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
Murder case: PPP leader arrested, weapons seized
After playing hide-and-seek with the police for over a month, People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) leader Lakhvir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana has finally fallen in the police net in the case of alleged murder of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) supporter Gurvir Singh alias Goldy in Rampura Phul last month.
Updated on Mar 18, 2015 12:16 PM IST
None | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
CM Parkash Singh Badal, Harsimrat divided over setting up of AIIMS
The announcement of setting up of an All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Punjab by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech on Saturday seem to have divided the Badal family.
Updated on Mar 01, 2015 08:07 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma & Ravinder Vasudeva, Bathinda, Jalandhar
With Congress not in fray, only SAD-BJP show in Maur Mandi
Though the opposition Congress, like it did in Rampura Phul municipal council (MC), hasn't announced any boycott of the polls in Maur Mandi, yet the situation here is a one-sided show of the SAD-BJP as the alliance has already won seven of the seats 17 seats unopposed.
Updated on Feb 21, 2015 10:28 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Maur Mandi
Strange mix: MBA to drug accused, all want a seat
An MBA professional, an architect, engineers, and lawyers are competing with illiterates and alleged drug traders, thieves, brawlers, and electricity stealers for the local municipal corporation seats.
Updated on Feb 21, 2015 11:28 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
This time, NOTA conspicuous by its absence
Voters for the upcoming civic polls across Punjab will not be able to express their rejection of the candidates as there is no Nota (none of the above) option on electronic voting machines (EVMs) to be used in these elections.
Updated on Feb 20, 2015 10:14 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Stepping on the gas, this Bathinda family is firing on all cylinders
A man, his wife and their son are contesting the polls to the Bathinda municipal corporation from three different wards as independents with the LPG cylinder as their poll symbol.
Updated on Feb 19, 2015 11:31 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's passport released
Two days after a special CBI court allowed controversial head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh to travel abroad for promotion of his movie "MSG: The Messenger", his passport was released by the police on Friday, even though dera followers staged a protest accusing the police of deliberately delaying the release of the passport.
Updated on Feb 14, 2015 12:24 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
30-year-old SAD supporter shot dead in Bathinda
A supporter of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was allegedly shot dead outside the court complex at Phool near here on Friday afternoon. The police have booked Lakhwinder Singh alias Lakha Sidhana, a leader of the People's Party of Punjab (PPP) and close associate of party chief Manpreet Singh Badal, with three others Sewak, Kauri and Satti and some other unidentified people under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code in this connection.
Updated on Feb 13, 2015 09:05 PM IST
Hindustantimes.com | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Bathinda: Issues on backburner, internal bickering to the fore
Even as issues concerning people seem to have been put on the backburner for the ensuing polls to the municipal corporation Bathinda (MCB), the polls will a test of political parties and alliances nine months after the parliamentary polls.
Updated on Feb 13, 2015 08:51 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
MC polls: Congress, PPP fail to seal pact
Though People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal had contested the last parliamentary polls on the Congress symbol, yet the alliance between the two parties for the municipal corporation elections here has not materialised.
Updated on Feb 12, 2015 11:57 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Khalistani terrorist Jagtar Singh Tara remanded in 4-day custody
Khalistani terrorist Jagtar Singh alias Tara, who was arrested from Thailand in January and was lodged in the Phillaur jail, Jalandhar, was remanded in four-day police custody by the court of duty magistrate Raman Kumar here on Monday.
Updated on Feb 10, 2015 12:12 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Drunk jail official does a Gabbar in Bathinda, shoots dead tavern manager
Virtually enacting the Russian roulette scene made famous by Amjad ‘Gabbar’ Khan in ‘Sholay’, a drunk jail official shot dead the manager of a liquor tavern (‘ahata’) near the inter-state bus terminus here on Tuesday afternoon.
Updated on Feb 03, 2015 08:57 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma HT Correspondent, Bathinda: Bathinda
Nandgarh's wife, 13 others booked for land fraud
In yet another jolt to ousted Sikh priest Balwant Singh Nandgarh, who was recently removed as jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, the police here booked his wife Sukhdev Kaur and 13 others, including three revenue officials, in a land-transfer fraud case upon orders by a court.
Updated on Feb 01, 2015 04:31 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Bhai Rupa villagers make Sikander Singh Maluka leave sangat darshan in a hurry
Rural development and panchayat minister Sikander Singh Maluka, had to leave his sangat darshan programme, being held in a town near Bhai Rupa village, midway in a hurry on Saturday after he was informed that residents of the village were marching towards the venue of the programme.
Updated on Jan 31, 2015 08:15 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Post removal, Nandgarh vacates Dakht Damdama Sahib's high priest's residence in road show
Having been removed unceremoniously from his post, former high priest of Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, Balwant Singh Nandgarh on Saturday vacated the official residence and was led in procession of people and representatives from supporting organisation to his house in Bathinda.
