The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

HIMACHAL

REGIONAL BRIEFS

NATION

OPINIONS

LETTERS

BUSINESS

SPORTS

WORLD

SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI

J A L A N D H A R E D I T I O N

Badal’s skip of Jalandhar function a ‘hint of chink’ in alliance?
Jalandhar, November 5
Rumour mills have been working overtime after Chief Minister Parkash Singh skipped the functions organised by the Local Bodies Department here yesterday. The CM was scheduled to land at the PAP grounds but failed to make it at the last moment, though scribes were eagerly awaiting his arrival at the helipad at noon.

Mother of 3, she had repeatedly spurned advances
Woman set on fire by neighbours, dies
Gurdaspur, November 5
Rajji, a resident of Langah Jattan village, 15 km from this town, who was allegedly set on fire by three persons living in her neighbourhood on November 3, died in the local Civil Hospital, late last night.

Firing Incident
PLF adamant on getting suspects arrested
Jalandhar, November 5
The district police finally swung into action in the high-profile firing incident in which two influential families are involved. The police came into action after the Punjab Leather Federation (PLF) mounted pressure and demanded arrest of the suspects involved in the incident.

EARLIER STORIES

	Services of 1,099 sanitary workers regularised November 5, 2009
	Punjab Bandh: Jalandhar witnessed complete shutdown November 4, 2009
	PUDA fails to honour pact with resident November 3, 2009
	Choosing Bhagat over fat jobs, Techies bring Gadhari hope November 2, 2009
	Punjab Day: Surriya Khannum enchants audience November 1, 2009
	Student dies, 28 hurt in bus mishap October 31, 2009
	9 private schools say no to polio vaccination October 29, 2009
	Startling facts come to light October 28, 2009
	Reporting units for dengue fail to perform October 27, 2009
	Chakki bridge slab caves in, no loss of life reported October 26, 2009

	Badal’s skip of Jalandhar function a ‘hint of chink’ in alliance? Amarjit Thind Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 5 Rumour mills have been working overtime after Chief Minister Parkash Singh skipped the functions organised by the Local Bodies Department here yesterday. The CM was scheduled to land at the PAP grounds but failed to make it at the last moment, though scribes were eagerly awaiting his arrival at the helipad at noon. Political circles are agog with rumours that all is not well between the alliance partners. The local SAD rank and file is angry at the way senior leaders were ignored and were not even informed about the function held to inaugurate the spanking new building of the Municipal Corporation. On the other hand, the BJP, too, is sore at the way their leaders are unfairly targeted in the House and not invited to other functions organised by the Akalis. Invariably, huge banners and hoardings heralding any event mushroom the city minus the portraits and names of political rivals even as both are bound by the coalition dharma. Such events are seen as a golden opportunity to cut rivals down to size and settle old scores. In the present context, the skip by Badal was ostensibly attributed to a technical snag in the chopper that was to ferry him to Jalandhar. Interestingly, Badal chose to fly to a function in the Malwa belt rather than coming here. Sources said word of the intense standoff between local leaders, and that there could be some unpleasant scenes in his presence, had reached the Chief Minister, making him give a miss to the event. There are also indications that all is not well between Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia and this was also one of the reasons behind this purported snub, the sources pointed out. Local Akalis were also sore at the way they were kept out of the loop about the preparations for the function that they alleged had been turned into a BJP show and not that of the government. It remains to be seen if the partnership reaches a breaking point in the days to come, the sources opined.
	Mother of 3, she had repeatedly spurned advances Woman set on fire by neighbours, dies Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, November 5 Rajji, a resident of Langah Jattan village, 15 km from this town, who was allegedly set on fire by three persons living in her neighbourhood on November 3, died in the local Civil Hospital, late last night. Police sources said the body of Rajji was cremated at her village today after a post-mortem examination. Sources said that three accused, Pikka, Jeeta and Gurmeeto, who were living in the neighbourhood of the deceased, put kerosene on Rajji and set her on fire on November 3. Rajji was shifted to the Civil Hospital with 80 per cent burns where she succumbed to her injuries. The sources said that Pikka was trying to develop physical relations with the deceased, wife of Niamat Masih, a labourer, forcibly. Rajji had been resisting the attempts of Pikka for the past many months. When Rajji got fed up with the repeated attempts of Pikka, she narrated all the things to her husband. Both Rajji and Niamat Masih lodged a complaint against Pikka to his family members on November 3. Instead of mending his ways, Pikka, along with two others, set Rajji on fire to take revenge that why she and her husband had lodged a complaint against him to his family members. All the accused went to the house of Rajji and put kerosene on her and set her on fire. The deceased was mother of three small children. The police said a case in this connection had been registered under sections 302, 452 and 34, IPC, in Sadar police station. No arrest had been made in this connection so far.
	Firing Incident PLF adamant on getting suspects arrested Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 5 The district police finally swung into action in the high-profile firing incident in which two influential families are involved. The police came into action after the Punjab Leather Federation (PLF) mounted pressure and demanded arrest of the suspects involved in the incident. Leading leather exporter Ranbir Singh Bhatia, alias Shelly, was shot at by certain assailants in Hotel Radisson on the night of October 30. The incident occurred in a party hosted by Kuki Behal, an office-bearer of the Jalandhar Gymkhana Club. Talking to The Tribune, Station House Officer of Police Division-II claimed that three weapons belonging to the families were taken into possession today. The weapons of Abhey Thakur (.32-bore revolver), Hemant Berry (.32-bore revolver) and J.K. Berry (pistol) would be sent to the forensic laboratory for verification. The police has already recovered an empty shell from the scene of the incident. A team of forensic experts from Chandigarh yesterday visited the hotel and took samples from the site. The police has even failed to trace any clue to the whereabouts of Hemant Berry and Abhey Thakur, the main suspects in the case, who have absconded. In protest against the police inaction, members of the PLF have also taken up the issue with the Punjab Chief Minister. The federation has been demanding arrest of the two suspects in the incident.
	Prices: Pawar’s statement irresponsible, say residents Batala, November 5 Residents of Batala took strong exception to the irresponsible statement of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that there would be no immediate relief from price rise. This has led to an increase in the prices of essential commodities. Wheat flour is being sold at Rs 18 per kg, dal arhar more than Rs 100 per kg and sugar at Rs 41 per kg in the local market. Similarly, the prices of other pulses rose abruptly which is a cause of concern for the common man. The skyrocketing prices have deflected the monthly budget of the salaried class, while the low income group finds it hard to purchase the items of daily use. Daily-wage earners like labourers and rickshaw-pullers and other poor people have been hit hard hit because of the high prices. — OC
	Labourer beaten to death for stealing basmati Amritsar, November 5 Kinder Singh, a resident of Nepal village, was allegedly beaten to death by farmers of the same village on the night of November 3. According to information, Kinder was found stealing basmati from the fields by Harjinder Singh and Bhupinder Singh, farmers of the village. They beat him and sent him home. However, his condition deteriorated in the night and he died. The accused, in order to destroy evidence and escape the police net, cremated the body hurriedly, claimed the police which registered a case under sections 302 and 201 of the IPC at Lopoke police station after a tip-off. The police said the accused were absconding after the registration of case and raids were being conducted to nab them. — TNS
	Rural games from Nov 13 to 15 Nawanshahr: Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal would inaugurate the state-levl rural games scheduled to be held from November 13 to 15 here. DC Gurkirat Kirpal Singh said under the Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan ( PYKA), under 18 boys would participate in the rural games. — OC