Abohar
Abducted girl rescued: A girl who had been kidnapped by a truck driver during the wee hours on the mega highway recently has been recovered from Malout town of the Muktsar district. The Sardarshehar police arrested the driver and his helper and produced them in a court last evening. The latter remanded the accused in police custody, sources confirmed today. The girl was handed over to her parents.

AMRITSAR
Makkar hails release of 2 Sikhs: SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar here on Wednesday thanked the Governments of India and Pakistan for getting the two Sikhs released from the hostage of the Taliban. He expressed gratitude towards the Manmohan Singh government for pressing upon the Pakistan Government to swiftly manage the release of the two Sikhs.

FARIDKOT
Gang of thieves busted: The police has busted an inter-state gang of thieves, who used to sell stolen tractors in the Kotkapura tractor market. Faridkot SSP Arun Kumar Mittal and Kotkapura DSP Vikramjit Singh said they had recovered four tractors that were stolen from Rajasthan and Gujarat. Buta Singh and Jagsir Singh, both from Bathinda, were arrested from near the grain market of the town. However, their two accomplices, Hardeep Singh and Gurcharan Singh, both from Rajasthan, managed to flee. An FIR has been registered against them.

Ferozepur
Mother, son die in mishap: Palwinder Singh, a resident of Mallanwala area of this district and his mother Kashmir kaur, were killed when the motorcycle on which they were riding, was hit by a speeding Punjab Roadways bus near village Khai situated on the Ferozepur-Fazilka road on Thursday. As per details, Palwinder Singh along with his son Shamsher Singh and mother Kashmir Kaur were going to Mallanwala and the bus was going to Fazilka from Ferozepur. Palwinder Singh died on the spot. His mother Kashmir Kaur succumbed to injuries within a few minutes after she was shifted to the local civil hospital. A case has been registered in this connection. The driver of the bus was yet to be arrested, sources said. 

Lok Adalat on March 6: The cases pertaining to the awarding of maintenance under section 125 of the CrPC in matrimonial disputes and traffic challans would be taken up in the special lok adalats to be held in this district on March 6. Jaspal Singh, district and session judge-cum-chairman, district legal service authority, Ferozepur in a press note issued here on Thursday said that lok adalats would be held at Ferozepur, Abohar, Fazilka, Zira and Jalalabad so that maximum number of cases could be decided to reduce the burden of pending cases in regular courts.

LUDHIANA
Amrik Singh taken ill: Eminent educationist and former Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University Dr Amrik Singh has been admitted to an ICU ward of the AIIMS as he is suffering from multiple old-age problems. He is also secretary-general of the Indian Universities.

MOHALI
Physics paper cancelled at Moga centre : A student allegedly tried to take away his answersheet of Class XII physics paper of the Punjab School Education Board outside an examination centre at Moga. This created a false alarm that the paper had been leaked and following this, the board authorities have cancelled the paper at the particular centre. Meanwhile, reacting to complaints of mass copying in the border district, the board authorities on Thursday blacklisted an examination centre at Guru Tegh Badhur Senior Secondary School, Baba Bakala, Amritsar, after receiving complaints that candidates are taking away their answersheets outside the examination centres. The staff on duty has also been changed.

New Delhi
Bathinda refinery: The government today said it was expediting work on three new refineries to boost oil production and ease the shortage of LPG cylinders in the country. India currently imports most of its crude oil and natural gas requirement, with the import last year of oil touching 132.8 million metric tonnes and of natural gas 7.958 million metric tonnes. Replying to questions in the Lok Sabha , Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Jitin Prasad said the situation would be better by year-end, when the Bina refinery would be up for commissioning. The other two new refineries -- at Bathinda and Paradip in Orissa---- would be commissioned next year, the minister said.