Sachin Sharma is a senior staff correspondent, who covers crime, politics, rural civic issues and health in the Malwa region of Punjab.
Articles by Sachin Sharma
HT SPOTLIGHT Punjab’s unused airports: Winged dreams, grounded reality
Three airports in Punjab remain grounded despite investment of nearly `90 crore by the government. That has now reached the high court, on petition seeking orders to start flights or return the land acquired for these projects. HT hits the ground to find.
Updated on May 12, 2016 06:42 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Aneesha Sareen, Vinay Dhingra, Sachin Sharma, Ludhiana, Pathankot, Bathinda
Motorcycle borne youths gun down trader in Faridkot
In yet another gun killing, one trader, who had a criminal record, was shot dead by two motorcycle borne miscreants here on Sunday morning.
Updated on May 09, 2016 02:39 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Faridkot
Police to launch campaign against drug abuse in Bathinda
The police on Saturday decided to launch ‘Ubharda Bathinda’ (Rising Bathinda) campaign against rampant drug abuse in the district. The campaign will focus on spreading awareness and participation from the community.
Updated on May 08, 2016 04:51 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Gangsters updating Facebook accounts: Search op on in jails
With gangsters brazenly updating their Facebook accounts allegedly from inside jails using mobile phones, especially after the killing of gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Singh Rocky, the jail department seems to have taken note.
Updated on May 03, 2016 01:04 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Gangster-politician Rocky killed: Rivals celebrate ‘revenge’ on Facebook
The fatal shooting of gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Singh ‘Rocky’, near Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, sparked quick reaction from rivals on Facebook, many posting from inside jails and terming it “revenge” for the police encounter of another gangster, Gursewak Singh alias Shera Khubban.
Updated on Apr 30, 2016 11:57 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma
Gangster-politician Rocky killed: Rivals celebrate ‘revenge’ on Facebook
The fatal shooting of gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Singh ‘Rocky’, near Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, sparked quick reaction from rivals on Facebook, many posting from inside jails and terming it “revenge” for the police encounter of another gangster, Gursewak Singh alias Shera Khubban.
Updated on Apr 30, 2016 11:58 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Capt accuses one-time loyalist Pavi of backstabbing party
Taking a dig at his one-time loyalist and Shiromani Akali Dal MLA from Talwandi Sabo Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu ‘Pavi’, Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday accused the former of backstabbing him and the party.
Updated on Apr 13, 2016 10:23 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Talwandi Sabo (bathinda)
Manpreet to fight uncle CM in polls? Will feel proud, he says
Congress leader Manpreet Singh Badal, the estranged nephew of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, said on Wednesday that it would be “a matter of pride” for him if the party asked him to contest the assembly polls due in 2017 against his uncle, the CM.
Updated on Apr 07, 2016 05:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
SAD holding Baisakhi conference on SGPC land has AAP fuming
Fuming over the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) allowing the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to hold its upcoming Baisakhi mela conference on land measuring 11 acres near Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders are alleging that they were denied the same by the Takht management.
Updated on Apr 05, 2016 07:05 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Sikhs don’t worship women, hence no ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’: Simranjit Mann
He also said that the BJP must know that Sikhs “can’t say” ‘Vande Matram’ either. “Also religious scriptures like the Geeta should not be imposed on people from other religions as has been done in BJP-ruled Haryana,” he added. The issue came into the limelight after Waris Pathan of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) refused to say the words and instead was ready to chant ‘Jai Hind’.
Updated on Mar 23, 2016 11:37 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
AAP to hold another fund-raiser dinner in Bathinda on March 17
Encouraged by the success of the earlier fund-raiser dinner here in January, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to host another dinner on March 17.
Updated on Mar 13, 2016 08:58 PM IST
Hindustan times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
JNU’s Kanhaiya likely to visit Punjab on Bhagat Singh martyrdom day
Kanhaiya Kumar, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students’ Union, is likely to visit Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district on March 23 to pay homage to martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on their martyrdom day there.
Updated on Mar 07, 2016 09:32 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Basant Panchami: Cupid’s arrow soars past ‘brand Modi’ in kite market
Kites with love symbols and messages are in demand more than those with photo of the PM, say traders
Updated on Feb 12, 2016 12:02 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Two more killed in mishaps involving Akali leaders’ buses
Two men were killed on Tuesday in separate road mishaps involving buses of transport companies owned by Akali leaders.
Updated on Feb 09, 2016 11:59 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda/muktsar
NGOs launch drive against banned Chinese kite string
A campaign to check the use of the banned Chinese synthetic string in kite-flying ahead of Vasant Panchami on February 12 by convincing schoolchildren to shun the same has brought forth the shocking reality of how freely the string is being sold openly in the market.
