Jalandhar, January 15
A short-tempered teacher of Greatway High School, Khodian Mohalla, here, allegedly poured out his wrath on a class IX student yesterday, hitting him badly on his forehead, hands and back.

The boy, Sagar, was reportedly so terrorised that when he came back home from school at about 4 pm, he straightaway rushed to his room. It was only in the night, when he could no longer bear the pain, he told his parents about the incident.

Boy’s father Krishan Lal said he was shocked to see his son’s hands badly swollen. “There were deep injury marks on his back. It looked like he had been repeatedly hit by the infuriated teacher with a rod. A side of his forehead had turned blue,” he alleged blaming it on Bipin Behal, the English teacher at the school.

Going by the story told by the boy, the incident was too small for a provocation of the sort. Narrating the incident, the boy said, “The entire class had been asked to stand as everyone was making too much noise. I was standing with my back resting on the wall when I, by mistake, touched the switch that set the fan on. The teacher thought I had done it deliberately and he came down on me….” The boy could not speak further and his father completed the sentence.

“The teacher hit his head again and again on the switch board and dragged him downstairs hitting him all the way,” said Krishan Lal. “Since we were not aware of the incident yesterday, we took him to the doctor today and got a complaint lodged with the police,” the father said.

Dr Raj Kumar at the civil hospital said the injuries showed the boy had been badly beaten up. The division number 4 police said it had received a complaint and they were still investigating the matter.

The family members said the teacher and school principal Gulshan Sabharwal had visited their home today and apologised for the incident.

“We were initially a bit reluctant to send the child to school tomorrow but they have insisted that he should come tomorrow while ensuring his proper care,” the parents said. The teacher and the principal could not be contacted for comments.

Hoshiarpur, January 15
The death of a 19-year-old DAV College student in an accident today sparked off a protest by students of the college here. The victim has been identified as Suchleen of Kurangna village.

According to the information, the deceased boarded a private mini-bus from his village to the college.

However, the driver did not stop the bus on reaching the college due to which Suchleen was forced to alight from the moving bus during which his foot slipped and he feel down and was crushed under the rear tyres of the bus.

The bus driver and conductor fled from the accident site leaving the vehicle there.

After the incident, students of DAV College got agitated and smashed windowpanes of the bus. They later staged a dharna and blocked traffic on the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road for more than an hour.

The students demanded immediate arrest of the bus driver and alleged that some government and private bus drivers did not allow them to board their buses despite the bus passes issued by the authorities.

The students said they had brought the matter to the notice of the local bus authorities and the district administration, but all their attempts had failed.

They said the death of Suchleen was a result of the alleged dawdling policy of the administration.

It was only after the intervention of DSP Joginderpal Singh that the agitated students lifted the dharna. The DSP assured the students that the bus driver would be arrested by this evening. However, no arrests were made till filing of this report.

Meanwhile, the victim’s body was handed over to his family after conducting a post-mortem examination.

Chandigarh, January 15
Taking on record a news-item and analysis on overcrowding and rioting in the Jalandhar jail carried in these columns on January 8, a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled the urgent steps are required to be taken for dealing with the problem of congestion in the prisons.
Expressing its disapproval of the action so far taken by the authorities concerned in this regard, the bench, comprising Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia, also held the incident could have been avoided had the authorities “woken up from slumber”.

The bench also directed the filing of a comprehensive affidavit “giving details as to how the state of Punjab is taking up the matter for providing adequate infrastructure and additional capacities to the existing jails; and the time frame in which the same could be achieved”. Issuing the directions in an open court, the bench observed: “The Jalandhar incident should open the eyes of the administration. Urgent steps should be taken to deal with the problem of over-population of inmates, convicts as well as undertrial prisoners; and regarding the facilities which are provided in jails in the whole of the state 
of Punjab.”

The bench also observed: “In the status report filed, it has been stated that a new jail with a capacity of 2,500 inmates in an area of 72 acres is being built in the Kapurthala district jurisdiction. It is stated that the architectural design has been finalised and the structural design is under finalisation.”

In it’s detailed order, the bench added: “We cannot appreciate such a slow pace. The state administration should quicken its response to the gravity of the situation. Active steps should be initiated in this regard and the latest report be furnished.

Going into the background of the matter, the judges observed: “This court, on its own motion, had taken cognizance regarding the overcrowding of inmates and the conditions in the jails at  Jalandhar and Ludhiana. We have noticed from the newspaper report in The Tribune dated January 8, 2008, wherein it was mentioned that the rioting in the Jalandhar jail took place and the prisoners were injured as the police resorted to firing to regain control.

“The Tribune of the same date has also carried a news analysis regarding the firing incident and has observed that 1,391 prisoners are lodged against the capacity of 500. The news analysis also mentions endeavour made by this court to initiate corrective measures. Both the newspaper items are taken on record.”

The bench added: “In case prior to the firing incident, which occurred in the Jalandhar jail, as reported in the newspaper items, had the authorities woken up from their slumber, pursuant to our order dated October 30, 2007, issuing a notice on our own with regard to the condition of the jails, the incident may have been avoided”. 

Jalandhar, January 15
Workers of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) gathered at Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall here to celebrate the 52nd birthday of party president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today.

Hundreds of party workers gathered at the hall as the senior state representatives cut the ceremonial cake to mark their leader’s birthday at a state-level function. BSP state president Avtar Singh Karimpuri said Rs 50 lakh was being sent from the state as a birthday present to Mayawati.

He termed the allegations of collecting huge donations from party workers on the pretext of birthday as baseless and outburst of narrow-minded people. “Mayawati always worked for the welfare of Dalits and a contribution of the kind is worthwhile,” he said.

Karimpuri said the party had gained a stronger position this time in Himachal Pradesh elections. “While only 0.74 votes were polled bu us in the previous elections, this time we managed 7.5 per cent votes. We are now gearing up for forthcoming poll in Jammu and Kashmir where too we would follow an all-caste agenda,” he said.

Nawanshahr: A district-level function was organised at Kamal Banquet Hall to mark the birth anniversary of the BSP national president and chief minister of Uttar Pardesh Mayawati, here on Tuesday. Addressing the gathering, state BSP president Avtar Singh Karimpuri said the birth anniversary of  BSP supremo was being celebrated as “Arthik Sehyog Divas”.

It aims at mobilising the poor section of the society to generate their income sources. “We also want the people to know about the welfare policies being adopted by the CM in Uttar Pradesh. If the dalits, downtrodden , marginal farmers, traders belonging to all sections of the society want a conducive social security environment, then they should unite to become a formidable force to capture power at the Centre”, said Karimpuri.

Giving details on “Arthik Sehyog Divas”, the BSP chief said the idea was mooted by party founder Kanshi Ram to ensure that dalits do not have to 'mortgage their self respect' to the capitalist forces. “When the political parties generate funds from big industrial houses, it is quite natural that they would pursue their interests after coming into power rather that doing something for the welfare of poor,” said Karimpuri. aBSP leaders, including Hargopal Singh, former MLA, Parveen Banga, Paramjit Gosal, Vinod Ganger, Malkiat Ram, Nachhattar Paul, among others, also addressed the gathering. Financial aid was also disbursed among 35 beneficiaries. Karimpuri accompanied by the party leaders and workers also cut a huge cake. Ladoos were also distributed.