Ludhiana, October 13
The newly elected Mayor, Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria, seems to have fulfilled his promise and has ordered the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation staff to launch a drive to remove all the hoardings carrying his photograph. Several such hoardings from different parts of the city were removed today. The MC officials said the drive would continue in the coming days as well.

While addressing his first official press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria had announced that all the hoardings carrying his photographs would be removed from the city.

It is pertinent to mention that all such hoardings are illegal and the MC officials had ordered for the removal of such hoardings on several occasions in the past as well. But, when Gohalwaria became Mayor, there was literally a “virtual war” among the local leaders to install hoardings with congratulatory messages to the Mayor in almost every nook and corner of the city. In some of the municipal wards, there was a “mad race” among the Akali leaders as to who will install more of such hoardings.

Perturbed over this, the Mayor had announced on Tuesday that all such hoardings will be removed. Besides, he had also urged the leaders not to install such hoardings anywhere.

Speaking to The Tribune, Gohalwaria said he had asked all the local leaders and councillors that they should not install hoardings with his photographs. “I hope that no such hoardings will be installed in the city,” he said.

Inderjit Singh Gill, adviser to the Mayor, said one such hoarding installed on a private building near the Jagraon bridge was removed today. “This was probably one of the biggest hoardings of the city. It has been removed on the orders of Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria. The focus of today’s drive was Zone C and in the coming days such hoardings will also be removed from other parts of the city,” he added.

Ludhiana, October 13
In another case of theft at government office, thieves stole a computer monitor and two CPUs by breaking into an office at the Model Gram railway station here last night.

This railway station closes at 9.30 after the last train has passed through the city on this track. Neither any employee nor security guard stay at the station for night duty.

Neeta Sharma, senior clerk at the railway station, said: "I came at the station early in the morning and found the door of the office broken. Thieves tried to break the lock with a screw driver but they failed as the door had double lock. Then they broke the door. I have informed the Government Railway Police about the theft".

"Thieves broke the locks of some almirahs and cash box too. There was no cash in the drawer but they took away a computer monitor and two CPUs. There were some other valuable equipment in the office but those were not touched by them. It seems the thieves broke the locks to steal cash".

Pardeep Singh, Sub-inspector, Government Railway Police, said: "We have visited the spot. The station is at an isolated place and there was no security there".

Ludhiana, October 13
A five-year-old boy, who had gone missing two days ago, was found in an underground water tank at an under-construction building at Ishwar Nagar Colony in the Focal Point area here today.

The boy, who has been identified as Pankaj, the son of a labourer, Ram Naresh, went missing two days ago under mysterious circumstances.

Ram Naresh said he, along with the members of his family, worked at the under-construction building and stayed at the site.

Last morning, the members of the family woke up and were shocked to find the boy missing. The police was informed about the incident.

Today Ram Naresh’s co-workers complained of foul smell emanating from the water tank.

On removing the lid, the workers found Pankaj’s body in the tank. The body was taken to the civil hospital for a post-mortem examination.

According to the police, the boy might have fallen into the water tank as it was covered with a light iron shield.

Pankaj's mother fell unconscious on seeing her son's body. She was rushed to a hospital after her condition deteriorated.

A similar incident took place nearly a year ago in November when four-year-old Sonu’s was found inside a septic tank at a beverage factory in Moti Nagar.

The death led to an angry protest by migrants who had gone to vandalise the factory.

Ludhiana, October 13
Health and family Welfare Minister Madan Mohan Mittal has appealed to all the sweet-makers, fruit and vegetable sellers and people doing the business of eatables not to sell substandard eatables and adulterated items. He said strict action would be taken in case anyone was caught indulging in this practice.

The minister inaugurated a naturopathy wing at Acharya Shri Atma Ram Jain Hospital, Jamalpur, here today. He also warned the officers of the health department that in case they were found involved in the sale of adulterated or sub-standard eatables, they would not be spared.

