Ludhiana, May 25
The police claims to have cracked the double murder of Usha Grover (55) and her daughter Heena (22), which took place at Fatehganj Mohalla on May 22, with the arrest of one of their relatives.

The police has accused Rishu Grover, a resident the Tibba Road area, of murdering his cousin Heena and aunt Usha Grover. It has been revealed that Rishu had a relationship with her cousin Heena for the past some years.

Rishu murdered the duo because he was annoyed at Heena's engagement with another guy.

Neelambari Jagdale, ADCP, said: "Rishu wanted to marry Heena. After Heena's engagement, he felt jealous and planned to murder Heena and his aunt".

The accused enter their house at midnight. Heena was on the first floor and her mother Usha was sleeping on the ground floor. Rishu first killed Heena on the first floor and then his aunt on the ground floor.

He murdered them with a knife and threw it in a nullah along Tajpur Road. After murdering both his cousin and aunt, Rishu took away Rs 4 lakh and gold worth Rs 30 lakh from the house.

According to the police, Rishu lost the money in the stock market and was debt ridden. He was aware that Heena's brother had sent money from Australia for her marriage.

After murdering the duo, he held Heena's finger and wrote "Babu" on the wall with her blood. Rishu knew Babu as he worked as a sanitary worker at Heena's house. Around two months ago, he had been accused of teasing Heena.

The police found that he was not present in his house on the day of murder. It got suspicious when Rishu failed to answer some questions during the investigation.

The police arrested Rishu this evening. However, further investigation into the case is on.

Meanwhile, the police released the sanitary worker, Babu, who was detained for interrogation.

Ludhiana, May 25
The future of the lone Ludhiana-Delhi flight seems to be in the doldrums. A month has passed since the last flight landed at the Sahnewal (Ludhiana) Airport on April 20.

Air India, which operates this lone flight, has given it in writing to the airport authorities that the service could not be continued due to some mechanical problem in the aircraft.

The airline had earlier intimated the airport authorities that the flight would remain grounded till May 20. A few days ago, they again intimated the authorities that the flight would now remain non-operational till June 15.

Having remained grounded for several years, the Ludhiana-Delhi flight resumed on May 13, 2010. But, owing to frequent cancellations in the absence of proper infrastructure, a few people use the service.

Even the DVOR device, which helps in landing during poor visibility, was made operational a few months ago.

“On one hand Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal wants to develop the state airports while on the other the lone flight operating from the Sahnewal airport, located in the financial and industrial capital of the state, has been grounded for more than a month,” said a local businessman.

The flight operates three times a week ie on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The flight departs from Delhi airport at 11:45 am and lands at the Ludhiana (Sahnewal) airport at 1 pm. The same flight then takes off from Ludhiana at 1:25 pm and lands in Delhi at 2:40 pm.

Director of the Ludhiana (Sahnewal) Airport and Assistant General Manager of the Airports Authority of India VP Jain said Air India had again intimated them that they would not operate the flight till June 15.

“The Air India officials know the exact reason, but yes, there has been no service between the two cities since April 20,” said VP Jain.

Ludhiana, May 25
Two local commissioners, Amit Parashar and Arjun Sheoran, appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court today visited the city and took stock of the parking situation in the Ferozepur Road service lane. They also visited the premises of the sealed commercial establishments on this road.

Before inspecting the service lane as well as the sealed commercial premises, the local commissioners held a meeting with the officials of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation and Traffic Police, and shopkeepers and violators identified by the court.

During a court hearing held on May 20, a double bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice RP Nagrath, had appointed two local commissioners. They were asked to visit the Ferozepur Road, prepare a report about parking-related violations and submit it to the bench before the next hearing (May 29).

The May 20 hearing was attended by Municipal Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Verma, Police Commissioner Ishwar Singh and Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tewari and other senior officers of the district administration.

During the meeting held today, Harpreet Sandhu, counsel for Olivia and Majestic Park Plaza, made submissions in writing about the steps taken by his clients to make parking arrangements according to the rules.

The MC officials showed documents regarding action taken by them for checking such violations and even gave a few suggestions. The shopkeepers of the Ferozepur Road area also discussed as to how the "parking area" between the Ferozepur Road and the service lane can be put to optimum use.

Ludhiana, May 25
It seems that the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation is not serious about implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act. This could be known from the fact that out of 332 appeals filed with MC commissioner Rakesh Kumar Verma (when he was the first appellate authority, FFA), 291 have been pending. Only 67 appeals had been disposed of during his tenure as first appellate authority.

Of the 67 appeals disposed of by Rakesh Kumar Verma, 26 had been pending since the his predecessor Malwinder Singh Jaggi's tenure.

Rakesh Kumar Verma became the first appellate authority (FAA) on August 1 last year and had remained in charge since April this year. At present, the MC Additional Commissioner, Davinder Singh, is the FAA.

