Bathinda, April 17
As his son, Raninder Singh, filed his nomination papers on the Congress ticket for the prestigious Bathinda Lok Sabha seat today, Congress campaign manager Captain Amarinder Singh warned Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of "tit-for-tat" in case the ruling SAD indulged in a show of muscle power during polling. Raninder's wife, Rishma Kaur, filed papers as his covering candidate.

Captain Amarinder Singh opted to keep the occasion a low-key affair as he and a couple of close relatives accompanied Raninder Singh to the mini-secretariat. Raninder's mother Preneet Kaur was conspicuous by her absence as she is busy with her campaign in Patiala.

Loyalists of CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Harminder Singh Jassi (MLA) and Tehal Singh, were present during the filing of papers, but they were not seen at the residence of Jeet Mohinder Sidhu, MLA, where Amarinder Singh interacted with the media.

Raninder Singh and Rishma Kaur left for campaigning after filing the papers. Raninder had said that he would keep the occasion a low-key affair, as he did not want to disturb the farmers who were busy with the harvesting of wheat crop.

Amarinder loyalist MLAs Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Makhan Singh and Ajeetinder Singh Moffar were present. Amarinder Singh warned that Congress activists would not remain mute spectators if the Badals tried to rig polls with help of hoodlums reportedly being brought from Punjab and Haryana. 

Bathinda, April 17
The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today urged the Election Commission to take immediate action against the Congress campaign manager Captain Amrinder Singh for "violating" the model code of conduct by making "wild" allegations of murder of 42 Congress activists and registration of cases against 700 others during the recently held panchayat elections.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, Naveen Chawla, copies of which have been sent to the two other election commissioners and the Chief Electoral Officer of the state, Daljeet Singh Cheema, secretary of the SAD, has said that during a recent press conference here Capt.Amarinder Singh had threatened to take revenge. Such utterances of the Congress leader were disturbing the peace and harmony at the time of Lok Sabha elections.

Cheema has complained that by making such allegations, Capt.Amrinder Singh was trying to create a divide between classes of people. Such allegations were repeated during Congress rallies at Sangrur and Talwandi Sabo.

This shows the "political bankruptcy" of the Congress party whose former president has to stoop so low to make imaginary allegations. The Congress party has no policy, programme, past record or work to counter the development work undertaken by the SAD except for such acts of fiction, Cheema added.

Bathinda, April 17
As Raninder Singh, the Congress candidate from Bathinda, was busy filing his nomination papers, Harsimrat Kaur Badal was busy attending rallies in the city to woo the voters.

She went to various wards and met their councillors. There, Saroop Singla, area in-charge of SAD (B), was busy telling the councillors about how to get more and more people to vote for SAD (B). He asked the councillors to take the mobile numbers of as many people as possible and send SMS to them asking for votes. Door-to-door campaigning was also stressed upon.

Harsimrat's main focus was on education, jobs for the rural populace, water, electricity, lady doctors for women and sewerage system. She spoke about all these in her speeches, which lasted for around 15-20 minutes at every meeting.

At Harsimrat's rally, workers were busy saying 'Sukhbir Badal zindabad'.

She was also spotted saying time and again that if she wins then people would get the benefit of one plus three as her father-in-law was the CM, her husband was the Deputy CM and brother-in-law Manpreet Badal was the finance minister. Harsimrat was also seen questioning the Mayor of Bathinda in front of everyone about the complaints people were making to her and said candidly the BMC was definitely not short of funds. Harsimrat also said that the elections were like an opportunity given to people and they can make or break a government. At Namdev Road, a tent was pitched on the road and people were called by the area councillor after she arrived. During her rally near Ghode Wala Chowk, she released a calendar based on her campaign 'Nanhi Chhan' made by Rampal Beniwal from Rama Mandi, who is a statue artist.

Bathinda, April 17
In Bathinda, apparent violation of the model code of conduct is going on.

Under the guidelines of model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls, it is mentioned that only five people are allowed to appear at the time of nomination filing.

In violation to the said norm, today Raninder Singh, Congress candidate for Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, appeared before the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), the ADC (General) Upjeet Singh Brar, with not less than 20 members of his party, including his family members.

