Hoshiarpur, July 3
The Hoshiarpur police has failed to make a headway in the mysterious death of a Jalandhar-based couple Vinod Sayal and his wife Kusum, whose bodies were recovered from their car on Hoshiarpur-Chintpurni road near Mangowal barrier on 
June 26.

The cops have not been able to collect the specimen signature and handwriting sample of Vinod.

Meanwhile, the bail application of deceased’s close relatives Shashi and Sumit Sayal was cancelled by Hoshiarpur additional sessions Judge Jaspal Singh on Monday.

A suicide note was recovered from the site by the police, purported to be written by Vinod who has accused his five close relatives of tormenting him and his wife over some financial 
dispute.

Sources in the Hoshiarpur police said though the suicide theory was being investigated, the cops were probing other angles as well.

Though originally five persons were named in the note, two more Jalandhar-based businessmen were booked in the case on the complaint of Vinod’s son, they added.

SP (D) Hoshiarpur D.S.Dhindsa said, “The probe is on and we still have to collect signatures and handwriting samples of the deceased.

An inspector was also sent to Jalandhar, but the family failed to give us any writing sample.”

During the preliminary investigations conducted by the police it was figured that Sayal and his wife were under tremendous pressure due to their inability to return the money which they had taken from their relatives. We will soon crack the case,” said Hoshiarpur SP (D) D.S. Dhindsa.

After getting the specimen signatures and hand-writing, these would be sent for forensic examination.

Jalandhar based Vinod Sayal (55) and his wife Kusum (50) were found dead in their car near Mangowal barrier on Hoshiarpur-Chintpurni road under mysterious circumstances on the evening of June 26.

A suicide note was recovered from the site by the police, purported to be written by Vinod alleging five of his close relatives were tormenting him and his wife for default in respect of investments made by them.

Kapurthala, July 3
Two women kabaddi players died in a road accident when their motor cycle collided with a private bus at Khaira Dona village on the Sultanpur Lodhi road here today.

According to reports received here, the collision took place when kabaddi players Satwant Kaur (20) of Jatta Di Saran village and Gayatri (19) of the Guru Ka Bagh locality (both in Sultanpur) were returning home after practice from the RCF complex. Bus driver Kuldeep Singh has been arrested and an FIR under section 304 of the IPC registered against him at Sadar police station.

Phagwara, July 3
The government’s mismanagement relating to promotions has come to the open. Eleven doctors who were temporarily promoted for six months still enjoy the same status even after 19 years.

These doctors having PCMS-II status were promoted to PCMS-I on November 15, 1988 after the Punjab government issued notice in which it said these officers were hereby promoted to PCMS-I on temporary basis of six months or till the approval of Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). The PPSC has not given approve of these promotions till date.

Although every promotion is supposed to get past the PPSC route but it is not the case in these promotions.

Downplaying the incident, when contacted, T.R. Sarangal, acting principal secretary, Health, Punjab government, said as the PPSC did not object to these promotions, it could be considered as commission’s silent consent.

This promotion saga does not end here. Out of these officers, several have reached ranks such as that of a deputy director. Now it is learnt that in first ever instance, the Departmental Promotional Committee (DPC) of Punjab Health Department has recommended two promotions for the post of Director, Family Welfare and Director, ESI Punjab.

And these recommendations, made in a DPC meeting on June 25, also involve a name of a officer, whose promotion is doubtful.

Here too at the meeting, the system was followed half-heartedly. Going by the rule book, health principal secretary, Director Health Services, Director Social Welfare and Principal Secretary Personnel Department, all members of DPC, must give their consent in important decisions regarding promotions.

But breaking the norm, neither the Principal Secretary of Personnel Department attended the meeting nor any representative was sent to attend the meeting.

Dr Sukhdev Singh, DPC member and Director Health Services, confirmed that no representative of personnel department attended the DPC meeting.

Meanwhile, Sarangal said the recommendations of DPC have been sent to Punjab Health Minister and could be sent to Punjab Chief Minister only after the approval of the minister.

He, however, expressed ignorance about the absence of any representative of personnel department.

Kapurthala, July 3
In a case, which could become exemplary for many, J.K. Singh, an engineer, who met with a fatal road accident was saved by a passerby and taken to a hospital

In the incident, which took place on Sunday night, Singh (32), working in a construction company developing a Punjab Technical University campus on the Jalandhar road, was on his way to Punjabi Bagh when his motor cycle hit a speeding car near Wadala level 
crossing.

Following the accident, Singh, a resident of Bihar, fell on the ground and received severe injuries on both legs and right arm. While the driver of car fled from the scene, Singh kept on crying for help for almost half an hour. In the meantime, a number of persons passed by but none came forward for his help.

However, hearing his cries, a villager came forward and immediately took him to the Kapurthala Civil Hospital.

The villager informed some of the residents of Punjabi Bagh about the accident and left the hospital without disclosing his identity.

Later, Singh was taken to a private hospital in Jalandhar wherein he was operated for nearly four hours with five units of blood being transfused. He is out of danger now.

On learning about the incident Singh’s wife Poonam, daughter Shubani (7) and son Babu (5) rushed from Bihar. Poonam expressed her gratitude to that unknown villager who turned out to be a god for their family.

Meanwhile, the residents of Punjabi Bagh have demanded the patrolling of PCR teams on the Jalandhar road during the night.