B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

13-year-old Dalit girl sexually assaulted in Moga
Moga, May 1
A minor Dalit girl was allegedly raped at her residence by a youth living in her neighbourhood in the city this morning. While confirming this, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Surjit Singh Grewal said the parents of the 13-year old victim were not at home when the incident took place.

BJP factions hold separate meetings to list candidates
Abohar, May 1
Close on the heels of the SAD (B), the ruling alliance partner BJP too held separate meetings here today. The party’s district in-charge Ashok Bharti visited the sub-divisional town to discuss preparations for the panchayat elections nominations, which are scheduled to begin on May 3.

Multi-purpose health workers block NH at Lambi
Muktsar, May 1
The activists of Multi-purpose Health Workers (Female) Union today lodged a protest against the state government demanding the regularisation of their services and blocked the Malout-Delhi national highway at Lambi.

Tardy lifting causes space crunch in Fazilka mandis
Fazilka, May 1
Notwithstanding the visits of the nodal officer for wheat procurement for Fazilka district and Commissioner, Ferozepur Division, recently and the tall claims of the government for making all arrangements for smooth procurement of the crop, the farmers arriving in the market, particularly in mandis of the rural areas, are not able to find adequate space to dump their produce.

Speed up lifting process, officials told
Muktsar, May 1
VK Sharma, Commissioner, Ferozepur division, today visited the various grain markets across the district and ordered that notice be served to a commission agent at Malout.

Muktsar cops contest Delhi police’s kidnapping charge
Muktsar, May 1
The district police today claimed that the kidnapping case of a boy which was solved by a police party from Delhi on Saturday after arresting three persons and rescuing the kidnapped boy from Malout was false.

13-year-old Dalit girl sexually assaulted in Moga
For want of gynaecologist, medical examination delayed by 6 hours
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, May 1
A minor Dalit girl was allegedly raped at her residence by a youth living in her neighbourhood in the city this morning. While confirming this, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Surjit Singh Grewal said the parents of the 13-year old victim were not at home when the incident took place.

The alleged culprit, Kishan Kumar, was known to the girl and her family and when he came to know that she was alone, he entered their house and sexually assaulted her.

Incidentally, the girl’s mother, who was in market, called up a woman in their neighbourhood and asked her to call the girl so that she could talk to her. The woman went to their home and found that the youth was sexually abusing the girl. She informed the victim’s mother, who rushed back home and took the girl to the district hospital.

However, the victim’s medical examination could not be conducted as there was no gynaecologist available throughout the day.

The gynaecologist, who was posted here, was reportedly at Jalandhar to attend a private function.

While expressing concern over the incident, the District Magistrate, Arshdeep Singh Thind, has sought a report from the Chief Medical Officer as to why the gynaecologist posted in the district hospital was not present on duty.

The CMO, Amarjit Kaur, revealed that a woman doctor was available in the hospital to attend to the girl but she was not authorised to conduct the medical examination in rape cases.

“The gynaecologist authorised to conduct medical examination was not present in the hospital but she was asked to come back. Unfortunately, the gynaecologist met with a minor accident on the way back and she could not come in time,” Amarjit Kaur said.

In reply to a question, the CMO said another gynaecologist posted at the Nihalsinghwala hospital was also not available there. She had gone to Bathinda on a private visit from where she was asked to come back immediately. The woman doctor came to the district hospital at about 6.30 pm.

Thus, the medical examination of the girl was conducted after a delay of more than six hours after she was brought to the hospital.

It has been confirmed in the medical examination that the girl was sexually abused and was in a state of shock after the incident. SSP Surjit Singh Grewal said after recording the statements of the girl and her parents, the police had registered a criminal case against the accused youth. “We arrested the accused late in the evening,” the SSP added. He would be produced before a local court tomorrow, the SSP said.

BJP factions hold separate meetings to list candidates
Our Correspondent

Abohar, May 1
Close on the heels of the SAD (B), the ruling alliance partner BJP too held separate meetings here today. The party’s district in-charge Ashok Bharti visited the sub-divisional town to discuss preparations for the panchayat elections nominations, which are scheduled to begin on May 3.

The first meeting was held in Geeta Mandir in which State Social Welfare Board chairperson Vijay Laxmi Bhadoo along with state party secretary Sandeep Rinwa and the SAD circle president Sukhwinder Singh were also present. The rural block presidents of the BJP submitted lists of prospective candidates; two names were recommended for each zone of Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti.

