R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AmritsaR
Girl dies in mishap: A two-and-half-year -old girl, Meenu, was killed while 11 persons were injured when the truck in which they were traveling fell from a bridge near the Beas under Majitha police district here on Tuesday. The truck was coming from Neelo Kheri. The injured were rushed to a nearby charitable hospital.

Science day celebrated: Nearly 500 students from various affiliated colleges and teaching departments of Guru Nanak Dev University participated in the science exhibition, and quiz and debate competitions on the occasion of National Science Day here on Monday. Dr Gurnam Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs, stressed on the need to create scientific temper. Dr RK Bedi, Dean, Faculty of Sciences, inaugurated the science exhibition. The team of Hans Raj Mahila Mahavidyala, Jalandhar, won the first prize while the Department of Applied Chemical Sciences and Technology of the host university stood second.

Batala
College function held: The annual prize distribution function of the local SL Bawa DAV College was held here on Saturday. Mr Parneet Bhardwaj, SDM ,was the chief guest. Dr SK Arora, Principal, read the annual report. As many as 140 students were awarded prizes.

Kapurthala
Imprisonment: Mr Sham Sunder Gupta, the District and Sessions Judge, has sentenced one Jaswinder Singh, a former clerk at the SDM office in Bholath, to five years of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 2000, here on Wednesday. According to information, Jaswinder Singh was arrested by the Vigilance Department on charges of demanding a bribe from one Harish Singh, a resident of Begowal, in May last year.

Two held: The local police has arrested two Delhi residents with an amount of more than Rs 6 lakh of “Hawala” money here on Wednesday. According to information, the police, on a tip-off, intercepted an Indica car near Ram Garh village. After a search, Rs 6.35 lakh, were found. Occupants of the car, Harwinder Singh and Bhupinder Singh, told the police that the money was sent through Hawala for distribution in the region.

Theft: Oil from two transformers installed on either side of the Kapurthala-Kala Sanghia road along with internal fittings worth more than Rs 90,000 were found stolen here on Wednesday.

NAWANSHAHR
Lathi-charge condemned: Mr Surinder Singh Bains, district president, Kirti Kisan Union, Mr Daljit Singh advocate, Mr Kulwinder Singh of AIFTU, and Mr Bhupinder Singh of DTF, in a joint statement issued here on Tuesday, condemned the lathicharge on farmers and labourers and subsequent arrests of their leaders.

Protest march: Activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union took out a protest march from the new vegetable market to the office of the Executive Engineer, PSEB, blocked traffic, burnt electricity bills and organised a rally in protest against alleged inflated electricity bills of labourers, here on Tuesday.

Phagwara
13 join BJP: As many as 13 activists of Congress, BSP and CPM along with their supporters joined the BJP in the presence of the Vice-President of the BJP’s Punjab unit, Chaudhry Swarna Ram, at nearby Bhabiana village here on Wednesday.

HARYANA

Bhiwani
Five convicted: Five accused were convicted for a murderous assault committed on two brothers with lathis and axes and sentenced to five years' imprisonment each by the Fast-Track Court on Wednesday. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 and provisioned for further imprisonment if the accused failed to pay the fine.

Lok Adalat on March 4: In order to make villages crime-free, the District Legal Services Authority will organise a Lok Adalat at Chhapar village on March 4. Criminal cases and cases of bank loans, revenue and matrimonial would be settled in the Lok Adalat.

Encroachments: Demanding removal of encroachments from 30 acres of panchayati land, a delegation of panchayats of Atela Kalan and Atela Naya met the Deputy Commissioner and submitted a memorandum on Tuesday. The delegation alleged that the encroachers were stealing canal water and electricity.

KAITHAL
1 sentenced: The court of the ADJ on Tuesday sentenced Rajeshwar, a resident of Delhi, to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 1 lakh under the NDPS Act. Rajeshwar was found guilty of concealing 355 gm of smack. The Judge, Dr Neelima Shangla, observed that possession of smack and passing it over to students and youth was a serious matter. The court also ordered that if the accused failed to pay the fine, he would have to under go further imprisonment of three years.

KARNAL
National Science Day: National Science Day was celebrated by the dairy extension division at Agricultural Technology Information Centre, NDRI, here on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, NDRI Director Sushil Kumar recalled the contribution of Sir CV Raman in the field of science. More than 600 students from 11 schools participated in different competitions.

KURUKSHETRA
Post office scheme: The Department of Posts has launched a new scheme " Postman now picking up letters also." Mr MM Vinaik, Spdt. of Post Offices, Kurukshetra, said henceforth a postman would collect ordinary letters and speed post articles besides selling postal stamps and stationery and delivering mail as part of his duty.

REWARI
Motivational camp: As many as 150 students, including 50 girls, participated in an entrepreneurial motivation camp held under the auspices of the Small Industries Services Institute, Karnal, at the Somany Institute of Technology and Management here on Tuesday. Mr Brijesh Yadav, Assistant Director, SISI, exhorted the students to go in for self-employment. Mr Jaipal Singh, Deputy Director of SISI, Mr Trilok Gupta, Assistant Director, Mr Ashok Yadav, District Employment Officer and Mr OP Siroha, bank officer, also spoke.

Life term for murder : The Sessions Judge, Mr RC Bansal, has sentenced Ashok Kumar, a JBT teacher of Nimoth village, near here, to life imprisonment for killing his brother's wife, Mrs Prem Devi, by forcibly throwing her into a well in May 2005. Ashok Kumar, who was a drunkard, often beat his wife and children under the influence of liquor.

Liquor seized: On a tip off, the Kosli police intercepted a vehicle on the Kosli-Gugodh road near Gugodh village on Monday night and seized 600 bottles of English wine. However, both the occupants managed to escape. The police, which impounded the vehicle, registered a case under the Excise Act.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

10-yr RI for two: The District and Sessions Judge, Mr BR Chandel, on Tuesday sentenced Dine Ram and Ses Ram to rigorous imprisonment of 10 years and fined them Rs 1 lakh each in a case of drug trafficking. Mr Mahesh Sen, Public Prosecutor, said the police had apprehended them with 6.4 kg of charas.