Gurdaspur, July 29
Agony and angst are writ large on the face of Manjinder Kaur (31). Resident of the Bariyar village, 5 km from here, she cannot locate a doctor who can perform an X-ray of her broken arm. The civil hospital, where she has come for treatment, does not have a qualified radiologist, following which scores of patients like her have to trudge back home without getting proper treatment.

This is has been a bothersome phenomenon at the civil hospital for the past some time, as distressed patients, who come from far away villages, can be seen pleading with doctors to get proper treatment for their broken bones.

The negligence of the hospital authorities, in getting a qualified radiologist posted at the hospital, ensures that poor patients have to dish out a lot of their hard-earned money to get treatment from private hospitals.

Hence, they end up paying more than what they would have paid at government hospitals. Earlier, Senior Medical Officer, Mohinder Singh Jassal, who was a qualified radiologist, used to take care of patients.

However, he has now proceeded on leave after he was transferred to nearby Qadian civil hospital. Ever since that time, no ultrasound tests are conducted, resulting in patients preferring to go to private hospitals.

A doctor, preferring anonymity, disclosed, “The civil hospital caters to poor patients coming primarily from rural areas. The rich and well-heeled do not even enter the hospital premises. Once these patients decide to go to private hospitals, they get poorer because of the exorbitant charges.”

Civil Surgeon Dr Dalip Kumar said he had asked the District Family Welfare Officer Jagjivan Lal to double up as a radiologist for three hours daily, which he said “would provide much needed succour to patients.”

However, despite the Civil Surgeon’s assertions, things have not improved and patients could be seen cursing the hospital authorities.

Dr Dalip Kumar said the process to recruit a regular radiologist had been initiated. “The process to recruit a government employee is a long drawn one. Till then, patients will have to make do with visiting private laboratories to get their tests done,” said a doctor.

Tarn Taran, July 29
An old woman Tej Kaur (60), resident of the border village of Naushehra Dhalla, 45 km from here, was killed when she and her husband Balbir Singh (65) were attacked by the brother and niece of Balbir Singh today.

Balbir Singh was also seriously injured in the incident.

The Sarai Amanat Khan police have registered a case under sections 302, 323 and 34 of the IPC against the accused, identified as Harbans Singh and Sarabjit Singh the brother and niece, respectively, of Balbir Singh.

However, the residents of the village had to resort to protest along with the dead body of Tej Kaur to get the case registered as the police was not registering it due to some alleged political pressure.

Balbir Singh, in his statement to the police, alleged that his brother Harbans Singh and his son hands came to his Karyana shop armed with iron rods and attacked him.

In the meantime, his wife Tej Kaur came to his rescue. Sarabjit Singh hit her on the head with the iron rod and she died on the spot.

The police was in no mood to register a case. The residents of the village (along with Tej Kaur’s body) came to the police station, at a distance of about 10 km from their village, and protested against the police, which forced the police to register a case.

Dr Dharambir Agnihotri, senior Congress leader, among others, addressed the residents who condemned the police for not registering a case against the accused.

The post-mortem examination was conducted at the local civil hospital.

Nawanshahr, July 29
Dr. G. Vajralingham, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Punjab, has declared the election to the board of directors of the Primary Agriculture Development Bank (PADB), Nawanshahr, held on March 17, 2006, null and void.

While deciding a petition, Vajralingham held the then Manager, PADB, Nawanshahr, guilty of misusing his powers by conducting the said elections violating the by-laws notified for conducting the election.

He also directed the department to take disciplinary action against the errant officials.

It is pertinent to mention here that the election, held on March 17, 2006, was challenged by Harbans Singh of Bharta Khurd village, who had lost the election by 58 votes to Pritpal Singh Bharta, by filing a petition with the Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Jalandhar.

In 2008, the Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies, while deciding the petition, declared the election held to elect the Board of Directors, PADB, Nawanshahr, null and void.

But, Pritpal Singh Bharta challenged the decision by filing a petition with Joint Registrar (Farming), who, while deciding the petition made an amendment in the decision earlier given by the Deputy Registrar by making his decision applicable on zone no. 5 only instead of the whole election process on the plea that petitioner Harbans Singh had only challenged the election process of zone no. 5 and not the whole election process.

Then, Pritpal Singh Bharta filed a revision petition in the court of Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Punjab, under section 68 of the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act against the earlier orders passed the Deputy Registrar and Joint Registrar (Farming).

During the process of hearing arguments presented by the counsels from both sides, verifying the record placed in the court in support of their arguments, the Registrar, Cooperative Societies, reached at the conclusion that the clause no. 13 of the election notice in which it was maintained that a member who had not made transaction amounting to Rs 20,000 with the PADB during the previous year would not be entitled for casting his/her vote, had not been adopted as per the norms, consequently depriving a number of members to exercise their right to vote.

There were as many as 596 members of the PADB but out of them only 316 members could exercise their right to vote as the bank officials added the clause no. 13 in the election notice against the bylaws, which was not only illegal but also against the natural justice.

Hoshiarpur, July 29
On the complaint of in charge range traffic, Jalandhar, inspector Sita Devi, the Sadar police has arrested Babu Singh, his brother Bhagwan Singh, his wife Guddi Bai and Shanti Bai, wife of Puran Singh, all of Chohal village, under sections 307, 353, 186 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act, last night.

Hoshiarpur SSP Rakesh Aggarwal told media persons that inspector Sita Devi, along with police staff, was checking vehicles near a private factory, Chohal.

On seeing a Maruti car (No PB 07 S 8070) coming from the Hoshiarpur side, head constable Satnam Singh signalled it to stop.

Instead of stopping, the car driver speeded up the vehicle to escape from the scene. After a brief chase, the checking party intercepted the said car. Instead of cooperating with the police, the aforesaid accused indulged in a scuffle with inspector Sita Devi and also ripped the uniforms of some of the police officials. One of the accused also took out a SBBL gun and aimed it at inspector Sita Devi.

But somehow, police personnel overpowered and arrested all of them.

However, one of their accomplices managed to flee.

Hoshiarpur, July 29
With the arrest of Jatinder Singh, alias Baba, and Gurvinder Singh, alias Kali, both of Tanuli village, the district police claims to have solved the blind murder case of Devinder Singh of Pandori Bibi.

In a press conference here today, Hoshiarpur SSP Rakesh Aggarwal said Devinder Singh’s refusal to get his daughter married to accused Jatinder Singh led to his murder by the latter.

Devinder Singh was found murdered near Gurdwara Santgarh, Harkhowal village on the night of July 6, for which the Mehtiana police had registered a case under sections 302 and 34 of the IPC on the next day.

During investigations it emerged that Jatinder Singh wanted to marry Devinder’s daughter, for which Jatinder’s mother went to the house of Devinder.

But Devinder refused to get his daughter married to Jatinder Singh on the plea that all the family members of the latter were non-vegetarian and used to consume liquor. Later, Jatinder, along with Gurvinder Singh, allegedly hatched a plot to eliminate Devinder Singh.

The accused were well aware that Devinder Singh used to go to Gurdwara Santgarh at village Harkhowal, on his bicycle, to pay obeisance. On the night of July 6, the accused went to Harkhowal village armed with swords, on the motorcycle of their friend.

When they saw Devinder Singh near the said gurdwara, they brutally assaulted him with swords, due to which he died on the spot.

Later, they returned to their village and hid the swords in their haveli. The duo was arrested and the police also recovered swords used in the crime from them. — OC