R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
Youth festival: The local DAV College has clinched 26 prizes in the Panjab University (PU) Zonal Youth festival that concluded at Bhag Singh Hayer Khalsa College for Women at village Kala Tibba near here. Principal Dr BB Sharma and Dr Iqbal Singh Godara, in-charge, Extra Mural Activities Department said top positions in individual categories were won by Sonal (Group Song), Manjit Singh (Bhangra and General Dance) and Gurkamal Bhullar (Giddha). The college teams got runners-up position in folk instruments, essay writing, story writing, poem composition, classical dance, Fulkari, mime and bhangra.

Barnala
TWO arrested with 20 kg poppy husk: The police has arrested Balwinder Singh and Krishna Singh after allegedly recovering 20 kg of poppy husk from their possession.

Bathinda
St Xavier’s players shine: Girl students of the St Xavier’s School have won the netball (Under-14) in the 57th Punjab School Games held at Sri Muktsar Sahib from September 9-13. The team defeated the hosts 16-13 to lift the trophy. Besides, players from the school also took part in the netball U-17 and U-19 categories and stood runners' up in both the events. Principal Rev. Father Ivo Dias congratulated the students.

Chandigarh
Now, automobile dealers to issue registration numbers: The Punjab Transport Department on Friday authorised the automobile dealers in the state to issue registration numbers to the purchasers of new vehicles. Inaugurating the process of issuing registration numbers to vehicles in Barnala, State Transport Commissioner Harjit Singh said it would be a big relief for the consumers, as they would get their vehicle registration numbers on the day of the purchase.

Dera Bassi
Dera Bassi firm found violating norms: The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) today raided the Bhushan Power and Steel Limited, Dera Bassi. The raid was conducted on the basis of a telephonic message that was received by chairman of the PPCB Kahan Singh Pannu today. A three-member team, comprising XEN Joginder Singh, SDO Lavneet Dubey and SDO Ramjidas, had raided the factory. The board officials said appropriate action would be taken against company concerned by the board.

Faridkot
Man kills wife, children, self: A 28-year-old man in Faridkot allegedly killed himself by shooting in the head after murdering his wife and two small children on Saturday. The cause behind his taking the extreme step was reported to be the deceased’s wife’s illicit relations with a neighbour. The police have recovered two suicide notes from Heera Singh, the deceased, in which he has accused Babu Singh, a bus conductor for harassing his wife due to their old relations.

Ferozepur
Prisoners dies, kin cry foul: A prisoner, identified as Madhu Bala, wife of Surjit Singh, a resident of Gali Karadiawali near Makhu Gate in the city, who was lodged in the central jail here, died in the prison on Friday. According to information, Madhu was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. Meanwhile, the deceased’s relatives staged a demonstration outside the jail alleging some conspiracy behind her death.

BJP leaders protest: To protest against the rise in petroleum price, the district unit of the BJP on Saturday held a protest demonstration in front of the DC office. Leading the protest, BJP leader DP Chandan, vice-chairman, Small Industries Board, said the Congress-led UPA Government has failed on all fronts. On the occassion, Narinder Mukhija, district president, Surinder Singh, Sushil Gupta, Davinder Bajaj besides other BJP leaders also spoke.

Jalandhar
Black badge day at NIT: The faculty members of the Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology observed a black badge protest today, following their mass resignations yesterday. Sanjay Dhande, Director, IIT Kanpur and Avijit Mukherjee, Director, Thapar University, Patiala - of the review committee held discussions with the staff and students today.

One held with counterfeit currency: Police nabbed a furniture trader, Munish Kumar Gupta, for his alleged role in a fake currency racket. Gupta, resident of Shiv Nagar, was said to have enter the crime world after suffering huge losses in his steel furniture business.

Nawanshahr
Depot holder held: The residents of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar caught the ration depot holder of their locality 'red-handed', while selling kerosene oil in black market at about 6.30 am on Saturday. They informed the police and the officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department about the irregularity being committed by the depot holder.

