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Burail jailbreak case
Court frames charges against 13
Chandigarh, April 11
Almost 15 months after the sensational Burail jailbreak case in which three alleged assassins of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh tunnelled their way out of the high-security Burail jail here, a local court today framed charges against 13 while discharging two CRPF personnel.

Accused in the Burail jailbreak case being taken away in a police vehicle after charges were framed against them by a Chandigarh court on Monday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

PGI gets ready for PM’s visit; PU feels
left out
Chandigarh, April 11
The Postgraduate Institute here is busy getting its roads recarpeted and refurbishing its interiors to welcome Dr Manmohan Singh on his maiden visit as the Prime Minister to the Institute on Wednesday.

Tight security for PM’s visit   Work in progress on Monday to refurbish the PGI for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit on Wednesday.

PUDA issues resumption orders to 35 schools
Mohali, April 11
The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority has issued resumption orders to over 35 schools running from houses in the township. These orders have been passed for all those residential sites that were found to be functioning as schools despite a fiat by PUDA that these be closed down by March 31.

Punjab and Haryana are MC defaulters
Chandigarh, April 11
The governments of Punjab and Haryana have not deposited the property tax with the Municipal Corporation and the arrears run to well over Rs 1 crore. The MC has forwarded the communication to the Chief Secretaries of the two governments seeking an early payment of the pending dues.

Colonel cashiered from service
Chandigarh, April 11
An Army colonel has been cashiered from service by a General Court Martial for allegedly diverting and illegally selling of CSD canteen supplies worth about Rs 35 lakh. The accused was the commanding officer of an infantry battalion at the time of his alleged acts.

Abandoned at Nabha, rehabilitated in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, April 11 Until yesterday, 95-year-old Rosy had nowhere to go to and no one to call her own. But today her world is different. Loneliness has suddenly vanished into thin air and long lost affections are making a comeback. Ninetyfive-year-old Rosy smiles in the company of inmates at the Old Age Home, Sector 15, Chandigarh. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

• Passing Thru

CHANDIGARH CALLING Chuckles around the dripping orange bars are childlike and the happiness is evident in the pleasurable slurps. On the road opposite the Rock Garden, as the breeze swirls fallen leaves, seven rickshaw-pullers stand huddled, crowding an ice-cream cart and choosing, the orange bar over lime green, cherry pink and cola black ice-lollies.

COMMUNITY

City pools gear up for summer Chandigarh, April 11 The city has prepared itself to beat the scorching heat. A number of swimming pools in various clubs and centres have been renovated with added facilities. Chandigarh Lake Club: The all new pool is there to keep you cool. New tiles have been put up and more bathrooms and toilets are being constructed. Work in progress at the Lake Club swimming pool on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Threads of faith around 100-year-old peepal
Panchkula, April 11 A tree steeped in varying hues of red — from bright crimson and gold dupattas to the scarlet threads — the over 100-year-old peepal tree outside the Mansa Devi shrine here is covered with these ‘threads of faith’. Devotees tie a dupatta around the peepal tree at the Mansa Devi shrine in Panchkula on the third day of Navratra fair on Monday. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Fauji Beat Why Army officers go to courts? IN its recent letter to dissuade officers from going to courts against their supersession, the Military Secretary’s Branch at the Army Headquarters has failed to come out with any convincing argument. According to its figures, of the 183 officers who went to courts in the past five years, 15 have won their cases.

This Chinese gun was presented by the PLA to 5 Raj Rif in October 1956.

Women Helpline building gets 2 new rooms
Mohali, April 11
In some cases women have been taking advantage of the Dowry Act and making unnecessary complaints to the police but the number of such cases is very low. This was stated by Mr Justice N.C. Jain, Chairman of the Punjab State Human Right Commission, while talking to mediapersons today after he inaugurated two newly constructed rooms of a building which houses the Women Helpline here.

Rs 500 reward for information on encroachers
Chandigarh, April 11
With the Estate Office suspecting that there is an organised land mafia working in the city, it has announced a cash prize of Rs 500 to those who provide information about land encroachers and grabbers.

