B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Normal life hit as region responds to Bharat Bandh call
Ferozepur, May 31
A complete shut-down was observed in various parts of the district with most of the commercial, educational and other business organisations remaining closed in response to the Bharat Bandh call given by the NDA and the Left parties. SAD workers took out a procession in the various parts of the town and thereafter, held a protest near the Octroi post No. 7 on the Ferozepur-Moga road disrupting the traffic for some time.

F’pur jail inmate ends life
Ferozepur, May 31
A Ferozepur Central Jail inmate committed suicide by hanging himself in a toilet on the jail premises late on Wednesday evening. Kaali, son of Nachattar Singh and a resident of Talwandi Bhai under Ghal Khurd police station, was serving life imprisonment for the murder of a girl. Confirming the incident, Superintendent (Jail) Ramandeep Singh said the deceased was sentenced to life imprisonment

 Normal life hit as region responds to Bharat Bandh call 
Tribune Reporters

Ferozepur, May 31
A complete shut-down was observed in various parts of the district with most of the commercial, educational and other business organisations remaining closed in response to the Bharat Bandh call given by the NDA and the Left parties.

SAD workers took out a procession in the various parts of the town and thereafter, held a protest near the Octroi post No. 7 on the Ferozepur-Moga road disrupting the traffic for some time.

Leading the protest, Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon said due to the anti-people policies of the Congress-led UPA Government, the common man was reeling under inflation. Sekhon demanded that the recent hike in the petrol prices should be rolled back immediately.

Among those present on the occasion were BJP general secretary Kamal Sharma, MLA Joginder Singh and ex-MLA Sukhpal Singh Nannu besides SGPC members and other senior SAD-BJP leaders. Later, Sekhon along with other leaders submitted a memorandum to the DC, S Karuna Raju.

Abohar: SAD workers of the Balluana segment jammed traffic on the state highway (Abohar-Hanumangarh road) during the Bharat Bandh today by staging a dharna for over two hours near Rajpura village.

MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana blamed the UPA Government for the price rise, adding that its wrong economic policies were the main cause of inflation.

Scores of youths sporting saffron headgears brandished unsheathed swords to force petty grocery shops and other retailers in various residential areas to roll down the shutters so as to ensure full response to the Bharat Bandh call.

The BJP took out a separate procession that was led by the new district president Sita Ram Sharma, to appeal to the shopkeepers to join the bandh. Government schools and offices, however, functioned normally.

Fazilka: The rail commuters had to endure hot weather as the traffic on the Fazilka-Bathinda railway track remained suspended for few hours while the agitators, including SAD workers and farmers, stopped a Rewari bound train at the Fazilka railway station in response to the Bharat Bandh call.

The train, which was scheduled to depart at 8.15 am, left the railway station after 10.30 am. On the other hand, Fazilka bound Bathinda-Fazilka passenger train had to be stopped at Lakhewali railway station for nearly four hours in the morning as the train could not get the track clearance.

Interestingly, establishments selling essential commodities, including sweets and vegetables, were closed but liquor vends remained opened in the town.

BJP activists, led by Fazilka MLA and cabinet minister Surjit Kumar Jyani, staged a protest rally in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner. He sought a roll back of hike in petrol prices.

Mansa: Private transporters of Mansa district today extended support to the nationwide bandh against the hike in fuel prices. No private bus plied on any of the routes, which consequently had an adverse affect on the functioning of various government and private offices.

One of the transporters, Gurdish Honey, said though heavy vehicles run on diesel, the hike in petrol affected their allied business.

The main markets of Mansa district and adjoining towns witnessed a complete bandh.

Moga: The Bandh passed off peacefully in Moga district. All the private business establishments, banks and other financial institutions remained closed throughout the day. Though government schools and colleges were open they registered very thin attendance. While the rail traffic remained normal, the road traffic saw blockades throughout the day. Private buses started plying on local routes late in the evening.

Muktsar: Normal life was affected as almost all shops, business establishments and fuel stations remained closed throughout the day across the district. The attendance in government offices remained thin and the city roads witnessed lesser traffic.

Till the filing of this report, no untoward incident took place in Malout, Gidderbaha and Muktsar.

Muktsar SSP Inder Mohan Singh said, “Taking precautionary measures, we had deployed our jawans everywhere across the district and it passed off peacefully.” 

 F’pur jail inmate ends life
Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, May 31
A Ferozepur Central Jail inmate committed suicide by hanging himself in a toilet on the jail premises late on Wednesday evening. Kaali, son of Nachattar Singh and a resident of Talwandi Bhai under Ghal Khurd police station, was serving life imprisonment for the murder of a girl.

Confirming the incident, Superintendent (Jail) Ramandeep Singh said the deceased was sentenced to life imprisonment on July 26, 2008 in connection with the case No 129 dated 07/08/2006 registered against him under Section 302 of the IPC at Ghal Khurd police station. Ever since he was lodged in the jail in 2008, Kaali had not taken even a single leave, adding that he had probably murdered a girl with whom he allegedly had an affair.

Ramandeep said one of the legs of the deceased was amputated and he used an artificial limb. Yesterday evening, he went to the toilet and hanged himself using the cloth he tied around the amputated leg.

The body was handed over to the family of the deceased after the post-mortem examination was conducted today.