HARYANA

SONEPAT
Youth shot dead: Rajpal (28), of Rohat village, was shot dead by a group of armed gangsters outside his house on Friday. An old enmity was suspected to be motive behind the murder. Rajpal received a call on his mobile. The caller asked him to come out of his house and meet him. Rajpal had hardly gone about 100 yards away from the house, when the unidentified gangsters fired indiscriminately at him.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

SOLAN
103 bags of wheat seized: The Nalagarh police on Saturday seized 103 bags of wheat, weighing 50 kg each, which were being transported illegally into Himachal for surreptitious sale. As the wheat bags bore stamps of the Punjab Government and the Food Corporation of India, the police booked the driver of the tempo under the Essential Commodities Act. The police seized these bags during a naka at Jogo village while checking a tempo (HP-12-A-5145). A case has been registered against driver Saligram of Kundlu village. The driver was hired to transport this wheat from Quarli-based depot of the Food and Civil Supplies to Nalagarh. SP, Baddi, Gurdev Chand Sharma said investigations were on.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
Interlocutors meet Governor: The three-member team of interlocutors held a meeting with Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here on Saturday. The team comprising Dileep Padgaonkar, Prof Radha Kumar and MM Ansari held an extensive interaction with the Governor. An official spokesman said the interlocutors discussed some issues relating to the development of the state.

Mega cracker show at Dal Lake: A mega cracker show was organised at the historical Nehru Park at the Dal Lake here on Friday evening. The show was inaugurated by Minister of State for Home and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani and crackers were burst from 7.25 pm till midnight. Around 10,000 persons witnessed the show. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was travelling at that time, also turned up at the show.

DEHRADUN

MUSSOORIE
Damaged Kempty swimming pool: Taking cognisance of a news item, “Main Kempty Falls swimming pool yet to be repaired”, published in these columns on Friday, Chief Minister BC Khanduri has constituted a three-member committee to probe the beautification work done at the Kempty Falls recently. The team visited the site on Saturday to take stock of situation. It also met local shopkeepers and tourists and asked them about the problems being faced by them. After considering all factors, it will submit a report to the CM soon.

KUMAON BRIEFS
Removal of SHO demanded: Alleging that the local administration and the police are acting as tools of the ruling BJP, the Congress has demanded the removal of the SHO posted at the Mallital police station in Nainital accusing him of targeting members of the National Students Union of India, a student wing of the party. The SHO, DR Arya, has been in the eye of the storm following the lathicharge on students on Friday evening after two rival factions of students clashed in the Mallital area following the declaration of the students’ poll results in the local DSB College. NSUI candidate Saurabh Rawat has been elected president. Congress leader BS Bhakuni has threatened to launch an agitation if the SHO is not removed.

Protests over desecration: Protests against the desecration of the “Bir at a gurdwara in Katiyya village of Pilibhit district, Uttar Pradesh, continue unabated across Kumaon. The village is located on the border of UP and Uttarakhand. Protests and demonstrations continue to take place, mainly in the areas of Terai, where there is a sizeable presence of Sikhs. The protests on Friday were marked by arson and violence at some places with people resorting to stoning of buses and attempts to burn government property.

Captured tiger dead: The tiger captured by Forest Department officials in Himatpur Dautiyal village on the outskirts of Ramnagar and subsequently brought to the Nainital Zoo for treatment has died. The tiger was captured after it had strayed into the village on Sunday and had killed two cows there. Besides being aged, the animal had lost its canines and had more than 20 wounds on its body. It is being assumed that an inability to hunt its prey could have led it to the village in search of an easy game. Efforts to cure it proved futile and it died on Friday evening. Its post-mortem examination was done on Saturday morning.

Two shopkeepers booked: The Lal Kuan police has registered a complaint against two shopkeepers for allegedly torturing and beating up a 50-year-old labourer. According to reports, Bunty and Shunty Bhatia have been charged with having beaten up and then torturing Ram Babu by pricking him with nails. The labourer had been accused of misappropriating Rs 3,000. He was allegedly beaten up with rods and pipes till he bled profusely and fell unconscious. The victim was admitted to a hospital with the help of 108 ambulance service.

Eight langurs captured, released: Launching a drive against irate langurs in Nainital town, officials of the Forest Department captured eight langurs. These animals had become a major threat for residents, particularly the aged, of the town. The captured animals were later released in the forests at a considerable distance from the town.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)