The presence of doctors and other staff is being ensured in the hospitals and dispensaries. Action will also be taken against doctors in case they reccomend purchese of medicines, which are available in dispensaries, from outside, he added.

The PWD Minister, Shranjeet Singh Dhillon, Civil Surgeon Ludhiana, Subhash Batta was also present.

Ludhiana, October 13
City lawyers today boycotted the courts to press for their demand for five-day working week in the local courts.

The agitation, initiated by the District Bar Association, evoked a good response from the legal fraternity.

President of the DBA Jagmohan Singh Warraich, secretary Gurvinder Singh Sodhi, vice-president Ashok Sharma were seen busy ensuring a complete boycott of courts.

The DBA had warned its members that a fine of Rs 5,000 would imposed on lawyers for defying the strike.

These lawyer leaders have been pressing for their demand for holidays on all Saturdays on the pattern of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. They said in every state and in all the offices of the Central Government, five-day week was observed. 

Jagraon, October 13
Four police stations have been created in Ludhiana (rural) police district, taking the total number of police stations to 11. The authorities have also appointed SHOs at these newly created police stations acting on a notification of the state government.

According to the notification issued by the state government, a separate police station for women and another for NRIs have been established. Both these police stations would operate from a building in the Jagraon Police Lines and later on separate buildings would be set up for these.

Besides, the police chowki at Hathur has been upgraded to police station. Another police station has been established at Raikot. Now, two Raikot police stations have been classified as Raikot City and Raikot Sadar police stations.

According to the SSP, Ludhiana (rural), Ashish Chaudhry, apart from appointing SHOs at the newly created police stations, the required staff have been deputed there. Jagraon Women Cell in charge Amarjeet Kaur and Inspector Balwinder Singh have been appointed SHOs of the newly established police station for women and NRIs, respectively.

Several police officials have also been reshuffled in Ludhiana (rural) police district on the instructions of the SSP. The SHO of Raikot, Dilbagh Singh, has been appointed SHO at the upgraded Hathur police station and he will be replaced by ASI Davinder Singh Chakohi.

Sub-inspector Mohan Das has been given the charge of SHO, Raikot Sadar police station, while Jagraon CIA Staff head Rajesh Kumar will take charge as SHO, Sudhar, in place of Sandeep Wadhera who has been shifted to the Police Lines. Sub-inspector Ramaninderjit Singh will head the CIA Staff, Jagraon.

Besides, more than two dozen other police officials, including four ASI-rank officials, have also been reshuffled.

Ludhiana, October 13
The state education department has suspended a clerk posted at the District Education Office (Secondary), for to dereliction of duty. The matter is concerning rationalisation of government teachers.

The clerk named Harjaspreet Singh, is posted in the office of DEO (Secondary) at Ludhiana. His suspension orders have been sent by the DPI (Secondary).

As per information, when some government teachers were shifted to other schools as per the rationalisation process of the state education department, some other teachers had raised questions over the entire “process”.

“Some teachers were transferred whose name did not figure in the list prepared by the state government. When the matter came into the notice of Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka, he asked the DPI (Secondary) to conduct an inquiry into the matter, after which clerk Harjaspreet Singh was suspended,” said a source in the education department.

When contacted, District Education Officer (Secondary) Paramjit Kaur Chahal, confirmed that clerk Harjaspreet Singh has been suspended for dereliction of duty. “This matter is related to rationalisation of government teachers and we received his suspension orders today,” she said.

It is learnt that another clerk of the DEO (Secondary) office has been suspended for dereliction of duty regarding the promotion cases of teachers. But the DEO, Paramjit Kaur Chahal, did not confirm this development. “I have received only Harjaspreet’s suspension orders yet,” she said.

Ludhiana, October 13
The man who was caught for an extortion bid of Rs 1 crore from a builder in BRS Nagar, identified as Baljit Singh, has a long list of crimes. He was also booked by the Jalandhar and Mohali police for different cases of fraud.

The police said the accused had amassed wealth by conning innocent persons. He had married thrice and has eight children. All the children are studying in the boarding schools.

