized 5 quintal of synthetic khoya from outside the district transport office this morning.

The packets of khoya were reportedly unloaded from a bus and were lying there. As the department took the packets into custody, none came forward to claim them.

Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon said, “The fact that nobody has came forward to claim the ownership has given rise to the suspicion that something is wrong.”

He said the department had observed that the seized khoya was substandard and it would be destroyed.

The department had earlier received information that some people are bringing synthetic khoya on a bus, after which, the department planned the raid.

The department officials said with the festivals approaching, the shopkeepers are using adulterated and substandard products to meet the higher demand.

In the action against adulteration continuing for the last three days, the Health Department has collected 49 samples of various food items from nearby townships.

These samples were collected from Jandiala, Gehri Mandi, Loharka, Kukrawala, Beas and Tarsikka.

Kahlon said in the coming days, the sampling drive would be intensified. He warned the shopkeepers against indulging in malpractices.

Strict action would be taken if somebody is found using adulterated or synthetic products, he said.

Kahlon said residents must report if they find someone selling unhygienic and substandard quality products.

Amritsar, September 30
While confirming that the murderous attack on gangster Sanjiv Nayyar, alias Babba, was the outcome of a gang war, the city police today claimed to have vital clues about the brutal killing.

Babba was shot dead by armed assailants when he was returning home with his wife, Monica, and son, Raghav, after attending a marriage function of his relative. He was serving life imprisonment for his involvement in the killing of another gangster, Raju Chikna (member of the Jagtar Boxer gang) and was at present on parole. He was to return to the jail on October 3.

The police suspected the involvement of Jagtar Boxer or another infamous gangster Jagjit Singh Jaggu behind the killing of Babba. While Boxer at present is in the jail, Jaggu, wanted in many recent criminal instances, was still out of the reach of the police. The police have launched a manhunt to arrest Jaggu.

Jaggu, who reportedly have political links with prominent leaders, was also involved in the recent shoot-out incident on Guru Nanak Dev University College Campus at Verka on September 25. Recently, he had managed to dodge the police after firing at a police party near Sohian Kalan village on September 16. An Uzbekistan national was arrested from his car at that time. The police have miserably failed to arrest Jaggu since November 15, 2013, when he escaped from the custody of the Ropar police during the hearing of a case in a local court. He dodged the police party when they stopped near the Beas for having some tea.

Boxer was arrested by the police in April this year for threatening jail superintendent RK Sharma who had complained to the police that Boxer had abused and threatened to eliminate him. Jagtar made the threat call, alleging that the jail staff was “lenient” towards his rivals, Babba and Ankur Likhari.

Dr Ketan Patil, ADCP (City –II), said that investigations revealed that some persons had noticed suspicious movements of a couple of youths, who were making rounds outside the marriage resort on bike before Babba was gunned down. He said the camera footage of the function was inconclusive. He said the investigations so far had revealed that either Boxer or Jaggu could be behind the killing. He said a manhunt had been launched to capture their accomplices.

Amritsar, September 30
The city bus service continues to incur losses because the Municpal Corporation has failed to provide supporting infrastructure to the service to make its operations smooth.

A majority of the passengers complained of inadequate number of buses, lack of bus shelters and low frequency of buses as major reasons for the failure of the service.

A total of 150 low-floor AC, non-AC, mid- and mini-buses were proposed to be introduced in Amritsar under the JNNURM scheme, as the first public transport system for the holy city.

However, at present only 40 buses are being operated. A fleet of 20 buses of the second phase of this first public transport in the holy city could not be made operational on Fatehgarh Churian and Majitha road.

Punjab Sudhar Sabha president Balram Kumar Sharma said a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP), got prepared by the state government, stressed upon the urgent need to introduce a mass-transport service here.

The survey revealed that the expenditure on transport of families is higher than the expenditure either on housing or education or health in the holy city, he said. It is next only to expenditure on food, which is a cause for concern. Probable expenditure on transport is about Rs 2,090 per household. Its reason was given as absence of adequate public transport service. He averred that high rise in cost of essential commodities in the recent past have already made the life of people from low and middle-income group miserable.

Sharma maintained that the government must give whole hearted help to the city bus service to provide mass transport to common people.

