Kapurthala, July 12
Two persons, a 35-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy died of electrocution and at least seven others suffered burns injuries after coming in contact with a high-tension live wire at Mehtabgarh locality here today.

The accident took place at a flag-hoisting ceremony during the annual Urs festival at the tomb of Baba Mehar Shah, near Baba Gian Nath Dera.

When the organisers tried to remove the fixed iron rod to change the flag, it touched an overhead high-tension wire, eyewitnesses said.

The two persons holding the rod were stuck to it, and others standing near feel away, they added.

Panic ensured as nearly 100 devotees started running helter-skelter, eyewitnesses said. The entire episode was caught on video cameras.

The deceased have been identified as Kulwinder Singh alias Kinda form Mehtabgarh and Mangal from Shiv Colony.

Kinda, who worked at a cloth shop, is survived by wife and three daughters. Mangal was a student of Class III at the Government Primary School in Mehtabgarh. Mangal was the youngest of Mohan Lal’s four children. Condition of some of the injured is reported to be critical.

The Chairman of the Kapurthala Improvement Trust, Mr Kulwant Bhandari, and Mr Manjeet Singh Nijjar and Mr Amrik Singh Bhuttar, personal assistants to the Jalandhar MP, Rana Gurjit Singh, were also present when the tragedy struck.

Jalandhar, July 12
Furnishing ‘proof’ to substantiate charges levelled against Mr Avtaar Henry, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister, the Jalandhar unit of the BJP today asserted that it had identified five persons whose votes had been made flouting norms with ‘false address’, or who had ‘double votes’ in the Jalandhar (North-30) Assembly constituency.

Mr Henry represents the constituency in the Punjab Assembly.

On a damage-control exercise, Mr Henry rebutted the allegations and said the BJP leaders had failed to given substantial argument or evidence before the District Revenue Officer (DRO) in support of their allegations.

Advocate Brijesh Chopra, a veteran BJP leader and counsel for the party, said five persons had been identified who had been found to have ‘double votes’.

“One such person resides in Adarsh Nagar but his vote has been prepared at the Avtaar Bus Complex, owned by Mr Henry, on the Railway Road. Same was the situation in the other three or four cases.” Mr Chopra said ‘double votes’ were made in violation of the Section 17 and 18 of the Representation of People’s Act as the Act stipulates that no voter could register twice and that he or she should be the ‘ordinary resident’ of the constituency.

Going a step further, Mr S. D. Chugh, district president, BJP, said he had furnished a copy of ‘double votes’, existing in the voter lists of different booths of the North-30 (general constituency) of Jalandhar to the Election Registration Officer.

Jalandhar, July 12
Protesting over the decision of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) not to accept forms for reappearing in compartment examination, students of Class X and Plus Two and their parents once again blocked the road in front of the local depot at Ladowali Road here today.

Scores of students had come to the depot believing that it was the second last date to submit forms without a late fee. They were shocked when the depot authorities asked them to pay Rs 500 as late fee.

On Monday, the board officials had started accepting forms without any late fees after the students had protested saying they were not aware of any public notice related to advancing of dates of submission of forms from July 13 to July 7. Today again, the parents requested the depot manager to accept forms without late fees but he denied doing so expressing helplessness.

Mr Balbir Singh, father of a Plus Two student, argued that even if the PSEB officials were to charge late fees, it should not have been more than Rs 200, as they said had been mentioned in the prospectus.

He added that he was not carrying Rs 500 extra for the purpose and had to return back, as the officials failed to budge. He said the board officials took the forms of the Class X students only and not of the Plus Two students. They were asked to go to Mohali for the purpose.

Ms Lalita, another parent, said she had come to deposit three forms for students studying in Mandi Fantom. She had to pay Rs 1500 extra.

The parents and students raised slogans against the board officials and Punjab education minister.

The dharna was lifted after the intervention of the police.

Mr S.S. Bhullar, the depot manager, said he could not avoid the situation, as he was simply following the directions of the PSEB.