The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Well-planned plot did Dimpy in
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8
It was a well-planned plot that led to the killing of Prabhjinder Singh Dimpy. Usually escorted by armed gunman, the gangster was “virtually” isolated from his men and five bullets from a .45-bore semi-automatic pistol were pumped into his body outside the Lake Club parking, a high security zone of the city.

Apparently guarded by armed men from a distance, the assailants escaped on a motor cycle towards the side of the Chandigarh Club. The police believes that sharpshooters had been engaged to eliminate Dimpy, who had created ripples in the political and criminal circles. The shots were fired from the driver side, damaging the windowpanes on right side and one on the co driver’s side.

The police has not been able to identify the assailants and the vehicle on which they escaped. They were said to be without helmets.

Dimpy had arrived in the city on June 6 and had stayed at the house of his two friends, Gunraj and Sohail, in Mani Majra. His friends had brought him in their Skoda car to the party, which was hosted by another friend, Aman Chopra. Investigations point towards some “insider” gave details of Dimpy’s movement to his enemies.

Reconstructing the sequence of events and the investigations, the Chandigarh police today did not rule out the possibility of political or professional enmity behind the murder. Briefing mediapersons, crime branch in charge, Inspector Satbir Singh, said Dimpy had called up his “friend” Harneev, alias Honey, and had asked her to take back her gold chain from him. The conversation was also overheard by his friends who were partying with him at the Lake Club.

“As soon she reached in front of the Lake Club parking, she called up Dimpy and asked him to come out. In the ensuing moments some unidentified persons came close to her. Again she called him up asking why he had sent men to see her and did not come personally”, said the Inspector.

The crime branch sleuths were able to retrieve the conversation, which was recorded in the memory chip of the mobile set of the girl. Moments after he came and sat on the co-driver’s seat before handing over the gold chain to her, the assailants, who were waiting at a nearby bus stop, passed by showering bullets on the car.

Forensics experts from the CFSL were called to reconstruct the sequence of events. They examined the distance and the angle from which the shots were fired. Autopsy of the deceased revealed that three bullets were lodged in the abdominal area and two in the back of the right shoulder.

Seven empty cartridges were found from the spot. One of the bullets injured a finger of Honey and another whizzed pass her neck. Dimpy died of cardiac arrest, revealed the post-mortem examination report.

Inspector Satbir Singh said the police also questioned all the 10 persons, who were present in the party. While the mobile set of the girl was damaged in the shootout, two cellphones of Dimpy were found in the car.

“We will question the girl after she is declared fit for giving statement. ”

The angle of the Hyundai SUV vehicle of Dimpy lying punctured was also being thoroughly examined. It could give new leads in the case, said an official.

Today investigation of the case was transferred to the crime branch. The FIR has been registered on a statement of a nephew of the deceased, Navinder Singh Babbu.

Where was the weapon sourced from?

The .45-bore pistol, which was used by the assailants to kill Dimpy, was specifically purchased for the purpose. The cartridges were of specific type, which burst on contact with the target. Sources revealed that the bullets were recently purchased as was evident from the condition of empty shells.

Two Muktsar-based agents and some arms suppliers in Uttar Pradesh were under the scanner. The sources said a strong forearm was required to handle the weapon. It had been rarely used in a crime in the region.

Mobile calls can lead to assassins

Mobile calls from the numbers used by Dimpy, Harneev and other persons present at the Lake Club were being thoroughly examined. The sources said the calls made and received in the area were being screened. The call details of some gangsters, who could be potential opponents of Dimpy, were also under the scanner.

Monsoon has already arrived in city
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8
To those who still think Chandigarh is in the pre-monsoon zone, here is a piece of news. Officials at the Met Department in Sector 22 today confirmed to The Tribune that the monsoon hit the city on June 30.

It is another matter that no one noticed, as the monsoon tiptoed into the region — weak in form as well as reach. As days pass by, rains are expected to gain momentum, taking some sultriness out of the weather systems.

But till that happens, the city breathed through yet another day of dullness and swelter. Needless to mention the damage which rising humidity levels are doing to the health of people, with more and more patients thronging government hospitals with complaints of gastrointestinal infections on the one hand and skin ailments on the other.

As for today, humidity had a partner in dust clouds caused by the weather systems reigning in Rajasthan. The maximum humidity was 78 and minimum was 40, while the corresponding temperatures were 34 and 29.6 degree. Explaining the formation of dust clouds, Mr Chattar Singh, Director of Met, said, “Strong southwesterly winds have been blowing in Rajasthan causing the dust to rise and travel long distances to our region. Here the dust has suspended in the air because there has not been enough wind or rain to bring it down. Today there was hardly any wind over Chandigarh, although the city experienced some scattered showers.”

When asked why the arrival of monsoon in Chandigarh remained such a dull affair this year, Mr Chattar Singh said, “Last year the monsoon hit the city on June 27 and it was rather strong in constitution. This year it is still weak and has not yet covered the entire Punjab and Haryana.”

In the region the monsoon has been declared in Chandigarh and in those regions of Punjab and Haryana that adjoin Himachal Pradesh.

UT revives project on performing arts
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8
The Chandigarh Administration has revived work on the ambitious Centre for Performing Arts after a gap of nearly 20 years. The incomplete structure, comprising only pillars on the ground floor at its location adjoining the State Library in Sector 34, is in a state of utter ruins.

The Administration has issued tenders recently seeking “expression of interest” from consultants on the “prestigious project”. “We are looking for international standards while seeking the consultancy services and the quality will not be compromised at all. The centre is envisaged to be a platform for symbiosis of the regional culture coupled with latest developments at the national and international levels of the rapidly changing field of performing arts”, a senior official said.