A senior official of the city bus service, not ready to be identified, said, the bus service has been running into losses under the present circumstances. The same has been conveyed to the MC and the company was eagerly awaiting their reply.

There are reports that it may be discontinued in near future. The much-awaited city bus service project was launched in January this year after hanging fire for almost seven years, but the half-hearted approach of the authorities did it in.

A daily passenger Gurmeet Singh said even after months of its operations bus shelters were not constructed, the road leading to city bus terminal is still non-existent. He added that it displayed the insincere approach of the authorities to the project. He opined that the government was now more interested towards the BRTS project first, expecting to gain popularity out of it.

Amritsar, September 30
A married woman committed suicide by hanging herself in Heir village yesterday. The police have arrested her husband on the charge of abetment to suicide.

Raj Kumar, a resident of Sanjay Gandhi Colony, Fatehgarh Churian road, and brother of the deceased, in his complaint stated to the police that his sister, Sarabjit Kaur, was married to Kuldeep Singh of Heir village in 2002 and the couple had a six-year-old son from the marriage.

He said they received information from her in-laws yesterday that she had suffered a heart attack and was serious. He said when the family reached there, they found strangulation marks on her neck. They suspected that Sarabjit Kaur had committed suicide as she was being harassed by her in-laws.

Following Kumar’s statement, the Airport police have booked her husband, Kuldeep Singh, father-in-law Sarmej Singh and mother-in-law Dalbir Kaur. The police have registered a case under Sections 306 and 120-B, IPC.

Mohan Singh, SHO, Airport police station, said Kuldeep Singh was arrested by the police while Sarmej Singh and his wife had not been arrested till now as the matter was under investigation.

Amritsar, September 30
Though the cost of the material used for making effigies of Ravana has increased manifold, ingenious artisans have devised alternative ways to keep the trade on track.

An artisan gives a finishing touch to an effigy of Ravana; and (below) effigies on sale at a roadside of Lohgarh in Amritsar on Tuesday. Photos: RK Soni

Enterprising effigy-makers have started making effigies of smaller sizes to attract more customers. These effigies can be found from one to 10 feet high, whereas big effigies are made only on prior order.

Due to the rise in costs, effigies as small as four-foot high have become popular. There is a new trend catching fast among people to buy small effigies and set them afire at their houses and localities. So, the artisans keep ready colourful effigies by the roadsides to attract customers.

These eye-catching small effigies are available for Rs 400 to Rs 2,000 depending upon the firecrackers and other material used in making them.

There are still a few firms that are unaffected by the rising input cost and are making huge effigies of Ravana for the celebrations, which also gain political hues in the city with different political parties all set to celebrate the event at different locations. Bamboo sticks procured from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are being used to prepare these effigies.

Joginder, a city-based artisan, said bamboo sticks were being sourced from the neighbouring states. He said there is an increase in the cost of raw material this time in comparison with the last year.

Big buyers like religious societies and mohalla committees have placed orders, he said.

“The height of effigies varies according to the demand and buyers’ affordability. Eventually, the choice of customers is paramount. Orders are being placed for 50 to 80 feet high effigies. An effigy costs between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh depending upon the firecrackers stuffed in it,” he said.

The cost of bamboo logs, normally found from 22 to 24 ft high, has increased depending upon the quality. Similarly, prices of rope, jute string, paper and fabric have also risen.

Rise in their prices could escalate the cost of an effigy by at least 5 per cent compared with the previous year, said Hira Lal, another artisan preparing effigies outside Lohgarh Gate.

Effigies are made at various markets in the city, including Kasereyan Wala Bazaar, Passiyan Wala Bazaar, Maha Singh Gate and Shivala Bhaiyan.These traditional bazaars located inside the walled city remain busy with activities ahead of the festive season.

Heaps of canvass and bamboo sticks tied with rope and other material can be seen placed by the roadside here. Unlike other districts of Punjab, master craftsmen involved in the preparation are locals keeping the age-old art alive and passing it from one generation to another.

Artisan families, which prepare most of the effigies in the city, reside outside the Lohgarh Gate. A majority of the artisans are vegetable and fruit vendors for a major part of the year. However, close to Dasehra, they take on the mantle of artisans rolling out colourful effigies to celebrate Dasehra.