Clear dues in 7 days cable operators told
Chandigarh, April 11
The Municipal Corporation has issued a notice to the cable operators in the city to clear their dues for using the municipal land in seven days, failing which material like poles, cables and other apparatus will be confiscated.

• Programme on Guru Gobind Singh
• Mohali areas to go without power, water
• Police transfers
• Sabharwal is Asst E&T Commissioner
• Senior citizens return from Lahore

CRIME

Flesh trade rackets busted, 11 held
Panchkula, April 11
The police today busted a flesh trade racket in Kalka, and another one at Mansa Devi Complex. They arrested six persons, including two women, on charges of immoral trafficking from the Housing Board Colony, Kalka. Two men Anil Kumar and Sajjal were allegedly using their wives in the racket.

NRI’s house burgled, cash stolen
Panchkula, April 11
An amount of Rs 50,000 and $ 5,800 was stolen from the house of a non resident Indian in Sector 2 here this afternoon. According to the police, the house owner, Mr Kirpal Singh, an NRI from the UK, was away to a relative’s house in Mohali when the burglars struck.

‘Kidnapped’ son of hotelier found
Panchkula, April 11
Arzoo, the 15-year-old son of hotelier and businessman, Mr Balbir Chaudhary, who was allegedly kidnapped on March 5, has returned home. Police sources said the boy was brought here from Shimla last night.

Personal diary of victim found
Mohali, April 11
A team of the Punjab Railway Police from Sirhind today carried out a search of the house of the in-laws of Arvinder Kaur, who had allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a train at Sirhind on March 29.

Suicide bid by Mohali woman
Mohali, April 11
A middle-aged married woman allegedly tried to commit suicide by setting her clothes on fire here late last night. Ms Harpreet Kaur (46), a resident of Phase XI here, allegedly poured kerosene on her clothes and set these ablaze.

Six held for gambling
Chandigarh, April 11
The local police has arrested six persons for gambling from various places in the city while a Qualis jeep and a motor cycle were stolen from the city, according to the information released by the police here today.

BUSINESS

Mobile technology exposition at CII from April 15
Chandigarh, April 11
The city will host a unique two-day technology event showcasing emerging mobile technologies, ‘Mobiletek 2005’, at the CII Convention Centre from April 15. The event will be organised by Masterline, a company manufacturing telecom phone card, and the Department of Information Technology, Chandigarh Administration.

Traders’ plea to PM on Rent Act
Chandigarh, April 11
Two days before the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the city, various organisations today urged him to intervene to bring about a balanced Rent Act for the city.

EDUCATION

DAV Principal to attend seminar in UK
Chandigarh, April 11
The Principal of DAV Public School, Sector 8, Ms Sarita Manuja, has been invited by the British Council Seminars, Oxford, to attend a seminar on ‘Developing leadership in schools’ to be held in Hilton Bath, UK, from April 17 to 22.

Filming college inspections for more transparency Chandigarh, April 11 To improve the deteriorating quality of technical education with the opening of plethora of engineering colleges in the country, the Member Secretary of the All India Council of Technical Education, New Delhi, Ms Anuradha Gupta, said video graphing of the visits of the inspection committees in colleges would go a long way in ensuring transparency in the system.

Ms Anuradha Gupta, Member Secretary, AICTE, interacts with Prof K.N. Pathak, VC of PU, during a symposium on “Biotechnology: Engineering Nature” organised by the University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panjab University on Monday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Educationists must be catalyst of change: Governor
Chandigarh, April 11
The Punjab Governor and Administrator, Chandigarh, Gen. S.F. Rodrigues (retd.), has called for reorienting and restructuring the technical education system to make students more competent, besides inculcating in them a value-based and nationalistic attitude.

Hamara School Taking education beyond books, computers ACNP Senior Secondary School, Zirakpur, was established in 1983 and is affiliated with the Punjab School Education Board. The motto of the school is “Quest for knowledge” Where emphasis is laid on the overall development of students . The main objective of the school is to take education beyond books and computers so that children can equip themselves to meet the challenges of life.

