R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Fazilka@@Miscreants decamp with ATM@@Miscreants decamped with an automated teller machine (ATM) belonging to Vijaya Bank, situated near the Sadar police station on the Abohar-Fazilka highway, on Wednesday night. Narinder Juneja, Branch Manager, said the ATM contained Rs 19,800. Juneja said the ATM was set up in December last year and the CCTV cameras were yet to be installed. He said wires of the alarm system were found disconnected. Swapan Sharma, SSP, said no guard was deployed at the ATM site.@@Faridkot@@Officer jailed for graft@@The court of District and Sessions Judge on Thursday sentenced Gurinder Singh, a horticulture development officer, to two years' imprisonment. The convict had demanded Rs 3,000 from a Class IV employee of the department, Jagseer Singh, for writing his annual confidential report to make a case for his promotion. The Vigilance Bureau had nabbed the official while accepting Rs 1,500 from the complainant in 2010.@@Chandigarh@@Market panel members@@The government on Thursday nominated new chairmen, vice-chairmen and members in eight market committees of Rupnagar and SAS Nagar (Mohali) districts. An official spokesman said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal cleared the file to this effect while nomination of chairmen, vice-chairmen and members of market committees of Kurali, Kharar, Dera Bassi, Banur, Lalru, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Chamkaur Sahib would be done shortly.

Abohar@@2 killed, 6 hurt in mishaps@@A youth was killed and four critically hurt as their car rammed into a truck near Kallarkhera village on Abohar-Sriganganagar on Thursday. Kunal Bhatia died on the spot, while Manish, Gautam Phutela, Mohit Sardana and Rajat, all in their 20s, were shifted to Sriganganagar hospital. In another incident, Ramandeep Singh (27) was killed, while Bagga Singh (25) and Binder Singh (28) were hurt as a jeep reportedly hit their motorcycle on Abohar-Malout road on Wednesday. @@@@Army man killed in blast@@John Temin (22), succumbed to his injuries at PBM hospital, Bikaner on Thursday. He was critically injured in an accidental bomb explosion during an Army exercise in Mahajan Field range in Rajasthan on Wednesday. The body was shifted to the deceased's native village in Arunachal Pradesh. @@@@Robbers’ gang busted @@The Sriganganagar district police claimed to have busted a gang that had allegedly robbed various people on the highway in the past three months. Suratgarh Station House Officer Manoj Sharma said they had arrested Saleem Qadir of Nava village, Mirza Yunus of Lakhuwali and Ahmeddeen of Roranwali village. Saleem has been booked in 15 and Mirza in 26 cases. In another case, the Padampur police on Thursday arrested Gurpreet Singh Pabby, Jeet Singh and Tarsem Singh Mehra for theft. @@@@Chipko founder remembered @@Amrita Devi Bishnoi was on Thursday remembered for fighting to save Khejarli trees in Khejarli village near Jodhpur. She had made the supreme sacrifice by hugging the trees in 1730, when Marwar ruler Abhay Singh's men wanted to cut these down.

CHANDIGARH

Lok adalats: Eleven prisoners released 
Panchkula: Eleven persons were released by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Panchkula, during the lok adalats held at Ambala and Yamunanagar jails. Hemraj Mittal, Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Secretary, DLSA, presided over the lok adalats.@@In a lok adalat held at the Central Jail, Ambala, five accused were released in three cases. At a Yamunanagar jail, five cases were settled and six accused were released. — TNS

HARYANA

HIMACHAL PRADESH

JAMMU & KASHMIR

DEHRADUN

Eradicate social evils from society: Jangpangi@@Dehradun: PS Jangpangi, Secretary(Administration), said that every section of society should come forward to eradicate social evils from society. He said that it is the duty of everybody to contribute for overall development of the state. Addressing a gathering at a seminar on corporate social responsibility by the secretariat branch of State Bank of India(SBI) today, PS Jangpangi, applauded services provided by the bank. — TNS