Baljit was living a lavish life. The police officials said his three wives are living in rented apartment in BRS Nagar and Rajguru Nagar. To hide his corrupt practices, Baljit had even floated his NGO that was working against corruption in government offices.

Baljit, who was living in the neighbourhood of a builder, Tavinder Singh, in BRS Nagar had sent him an SMS on October 8 and tried to extort Rs 1 crore.

The message sent by Baljit reads, “Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh. Apne parivar nu sahi salamat dekhna hai ta kul sat waje tak ek crore rupye tyar rakhi. Nahi ta tere chote bete nu goli mar devange. Paise tere ghar aa ke lai javange. Kise nu koi khabar karne ki koshish kiti te thik nahi hove ga.”

"If you want the safety of your family then arrange Rs 1 crore till 7 pm by tomorrow. Otherwise, we would kill your younger son and take the money from your home. If you try to inform anybody then it would not be the right option.”

Baljit had procured a fake SIM card for making an extortion bid. He has multiple pseudonyms, he is known as Balwinder Singh, Tittu and Balli. The accused had also been a travel agent and usurped nearly Rs 50 lakh by duping many innocent people.

Ludhiana: Delhi Public School, Khanna, formally elected the student council. A special ceremony of awarding of the scholar badges was also held. A scholar badge is a special award given to students who excel in academics and achieve 85 per cent and above for the session.

Ludhiana: The Alumni Association of Gujranwala Gurunanak Institute of Management and Technology, Civil Lines (GGNIMT) organised a felicitation ceremony to honour the eleven eminent teachers and principals of the region for their invaluable support in raising the educational standards of our society.

Jagraon, October 13
The Raikot police has claimed to have busted a gang of robbers with the arrest of three youths, who were allegedly involved in various criminal activities in the Raikot area recently.

The accused have been identified as Sandeep Singh alias, Jakky, Boota Singh, alias Booti, and Budh Singh, all residents of Raikot.

Giving details of the incident, DSP Raikot Kehar Singh Khehra, said informed the three accused were arrested during a raid conducted by a police team lead by SHO Raikot Dilbagh Singh following a tip off.

“The accused were arrested from an isolated place near drain on Johlan link road while they were hatching a conspiracy for next robbery. Two accomplices of the accused, identified as Ranjit Singh and Bhag Singh, managed to escape during the police raid," stated Kehar Singh. “The police has also recovered a country made 315 bore pistol, a 32 bore revolver along with several live cartridges, a knife and other sharp edged weapons from the accused. The police has also been conducting raids to nab the other accomplices of the accused,” added the DSP.

Meanwhile, the arrested accused were produced before the court, which awarded two days police remand of the accused.

Ludhiana, October 13
One woman died and five persons were injured after the vehicle they were travelling in collided with a divider near Veer Palace here last night.

The victim identified, as Sheela Devi, succumbed to her injuries here this morning. All the persons travelling in the vehicle were resident of Kotli village near Sahnewal and were taking an ailing person to the hospital.

The incident took place during mid-night when the driver of Tata Indigo car lost control over the vehicle on seeing an approaching truck.

The vehicle hit the divider and overturned. The injured were rushed to hospital in ambulance.

Ludhiana, October 13
Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Kumkalan, beat RS Model Senior Secondary School, Shastri Nagar, 6-4 to emerge as champions in the girl's section in the 4th Junior Ludhiana District Baseball Championship being held at Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujjarkhan Campus, Model Town, here today.

Daljit Kaur, Kulwinder Kaur, Jaspreet Kaur, Gagandeep, Jivajot and Manpreet Kaur accounted for one run each to help their side to clinch the title.

In the match for the hardline cup, during the 4th Junior Ludhiana District Baseball Championship the Ludhiana Baseball Club outnumbered BCM Arya Model Senior Secondary School 6-1 to secure the third position.

In the boy's section, RS Model Senior Secondary School besides BCM Arya Model School, BCM Senior Secondary School, Focal Point and BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh road branch, registered victories to move into the last four stage.