When contacted, Assistant Commissioner (UT), Parveen Thind, who was also on the spot, said, "In this matter, the complaint can be lodged by the ARO only, so I do not want to give any comment on the issue."

When asked the returning officer, Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, Rahul Tewari said, "I received a verbal complaint from SAD (B) leaders about the said violation. I asked the concerned ARO, who in his report said that the Congress party submitted two nomination forms in the names of Raninder Singh and his wife Rishma Kaur. Going by that, 10 people were allowed. No doubt, rest of the people thronged the venue but by that time, papers had been received."

"If some written complaint will come to me or it appears in any newspaper, then I will surely take action against the accused, irrespective of the party concerned."

It was not only the Congress leaders who flouted the rules. On the day of nomination filed by SAD (B) candidate, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, violations were reported.

Though they maintained the decorum of the required number of people appearing before the ARO, but in gross violation of the model code, they held a press conference in the Deputy Commissioner's meeting hall, where they levelled allegations against the Congress.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, deputy chief minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal and the SAD candidate for Bathinda seat Harsimrat Kaur Badal interacted with the media in the meeting room where a number of SAD leaders and kin of the Badal family were present.

According to the information received, no action has been taken on any of the mentioned issue till fling the report.

Bathinda, April 17
It was an embarrassing moment for Kiranjet Singh Gehri, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) candidate for Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, when his nomination form could not be accepted as it was incomplete. But his supporters assuming that the papers had been accepted, started raising slogans in his favour.

As per the details, it was 2.45 pm, when Gehri loaded with garlands, accompanied by about 100 supporters amid much fanfare, entered the mini-secretariat.

He appeared in front of the ARO Upjeet Singh Brar but his documents were missing. Just five minutes before the deadline (3 pm), he got the forms but finding them incomplete, he expressed regret and came outside without filing the papers.

Meanwhile, the officers concerned issued him a slip for the payment of election fee and asked him to come tomorrow if he was willing to submit the form again in a complete way.

Assuming the mission completed, as he stepped out of the ARO office, his overjoyed supporters gave him a warm reception but Gehri had no words for them. Requesting this correspondent to sweep the matter under the carpet, Gehri said, “I will come alone and file the papers tomorrow.”

Sriganganagar/Abohar, April 17
Three murder convicts escaped from the sub-jail of the sub-divisional town Suratgarh in Sriganganagar district today. They were however nabbed after two hour chase by two policemen who were on patrolling duty.

Sources said Mukesh Sharma, Ganesha Singh and Hazari Lal had been jailed in connection with murders allegedly committed at separate places. As per information as the tractor-trailer loaded with fuel wood entered the sub-divisional jail complex today at about 8.30 am the waiting accused reportedly pushed chief guard Gurcharan Singh and escaped towards high heaps of sand located behind the jail. The escapees were finally overpowered near Dakida Dehar deserts after two hours. A case had been registered. —OC

Hanumangarh/Abohar, April 17
The Election Commission has granted permission to place the entire staff of Bhirani police station under suspension/transfer in connection with suspected suicide by an accused during remand in the police station, DC Naveen Jain said today.

Accordingly ASI Satvir Singh, head constable Ashok Kumar and constables Ajit Singh, Ghanshyam and Hari Singh have been suspended. Satvir Singh has been replaced by ASI Jagdish Chander while sub-inspector Inder Kumar has been posted as new SHO.

Notably one Pawan Kumar Jat of village Bhangarh had been arrested by the police for allegedly kidnapping and raping a minor of the same village and was remanded in police custody for two days. The minor girl was found later at the Loonkaransar police station. Pawan reportedly torn out the blanket and used its pieces to commit suicide inside the lock up on April 9.

The district police chief while ordering inquiry had recommended that permission of the EC should be taken to shift the entire staff on duty. 

Ferozpur, April 17
On the seventh day of filing nominations, another six candidates submitted their papers in the office of Returning Officer Megh Raj here today.

