The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Four robbers arrested
Pathankot, September 11
The police busted a gang of looters and arrested its four members, identified as Lovely Kumar, Raman Sharma, Bharat Bhushan and Pardeep Kumar, here on Sunday.

Trustees revolt against Gurdaspur Improvement Trust chairman
Gurdaspur, September 11
The Gurdaspur Improvement Trust (IT) Chairman Ravinder Verma has been caught on the back foot. As many as five out of the eight trustees demanded his resignation after levelling a series of corruption charges.

Youth trying to sell blood at Civil Hospital detained, let off
Jalandhar, September 11
Patients and their attendants at the local Civil Hospital today witnessed an unusual blood donor who walked in almost every ward of the hospital.

Players of PAP zone in a jubilant mood after winning the overall trophy of the 55th Inter-Zone Punjab Police Games in Jalandhar on Sunday. Tribune photo: Sarabjit Singh

NIT registrar defends director
Jalandhar, September 11
Reacting to the resolution adopted by the faculty members of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jalandhar, demanding replacement of the director (in-charge) SBS Mishra-the institute registrar, today termed the demand unjustified. Registrar AL Sangal claimed that no norms had been violated. The NIT faculty members had on Thursday adopted a resolution demanding Mishra’s replacement by September 15. Even as the resolution, signed by 73 faculty members, was formally submitted to the director (in- charge) today, to be forwarded to Dr Anil Kakodkar, chairman, the Board of Governors, NIT, the registrar defended the director on the issue.

Health Dept rejects Civil Hospital’s proposal to conduct test for chikungunya
Jalandhar, September 11
The Punjab health authorities have rejected a proposal of the Jalandhar civil hospital, which was ideated to diagnose causative agent that is afflicting patients with dengue-like sign and symptoms, but still remained undetected.

One held with intoxicants
Nakodar, September 11
Police patrolling proves to be effective as a person, along with 6398 intoxicated capsules and tablets, was arrested by Shahkot police on Saturday. A case under section 22, 61, 85 of NDPS Act has been registered against him.

Facing closure, aided schools appeal to govt for help
Hoshiarpur, September 11
As many as 484 government-aided private schools in Punjab are on the verge of closure due to lack of grants.

