R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
NRI donates land to SGPC in US: Didar Singh Bains, NRI, has donated 13.8 acres at Yuba City, California, US, to the SGPC. He handed over the papers of the property and a cheque for Rs 1.01 lakh to SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar on Wednesday. Bains hails from Mahilpur village in Hoshiarpur.Makkar announced to set up a Sikh centre on the donated land. 

Chandigarh
'Improper' songs banned at schools: The Punjab Government on Wednesday directed the Education Department to adopt "zero tolerance for playing improper songs" during farewell functions at high and senior secondary schools. A press release issued here said loud and improper music not only vitiated "the school atmosphere but also affected the young minds". 

Ropar
Ropar inmate tries to kill self: A prisoner identified as Kulwinder Singh (40) allegedly attempted to commit suicide at Ropar jail on Wednesday. The district court had sentenced him to jail for 10 years for drug peddling under the NDPS Act on Tuesday. Jail Deputy Supterintendent Rajiv Arora said Kulwinder had tried to hang himself with a towel in the bathroom. Arora said Kulwinder, resident of Jagatpur village near Chamkaur Sahib, had been depressed ever since he was convicted. He said they had written to the local police station to book the prisoner for attempting kill suicide. 

Sangrur
Three held for theft : The district police today arrested three persons and recovered stolen a motorcycle and five China-made mobile phones from them. The police said they got information about Jagtar Singh, Harpreet Singh and Ramandeep Singh and intercepted them at a bridge in Deh Kalan. The accused had stolen two motorcycles from Malerkotla. Besides, they were also involved in other crimes, the police said. A case had been registered against them under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC.

Youth gets 7-year RI for abducting minor: Additional Sessions Judge, Sangrur, today awarded seven-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) to Gurpreet Singh (24) of Anno village in Sandaur for abducting a minor girl. On the complaint of the girl’s father, a case was registered against Gurpreet on October 4 last year. 

HARYANA

Gharaunda
Fire in shoe factory Gharaunda: Property worth crores was gutted in a major fire which broke out at Liberty Shoe factory, on GT Road, at Gharaunda today. The fire brigade reached the spot within minutes but it took more than an hour to bring the fire under control. The police also reached the spot. The cause of the fire and the exact loss is yet to be ascertained, property worth crores was reported to have been destroyed.

Kaithal
Kalayat MC poll results :The elections to Kalayat municipal committee were held peacefully today with 89 per cent voting to elect 13 members. Rajesh Khoth, DDPO and Returning officer, declared the following winners this evening: Ward 1 – Kirna Devi, ward 2 – Darshna Devi. ward 3 –Seema Devi, ward 4 – Kiran Devi, ward 5 – Deepa, ward 6 – Suresh Rani, ward 7 – Kusum Rani, ward 8 – Birma Devi, ward 9 – Sushila Rani, ward 10 – Raju Kaushik, ward 11– Sunita, ward – 12 Surinder Kumar, and ward 13 – Poonam.

Kurukshetra,
KU Registrar quits: Dr Surinder Deswal, Registrar of Kurushetra University, has resigned citing academic reasons. The Vice-Chancellor has forwarded it to KU Chancellor Jagannath Pahadia. Dr Deswal joined as Registrar Kurukshetra University on May 17, 2011. Prior to this, he was Associate Professor at the NIT, Kurukshetra.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

The temporary academic block of CUHP at Shahpur in Kangra. Photo: Ashok Raina

CHAMBA
3.8 kg of charas seized from Chamba: Charas weighing 3.8 kg was recovered at two different places in the district on Tuesday. A report here on Wednesday said a police party at Bounkhari Mor in the district intercepted pedestrian Raj Kumar and recovered charas from him. He was arrested and a case registered at Dalhousie police station. The police also recovered 1.5 kg charas in a bag from a private bus at Jassourgarh in Churah sub-division. DSP Kulbhushan Verma said investigations were on. 

DHARAMSALA
Tibetan found without papers, booked: Palljor Tsering, a Tibetan refugee, was found without valid documents at Dharamsala on Tuesday. A case under Section 14 of the Foreign Act, 1946, has been registered against him and he will face deportation.

KANGRA
First convocation at CUHP on Feb 28: The Central University Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) will hold its first convocation on February 28 at the temporary academic block at Shahpur. Stating this here on Saturday, Vice-Chancellor Furqan Qamar said the Dalai Lama would be the chief guest and Arun Maira, Planning Commission Member, would preside. Qamar said six gold medals and 115 degrees would be conferred on 2012 pass-outs.

NURPUR
Man gets one-year jail for stealing car: The Judicial Magistrate, 1st Class, Indora, on Wednesday sentenced Sunny of Pathankot to one-year imprisonment and fined him Rs 1,000. Assistant District Attorney Vijay Rihalia said the convict had been booked by the Indora police under Section 379, IPC, on June 1, 2012, for stealing motorcycle of Raj Vikram Singh of Damtal from his residence on May 31, 2012. 

DEHRADUN

Man axed to death: A young boy Sandeep has been killed by the brother-in-law of his elder brother in Janani wala at Sahaspur. Sandeep’s brother Dinesh had gone to Yamuna Nagar with his wife. Following an altercation, accused Anil killed Sandeep with an axe. The accused is absconding.