Amritsar, August 3
The custodial death of a jail inmate, Bawa Singh, on Tuesday took a political turn after some Congress activists alleged that the police and jail officials tortured Bawa Singh to death on the orders of BJP MLA Anil Joshi.

Joshi denied any involvement in the matter and threatened to file a defamation suit against them.

Admitting that the family members of Bawa Singh had approached him three days ago, Joshi said the deceased had a dubious past and was engaged in a brawl with another person over some petty dispute.

“Since the matter pertained to my constituency, his family members had approached me three days ago. But I flatly refused to indulge in the matter because the police had already booked him under the law. I advised them to approach the police or the court,” he maintained.

Joshi alleged that some Congress leaders had tried to ignite this issue without realising the devastating repercussion of their action.

Congress delegate Karamjit Singh Rinto said since the deceased was an avid supporter of their party, Joshi had used his influence in the police and got him behind the bars. “He was given third-degree torture while being in the police and judicial custody only on the orders of Joshi,” he said.

Endorsing his views, Bua Singh, the deceased’s brother, said, “My brother, whom Joshi termed as drug addict and peddler, was a very hardworking person who had a family with four children.”

Nevertheless, a judicial team led by Civil Judge (first class) Ranjit Kaur visited the jail and recorded statements in the matter. Though it has been confirmed by the medical staff that there were external injury marks on his body but the exact cause of his death could not be ascertained as the final report of the postmortem is still awaited.

Nakodar, August 3
A 50-year-old farmer died due to electrocution in his field at Narangpur village in Shahkot late last evening. A relative of the deceased blamed Powercom officials of negligence for not raising the hanging 11 KV wires in the fields.

Family members of the deceased, Rajinder Singh, said he went to the field to check water level in the paddy field last evening and unfortunately his head came into contact with the live 11 KV wires, resulting in his electrocution. They said though they heard a loud sound, but ignored it thinking that an electricity fuse might have blown off in the fields.

When in the night they went to the fields, they found Rajinder Singh lying dead in the fields.

Family members alleged that they also apprised the Powercom officials of the hanging wires, which are just 4 feet high from the fields. But officials didn't pay heed. Family members said they would sue the Powercom for its negligence.

Jalandhar, August 3
Giving in to the demand of the agitating paramedical employees of the civil hospital, Health Minister Satpal Gosain has ordered an inquiry into the allegations of misbehaviour levelled against Dr Ashok Nayyar, Director, Health.

The hospital staff had alleged that Nayyar, during his visit to the hospital on Sunday, misbehaved with staff nurses on the pretext of wrong parking of their vehicles near the hospital indoor and emergency wards. It was also alleged that Dr Nayyar was drunk when he visited the hospital at 8:30 pm.

Sources in the department revealed that the minister had deputed a senior bureaucrat of the department to inquire into the matter and submit the report within two days.

Refuting the claims, Nayyar maintained that the hospital staff were found committing gross violations of parking norms in the hospital.

He said he was unnecessarily being dragged into the controversy as he had resolved to take departmental action against the ‘erring’ nurses.

Meanwhile, the entire paramedical staff of the hospital on Tuesday held a protest from 8 to10 am and suspended the services during these hours.

Demanding the immediate suspension of Director, Health Services, Dr Ashok Nayyar, the paramedical staff of the hospital has resolved to continue the ongoing agitation till Dr Nayyar is suspended.

Jasbir Kaur Thind, vice-president, Punjab Nursing Association, and Jaswant Virli, general secretary, Joint Action Committee, Civil Hospital, said the entire paramedical staff would boycott the OPD and indoor services daily for an hour till the suspension of Dr Nayyar.

Satpal Gosain said report would reach him in a few days. If found guilty, strict disciplinary action would be taken against the Director, said the minister.

Jalandhar, August 3
The Investigation Wing of the Income Tax Department today raided several establishments owned by the prominent business houses of the city. Sources said raids were conducted on 24 establishments, belonging to the owners of prominent educational institutes, real estate firms and industrial units. The raids were still going on till the time of filing the news report.

Although, IT officials, leading the raiding teams, refused to divulge details, sources said these units had been evading tax over the years and few of them were in fact showing themselves in the red. Sources added the teams that conducted raids comprised scores of officers from Patiala, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana offices. — TNS

Phagwara, August 3
Hundreds of the residents belonging to Santokhpura and Satnampura localities sat on a dharna outside the Municipal Corporation in protest against the supply of contaminated water that has led to the spread of jaundice in the areas.

People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) leader and former naib tehsildar Mulakh Raj addressing the demonstrators threatened to launch a large scale agitation, if the corporation did not improve the water supply within a week.

The dharna was lifted only after Municipal Corporation Commissioner Satish Kumar Singla gave assurance on the matter. Protesters gave him a memorandum in this regard.

It may be recalled that the residents of several localities --- Hargobind Nagar, New Model Town, Onkar Nagar, Tibbi, Prempura, Rattanpura, Banga Road, Kherra Road, Prem Nagar, Railway road, Nehru Nagar --- have been getting contaminated drinking water due to damage to underground sewerage and water pipes. — OC

Batala, August 3
A person was arrested for forging insurance cover notes of vehicles here today. A Class IV employee of the United Insurance Co took some cover notes to Tehsil Complex for getting their photocopies made and erroneously a blank cover note also.

Sukhwinder Singh, resident of Bhagowal village, prepared a number of photocopies of the blank cover note and started issuing fake policies to vehicle owners by charging hefty premium.

One of the such vehicle owners went to the office of the insurance company and upon inquiry found it to be a forged document.

The manager of the company lodged a complaint with the city police station and after holding an inquiry Sukhwinder Singh was nabbed by the police and booked under Section 420 of the IPC, Parhlad Singh, Inspector, City police station, said.

Phagwara, August 3
A gang of thieves struck at nearby Barna village and burgled four houses last night.

The miscreants took away thousands of rupees and gold ornaments from the houses of Tara Singh, Manjit Singh, Rana and Mangi Ram.In another incident, three unidentified armed robbers snatched Rs 11,000 from a villager, Ram Dass, near Khalwara village last night. The police has registered cases.