Jalandhar, March 2
In a broad daylight clash between two groups over some old hostility, two Jalandhar residents were critically injured in firing by a Hoshiarpur resident near BMC Chowk falling under police station number 4 here today.

The injured, identified as Ajit Singh of Daroli Kalan village near Aadampur and Swatantar Singh of Maqsoodan, were rushed to local civil hospital where their condition is stated to be critical.

According to eyewitnesses, Avtar Singh of a village near Mahalpur in Hoshiarpur district fired several rounds from his licenced revolver in a clash with Ajit Singh and his associates.

While two bullets struck Ajit Singh, one bullet hit one of his associates Swatantar Singh.

According to the information, both Avtar Singh and Ajit Singh returned from Italy some time back and they had some old enmity for past some time.

Ajit Singh came to know that Avtar Singh’s jeep hit some vehicle on his way to Jalandhar. At this Ajit Singh and his associates armed with sharp-edged weapons reached BMC Chowk where Ajit was already there.

Apprehending attack by Ajit Singh, Avtar Singh started firing. While the PCR team present near the chowk nabbed one of his associates Sukhdeep Singh, whereas Avtar entered a shop near BMC Chowk in an attempt to evade arrest.

Getting information about the firing just about half km away from his office, SSP R.K. Jaiswal himself reached the spot in no minutes and led the police team in nabbing accused Avtar Singh. Two more persons including Parveen Mehta and Amarjit were taken into custody in connection with the clash.

Concerned SHO Nirmal Singh said an FIR was registered under sections 307 of IPC and 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act in this connection and further investigations were on.

Jalandhar, March 2
A group of Jalandhar-based CAs today opposed the proposal of shifting of the Registrar of Companies (RoC) office in Jalandhar to Chandigarh.

In a press conference at Punjab Press Club, Ashwini Jindal, chairman of the Jalandhar Branch of Northern India Regional Council of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, raised the demand saying Jalandhar was a central place equidistant from industrial cities like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Ropar and Moga of Punjab and Una in Himachal Pradesh.

The members said the shifting of the office would only increase hardship for the industry in general and professional community including CAs, cost accountants and company secretaries.

Citing reasons, they said more than 20,000 companies out of a total 27,000 were nearer to Jalandhar than Chandigarh. They said the office had been working here since the past 50 years and no industrial association ever wanted it to be shifted to Chandigarh. The offices of the Enforcement Directorate, CPWD, Central Excise and Taxation, Registrar of Societies and regional passport office are also situated here, they pointed out.

The CAs said they had learnt that the Jalandhar Improvement Trust had agreed to give 1.7 acre land to the RoC so that a bigger office would be set up but they rued that the department of company affairs had not taken the offer seriously.

The members gave yet another reason saying RoC was being shifted to Chandigarh only because it is the state capital of Punjab and Haryana as they pointed out that the RoC of Madhya Pradesh was running in Gwalior instead of Bhopal and the RoC of Haryana was operating from New Delhi.

Nawanshahr, March 2
With a view to ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning of the police and efficiency in curbing the crime graph, SSP Rakesh Aggarwal has taken an initiative of keeping a vigil on the day-to-day functioning of the police stations through the close circuit TV (CCTV) cameras in the district. The city police station has been connected with the CCTV cameras with SSP’s office.

All the eight police stations would be connected with the CCTV cameras in phases, said the SSP, while divulging the details to The Tribune. The public dealing by the various police officials and condition of the lockups at the different police stations, would be randomly monitored through the cameras to ensure qualitative improvement in the functioning of the police at the grassroots level, he added.

Besides, there was also a plan to connect all the main chowks of the different towns with the CCTV cameras, said Aggarwal, adding that it would help the police in curbing the crime. The CCTV cameras at main chowks would help in solving the problem of the traffic congestion and rise in the incidents of road accidents.

Pathankot, March 2
Punjab governor S.F. Rodrigues wish to see the area along Ranjit Sagar Dam developing into an eco-tourism spot. Visiting the dam site recently, the Governor met the officers and engineers of the dam at the community hall and took stock of various construction activities and progress of the ongoing works of the Shahpur Kandi project.

He said the development of the area into a tourism spot would not only strengthen the economy of the area, but also help all-round development of the rural areas of Pathankot and Dhar subdivisions.

He said the Keshopur Shamb area was being developed as a wetland, which would attract migratory birds. He said the development of the Ranjit Sagar Dam site into a tourist spot would attract foreign as well as indigenous tourists.

He said the government had been considering to set up mini hydel projects over the canal network in the state. He said the government had chalked out an action plan also in this context. Gurdaspur DC Neelkanth apprised the Governor of the problems being faced by the people of the Kandi and semi-hilly area of the two subdivisions. — OC

Jalandhar, March 2
On the call given by the Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation (PFUCTO), hundreds of college teachers today gathered at the local Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall and demanded the implementation of revised pay scales of principals and teachers.

Area secretary of the organisation Dr Mukhtiar Singh said the state government should immediately implement the Chadha committee report in the interest of the teaching faculty.

Meanwhile, the president of the Federation of Association of College Principals, Punjab and Chandigarh, Dr V.K. Tewari, also urged the government to implement the notification issued by the ministry of human resource and development on December 31, 2008, regarding the revision of pay scales.

Jalandhar, March 2
Lt-Gen V.S. Tonk, GOC of the Vajra Corps, today paid homage at the Vajra Corps War Memorial on the eve of diamond jubilee celebrations.

The Vajra Corps organised various social and entertainment activities for its men.

Addressing the Army personnel, including the previous corps commanders, officers and other ranks, Lt-Gen V.S. Tonk directed all ranks to be proficient in handling modern weapons and use technology to enhance their military skills.

Meanwhile, a cycling expedition was also flagged off from Jalandhar cantonment on this occasion.

The 10-day-long expedition would cover a distance of 438 km and visit various places in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.

Hoshiarpur, March 2
Greed for more dowry by the in-laws has compelled a woman to commit suicide here last evening.

According to police sources, Vijay Kumar of Azad Nagar, Ludhiana, stated that his sister Radha Rani was married to Harpal Singh about six years ago and had a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Radha’s in-laws used to torture her for more dowry. Yesterday, she immolated herself at her house. Vijay alleged that Radha Rani committed suicide following the alleged severe torture by her husband Harpal Singh, father-in-law Avtar Singh, mother-in-law Jasbir Kaur and sister-in-law Pamo, all of local Purhiran, for more dowry.

SMO of the civil hospital Dr Gurdev Singh said when Radha Rani was brought to the hospital, she had already died. The Model Town police has booked Radha Rani’s in-laws under sections 304 B and 34 of the IPC and arrested Harpal Singh and his father Avtar Singh. — OC