The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Crime File Old enmity claims life Tribune Reportes Amritsar, March 4 An old enmity took the life of Jaspal Singh (45), a resident of Kotli Khehra, falling under Ajnala police station.He was going to Ajnala on his bicycle when Davinder Singh, his father Amrik Singh and Kalu, all residents of Nave Saran, and 12 unidentified persons, ran a truck over him. He died on the spot. The police has registered a case under Sections 302, 427 and 323 of the IPC against Davinder Singh, his father Amrik Singh and Kalu, all residents of Nave Saran, besides 12 unidentified persons. The police said the accused had been at large since the registration of the case. Raids were being conducted to nab them 8 booked for rape Batala: The police filed a case against eight persons, including three women, on the basis of a complaint lodged by a young girl here today. The girl in her complaint said on September 15, 2010, she was waiting for a bus for her college at Kahnuwan bus stand, when she was abducted by the accused in a car after making her unconscious. When she regained consciousness, she found herself to be in her village Bulara, where she was gang raped in a closed room. “Later I was taken to Madhya Pardesh and was repeatedly raped,” she said. She, somehow, escaped from their grip and reached Kahnuwan village and got a complaint registered against Jappy, Jyoti, Jinder Kaur, Yadwir, Daljit Kaur, Balraj Singh, Jeetu and Jaimal Singh, said SHO, Quadian police station, Baljeet Kaur. A case under Sections 363, 376, 342, 506 and 120 B of the IPC was registered against the accused. Clerk gets 3 jail terms Tarn Taran: In an embezzlement case, the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Ravinder Kumar Condal here awarded Kiran Bala, a clerk of the local branch of the State Bank of India, three 5-year jail terms today. A fine of Rs 6,000 was also imposed on her. The services of the clerk have been already been terminated by the bank. A case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 409 of the IPC was registered against the clerk Kiran Bala in December 2001 by the city police. The bank’s branch manager in his complaint alleged that Kiran embezzled Rs 2,11,461 of the bank by issuing fake receipts to the customers who deposited fees with the bank under challan forms. The accused, for more than two years, used to issue receipts to the customers and pocketed the money herself. The accused was given a job on a priority basis after the death of her husband. The accused was awarded three sentences of five years each under Section 467, 471 and 409 of the IPC and these sentences would run concurrently.
	International Women Day Special passport adalat on March 8 Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 4 A special adalat will be held on the occasion of International Women Day at the Regional Passport Office (RPO) here to redress the grievances of women and children on March 8. Regional Passport Officer Parneet Singh said the adalat would be functional between 10 am to 5 pm in which the problems of Doaba residents would be taken up. Applicants could also submit their file number, name and year of submission of application through email at rpo.jalandhar@mea.gov.in or on 99884-37900 or through a personal visit at his office. The adalat would be taking up issues relating to women and efforts would be made to grant passports on the spot, while a special hearing would also be given to those brides deserted by NRI grooms, he revealed. Commenting on the success of the Women Grievances Section in his office on February 4, Parneet Singh said they had received more than 500 calls from various countries, including the UK, Canada, USA, Australia, China and India. More than 200 people had submitted details, out of which 105 cases were taken up by them. “We are in the process of extracting details in 25 cases, while show cause notices have been dispatched in 40 cases. As many as 11 passports of the defaulting spouses have been impounded till date,” he informed. Additionally, the RPO also found that 19 accused had already been announced proclaimed offenders by various courts in fraud marriage cases and maximum numbers of complaints were from Jalandhar, followed by Hoshiarpur, he added. “We will also clear those cases where passports has been withheld due to minor objections. We have also made it mandatory for all to submit a marriage certificate in respect to any service related to spouses,” he added. “Now, if applicants want to get their spouse name or surname changed or seek a fresh passport after marriage, they will have to produce a marriage certificate,” he informed. He said from now on a joint affidavit would not be accepted in those cases where the marriage was solemnised on or after March 12, 2008, the day the Punjab Government had passed an Act to make marriage registration compulsory in the state. “This will ensure that women who are deserted by NRI husbands will have some legal document that can be used during a legal battle,” he added. The Commissioner, Jalandhar Division, had also issued instructions to all the Deputy Commissioners to obtain copies of passport, driving licence and social security number of NRI grooms from now on, he revealed.
