B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Parents make their kids drug addicts to use them as labour
Victims treated at Red Cross De-addiction Centre
Kotkapura(Faridkot), Sept 30
Ever heard about parents pushing their children into drug addiction? Eleven kids of Kotkapura, all below 13 years, were made to take synthetic drugs by their parents and some adults so that they don't face any inhibition in begging, stealing, snatching or rag picking. It is probably the worst form of child labour.

BJP ex-councillor booked for rape bid on 9-yr-old
Fazilka, September 30
The City Police, Fazilka, has booked BJP’s former municipal councillor on the charges of molesting and attempting rape on a nine-year-old girl of the local Radha Swami Colony.

SHO’s reader booked on graft charge
Sriganganagar, September 30
Balkar Singh, reader to the SHO, Srivijaynagar police station, has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), said ASP Ravi Dutt Gaur. One Girdhari Singh Rathore of Jaitsar, in his complaint to the ACB, stated that the police had arrested one Phusa Ram Bishnoi on Wednesday in connection with a land deal.

Riya Sen visits Bathinda, fans left high & dry
Bathinda, September 30
The air of expectation that had gripped the city over the visit of Bollywood actress Riya Sen proved to be a non-starter as the actress left as discreetly as she had come.

Cong MLA meets dengue patients
Bathinda, September 30
Local Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi today visited the dengue patients at the Civil Hospital here. He met the patients and enquired about their health from the doctors there.

Parents make their kids drug addicts to use them as labour
Victims treated at Red Cross De-addiction Centre
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Kotkapura(Faridkot), Sept 30
Ever heard about parents pushing their children into drug addiction? Eleven kids of Kotkapura, all below 13 years, were made to take synthetic drugs by their parents and some adults so that they don't face any inhibition in begging, stealing, snatching or rag picking. It is probably the worst form of child labour.

The District Red Cross Society, Faridkot, came across these children 40 days back following a tip-off.

“The informer disclosed that a group of small children in the railway station area of Kotkapura were hooked to some dangerous synthetic drugs and they were indulging in various crimes like pick-pocketing and purse snatching,” said Roshan Lal Goel, secretary of the DRCS.

The information was shared with Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat. Following this, the administration sent a van to Kotkapura and 11 such children were brought to Faridkot on August 16. The kids underwent treatment at the Red Cross De-addiction Centre. Addicted to various synthetic drugs, these children told the counsellors that they were encouraged to start taking drugs by their own parents and some adult drug addicts.

Once addicted, they were given the drug dose only after they met certain demands of the adults. The demands were to bring more and more money, indulging in pick-pocketing, rag picking or purse snatching, said DC Ravi Bhagat.

“We summoned the parents of these children and warned them of serious legal action if they pushed the children back into drugs or any other crime. We have also written to the district police to identify and arrest the drug addicts and chemists who were providing and supplying drugs to such children,” said the DC.

After their treatment in the de-addiction centre, the DC met these small children on Friday. “We have handed over the custody of these children to their parents today and asked them to send the children to schools,” said the DC.

Sources said the DRCS and the district administration would keep a constant watch on these children and the activities of their parents. The parents of these small children were poor migrants from Bihar and some of them also indulge in rag picking.

BJP ex-councillor booked for rape bid on 9-yr-old

Fazilka, September 30
The City Police, Fazilka, has booked BJP’s former municipal councillor on the charges of molesting and attempting rape on a nine-year-old girl of the local Radha Swami Colony.

According to the FIR registered by the local police today, the victim's father stated that his daughter was returning home late in the evening of September 26 after playing with her friends in a populated area of the colony. However, she was allegedly stopped midway by former councillor Ratan Lal, who forcibly took her to an isolated cattle shed nearby. He allegedly molested the girl and tried to rape her. The girl raised an alarm following which people residing nearby rushed to the site and freed her. They also reportedly thrashed the accused after nabbing him.

After investigation, the police booked Rattan Lal under Sections 342/376/506 and 511 of the IPC. — OC

SHO’s reader booked on graft charge

Sriganganagar, September 30
Balkar Singh, reader to the SHO, Srivijaynagar police station, has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), said ASP Ravi Dutt Gaur. One Girdhari Singh Rathore of Jaitsar, in his complaint to the ACB, stated that the police had arrested one Phusa Ram Bishnoi on Wednesday in connection with a land deal. The cops had allegedly threatened to book him (Rathore) under Section 120-B of the IPC as he was the buyer of the land. The reader had allegedly demanded Rs 10,000 as bribe for sparing him but the deal was reportedly struck for Rs 8,000.

Rathore handed over the money to the reader near the police station. The ACB team nabbed the reader but could not recover the bribe money. It is believed that the accused had thrown the money away on finding himself surrounded by the ACB team. Balkar Singh said Rathore had tried to forcibly hand over the money to him but he opposed it. However, chemical was spotted on his hands. A case has been registered. — OC

Riya Sen visits Bathinda, fans left high & dry
Neha Sharma
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 30
The air of expectation that had gripped the city over the visit of Bollywood actress Riya Sen proved to be a non-starter as the actress left as discreetly as she had come.

Here to inauguarate the international diamond brand—the Zaira Diamond— a UK-based renowned jewellery brand has launched its third premium retail store in the Bank Bazaar of the city, Riya Sen left because the company said she had a flight to catch. The actress refused to speak on any TV channel and did not address mediapersons, who were waiting for her.

CEO Zaira Diamond (India) Pvt Ltd, Manoj Jain said, “We are enthralled to open our third outlet here and hope to meet the expectations of the people. The other two outlets of the brand are in Chandigarh and Ludhiana.”

To allure the customers, the company has also offered 10 per cent off on the market price of any diamond jewellery till October 31.

Cong MLA meets dengue patients
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 30
Local Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi today visited the dengue patients at the Civil Hospital here. He met the patients and enquired about their health from the doctors there.

District Congress (Urban) president Ashok Kumar and district general secretary Rupinder Singh Bindra also accompanied him.

The poor patients asked him for some financial help. On this, the MLA assured them that he would approach the Deputy Commissioner (DC) for extending aid to them from the Red Cross Society funds.

Officiating Civil Surgeon Dr Raghubir Singh Randhawa said the Deputy Commissioner had sent the secretary of the Red Cross Society and they had decided to identify the poor patients for providing the requisite medicines to them, he added.