Bathinda
Dera follower manhandled: A Dera Sacha Sauda follower, Harmel Singh of Parjapati Colony, Nehianwala, lodged a complaint with the Nehianawala police that four masked Sikhs manhandled and threatened him near Thermal Colony late on Wednesday evening. Harmel, a motorcycle mechanic near Thermal Colony, alleged that the miscreants tried to snatch his Dera locket from his neck. Showing weapons hidden in their clothes, they asked him not to participate in the Dera meetings. Confirming the facts, SHO Nehianwala, Buta Singh said the complainant reached him with a number of villagers. But the alleged place of occurrence falls in the jurisdiction of the Thermal police station. “I marked their complaint to the police station concerned," he said. SHO Thermal police station Jagdish Singh, however, denied having any information about the incident.

Man hanged himself to death:A labourer, Chinda Singh, allegedly hanged himself to death at Siviyan-Deon road on Wednesday. He was reportedly depressed. Thermal police initiated inquest proceedings under section 174 of CrPC.

CHANDIGARH
SS Channy bereaved: Jagir Kaur (90), mother of SS Channy, Principal Secretary, Industry and Commerce, Punjab, died on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. She is survived by three sons and two daughters. 

HOSHIARPUR
Dal Khalsa defends Sarna’s stance: The Dal Khalsa criticised the Punjab Chief Minister and his son for playing into the hands of those who had scant respect for Guru Granth Sahib. Supporting DSGMC president PS Sarna for providing legal assistance to the suspects in the case regarding attack on leaders of the Dera Sachkhand Ballan sect in Vienna, president of the Sikh radical group HS Dhami said as a Sikh he (Sarna) or any devout Sikh had the right to defend those defending tenets and ideals of Sikhism. He refuted media reports that Ravidassias had drifted from Sikhism. “It’s the management and followers of Dera Ballan sect alone that subscribe to the idea of removing the saroop of Guru Granth Sahib from their religious places,” he pointed out. He said there were many Ravidassias in their organisation that revered Granth Sahib as their ‘Guru’ and adhere to the teachings and philosophy of the 10 Gurus.

ATM robbery case: The District Bar Association here on Wednesday demanded the transfer of Superintendent, District Jail, Hoshiarpur, Sat Pal Singh whose son Lovedeep Singh and nephew Satinderjit Singh are accused in the ATM robbery case. The association, in a press note here, said the police, to protect the culprits, registered a case under Sections 380 and 358, IPC, in the initial stage. It was a case of robbery, an offence under Section 394, IPC.

Hanumangarh/Abohar
Annual fair inaugurated: District collector Shobha Lal Moondra inaugurated the annual Gogamedi fair at Nohar on Wednesday. Hundreds of Hindus and Muslims thronged the venue to offer reverence to Lok Devta Goga Ji and Guru Gorakhnath. The DC unfurled the flag and performed rituals during recitation of mantras. He was joined by the local legislator Jaideep Doodi, Urmila Bijrania, chairperson of Panchayat Samiti.

Jalandhar
2nd MJMC test on Aug 11: The second test for some seats of masters in journalism and mass communication (MJMC) at Guru Nanak Dev University Regional Campus, Ladhewali, would be held on August 11.

LALRU
3 held for smuggling: The police arrested three persons on Wednesday for smuggling liquor. The accused were identified as Amarjit Singh, Manjit Singh and Madho Ram. They were smuggling liquor from Chandigarh to Rajasthan. According to the police, they received an information that a vehicle containing liquor had left Chandigarh. The police had set up a naka near ITI Chowk and intercepted the vehicle containing around 237 boxes of liquor. The vehicle was impounded and a case under the Excise Act was registered against the accused.

Man hit by train, killed: A 32-year-old man died after being hit by a passenger train near Lalru railway station on Wednesday morning. The deceased has been identified as Satyavir Singh, a resident of Lalru, who was working as a labourer. According to the railway police, they got the information around 11 am that a body was lying near the railway track. The police team reached the spot and took the body in their possession. The body has been kept at the Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi, for the postmortem. An inquest proceeding under Section 174 of the CrPC has been initiated.

MALERKOTLA
Councillor’s husband held: Supporters of municipal councillor Shama Farazi on Tuesday blocked traffic and raised slogans against the administration for arresting her husband Sarfraz Ahmed. According to SHO Harwinder Singh Khera, the police has booked four persons for allegedly beating up three employees of the municipal council. These employees had allegedly thrown a dead animal in the dumping place of their ward. Council’s employees went on a strike demanding the arrest of Ahmed.

SANGRUR
14 held for smoking in public: The local police arrested 14 persons while smoking at public places on Tuesday and Wednesday. The arrested persons were produced in a local court, which imposed a fine of Rs 100 each on them. After the payment of fine by the arrested persons, they were released. City in charge of the local police station Sanjiv Goyal said the persons had been arrested for violating the ban imposed on smoking at public places.