Bathinda, August 16
A minor girl was allegedly abducted and raped by her neighbour at his house two days ago at Rampura Phul. The 16-year-old girl, a Class X student, was allegedly abducted from her home by the 28-year-old Fariad Kumar, alias Vikrant, and another person, who took her to his house was raped her on the intervening night of August 14 and 15.

In a complaint to the police, the victim has told the police that on the night of August 16, she was sleeping in her room when around 11 pm, the accused entered her house by climbing the walls and took her forcibly with them by gagging. Later, one of the accused raped her and another one remained outside to keep an eye outside. The victim was set free by the accused near her house at around 3 am and the accused also threatened her that if she told anyone about it then they (the accused) would kill her brother.

Vijay Kumar, victim’s relative, said the family of the victim found that the girl was not in her room around 11.30 pm, they suddenly started searching for her, but in vain. So around 2 am, they went to the police station to register a compliant.

After getting the information that her family members have reached police station, the girl was set free by the accused near her house around 3 am. The victim was in quite bad condition and she told her family members that she was abducted and had been raped. She was immediately taken to the Civil Hospital, where her treatment is still going on there. Sources said that victim’s medical was which confirmed rape.

Victim’s relative informed that the police are not working freely in this cases, as they have booked the one accused Fariad Kumar, but the police are not registering a case against the other person who was with him.

SHO (City), Rampura, said the police are working as per facts and the statement given by the victim to the police in which she has accused only one person, they don’t know why they were adding one more name into the case.

He also stated that the police have registered a case against the accused under Section 457, 363 and 376 of the IPC and accused is still at large, while he assured that search operations is on, soon he would be arrested.

Bathinda, August 16
The Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan, the PRTC Workers’ Union (Azad) and the Punjab State Khet Mazdoor Union staged a protest inside the Central Jail, Bathinda, and celebrated fake independence by organising protest rally on the eve of Independence Day.

Union workers staged a protest march by wearing black cloth on their heads from their barrack. While addressing the protestors, leaders of the PRTC Workers Union, Manjinder Singh Ghagga, Jahawar Singh Moonak, Khet Mazdoor leader Zora Singh and the BKU leader Shingara Singh Mann, Jagjit Singh Bhundar and Harjinder Singh Baggi said people have not got the independence as it was dreamed by the Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his associates. Country leaders took over the power by striking a deal with the Britishers.

They also stated that after the 67 years of the Independence, still, people in India are facing problems like poverty, illiteracy, corruption and debt. They also alleged that all the governments which have ruled the country till today have looted the common people by making foreign company and big corporate house oriented policies.

Public’s hard-earned money used to build government health, education, electricity, transport and public welfare is now going into the hands of the private players, as government is selling it to the private at the rate of scrap under so called privatisation policy.

They also added that due to anti-public policies of the government, farmers, labourers and employees are coming out on roads for protest and the government is trying to suppress it unethically. Even to suppress the right to protest, the SAD-BJP government is bringing black laws to take away the right to protest from its citizens.

Unions also submitted charter of demands for Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal through the Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, in which they have demanded that the PRTC workers should be regularised, contract system should be abolished in all the organisations. The employees of the PEPSU Roadways have announced that their five workers would hold hungry strike inside the jail everyday.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal during the parade on the Independence Day celebrations in Bathinda on Friday. Tribune photo: Pawan sharma

Bathinda, August 16
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal lauded the immense contribution of freedom fighters and martyrs of the state and said their sacrifices had laid the foundation for a free India. Greeting the people of Punjab after unfurling the Tricolour, during the function held to celebrate the 68th Independence Day at the Multi-Purpose Sports Stadium here on Friday, he added that Punjabis were in the forefront of the freedom struggle with nearly 80 per cent of the martyrs being from this state.

He said Punjab had also played the leading role in making the country self-reliant by ushering in an era of food security through the green revolution. He said the state still contributed as much as 65 per cent of the food grains for the national pool.

He also sought the cooperation from people to eliminate social evils especially drugs and said the joint efforts of the government and common masses could fetch good results in drive against drugs. He said Punjab was being used by peddlers as transit route from Afghanistan and Pakistan but the state was working day and night to plug all the channels to stop the inflow of drugs to Punjab.

