Operation theatre inaugurated: A fully-equipped operation theatre set up by the All-India Pingalwara Society here in Bhai Piara Ward was inaugurated here on Friday by a prominent social worker Mr Banarsi Das, president of pingalwara. Dr Inderjit Kaur while talking to reporters said the theatre would benefit inmates of the institution and the poor.

Presiding officer: The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr S.P Bangar, took over as the presiding officer of the local labour court. A deputation of local Labour Law Practitioners Association submitted a memorandum demanding early disposal of pending cases.

GURDASPUR
Recovered: The police has arrested Narinder Kumar, Ashok Kumar and Pawan Kumar for their alleged involvement in the theft of iron poles belonging to the Panjab State Electricity Board. According to Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, the stolen poles weighing 22 quintals and worth Rs 50,000 had been recovered from them. Mr Swaran Singh, Junior Engineer, PSEB, identified the poles. According to the police Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Pakho Chak and tractor driver Kulwinder Singh, from whose tractor the stolen poles were recovered, were still at large. A case under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC has been registered against the accused.

JALANDHAR
Suicide: Paramjit Kaur (25), a resident of Barnala allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her husband’s house at Arjan Nagar in Basti Mithu in the city on Thursday, police sources said here. In another incident a scooterist, Jagar Singh (35), was killed when his scooter was hit by a truck outside Jalandhar cantonment railway station on Thursday.

LUDHIANA
Technology centre: Punjab Agricultural University has decided to set up a seed technology centre at the university campus by merging the existing Department of Seed Science and Technology with this centre. Decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Academic Council of the university held recently. The council also decided to transfer two ICAR sponsored breeder seed projects from the departments of Plant Breeding and Vegetable Crops to this centre. The centre will be under the charge of Director (seeds), PAU and is expected to boost seed production programme in the state.

MALERKOTLA
Chahlum observed: Muslims, especially those belonging to the Shia sect observed chahlum (40th day) on Saturday to commemorate martyrdom of Imam Hussain, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, and several others. A tazia procession was taken out from Imambara Khojgan and it terminated at Karbla, near the bus stand.

Medical association: The following have been elected office-bearers of the National Integrated Medical Association (Sangrur branch): president — Dr M. Sharma; vice-presidents — Dr G.C. Singla and Dr Suresh Garg; general secretary — Dr Kamal Bharti; and treasurer — Dr Jagdev Kahal.

DSP takes over: Mr Surinder Singh Saini has taken over as DSP, Malerkotla, in place of Mr Indermohan Singh, who has been transferred.

NANGAL
Three held: Three robbers, who had robbed Rs 1 lakh from Mr Husan Lal, a wholesale merchant on April 18, have been arrested by the Tarn Taran police. Surinder Singh, Bhupinder Singh and Jagdish Singh have been handed over to the Nangal police and will remain in police remand till June 5. During interrogation the accused admitted having robbed Mr Lal but the amount has not been recovered from them. A case under Sections 356, 328, 379 and 334 of the IPC has been registered against them.

Accident: Didar Singh, a resident of Majara village, was crushed to death by a Baijnath bound CTU bus near Jawahar Market, here. A case has been registered against the bus driver under Sections 304-A and 279 of the IPC for violating one-way traffic regulation.

PATIALA
Elected: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Lions Club (Patiala fort): president — Mr Vijay Kumar Goya; secretary — Mr Munish Kishore; and treasurer — Mr Yadvinder Jindal.

Exhibition: The North Zone Cultural Centre here has organised an exhibition of photographs by Sanjeev Chawla. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr B.S. Rattan, Additional Commissioner of Income Tax (Patiala range) on Wednesday at the Banasar Art Gallery.

SAMRALA
Tributes paid: Tributes were paid to Harbans Kaur, mother of Shaheed Chattar Singh and senior Akali leader Jathedar Bhawanjit Singh, by former President of the Akali Dal, Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi and many political leaders and the representatives of trade unions here on Friday. She had expired last week.

