Bathinda, July 29
With the alleged “intention of looting”, five to six persons reportedly visited Pal Jewellers,a jewellery shop in the Sirki Bazar area here this evening, and attacked the owner of the shop with some tools, including a hammer, and injured him. Two of the assailants sustained gunshot injuries when the owner of the shop reportedly opened fire at them in self-defence.

When contacted, Bathinda SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill said as per the preliminary information, five to six persons went to the shop of Pal Jewellers this evening and demanded money from its owner. When the owner refused to do so, they attacked and injured him with some tools, he added.

The SSP further said that however, the owner of the shop with the aim of protecting himself from the “looters” opened fire on them in self-defence from his licensed revolver.

Due to this, two persons sustained injuries while the rest managed to flee from the spot. He said it could not be known immediately whether they had come on foot or in a vehicle.

The SSP said the injured "looters" had been identified as Tejinder Singh, a resident of local Heera Chowk area, and Sachin Kumar, a resident of the local Railway Colony. He said two other persons had also been identified by the police, who would be nabbed soon. He said all the “looters” were local residents.

Gill said the police would now register a case against all the looters under Section 392 of the IPC.

Meanwhile, the injured were taken to the Civil Hospital here for treatment.

SMO Dr BS Gill said the two seriously injured persons had been referred for further treatment while one person was out of danger.

Emergency Medical Officer (EMO) on duty Dr Gurmail Singh said the condition of Tejinder and Sachin, who had suffered gunshot injuries, was very serious and they had been referred to the Adesh Medical Hospital while the owner of the shop had been sent for CT scan.

Abohar, July 29
Heavy rains that lashed this sub-divisional town for an hour in the morning today, forced hundreds of shopkeepers to keep their establishments closed till afternoon.

Thin attendance was also confirmed by most of the educational institutions since three-wheelers did not take the risk of moving in the affected localities to ferry the students.

The rainwater accumulated even in the Municipal Council complex outside the official residence of the senior administrative officers besides Nanak Nagari, Anand Nagari, Patel Nagar, Gobind Nagari, Arya Nagar, Sidhu Nagar, Indira Nagari, Idgah Basti and Nai Abadi. Furniture and electrical appliances got damaged in many houses as the rainwater could not be disposed of and entered several houses.

Dozens of two-wheeler drivers had a marginal escape as the Canal Colony road caved in outside Bishnoi Mandir and at the corner of the Sahitya Sadan. The Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board had shifted its sub-divisional office from here to Fazilka a few months back as the Municipal Council did not approve the estimated budget for maintenance of the sewerage and water supply system for the current financial year.

The state government had not released funds for extending the disposal water channel during the past four years.

The first phase of the channel, three kilometres in length, was constructed by utilising Rs 2.53 crore that had been sanctioned by the then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh in December 2006.

It was to be extended by six kilometres more to dispose of surplus sewage in the agricultural land. Municipal Council president Shivraj Goyal revealed to The Tribune that the farmers were not inclined to use sewerage water since the rain met their needs.

So the Municipal Council was facing a problem in clearing the rainwater that had flooded many localities. “We would try our best to clear it by tonight,” he said.

Ferozepur, July 29
While exhorting the Gurudwara Election Commission to ensure free and fair SGPC polls, Karnail Singh Peermohammed, president, All India Sikh Student Federation (AISSF), expressed scepticism over the peaceful conduct of the elections, saying that the ruling SAD would resort to all kind of tactics to influence the voters with the help of men, money and muscle power.

Peermohammed was addressing a congregation of the AISSF at the local Khalsa Gurudwara in the cantonment. He said the AISSF would play an active role in the polls and ensure that only candidates with a clean image are fielded in the polls.

Peermohammed said the Khalsa panth has made immense sacrifices to bring the SGPC into existence.

He added that the attempts by certain forces to disintegrate the supreme body of the Sikh religion notwithstanding, none could succeed in such sinister designs.

He said the AISSF would field the candidates as part of the Panthic Front. Senior leaders of the AISSF were also present on the occasion. 

Bathinda, July 29
In connection with the removal of two members of the security staff of the local Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology (GZSCET) by their contractor and in favour of their reinstatement, state president of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Kiranjit Singh Gehri met the Bathinda ADC and the SSP here today. He also asked both the officials to initiate steps to resolve the matter at the earliest.

Gehri said the SSP had asked the SP (D) to look into the matter while the ADC had assured them that the needful would be done through the SDM.

Gehri said the agitating security guards were staging dharna outside the college for over a month in support of their demands, but to no avail so far.

He said the LJP had now decided that in case the matter was not resolved in three days, then it would intensify the agitation for which the entire responsibility would lie with the district administration.

It may be recalled that on July 27, the agitating workers and their supporters had kept both the gates, including the main gate, of the college closed for about one and a half hours.

Due to this, the members of the staff remained confined to the college campus even after 5 pm. — TNS

Abohar, July 29
While welcoming the creation of the new district at Fazilka, the SAD city unit has urged the CM and Deputy CM to compensate Abohar by upgrading the local Municipal Council as Municipal Corporation.

City unit president Sukhwinder Singh said Abohar fulfills the norms that were considered while creating new corporations, recently. The SAD local general secretary Suresh Satija said the CM would be urged to get the court of District and Sessions judge here as the recently inaugurated judicial complex has got adequate accommodation for it. — OC

Fazilka, July29
Fazilka MLA and Cabinet Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani was accorded a rousing civic reception by the residents of Fazilka at the historic Clock Tower during his maiden visit after the border town’s elevation as district.

Jyani said upgradation of Fazilka is an evidence of the unity of the people of the area. He declared that his efforts would be to make Fazilka a developed district of the state.

The MLA also assured to strive for getting a trade route through the rail or road linked with Pakistan from Fazilka border, if the BJP is voted to power at Centre. He was accompanied by the SAD circle president Charan Singh, who had observed fast-unto-death with him.

Beopar Mandal president Ashok Gulbadhar said the new district would witness an era of development soon. Sanjha Morcha president Sushil Gumber, Charan Singh, BJP district president Arun Narang, Fazilka unit president Jagdish Setia, Punbus director Tajinder Singh Namdhari and Raj Kishore Kalra were among those who addressed the gathering.

Ferozepur, July 29
Though Fazilka has already been upgraded as a district, the lawyers and NGOs of Ferozepur continue their protest.

The members of the District Bar Association along with social organisations today took out a protest march in front of the DC office and later burnt an effigy of the Deputy CM at Baba Shershahwali Chowk.

Leading the protest, Kanwardeep Syal, president, DBA, said the injustice meted out to the residents of Ferozepur by the present SAD-BJP leadership would never be forgiven. — OC

Ferozepur, July 29
On the first day of his assuming charge, the DC S. Karuna Raju made his priorities clear as he made a sudden appearance at the Tehsil complex.

He inspected the ongoing work pertaining to the computerisation of land records. Raju spoke to the Tehsil staff.

He instructed the Tehsil staff that as per the directives of the state government, the work on computerisation of land records be completed soon.

On the occasion, GS Pannu, ADC (Development), Tehsildaar Manjit Singh and other officials were also present.