“Except for the existing theatre facilities at Tagore Theatre, the city has very limited scope for quality stage performances. Certain performances need a stage which can be better modified according to the script requirements and other details. The new centre will definitely ensure adding the latest technological advances with regard to stage and lighting arrangements”, he said.

The centre is located in the open ground adjoining the State Library opposite the entrance gate. A senior librarian pointed out “the library and the centre were mooted during the early eighties. In fact, a blue print for the project was prepared and also approved in 1983 for the State Library. Both projects then had faded in the background of the Administration’s agenda for a long time.

The library came up in 1995, however, the centre, originally named after Jawaharlal Nehru, could not come up”.

Mr Rakeshwar Katoch, a theatre buff, said: “The city has every potential for emerging as a major cultural centre in the entire northern region. As always, all art forms need the support of the state (the UT Administration). All state governments in the region need to get together and form a common action plan for promoting art and culture instead of carrying on with individual efforts.

“The youth has immense potential but they need hands of veterans to guide them in the right direction, which gains a better direction in the presence of a platform like a centre for performing arts.”

It is also felt that Tagore Theatre was being used for all kinds of functions, including normal school and even private functions. The Centre of Performing Arts can be developed to promote the cause of quality of performing arts and even artistic creations, including paintings and sculptures.

COMMUNITY

Plans to set up container freight station at Baddi
Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8
The Container Corporation of India has chalked out ambitious plans to provide railway facilities for smooth movements of containers from industrial towns like Dera Bassi and Baddi.

As part of the project, work of the container siding site at Dappar is nearly completed. The progress of the project would be tomorrow reviewed by a team of Standing Committee of Parliamentarians on Railways.

Talking on the lines of giving a direct rail link to the industrial hubs in the region, Mr Rakesh Mehrotra, Managing Director of the Container Corporation of India Limited, told The Tribune that plans had been chalked out to set up a container freight station at Baddi. It would later be linked with the proposed Baddi-Chandigarh railway line. Similarly, a container siding was being set up at Suranasi, Jalandhar.

Mr Mehrotra who today inspected the container siding at Dappar, said it would be ready for operations by next month. Built at a cost of about Rs 6 crore, the 1.6 km long rail siding can accommodate a 45 rake train. This means the facility can handle loading or unloading of 90 containers at a time. The rail link to the container siding has been taken from the Chandigarh-Ambala railway line near the Dappar railway station.

But industrialists at Dera Bassi would have to wait for some time before a dry port was built in the compound of the container siding. The Container Corporation of India has tied with the Punjab Warehousing Corporation which runs a dry port across the road. Entrepreneurs in the area believe since the dry port was across the road, the cost of carriage and additional risk of road accidents were the deterrents.

The Managing Director disclosed that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) was being approached for giving a direct access corridor between the dry port and the container siding. In the past, the entrepreneurs have been demanding better facilities like customs clearance and shipping line facilities. A direct rail link to ports in Mumbai and Gujarat has been a long pending demand.

In the absence of the rail siding, the containers had to be first taken to the dry port at Ludhiana and then shifted by train from the rail siding at Dhandari Kalan. Now the containers can straight away move towards Delhi.

DC’s directive on apni mandis
Our Correspondent

Mohali, July 8
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Tejveer Singh, said no unauthorised vendor would be allowed to operate from apni mandis so that the purpose to maintaining a direct link between the farmer and the purchaser was not defeated.

The directions to this effect were given yesterday to the secretary of the market committees at a meeting. Mr Tejveer Singh said all farmers coming to sell their produce in apni mandis should be registered. The District Health Officer was directed to ensure that no loose condiments were sold in the mandis.

He said boards should be put up where prices of various vegetables and fruits should be displayed and the staff should ensure that people were not fleeced. aThe Deputy Commissioner suggested that buyers should use their own cloth bags while making purchases and vendors be advised not to use polythene bags.

Dadu Majra residents angry over CHB notices
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8
Residents of Dadu Majra today protested against the Chandigarh Housing Board issuing them notices against “need-based changes in their houses”.

At least 250 notices have been issued on account of various violations, a press statement by the Dadu Majra Residents Welfare Association said.

Tempers flared high when the residents surrounded a team of the CHB led by a SDO.

“We have made only need based changes”, the residents said. The team of SDO was “gheraoed” by the residents.

Mr Narinder Chauhan, general-secretary of the Dadu Majra Residents Welfare Association, said, “The local Member of Parliament has assured the public that no demolitions will be allowed in the city.”

Mr S.K. Setia, secretary of the CHB, helped to the resolve the matter.

CRIME

Gang of chain snatchers busted
Our Correspondent

Mohali, July 8
The police has busted a gang of four snatchers that operated in Mohali and Chandigarh areas. The police claims to have solved 16 cases with their arrests.

Mr Naunihal Singh, SSP, said here today that the members of the gang snatched purses and mobile phones from women and old persons in lonely areas.

The arrested persons are Rakesh Kumar, alias Bobby, a resident of Phase V, Sabar Ali, Harjinder Singh, alias chotu, and Jatinder Singh, alias Loveking, all residents of Shahimajra village. Motor cycles, six mobile phones and Rs 15,000 in cash have been recovered from them.

The SSP said the police had laid a trap to arrest the gangsters. A lady constable, Ms Paramjit Kaur, in her civil clothes was given a mobile phone and a purse and asked to move on the road where incidents of snatching happened more frequently. Two police parties in plain clothes provided a cover to the woman constable and the area was sealed by the police.

Around 11.30 am four persons came on a scooter and a motor cycle and snatched the purse and the mobile phone from her. The police parties alerted the police control room and within 10 minutes the four persons were nabbed with e purse and the mobile phone.

Mr Naunihal Singh said it was suspected that one more gang of snatchers was active in the area which, too, would be busted soon.