R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
Pak intruder shot dead: The BSF shot dead a Pakistani intruder near the Naushera Dhalla border outpost in Amritsar sector late on Wednesday. Deputy Inspector General MF Farooqui said the unidentified intruder was rushing towards the international border when he was challenged by the BSF. “The intruder refused to give in. Sensing danger, our personnel opened fire, killing him on the spot. His body was recovered around 10 metres inside the Indian territory during a search operation in the morning,” he said.

Fazilka
4 booked on rape charge: A teenage girl was allegedly abducted by three persons and raped by their accomplice, Mohan, in Patrianwali village of the district. The victim alleged that she was sleeping with her family members in the courtyard of their house in Jandwala Meerasangla village when the trio barged inside and kidnapped her two days ago. She alleged the accused covered her mouth so that she could not shout. The police have booked Mohan and his three unidentified accomplices.

Patiala
Patiala girls perform well: Aqeedat Kaur Sandhu, a student of Welham Girls’ School Dehradun, who hails from Patiala, scored 96.6% in the ICSE Class X exam. Gurjeen and Kritinder of British Co-Ed School, Patiala, scored 95.6 and 95.4 marks in ICSE Class 10. — TNS

Muktsar
Police station besieged: Residents of Mallan village on Thursday gheraoed Kot Bhai police station seeking registration of an FIR in the mysterious disappearance of a combine harvester driver, Pali Singh, a month and a half ago. It was only after the protesters raised anti-establishment slogans for nearly four hours that the police registered the case against the owners of the combine harvester. Pali's relatives claimed they had been regularly visiting the police station but to no avail.

HARYANA

Ambala
Students with CGPA 10: Around 32 students of Murlidhar DAV School, Ambala City, scored CGPA 10 in the CBSE Class X examinations. Twenty-one students of SD Vidhya School, Ambala Cantt, got CGPA 10. Ten students of PKR Jain Senior Secondary Public School scored CGPA 10.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

41 officials found absent from duty: To ensure punctuality and regularity in the offices, surprise inspections were conducted at different places in the Valley. At Pulwama, the district development commissioner today suspended seven officials, after they were found absent from duty during a surprise inspection. The committee headed by the joint director, planning, conducted surprise inspection of various departments and found seven officials unauthorised absent from duty in the CA&PD Department, Employment and Counselling Centre, Municipal Committee and Programme Office, Pulwama. Meanwhile, 22 employees of the education department were found absent from their duties in Boniyar tehsil of Baramulla district. At Budgam, the Additional District Development Commissioner, Budgam, during a surprise inspection of various offices found 12 employees absent from their duties and asked the drawing and disbursing officers concerned to take disciplinary action against the absentees.

Arrangements in place for Mehraj-ul-Alam celebrations: Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Shailendra Kumar on Thursday finalised the arrangements in connection with Mehraj-ul-Alam celebrations. He also took stock of the arrangements put in place and directed the officials to facilitate the devotees at Asar-i-Sharief, Hazratbal, Jinab Sahib Soura and Aasar Sharief Kalashpora. The authorities concerned were directed to ensure uninterrupted power supply and installation of mast lights at Hazratbal, besides 10 street lights in the area.