[QUICKREADS]

Apple cartons stolen from overturned truck: 2 Punjab bizmen come to Kashmir trader’s rescue, give ₹9 lakh
Fatehgarh Sahib Two Punjab businessmen on Monday came forward to help a Kashmiri trader whose cartons of apples were stolen after a truck overturned near Rajindergarh village in Fatehgarh Sahib district on Saturday afternoon. Rajwinder Singh from Patiala and Gurpreet Singh from Mohali gave a cheque for ?9.12 lakh to Mohammad Shahid, a resident of Sopore in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, to compensate for the loss he suffered.

Para shuttler motivates KGMU students at Y20 summit
Palak Kohli, a professional para badminton athlete from Jalandhar, motivated students at the Y20 India Summit at the King George's Medical University with her journey of overcoming odds to become an athlete. She encouraged students to never give up and to focus on their achievements. The event was coordinated by Dr RN Srivastava and Dr Ashish Kumar. Palak shared how she stayed in Lucknow during the pandemic and kept up her practice despite the changing climate.

Prominent Lucknow jeweller receives extortion call
A Lucknow jeweller received an extortion call in the name of jailed Punjab gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, demanding Rs 30 lakh or face consequences. The caller also mentioned another Punjab gangster, Goldy Brar, who was linked to the murder of Punjabi singer Siddhu Moose Wala in 2022. Police are investigating the case based on the caller's mobile number. In June 2022, another jeweller had also received an extortion call from a member of Goldy Brar's gang.

Play more ‘pro-active role’ to resolve SYL canal: SC to Centre
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to play a more "pro-active role" in the Satluj-Yamuna Link canal dispute between Punjab and Haryana. It has asked both states to hold discussions to resolve the issue and suggested the Union of India to bridge the gap between them. The dispute has been lingering on for decades with the top court ruling in favour of Haryana in 2002.

Amritpal trained men at firing range in his village
Police have discovered Amritpal Singh, a Pro-Khalistan leader and fugitive, was setting up a militia, 'Anandpur Khalsa Fauj' (AKF). His gunman, Tejinder Singh Gill, was arrested with pictures and videos of AKF, "Khalistani dollar" and hi-tech guns. 207 people have been detained, 30 of them criminal, with 177 taken under preventive custody. The Punjab CM is extending the last date for competitive exams due to internet shutdown.

Cart driver had dropped Amritpal, aide at Mehatpur from where police chase started
After their motorcycle punctured near Udhowal village, Amritpal and Papalpreet were dropped at Mehatpur by a cart driver. The police claim they changed clothes at Nangal Ambian Gurdwara and fled to Darapur via Nurmahal. The cart driver only realized he had given lift to Amritpal after police questioned him.

Three aides of Amritpal booked for snatching
Police have booked unidentified accomplices of Amritpal Singh, chief of Waris Punjab De, for rash driving, snatching a motorcycle and wrongful restraint near Sadiqpura village of Jalandhar district. Police have recovered a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle used by the accused and registered a case under IPC and Arms Act.

Amritpal, aide changed two autos before boarding bus from Ludhiana
Fugitive pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh and his aide Papalpreet Singh changed two auto-rickshaws to escape police, who traced them from CCTVs at three locations. They boarded a bus from Sherpur Chowk, Ludhiana, which police are trying to trace. Auto-rickshaw drivers who dropped them near Sherpur have been traced.

Police arrest Jhajjar ex-armyman in woman rape-murder case in Haryana
After the exhumation of a 36-year-old woman's body in Jhajjar, the police have arrested two accused involved in the crime. The woman was allegedly kidnapped, gang-raped and strangled to death after being lured to Jhajjar with a loan offer. The two accused, an ex-armyman and another, have confessed to the crime. The victim was survived by a minor daughter and her husband had died two years ago.

Haryana ACB arrests former DSP in graft case
The ACB of Haryana has arrested Phool Singh, a former DSP, in a criminal case registered under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. A vigilance inquiry had found allegations of gross irregularities and criminal misconduct were true, so a SIT was constituted and the accused was arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody.

Haryana gave ₹41-Cr cash awards to over 4k ineligible athletes, says CAG report
Audit by CAG found that Haryana govt. gave ?41.30 crore in cash prizes to 4,256 ineligible junior and sub-junior category sportspersons during 2004-05 to 2015-16, violating state's Sports and Physical Fitness Policies. Responsibility of concerned officers should be fixed.

Deportation notices to 700 students: Take up matter with Canadian govt, Seechewal urges MEA
Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal has urged the Union government to intervene in the deportation of 700 Indian students from Punjab by the Canadian government. He believes the students should not be punished for the actions of the travel agents who cheated them, and instead action should be taken against them. He has requested the Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar to take up the matter with the Canadian counterpart to secure the future of the students.

Poor utilization of funds: HC summons principal secretary, director education of Haryana
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has summoned the principal secretary and director higher education, Haryana, due to poor utilization of funds meant for schools in the state. A grant of ?1,176.38 crore issued by the Centre and a budget allocation of ?13,420.97 crore has not been utilized since 2012-2013. The court observed that this reflects gross incompetence and poor financial management, and has asked for details of the funds and its utilization.

Sexual harassment accused let off: British diplomat didn’t support prosecution version
A Nayagaon resident was acquitted after a British diplomat failed to identify him in court as the perpetrator of a sexual harassment incident in October 2021. The diplomat denied ever seeing the accused's face and was declared hostile by the prosecution. The court observed that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and gave the accused the benefit of the doubt.

128 Chandigarh Housing Board properties up for grabs
The Chandigarh Housing Board has invited e-bids for 128 residential and commercial properties. 38 are freehold residential units and 90 are leasehold commercial units. Bids can be placed from March 24 to April 25. GST is not applicable on the consideration/premium of the unit. Registration is required to submit e-bids.

Mohali: Man who snatched ₹12,000 jailed for five years, fined ₹10,000
A court has sentenced a Rahatpur district native to 5 years in jail and a fine of ?10,000 for snatching ?12,000 from a Chandigarh resident in June 2022. If the fine is not paid, the accused will have to serve 6 more months in prison. Another man from Ram Darbar was sentenced to 2 years in jail and fined ?1,000 for snatching a phone in 2021.