R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
Cong leaders to stage protest today: Senior Congress functionaries recently mobilised the party workers for participating in the stir which has to be staged under the leadership of the PPCC president and former CM Capt Amarinder Singh at Gobindpura near Bareta. City Congress president BL Nagpal, Khuyiansarwar block president Balbir Singh Danewalia and former district vice-president Balwant Rai informed that the workers’cavalcade from Abohar and Balluana constituencies would be led by legislator Sunil Jakhar on September 2 from the new grain market here. The MLA has been nominated as district coordinator for the stir.

Protecting wildlife: A day before the stir planned by Akhil Bhartiya Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha over defacing of statues of its founder president Sant Kumar Bishnoi and black buck at the Jeev Raksha Chowk here, the newly appointed district SAD youth wing president Sanjeev Godara said he would not desist from making any sacrifice to save the wildlife.

Statues of national heroes washed: India against Corruption workers led by former lecturers of DAV College, Rajinder Jigyasu, Pritam Chawla and Radhey Shyam Sharma on Thursday washed the statues of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh and other national heroes.

BATHINDA
Youth found murdered: A 22 years old resident of Dashmesh Nagar, Bantu, was found murdered on Wednesday night. He had reportedly entered into heated argument with some migrants living near his residence. In their complaint to the police, family members of the victim alleged that the labourers had falsely accused Bantu of stealing a mobile phone. They said they searched for him after he did not return last night. His body was found in nearby fields. There were visible injury marks on his forehead and chest, the family members said. The police has booked Chhotu, Ranjit, Vijay and Lalu. No arrests have been made in this regard.

Fazilka
Combating addiction: Nearly 500 members of Ecocab Union (Rickshaw Union) (Fazilka) took pledge to shun addiction on the third anniversary of Ecocab in Fazilka. Local social activist and senior member of the GWAF Capt Mohinderjit Singh Bedi administered the pledge to the members.

CHANDIGARH

Chandigarh
CGC win nine matches: The Chandigarh Golf Club organised the 1st Inter-Club match play tournament between the Chandigarh Golf Club (CGC) and Shivalik Golf Club here today. The CGC teams won nine matches out of 14 matches played to lift the trophy. The prize for the nearest pinhole was awarded to Col SS Gill.

HARYANA

Ambala
One stabbed to death: Akhtar (34), a migrant labourer from Bihar, residing in Ghas Mandi, was stabbed to death by sharp-edged weapons by two youths who were on a scooter near SA Jain College on the Ghel road, Ambala City.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Kangra
Porn CDs seized: The police has arrested a shopkeeper of Nagrota Bagwan for alleged indulging in porn film business and recovered hundreds of porn films, besides some porn film songs in a hard disk from his business centre. Stating this here today, Kangra district police chief Deljeet Singh Thakur said the police raided Dhiman Communication and Mobile Repair Shop at Nagrota Bagwan and recovered 336 porn films, 73 porn film songs in a hard disk, besides memory cards. He said Vijay Kumar of Baba Baroh village was arrested under Section 292, IPC.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
One injured in militant attack: Militants shot and injured a 37-year-old man in north Kashmir’s Sopore town on Thursday. Ghulam Nabi Ganie, a resident of Behrampora village, who works at a band-saw mill in the Krankshivan locality of Sopore, 55 km from here, was injured when militants fired at him, a police spokesman said.

Two killed in road mishap: Two Nepalese nationals, working as porters with the Army, were killed in a road mishap in Kashmir, the police said on Thursday. The two Nepalese were killed in a truck accident near Chani Gund in Kargil on Wednesday, a police spokesman said.

DEHRADUN

Dehradun
Governor accords farewell to officials: Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva on Thursday accorded a warm farewell to her Additional Secretary Arun Dhoundiyal and ADC VK Krishan Kumar. While Dhoundiyal has been reverted as in charge secretary of Uttarakhand Science and Technology Department, ADC VK Krishan Kumar is going to the CBI on deputation.

Kumaon Briefs
Haldwani to have STF unit to check smuggling: With a view to increasinge surveillance in the region that borders Nepal and Uttar Pradesh, the state government has decided to set up a unit of the Special Task Force (STF) at Haldwani, the commercial centre of Kumaon. The government has given orders to establish an office of the unit and the process of locating a building for the purpose is underway. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Amit Sinha has stated that there is a need to keep a tab on the increasing instances of smuggling of narcotics for which Kumaon is being used as a transit. With the police being tied up with other routine jobs, a dedicated unit for the purpose was required in the region.

Woman commits suicide: An instance of a married woman committing suicide by consuming a poisonous substance has come to light from the Ramnagar area of Nainital district. It is learnt that 20-year-old Mamata allegedly committed suicide at her home in Papdi village of the Pirumadara area of Ramnagar. She had been married to Manoj Kumar Saini for almost a year. Eversince their marriage, Mamata had not been keeping well. Despite being treated for her ailment, she was in a disturbed state of mind. Although she was rushed to the nearest hospital, she could not be saved.

ICA fellowship for Nainital photographer: Prominent environment and wildlife photographer from Nainital Anup Sah has been awarded the prestigious ICA fellowship of the Image Colleague Society (ICS) of the United States of America. Sah is the first photographer from Uttarakhand to have got the fellowship. The fellowship has been given to him for his portfolio on the culture of Uttarakhand. Two persons have got this fellowship this year, the second one being Arif Mohammad of Dubai. The photographers that are awarded this fellowship are honoured with a permanent display of five of their pictures in the ICS gallery. Sah has till now exhibited more than 2,000 pictures clicked by him in both India and abroad. He has received more than 300 awards and honours.

Rickshaw-puller falls, dies: In a tragic incident reported from Haldwani, a rickshaw-puller died after he fell while pulling his rickshaw. The passersby rushed to him after seeing him fall but he died an instant death. The deceased has been identified as Har Dayal. He was in his mid forties. The incident took place in the Bholanath Garden residential colony. The cause of his death is being assumed to be a cardiac arrest.

10,000 trees to be planted at Haldwani: More than 10,000 trees will be planted on the premises of the Haldwani Military Station on Friday. The initiative is being taken by the personnel of the Army and the Forest Department to mark International Plantation Year as declared by the United Nations (UN). According to Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Madhukar Dhakate, the personnel of the National Cadets Corps (NCC) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and prominent citizens will also be joining in the effort.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)