During the function, the Deputy Chief Minister honoured the family members of Kargil war heroes and kin of freedom fighters besides distributing appreciation letters to 77 persons from various fields for their distinguish services. He also gave away tri-cycles and sewing machines to physically-challenged and needy women, respectively, and presented mementoes to participating teams of various activities besides platoons of march-past.

Bathinda, August 16
Cotton and paddy crops in nearly 300 acres were affected when water flooded the fields following breach in Teona minor distributary branch of the Sirhind canal between Nandgarh and Dhunike villages in the district late last night.

The breach, which was 80 feet wide and could not be plugged since morning as the water in these distributary, was flowing at high speed and in full volume.

The Irrigation Department Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) who reached the spot stated at night said they got the information regarding the breach in the canal, after which immediately water was stopped into it. The authorities added the flow was too strong to be plugged at night.

Irrigation Department officials, who visited the sites along with labourers and villagers, could not start plugging operations as the water was still gushing out of breach.

Farmers stated that nearly 300 acres of the cotton and paddy crop has been submerged in the water.

Gurmit Singh, a farmer, said even after the 10 hours of the breach, the water had not stopped and no arrangements were made to plug in the breach.

However, the SDO, who visited the site, said the water flow had stopped and the JCB machines have been called, soon the breach will be plugged in.

Farmers stated that it had affected their crops as water had crossed more than 300 acres. Officials of the Irrigation Department and farmers expect that the reason behind of the breach was uprooting of the branches of the trees on the bank of the canal.

The canal was plugged in by the evening and as per officials after making it permanent water will be opened into it.

Bathinda, August 16
Intensifying their strike, the PRTC Workers’ Union (Azad) that has been protesting for around two weeks in Talwandi Sabo have started distributing the pamphlets carrying slogan ‘Raj Nahi Sewa, Lutt Liya Punjab Sara’ among the voters in Talwandi Sabo where the by poll would be hel on August 21.

A number of protestors have been arrested by the police under different Sections of the Indian Penal Code from Bathinda and Talwandi Sabo in last few days.

The protestors had claimed of meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal a day earlier but that, too, remained fruitless following which they have decided to intensify the agitation more.

Its’ noteworthy that to get their demands met the employees are on an indefinite strike since August 5 while they had been trying to meet the Deputy Chief Minister in Talwandi Sabo where the bypolls would be held on August 21.

Earler, on August 7, too, the protestors of the PRTC Union held a fruitless meeting with Sukhbir Badal following which they had announced to take a protest march in Talwandi Sabo but all hte protestors on the same day were cane-charged by the police leaving around five people injured. The police then had booked around 200 unidentified and arrested around 50 protestors under Sections 309, 332, 353, 186, 148, and 149 of the Indian Penal Code claiming the protestors pelted stones on the police leaving three cops injured and then threatened police of attempt to suicide.

Gone on strike, the employees of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) Workers’ (Azad) Union are shouting slogans against the PRTC management and the state government demanding that buses running under the kilometer scheme should be stopped as the owners of these buses in connivance with are making loss to the PRTC of around Rs 7 crore every month.

The employees alleged that the drivers of these buses running under the kilometer scheme are pilfering daily 20 liters of diesel and causing losses to the PRTC in connivance with the PRTC management. Workers are demanding that contract system should be abolished and they should be made regular employees. Overtime should be given, suspended employees should be reinstated, pay grade of workshop employees, the deserving categorically promotions, and in-time pay and pensions should be given are some more demands that should be fulfilled immediately.

The PRTC Workers’ (Azad) Union, Bathinda, president, Harbans Bhola, said, “Around 100 of our protestors across the state have been arrested by the police till date. The police, being a puppet in the hands of the state government, cane-charged us earlier and are continuously rounding up our protestors besides arresting some of them. Many protestors were arrested from Gurdwara hall in Talwandi Sabo who were sitting peacefully inside. Deputy CM had failed to promise us to meet our demands. We are now distributing pamphlets among the voters in Talwandi Sabo having slogans ‘Raj Nahi Sewa, Lutt Lya Punjab Sara’. The pamphlets carry such information that the state had failed to fulfill those many promises made by us and other unions besides the voters in state.

