Bathinda, June 21
The case of Malika Rani of Kotkapura, a 21-year-old ANM student who had reportedly hanged herself to death in her hostel room on June 4, took a new twist today when nearly a dozen unions of farmers and teachers came in the support of Kamal Kaur, the in-charge of the Government Nursing School whom the police had booked for abetment to suicide.

A delegation of the leaders belonging to various unions, including different factions of the BKU, the Lok Morcha, the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union and the Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) today submitted a memorandum to the DSP (City) stating that Kamal Kaur was implicated in the case.

Demanding that the police should not harass Kamal and her family without any authentic evidence, the delegation asked the DSP to hold a free and fair inquiry into the case. Meanwhile, they also announced to launch a 'massive' agitation against the police if it harassed Kamal and her family.

The representatives said they had met various classmates of the deceased and some of the staff of the school in connection with the case. "Kamal had no personal enmity with Malika (the deceased). She had just asked Malika to leave the examination room after she was found copying during an internal examination conducted on June 4," they said, alleging that the girl was reportedly suffering from psychological disorder that led her to take the extreme step.

DSP (City) Jaswinder Singh assured that the police would conclude the investigation soon and no one in the case would be harassed.

Addressing mediapersons, Lachman Singh Sevewala, leader of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, whom the bereaved family had accused of threatening them to withdraw the case, refuted the allegation and claimed that he had visited them to express condolence and tried to make them reach a compromise.

It may be mentioned that members of the bereaved family had announced to go on fast-unto-death from June 24 till the cops arrested the accused.

Killianwali (Muktsar), June 21
The SAD (Badal) is ready to face the next assembly elections whenever it would be held in Punjab.

While disclosing this here today, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said right to hold assembly elections falls in the jurisdiction of the Election Commission of India and hence it could hold the next assembly elections whenever it thinks it fit.

He said the assembly elections must be held only when they are due as per the rules. However, if the Election Commission of India perpones it, the party is fully prepared to face.

Badal, who inaugurated the modern cattle Mandi, constructed at a cost of Rs 7.5 crores in this town and library built in the memory of Bibi Surinder Kaur Badal at the local Guru Nanak College of management and Technology, said the party was also carrying out the assessment of winnability chances of its candidates.

He added that the decision to bring new faces in the party for nomination in the next assembly elections and his nomination from Lambi assembly segment in it, would be taken at the level of the party leadership.

Bathinda, June 21
Hundreds of volunteers of different organisations of the Malwa region of Punjab have started leaving for Jammu and Kashmir since late last night to serve devotees, who will undertake a long, arduous and tiring journey to pay their obeisance at the holy cave of Amarnath from June 29.

About 100 trucks and other four-wheelers loaded with raw food stuff, tents, gas cylinders and cooking utensils along with volunteers, cooks and sweet makers have left for J& K.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that different organisations hold about 140 community kitchens every year on various routes leading to the Amarnath cave for about 45 days. However, most of the community kitchens are organised by social and religious organisations of Punjab and the Malwa region dominates with about 40 organisations from the region organising 'langar' (free food) during the pilgrimage period.

Besides, the volunteers also provide medical care and first-aid to those falling ill during their pilgrimage to Amarnath.

These volunteers not only brave the inclement weather but also run the risk of falling prey to an attack by terrorists.

During this period, an ice 'lingam' of Lord Shiva is formed on its own in the cave every year. The cave is situated at the height of about 14,000 feet above the sea-level.

Apart from serving simple traditional food of the North India, the volunteers also offer other dishes, including fast-food items, ice creams, desserts, dosa, Chinese food items, sweets and sweetened milk, to devotees.

Pawan Saboo, chairman of the Shri Amarnath Holy Cave Langar Society, said this season, the attitude of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board authorities was positive and they were cooperating with the organisations, which had started reaching J&K to run community kitchens.

Tarsem Chand Kala, cashier of the society, said over the years, it had become a passion among people to serve the pilgrims at the cave. Hence, new organisations were coming up every year to take up the noble cause, he added.

He said seven organisations each from Bathinda and Budhlada, two each from Malout and Barnala, three from Ludhiana and one each from Maur Mandi, Bhuchho Mandi, Sunam, Patiala, Sirhind, Lehragaga, Moga, Jalalabad, Abohar and Ferozepur towns organise community kitchens at the Amarnath every year.

Bareta (Mansa), June 21
A large number of policemen allegedly resorted to lathicharge on the residents of various villages of this area, who were trying to block the rail traffic by staging a dharna on the Bathinda-Delhi rail track near Sirsiwala village today. The residents wanted to lodge their protest against the acquisition of their agriculture holdings for setting up thermal plant by the Punjab Government.

About 200 people including the activists of the BKU (Ugrahan) including its district president Ram Singh Bahinibagha, BKU (Dakonda), minor girls and elderly women were rounded up from three different places as per the allegations levelled by Kulwant Singh, member, state committee, BKU (Dakonda).

The residents of Sirsiwala, Gobindpura, Dyalpura, Kishan Garh, Bhadurpur, Kulrian and Chak Alisher villages were agitated over the forced acquisition of their land by the Punjab Government for facilitating a private company to set up thermal plant over it.

Interestingly, Deputy Commissioner Ravinder Singh and SSP Hardyal Singh Mann issued a press note to the media through the office of the district public relations officer and claimed that no one was harassed. Only those, who were sitting on the rail track, were removed from the spot after extending due respect to them.