Amritsar, September 30
A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth on the pretext of marrying her. Though the incident occurred earlier this month, the victim lodged a complaint last evening. The accused has been identified as Nanak Singh of Khussupur village.

In her complaint submitted with the Bhindi Saida police station that comes under the Amritsar rural police, the victim alleged that she had an affair with Nanak Singh.

She said on September 4, he took her away from her residence with a promise to marry her on the next morning.

She alleged the accused indulged into physical relations with her. She said the next day when she asked him to marry her, Nanak told her that he was already married and had two children.

She said the accused refused to marry her. He also threatened to kill her in case she revealed anything to her family members, she said.

The police authorities said a case under Sections 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered in this connection while no arrest had been made so far.

Amritsar, September 30
Students of Chintpurni Medical College while demanding from the government to shift them to other medical institutes in the state burnt an effigy of Medical Education and Research Minister Anil Joshi here today.

The students demanded that the state government should force the shutdown of Chintpurni Medical College as it was earlier de-recognised by Medical Council of India.

They accused Anil Joshi of siding with the college management as it is owned by Senior BJP leader Swaran Salaria. While holding a march on city roads, the students raised slogans against the BJP and Anil Joshi.

The students said Anil Joshi should think of the future of the students.

The college was recognised by the MCI when they got themselves enrolled. However, it was de-recognised at a later stage after an MCI team found shortcomings in the infrastructure of the college and shortage of faculty.

The students said their future seemed bleak as they would find it difficult to practise in absence of recognition of their degrees by the MCI.

Amritsar, September 30
Calling the youth of Punjab to join hands in fighting the socio-political problems, volunteers of Sikh Youth of Punjab (SYP) organised a conference at the Kabir Park market outside GNDU.

Addressing pressing issues like drug menace, disrespect to women and criminalisation of politics in the state, the speakers as well as young student activists said knowledge was the only powerful weapon that was needed.

More than 350 students participated in the conference. The speakers included SGPC member Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, human rights activist Prof Jagmohan Singh and Prof Inderjit Singh Gogoani.

“The youth, being the largest democratic section in the country today, hold the power to change things by sharing social and political responsibility and by actively participating in ground level awareness work,” said Bibi Kiranjot Kaur.

Women consisted of almost half the human population and have to be included in leadership positions for promoting better understanding in society, she added.

She said a woman was the core of a family, which is the smallest unit of society and therefore, her contribution is immense in inculcating moral values and positive spirit in the youth.

SYP head Nobeljit Singh from Hoshiarpur said a strong value system in Punjab was required.

“Our organisation was formed in 2008 and since then we have been travelling to various parts of Punjab, addressing issues and creating awareness among the youth. Our purpose is to motivate the youngsters to questions the system and work together to find the solutions,” he said.

Another student volunteer and vice-president of SYP, Paramjit Singh Tanda, too observed that confronting any socio-political issue that was being patronised by the established conservative class was never an easy task.

“We need commitment with ourselves that we can and will change the flawed system. Instead of just being a spectator, we need to reform the state by getting rid of the unethical means,” he said.

The volunteers have been working in tandem with the state-run rehabilitation centres to help the drug abuse victims. They have also set up camps for medical aid and other educational workshops in villages.

“We have a 2,000 plus strong voluntary participants across the state, who are working round the clock towards a better future. We want more volunteers to join the cause,” said Paramjit.

Well known human rights activist Prof Jagmohan Singh too addressed students on drug abuse concerns and lack of education.

“Punjab today is going through difficult times. Lack of interest in education has become a major issue. From streets to the corridors of power, from canteens to drawing rooms, the country runs on two hypotheses –‘Chalta hai’ and ‘Mainu ki’,” he said.

Amritsar, September 30
The second day of Punjab State Rural Games for Girls (Under-16) being held at Guru Nanak stadium witnessed great enthusiasm and tough fights.

In the discus throw competition, Arpandeep Kaur of Amritsar clinched a gold by throwing the discus to a distance of 37.80 meter.

Renu Rani of Sangrur bagged a gold in 1,500 meter clocking 5:13.51 minutes.

