B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Faridkot jail ambience turns ritualistic on Karva Chauth
Faridkot, October 22
So that the old tradition of Karva Chauth does not succumb behind the prison bars, the authorities in Central Jail, Faridkot, today made elaborate arrangements for the 107 women prisoners to keep the tradition alive.

Villagers lock school gate
Fazilka, October 22
A large number of residents, including the sarpanch, yesterday locked the main gate of Government Senior Secondary School at Lalowali village, 7 km from here, and staged a dharna to protest against the transfer of school principal Pardeep Khanagwal two days ago.

State Youth Cong chief flays SAD-BJP
Faridkot, October 22
Harping on what the Congress-led UPA government has done in the last nine years and lambasting the SAD-BJP for its failure to bring about matching progress in Punjab in the last seven years, the ‘Adhikar Yatra’ of the Punjab Youth Congress president Vikramjit Singh Chaudhry entered Faridkot district today.

50-yr-old booked for rape bid
Muktsar, October 22
The Sadar Muktsar police has registered a case against a 50-year-old man who allegedly attempted to rape a three-and-half-year-old girl, daughter of farm labourers, at Rupana village on Saturday evening.

Faridkot jail ambience turns ritualistic on Karva Chauth
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, October 22
So that the old tradition of Karva Chauth does not succumb behind the prison bars, the authorities in Central Jail, Faridkot, today made elaborate arrangements for the 107 women prisoners to keep the tradition alive.

As 88 of these woman prisoners observed fast and many of them got to meet their husbands, the atmosphere in the first modern jail of Punjab was highly ambient.

While the women inmates in the jail were free to meet their husbands from 8 pm to 9.30 pm inside the jail, special arrangements were made in the evening for the ‘katha’ and a feast was organised for them after they ended their fast.

“By allowing many relaxations to the women, we want to help them celebrate the centuries old traditional ritual and more over, change the notion that the jail inmates can only be punished,” said Kulwinder Singh Thihara, superintendent, Faridkot jail.

Accompanying their fathers, many children also went to the Central Jail to meet their mothers. Not adhering to the strictness, the jail authorities were today relatively lenient in accepting the husbands of the women prisoners and their children in the jail compound for the meetings.

Villagers lock school gate

Fazilka, October 22
A large number of residents, including the sarpanch, yesterday locked the main gate of Government Senior Secondary School at Lalowali village, 7 km from here, and staged a dharna to protest against the transfer of school principal Pardeep Khanagwal two days ago.

It was only after the District Education Officer and the local administration officials intervened that the villagers agreed to lift their dharnas.

Sarpanch Ved Parkash and school managing committee chairperson Gurinder Kaur said, “Khanagwal was shifted to the school two years ago. During his tenure, he took significant steps for educational reforms. At the same time, he acted tough on mischievous students, which resulting in his transfer.”— OC

State Youth Cong chief flays SAD-BJP

Faridkot, October 22
Harping on what the Congress-led UPA government has done in the last nine years and lambasting the SAD-BJP for its failure to bring about matching progress in Punjab in the last seven years, the ‘Adhikar Yatra’ of the Punjab Youth Congress president Vikramjit Singh Chaudhry entered Faridkot district today.

While Chaudhry listed the UPA’s flagship programmes including the Right to Information Act, Right to Work, Right to Food, Education, Aadhaar and other schemes to seek a third term for the Congress at the Centre in the coming general election, he was critical in assessing the performance of SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab. — TNS

50-yr-old booked for rape bid

Muktsar, October 22
The Sadar Muktsar police has registered a case against a 50-year-old man who allegedly attempted to rape a three-and-half-year-old girl, daughter of farm labourers, at Rupana village on Saturday evening.

Sources said the mother of the victim had lodged a complaint alleging that Jangir Singh of Rupana village had attempted to rape her daughter. Acting upon this the police registered a case under Section 376 of the IPC.

Meanwhile, the police said the medical report of the girl had confirmed that an attempt was made to rape her.—TNS