Chuhar Chak
Court remand for gateman
Our Correspondent

Faridkot,
Chief judicial magistrate B.R. Garg today sent Kulwinder Singh, the railway gateman who has been accused of negligence in duty leading to the accident at the Chuhar Chak level crossing, on judicial remand till January 1.

Escorted by personnel of Government Railway Police (GRP), Kulwinder was presented before the court in the noon. He told mediapersons that he was not present at the crossing at the time of the accident. He had gone to market to fetch medicines. He claimed that certain person opened the gate.

According to eyewitnesses, he was manning the crossing when the Satluj Express rammed into a mini-bus, on the foggy morning of December 14. Seventeen persons were killed in the accident.

PPCC vice-chief held with opium

Faridkot, 
The police held vice-president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Veena Sharma and five others, including her husband and son, with 2 kg opium and Rs 45,000 in cash here today.

District police chief L.K. Yadav, while confirming the smashing of the gang, said three of them were couriers from Uttar Pradesh while three locals were receivers.

He said following a tip-off, the police party conducted raid at Balbir Basti and apprehended Veena Sharma, her husband Suba Ram and their son Simranjit Sharma. Three suppliers of the contraband from Bareilly were Narain Das, Bindi and Rajpal.

Veena had contested elections for the Assembly seat from Faridkot in 1985 and was said to be close to PPCC president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. She was elevated to the present position in the party during the tenure of Shamsher Singh Dullo.

Take inspiration from Mata Gujri, girls told
Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, 
Women should take inspiration from Mata Gujri, who sacrificed her husband, son four grandsons and attained martyrdom for the cause of religion, community and nation, said Dr Harbans Lal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, while addressing the annual function of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sirhind, here today.

He said girls now were competing with boys in every sphere. He said education was the only way to make girls self-sufficient and confident.

He said it was unfortunate that women were being tortured and even burnt due to various social evils like dowry. He called upon the girls to launch a campaign against social evils like female foeticide.

Dr Lal gave a draft of Rs 1 Lakh to the Principal for the development of the school.

The Principal, Ms Jaswant Kaur, read the annual report and highlighted the achievements in the fields of sports, education and cultural activities.

The children presented a cultural programme. The students who excelled in various fields were honoured.