R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
Ex-IT official jailed in corruption case: Former Income Tax Officer DK Gupta, who was nabbed red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 30,000 in April 2009 by the CBI, has been sentenced to three-year imprisonment by a special court. His accomplice, Inspector Ravi Kumar, has been sentenced to two-year imprisonment. On the complaint lodged by Abohar-based cardiologist Naveen Sethi, a CBI team had raided the house of the accused in New Suraj Nagari and had caught him taking bribe.

Phagwara
Two arrested with intoxicant powder: The police has arrested two drug peddlers after recovering intoxicant powder from their possession. Superintendent of Police HPS Khakh said the accused duo had been identified as Happy and Mukesh Kumar of Ranipur village. A case has been registered.

Tarn Taran
Three booked on rape charge: The police has registered a case under sections 376, 34 of the IPC against three persons for “raping” a married woman. The accused have been identified as Nirmal Singh and Ranjit Singh Rana, both residents of Bhikhiwind, and a man named Sarpanch. The victim in her statement to the police alleged that Nirmal took her to a room in Pahuwind village near Bhikhiwind on Wednesday. The medical examination of the victim was conducted at Civil Hospital, Patti.

5 booked for selling subsidised wheat: The police has booked five persons for selling subsidised wheat meant for weaker sections in the open market. The arrested accused have been identified as Gurteg Singh and Amardeep Singh, both residents of Chander village. Lakhbir Singh, a depot holder; Shamsher Singh, inspector, Markfed; and Jaspal Singh, inspector, Punsup, are on the run.

CHANDIGARH

Thanksgiving: St John's High School, Sector 26, on Friday organised a thanksgiving function for the outgoing students of class XII. Parents also attended the function. The final farewell party will be held later.

HARYANA

Jhajjar
Criminal nabbed: The police has nabbed Kartar Singh, a notorious criminal carrying reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, from Sauldha village after carrying out a raid on Tuesday night. He was produced in a court on Wednesday, which awarded him police remand for nine days.

Karnal
Gang of thieves busted: The police has arrested five members of a gang involved in over 15 cases of transformer theft in January. Following a tip-off that some people were planning to commit a robbery, a CIA team raided an old dhaba near Balri village on the GT Road, Karnal, and nabbed five criminals.

Kurukshetra
Biker dies in road mishap: Satnam Singh of Jansui village in Ambala district was killed on the spot when a car hit his motorcycle near Gumthala village on Thursday evening. The police has registered a case.

Rewari
80 units of blood donated: As many as 80 activists of the Rewari Rotary Club and officials of Hero Moto Corporation Limited, Dharuhera, donated blood at a camp jointly organised by them in the company's complex at Dharuhera on Thursday. The blood was handed over to the Rotary Blood Bank, New Delhi.

SONEPAT
Two arrested with fake coins: The police arrested two persons, Kishan Yadav of Jharkhand and Ram Sharesht of Bihar, near Bahalgarh Chowk on the GT Road on Wednesday and seized fake coins worth Rs 45,000 from them. The accused were produced in a court on Thursday, which remanded them in police custody.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Hamirpur
Decision to reopen govt schools hailed: BR Rahi, former chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Education Board, has hailed the decision of the state government to reopen 149 government schools, which were closed by the previous government under its rationalisation policy. Rahi said, “The lower number of students in  these schools was the result of wrong policies of  former Education Minister ID Dhiman. Opening these schools will benefit students living in the remote areas”.