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32-year-old woman murdered in house

Mohali, May 12 In a gruesome murder, a 32-year-old woman was stabbed to death at her residence in Phase VII here this morning. The victim, Harjit Kaur, was a professional dancer and had shifted into this house just over a week ago. Harjit Kaur was married but lived alone.

Harjit Kaur

‘Khul ja EVM’ today Chandigarh may declare voters’ choice before noon
Chandigarh, May 12 The stage is set for the counting of votes for the Chandigarh parliamentary seat. Counting will begin at 8 am tomorrow and is likely to be completed in a couple of hours. In all, 2.67 lakh votes have been cast and the data has to computed from the EVMs.	I’ll win because... ...the BJP’s campaign lost steam midway. (Pawan Kumar Bansal) ...Sikhs have also voted heavily in my favour. (Satya Pal Jain) ...I have got many votes from villages, colonies. (Harmohan Dhawan)

Independent levels charges against Cong, BJP, INLD
Chandigarh, May 12
Mr Arvind Jain, an Independent in fray for the local seat in the parliamentary elections, today made more than 20 allegations of gross irregularities and violations of code during the poll held on May 10.

• To readers who couldn’t vote...

• A day of happenings for this voter

Choudhary’s court martial to begin on May 24
Chandigarh, May 12
The General Court Martial of Major-Gen P.S.K. Choudhary, accused of impropriety while dealing with fictitious arms dealer, is scheduled to convene at Ferozepore cantonment on May 24, it is learnt. The court's convening orders were signed by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, yesterday.

Rotary to continue free cardiac surgeries project Chandigarh, May 12 Rotary Club of Chandigarh, which has recently concluded its 'Gift of Life' project with the completion of 100 free congenital corrective cardiac surgeries in collaboration with the PGI, has firmed up its plans to launch a new project 'Lifeline'.     Dr R.S.Dhaliwal, head of the cardio-thoracic department of the PGI, interacts with Pakistani boy Master Matiuallah(11) and Baby Tanzile Malik(6) at Chandigarh on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

COMMUNITY

Society questions govt concern over smoking
Chandigarh, May 12
The anti-smoking wing of the “Burning Brain Society” on Tuesday discussed “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act, 2003,” as enforced from May 1.

Strive hard to achieve excellence, says Governor Mohali, May 12 The fundamental duty of every citizen is to achieve excellence in whichever field he/she is working. Without giving adequate stress to this aspect, it will become difficult to compete at the global level. The Punjab Governor, Justice O.P. Verma (retd) Inaugurates the PTU’s Gian Jyoti School at Mohali on Wednesday.

Bank told to specify loan interest rate
Chandigarh, May 12
Tall claims of being the number one bank in the private sector, notwithstanding, the ICICI Bank because of its recent policy decisions is fast losing out on customers. Scores of customers, including loan seekers have either closed their accounts or are knocking the doors of the consumer organisations and law courts for the redress of their grievances.

PIL on land allotment to influential
Chandigarh, May 12
Mr Neeraj Sharma, petitioner in the public interest litigation (PIL) regarding the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 5.7 acres of land in Sector 38, Chandigarh, to influential persons, including two sons of a sitting Judge of the High Court, today sought an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the scam.

MNS officers' vehicles to go without pennants
Chandigarh, May 12
Senior Military Nursing Service (MNS) officers are no longer authorised to fly pennants or use star plates on their vehicles. Even the facility of an official staff car has now been withdrawn.

Two women, one passion
Mohali, May 12
Here are two women who chose to do something for others to feel satisfied and to make a difference in the lives of those not so lucky.

Sewing machines distributed Mohali, May 12 The nurses week celebrations concluded at Fortis Heart Institute and Multi-Speciality Hospital here today. The nurses week was organised by the hospital from May 7 to 12 to mark the Nurses Day, observed internationally. Widows and needy women at the auditorium of Fortis Hospital where they were given sewing machines as part of the Nurses Day celebrations in Mohali on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

British Library to have new books, DVDs Chandigarh, May 12 To commemorate the fourth anniversary of the British Library here, around 300 new DVDs and 1000 new books, mainly on engineering, are being added for the members at the library, said Mr Sushant Banerjee, Manager, British Library, here yesterday. The staff of the British Library, Sector 9, Chandigarh. — A Tribune photograph

PEC student missing since March 5 Chandigarh, May 12 A 25-year-old student of Punjab Engineering College (PEC) has been missing since March 5. Rantan Kanwar, a student of third year electrical engineering, left for college on March 5 at around 9.15 am from his house in the Mansa Devi Complex. He neither returned home nor contacted the family, his mother, Mrs Madhu Verma, told The Tribune here today.

Rantan Kanwar

Readers Write
Bungling in poll arrangements
I WANT to express my feelings regarding the serious bungling in the arrangements for the elections that concluded on May 10. I feel that day by day the election campaign and the system of conducting elections is deteriorating instead of showing improvement, and this malady is spreading unchecked.

Work on Kajauli waterworks’ fifth phase from 2006
Mohali, May 12
The fifth phase of Kajauli waterworks will be constructed by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) at a cost of Rs 60 crore. This was stated by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker, Mr Bir Devinder Singh, following a meeting held at the PUDA office here today.