Mann also claimed that the police took some preventive measures and no one was taken into custody. On the other hand, Kulwant Singh, member, state committee, BKU (Dakonda) talked to the correspondent from Budhlada police station where he along with 70 other persons was lodged after they were taken into custody.

Meanwhile, Kulwant Singh said the activists of BKU (Ugrahan) and BKU (Dakonda) organisations and residents of affected villages would stage a dharna in front of office of Deputy Commissioner tomorrow to lodge their protest. He added that rounded up activists were lodged in Budhlada and Bhikhi police station.

Bathinda, June 21
Lodging a protest against the state government, activists of the AIE Teachers Front, Punjab, blocked the NH-64 outside the Mini-secretariat here and disrupted the traffic for nearly three hours today.

Accusing the government of not paying attention towards the ill-condition of their colleagues, who were observing fast-unto-death for past couple of days, the agitators blocked both the sides of the main road of the city. They said they would not relent till the administration fixed their meeting with the Chief Minister.

Bathinda Tehsildar Avtar Singh Makkar along with a battery of cops from Kotwali and Civil Lines police stations reached the spot and initiated the negotiations with the protesters and asked for two more days to arrange the meeting.

After a two-hour-long negotiation, the protesters agreed to end the blockade but warned that if the words were not kept they would intensify the protest and block the main gate of the bus stand on June 24, which would be for an indefinite period. They said if any untoward incident took place during the protest, the Tehsildar would be personally responsible for the same.

Speaking to mediapersons, president of the front Dhiraj Kumar said the activists, including Charanjit Kaur of Moga who had been observing fast for the past 21 days, would continue their agitation till the acceptance of their demands, including regular jobs to AIE teachers with B.Ed and ETT degrees and admission to ETT course in July to the teachers who have passed Class XII.

Bathinda, June 21
A 10-day 'anti-drug' cricket tournament kicked off at the Police Lines ground here today.

On the inaugural day, the Rahul Super-6 team defeated the Vishal Super-6 by 10 wickets.

Winning the toss, the Vishal Super-6 elected to bat first and scored 63 for four wickets in the stipulated six overs. The Rahul Super-6 achieved the target of 64 runs in 4.3 overs without losing any wicket.

SP (City) HS Ghai, DSP (City) Jaswinder Singh and Raj Kumar Devashwar, principal of the Police DAV Public school, Bathinda, handed over the prizes to the members of the winning team.

Giving details, Baljeet Singh, zonal officer, Police Department, Bathinda, said over 10 teams with nearly 80 players from the district were taking part in the tournament.

Members of the anti-drug awareness team of the Police Department advised the players the ways and means by which they could keep themselves away from drugs.

Ferozepur, June 21
In a bizarre incident, Inderjit alias Ishu, a 12-year-old boy of this town, was kidnapped and subsequently murdered by his mother’s paramour.

The incident surfaced here today when his father Raj Kumar identified his body found lying in the Sukad Nullah on the Mallanwala road, yesterday. Ishu was allegedly kidnapped by Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukha and Sheru three days ago.

The accused killed Ishu as Sukhwinder Singh was agitated over the objections of the deceased over his affair with his mother. Ferozepur SSP Kaustab Sharma said today Raj Kumar along with his sister Nisha Garg approached the police station concerned with the complaint that his son Ishu had been kidnapped by two persons with the intention of murdering him. He added that when the body, which was in police custody, was shown to Raj Kumar, he identified it.

On the complaint of Raj Kumar, the police swung into action and nabbed Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukha. During the interrogation, Sukha had confessed to his crime. Sharma said efforts were on to nab Sheru. A case had been registered under Sections 302, 364 and 34 of the IPC in the police station concerned.

Barnala, June 21
In a case of alleged ‘fraud’ by the HDFC Bank Kacha college road Barnala branch, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF) has ordered the bank to pay the compensations of Rs 1 lakh along with 10 per cent interest and Rs 20,000 as fine and Rs 5,000 as litigation expenses to the complainant.

As per the complaint by the widow Karamjeet Kaur of Barnala, she had deposited Rs 1 lakh as fixed deposit in the name of her minor kids with the HDFC Bank branch at Kacha College (KC) road in Barnala. The complainant had got the money, which she deposited as fixed deposit with the bank, as insurance claim after her husband’s death. — TNS

Barnala, June 21
The Powercom officials should ensure eight hours uninterrupted power supply to the farming sector during the paddy season and powercom senior officials should go in the field on regular basis to ensureproper power supply, said principal secretary to CM Darbara Singh Guru, while presiding over a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner office here, last evening.

He also directed the officials that if there is any problem relating to power supply, they should immediately inform him on phone or the Deputy Commissioner.

During the meeting, Guru said the Punjab Government is committed to provide uninterrupted power supply to the farming sector and no lapses at any level would be tolerated.

Earlier, he visited village Pakhon Kalan where farmers sat on dharna demanding new electric line for better power supply. He assured the farmers that their demand would be fulfilled by July 10 by all means.

He said he has already directed the Powercom senior officials at headquarters regarding the demand and they have promised to complete the work within the stipulated time. After assurance from the principal secretary, farmers soon lifted the dharna.

Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh, SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor, ADC Development Balwant Singh Shergill and senior officials from the different departments were also present in the meeting.