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Students announce ‘chakka jam’ on September 26
Patiala, September 19
The Punjabi University Students Confederation, which is heading the ongoing students’ agitation, today announced that it would enforce a ‘chakka jam’ in the state on September 26.

Probe lathi charge on students, says Badal
Chandigarh, September 19
The President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today demanded a high-level inquiry into the police lathi charge on students of colleges and Punjabi University at Patiala.

CM not served summons in defamation case by Badal
Chandigarh, September 19
A local court has failed to serve summons on the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, in a criminal case of defamation filed against him by a former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. 

• Notice to Punjab in case against Badals

Three candidates vying for Punjab BJP chief’s post
Chandigarh, September 19
The top leadership is trying hard to ensure unanimous election of the President of the Punjab BJP on September 28 to replace Mr Brij Lal Rinwa. 

Reconduct probe into murder case, orders rights panel
Ludhiana, September 19
The Punjab State Human Rights Commission has castigated a police officer of Moga district who did not initiate investigations to solve the gruesome murder of an industrialist of Kot Kapura, whose mutilated and charred body was recovered by the police from a field near the Moga bypass on December 10, 2002.

‘Cats’ face wrath of police officials
Amritsar, September 19
Police cats (informers) who helped the security forces during militancy are now being ‘harassed’ by the police itself. But for the vital tip offs provided by these informers the police could not have succeeded in curbing terrorism in Punjab. It was in the eighties that twin brothers Satwinder Singh Tommy and Parwinder Singh Rommy, the latter was killed by militants in revenge offered themselves to act as ‘police cats’.

Mr Sita Ram, a former SSP, Batala, blesses Satwinder Singh Tommy, a police cat, at his marriage ceremony in 1989.
— Photo by Rajiv Sharma

Mirroring the changing face of Punjabi theatre Chandigarh, September 19 Years ago when Kewal Dhaliwal broke fresh grounds in Punjabi theatre by staging his intellectual productions on poets Paash and Shiv Kumar Batalvi in rural Punjab, some people conveniently dismissed him as “naive and euphoric”. Most apprehensions stemmed from the presumed “inability” of villagefolk who were considered too ignorant to understand literature. Chandigarh page: Broadsides on the system

Drama fest to celebrate Farid’s Aagman Purab ends
Faridkot, September 19
A four-day-drama festival which was organised by the District Cultural Society on the eve of the nine-day Aagman Purab celebrations of Baba Sheikh Farid from September 15 concluded here last evening. As many as 100 artistes from various parts of the state participated in the festival. 

Powermen hold protest march
Tarn Taran, September 19
Hundreds of powermen today held a march in the town in protest against the accord reached between the PSEB management and different employees’ organisations on July 7. 

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Order reserved on poll petition
Chandigarh, September 19
Mr Justice Amar Dutt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today reserved order on a petition seeking directions for setting aside the election of a former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President, Bibi Jagir Kaur, from the Bholath assembly constituency.

• DGP’s letter

• Affidavit sought

Meetings removing Romana illegal: Judge
Faridkot, September 19
The confrontation between Mr Mohinder Singh Romana, president of the management committee of Takht Patna Sahib, and Giani Iqbal Singh, Jathedar, Takht Patna Sahib, took a new turn when the District and Sessions Judge-cum custodian of the takht declared the meetings convened by supporters of the Jathedar at Patna Sahib on July 27 and September 14 removing Mr Romana from the presidentship of the committee as illegal.

ADMINISTRATION

Punjab defers posting of 8 promoted SMOs
Patiala, September 19
The Punjab Government has withheld the posting of eight Senior Medical Officers promoted as Deputy Directors as their promotion has been challenged by the directly recruited SMOs who were senior to them. Four of the promoted SMOs were junior to the direct recruits.

Local bodies officials suspended
Amritsar, September 19
The Local Bodies Department today suspended Mr Hemant Batra, Municipal Town Planner (Amritsar), Mr IPS Randhawa, Assistant Town Planner (now posted in Ludhiana) and Mr Arvind Mahajan, Building Inspector for allegedly allowing ‘unauthorised’ construction by a former Mayor.

ASP shifted
Abohar, September 19
ASP Rakesh Aggarwal has been shifted to police control room, Chandigarh. He will be replaced by Mr Narender Pal Singh DSP (CID). Mr Balwinder Singh Bajwa SHO city police station, has been transferred to the Police Lines.

CRIME

Three booked for raping minor
Abohar, September 19
Ranjeet Singh and two women, Rani and Nikki, residents of Balluana village near here, have been booked under Sections 376 and 34 of the IPC in connection with the alleged rape of minor girl. The women have been booked for allegedly helping Ranjeet Singh in committing the crime.

EDUCATION

Rights panel order bypassed, Vice-Principal reinstated
Amritsar, September 19
Despite dismissal of the review petition by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, Dr Vibhakar Sharma, Vice-Principal of Sri Laxmi Narayan Ayurvedic College, has been reinstated by the college management. Dr Vibhakar has been facing charges of sexual harassment.

Edit page: State of universities — 12 Panjab University: venerable but showing its age Pressure groups play politics and scuttle academic reforms by Roopinder Singh THE level of politicisation in the institution that traces its roots back to pre-partition Punjab, the one that was spelt with an ‘a’, is so high so as to be all-pervasive.