Malwinder Singh Jaggi had remained the FAA-cum-MC Commissioner from April 1, 2012, to July 30, 2012. A total of 94 appeals were filed before him. He had disposed of 61 appeals filed after April 1, 2012. Of these, 13 were filed before April 1, 2012. At the time of his suspension (July 30, 2012), 33 appeals were pending.

According to the RTI Act, whenever someone seeks some information, if it is not supplied to him within 30 days, he can go for an appeal before the FAA. But in the Ludhiana MC, the FAA never cleared the backlog.

An RTI activist and city resident, Kuldeep Singh Khaira, had demanded information regarding the the FAA and the first appeals filed, heard and lying pending from April 1, 2012, to March 20 through an RTI application dated March 20.

"Aggrieved by the attitude of PIO who did not bother to respond to my RTI applications, I filed the first appeal on April 25. On May 14, the PIO invited me to inspect the institution register and specify the pages/documents required. I had demanded the documents containing the details of the first appeals filed, heard and lying pending before each of the Appellate Authority from April 1, 2012, to March 20, which are readily available in the MC,” he stated.

Khaira said on May 23, “After my arguments, Davinder Singh, present FAA, ordered me to inspect the record as instructed by the PIO and it was then that I came to know about such a huge number of pending appeals,” he added.Meanwhile, Rakesh Kumar Verma said the RTI Act was being taken seriously by the MC. “We have a very transparent system of working and very soon, most of the details related to the civic body will be uploaded on our website. Even the pending appeals would be cleared by the present FAA soon,” he claimed.

Ludhiana, May 25
An English writer Joseph Addison once wrote “I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries and very frankly give them fruit for their songs.” It will be good if the city residents start adopting these lines in their practical life by providing food grains and cold water to the birds dying in due to scorching heat.

Dr Sandip Jain Chief Coordinator of CAPE India said, “We daily come across many birds dying due to heat wave. People should keep water pots for the birds and food grains, so that none of the birds die due to thirst or hunger. Seeds of melon can also be kept for squirrels.”

A few months ago the CAPE India also distributed free pots to the residents and asked them to serve water to the birds.

Vipin Bhatia, founder and president of the Pakshi Sewa Samiti, said: “Already the birds are decreasing. So it becomes our moral duty to save the dying birds. In the forthcoming meeting of our NGO we will also decide about distributing pots to people for this cause and hold awareness programme.” 

Ludhiana, May 25
The burning sun and heat wave continue to bake the city. There is no relief from the scorching heat for the last one week and no major fluctuation has been recorded in maximum and minimum temperature.

As per the predictions by meteorologists at the Agro Meteorology Department, Punjab Agricultural University, there are the possibilities of dip in temperature after Sunday.

Dr Kulwinder Kaur Gill, Agro Meteorologist, PAU, said: “We have recorded the effect of western disturbance in J&K. If this disturbance touches Punjab then the weather would be partially cloudy on Monday. There are less chances of rain in next few days.”

The first forecast of Manson came yesterday. According to the forecast the monsoon will touch the Kerala coast on last week of May.

“As per the prediction, the Manson will arrive in Punjab in the first week of the June,” said KK Gill. Meanwhile, the day remained painful for the residents as the power cuts made the situation more pitiable. 

Doraha, May 25
In wake of searing temperature, many schools have either advanced the vacations for their students or have changed the school timings especially for the primary students. While talking to a number of principals it was revealed that they had either changed the timings or are were in the process of doing so at the earliest. DP Thakur, principal, Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary School, said: “The school was to be closed for summer recess on June 3, but as the mercury is rising day-by-day, the students get suffocted and exhausted in no time. So as a precautionary measure, we have closed the schools for Nursery to Class II. For Class III to VIII, the timings from Monday onwards will be from 7.30 am to 12.00 noon.”

Some of the schools had prepared their date sheet before hand and hence have to wait till the exams get over. Swati Aneja, director of Tagore International School, said: “We are just about to change the school timings as we finish off with the exams on Monday. It was not expected that the temperature will shoot up so soon. But since it is so, the students cannot bear the heat and the smaller ones are too sensitive to tolerate it. So we are changing the timings as per their urgent requirement.” Miss Suzi George, principal, Green Grove Public School, Mohanpur, said they were changing the school timings from Monday onwards.

“I do not feel like going to school. From early in the morning, the heat wave begins to blow and toward the afternoon one cannot come out of the school and get back home in the scorching heat. We feel thirsty time and again. In the sweltering weather, we are neither able to concentrate nor put in our best towards studies. Even in the buses and vans we are stuffed up to the full and as a result feel all the more suffocated. It was only yesterday that a student of our class fainted due to the heat and had to be taken to the retiring room,” said a student of Class VIII of a local school.

