R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
FUNCTION: Professor Yashpal, an eminent scientist and recipient of Padma Bhushan, lamented that in the world of high aspirations we were afflicted by ethnic violence and religious problems not caring for the perspectives of science in spirituality. He was addressing the fifth Mahatma Hans Raj lecture on "Perspectives of Science in Spirituality" at DAV College here on Saturday.

SIKH JATHA: Mr Harpal Singh Bhullar, president, International Bhai Mardana Yaadgari Kirtan Darbar Society, stated in a press statement issued here on Saturday that the society was making preparations for Sikh jathas to pay obeisance at five historic gurdwaras in Bangladesh.

Bathinda
WORKSHOP: As many as 35 artists from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan participated in a two-day workshop on painting and sculpture organised by the Sobha Singh Memorial Chittarkar Society at Chetak Park under the aegis of Headquarters of 10 Corps, local military station. In a press release issued here on Saturday, the Army authorities said participants demonstrated their skills with brush and colours.

Fazilka
SEIZED: The police has seized 10.55 quintals of poppy powder and 5 kg of opium and arrested two persons in this connection. According to DSP Swarndeep Singh, the police arrested Amrik Singh of Ghatianwali Jattan village and seized 40 kg of poppy powder from his possession. On his information, the police arrested Raj Balamber Singh and seized 29 bags of poppy powder each weighing 35 kg and 5 kg opium from his shop in Grain Market here on Saturday.

Hoshiarpur
WITHDRAWN: Three candidates, Mr Manjit Singh Lali (CPI), Mr Surinder Pal Singh Hundal (SAD) and Mr Som Nath (Independent), have withdrawn their nomination papers from the byelection of the Garhshankar segment of the district here on Saturday. There are now 11 candidates in the election fray.

CASE REGISTERED: The Tanda police has registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC against the owner of AGP Mart Pvt Ltd, Jalandhar, and its managing director Neeru for allegedly cheating Mr Rajprit Singh of Garhdiwala of Rs 15,200 on the pretext of sending him abroad. According to police sources, 34 other persons became members of their company to go abroad and the accused allegedly took Rs 4,53,200 from them. 

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Mehak Cultural Forum: president — Dr Naresh Raj; general secretary — Mr Rajan Narula; treasurer — Mr Gurminder Walia; and patrons — Mr S.S. Bedi, Mr Shashi Kant, Mr H.S. Sohi and Mr Dinesh Verma.

Ropar
KISAN MELA: With a view to creating awareness among the farmers of the district about the latest development and techniques in farming, the Department of Agriculture organised a kisan mela at Ambedkar Bhavan here on Saturday. Mr Ajmer Singh, Director of the department, said the department had decided to give 1.14 lakh acres for contract farming this year and to encourage the farmers for the plantation of the pulses, oilseeds and gram instead of traditional crops.

Sangrur
DISTRIBUTED: The Umeed Khanna Foundation, Sangrur, distributed sewing machines among 26 women of various villages at a function here on Saturday. Mr Arvind Khanna, local MLA and chairman of the foundation, presided over the function. 

HARYANA

Bhiwani
SENTENCED: Fast Track Court Judge Sarita Gupta sentenced a person to eight years imprisonment and levied a fine of Rs 1,000 in a case of snatching a Maruti car and Rs 2,000 cash from Mr Verender Singh of Charkhi Dadri on pistol point. The court, however, released another person charge sheeted in the case.

Sonepat
youth robbed: A youth, Ashish, was allegedly robbed of a mobile phone and Rs 2,500 by four unidentified armed youths near Pugthala village, about 25 km from here, on Saturday night. The youth, who also belonged Pugthala village, was going to the village when he was waylaid. They snatched the mobile phone and the cash at pistol-point and fled.

theft: Thieves are reported to have entered the electronics shop in Tyagi Market at Ganaur, 16 km from here on Saturday night and decamped with goods and cash worth several thousands of rupees from it.

bodies identified: The bodies of both the victims, killed in a road accident on the GT Road, near Kundli village, of this district last evening, were identified as Bhim Singh, driver, and Rajpal, his associate, and they belonged to Patti Kalyana village in Panipat district.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
SENTENCED: Additional District and Sessions Judge R.L. Azad has sentenced a Nepali youth, Arjun Gautam, to seven-year rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 in a case of kidnapping and raping a 15-year-old girl of Bhadret village in the Ghumarwin area.

Dalhousie
NOMINATED: Mr Paramjit Singh, a local Congress leader, has been nominated as member of the Himachal Pradesh State Minorities Welfare Board through a notification issued by the government.

Kangra
PROTEST: The Himachal Pradesh Medical Representatives Association (HPMRA) held a protest here on Saturday and submitted a memorandum to the local SDM for forwarding it to the Prime Minister demanding CBI inquiry into the alleged black marketing of the medicines and spurious drugs scandal. Mr Dinesh Sharma, general secretary, local unit of the HPMRA, demanded that all essential medicines should be put under strict price control.

Nahan
CLOSING CEREMONY: Himachal Pradesh Speaker G.R. Musafir said vocational education could provide answer to the rising unemployment in the country. Addressing students on the closing ceremony of block-level tournament of high schools at Mangarh, Rajgarh sub-division, he stressed upon the need for quality education to enable the students to meet the challenges of the future. He also announced a grant of Rs 2,40,000 for the construction of three classrooms at Government Senior Secondary School, Mangarh.

NuRpur
SENTENCED: Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Yashwant Singh has sentenced Jatinder of Dhangupeer village to three months imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 500 in a case of theft from the godown of an agricultural cooperative society in Satrar village.

Palampur
BAIL REJECTED: The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Dharamsala, on Saturday rejected the bail application of Mr Pratap Chand Mandhotra, Manager, who is a prime accused in Rs 10 lakh scam unearthed in the local Tea Growers’ Cooperative Society.