	Gang resorts to heavy firing at Rasta market Dreaded Chintu gang attacks leader of Bholu gang Bipin Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 11 Gunshots filled the air for over half-an-hour as a dreaded gang attacked the leader of another gang at Rasta Mohalla Market here today. According to information, 12 members of the notorious Chintu gang reached the market on their motorcycles and challenged Bhalu, a leader of another gang. The Chintu gang encircled his business establishment in this heavily populated locality. Eyewitnesses said Bhalu got suspicious after hearing sound of many motorcycles approaching the market. He pulled down the shutters of his shop and reached the rooftop of an adjacent building. Noticing him flee from the spot, the gang encircled the building and fired dozens of gunshots targetting him. The drama continued for over 30 minutes. As the gunshots filled the air, area residents also climbed their roof tops and hurled stones, bricks and glass bottles at the shooters making them flee from the scene. Receiving information, ADCP (Headquarter) Navjot Singh Mahal, along with heavy police force, reached the spot. The police recovered five shells and two live cartridges from the area. A search operation was also launched to recover more ammunition in the area. It may be recalled that the gangs have also entered in an encounter in a courtroom of the district court on September 3. The ADCP (HQ), Mahal, however, claimed that a case under Section 307 of the IPC has been registered against Chintu and his men at police station Division No 3. The police has also launched a hunt for the gangsters.
	GRP beefs up security at Jalandhar, Amritsar stations Dharmendra Joshi Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 11 Following the briefcase blast outside Delhi High Court, in which thirteen persons were killed, Inspector General of General Railway Police (GRP), Rohit Chaudhary, directed GRP personnel to beef up the security; especially at Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar railway stations. The GRP IG came at the Jalandhar city railway station in Shane Punjab at 4.15 pm. He visited other stations as well. Chaudhary held a meeting with GRP, RPF officials at the city railway station. Railway officials including Station Superintendent, RK Behl, were also present in the meeting. According to sources, the GRP personnel will be deployed at various platforms, open areas, authorised and unauthorised entry and exits of the city railway station to check the persons entering the stations. Similarly RPF personnel will be deployed at go-downs. The coolies and vendors were also asked to be vigilant and inform about any suspected person or item to the GRP, RPF or railway employees.
	Four robbers arrested Pathankot, September 11 The police busted a gang of looters and arrested its four members, identified as Lovely Kumar, Raman Sharma, Bharat Bhushan and Pardeep Kumar, here on Sunday. A case has been registered against the four under Section 392 of the IPC. SSP SK Kalia said Rajos Soni of Madhya Pradesh, working in Border Road Organisation (BRO) in Himachal Pradesh, lodged a complaint with the police in which he alleged that he was looted by four persons after he hired an auto-rickshaw for Chakki Railway station. The driver took him to an isolated place where he was joined by three accomplices. They threatened Rajos Soni with a sharp knife. They left the spot after looting him. The police swung into action and nabbed miscreants. The police also recovered the looted items, including a mobile phone, driving licence, an ATM card and Rs 5,000 in cash. — OC
	Trustees revolt against Gurdaspur Improvement Trust chairman Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, September 11 The Gurdaspur Improvement Trust (IT) Chairman Ravinder Verma has been caught on the back foot. As many as five out of the eight trustees demanded his resignation after levelling a series of corruption charges. The five trustees who have asked Verma to tender his resignation are Paramjit Singh, Anil Nanda, Renu Bala, Davinder Kumar and Sudhir Kumar. Addressing a press conference on Thrusday, the trustees claimed that 84.77 acres of land, which was renamed as scheme no 7, had acquired the contours of controversy because the Chairman and his henchmen allegedly indulged in corrupt practices during the auction of shops and plots. The trustees claimed that Verma had auctioned a hall near the IT office to a person called Narinder Singh, but such a person never existed. Ravinder Verma claimed that some of the trustees had demanded plots for themselves and on failing to get their way out the trustees are trying to defame him. The Trust acquired the land in 2005 on Tibri road for developmental purposes. The Trust,later, got caught in a legal quagmire as some of the residents challenged the acquisition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.The case dragged for six years and the all the well-laid-out plans of the Trust came to an end. However, on December 15 last year the petition of the residents was quashed by the court following which the Trust took possession of the scheme, on December 23, with the help of the local police. The Trust collected Rs 60 crore as Earnest Money Deposit (EMD), after advertising in local newspapers,from people who were interested to book a place from 478 plots, ranging form 150 to 500 yards, 41 shop-cum-offices and 20 booths. Sanjeev Malhan, Vice Chairman of Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), has filed an RTI and has sought information pertaining to the auction. Apart from the Chairman himself and other five trustees there are two official nominees-Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and the Executive Engineer (XEN), Drainage Department.
	Youth trying to sell blood at Civil Hospital detained, let off Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 11 Patients and their attendants at the local Civil Hospital today witnessed an unusual blood donor who walked in almost every ward of the hospital. Murmuring ‘Paise de do khoon le lo’, the youth took a round of the three-storey building of the hospital. He did not spare the wards where certain patients of suspected dengue were admitted. The ‘generous donor’ was finally detained by a security guard Johan Masih on the basis of the complaints of the attendants. The security guard later handed over him to the police. The youth was later identified as Monu, a resident of Basti Danish Manda. The investigating officer Kuldeep Singh said Monu had been to the hospital on the call of his uncle. Since his cousin was admitted in the hospital and was in need of some units of blood so his relatives had asked Monu to donate blood, the IO said. As Monu was unwilling to donate blood, there were arguments among the family members. Following this Monu demanded money in lieu of the blood, the IO added. Monu was let off after questioning for over an hour at the Division No 6 police station.
	NIT registrar defends director Aparna Banerji/TNS Jalandhar, September 11 Reacting to the resolution adopted by the faculty members of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jalandhar, demanding replacement of the director (in-charge) SBS Mishra-the institute registrar, today termed the demand unjustified. Registrar AL Sangal claimed that no norms had been violated. The NIT faculty members had on Thursday adopted a resolution demanding Mishra’s replacement by September 15. Even as the resolution, signed by 73 faculty members, was formally submitted to the director (in- charge) today, to be forwarded to Dr Anil Kakodkar, chairman, the Board of Governors, NIT, the registrar defended the director on the issue. Sangal said, “What the resolution states is baseless. No statutes or norms of the institute have been violated. There is no genuine reason for the commotion.” “A letter issued by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) in January restrained the director from taking any policy decisions. There were just a few days to go for recruitment of the new director, they could have waited,” he added. Sources said the reasons for the outcry among the teachers of the institute include, denial of timely promotions of assistant professors to the post of associate professors (due since March, 2010), delay in CAS promotions (Career Advancement Scheme), the director’s view to “change the HoDs of various departments in violation of the NIT statutes 2009,” the delay in the recruitment of new staff required in the institute and the alleged inappropriate use of his discretionary powers by the director. The registrar, however, disagreed, “A department head can only be a professor or an associate professor. It is an important post and can’t be given to just anyone. The meetings and interviews for the post have been conducted from time to time. The chairman has also met the faculty twice. They knew the fact that the recruitment of a new director will be made soon.”“The post will be advertised soon. A regular director will also be recruited in a month or so.”
	Health Dept rejects Civil Hospital’s proposal to conduct test for chikungunya Amaninder Pal Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 11 The Punjab health authorities have rejected a proposal of the Jalandhar civil hospital, which was ideated to diagnose causative agent that is afflicting patients with dengue-like sign and symptoms, but still remained undetected. To rule out that menace of chikungunya- a disease with clinical presentation largely similar to dengue- might be brewing in the city, the hospital administration sought permission to conduct tests for chikungunya on blood samples of those patients, who reported with symptoms typical of dengue, but were later turned out negative for dengue. The issue of non-detection of “real causative agent” caught public attention even during dengue epidemic that erupted last year as the health authorities did not find presence of dengue virus in the blood samples of thousands of those patients, which were otherwise reported with all classical symptoms of dengue. Mindful of the fact that the actual underlying disease causing agent in such patients remained undiagnosed after blood samples of the patients turned out negative for dengue, the civil hospital management requested the authorities to allow and equip them to conduct test for chikungunya. “We had sought permission and logistic support from our higher ups to let us conduct test for chikungunya on the blood sample of dengue negative patients. It was suggested to rule out chances of chikungunya, the disease with symptomology similar to dengue. However, citing that chances of chikungunya occurrence are quite minimal, the authorities have refused to give permission in this regard”, said Dr Avtar Chand, Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital, Jalandhar. The authorities directed us to conduct tests for chikungunya only after the government-run virology laboratories would establish the high-prevalence of chikengunea, said Dr Avtar Chand. Reduced platelet count, severe bone and joint pain, high-grade fever and frequent bleeding are some of the major symptoms, common for both dengue and chikungunya.