Jalandhar, November 17
With the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting imposing restrictions on telecast of reality TV shows Bigg Boss and Rakhi Ka Insaaf, parents in the city today heaved a sigh of relief. The reality shows got the flak due to an overdose of sleaze in its content.

The ministry has with changed the timings of both Bigg Boss season 4 and Rakhi ka Insaaf and advised the channel to put a strip saying ‘Not meant for viewing by children’. Now this show would be telecast from 11 pm to 5 am daily. Even the repeat telecast would also be aired in the same slot. While many parents demanded a complete ban on Bigg Boss, others termed it as completely nonsense and objectionable show. The parents also said too much liberty has been given to the TV channels and that the government should be very strict with them and continuously monitor and screen the channels.

Kalpana Bhaskar, a teacher from the local Mayor World School, said she used to discourage her daughter from watching this show. “The language, gestures, dresses, discussions and the way of living of the participants are complete nonsense. There is nothing to learn from this show and of late it had become more of a sleazy programme with some highly objectionable scenes. In fact at times we would flip the channels to avoid vulgar and intimate scenes,” she added.

Principal of Army Public School, Jalandhar Cantonment, Ashok K. Jain also termed this as a timely move and said such shows such be edited properly they are telecast. “Such reality shows create societal imbalance and it is good that finally the I&B Ministry has taken a strict note of the rising obscenity in it. The schoolchildren too end up discussing various developments of the show, which can have serious impact on them,” he maintained.

The parents also demanded that there should be exemplary punishment for the owners of the channels violating the government instructions with regard to the obscenity, vulgarity and other trash that can have a bad effect on growing children. Even some laughter programmes are dishing out a lot of filthy stuff in the name of comedy.

Terming this as great news, principal of CT Public School, Ranjana Rajput said she had stopped watching Big Boss after the increased dose of vulgarity in it. “Initially we were interested to watch it but with the increase in the amount of sleaze we stopped watching it. Especially it was difficult to refrain the teenage children from watching Bigg Boss. However, the change in time has brought the worries of scores of parents to an end,” she said.

Hoshiarpur, November 17
The police has unearthed a gang of inter-district robbers by arresting two gang members. Giving details, SSP Rakesh Aggarwal said acting on a tip-off, SHO of Bulhowal police station Paramjit Singh along with a police party set up a special naka at the crossing of Bainstani last night.

The police stopped an Innova car (DL 3C 2672) in which 6 youths having sharp-edged weapons were sitting. While checking the vehicle, four youths fled taking advantage of the darkness.

However, the police succeeded in arresting Major Singh of Chauhra village in Batala and Kuldip Singh of Basti Nau, Jalandhar.

Others on the run had been identified as Hira Lal of Kishankot, Dilbag Singh, alias Laddi, of Nangal PS Ghuman (Gurdaspur) and Sonu. The identification of one of them had yet to be made.

One dagger, one sword and the aforesaid Innova car had been recovered from them.

The SSP said the members of this gang fired at the police party when it went to their Lakhowal village (PS Beas) on November 13 to arrest them. A case in this connection had been registered in Beas police station. Besides, cases under relevant sections of the Arms Act and of the IPC had been registered in Phagwara, Verowal, Beas, Gurdaspur Sadar police stations.

The aforesaid Innova car recovered from the gang was snatched at gunpoint in Ekta Nagar, Amritsar on November 4. Rakesh Aggarwal said all the aforesaid youths were addicts and used to loot people to fulfil their lust for intoxication.

Amritsar, November 17
Madan Lal could not think that his shop in Namak Mandi chowk here would be the talk of the town.

This morning his shop caught the media attention when news spread in the market that 500 bricks made of silver had been found underneath when its floor was uprooted.

Madan Lal, a 70-year-old man, denied any recovery of ‘treasure’, so did the police, which maintained that someone in the market has spread rumours about it.

A whole lot of media along with the police team reached the spot. It was being observed that the possibility of some ‘old treasure’ could not be ruled out as the shop has been there for as long as 100 years.

On the other hand, Madan Lal said the pit on the floor of the shop was already there and it was being utilised for storing items like flour, daal and sugar. “This century-old shop, made of kutcha material got dilapidated during recent rains following which its ceiling collapsed. Though nobody was injured, I decided to renovate it fully and as per routine the labour was there to uproot its flooring. In the morning, I heard about this rumour”, he said.

While seconding him, Billa Singh, a bystander and his neighbour, said he deals into peethi (grinding of pulses) and his job start as early as 5 am. “I was present here since wee hours and nothing of the sort happened. It was just rumours which made everybody curious to see if some treasure has been found,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police AS Chahal when approached said the police team of Hakkimmawal chowki reached the spot after hearing about it. “We investigated the matter and nothing of the sort could be ascertained.

Hoshiarpur, November 17
The police has claimed to have solved the blind murder case of Manjit Kaur, wife of Mohan Lal of village Ragowal, within 72 hours of the occurrence of the crime.

Briefing the media, SSP Rakesh Aggarwal said Manjit Kaur was found murdered in the forest area of Ragowal village on November 13. On the complaint of her brother Satnam Singh of Adochack, the Dasuya police registered a case under section 302 of the IPC against deceased Manjit Kaur's husband Mohan Lal.

Satnam Singh suspected that Manjit Kaur had strain relations with her husband due which the latter had killed his wife.

It was learnt that Manjit Kaur got married to Mohan Lal about 10 years ago and had a son and a daughter from the marriage. Mohan Lal was a labourer and generally remained outside the house. Manjit Kaur developed illicit relations with her neighbour Joginder Singh, who was already married and had two children, about 2 years ago.

Both Manjit Kaur and Joginder Singh had decided to run away from their houses and start a new life. Manjit Kaur was insisting Joginder Singh again and again for the last six months to run away with her.

Joginder Singh, who had earlier agreed, now did not want to leave his family. Unable to convince Manjit Kaur, Joginder Singh hatched a conspiracy to get rid of her. On November 13, Joginder asked Manjit to meet him in the forest area adjoining the village. When Manjit came, he murdered her with some sharp-edged weapon and later returned to his house.

While inspecting the crime site, the police found a purse lying there in which a photograph of Joginder Singh along with some papers were found. When Joginder Singh came to know about it, he disappeared from the village. Later, the police succeeded in arresting him and Joginder Singh confessed to his crime.

The police has recovered the sickle used in the crime, said Rakesh Aggarwal, added that deceased Manjit Kaur’s husband Mohan Lal was found innocent.

Jalandhar, November 17
The ETT teachers working in the Department of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development today sounded positive to an offer regarding formation of separate directorate for them within the department, provided all their crucial demands would be fulfilled in the directorate.

The offer was recently extended to the teachers by the Chief Minister, in a meeting, on November 12.

Notably, the ETT teachers, since few months after their appointment, are at loggerheads with the state government demanding their shifting into education department and even after an offer regarding separate directorate, scores of ETT teachers were strictly adhered to their parent demand.

Talking to The Tribune, JS Sidhu, State President, ETT Teachers’ Union, said that teachers of nearly all the districts are ready work under the separate directorate but before that, the government should promise us the promotion policy at par with that of education department. “There should be a provision of contributory provident fund (CPF) and our salary should be paid through the treasury department,” said Sidhu.