NOC comes for a price
Mohali, May 12
A resident of Mohali Rajinder Singh has alleged that an Additional Estate Officer (AEO) in the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) here had demanded money to issue him a no objection certificate (NOC) for a plot he bought from PUDA.

CRIME

Group clash on road, bid to murder case registered
Chandigarh, May 12
A group of eight persons allegedly made a murderous attempt on sons of two inspectors of the Chandigarh Police last night in Sector 34 following an altercation over rash driving. Five persons have been arrested in this connection, while the police is on lookout for the remaining three.

Woman duped of gold ring
Chandigarh, May 12
Two beggars, one of whom was a 10-year-old boy today duped a woman of a gold ring in Sector 29. Vimla Sharma said the two beggars, who were asking for alms in the name of a pir baba, asked her to give them Rs 501, but she refused. They gave her some “prasad” and told her that her family would prosper.

Four vehicles stolen
Chandigarh, May 12
During the past 24 hours, at least four cases of theft of vehicles from different parts of the city have been reported. A white Maruti Zen (PB-27A-4282), belonging to Mrs Tej Kaur, was stolen from house number 1067, Sector 42-B, after 11 pm yesterday. A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered.

BUSINESS

Market Pulse
Reliance, NDTV join hands
Chandigarh, May 12
Reliance Infocomm has tied up with NDTV 24X7 to provide news updates. Now Reliance India Mobile (RIM) customers can watch election updates and other news coverage from NDTV through R World on their multimedia-enabled handsets. With this RIM customers can enjoy round-the-clock news on their handsets and this is not limited to the election period only,” says Mr Kaushik Roy, head-marketing, Reliance Infocomm.

EDUCATION

Hope for poor brilliant students
Panchkula, May 12
There is a ray of hope for poor brilliant students. With a band of distinguished persons from different walks of life forming the Society for Meritorious Students, the dream of needy students to have better education is all set to become a reality.

From Schools Training course gets ISO certification Chandigarh, May 12 The Raja Ram Mohan Roy Institute of Vocational Studies, Sector 27, has been awarded the ISO 9001:2000 certification for its Nursery Teachers Training (NTT) course. The Director of the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Institute, Sector 27, addresses a press conference in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Raising hands in anticipation, students of different schools wait outside Bassi theatre in Mohali to watch a movie as part of The Tribune in Education programme on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Programme on life of Guru Angad Dev
Mohali, May 12
A state-level meeting of students and scholars was organised by the National Society for the Child Artists (NSCA) at the Punjab School Education Board here today. The programme was dedicated to the fifth centenary celebration of the birth of Guru Angad Dev. The function started with a shabad "Nanak chinta mat karo", presented by students of Central Public School, Ghuman.

450 students take part in talent hunt Chandigarh, May 12 As many as 450 students of Sri Guru Harkrishan Model School, Sector 38, took part in a talent hunt organised by Srijan, an institute of creativity, on the school premises, here today. A student performs during a talent hunt competition organised by Srijan at Sri Guru Harkrishan Model School in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

CULTURE

Play on physicists’ duty towards society

Chandigarh, May 12 It’s a tug of war between the good and the evil. As a good turn to the world, he kills mercilessly and justifies his action saying scientists also have a responsibility towards humanity. This is what Johann Wilhelm Mobius, protagonists of the play “Teen Bhautikshastri,” puts forward to the audience. A scene from Kumar Verma’s play “Teen Bhautikshastri” at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

DD to air ‘Parsa’ from May 15

Chandigarh, May 12 “Parsa”, a tele serial based on eminent Punjabi writer Gurdial Singh’s novel, is slated to be telecast on weekly basis from May 15 at 9 pm on Bharati Channel of Doordarshan. Produced under the banner of Kabir Communications, New Delhi, and directed by Praveen Arora, this 10-episode serial has been produced in Hindi. A scene from “Parsa” which will be on air from May 15 on DD’s Bharti Channel. — A Tribune photograph

LIFESTYLE

Home Decor The picture-perfect house that spells class and style A confluence of Ameri-can, Brit and Oriental — the Sandhu house in Sector 10 here incorporated the three styles of design in structure and interiors. This picture-perfect house, built on a four-kanal plot, is what dreams are made of. The bedrooms have been done with a minimalist approach, with four-poster beds and bay windows overlooking the Leisure Valley opposite the house.

Eating Out
Avadhi culinary tradition comes to city
This is the inviting verse extended by Jasmeet, proprietor of the new restaurant on the block. The doors of Clay Oven (above Cafe Coffee Day) in the Sector 35 lane of eateries were opened on Sunday.

Political tunes with humorous tilt
BAPPI LAHIRI — the chunky gold chains and his Bengali accent still unchanged — is taking his foray into politics rather seriously. After wooing the electorate in Andhra Pradesh and Delhi for the Congress candidates, Bappi Da is now belting out political tunes in his latest album, “ Ghungta”.

PEPSI offers chance to meet Bollywood stars
How many times have you been able to tell your favourite Bollywood star that you are his biggest fan? Thanks to an innovative consumer initiative by Pepsi, here’s an opportunity to show your favourite star that you are his biggest fan, and win a glittering trophy from him in front of millions of TV viewers.

HEALTH

Nehru Hospital summer timings
Chandigarh, May 12
With the two-month summer vacation starting at the PGI from May 16, Nehru Hospital will soon start observing summer timings.