Gurdaspur, December 9
Gurdaspur is renowned as the belt that has produced top drawer women gymnasts, who have earned the sobriquet of being the ‘rubber dolls’ of the town. However, the sad part is that the Gurdaspur District Gymnastics Association (GDGA), the body that governs the sport in the region, has now fallen on bad days as it finds its coffers empty and has no money to send its sportspersons to take part in the state level championships.

The Gurdaspur district team that left a couple of days back to take part in the Punjab State Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastic Championship being held at Kotkapura (Faridkot), had a harrowing time in arranging finances for the trip.

Finding itself starved of funds, the GDGA wrote to the Deputy Commissioner, seeking his intervention.

However, with the bureaucracy moving slowly, the sportspersons were left fending for themselves, forcing association officials to dig deep into their pockets to finance the trip.

Romesh Mahajan, senior vice president of the GDGA, had written to the DC, requesting him to sanction Rs 11,000 for the Kotkapura trip.

He also sought an extra Rs 5,335, which the association has to pay to the Punjab Gymnastic Association (PGA) as affiliation fees.

Despite the fact that Mahajan had written the letter many days in advance, the district administration failed to come up with the amount.

“It is added that the Gurdaspur district is well known for producing national and international level gymnasts, the gesture will go a long way in carrying the sport to new heights,” Majahan’s letter stated.

Connoisseurs of the sport are flummoxed at the way the sport, which at one time had brought international attention to the town, is being run.

The Prabodh Chander Memorial Gymnastic Centre, run under the guidance of the Punjab Sports Department coach Jagtar Singh, has produced a litany of international women gymnasts who have won more than a 100 medals in various national and international meets.

It is pertinent to mention here that the five gymnasts from the centre - Monika, Gulvinder Kaur, Nagender Kaur, Varinder Kaur and Simran - were in the Commonwealth games camp.

Yet another top drawer gymnast produced by the centre is Samita Sharma, who donned the India colours in the SAARC gymnastic championship held at Allahabad in 1999. Other girls who have done the centre proud are Rohika, Jaswant Kaur and Neeru Jaiwal-all three of whom have donned India colours.

Mahajan disclosed that it was only at the eleventh hour that some money could be raised due to the efforts of joint secretary Pushkar Nanda and executive members JD Nanda, NC Soni, Hira Mani Aggarwal and Swaranjit Bajwa.

The centre, often known as a factory which produces that magical elixir - the elasticity of youth, has surely fallen on bad days as without money the GDGA is finding it difficult to sustain its activities.

Hoshiarpur, December 9
The Hariana police has registered a case under sections 302 and 34 of the IPC for the murder of Harbhajan Singh, son of Pal Singh of Dhakki village, after the passing of a two-and-a-half-month-long period of the occurrence of the crime.

According to police sources, Harbhajan Singh was found seriously wounded on September 26, 2010 and later he succumbed to his injuries. His family members presumed that he fell down near the tube well due to excessive drinking and got serious injuries.

Later, Harbhajan’s brother Karnail Singh came to know that his deceased brother got injuries due to assault by Sarbjit Singh, Harjinder Singh, sons of Gurdev Singh of the same village, Salinder Singh, son of Narjan Singh, Avtar Singh, Kuldip Singh, son of Shalinder Singh and Harbjan Kaur, wife of Salinder Singh of Haripur PS Adampur.

Karnail Singh alleged that there was an old enmity between his brother and the accused.

Investigating officer Darhsan Lal said no arrest had been made in this connection so far.

Phillaur, December 9
The Phillaur police succeeded to uncover a large scale scandal - of the supply of country made liquor in empty bottles of branded whisky, during several functions.

This was stated by Phillaur DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh while talking to The Tribune here tonight.

He said on a tip off, a high level team of the police raided the house of Satinder Paul, alias Babbu in Goraya in the Phillaur sub division this evening and caught three persons red handed while filling country made liquor in branded empty bottles of Royal Stag, and other standard companies like Mc Dowell’s etc.

DSP Khakh said two accused managed to escape but police succeeded to nab the third accused, identified as Parma Nand of Adiana village PS Balachaur, under section 103 and 104 of the Trademark Act 1999 and sections 420, 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act and seized 60 bottles of Royal Stag and 21 of Mc Dowell’s, filled with country made liquor besides wrappers, covers and empty bottles were seized from the house.

Khakh said the gang members were supplying this liquor to different marriage palaces and hotels of Ludhiana, Phillaur, Phagwara and many other towns of the state.

Khakh said the accused were purchasing country made liquor for Rs 70 per bottle and were selling it for Rs 290 per bottle to marriage palaces and earning easy money.

Khakh said many more disclosures and arrests of other accused are expected soon.