Chandigarh, August 29
The UT police seems thick-skinned. It faced a barrage of caustic observations by High Court judges Uma Nath Singh and Rajive Bhalla in the Anil Kumar custody death case today, as at earlier hearings.Despite court’s repeated strictures to arrest SI Narinder Singh, accused of torturing 21-year-old Anil to death, nothing has been done so far.

Shredding to threads the affidavit filed by SSP Dinesh Bhatt and the probe as nothing but a cock-and-bull story, Justice Bhalla set the tenor of the proceedings with his pointblank poser to the UT counsel as to how the SSP had reached the conclusion that Anil Kumar had jumped from the first floor of the police station building.

“Is the UT police is using its common sense or not? How come a false affidavit. The entire story seems to be cooked up. Can you explain why Anil was brought to the police station.Your story is uttery unbelievable....,” the judge asked the UT counsel, who timidly pleaded for “more time.”

The Bench also took umbrage to the fact that the DDR did not mention the fact that Surinder Kaur, on whose complaint Anil was picked up, was a constable. “You behave like onions” the Bench observed.

“According to your version, Anil was brought to the Mani Majra police station at 12.57 pm by head constable Harpinder Singh.How can you explain the fact that the DDR was registered at 2.45 pm when Anil was found dead at 3 pm,” Justice Bhalla asked the counsel.

The judge also pointed out that the police had not made an attempt to find out what had happened between 12.57 and 3 pm during the course of their “so-called fair investigation.”

Coming to the post-mortem report, the Bench observed that “there was blood on Anil’s clothes, but no blood was found on the site. No blood sample was lifted from the site either. It seems that the CFSL is in league with you as they did not inspect the site.”

Justice Uma Nath Singh pointed out that though the SDM’s report dated August 9 had been taken on court’s record, yet the police had not done much in the matter. Significantly, the SDM’s report had mentioned that the accused SI had tried to manipulate DDRs.

The judges said it was obvious that the UT police was on a mission cover-up. The final order has been reserved for tomorrow.

Chandigarh/Panchkula August 29
As a fallout of the Gohana violence, tension prevailed in Mauli Jagran and Rajiv Colony throughout the day today. An angry mob smashed the windscreen of a municipal corporation vehicle parked in the area to protest against the “injustice” meted out to the Dalits.

Trouble began when agitated members of the Dalit community gathered just outside the colony to hold a protest by blocking a road. They “motivated” shopkeepers to down shutters in response to the Haryana bandh call and participate in picketing. They dispersed after local leaders pacified them.

However, the crowd turned violent on seeing mediapersons and began stoning them.They threw bricks at an MC mini truck, smashing its windscreen. They attempted to set the vehicle on fire by tossing a burning tyre at it.

The vehicle’s driver, Uttam Singh, sustained minor injuries in the attack. Davinder Thakur, UT DSP (East), told TNS that a case of rioting, causing injuries, damaging property and attempting to set fire under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the mob. The police has video-graphed the incident, which will help in establishing the identy of the miscreants against whom appropriate action will be initiated.

Taking serious note of the incident, the Chandigarh and Panchkula administrations deployed police contingents armed with riot-control equipment. The police involved local leaders to placate the mob, which proved effective with people reopening their shops. Soon it was business as usual.

However, heavy police deployment continued and flag marches were also held. In the evening, stray incidents were reported from the colonies.

Panchkula SP Sandeep Khirwar said patrolling, in collaboration with the Chandigarh Police, around the colonies had been intensified. “We carried out flag marches and a DSP-level officer is keeping a watch in the area,” he said.

Chandigarh, August 29
A function organised by the Chandigarh Sports Council to mark the National Sports Day at the Sport Complex in Sector 42 turned out to be a flop show today.

The function lasted three minutes. This took the invitees, including budding sportspersons, coaches, mediapersons and officers, by surprise.The function was held to honour sportspersons, who have brought laurels to the city at the international level. Strangely, three out of five sportspersons, including rower Manjeet Singh, power lifter Husan Lal and volleyball player Balwinder Singh were absent at the function.

Coaches and association officials received awards from UT adviser Lalit Sharma on their behalf. Only power lifter Nirmal Jit Singh and volleyball player Gurinder Singh were present to receive the cash awards.

Those who attended the function were not impressed. “This is the shortest function I have ever attended. This is no way to remember hockey legend Dhyan Chand in whose memory the day is observed,” said a disappointed coach.

“The absence of more than half the players spoiled the spirit behind the celebrations,” said a sportsperson. It is learnt that Manjeet Singh is away to Germany and Balwinder Singh the USA for sports events.

