R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
TREES AXED: Residents of Ranjit Avenue B’ Block here have alleged that at least eight trees of a park have been axed by employees of the local Municipal Corporation. They said the trees were chopped from the park in front of the house of a senior IAS officer, which was being converted into a commercial complex. Mr K.S. Kang, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, said he had no knowledge about the issue but would look into the matter.

Jalandhar
COUNSELLING: To help candidates of The All-India Engineering Entrance Examination-2004 know their position regarding admissions at Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, the college has started a service through its website, www.ccb.nic.in. Mr K.K. Dhir, Registrar, said the facility could be used as an off-campus counselling. The institute has allowed candidates to avail themselves of the free internet service on the campus from June 26 to July 3.

MOGA
MURDERED: The body of an unidentified youth was found at Mahla village, near here on Saturday night. The police has sent the body for a post-mortem examination. The post-mortem report revealed that the youth was murdered with a .32 bore pistol. According to Baghapurana SHO Satpal Singh, Mr Balvinder Singh, a village farmer, lodged a complaint with the police, stating that he had spotted a body near his fields. The police has registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC.

Phagwara
HAWALA RACKETEERS: The police has nabbed a suspected hawala racketeer Ashwani Kumar, a resident of Ludhiana, and recovered from him Rs 3,50,000, it was learnt on Monday. The police had earlier arrested Harpreet Singh, alias Preet, and recovered Rs 5,23,000 from him. Preet belongs to Kot Baba Deep Singh village in Amritsar and was arrested from Bhullarai village where he had allegedly gone for hawala transactions. The two were remanded in police custody.

DEMONSTRATION: The New Satnampura Welfare Committee has staged a demonstration against the insanitary conditions prevailing in the locality. According to a Press note issued by committee president K.K. Sharma here on Sunday, the protesters started a march from Satnampura and presented a memorandum to Nagar Council president Malkiat Singh Ragbotra and Ms Baljinder Kaur Mann, wife of Mr Joginder Singh Mann, Social Welfare Minister, Punjab. They served an ultimatum on the council authorities.

ATWAL HONOURED: The Kashyap Rajput Sabha and Baba Himant Singh Educational Board, on Monday honoured Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal at a function held in Varun Dev Mandir on the GT Road here. Addressing the gathering, Mr Atwal maintained that both the Opposition and the ruling party were the two wheels of democracy. Coordination and cooperation between the two was necessary for the smooth functioning of democracy, he added.

Pathankot
SHOP SEALED: The police on Monday booked Sumesh Kumar, son of Sham Lal, a resident of Seikhan mohalla, Sujanpur, for selling intoxicating medicines from his medical store here. Mr Narindra Bhargav, SSP, said a case under Section 188 of the IPC had been registered against the accused. The shop was sealed.

Tarn Taran
NOISE POLLUTION: Balwinder Singh, a resident of Sarhali village, has been booked under the Noise Act, 1952, by the Sarhali police for spreading noise pollution by playing loudly the stereo fitted to his tractor. The tractor has been impounded.

3 BOOKED: The Goindwal police has seized three illegal weapons from Pal Singh resident of Chautala village, Gurbhag Singh of Muradpur village and Gurmeet Singh from here. The three have been registered under the Arms Act. Police sources said a .12 bore DBBL rifle, one .25 bore pistol and one .315 bore rifle have been seized from their possession. Seven others are involved in the case.

CHANDIGARH

AWARDED: Dr G.S. Kochhar was awarded the “Chiktsak Ratan Award” by the Minister of Health, Delhi, Mr Yoganand Shastri for Dr Kochhar’s contributions in the field of medicine and social service rendering to the poor and needy patients. Dr Kochhar was also the president of Indian Medical Association from year 2000-2002.

ELECTED: Mr Jagdish Singh Sarpal has been elected finance secretary, UT Pensioners Welfare Association, for the year 2004-2006. 

HARYANA

BHIWANI
BODY FOUND: The police on Sunday found the body of a woman in mysterious circumstances from a brick-kiln on the Bhiwani-Hisar road. Relatives of the woman, identified as Sushila, alleged that she was murdered by her in-laws. The police has registered a case against the victim’s hsuband, mother-in-law and father-in-law.

ACCIDENT: One person died while eight others were injured in a head-on collison between two trucks between Ninan and Bamla villages on the Bhiwani-Rohtak road on Sunday evening. The two seriously injured, identified as Billu and Jagbir, were referred to Medical College, Rohtak.

DEAD: Santra (35), a resident of Badhra, was reportedly found dead under mysterious circumstances on Saturday, a report said. The father and brothers of the deceased have alleged the involvement of six persons, including her husband, in the alleged murder. The police sent the body for a post-mortem examination.

POISON: Bhupinder (15) has allegedly consumed poisonous substance at Charkhi village. According to his relatives, he was sick for the past three or four days and he consumed the poison, presuming it to be medicine on Sunday night. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital at Charkhi Dadri where he died. His body was handed over to his relatives after a post-mortem examination.

Karnal
31 ARRESTED: The Karnal police on Friday raided lottery stalls at various locations in the city and arrested 31 persons allegedly involved in the illegal sale of lotteries. A sum of Rs 56,000 was recovered from them. A case under the Prevention of Gambling Act has been registered.

WORKSHOP: The Haryana Institute of Rural Development (HIRD) organised a five-day workshop on “Decentralised planning” for 23 officials of the Rural Development and Panchayats, Planning, Fisheries, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry departments that concluded in Nilokheri, near here, on Friday. Dr Surat Singh, Director of HIRD, emphasised the need for effective decentralised planning and its implementation.

ROHTAK
WIFE KILLED: A man allegedly murdered his wife at Bohar village, near here on Saturday. Jai Narain surrendered to the police. He said he suspected his wife Pinky of having an affair with a neighbour.

SONEPAT
ATTACK: Six armed members of the Bawaria gang allegedly struck at the house of Mukesh, a Railway employee, in Barota village, near here, on Sunday night, and decamped with cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth several thousands rupees. According to a report, the gang attacked Mukesh and his wife with iron rods and other weapons. The police was informed about the incident.

RAPE CASES: A nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped by Anil Kumar (35) at Turkpur village on Sunday. The police has registered a case against the accused. A medical examination was conducted on the girl in the Civil Hospital. The accused has absconded. In another case, a 19-year-old was allegedly raped by Dharma at Narnaund village on Sunday. The accused has absconded.