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Van-Oil Tanker Collision
3 police personnel killed in mishap
Nawanshahr,March 22
Three police personnel, including a woman, were killed in a head-on collision between a police van and an oil tanker near Dhahan village on the Jalandhar-Nawanshahr-Chandigarh highway here this morning.

Man dies as truck hits bike
Jalandhar, March 22
One person was crushed to death while his companion sustained injuries in an accident involving a truck and a motorcycle at Qadian village, near here, this afternoon. According to the police, motorcyclist Joginder Pal (26), a resident of Boota Mandi, and Baldev from Phillaur, were riding a motorcycle when a truck coming from the opposite direction hit the bike.

Residents suffer as MC workers shun work
BJP councillor booked for assaulting MC engineer
Tarn Taran, March 22
Baldev Singh Billa, a local BJP municipal councillor, has been booked under sections 353, 356, 506 and 186 of the IPC by the police for assaulting Assistant Municipal Engineer (SO) Lakhwinder Singh Bal.

EARLIER STORIES

	Phagwara bride dupes NRI March 22, 2010
	Clerk forges principal’s signature, withdraws hefty amount March 21, 2010
	From March 21, violate traffic rules and pay fine on the spot March 20, 2010
	MC’s environment laws apply on all but itself March 19, 2010
	PIMS indecisive on BPL cell issue March 18, 2010
	On cards: 150 gensets to power tubewells March 17, 2010
	Pharmacist accused of molestation March 16, 2010
	Elated union now wants to expose govt ‘wrongdoing’ March 15, 2010
	Two Sarpanches among 5 held for corruption March 14, 2010

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Kidnapped girl child restored to mother
Pathankot, March 22
The police recovered a three-and-half-year-old girl student of LKG studying in Spring Dale High School at Sujanpur, 6 km from here, today after a complaint of her kidnapping from the school was lodged by her mother.

Youth’s murder: Five booked
Hoshiarpur, March 22
On the complaint of Tarlochan Singh, son of Gurmukh Singh of the local Indira Colony, the Sadar police on Saturday evening registered a case (under sections 364 and 120-B of the IPC) against five accused for kidnapping and killing Tarlochan’s younger brother Aman Siheera (18), whose body was found in the Beas on March 19.

School Auto Union goes on indefinite strike
Jalandhar, March 22
The School Auto Union here have announced indefinite strike protesting against the police strictness in implementing the traffic rules, which allow only four to six children per auto-rickshaw. The auto-rickshaw workers’ union has also announced hike in fares.

Employees burn copies of state budget
Tarn Taran, March 22
On the joint call of the Punjab and UT Employees Action Committee and the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation (PSSF), employees of the different departments of the state government protesting against the government’s attitude towards their demands burnt copies of the state budget here today.

Bank staff hold strike
Nawanshahr,March 22
On the call given by the Punjab State Cooperative Bank Employees Federation, employees of the Nawanshahr Central Cooperative Bank observed a pen down strike for two hours here today.