Later, Bharti attended another meeting at Arorvansh Dharamshala that was convened by district president Sita Ram Sharma and former MLA Dr Ram Kumar Goyal.

Within few minutes, some workers of other faction too reached there. Chaos prevailed as both factions blamed each other for the plight of the party in the segment, witnesses said. Bharti advised the workers to unite and defeat the Congress.

Meanwhile, Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon addressed a meeting at the canal rest house here to motivate party workers to defeat the Congress in panchayat elections.

Balluana MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, SGPC member Kaur Singh and SAD youth district president Sanjeev Godara were also present. 

Multi-purpose health workers block NH at Lambi

Muktsar, May 1
The activists of Multi-purpose Health Workers (Female) Union today lodged a protest against the state government demanding the regularisation of their services and blocked the Malout-Delhi national highway at Lambi.

Shouting anti-government slogans, the activists of the union said they had completed five years in service and the government must regularise them.

Ninder Kaur, state president, Multi-Purpose Health Workers (Female) Union said if the government failed to fulfill their demands, they would intensify their stir.

Meanwhile, Tehsildar, Lambi, Sukhbir Singh Brar and DSP, Malout, Manwinderbir Singh reached the spot and assured the protesters that their message would be conveyed to the higher authorities. Following the assurance, the dharna was lifted. — TNS

Tardy lifting causes space crunch in Fazilka mandis
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, May 1
Notwithstanding the visits of the nodal officer for wheat procurement for Fazilka district and Commissioner, Ferozepur Division, recently and the tall claims of the government for making all arrangements for smooth procurement of the crop, the farmers arriving in the market, particularly in mandis of the rural areas, are not able to find adequate space to dump their produce.

The situation has arisen owing to the slow lifting of the procured wheat in the grain markets.

Market committee sources said 20,31,900 quintals of wheat has arrived in Fazilka market and its 27 purchase centres so far of which 9,81,500 quintals is yet to be lifted. The position is worse in rural areas like the purchase centre at Beganwali village where of the total 42,800 quintals of wheat procured, only 12,900 quintals has been lifted so far. Likewise, of the total arrival of 2,28,000 quintals, only 1,18,000 has been lifted from another purchase centre at Ladhuka village even as the government had directed the procurement agencies to lift the produce within 72 hours of its arrival in the market.

"I have to wait to dump my produce as there is no space in Beganwali purchase centre," said a farmer Ved Parkash of village Beganwali.

President of the Beganwali Arhtiya Association, Kartar Singh Chhabra, has demanded quick disposal to accommodate the remaining fresh arrival as the season is at its fag end.

The failure of the authorities to float tenders for the lifting of wheat on time is said to be one of the reasons for the delay. While denying the crisis of space in the grain markets, Secretary, Market Committee, Salodh Kumar Bishnoi said the situation has eased during the last two days as the fresh arrival has decreased. However, he admitted that due to the shortage of labourers, lifting process has been affected to some extent. 

Speed up lifting process, officials told
Tribune News Service

Muktsar cops contest Delhi police’s kidnapping charge
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, May 1
The district police today claimed that the kidnapping case of a boy which was solved by a police party from Delhi on Saturday after arresting three persons and rescuing the kidnapped boy from Malout was false.

Jagsir Singh, spokesperson of the Muktsar police, said the persons arrested by the Delhi Police along with others had already lodged a complaint with them alleging that Puneet Kumar alias Manish Kumar (who was allegedly kidnapped), a resident of Delhi and his family members had duped them of nearly Rs 53 lakh after promising them government jobs, which they neither provided nor returned the amount.

Meanwhile, acting upon the complaint of Gagan Chugh, a resident of Abohar, the police booked Puneet Kumar alias Manish Kumar, his wife Chandni, his father Rakesh Kumar, Sameer Kumar, Dogra, Paramjit Rai, Sagar, Gunnu and Rahul Yadav, all residents of Delhi.

In the FIR, the complainant alleged that these persons had handed him a fake appointment letter. “They had even made a fake website, issuing fake posting slips to the candidates aspiring for jobs, who had given them the money,” stated the complainant.

Jagsir said, “Puneet had himself come to Malout, where he stayed in a hotel, but his father posed as if he had been kidnapped.”

A case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered at Kabarwala police station in this regard, but the accused are yet to be nabbed.