Jalandhar, May 10
A Khalsa college student was killed near Kala Bakra village falling under Bhogpur police station here today.

The victim has been identified as Jaspreet Singh, alias Sonu, a resident of Aalamgeer village. According to police sources, 22-year-old Jaspreet was on his way to college to appear for an exam when some unidentified assailant attacked him with some sharp-edged weapons.

The sources said the victim was on his scooter when some car-borne persons forced him to stop on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway. Suddenly, a person alighted from the car and attacked Jaspreet. The assailants fled from the spot leaving Jaspreet in a critical state.

Later he was taken to the Kala Bakra civil hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Talking to The Tribune, Bhogpur SHO Karamvir Singh said an FIR had been registered against Ravinder Singh and his father Surjit Singh, both of Kingra Chowwala village, under sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code on the statement of the deceased’s father Jarnail Singh.

Karamvir said the deceased used to call Ravinder’s sister time and again which annoyed Ravinder’s family. However, whether the girl was involved with boy or not would be confirmed only after investigation, he added.

According to the information, Jaspreet had an affair with Ravinder’s sister and the girl’s family was not happy with the affair. Prima facie, it was understood that girl’s relatives might have eliminated Jaspreet.

Meanwhile, Jaspreet’s body was sent to the Jalandhar civil hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Amritsar, May 10
The body of Vikramjit Singh, who was killed by Punjabi model and assistant director of a Bollywood film, was cremated at his native village Muchhal (Khalchian), about 35 kilometers from here on Saturday. The body of the 25-year-old youth was brought from Mumbai by his father Mukhtiar Singh and uncle Narinder Singh. Vikramjit was the only son of his parents. The accused, Swatantra Singh, has appeared in several Punjabi music videos and had recently also recorded some songs. He was also working as an assistant director in the Punjabi film `Mr Singh.’

The pall of gloom descended on the village when his body was consigned to flames. According to the Mumbai police, Vikramjit’s murder seems to be the fallout of a human trafficking racket. The family members said though the alleged killer has been nabbed by the Mumbai police, his brother and other accomplices, who belong to Amritsar, have been not arrested so far.

Vikramjit was allegedly lured by the accused, who promised to send him to Canada as a member of a film shooting unit and told him he can stay back there. “The deal was settled for Rs 7 lakh and Swatantra was paid Rs 1.5 lakh,” the family alleged. The family members said though the alleged killer has been nabbed by the Mumbai police, his brother and other accomplices, who belong to Amritsar, have been not arrested so far. The family further members said proper investigation into the case could lead to busting of the gang involved in the crime. They believed that the accused persons might have killed more innocent persons.

Vikramjit’s body was found with a slit-throat outside Jogger’s Park in suburban Andheri's plush Lokhandwala Complex on May 8. A PAN card was found near the body of Vikramjit.

Jalandhar, May 10
Residents of Basti Bazigar, Rehmanpur, Lakkar Mandi and Railway Road of Nakodar are up in arms against the nagar council for not supplying potable water for the past three days.

In a representation to deputy commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu, Jan Chetna Mandal general secretary Ravi Kumar said, “Nagar council officials seem to have turned a blind eye to our problem. Our repeated visits and memorandums for supply of potable water have fallen on deaf ears”. A copy of the same has also been sent to the SDM and the executive officer, Nakodar, he added.

According to residents, a transformer at Purewal Colony burst due to which water pump at the tubewell got damaged, affecting the water supply.

Sarbjit Singh, resident of Rehmanpur locality, said, “The day since the water pump has become unoperational, we have been left with no option but to look out for alternatives. Whenever we try to contact nagar council officials, they say they are busy with the panchayat poll.” Though they met the officials concerned today, they failed to address their woes and said it would take another day or two to install a new water pump, he added.

Meanwhile, Nakodar nagar council executive officer Sukhdev Singh Randhawa said, “We are aware that residents are facing a lot of problem and we are trying our best to install the new water pump as soon as possible”.

Nawanshahr, May 10
The recent thefts of batteries and inverters from the control boxes of traffic lights at Chandigarh Chowk and Ambedkar Chowk here, it seems, has not only rendered the traffic lights defunct but also the traffic police.

The absence of traffic lights and delaying attitude of the traffic police in regulating the traffic has resulted in a total chaos at the busy Ambedkar Chowk and Chandigarh Chowk on the Jalandhar-Chandigarh highway.

A few months back, SSP Shashi Prabha Diwedi took the help of Khanna-based NGO “SAATH” (Society for Accident Aid and Traffic Gelp) to streamline traffic in the town. Naresh Mehta, a traffic engineer associated with teh NGO has suggested changes in the design of lights. They were made and gradually, the people started adapting to the new system. However, with the thefts of batteries of lights, the whole process has come to a naught. The residents say that senior police officials have been claiming that in the second phase the traffic at other places in the town would also be regulated, but the improvement made in the first phase itself is not serving the purpose.

Bhushan Singh Rana, executive officer of the municipal council, when contacted on the phone, said the council had got an FIR registered regarding the theft of batteries.

However, he tried to evade the issue of installing the new batteries. — OC

Phagwara, May 10
Kulwant Singh (62) of Baba Balak Nath Mohalla here died on the spot as an out-of-control Maruti van hit him in the Gaushala Road bazaar here on Saturday evening.

According to sources, Kulwant Singh was running an egg shop in the Gaushala Road bazaar falling under the city police station.

He was returning home after closing the shop when the car hit him due to which his neck was broken and he died on the spot.

The car also hit tea-shop owner Ashok Kumar who sustained injuries in his legs. He was admitted to the local Civil Hospital. Aman Kumar was driving the vehicle.

Prima facie it is understood that Aman was not an experienced driver. Eyewitnesses said he lost control over the vehicle while taking a turn after coming from Masjid Road.

Before hitting the two persons, the vehicle also collided with some parked vehicles, including a bike which was partially damaged. The police took Aman Kumar in custody.