Chemists warned: The new SHO, Mr Ashish Kapoor, warned the local chemists on Friday against selling intoxicant drugs without the prescription of an MBBS doctor, to school and college going girls and boys.

TARN TARAN
Office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Bar Clerk’s Association: president — Mr Jasmail Singh Cheeda; general secretary — Mr Surinder Singh Chhinda; vice-president — Mr Om Parkash Gopi; and treasurer — Mr Jaspal Singh Ghai.

Opium seized: The Goindwal Sahib police seized ½ kg opium from Virsa Singh, a resident of Jamarai village on Thursday. A case under Sections 18, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused.

Rally: The local unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party (Ambedkar) will organise a Jan Chetna scooter rally under the leadership of its District President, Ms Bimla Sapna, on Sunday. The rally will start at 10 a.m. at Mauli Jagran and terminate at the Sector 24 Balmiki temple.

Nominated: Mr Satinder Singh, President of the local unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, has nominated Mr Sanjay Chadha, Mr Jaspal Singh Palli and Mr Rajesh Pathania official spokesman, Secretary and Convenor of Seva Prakalpa of the unit, respectively.

Camp: The Thalassaemic Children Welfare Association, Chandigarh, organised its third blood donation camp on Saturday at Advance Paediatric Centre, PGI. More than 225 persons donated blood.

KHARAR

Inaugurated: Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, on Friday inaugurated the Press Room, set up by the Kharar Journalists Association, near the Police Station. He announced a grant of Rs 50,000 for providing furniture and other items at the press room.

Arrested: The local police on Friday arrested Amrik Singh, Hardev Singh and Ravinder Singh of Gharuan village, who had allegedly attacked and injured Harpreet Singh of the same village on May 20. They were presented in a local court, which remanded them to police custody for one day.

Remanded: Ms Neelam Arora, Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, on Saturday remanded Karnail Singh and Rajinder Kumar to judicial custody till June 15. They had been arrested by on the charge of preparing false documents about the parentage of a child to get her admitted to a school.

Executive member: Mr Avtar Singh Sidhu, President of local Bar Association, has been nominated executive member of the Legal Cell of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.

PANCHKULA

Support: The Senior Citizen's Council, Sector 15, in its general body meeting held on Saturday, resolved to extend whole-hearted support to the Government of India in defending Indian territories in Kargil and Dras. Mr Manchan Lal Sharma, General Secretary, expressed sorrow and sympathy with the families of officers and jawans of the defence forces who laid down their lives in the defence of the nation.

SIRSA
Drive launched: The police has launched a special drive to check the sale of LPG cylinders on black market in the district. While giving this information Mr B.S. Sandhu, SSP, said here on Friday that a police party had conducted a raid at local Gali Talianwali and recovered 17 LPG cylinders from Prem Parkash Nagpal here on Friday. A criminal case under Section 7, 10 and 55 of the Essential Commodities Act has been registered against the accused and he has been remanded to judicial custody till June 18.

Road accident: Ajay Kumar died in a road accident here on Saturday, the police has registered a criminal case under Section 279 and 304-A of the IPC on a charge of rash and negligent driving against Babu Ram, driver of the vehicle.

Money stolen: Rajesh Kumar a domestic servant working at the residence of Mr Avnish Kalra at Inderpuri Mohalla disappeared after stealing Rs 40,000 from there on Friday. According to sources he had worked there for about eight months.

Woman commits suicide: Tara Panthi (30), mother of three children, committed suicide by setting herself on fire at her house on Friday. In her dying statement she said she had taken this extreme step due to depression.

SUNDERNAGAR
Strike: All private buses remained off the road as the private bus operators of Mandi district observed a one day strike in response to a strike call given by the state body of private operators. The president of the district Mandi Private Bus Operators Union, Mr Pusp Raj Sharma, claimed the strike was 100 per cent successful. He led a delegation of private operators and presented a 12-point demand charter to the Deputy Commissioner of Mandi. They were protesting against the new transport policy.