Updated on Feb 09, 2016 11:57 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Didn’t sit deliberately in front of Orbit company bus, says cop
As a video of a Punjab traffic police cop stopping a bus of the Orbit aviation company, owned by the ruling Badal family, by sitting in front of the bus on a road at Rampura Phul, has gone viral on the internet, the cop has denied of deliberately doing so saying that it happened as he suffered cramp in his foot and he had to sit on the road.
Published on Feb 02, 2016 11:09 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Katju reaches Behbal Kalan, promises true justice
Press Council of India former chairman justice (retd) Markandey Katju on Saturday arrived at Behbal Kalan village in this district to start his independent inquiry into the October 14 police firing incident in which two Sikhs protesting against the sacrilege incidents were killed.
Updated on Jan 30, 2016 09:08 PM IST
Raghbir Singh Brar and Sachin Sharma, Faridkot/bathinda
MPhil, BTech, MCA, all in line for peon’s posts in Bathinda
A girl with Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree and numerous others having done Bachelor of Technology (BTech), Master of Computer Applications (MCA) and Master of Arts (MA) and Bachelor of Education (BEd) are among the 8,500 candidates who have applied for 18 posts of peon at the district courts here. Among the applicants are a large number of girls.
Updated on Jan 20, 2016 05:42 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Harsimrat Badal asks officials to complete works in a year
With an eye on the 2017 assembly polls, Lok Sabha member from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal told the officials to complete the developmental works, of which she laid the foundation stone here on Tuesday, within one year.
Updated on Dec 29, 2015 09:56 PM IST
HindustanTimes | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
AAP rebels woo farmers under ‘Swaraj Abhiyan’
With the issue of loss of cotton crop due to spurious pesticides becoming a major issue in Punjab around a year ahead of the state assembly polls, the expelled as well as suspended rebels of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday sought to woo farmers by listening to their woes and promising to raise their issues.
Updated on Dec 27, 2015 08:34 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
2017 Punjab assembly polls: AAP, rebels in race to woo farmers
Not only the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), but also its rebels who had been expelled from the party, under the banner of ‘Swaraj Abhiyan’ seem to be in a race to make maximum political benefit out of the farmer issues, including the distress caused to them due to cotton crop loss and the number of suicides committed by the farmers under debt due to other reasons.
Updated on Dec 26, 2015 10:18 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Capt show on Tuesday; Cong gets SAD site, not its privileges
The stage is set for Captain Amarinder Singh’s coronation as Punjab Congress president on Tuesday in Bathinda, with party leaders making last-ditch efforts to mobilise the cadre and spruce up the rally venue on the Goniana road.
Updated on Dec 14, 2015 09:17 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Now, Sikh radicals jump on December 15 bandwagon
After the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Sikh radicals have jumped on the December 15 bandwagon by announcing to hold a ‘bhog’ ceremony at Bargari village in Faridkot district to mark two months of the killing of two protesters in Behbal Kalan police firing.
Updated on Dec 10, 2015 06:58 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Lal Singh showers praise on PPCC chief Amarinder Singh
Replying to a question during a press conference, Lal Singh said: “Though it is the prerogative of the party high command, everybody wants to see Amarinder as the next chief minister.”
Updated on Dec 09, 2015 11:21 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma
Sadbhawna rally: Photos of takeaway booze embarrass SAD
A day after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) show of strength at the first Sadbhawna rally here, the embarrassing pictures and videos of participants carrying away liquor boxes from the venue have gone viral on the social media.
Updated on Nov 24, 2015 10:56 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Rally may help SAD regain people’s confidence
Facing the heat of politico-religious upheaval in the past over one month, the surprising presence of people in Monday’s much-hyped Sadbhawna rally is likely to help the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) regain confidence of people in the backdrop of a series of sacrilege incidents.
Updated on Nov 23, 2015 11:49 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Navrajdeep Singh and Sachin Sharma
Dhadrianwale, Panthpreet use social media to explain Sarbat Khalsa absence
Facing flak from a section of the Sikh community for not attending the radicals’ Sarbat Khalsa, Sikh preachers are using social media for a “damage-control” exercise.
Updated on Nov 20, 2015 08:58 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Breather for govt as Sikh preachers drop plan to gherao ministers
In a relief to the beleaguered Punjab government that has been grappling with the law and order trouble for the past over one-and-a-half month in view of the unrest across the state, Sikh religious preachers have announced to not go ahead with the programme to gherao the houses of Akali ministers and MLAs.
Updated on Nov 15, 2015 08:42 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Rahul reaches out to cotton farmers, dares Badals in their bastion
On the second day of his two-day visit to Punjab on Friday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi reached out to farmers whose cotton crop has been hit by the whitefly attack.
Updated on Nov 07, 2015 12:23 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma and Navrajdeep Singh, Bathinda
Rahul Gandhi not formally honoured at Takht Damdama Sahib
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was not honoured formally by the management of Takht Damdama Sahib owing to recent incidents of sacrilege.
Updated on Nov 06, 2015 11:39 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma and Navrajdeep Singh, Bathinda