Bathinda, April 16
Just a couple of days after the city witnessed ‘vigilante justice’ against an eve-teaser, three teams of the Women Armed Special Protection Squad (WASPS) laid a trap for an ‘habitual’ eve teaser outside the Rajindra College and thrashed him before handing him over to the police.

Earlier this week, a group of local residents waylaid an eve-teaser, who was harassing a girl for the past few days, and set his motorcycle on fire after beating him in GGS Nagar. The residents imparted the ‘vigilante justice’ alleging that the police did not take any action against the eve-teaser. The incident reflected the anger of the residents against such offenders.

The WASPS has been set up by the district police to take action against such eve-teasers and other offenders. But till today, the squad was only opting for reporting incidents of eve- teasing to the police station concerned. The WASPS was being considered as a squad without any sting as they seldom took action against any eve- teaser on their own even when they too were the targets of such offenders.

But today, the WASPS did sting finally. Three teams of the special squad waited for a ‘habitual’ eve-teaser, who used to pass lewd comments against girl students and the police women deployed near the college. The moment the boy arrived, one team confronted him and the other two reportedly swooped on him from other directions, eye-witnesses said.

The eve-teaser, who turned out to a 17-year-old boy, was thrashed much to glee of the girl students. Later, he was taken to the bus stand police post. He was later released after tendering an apology.

DSP Gurmeet Kingra said the police aimed at preventing crime in the city and reforming the juvenile offender, who seemed to have learnt a good lesson.

He said the WASPS caught the boy and handed him over to the police. The WASPS did not beat him.

Bathinda, April 16
Power supply to Nai Basti and its nearby areas remained affected as a vehicle of the fire brigade rammed into two transformers near Bhana Mal Trust and damaged them.

XEN, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, HD Goyal, said the corporation had suffered a loss of Rs 1.8 crore due to the incident.

“We are writing to the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) to pay for the damages that have taken place. Repairs and replacements of the transformers are going on,” he said.

As soon as the power supply was snapped, the load was shifted on to transformers of lesser capacity and the power supply was restored.

By evening, the transformers had been repaired and the power supply to the area was resumed.

Bathinda, April 16
A police-criminal nexus seems to be coming to the fore after the arrest of a large number of policemen during the past few months.

As many as five policemen, including a DSP, two SHOs, an ASI and a Home Guard jawan, have been arrested by the police during the past two months.

Police sources said the accused policemen were arrested under the operation clean-up and more such arrests were likely to be made in the coming few months.

The five policemen were booked for accepting bribes, carrying drugs and manipulating the investigations for monetary gains.

Former DSP (Rural) Manjit Singh and the former SHO Kotfatta Rajvir Singh were booked for allegedly pocketing Rs 2.5 lakh from unscrupulous elements involved in selling crude near Phoos Mandi. They took money for shielding petrol and diesel pilferers who operate in the area around oil depots adjoining Phoos Mandi. They had been booked under various sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

It is learnt that the DSP has joined police investigation in case of arrest of the SHOs, ASI and home guard jawan. However, senior police functionaries, who are investigating the cases, remained tightlipped over the progress of the cases.

An ASI (Assistant Sub Inspector) and a home guard jawan, who were caught for carrying 1.2 kg opium in a car on Sunday, were sent to police remand for further investigations. The policemen and an opium smuggler were arrested during a police naka laid near a water channel on the Mandi Kalan-Khokhar road. The accused have been identified as ASI Manjit Singh, home guard jawan Tar Singh and Kuldeep Singh.

Six police personnel, including SHO Balianwali, SI Muhinderjit Singh, two head constables, one constable and a driver, were present at the naka. The policemen stated that the accused were arrested on the basis of information received about the transportation of contraband. Ajaib Singh, a resident of Khokhar village, had been made a witness to the incident as the car occupants were questioned in front of him. The opium kept in the car emitted a foul smell. The car occupants were told to come out of the vehicle but they demanded that the vehicle be inspected in the presence of a gazetted officer.

The DSP Maur was contacted over the wireless who reached the spot and seized the contraband and arrested all the accused.

