Jalandhar, September 19
The district and sessions judge Gurdev Singh today sentenced a middle-aged man to death in a triple murder case.

Tarsem Singh, a labourer, in a fit of rage, had bludgeoned his wife Rajwinder Kaur (38) and two sons Gurvinder (10) and Harvinder (8) to death with an iron rod last year at his residence in Khambra village.

In an attempt to mislead cops and make the murders look like an accident, he set the cooking gas cylinder on fire and injured himself using the rod. He also covered the bodies with quilts so that they would get completely charred, leaving no evidence. However, the ceiling of the room came down due to the blast in the cylinder, burying the bodies under the debris and also the quilts, which later raised suspicion of the investigating officers.

When Tarsem was grilled he broke down and confessed to the murders.

He admitted before the police that he had killed his wife and sons with an iron rod as he was upset owing to the poor financial condition of the family.

Gurdaspur, September 19
Additional district magistrate Inder Yash Bhatti, while banning the harvesting of paddy crop during night with combine harvesters, directed its owners to take worthiness certificates from the agriculture department before starting the operation.

Bhatti said the paddy harvesting during night did not conform to the specifications laid down by the government of India and hence the farmers found problems in the procurement.

This resulted in chaos at the purchase centres and grain markets.

The additional district magistrate added that such a situation might lead to a law and order problem and thus could result in the disturbance of peace and public tranquillity in the area.

The farmers have also been directed not to put the straw on fire after cutting the paddy crop.

The officer further said any farmer or combine harvester operater found violating the order would be prosecuted as per law.

Jalandhar, September 19
Rakhi, a student of St. Soldier College, Basti Danishmandan, has got student scholarship visa from the University of Volver, Hampton (UK). According to college vice-chairperson Sangeeta Chopra, Rakhi had passed her BCA with 68 per cent marks from the college.

She appeared in a test taken by the University of Volver in Punjab a few months back. Only two students from all over Punjab got this scholarship visa.

Rakhi said she was very excited about her further study of MSc computer science in the UK. She said she had got an 18-month student visa and the university would provide her two-year work permit visa.

Jalandhar, September 19
A group of 30 girl students accompanied by a lady teacher met Manju Tonk, president of the Vajra AWWA, at a welcome ceremony in Jalandhar cantonment today.

The delegation was part of an education tour under “Operation Sadbhavana” being conducted by the Army for the children of Batalik region of Ladakh, an army release stated here today, adding that a majority of these girls were Buddhist belonging to the ethnic minority known as “Brogpas or Red Aryan”. The interaction provided an opportunity to the girls to take some valuable tips from Manju Tonk for the tour ahead. She also shared her views on national integration and role the Army was playing in bringing prosperity and awareness in the remote areas.Girls presented their local folk dance and at the end gifts were presented to them. All the members of the contingent were exuberant and overwhelmed with the experience. They expressed gratitude to the Army for providing them such an opportunity. — PTI

Hoshiarpur, September 19
With the arrest of six persons, the district police today claimed to have unearthed a major racket of illicit liquor here. Illicit liquor worth Rs 27.30 lakh was also seized from the accused.

SSP Hoshiarpur Dr Sukhchain Singh said a police party, on a tip-off, raided a go-down on Cinema Road, Dasuya, and seized 3,890 cases of liquor. Six persons were arrested in this connection. They have been identified as Avtar Singh, son of Pritam Singh of Kharkhra Colony, Muradabad, Dinesh, Rajesh, Simling, Ramshankar, all of district Kanpur (UP) and Joginder Singh of Nainital district. Police also seized a huge quantity of labels of various brands. SSP said the modus operandi of the gang members was simple.

They used to paste labels of expensive brands on the bottles filled with illicit liquor and then sell them in the market.

All the accused have been arrested under sections 61, 1and 14 of the Excise Act and sections 420, 482 and 483 of the IPC.

Hoshiarpur, September 19
Punjab medical education and research minister Tikshan Sud has criticised AICC spokesman Virappa Moily for softening his stand on anti-national body SIMI and seeking a ban on nationalist organisation RSS.

In a hard-hitting statement here last night, Sud alleged that the appeasement policy of the Congress had been exposed with the statement of Moily “given at the instance of top Congress leadership”.

Jalandhar, September 19
The Punjab BJP has geared up its party workers to make the proposed youth rally a success.

National party president Rajnath Singh will address the rally scheduled to be held here on September 28, four days after the visit of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Punjab BJP president Rajinder Bhandari here today issued directions to party leaders to mobilise youth in a big number for the rally.

Leaders were told to establish contact with youth leaders, especially in various educational institutions, for the rally. Bhandari also held a meeting with local senior leaders of the party in this regard.

Asked about the visit of Rahul Gandhi, Bhandari said that the BJP “does not give any importance to him”.

He said the visits of Rahul Gandhi to various other states had been a big failure and his visit to Punjab would also make no difference.

Asked anout Capt Amarinder Singh, Bhandari said that his party was not against any individual. “Our party is against corruption. We supported the motion regarding expulsion of Capt Amarinder Singh in the House because it was actually a motion against corruption,” said Bhandari. He said any politician involved in corruption should be expelled from the assembly in future also.

Jalandhar, September 19
The owner of an industrial units, who was booked for manufacturing spurious cement by using the logo of Birla While cement, continued to elude the police on the third day today.

Although the police conducted raids at the house and other suspected hideouts of Luxmi Narayan Sharma, owner of Nippon Paints and Chemicals, but it failed to nab him.

Sharma was booked under the Copy Right Act and section 420 of the IPC for manufacturing spurious cement at his industrial units in the Ghas Mandi area on the Kala Sanghia road on Wednesday.

The police last evening sealed two industrial units - Narang Paints and Chemicals and Nippon Paints and Chemicals - and seized spurious cement manufactured under the logo of Birla While Cement.

The companies had allegedly been making spurious cement for the past couple of years.