	Van-Oil Tanker Collision 3 police personnel killed in mishap Our Correspondent Nawanshahr,March 22 Three police personnel, including a woman, were killed in a head-on collision between a police van and an oil tanker near Dhahan village on the Jalandhar-Nawanshahr-Chandigarh highway here this morning. The police van was going to Chandigarh from Jalandhar on official duty. There were 16 police personnel in the van. When it reached near Dhahan village, an oil tanker coming from the opposite direction collided with it. Phumman Singh, resident of Dhilwan village in Kapurthala and posted at Chowki Paragpur, Jalandhar, and Kuldip Singh, resident of Cheema village and posted as an ASI in Amritsar district died on the spot. A woman constable, Raj Rani, resident of Kapurthala and posted at Chandigarh, who was admitted to Guru Nanak Mission Hospital, Dhahan Kaleran, and referred to the DMC, Ludhiana, succumbed to her injuries on the way to Ludhiana. Two policemen, Malkiat Singh and Surinder Pal, who received injuries, were admitted to Guru Nanak Mission Hospital, Dhahan Kaleran. The other policemen, who received minor injuries, were discharged after giving first aid. The SSP, Dr Narinder Bhargav, SP (HQ), Jagjit Singh Gill, along with other police officials reached the accident site.
	Man dies as truck hits bike Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 22 One person was crushed to death while his companion sustained injuries in an accident involving a truck and a motorcycle at Qadian village, near here, this afternoon. According to the police, motorcyclist Joginder Pal (26), a resident of Boota Mandi, and Baldev from Phillaur, were riding a motorcycle when a truck coming from the opposite direction hit the bike. Joginder Pal died on the spot, while Baldev sustained serious injuries. The truck reportedly overturned after the accident. The body of Joginder Pal was handed over to the family members after a post-mortem examination at the local Civil Hospital. Baldev is said to be out of danger. The truck driver reportedly fled from the scene. A case of rash and negligent driving has been registered against the truck driver at Sadar police station.
	Residents suffer as MC workers shun work BJP councillor booked for assaulting MC engineer Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, March 22 Baldev Singh Billa, a local BJP municipal councillor, has been booked under sections 353, 356, 506 and 186 of the IPC by the police for assaulting Assistant Municipal Engineer (SO) Lakhwinder Singh Bal. Billa allegedly assaulted Bal when he had gone to supervise the ongoing works at the Muradpur locality on March 19. Bal had raised objection in the quality of the material in the work. Bal had lodged a complaint against Billa to the police. After waiting for three days, when the MC employees observed that the police was not registering case against the councillor, they shunned work today. As a result, the residents of the town had to stay without water in the morning. The sweepers of the council also observed strike. The sewerage system of the MC started chocking at certain places. Bal in his complaint alleged that Billa misbehaved with him when he had gone to supervise the ongoing works in the Muradpur locality. Bhupinder Singh Khera, president of the council, intervened in the matter and assured the employees of action against the Billa, which led to the restoration of the water supply in the town and the employees resumed work.
	Kidnapped girl child restored to mother Our Correspondent Pathankot, March 22 The police recovered a three-and-half-year-old girl student of LKG studying in Spring Dale High School at Sujanpur, 6 km from here, today after a complaint of her kidnapping from the school was lodged by her mother. DSP Karam Chand said Vaneeta alleged in the complaint that her daughter (Ritima) was kidnapped by her estranged husband at about 12 noon today from the school. She further said she had not been living with her husband since 2005. The police swung into action and sealed all the major roads in Sujanpur. It intercepted a Zen car (PB-35-0623) at a naka at Ranjit Sagar Dam checkpost No 6 on the Kathua road and recovered the girl from the car. The DSP said Davinder Singh, estranged husband of Vaneeta, and his accomplice Satinder Singh travelling in the car were arrested. A case was registered against both the culprits under sections 361, 363 and 365 of the IPC. The police handed over the girl to her mother.
	Youth’s murder: Five booked Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, March 22 On the complaint of Tarlochan Singh, son of Gurmukh Singh of the local Indira Colony, the Sadar police on Saturday evening registered a case (under sections 364 and 120-B of the IPC) against five accused for kidnapping and killing Tarlochan’s younger brother Aman Siheera (18), whose body was found in the Beas on March 19. The accused, Keshav Thakur (son of Dayal Thakur) of Bullanwari, Rohit, alias Happy (son of Ravi Kumar) of Pathankot, presently residing at the local Aslamabad, Sanjiv Saini (son of Jasbir Singh Saini) of Arjan Nagar, Bullanwari, Soni Pandit, alias Gurwinder Singh (son of Kulwant Singh), of Clock Tower, and Gagandeep, alias Sonu Delli, of Fatehgarh. The body of Aman had arrived from the Civil Hospital, Dehra Gopipur (HP) after a post-mortem examination on Friday afternoon. In his complaint, Tarlochan Singh stated that Aman was a friend of all the accused who kidnapped the latter on March 16 with the intention to kill him. Since then he was not traceable and on March 19 his body was found floating in the Beas at Kaleshwar Mahadev.
	School Auto Union goes on indefinite strike Riva/Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 22 The School Auto Union here have announced indefinite strike protesting against the police strictness in implementing the traffic rules, which allow only four to six children per auto-rickshaw. The auto-rickshaw workers’ union has also announced hike in fares. There are around 3,300 auto-rickshaws in the city that carry students to and fro from the school. No auto-rickshaw or van was operated today, forcing the parents to take up the job, leading to huge traffic congestion near schools’ premises. Holding a protest in front of St Joseph School, Defence Colony, auto-rickshaw workers criticised the administration for restricting the number of children to six in auto-rickshaws. Speaking to The Tribune, Amrik Singh, general secretary of the union, said: “We have shown SP (Traffic) S.K. Agnihotri how as many as 12 children can easily be accommodated in an auto-rickshaw, but they refused any laxity in the law.” “The administration wants us to hike the rates. When the rise in the prices of essential commodities is burning a deep hole in a common man’s pocket, how can we double our rates?” asked Amrik Singh, adding that the recent fuel price hike had hit them hard. “Through his consultant Daljeet Singh Cheema we have appealed to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to look into the matter and get the decision revoked,” he added. Thaplas Mesih, vice-president of the union, said: “The government is being indifferent to the needs of masses. We are being forced to hike the fares. Restricting the number of schoolchildren to be ferried in an auto-rickshaw to four will give us a hard blow…” The union has announced to hike the fare from present Rs 5 to Rs 7 to 10, depending upon the distance. “For the past 10 years, we have kept the fares static, although the government has hiked the fuel prices from Rs 26 a litre of diesel to about Rs 36. We have been forced to hike the fares,” said Charandas, a senior leader of the union.