Balianwali SHO Muhinderjit Singh said the accused did not reveal that they were posted with the Punjab Police in preliminary questioning.

Later, during the interrogation, one of the accused admitted that he was posted as an ASI with the Punjab Armed Police (PAP), Jalandhar. Another one was a Home Guard jawan and the third accused was an opium smuggler.

A case under Sections 18, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered at the Balianwali police station.

Bathinda, April 16
Strong tremors of a major earthquake, which struck the Iran-Pakistan border today, were felt in northern India as well. The earthquake was measured 7.8 on the Richter scale. The natural calamity is expected to be the biggest earthquake in Iran in the past 40 years. According to reports, the earthquake lasted 20 seconds. The Bathinda Tribune got in touch with a few residents of the city who shared what they felt.

Gurjant Singh, working with an engineering firm, said “I switched on the air-conditioner in my office and saw my computer shaking. Before I could say a word, I saw my colleagues running towards the door. Within seconds, all my colleagues reached the ground floor.”

Satpal Kaur, a resident of Parasram Nagar, said she got to know of the earthquake when the swing in which her baby was sleeping, started moving on its own. “First, I was surprised, but then I also felt the tremors. I was thinking of taking the baby out of the house. But by then, the quake had subsided.”

“I was sitting on a couch in my shop when the cup on the table starting shaking. We ran out. Within seconds, it had stopped,” said Siddharth Bansal, an owner of a shop on Amrik Singh Road. — TNS

Bathinda, April 16
With the gold prices tumbling to a 15-month low and hitting below the Rs 27,000 per 10 gram mark, jewellers are expecting a windfall with an increase in footfall.

But the reverse trend has been unusual for them.

Buyers cheered as the news of a decline in the price of gold flowed in.

“The demand is anyway high right now due to the upcoming wedding season. Over the weekend, especially on Sunday, we have seen an upward buying pattern among customers. But on Monday, a further decline in the prices of yellow metal was announced. This reduced the number of customers coming in,” said the manager of a jewellery shop in Sirki Bazar.

Echoing the trend, Kartar Singh Jaura, who also owns a jewellery shop in Sirki Bazaar, said “Routine sales have also hit the rock bottom. Expecting a further dip in prices, the buyers are waiting to hit a jackpot within the next few days. Rumours that even China is planning a huge gold sell-off are also making the market unstable.”

Retailers are still hopeful of making a killing later this week. “After the massive fall over the weekend, the gold prices registered a little surge on Tuesday due to the blasts in Boston and other global factors. Although it is expected that the price may fall up to Rs 20,000 per 10 grams, I don’t think buyers will wait till then. What if it rises today onwards?” asked another jeweller in Sirki Bazaar.

Manjinder Kaur, a resident of Sucha Singh Nagar, was busy shopping at a jewellery shop. She said “I am buying gold for the wedding of my daughter. The wedding is scheduled to take place in December and I was planning to buy jewellery after Divali but this is a good time to buy gold.” 

Bathinda, April 16
A placement drive was organised at the Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, for final and pre-final year engineering students.

Under the placement activity, Chandigarh Information Technology and Qinetiq India took part in the recruitment process. While five students were chosen by the CIT, 14 students were placed with Qinetiq India.

Students of computer science and engineering, information technology, electronics and communication branches underwent the recruitment process which included technical test, aptitude test and interviews.

Dr BS Dhaliwal, dean (academics) and principal of the Guru Gobind Singh College of Engineering & Technology, said GKU was continuously updating technical knowledge and improving communication skills of students for such placement drives.

Vice-chancellor of Guru Kashi University, SK Ahluwalia, lauded the efforts of Karanjeev Singh (training and placement officer) and his team for the recruitment drive, and assured frequent recruitment and placement drives for final year and pass out students.

He said efforts would be made to ensure career opportunities for the students of the university.

Bathinda, April 16
"I didn't take up classical music as a profession since my father was not there to coach me," said actor Shahbaz Khan, who was in the city to promote his upcoming Punjabi film, 'Bikker Bai Sentimental'.

Khan, who is best remembered for his role of Haider Ali in 'The Sword of Tipu Sultan' and Virendra Singh in 'Chandrakanta' and his numerous negative roles in Bollywood films, is the son of Ustad Amir Khan, the founder of Indore Gharana.

