Hoshiarpur, February 3
A 17-year-old BA (I) student of a prominent college in Mukerian was allegedly gang-raped by four persons on January 29.

The incident, however, came to light only on Saturday, when the police registered a case against the culprits on the complaint of the girl.

The police has arrested Kulbir Singh, alias Rinku, of Umarpur under sections 376, 365 and 34 of the IPC in this connection. His accomplices have been identified as Jassa, Bunty and Aju.

According to police sources, when the girl went outside the college in the afternoon on January 29, the four youths, who were already standing there, allegedly bundled her into a vehicle and gagged her with a cloth sprayed with an anesthetic, due to which she became unconscious.

She was taken to a secluded spot where they beat her up and gang-raped her.

Later, they telephonically told her maternal uncle that they would abandon her at Dasuya. He and the girl’s maternal aunt took her to her residence at Panjdehra Kalan village. The police is conducting raids to nab the culprits.

Jalandhar, February 3
The newly elected president of the NRI Sabha, Kamaljeet Singh, demanded that the Punjab government should fulfil its promises, including setting up of NRI police stations, made during the recently concluded NRI Sammelan.

Soon after his election, Kamaljeet Singh said he would meet Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for taking up the issues related with NRIs, including speedy disposal of their cases of property and matrimonial disputes.

He said his topmost priority would be construction of NRI Bhawan.

Besides, the foreign wings of the NRI Sabha would be strengthened, he added.

Earlier, Kamaljeet Singh, a hotelier, was unanimously elected as the NRI Sabha president as another candidate Pritam Singh Narangpur, a former president of the sabha, decided to withdraw his papers in Kamaljeet’s favour.

The third contender Jasbir Singh Gill was disqualified as only 52 members raised their hands in his favour against required 118, at least 10 per cent of the total 1,180 members and nominees of the NRI Sabha present at the venue Desh BhagatYadgaar Hall.

Later, Gill alleged he had made 350 new members of the NRI Sabha on Friday but none of them was allowed to enter the hall.

Jalandhar commissioner S.R. Ladhar was observer, whereas DC Ajit Singh Pannu was the chief electoral officer.Outgoing president Giani Resham Singh Hayer also reportedly supported Kamaljeet Singh.

Baba Bakala, February 3
Thousands of farmers would gherao the office of sub-divisional magistrate here on February 11 for the cancellation of the notification issued by the state government for the construction of 100-foot wide and 5-km long road from Sathiala to Dera Beas.

Satnam Singh Pannu, spokesman for various kisan unions, including Kisan Sangharsh Committee (KSC), Jamhoori Kisan Union and Kirti Kisan Union, stated this to mediapersons after holding a meeting with other farmer leaders at a local gurdwara in this regard.

He alleged that the state government, headed by Parkash Singh Badal, had issued the notification under pressure from the chief of Dera Beas. He said if the government wanted to construct the road it could widen the 60 feet road, which was leading to Dera Beas from Sathiala.

Pannu said already three roads were leading to the dera, one from the GT Road, second from Sri Hargobindpur and the third from Sathiala, and there was no need for constructing the new road as there was no heavy rush on these roads, especially the Sathiala one.

He said as per the notification, agricultural land of 32 marginal farmers would be acquired, which was the only source of their livelihood. He said the government had earlier acquired the land for constructing the existing road but the government had allegedly failed to pay any compensation to the farmers.

However, deputy commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu said the district administration would acquire the land as per notification and adequate compensation would be given to the farmers for the land acquired from them.

He warned the government that if it forcibly tried to acquire the land of these hapless farmers they would be forced to launch a struggle and would not allow the government to acquire their land at any cost.

Bhupinder Singh Takhtmal, Karam Singh Balsaran of the KSC, Baldev Singh Saidpur, Gurmej Singh Timowal, Amrik Singh of the JKS and Jatinder Singh Chhinna, Dhanwant Singh of the KKU were present in the meeting.

Amritsar, February 3
District police has succeeded to nab a notorious smuggler who was driving a Scorpio with a red beckon atop. According to police sources, Rajkaran Singh alias Bunti was active in Maqboolpura area - a locality of widows.

When the patrolling party signaled the accused to stop near Khalsa College, the latter tried to flee but was nabbed. The police recovered 50 grams of smack from him.

A case has been registered under the NDPS act at police station, Islamabad, here.

Bunti was wanted in many drug smuggling cases pending in various courts. The police authorities said Rajkaran and his brother Jaskaran Singh were known smugglers and running the illegal trade in the area for the last several years. Rajkaran property had been freezed under section 68F of NDPS act in August 2007.

Meanwhile, the police also nabbed Nirmal Singh, a known drug smuggler of Angarh area with 25 gram smack.

The police also seized 25 gm narcotic powder from Vikramjit Singh of Khandwala, Chheharta here. Two separate cases were registered at Sadar and Chheharta police stations, respectively. 

Hoshiarpur, February 3
Resentment prevails among the civil pensioners of the Himachal government, a sizeable number of whom are bonafide residents of the erstwhile state of Punjab, for not getting pension and benefits on the pattern of Punjab.

They joined service under the Punjab government prior to November 1, 1966, and were allocated to Himachal Pradesh under the Reorganisation Act. Their ex-colleagues and counterparts, who joined service along with them, under the same government in the same department and on the same pay scale, are getting higher pension and allied benefits.

In a release issued to the press here on Sunday, secretary of Himachal Pensioners Kalyan Sangh Vishnu Datt Sharma urged Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to remove the anomaly in the pension of HP pensioners by granting them an increase in the old-age pension at 5 per cent and 10 per cent, at the age of 65 and 75 years, respectively. He also demanded traveling allowance equivalent to one month’s basic pension and medical allowance at the rate of Rs 350 per month. — OC