Amritsar, June 14
At least six people have been booked for thrashing a pregnant woman belonging to Manjh village. The incident happened on June 7. The Lopoke police today registered a case against Baldev Singh, Parkash Singh, Surjit Kaur, Baljit Kaur, Lovely, Gopi and several others under Sections 452 and 323 of the IPC.

She was admitted to the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital but even there the police allegedly asked her to leave the premises, her relatives alleged.

The Pendu Mazdoor Union also lent its support to the injured woman. The union members also met Dr Karnail Singh, Medical Superintendent of the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in this connection, demanding a probe into the matter and asking for necessary medical treatment for the victim.

Dharminder Singh Ajnala, district convener of the union, alleged that Paramjit Kaur was beaten up by several persons who attacked her house over old enmity.

Though members in her family ran away from the house to escape the attack, Paramjit, who was three-month pregnant, was left behind in the house.

She was brutally beaten up by the assailants and was later admitted to the surgical ward of the hospital in serious condition on June 7.

“Though the child in the womb of Pararmjit survived, she sustained serious injuries,” said Dharminder.

Judge Singh, a relative of Paramjit, said she has not recovered from the injuries.

He alleged that they were forced to leave the hospital after several policemen came to them and asked them to leave the place. But the family members refused to do so.

Joginder Singh, another member of the union, alleged that ‘attackers’ got themselves admitted in the hospital showing fake injuries in order to escape legal action.

Seeking probe into this, the union also demanded constitution of a board for investigating whether the accused had inflicted self injuries.

Dr Karnail Singh assured the union of a probe in this regard besides constituting a board for investigating the injuries of opposite group members.

Baldev Singh, however, refuted the allegations and said they had also been attacked. “My brother Parkash Singh and Baljit Kaur were injured in the attack,” he added.

Pathankot, June 14
The clamour of ticket seekers for the next assembly elections reached a crescendo with prospective candidates trying hard the grab the attention of former Chief Minister and PPCC Chief Capt Amarinder Singh at a party workers’ meeting held at a local marriage palace here today.

Former minister and Gurdaspur District Congress Committee President Sukhinder Randhawa stole a march over his political rivals by managing to rope in the PPPC chief in Pathankot assembly segment, which forms a part of Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, for the first time ever since Capt Amarinder Singh was elevated to the post of President of PPCC. On two earlier occasions Capt Amarinder Singh had to postpone meetings which were scheduled to be held at different places in this district but this time Randhawa ensured that there were no unexpected twists or turns in the script.

The PPCC Chief’s visit assumes all the more significance as all the 11 assembly segments in this district are represented by either SAD or BJP MLAs following which the Congress finds itself on a sticky wicket.

The meeting was held to address the grievances of party workers belonging to Pathankot, Sujanpur, Bhoa and Dinanagar assembly segments.

Gurdaspur Member Parliament, Partap Bajwa, for long considered to be the bete noire of Capt Amarinder Singh, decided to bury the hatchet and arrived at the venue with scores of his followers, a move which gave indications that all was well within the party, atleast in the Gurdaspur Congress. Bajwa was also there at the AB College where Capt Amarinder Singh’s chopper landed two hours behind schedule.

Rana K.P Singh, Congress MLA from Nangal, co-ordinated the proceedings which saw party seekers lobbying hard to grab the attention of Capt Amarinder Singh, who on his part, gave a patient hearing to both the workers and the ticket seekers.

Prominent among those who were present were the PPCC Chief’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Major Amardeep Singh Manepur, former MLAs Ashwani Sekhri and Raman Bhalla.

Batala, June 14
The Gurdaspur Food Corporation of India (FCI) authorities have castigated the Railways for sending a rake, meant for transporting fertilisers, to carry foodgrain. The rake, comprising 58 wagons and sent to the local railway station today, is not even designed for carrying foodgrain.

The FCI officials have refused to load foodgrain in the rake claiming that it was “faulty” and not fit for carrying food stock.

Nahar Singh, Area Manager, Gurdaspur FCI, said that the corporation had placed a demand for a rake yesterday for transportation of wheat stock from Batala railway station.

However, he claimed that the Railways provided the FCI with a BCHNL rake, which is designed for the transportation of fertilisers.

He added that as the wagons carried a heavy dose of chemicals, it would be hazardous to transport foodgrain in these.

He added that for the transportation of foodgrain, the Railways should send BCN and BCXT rakes which were designed for this purpose. “But all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The common man is suffering because he has to consume foodgrain unfit for human consumption.”

Health Department officials added that the usage of such rakes for carrying wheat, paddy and rice stocks was one big reason for people getting inflicted with cancer.

Nahar Singh said that on many occasions, the Railways had provided the FCI with rakes meant for transporting coal.

Kishan Chand, Station Superintendent, Batala, said, “The FCI is unnecessarily making a mountain out of a molehill. All the wagons are properly cleaned and no traces of fertilisers or coal are left in these.”

Jalandhar, June 14
Punjab BJP general secretary Kamal Sharma today said the party would go ahead to ensure that it gets the Rs 1,100-crore municipal infrastructure development fund meant for the development of urban areas.

Sharma was reacting over Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s statement at a meeting yesterday that the funds for the purpose could be withdrawn. Sharma was in city to attend the felicitation of Bhagat Chunni Lal for being elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha at Circuit House here.

The BJP state general secretary said the party would pursue the matter with the Chief Minister to ensure that the grant came in time so that it could be used in cities just ahead of the Assembly elections helping the party candidates make a mark.

While raising the issue, he also made an effort to clarify the Akali stand saying that the funds had been delayed as the bank concerned had been asking for 20 per cent token money to which the government could not agree.

Asked why the former minister Manoranjan Kalia had not turned up, he replied cleverly, “Even the Mayor is not around. You have not asked about him.”

On being asked about the walkout of the Congress in the Assembly yesterday, the Deputy Speaker said it was sheer drama so that their pictures could be carried out in the media today.