The candidates who filed papers included Baljinder Singh, Davinder Singh, Pappu Singh Rastravadi Janta Party, Atma Singh Independent, Bao Singh Democratic Party and Sahib Singh Lok Janshakti Party. Yesterday, five candidates had filed their nomination papers. — OC

Bathinda, April 17
In view of the repair work of a canal bridge that falls between Abohar and Pakki stations in the Bathinda-Srigangangar section on April 19, the railway has decided to cancel a few trains. Besides cancelling some trains partially, the railway has also regulated some trains.

The six-hour repair work would be carried out between 9 am and 3 pm on April 19.

According to railway sources, the 3SSB and 4SSB passengers, which run between Bathinda and Sriganganagar, will be cancelled on April 19.

The services of 4525 and 4526 Inter-City, which run between Ambala and Sriganganagar via Bathinda, will be cancelled between Bathinda and Sriganganagar on Sunday. The trains will run only between Ambala and Bathinda on that day.

The 336 passenger will start three hours behind schedule ex Sriganganagar for Bathinda and it will depart at 2 pm instead of 11 am. The 335 passenger that runs between Ambala and Sriganganagar will be regulated at Bathinda for 50 minutes and will start at 2 pm instead of 1.10 pm ex Bathinda. 

Moga, April 17
The minor Dalit girl who was sexually abused and made pregnant by wards of some influential families at village Ramuwala Kalan in Moga district and her parents had gone missing from home, last night. The relatives fear that they had been kidnapped by a Congress leader of the area.

A group of villagers led by Sarpanch Gurinder Singh and relatives of the girl met the local DSP in the absence of SSP demanding from him to get released the girl and her family members. They also demanded that the police should investigate this case independently by recording the statement of the victim.

It was learnt that the police had registered a criminal case under sections 376 and 506 of the IPC against six youths on secret information at Mehna police station, late last night.

The Sarpanch while talking to The Tribune said that there was a common talk among the villagers that those who had been booked by the police were not the real culprits, therefore, the statement of the victim was very essential in this case for an independent probe into this sensitive issue.

When this correspondent visited the village in the afternoon, it was found that the single-room house of the girl was locked from outside.

A relative of the girl living in the adjoining house told The Tribune that a local Congress leader had taken them along with him in a car last night and since then they had not come back home. "No body knows where they have been taken and what is their condition", he said.

Meanwhile, reacting to news item 'Minor Dalit 8-month pregnant - case not registered' published in The Tribune on Friday, the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes had issued notices to Satwant Singh Johal, district magistrate and Ashok Bath SSP of Moga.

While revealing this, Dalip Singh Pandhi, member of the SC Commission told The Tribune on telephone that the commission had taken a serious view of the insensitive role of the administration and the police into this incident. "We have sought replies from the DM and the SSP," he said.

On the other hand, after reading the news report the District Magistrate had also ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. 

Kot Guru (Bathinda), April 17
In a gruesome double murder case, a youth reportedly hooked to drugs, killed his parents by breaking open their skulls after repeatedly attacking them with a sharp-edged axe at village Kot Guru in the district, this afternoon. Lakhwinder Singh alias Beeta, who is in his twenties, killed his father Joginder Singh (60) and mother Jagdeep Kaur (55), at 2 pm on Friday and threw the bodies in the well.

Sources in the village said that an eyewitness, who was harvesting wheat crop nearby, said, "After killing his parents, he dragged the bodies to the well located outside the boundary of his house. Seeing this, he ran towards the village to seek help. Meanwhile, people informed the Sangat police.

By the time police and villagers reached the spot, Beeta had thrown more than 100 bricks in the well to cover the bodies. The whole area, from the house to the well, had a trail of blood as the bodies had been dragged that way.

Even after committing the murder, he was not afraid and after taking bath outside his uncle's house, he was seen washing the axe to remove the blood stains. It was then that he was nabbed by the police.

In the presence of police and workers of Naujwan Welfare Society, villagers pulled out the bodies and rushed them the Civil Hospital in Bathinda. The body of Joginder Singh, besides a broken skull, had deep cuts on the face, arms and legs. The body of Jagdeep Kaur also bore severe injury marks.