People pay tributes to Captain Navpal Sidhu at 40RB village near Padampur. Tribune Photo

Our Correspondent

Abohar, January 3

Army Havildar Anil Patil travelled all the way from Jammu and Kashmir to offer a wreath on behalf of Commanding Officer Colonel Bhaskar Kataria of the 19 Maratha Light Infantry at the memorial of Captain Navpal Sidhu at 40RB village near Padampur.A function had been organised on Captain Sidhu’s 14th death anniversary today. Anil said he had served with the martyred officer for two years and was keen to salute Navpal at the memorial.Anil was joined by hundreds of people who braved dense fog and chill to pay their tributes to Captain Sidhu at his memorial in the Sriganganagar region. Sehaj Path bhog was also performed in the village gurdwara.Navpal of 19 Maratha Light Infantry was killed in 2002 after he gunned down three PoK-trained terrorists in the Surankote area of Poonch region in Jammu and Kashmir.He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously. Navpal’s father Lieutenant Colonel Agyapal Singh Sidhu had led the offensive against Pakistan in 1965 and 1971.Shaheed Navpal Trust secretary Ghanshyam Harwani and other social activists urged the Rajasthan Government to complete the Navpal Stadium, the foundation of which was laid in 2003.Rajasthan Minister for Mining Surinderpal Singh TT and former Union Minister Nihal Chand offered floral tributes to the martyr and assured that they would request the Chief Minister to sanction funds for the stadium.Earlier, the trust organised a free medical camp in collaboration of Shaheed Bhai Sukha Singh Mehtab Singh Memorial Hospital.

IAF employee attempts suicide

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, January 3

A 25-year-old Indian Air Force employee today tried to kill himself by consuming poison at a park in Sector 5 here.The police took the victim, Vikas Kumar, to the Civil Hospital, Sector 6, here, where he is recovering after treatment. The police have recovered a suicide note from him.Investigating Officer Ishwar Singh of Sector 5 police station said Vikas was having an affair with a girl, who, along with two others, had started blackmailing him. According to the police, the three were demanding Rs 5 lakh and a flat from Vikas. Fed up with the blackmailing, the IAF employee attempted suicide.According to sources, the youth is posted at the Zirakpur Air Force Station. The police have registered a case against the three accused and have started investigations.A case of attempt to suicide has also been registered against Vikas.