Till Monday, only three names were in the awardee list but today two more names, those of volleyball players Balwinder Singh and Gurinder Singh, were included.

“These two players could not apply by the stipulated date, so we awarded them as a special case,” explained J.P.S. Sidhu, joint director, sports department.

Nirmal Jit recieved Rs 50,000 while Manjeet Singh and Husan Lal were awarded with Rs 20,000. Balwinder Singh and Gurinder were given Rs 10,000 each. 

Banur, August 29
A male alligator at Chhat Bir Zoo today devoured his seven hatchlings. Their mother had been protecting them from her male partner ever since they were born in June.

Zoo’s field director Dharminder Sharma said the rate of survival of alligator hatchlings was a mere 15 per cent even in natural surroundings. “Males routinely devour the hatchlings and despite all efforts to ensure that these seven survived, we have had a sad day at the zoo,” he said.

The seven hatchings were born on various dates in June and were barely eight inches long. The alligator compound has three females and a single male. One of the three female alligators had laid seven eggs and after almost 90 days, the baby alligators came out of the eggs.

“When born, they are barely a few inches long, not more than a baby lizard. Now these had grown to about 8 inches long. The three females in the compound were assiduously protecting the off- spring from the male on instinct. And it is the same instinct that makes the male feed on its young ones,”explained Sharma.

He said the male could not have been separated from the females and placed in a separate compound. “We had posted extra staff at the compound to keep an eye on the young ones, but the incident occured last night when visibility is poor.”

This morning the zoo staff discovered the half-eaten remains of the seven hatchlings.“ The alligator eats out the fleshy soft portions and leaves the rest of the body untouched. We have discovered all seven remains,” the director added.

Chandigarh, August 29
Making a mockery of the tall claims of the Chandigarh police and Panjab University regarding beefed-up security on the campus, three unidentified miscreants smashed a windshield of a luxury car outside boys’ hostel no. 4 in the wee hours today.

The motive of the youths, who damaged Skoda Octavia car (HR-11H-0027), could not be ascertained. Private security personnel and PCR gypsy of the police came to know about the incident only in the morning.

According to sources, around 2 a.m. three outsiders were found having liquor in the parking lot of the hostel. After being drunk, they stopped a hosteller Sunny Bhardwaj and enquired about a hosteller hailing from Ambala.

Sunny told them that he did not know the person whom they were asking for.

“Getting no satisfactory answer, they angrily turned me away. Later, I heard a noise of something being smashed, which I ignored as it was dark.”

In the morning, the car-owner Vaibhav Chaudhary, noticed that the rear windshield of his car was broken. Vaibhav submitted a written complaint to the police in this regard.

He feigned ignorance about the motive of the hooligans, “as he was not active in politics”.

Recently, IG UT S.K. Jain had claimed that a special PCR had been deployed and raids were being conducted in the hostels to check miscreants.

Chandigarh, August 28
The estate office has 
been dragging its feet on taking action against its four officials held responsible for ignoring serious violations of building bylaws and misrepresenting facts while issuing occupation  certificate.

The findings of an inquiry in this regard were submitted over six months ago.

The estate office today, meanwhile, acted with alacrity in suspending four officials of the colony branch who are responsible in a three-year-old case of fraudulent allotment of a plot in the Sector 25 rehabilitation colony. This indicates that the estate office does not adopt a uniform policy in taking action against its erring  officials.

The case of serious violations of building bylaws and misrepresentation of facts relates to cases of late nineties.

The probe into the irregularities committed by the officials in the building branch was ordered in 2005 by the then finance secretary-cum-chief administrator. The final report was submitted by inquiry officer S.K. Setia in  February 2007.

Acting on the report, even the estate officer R.K. Rao said he had ordered major penalty against the erring officials.

The inquiry report had found that recommendations/decisions of the plan approval committee were ignored while issuing “conditional occupation certificates.” The plot holders were never issued “regular occupation certificates.”

The officials under the scanner were B.S. Sidhu, a former SDO (building), who had retired and gone abroad, Vipin Gupta, presently posted in the Punjab Raj Bhavan, Ashok Verma, posted in the building branch, and Brij Mohan, who was recently caught by the CBI and is under  suspension.

In at least 18 such cases, the finance secretary had directed the estate office to inquire into the matter. Since the names of the erring officials were not pointed out in the original inquiry conducted in December 1999, the estate officer had directed Setia to hold a preliminary inquiry into the matter in 2005.