A view of ACNP Senior Secondary School, Zirakpur.

Harnoor wins painting contest Chandigarh, April 11 Harnoor won the first prize in an on-the-spot painting competition, in the 3-8 year category, organised by the Welfare Society, Sector 45-B, here today. Sachit and Komal won the second and the third place, respectively. Children at a painting competition organised by the Welfare Society, Sector 45B, Chandigarh, here on Monday.

COURTS

high court
Army directed to continue proceedings of general court martial
Chandigarh, April 11
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Army to continue the proceedings of general court martial (GCM) of Brig Iqbal Singh (retd), an accused in the infamous Tehelka case. GCM proceedings against the petitioner are currently on at Patiala.

LEISURE

A new film on Punjabi circuit A renaissance in the Punjabi cinema is in the offing with a trend-setting thriller “Addi Tappa awaiting release during this week in India and overseas. Away from the traditional love stories or crime thrillers, the film captures romance at a girls college which promises to fascinate every person. Lead artistes of Punjabi musical thriller Addi-Tappa at the Chandigarh Press Club, on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

A vocalist and a prolific poet It is a rarity that a man is an accomplished vocalist and a prolific poet but both these traits are part of the personna of Vinod K. Bhardwaj, known as Nashad Jaunpuri. The Edmonton (Canada)-based artist regaled the audience at Pracheen Kala Kendra today at a musical soiree, Sham-e-Ghazal. Poet and ghazal maestro Vinod K. Bhardwaj (Nashad Jaunpuri) from Edmonton (Canada) performs at Pracheen Kala Kendra on Monday.

The table is laid for a Navratra feast
It is navratra time and the tandoori chicken has taken a back seat for some days. Pure vegetarian food is the order of the day, without the usual garlic, onions, lentils, grains and salt. The restaurants in the city are brimming with special menus for the devout.

HEALTH

Action plan against foeticide set in motion
Chandigarh, April 11
Followed by the launch of an action plan encompassing initiatives to check the declining sex ratio in Chandigarh by UT Administrator, Gen. S.F. Rodrigues (retd), Home Secretary-cum-Secretary Social Welfare, Krishna Mohan held a meeting with officers of the departments concerned today for the implementation of the plan.

200 units of blood donated Chandigarh, April 11 Over 200 units of blood were donated by students and staff of the Chandigarh College of Engineering & Technology, Sector 26, here today. The Home Secretary, Mr Krishna Mohan, inaugurated the blood donation camp. Students from various streams (community development programme, part-time diploma & regular diploma stream and degree stream) donated blood.

A blood donation camp held at Chandigarh Engineering and Technology College, Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

35 donate blood
Chandigarh, April 11
As many as 35 persons donated blood at a camp organised by the Medical Squadron of 12 Wing at the Air Force station in collaboration with the Blood Department of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, here today.

SPORTS

Engineering college sports meet

Mohali, April 11 Shaheed Udham Singh College of Engineering and Technology, Tangori organised its annual athletics and sports meet last week. According to a press note issued by the college authorities here today, Mr J.S. Sidhu, Chairman SUSCET was the chief guest. Students of Shaheed Udham Singh College of Engineering and Technology (SUSCET), Tangori, during the annual athletics and sports meet of the college.

Ikttesh, Mandeep move ahead in TT meet
Chandigarh, April 11
Ikttesh Chahal of Chandigarh won the first round of the under-14 girls’ singles event against Mrignaini, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the All-India Tennis Association Talent Series Tournament at the Lake Club, Sector 6, here today. In the boys’ under-14 category, Mandeep Gill beat Naveen, 6-1, 6-0, in the first round.

Minerva Academy, JJ Sports in next round
Chandigarh, April 11
Minerva Academy thrashed Cricket Coaching Centre by 85 runs in the first round match of the 4th Youth Cricket Tournament at Kishangarh here today.