R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Ludhiana
City Centre case adjourned: Sessions Judge Gobinder Singh on Saturday adjourned hearing in the alleged multi-crore City Centre scam involving former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh till October 13. The case was adjourned without any proceedings as defence lawyers did not appear before the court, in response to a call given by the District Bar Association. Lawyers boycotted all courts in support of their demand seeking a holiday on all Saturdays. The Vigilance Bureau had filed a chargesheet against 35 persons in December 2007, but charges were yet to be framed.

Moga
1984 riot victim ends life: A 1984 anti-Sikh riot victim, Balkar Singh, allegedly committed suicide by firing at himself from his gun at Kot-ise-Khan town in Moga district on Saturday. SSP Surjit Singh Grewal said preliminary reports revealed that Balkar Singh was drunk at the time of the incident. Police claimed that there were reports that the deceased allegedly had illicit relations with a relative, something that led to frequent quarrels at his house. A goldsmith by profession, he settled in the town after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Muktsar
Two vehicle lifters held: With the arrest of two persons, the police on Saturday claimed to have busted an inter-state gang of vehicle-lifters. Ten vehicles, including nine Bolero jeeps, were recovered. The accused, Parvinder Singh and Sukhjinder Kumar, used to run an automobile workshop at Mandi Dabwali in Haryana. “Acting on a tip-off, a naka was laid at Virk Khera village on Friday. When the accused, who were moving in two Bolero jeeps, were asked to show registration documents of the vehicles, they failed to do so and admitted that the vehicles were stolen,” SSP Inder Mohan Singh said.

Ghee unit sealed: A joint team of the police and the Health Department on Saturday sealed a unit which was found manufacturing spurious "ghee" on the Kacha Thandewala road. It seized nearly 5 quintals of spurious desi ghee and 2.5 quintals of spurious dalda ghee. Nearly 11 quintals of pure ghee was also found stored in the unit. "The unit owner failed to produce the bills of the pure ghee found there. A number of empty tins with labels of a Kotkapura-based company were also recovered. The tins were to be filled with spurious ghee," said a police official. Two persons, Surinder Kumar and Tilak Raj, were booked in this regard.

Phagwara
Woman, son held: The Phagwara Police on Saturday arrested Jagdish Kaur and her son Jatinder Singh under Sections 379, 452 and 451 of the IPC on the charges of illegal occupying rooms of the Civil Dispensary situated in Sham Nagar. Superintendent of Police (SP) HPS Khakh said the arrests were made after a complaint was lodged by Medical Officer Ramesh Paul. Dr Paul had alleged that the mother-son had illegally occupied the building.

Sangrur
Army recruitment rally: Since the beginning of an Army recruitment rally here on October 3, 19,852 youths from Mansa, Sangrur, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Barnala districts have shown interest in joining the Armed Forces. Of them, 17,832 candidates have been screened for physical test. The Officiating Deputy Director General (Punjab and J&K), Headquarters Recruiting Zone, Jalandhar, Col Atul Bisht, said the response was beyond their expectations.

Dhindsa promises growth: Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa on Saturday said the government would continue to give benefits under its four welfare programmes - free power to farmers, shagun, atta-dal and old-age pension schemes. Addressing a public function at Badrukhan village, Dhindsa said people would see a turnaround in the state's economy in the next two years. He said the Congress was "unnecessarily making a hue and cry" about the financial health of the state.

Tarn Taran
Man opens fire at brother: Paramjit Singh allegedly shot at his brother Harwinder Singh, a resident of Sarhali township. Paramjit and his accomplice Sarabjit Singh of Chabal village have been booked under Section 336 of the IPC by the Sarhali police. No arrest has been made so far. Sources said Harwinder had a narrow escape in the incident.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

bilaspur
Woman gets 90 pc burns: Monu Rana (28), mother of three children from her first husband and now said to be married to Pradip Kumar of Ropadi village near Ghumarwin, living in a rented room at Kothipura with her husband, was found to be on fire and shouting for help from her room on Thursday. Reports said neighbours rushed to save her, but she was burnt more than 90 per cent before she could be pulled out from the flames. Her husband was away at that time. She reportedly had sprinkled kerosene on her body and set herself afire. She was rushed to the Regional Hospital here and then shifted to the IGMC, Shimla, where her condition was said to be serious. 

Kangra
Man killed in road mishap: A 30-year-old man was killed and another injured in a hit-and-run case at Badihar late last night. Stating this here today, SDPO Dinesh Kumar said a motorcycle was hit by an unidentified car at 11.30 last night at Badihar falling under Nagrota Bagwan police station leaving two persons, Rajeev Mehra and Rohit Sharma, both of Nagrota Bagwan, who were travelling on the motorcycle, injured. DSP Dinesh Kumar said the car driver fled from the spot leaving the two injured behind. Both the injured were rushed to the DRPGMC, Tanda, where Rajeev was declared brought dead. Rohit was recovering. Rajeev’s body after post-mortem was handed over to his relatives. 

‘Implement amendment’: Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe employees in Himachal Pradesh have demanded the immediate implementation of the 85th constitutional amendment in the state in letter and spirit as directed by the apex court lest they are forced to move the Supreme Court. State president of the Himachal Pradesh SC ST Government Employees Welfare Association Sita Ram Bansal said employees held a meeting at Government Senior Secondary School, Kothar Ranital, recently in which employees from across the state participated. He said participants unanimously decided to impress upon the state government to implement the amendment immediately, adding that the Supreme Court directed the state to implement it. 