Panchkula, August 29
Making public the interim inquiry report of the district administration of the various development works in the city carried out by the Municipal Corporation, the president of the Haryana Punjabi Mahasabha, Hemant Kinger, said all samples had failed quality tests.

A cockroach found its way into the soup being served to mediapersons at the venue for the press conference, Hotel Shiraaz in Sector 10. This led to utter confusion. Later, the owner J.S. Shingari blamed Kinger for the “mischief”, maintaining that this was the result of him having fallen out with the latter. “In the last one-and-a-half years, we have maintained quality control and there have been no complaints ever,” he said.

At a press conference, here today, he said the report provided to him under the Right to Information Act, he said that the ADC, in the report, had mentioned excess payments to contractors, wrong entries in registers, sub-standard works, financial manipulations, poor supervision and misuse of emergency powers by the council.

He said in the report handed to him, it was clearly mentioned that of the 250 development works carried out in the district, 30 works were selected at random of which 12 samples were sent to the Shri Ram laboratory of Research Institute, Delhi, for testing the ratio of ingredients and comprehensive strength.

“The test results showed the samples failed badly in quality. Besides, the report also mentions that sub-standard works have been carried out for road footpaths, repair of roads and bogus payment has been detected in one such case,” he said.

The report says that the committee looking into the matter found that estimates of various developmental works have been split up intentionally to keep the maximum number of works within the financial powers of the president of MC, thereby enhancing the scope of financial manipulations,” Kinger said, quoting the report.

Issue of misuse of powers for execution of development works under Section 35, Haryana Municipal Act, have also found special mention. “The report adds that no such cases have ever been sent during the tenures of previous presidents of the council,” Kinger said.

Accusing the urban development department of sitting over the file, though, the deputy commissioner had forwarded the report, Kinger said he would sit on a fast outside the Haryana Chief Minister’s residence to seek the council president, Manvir Gill’s removal.

Chandigarh, August 29
Industrial workers of different units today protested against the “indifferent” attitude of officials in the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner, Sector 30, here.

The workers alleged that the Assistant Labour Commissioner was not sympathetic to the problems of the workers.

Chandigarh, August 29
The UT administration’s ambitious underground rainstorm drain system for the posh northern sectors has sunk without a trace. Standing testimony to the loss are a series of deep, dug-up pits, serving as potential death traps - one of them located in the community park right behind the official residence of Punjab Chief Minister.

Laid down only last year at a cost running in crores and with the purpose of protecting the residents of Sectors 2 to 11 from seasonal rainstorm flood fury, the drainage system has vanished at different points along the 1.25 km-long stretch where it was originally placed. The damage has been extensive and uniform across the drain’s original length, starting from its inlet point in the park in Sector 2 (behind Punjab CM’s residence).

This inlet point of the 5-foot diameter underground floodwater drain is now an open well, running 8 feet deep. A week ago, the trap invited free fall of a four-year-old child of a labourer employed in the vicinity. The child survived as he was accompanied by his father, who pulled him out, but a tragedy might be waiting in the wings as the park is frequented by several children.

This despite the fact that the park has become completely soggy and damp following the recent rains whose waters never got drained out owing to the dysfunctional underground drainage system.

Further down, the drain’s inspection chambers have also collapsed after being washed away in the recent rains, rendering the drain redundant. Not just that, the existing damages are now posing a threat to the roadside rainwater drainage pits that have broken down at various points. This issue involving losses of crores following unmindful planning has been brought to the notice of UT Administrator and Punjab Governor Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd).

It may be recalled that the administration had, in April-June last, laid down the said rainstorm, floodwater drain from Rajendra Park in Sector 2 to Leisure Valley in Sector 10. This was done after phasing out Le Corbusier’s original drainage provisions for the area.

The system, however, started showing signs of collapse with the very first rains in August last. With this year’s downpour, the drain has become completely non-functional. Drainage experts blame the losses on faulty design and substandard construction material used in the project, which has proved a non-starter.

Chandigarh, August 29
Bacchus lovers thronging taverns (ahatas) will now have an added attraction. After going strict on the licencees of taverns to serve hygienic eatables in a clean environment, the UT excise department has directed them to provide meals at a fixed rate.

Now, the excise department has made it mandatory for the licensees of taverns to provide a meal comprising "dal-roti" at a fixed rate of Rs 25, thereby attracting mixed reaction from people.

The rate of the meal (dal with four chapatis) has been fixed at Rs 25, which has to be displayed by the licensees at a prominent place in the tavern.

