L U D H I A N A

Help Vigilance Bureau against cops and face the music
Ludhiana, July 12
Complain about some police misdeed to the Vigilance Bureau and then suffer alone at the hands of the tainted officials. This is the sordid experience of a city resident, who had dared to expose an extortion racket run by some police cops and is since then facing threats to his life not only from the alleged tainted police officials but also from a police informer.

Ashwini Kumar pleads his case at a sangat darshan programme in Ludhiana on Thursday. — RB

MC demolishes houses, structures in Haibowal area
Ludhiana, July 12
The enforcement wing of the building branch of the Municipal Corporation demolished over 12 houses and other structures in an anti-encroachment drive in the Haibowal area here on Wednesday.

An MC bulldozer demolishes an illegal structure in the Haibowal area, Ludhiana, on Wednesday. — Photo Inderjit Verma

Suspended MC official pulls strings, reinstated in five days
Ludhiana, July 12
In a rather unprecedented development, the Punjab Government (read Directorate of Local Government) has reinstated, within five days, an official of the Municipal Corporation, who was placed under suspension by the MC Commissioner, Dr S.S. Sandhu, on charges of financial irregularities and dereliction of duty.

Gastro death toll in city rises to 7
Ludhiana, July 12
The death toll from gastroenteritis in the city has risen further with two more deaths reported from the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital.

Inquiry indicts 2 PAU employees
Ludhiana July 12
Notwithstanding the resentment prevailing among employees of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), an inquiry conducted by the PAU against its two employees for allegedly speaking to the Press has found them responsible for the ‘leakage’ of information of the university to the Press.

Tearful adieu to Manav
Ludhiana, July 12
Heart rending scenes were witnessed at the funeral of Manav Virmani, after his body arrived here this morning from Mississippi in the USA. He was shot dead on July 2. Hundreds of people, including the relatives, friends and colleagues, attended the cremation, which took place at the Model Town Extension cremation ground. Manav’s body reached Delhi last night in a KLM flight. It had been treated with chemicals and was kept in a steel coffin.

FINAL ADIEU: Grieving Indu Vermani touches the forehead of her son Manav, who was shot dead in Mississippi, USA, on July 2. The body arrived in Ludhiana on Thursday.

GAS AGENCY CASE
2 cops suspended for extortion
Ludhiana, July 12
The district police today suspended two cops, including an SHO, in the infamous gas agency extortion case while claiming that Sub-Inspector Balwinder Singh was innocent in the case

COMMUNITY

Amarnath pilgrims ‘a harassed lot’
Ludhiana, July 12
An emergency meeting of the Bhole Bhandari Charitable Trust here today criticised the J and K government’s negative, discouraging and adamant attitude towards the Amarnath pilgrims. The meeting, which was presided over by the trust chairman, Mr Bharat Bhushan, was attended by all the office-bearers and members.

Youth Akali Dal calls SGPC govt mouthpiece
Ludhiana, July 12
The All India Shiromani Youth Akali Dal (AISYAD) today charged the highest temporal body of the Sikh community — the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), with complete failure in carrying out ‘dharam prachar’ and checking the increasing trend of ‘patitpuna’ among the Sikh youth.

Man marries without divorcing first wife
Ludhiana, July 12
Mrs Neena Sharma, a 35-year-old woman, today charged her husband with polygamy and sought legal action against him. Presenting her case before the Deputy Commissioner at the weekly sangat darshan programme, Mrs Sharma alleged that her husband, Ajit Kumar Sharma, had deserted her after 12 years of their marriage and had secretly married another woman.

Return of impounded weapon sought
Amloh, July 12
Mr Karnail Singh (retired Subedar), 65, and his father, Mr Bir Singh (90), residents of Baraichan village, near here, have been running from pillar to post since January, 1989, and have made representations to the Chief Minister, Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, SSP, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Deputy Commissioners, in sangat darshan at Tanda Badha village and has urged them to get his impounded gun released from the Amloh police.

Check foreign TV channels, says AISSF
Ludhiana, July 12
The All-India Sikh Students’ Federation ( Badal) today called upon the Union Information and broadcasting minister and the Punjab Chief Minister, to control foreign TV channels as they were spreading cultural pollution in the country.

Ex-servicemen to submit memo to Musharraf
Samrala, July 12
A meeting of the All-India Ex-servicemen Action Committee held here today under the chairmanship of Mr Gurbhajan Singh, general secretary, decided to submit a memorandum to Gen Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, demanding release of 55 PoWs of 1971.

‘Fix fees for  lab tests’
Ludhiana, July 12
The Bajwa Nagar Hosiery Association has demanded that the district administration should fix the fee for various medical and diagnostic tests.

Centralised admissions continue
Ludhiana, July 12
Centralised admissions in the general category of the BBA and BCA courses were conducted smoothly at the Khalsa College for Women here today.

COURTS

Taxation panel to strike work
Fatehgarh Sahib, July 12
The District Taxation Bar Association at a meeting held here today decided to suspend work and observe strike on Monday in support of the agitation launched by the District Beopar Mandal.