R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
Court rejects bail plea of Ranike’s PA: Additional Sessions Judge Neelam Arora on Monday dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Sarbhdayal Singh, personal assistant (PA) of former Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike. Sarbhdayal has been accused of embezzling government funds meant for development works in the Attari assembly constituency. He had sought anticipatory bail in the case while pleading innocence.

Barnala
Poet commits suicide: Punjabi poet Jai Kishan Kaushal (74) allegedly committed suicide on the intervening night of September 23 and September 24 here.The Station House Officer, Barnala city police station, Harwinder Pal Singh, said Kaushal, who was under depression, had shot himself in the head. President of the Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Sekhon), Dr Tejwant Mann, expressed grief and shock over the death.

Gurdaspur
Bail for MC official: District and Sessions Judge KK Garg has granted regular bail to Pathankot Municipal Commissioner JP Singh, who was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau on August 30 while allegedly accepting Rs 2.50 lakh as bribe from a local resident. Counsels Karanjit Singh and SS Basra pleaded before the court that there was nothing new that was to be recovered from the officer.

Phillaur
Man drowns in pond: A Phagwara resident, identified as Manoj Kumar (22) of Onkar Nagar, drowned in a village pond in nearby Kotli village in Phillaur sub-division last evening. Reports received here today said that the deceased along with his friends went to the pond to take bath. The police today handed over the body to the family members after conducting post-mortem examination in the local Civil Hospital.

HARYANA

Chandigarh
Flour mill at Taroari: Hafed will set up a flour mill at a cost of Rs 2 crore at Taroari in Karnal district, besides increasing the warehousing capacity up to 9.51 lakh tonnes by March next year, Cooperation Minister Satpal Sangwan said. The Minister said Hafed had also introduced contract farming so as to ensure remunerative prices for desi wheat, barley and basmati rice.

Sonepat
Blood donation camp: Over 80 units of blood were donated by INLD activists here on Monday on the eve of birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal.

Linesman electrocuted: Praveen Tyagi, an assistant linesman of the Bijli Vitran Nigam, was electrocuted while he was carrying out some repair work at the Kundli power sub-station in the district on Monday evening. Sources said the victim succumbed to injuries while being taken to Delhi.