Motive of the state government is only to benefit the Orbit Buses and other such transport being run by Badals’ clan. The PRTC, earlier, with strikes stopped around 27 illegal buses, including the orbit buses being run on Patiala-Nawangaon-Haryana route. Against the law of the land, the state government had promoted the private buses and declined the state-owned buses that had caise loss to public whereas against this, the Haryana government has no private buses.

The Badal family is occupying all the routes and times forcibly through their own transport including Orbit transport.”

The body of a missing person was found from a distributary of the Sirhind Canal in Channowala village. The police have registered a case of murder and kidnapping against three persons of Fulewala village. In a complaint to the police Lakhwinder Singh stated that the accused Vipan Singh, Gora Singh and Gurjit Singh had kidnapped his elder brother Jagsir Singh (45) on August 12 and throw him into the canal after beating him over some old rivalry.

Bathinda, August 16
The police, finally, after more than three months, recovered the infant who was suspected of being sold after being issued a wrong death certificate by a health worker in Bathinda Civil Hospital.

The police had booked the accused, Golo Kaur, for issuing the wrong death certificate and the accused woman Veerpal Kaur for handing over the baby to another family.

The police claimed that the child was not sold by Veerpal Kaur who is also the real sister of the infant’s father.

The police action came after the Health Department conducted an inquiry and told the police to trace the female baby besides registering a case against the health worker.

The Health Department had also written to the higher health authorities for departmental action against the doctors and a health worker.

On March 27, Jasbir Singh of Mehma Sarja village became the father of third female baby but on April 9, a death certificate of the child was issued by the health authorities.

A whistleblower reported to the Health Department that the same baby had been sold out to other state and the family wrongly got issued the death certificate, following which the Health Department got the matter inquired.

Initially, a review team constituted by the Health Department to inquire into the matter reported that the infant had died due to jaundice.

Senior Medical Officer, Goniana, Dr Avtar Singh Dhillon, then constituted again an inquiry team of two doctors to submit the report over the death of the infant. But the inquiry team mentions the infant being alive and wrong issuance of the death certificate.

A doctor at the Civil Hospital, however, on pleading anonymity revealed that according to the report, the death certificate of the baby was wrongly issued and the health worker who issued the certificate, has no evidence to prove the death of the child due to jaundice.

The SMO, besides filing the complaint with the police at Nahianwala police station, has also recommended a departmental action against the regular employees including ANM Ravinder Kaur, Supervisor Malkeet Kaur and a doctor Bharat Bhushan, besides requesting the de-recognisation of services of ASHA worker Golo Kaur who got issued the death certificate.

SMO Dr Avtar Singh Dhillon said, “We had already written for departmental action against the erring health workers and the doctor. The action will be taken soon after we receive the copy of an FIR from the police which we had already demanded.”

When contacted, SHO Nahianwala Paramjit Singh said, “We had recovered the baby and handed her over to the parents. Unable to take care of the newborn, the parents handed it over to the accused Veerpal Kaur. But Veerpal Kaur further gave the child to another family, who were not having an issue. A death certificate on the name of the infant was also issued by ASHA worker Golo Kaur. We had booked both the accused Veerpal Kaur and Golo Kaur under Sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code.”

Bathinda, August 16
In the last 24 hours, one person has died and 13 others have been injured in various road mishaps in the city. On the Bathinda-Dabwali Road, two cars collided with each other in which six persons were serious injured. As per information, the cars collided head on on Bathinda-Dabwali Road on Friday night.

Sources said that six occupants of the cars were injured whereas one of them was declared dead. The deceased has been identified as Ankur Mehta, a resident of Panchkula. Ankur was on his way to Suratgarh from Panchkula when the mishap took place.

The injured have been identified as Avdesh, a resident of Panchkula. While in another car, which was coming from Dabwali side were Baljit Singh, resident of Longowal, Avtar Singh, a resident of Ludhiana, Gulzari Lal of Nawashehar and Varinder Singh, a resident of Ludhiana, was admitted to the emergency ward of he Civil Hospital.

In another incident, autos and cars had a head on collision in which seven persons, including three women have been seriously injured at Gillpati village. After getting the information the NGO Sahara Jan Sewa workers reached the spot and rush the injured to the Civil Hospital. — TNS