	Sports goods manufacturers’ bandh today Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 4 To register their protest against the move of the Central Government to impose 1 per cent central excise tax on the sports goods, hundreds of the sports goods manufacturers would observe a bandh tomorrow and will keep over 400 sports manufacturing units and shops closed. A press statement released by the Joint Action Committee of the sports goods manufacturers and retailers reads that all those associated with the sports goods business would suspend their business affairs and hold a two-hour dharna at Basti Nau Chowk, a centre point of the Jalandhar sports market.
	Tarn Taran, Kapurthala eves in hockey final Kusum Arora Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 4 Tarn Taran eves are pitted against Kapurthala eves in the final of the Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Punjab Games to be held at the Olympian Surjit Stadium here tomorrow. Earlier in the one-sided semifinals of the women’s category, Tarn Taran trounced Patiala 7-0, while Kapurthala eves thrashed Amritsar also with the same score (7-0). In the first match of the semifinals, Tarn Taran girls started the game on a fast note and took the lead in the 11th minute of the game when Sandeep Kaur scored a goal. In the 18th minute, once again Sandeep Kaur sounded the board from a cracking hit. In the 24th and 28th minute, Shikha consolidated the lead 4-0 followed by another goal in the 34th minute by Gurwant Kaur. Till the halftime winners were leading 5-0. In the second half of the match, once again Shikha scored goals in the 65th and 68th minute of the play steering the score to 7-0. Among other matches of the day, Gurdaspur and Ludhiana ended in a draw 2-2 while the match between Mohali and Amritsar saw Mohali team leaving the turf mid-way following a controversy. In the girls’category, Kapurthala defeated Muktsar eves 4-0.
	‘Ardas Divas’ organised Our Correspondent Nawanshahr, March 4 The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee and Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) jointly organised ‘Ardas Divas’ to seek justice for the victims of 1984 violence in Hondh Chhillar, here at Gurdwara Singh Sabha on Friday. Jathedar Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, general secretary, SGPC, Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, member SGPC, Mohinder Singh Hussainpur, district SAD president, Param Singh Khalsa, Municipal Councillor, Harprabh Mahal singh, sarpanch, among others, while paying tributes to the victims of Hondh Chhillar violence, lamented that till now the kin of the victims in particular and Sikh organisations in general had been running from pillar to post to get justice.
	La Persona’, ‘Mind Majra’ begin at ‘Utkansh’ Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 4 “Utkansh”, a four-day inter-college cultural festival being organised at the Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, entered the second day today featuring an amalgam of various cultures. The first event of the day was “Genesis”, in which contests were held for various styles of folk dances, like Rajasthani, nati (Himachali) and bhangra. Then there was a street play “Nukkad”, organised by the Music and Dramatics Society putting across some relevant social messages. The day saw the start of two mega events - “La Persona”, the hunt for “Ms Utkansh” and “Mr Utkansh”, and “Mind Majra” - that will last for three days of “Utkansh”. “We the People” showcased the debating skills of the contenders on burning social topics. The Fine Arts Society added colour to the day with its “Hand a Cause”, a hand painting event based on social causes. The themes, “Naari atyachari”, “Unity India” and “AIDS v/s India” bagged the top positions. “The High Hat”, a hat-making competition, put the creativity of the participants to test. The Raj Bhasha Samiti, exalting national language Hindi, organised “Kaun Banega Hazaarpati” and “Bujho toh jaane” contests, based on general knowledge and Hindi literature. The Photography Club provided the fillers to the already jam-packed day with “Iridescence”, a photography talent hunt and “Five’s Tale”, that required the participants to depict the meaning of their lives in five photographs. Other attractions of the day were “Roadies 4.0”, “Tough guys last the course”, “Hogwarts Chess”, an interesting combination of choreography and chess based on life-size chess pieces, and “Samurai Sudoku”, presenting Sudoku in a different flavor. After a busy day, the students found peace swaying to the tunes of a qawali by Sayeeda Begum of the “Lambi judai” fame, who mesmerised audience with her voice.