Jalandhar, February 9
It was love for wrestling and some fond memories associated with the game which brought Bollywood legend Dharmendra here today.

Accompanied by his fans, Dharmendra was in the city for the second Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Wrestling Championship to be held at the Punjab Armed Police (PAP) grounds in Jalandhar Cantonment. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal would inaugurate the tournament tomorrow morning. The tournament would conclude on February 12. The actor along with his fans and the organising committee of the tournament came in a cavalcade of “torch relay”, which was lit at the ancestral house of Bhagat Singh at Khatkar Kalan. The cavalcade finally reached the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall here.

Recalling the bond of the actor with wrestling, organising committee members said when Kartar Singh won a gold medal in wrestling during the Seoul Asian Games, 1986, Dharmendra immediately announced Rs 50,000 award for him. He had also announced a similar amount for athlete P.T. Usha, who, too, had won a gold in the Asian Games. “Wrestling is one of his favourite games,” they added.

And it was the general secretary of the organising committee, Kanwarjit Singh Sandhu, and international wrestler Kartar Singh, who ensured that the actor reaches Jalandhar for the tournament.

On the occasion, the organising committee of the tournament also awarded the title of “Rustam-e-Bollywood” to Dharmendra on the completion of 50 glorious years of the actor in the film industry.

Earlier in the day, Dharmendra went to Khatkar Kalan and paid obeisance at the birthplace of Bhagat Singh and said that he was blessed to have visited the place. “It is an honour that I made it to the birth place of the revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh,” the actor maintained. Although the arrival of the torch was planned big, but lack of proper publicity and mismanagement at the venue led to chaos. While the entire open-air theatre of the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall remained empty, the media, too, had a tough time interacting with the actor as stage was thronged by some of his fans. A few of the audience who turned up at the venue maintained that it was by chance that they reached the Yadgaar Hall.

Our correspondent adds from Nawanshahr: A “mashal” march started from the native village of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh today for Jalandhar to mark the inauguration of the second Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh International Wrestling Tournament, scheduled to be held at PAP stadium, Jalandhar, from February 10 to 12. While Parminder Singh Dhindsa, PWD Minister presided over the function, Bollywood actor Dharmendra was the chief guest.

Batala, February 9
In an attempt to get the possession of his shop, which has been on a rent since 1964, owner Puran Chand Gupta along with BJP councillor Rajbir Bhullar attacked and injured Ritesh Sally, a tenant, on the Dera Road here on Monday evening.

Briefing mediapersons here today, SSP Gurdeep Singh said the police recorded the statement of Ritesh and registered a case under Sections 452, 324, 323, 148 and 149 of the IPC against Puran Chand Gupta, councillor Rajbir Bhullar and his brother Rajwinder Singh Bhuller, Rajbir Bajwa and Varun Kumar.

Ritesh, his brother Rohit Sally and their uncle Ramesh Sally were running Partap Soap Factory from the shop. Ritesh’s father Rajinder Sally, co-owner of the factory, had passed away.

On Monday evening, councillor Rajbir Bhullar along with his goons armed with sharp-edged weapons barged into the shop on the Dera Road and tried to get it vacated by throwing the goods out of the shop.

When Ritesh objected, the BJP councillor allegedly pointed a gun at him following which his goons assaulted the former with sharp-edged weapons. After hearing the cries of Ritesh, local shopkeepers rushed towards the shop forcing the miscreants to flee from the spot in their SUVs.

DSP (City) Gurmeet Singh reached the spot and took the injured to the civil hospital, from where he was shifted to Amritsar. Demanding strict action against BJP councillor Rajbir Bhullar, local BJP MLA Jagdish Sahni alleged that Rajbir along with some high-profile people had been grabbing many prime properties in the town. He said no person from the party would be allowed to take law into their hands. All the accused are absconding.

Chandigarh, February 9
The Punjab Human Rights Commission has asked the Jalandhar (Rural) Police chief to give a report on charges levelled by a 19-year-old girl that she was sold off by her parents and subsequently mistreated and even raped by the brother of her “husband”.

According to the complainant, who belongs to Bajwara Bara in Hoshiarpur district, she was sold off by her parents to an old man of Harsha Bela of Ropar district in October last year for Rs 3 lakh.

The complainant said besides her “husband”, the latter’s brother also raped her and that when she protested she was beaten up. She claimed that she had somehow managed to escape and now was living with her aunt at Talhan village in Jalandhar district.

While urging the commission to direct the police to register cases against her parents as well as her “in-laws”, the girl also urged that steps be taken to ensure her life was not endangered.

Justice Baldev Singh and K.K. Bhatnagar of the Human Rights Commission fixed the next date for the case for February 29.