JAMMU & KASHMIR

BATOT
SP donates bags: During his visit to remote Shankli Malan, Gramri, Bhata and Ghai villages of the Dessa area in Doda district on Friday, Doda SP Mohammed Arif Rishu listened to the grievances of the villagers and the Village Defence Committees and resolved some cases on the spot. He interacted with students of Middle School Gramri (Malan), Primary Schools of Judo and Indrain in Bhata and distributed school bags and stationery among them under the JKP, Civic Action Programme.

Patrol vehicles: The DIG (Traffic), Jammu province, Shakil Ahmed Beig, handed over the High-tech Patrol Vehicles (HPV) to the in charges (DSPs/DTIs) of five different highway Sectors of Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts here on Friday. Each of these yellow-coloured vehicles of TATA Grande-LX Turbo make carrying five policemen will be patrolling for 24 hours on Chanderkot-Ramban, Ramsoo-Ramban and Banihal-Jawahar Tunnel (JT) NH1A, pull Doda-Thathri and Thathri-Kishtwar, NH1B sectors of Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts, respectively. 

Jammu
80 quintal wheat seized: The Doda police on Saturday arrested one person with 80 quintal wheat meant for public distribution. The accused has been identified as Vikar Ahmed of Nai Dangri. The police had been tipped off about the siphoning off of ration by officials of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department posted at a store in Ghat, Doda. The wheat was sold by officials to Vikar Ahmed instead of being transported to the store. The police has registered a case.

Srinagar
J&K Bank beat JKPDC: In the ongoing J&K Bank Annual League Football Tournament, J&K Bank Football Club (JKBFC) defeated J&K Power Development Corporation (JKPDC) Football Team by one goal to nil on Friday at polo grounds, Srinagar.

DEHRADUN

Dehradun
Campaign for Saket: Uttarakhand Congress Coordination Committee member and former Dehradun Mayor Manorama Sharma on Saturday canvassed for Congress candidate in Tehri parliamentary bypoll Saket Bahuguna in Dakra, Panditwari, Vasant Vihar, Adhoiwala and Vani Vihar localities of Dehradun. She appealed to the people to vote for Congress candidate Saket Bahuguna.

Rally by Jal Nigam staff: The Jal Nigam Jal Sansthan Majdoor Union, Uttarakhand, on Saturday held a demonstration at the Peyjal Nigam office in Dehradun, demanding fulfilment of their long-standing demands. The agitating employees demanded removal of wage irregularities. The union members also met Ravindra Kumar, Managing Director, Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam, and sought immediate acceptance of their demands.

CPI public meetings: CPI members on Saturday held public meetings in Jakhan, Hathibarkala and Dilaram Bazar areas of Dehradun in support of Kunwar Japinder Singh, Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha candidate for the Tehri parliamentary bypoll. CPI district secretary Surendra Singh Sajwan also appealed to CPI members to work for ensuring victory for Japinder Singh.

khatima
Statehood agitators: Hundreds of people in the town took to the streets on the fifth day on Saturday and demanded that the statehood agitators list be revamped and genuine agitators be given place in that. “The list of 811 statehood agitators of Khatima area, which has been released by the government recently, has not shown the names of those agitators whose names have been enlisted by the government during the ND Tiwari’s time,” said Sher Singh Digari, president of the Uttarakhand Rajya Sangram Sanani Sangthan and one of the leaders of the five-day-long agitation in the town. The agitators have announced that until all the genuine statehood agitators of Khatima area are fulfilled, their agitation will continue the stir.

Pithoragarh
Army recruitment fair: Deputy Director of the Army recruiting branch, Brig Yash Bali, has said that the Army will organise a recruitment fair at Lansdowne in Garhwal region to recruit youths from 7 districts of the region from October 29. Bali, who was briefing mediapersons on the occasion of Army recruitment fair in the town, said: “On the first day of recruitment for the Army at Lansdowne, education havildars will be recruited. From the next day, open recruiting for other ranks will be conducted.”

nainital
Athletic meet: The two-day Nainital athletic meet, organised by the District Sports Association, ended on Saturday in the town. According to the organisers, more than 300 students from primary level to intermediate level took part in the meet. “Athletic competitions were organised in these two days in various groups in which students from almost all educational institutions took part,” said Rajiv Mehta, one of the organisers, and member of the association.

ramnagar
Corbett festival: The three-day Ramnagar Corbett Festival, which was inaugurated by the Tourism and Cultural Minister of State, witnessed various faces of Nanda Devi, presented by cultural troupes. “The festival, which is designed for three days this year, will be extended for 6 days from next year,” said Amrita Rawat, Uttarakhand Tourism and Culture Minister. More than 70 stalls of various government departments and from self-help groups are being exhibited in the festival, depicting the innovative entrepreneurship of the farmers and craftsmen in the state. “We have given a chance to the innovative farmers and craftsmen in the field, besides giving a chance to various cultural troupes and school students, to depict their cultural talent on the stage,” said Taif Khan, organiser of the festival.

— Contributed by BD Kasniyal