"My father passed away when I was only eight years old and unlike Rahul Sharma and Zakir Hussain, he was not there to teach me music. My mother dissuaded me from taking up music since she believed no matter where I learnt from, I would always be compared to my father," he elaborated.

"And since I was the son of the founder of the Indore Gharana, it would have been difficult for me to learn in some other gharana. And that's why when I grew up, I moved to Mumbai to become an actor," he added.

Talking about his failure as a lead actor in Bollywood, he said, "When I entered the film industry, the image of the hero was changing. The producers no longer wanted a tall, well-built man with a heavy voice. They wanted boys with dimpled cheeks and womanly lips. I did some films which didn't do very well. I immediately shifted to doing negative roles."

When asked what made him take up a Punjabi film, he stated that he had been wishing to do a Punjabi film for long. "I have watched a couple of Punjabi films and quite liked them. I was waiting for a good film since I didn't want to do a slapstick comedy film. Although 'Bikker Bai Sentimental' is an action film, I would have also taken up a situational comedy film," he said.

In the film, 'Bikker Bai Sentimental', Shahbaz plays the role of a righteous policeman who works towards finding out the story of Bikker Bai, the character played by singer-turned actor Jassi Jasraj. 

Bathinda, April 16
Close to 3.5 lakh devotees paid obeisance at the Myserkhana Mela today. The mela is organised in the temple complex on the occasion of the sixth Navratri. The preparations for the mela kept the district administration on its toes this week which made sure that all the arrangements were in place.

To make sure that the devotees faced no problem, the health department had set up two medical posts in the complex and had also stationed six ambulances to handle any kind of emergency.

The police department also made sure that a strong security cover was extended to the devotees. As many as 1,000 police personnel had been deputed to keep an eye not only on the temple complex but on every nook and corner. Of these, while 600 were on duty during the night, 400 were on duty during the daytime.

Taking forward its promise of eradicating crime against women, women police officials were also on duty at the mela. Apart from them, police personnel in plain clothes were also present. To keep the flow of traffic smooth during the mela, traffic police personnel were also at work.

During a review meeting held on Monday, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Rajiv Parashar had met the administration officials and the members of the panchayat. He had announced that all the schools in Myserkhana would remain closed on April 16 and 17. It may be mentioned that the famous temple is located nearly 30 kms from Bathinda city on the Mansa road.

Bathinda, April 16
The members of the Sangharsh Committee of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant held a gate rally against the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).

The rally was a part of the ongoing agitation against the PSPCL wherein the employees have been demanding benefits that have been held back since long.

The agitating employees will observe complete strike on April 17 against the Powercom for not fulfilling their long standing demands. The Powercom has convened a meeting with the joint action force and asserted that the basic demands would be fulfilled soon.

The employees of Powercom and Transco are demanding payments of mobile phone bills, special increment for the class IV employees and filling up of posts lying vacant for long, among others.

The April 17 strike has been called to press upon the management to agree to all these demands. The agitating employees said if the management does not accept their demands, the stir would be intensified.

Prominent among those present at the rally were Gursewak Singh, Jaswinder Singh Brar, Raghuvir Singh Saini, Naib Singh Aulakh and Sohan Lal Virk. 

Bathinda, April 16
Two persons including a woman today tried to commit suicide at different places in the city. While the woman was declared dead, the teenager is stated to be in a critical condition and is undergoing treatment.

In the first incident, a 20-year-old youth, residing near Mehna Chowk, consumed phenyl tablets.

Bathinda, April 16
Senior citizens from Bathinda celebrated the festival of Baisakhi at the Heavenly Abode, Doraha, a home for the senior citizens.

Thirty-two senior citizens from Bathinda Senior Citizens Council headed by general secretary RD Gupta, Satwant Kaur and HS Khurmi celebrated the function. Mayor, Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, Harcharan Singh and Chancellor, Central University Punjab (CUPB), Dr SS Johal, were the chief guests on the occasion. The president of the trust managing the home Brig (retd) RK Khanna informed the gathering about the facilities being provided. — TNS