Updated on Jan 24, 2015 11:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Nandgarh ‘not given’ Guru Granth Sahib bir
A close associate of Balwant Singh Nandgarh, who was removed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) as the jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, alleged that the management of the Takht refused to give a bir (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib for akhand path (prayers) at Nandgarh’s residence.
Updated on Jan 20, 2015 10:08 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
High alert in Bathinda zone, forces on toes in Amritsar
Amid high alert sounded in the zone after the Censor Board nod to the film ‘MSG: The Messenger of God’ starring Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, uneasy calm prevailed in the district on Friday.
Updated on Jan 17, 2015 10:32 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s movie ‘MSG’ not to release on Friday even as dera claims nod
The debut movie of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh — ‘MSG: The Messenger of God’ — would not come out on its scheduled release date of Friday, January 16, even though there were TV reports and claims by the dera that it had been cleared by the certification authorities.
Updated on Jan 16, 2015 08:16 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Jagmeet may join BJP after Delhi polls now, praises PPP and AAP too
Having quit the Congress by ending his 35 years of association with the party, former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar now seems to be in the wait-and-watch mode before taking the final decision of jumping onto the BJP bandwagon.
Updated on Jan 14, 2015 10:28 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Manpreet demands law on confiscating property of drug peddlers
People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal on Wednesday demanded that the government should immediately make a legislation to confiscate the property of those convicted of drug peddling.
Updated on Jan 15, 2015 08:44 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Harsimrat backs SAD stance to rid Punjab of 'drug addict' tag
Amid the war of words over the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) rallies on the international border on Monday, SAD MP and union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal seems to be backing the party line of "removing the tag of drug addicts' state" for Punjab as is reflected from the stance adopted by the party leadership on the issue.
Updated on Jan 04, 2015 10:48 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
CM, deputy differ on nature of border rallies
Deputy chief minister (CM) Sukhbir Singh Badal seems to disagree with CM Parkash Singh Badal on nature of Akali protests coming up on the Pakistan border on Monday (January 5). While the CM has called it a “mass awareness” programme, his deputy has said categorically that it is a protest to get the Border Security Force (BSF) to be more alert and stop drug flow into the state.
Updated on Jan 04, 2015 09:39 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Nathana (bathinda)
Conversions, drug trade: SAD takes war with its ally to Facebook
On the social-networking website, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir and his MP wife and Union food processing industries minister, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, have shared YouTube links of Punjabi news videos of speeches of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and the deputy CM from the party’s Saturday conference at Shaheedi Jor Mela in Fatehgarh Sahib.
Updated on Dec 30, 2014 12:27 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Jathedar Nandgarh goes against Akal Takht, to celebrate gurpurb on Jan 5
Going by the announcement of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, people are celebrating Guru Gobind Singh's birth anniversary (gurpurb) on Sunday, but the high priest of Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, near here, jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh, is firm on celebrating the day on January 5, according to the original Nanakshahi calendar.
Updated on Dec 27, 2014 08:58 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Police step up patrolling in Malwa areas
Amid reports of stray incidents of violence and brewing of tension ahead of the January 16 release of ‘MSG: The Messenger of God’, starring Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the police have stepped up patrolling, particularly in Malwa areas where dera followers are engaged in the film’s promotion.
Updated on Dec 23, 2014 09:38 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Unfazed by Takht’s ban demand, Sirsa dera followers promote film in Bathinda villages
Even as the Akal Takht and Sikh organisations have demanded a ban on the upcoming movie, ‘MSG: The Messenger of God’, starring Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, dera followers are busy promoting the film in villages of the district.
Updated on Dec 22, 2014 10:25 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Bathinda-Delhi Shatabdi flagged off
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday boycotted the flagging off of the Bathinda-Delhi Shatabdi by union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal to show their resentment over Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) not putting pictures of BJP leaders in the advertisements announcing the event.
Updated on Dec 19, 2014 08:01 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Bathinda-Delhi Shatabdi launched amid fear of shortage of passengers
As union minister for food processing industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal flagged off the Bathinda - Delhi Shatabadi here on Thursday, the fear of lack of passengers was visible in their address.
Updated on Dec 18, 2014 09:44 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
Bathinda: Two police SITs fail to make headway
The delay in completing the probe into two recent high-profile cases has put a question mark on the functioning of the special investigation teams (SITs) constituted for the purpose.
Updated on Dec 16, 2014 10:11 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda
SAD against forcible religious conversions: Harsimrat
Amid the uproar over religious conversions by right wing Hindu organisations in Uttar Pradesh, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the alliance partner in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has opposed the forcible conversions.
Updated on Dec 12, 2014 08:43 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sachin Sharma, Bathinda