Ludhiana, May 25
If your child is obese or stops gaining height be alert he or she can be a victim of Thyroid. This was stated by Dr Ramanbir Singh Senior Endocrinologist at SPS Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana, who has come across many children suffering from Thyroid problem in last few months.

Dr Ramanbir Singh said, “A new trend in this disease is coming up in the city. I have come across many youngsters from the age group of 10 -15 years, who suffer from Hypothyroid. Some of these become obese while others stop gaining height. Another symptom of such children is that puberty comes late in them.”

Dr Singh said, “The reason can be junk food and environmental factors. Increasing stress among children is the other major reason. Not only children but pregnant mothers are also becoming victim of this disease now. One should get the treatment started as soon as it is diagnosed.”

Experts revealed that children from the age group of 10- 15 years are also becoming victim of Hypothyroidism.

Dr Rajeev Mittal Professor of Endocrinology at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, said, “Women who have no control on their diet keep gaining weight and finally land up at doctor's clinic for getting their thyroid tested. They blame their overweight to thyroid despite of the fact that their parameters for T3, T4 TSH remain within permissible limit.”

Dr Parminder Singh Professor and Head, Division of Endocrinology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, said: “Thyroid dysfunction is common and one of the most under diagnosed and neglected health disorder .The thyroid hormones play a key role in metabolism of the body.”

Ludhiana, May 25
The Commissioner of Police has showed its concern over the rising number of drowning incidents at Sutlej and directed the police officials to take strict action against youngsters taking bathe in the river. Children and youngsters can be seen taking bathing in the same area where a 13-year-old boy drowned few days ago. Around 11.30 am, a group of children along with some youngsters were enjoying their bathe near to the Sutlej Bridge on the national highway.

The Commissioner of Police had also issued an advisory and ordered to install the “Caution” boards to prevent youth from swimming in the Sutlej.

A large number of youngsters from city go to the river for swimming. In this scorching heat swimming is best adventure for youth. It has been observed that most of the children go to the river to learn swimming.

SHO Ladhowal police station Mandeep Singh said, “We have initiated an awareness drive to create awareness among the youths about the risks involved in swimming at the river. We have installed caution boards near the river.”

“We are keeping a vigil on the bank of the river but it not possible to stop the practice by deputing the police officials,” he said. 

Ludhiana, May 25
Three persons were injured near Gill village today morning when the bus in which they were travelling collided with a truck. The incident took place around 6:45 am.

According to the police, the truck which was coming from Alamgir and lost its control at a curve near Gill village and collided with a PRTC bus, going from Ludhiana to Hisar. Few passengers got minor injuries in the accident. Three persons were admitted to the Civil Hospital.

Balbir Singh, in charge, police station, Mirado, said: “The police officials reached the spot and shifted the injured passengers to the Civil Hospital.”

Ludhiana, May 25
The District Legal Services Authority today held a 'lok adalat' at the district court complex under the supervision of its chairman G S Matharoo ( Sessions Judge).

In the 'lok adalat', as many as 74 cases, involving Rs 2.91 crore were settled amicably by persuading the parties.

Khanna May 25
The Khanna police has booked seven persons, including a youth Akali Dal leader in connection with a firing incident in which two persons were injured last night near Bhadla village.

According to the police officials, Santokh Singh (25), a resident of Bhadla Neecha village, said that he was going in his car towards Mandi Gobindgarh. When he reached Bhadla Neecha village suddenly another car stooped his way and in the meantime two motorcycle borne youths also reached on the spot. When he tried to escape by turning back his vehicle they followed him. Fearing his life Santokh entered into a village house and took out a rifle with cartridges and tried to go upstairs to scare the attackers. In the meantime, the attackers fired some shots at him and he along with a woman sustained injures. The injured persons, including Santokh Singh and Chinder Pal Kaur were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Khanna. The Khanna police has registered a case against seven persons in this regard. One of the mentioned persons in the FIR is the district rural president of the Youth Akali Dal, Ludhiana. Other persons are Beant Singh, C Aar, Mindi, Harpreet Singh, Soni and Pappu.

DSP Khanna has confirmed the incident. — OC

Ludhiana, May 25
The city police has arrested four persons for black marketing of kerosene oil. The two accused were identified as Sandeep Kumar alias Rana, a resident of Mehrban, and Lalit, resident of Khirona in UP.

The police has recovered 12,000 litre of kerosene from their posession and a case under Section 7 of the Essential Commodity Act has been registered against the accused persons. According to Harpal Singh, In charge, CIA staff, the police got a tip-off that the accused were in the city. The police officials had setup a post under the bridge at Sahnewal. During the search of vehicles, the police succeeded in nabbing Sandeep Kumar and Lalit, who were travelling with an oil tanker. The police also arrested the oil tanker driver Malkit Singh and cleaner Laddi, residents of Mehrban.