Kanwaldeep Kaur of Tarn Taran won a silver in 5:16.62 minutes, whereas Nekta Sharma of Hoshiarpur got a bronze in 5:18.42 minutes.

Sunita of Mukatsar Sahib won a silver with 31.60 mt and Kanwarveer Kaur from Amritsar got a bronze with 31.32 mt.

In the long jump competition, Parminder Kaur of Moga jumped 4.72m long and won a gold whereas Navjot Kaur of Ludhiana and Hamandeep Kaur of Patiala won a silver and a bronze with 4.56 and 4.52 mt respectively.

In the 4x100m race, Sangrur won a gold medal in 55.77 second, Tarn Taran got a silver in 56.43 second, and Gurdaspur has to satisfy itself with a bronze in 56.80second.

Khushdeep Kaur of Bathinda bagged a gold in 400 mt final and her time was 1:02.04 minutes, Gagandeep Kaur of Tarn Taran won a silver in 1:03.63 minutes and Gurpreet Kaur of Sangrur got a bronze in 1:04.32 minutes.

In the quarter finals of kabaddi competition, Hoshiarpur defeated Ferozepur 36-33, SBS Nagar outplayed Ropar 36-11, Jalandar crushed Ludhiana 56-20 and Bathinda beat Patiala 16-7.

In the pool matches of kho-kho, Moga defeated Hoshiarpur 5-4, Mohali outplayed Barnala 10-1, Patiala crushed Fazilka 11-2, Sangrur outplayed Jalandhar 6-4, Faridkot defeated Ferozepur 5-3 and Muktsar crushed Tarn Taran 8-0.

In the pre quarter finals of volleyball competition, Mansa outplayed Gurdaspur 3-0, Mukatsar Sahib defeated Ferozepur 3-0, Patiala beat Ludhiana 3-0, Sangrur beat Tarn Taran 3-0, Faridkot defeated Amritsar 3-0, Pathankot defeated SBS Nagar 3-1, Jalandhar outplayed Mohali 3-0 and Moga beat Ropar 3-0.

In the quarter finals, Faridkot defeated Mansa 3-0, Muktsar Sahib beat Pathankot 3-0, Patiala outplayed Jalandhar 3-0 and Sangrur beat Moga 3-0.

In the judo competition 40 kg weight category, Sudhiti of Hoshiarpur won a gold , Prabhjot Kaur of Patiala won a silver medal and Gurminder Kaur of Amritsar got a bronze.

In the 52-kg category, Pawandeep Kaur of Amritsar won a gold and Dhariti Sharma of Patiala won a silver . In the 57 kg category, Harina Dhaliwal of Gurdaspur won a gold, Priya Shah of Mohali got a silver and Geeta of Amritsar got a bronze.

Amritsar, September 30
Little Angel School, Sonipat, won the CBSE North Zone- II Lawn Tennis Tournament, which was organised at DAV International School here.

The students of Little Angel School outperformed their rivals in all the categories. In Under-14 boys category, Little Angel School was followed by MGN Public School, Jalandhar, and Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Sonipat.

In Under-14 girls category, Little Angel School stood first, Bal Bharati, Jalandhar got the second position, followed by City Public School, Jalandhar on the third spot.

In Under-19 boys category, Little Angel School was followed by DAV International School, Amritsar, and DPS Sonipat.

In Under-19 girls category, Little Angel School was followed by DAV Public School, Amritsar, and Springdale Senior Secondary School, Amritsar. DAV International School principal Anjana Gupta gave away the prizes to the winners.

Earlier, Amritsar Improvement Trust chairman Sandeep Rishi inaugurated the tournament. AEO, Sports, Kuljinder Singh Malhi, was also present on the occasion as special guest.

Amritsar, September 30
Sahil Nahar of Police DAV Public School, Amritsar, bagged the first position in Under-19 boys category during the three-day CBSE North Zone Judo Tournament that concluded here today.

In the 75-kg category, Attar Singh of AKDAV Public School, Ismailabad, got the first position and Jaskaran of the host Police DAV Public School, Amritsar, got the first position in the 80 kg category.

Deepak of New Yashodha Public School, Hisar, stood first in the 60 kg Under-16 boys category.

In the 55 kg Under -16 girls category, Sulakshana of Wood Stock School, Batala, got the first position. — TNS