Jalandhar, April 17
Some armed persons fired at a Congress leader of Bhuttar village, Pritam Singh, at Kapurthala Chowk here this evening.

Pritam Singh sustained bullet injury in his foot. He was rushed to the local civil hospital, where his nephew Tarloachan Singh had already been admitted after a clash between two groups at Bhuttar village on April 14.

Talking to The Tribune at the hospital, Pritam Singh said he saw three vehicles chasing him when he was returning to his village after enquiring about his nephew’s health.

In an attempt to give the vehicle-borne persons a slip, he entered a street near Kapurthala Chowk, but the followers entered the street and fired at him. After that they managed to flee.

Pritam Singh alleged that the attackers included Bhogpur SAD block president and chairman of Bhogpur Sugar Mill Banta Singh Bhuttar, Bhogpur SHO Kulwinder Singh and some other policemen of Bhogpur police station.

The district police suspended the Bhogpur SHO after the incident. However talking to The Tribune, SSP Arpit Shukla said he had been suspended for dereliction of duty as he failed to prevent today’s incident, which he could have by confiscating the weapons and arresting the accused wanted in connection with the fight between two groups at Bhuttar village on April 14.

Admitting that the SHO was present at the time of occurrence of the crime, the SSP claimed that the SHO had no involvement in firing and had gone there to arrest Pritam Singh, who was also an accused in the April 14 fight.

Cross FIRs had been lodged against 13 persons at Bhogpur police station in connection with April 14 clash.

Meanwhile, DSP (city I) Mukhwinder Singh told The Tribune that an FIR was registered against Banta Singh Bhuttar, his son Jagmohan Singh, his grandson Manjinder Singh, all of Bhuttar village, Harpeet Singh and Parwinder Singh, both of Boparai village, under section 307 of the IPC at police station number two in connection with today’s incident.

Jalandhar, April 17
The residents of Bharat Nagar locality of ward no 15 here are a harried lot. It has been more than 10 days since the people of the area have been complaining of serious stomach ailments due to supply of polluted drinking water.

Those affected also include residents of Guru Nanak Pura (West) locality. The inhabitants claim it’s more than a month since they have been forced to drink the polluted water.

The problem came to fore when some residents started complaining of vomiting, dysentery and high fever.

“Initially we did not took the matter seriously and thought that it’s due to changing weather. It was only when similar problem was seen among other colony residents, we approached our councilor on Wednesday”, said Ruby Sharma, resident of Guru Nanak Pura (West).

Bharat Nagar resident Surinder Kaur whose five family members have taken ill due to contaminated water claimed, “Before elections Jalandhar (Central) MLA Manoranjan Kalia had promised to provide potable drinking water in the area and construct roads. But nearly a year has passed and nothing has materialised so far”.

When contacted, councilor Manjinder Singh Chatha said he has personally visited each and every household in both the localities. “The health authorities have distributed chlorine tablets and taken water samples,” he added.

Commissioner CS Talwar said he has already asked his superintending engineer (SE) VP Singh to look into the matter.

“I have asked the officer to ensure that there is no official negligence and every possible precaution should be taken to provide clean potable water to residents,” he added. The SE said each and every water connection would be checked in the twin localities.

Hoshiarpur, April 17
The Hoshiarpur district consumer forum has ordered the Reliance General Insurance Company (RGIC) to pay Rs 2 lakh to Jatinder Singh of Kharal Kalan (Jalandhar) for refusing an accidental claim to him.

Forum president P.D. Goel directed the company to pay the compensation along with an interest of 9 per cent and Rs 1,000 as litigation expenses. In his complaint Jatinder Singh alleged that the company repudiated the accidental claim of his father’s car.

In its reply, the RGIC said Jatinder Singh was asked to produce a legal heir certificate or an affidavit giving details of all the legal heirs of Kartar Singh and a no-objection certificate from the other legal heirs for payment. However, Jatinder failed to submit the documents.

The consumer forum held that Jatinder Singh's brother Jaswinder Singh and sister Balwinder Kaur had relinquished their share in the personal accidental claim of their father’s death.

So Jatinder Kumar has given an undertaking indemnify the RGIC and the company was found guilty for deficiency in services.

Hoshiarpur, April 17
Affected by inflation, the dairy and sweetmeat shop owners of the town have increased the rates of milk and its products by more than 20 per cent on Wednesday.

The price of milk has been increased from Rs 18 per kg to Rs 22 per kg. Similarly rates of curd and cheese have been raised from Rs 28 per kg to Rs 32 per kg and Rs 110 per kg to Rs 140 per kg, respectively.

Condemning the increase, Citizen Welfare Council chief Om Parkash Saini and Hoshiarpur Nagar Vikas Manch president Amarjit Singh Amar released separate press statements here today.

They alleged that the district administration had failed to take any action against the hoarders and grocers who had been selling goods on exorbitant prices.

Citing an example, Amar said “Triphla” powder was being sold at Rs 60 per kg few days ago.

However, when he went to purchase it yesterday, the shopkeeper charged him Rs 80 per kg and failed to reply why there was price increase.

Similarly, Citizen Welfare Committee senior vice-president D.L. Anand alleged that the dairy and sweetmeat shop owners were selling adulterated milk and its products in connivance with the health authorities.

The organisations warned the district administration to take immediate steps to roll back the milk prices, failing which they would launch an agitation.

Interestingly, the milk and its products prices were increased last month too, but were rolled back by intervention of district administration. DC N.K. Wadhawan said he would call up a meeting and look into the matter.

Nawanshahr, April 17
A Homeguard jawan Baldev Raj (40) was killed on Thursday when wheat bags fell on him at FCI warehouse.

Baldev was on night duty at the warehouse on Wednesday. His body was recovered buried under wheat bags believed to have fallen from a warehouse rack.

“It seems as if during tarpaulin inspection a stone fell on his head as the body had head injury,” said police. A case has been registered.

Batala: Nindi (55), resident of Qila Lal Singh, was crushed under rear tyres of a truck near Smadh road on the Batala-Jalandhar highway on Thursday. The police has arrested the truck driver Mohan Lal and registered a case.