While the officials claim that the decision would enable the consumers to have food while consuming liquor/wine or beer at taverns at affordable rates and will also help in minimising the effect of liquor on body, a section of residents said that it would extend the hours of the taverns beyond the stipulated time.

A liquor contractor said the consumers would have the benefit of having meal in air-conditioned taverns.

Narinder Singh, a student of Panjab University and a hostler, welcomed the decision. He said eating food after drinks was always a problem. Now one would not have to look for an eating joint. K.S.Lamba, an advocate, said the decision would have social implications.

Meanwhile, a housewife said the administration should have made sleeping arrangements at the taverns also.

Chandigarh, August 29
Lieutenant-General Tej K. Sapru has been appointed as the new General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Command, Chandimandir, it is learnt.

He will assume charge when the present incumbent, Lt-Gen Daljeet Singh, retires on October 31.

This is among several new top level appointments cleared by the Defence Ministry yesterday, sources said. With this, three Lieutenant-Generals have been elevated to the rank of Army Commander, while an Army Commander has posted as Vice-Chief of the Army Staff.

A Gorkha officer, General Sapru is at present the General Officer Commanding 16 Corps based at Nagrota, responsible for operations in south-western part of the Pir Panjan range in Jammu and Kashmir.

He has commanded a battalion in the Keri sector of J&K, an infantary brigade in Uri and the sensitive infantry division based in Akhnoor.

The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Shimla-based Army Training Command (ARTRAC), Lt-Gen M L Naidu will take over as the Vice-Chief, when the present incumbent, Lt-Gen Deepak Kapur takes over as the Army Chief on October 1 following Gen J.J Singh’s retirement.

General Naidu is Colonel of the Rajput Regiment and had earlier served as the GCO 14 Corps in Leh. He had commanded an infantry battalion during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka and had served as the Military Attache to Germany.

General Naidu will hand over the reigns of ARTRAC to Lt-Gen J K Mohanty, who is at present posted as the Commandant, Army War College, Mhow. Also the Colonel of the Dogra Regiment, he too had served as the GOC of 14 Corps.

The GOC 11 Corps, Jalandhar, Lt-Gen Noble Thamburaj will take over as the GOC-in-C, Southern Command from Lt-Gen Aditya Singh, when he retires on September 30.

General Thamburaj is Colonel Commandant of the Bombay Sappers and will be the second sapper officer in recent times to reach the level of Army Commander.

Major-Generals, who are in line for promotion to Lieutenant-General, will take over as the new Commanders of the 11 and 16 corps.

The results of the promotion board are yet to be announced.

The roads in Sector 7, Panchkula, are in a pitiable state, especially the road beginning from the entry point of the sector from Fountain Chowk. Stagnant water all around has made the area smelly, thus causing great nuisance to the residents. Although the residents have been requesting the MC to repair the place, they get the same reply all the time - "Estimates have been submitted". Even a request to temporarily fill the potholes has been turned down. The authorities should take action and do something about the condition of the roads.

Chandigarh/Mohali, August 29
A sub-inspector of the Mohali police, Gurpreet Singh, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last evening for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh has been suspended. A local court today remanded Gurpreet Singh to judicial custody.

The CBI had arrested Gurpreet posted at Phase I, Police Station in Mohali. A trap was laid by the CBI sleuths on a complaint lodged by Manpreet Singh, president of the auto rickshaw union at Zirakpur. The SI had allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh for getting a piece of land vacated for Manpreet who helped the CBI nab him. A trap was laid for the SI at the residence of Manpreet’s friend in Sector 28. Manpreet convinced Gurpreet to come to Sector 28 to take the money where the CBI sleuths were waiting for him. The money was also recovered from him.

The SSP Mohali R.S. Khatra said the CBI faxed the details of having nabbed Gurpreet in the evening today following which he was suspended. Sources added that Gurpreet had been earlier dismissed from service on various charges but was re-instated. He had served for over eight years in Mohali.

Chandigarh, August 29
With a deregulated, dynamic economy, skilled and adaptable workforce, world-class research and development and an attractive tax regime, the business environment in the UK offers every opportunity for Indian companies to thrive.

Paul Grey, head of the UK Trade and Investment -- Northern Region, said as Europe's foremost business destination, the UK is home to a growing number of knowledge-driven and innovative Indian companies. He was here to attend a seminar on The UK -- Your Springboard for Global Growth, organised by the CII today.

Besides being the world’s fifth largest trading nation, the UK is the second largest outward investor and second largest global recipient of inward investment, Grey said. Its economy had one of the highest growth rates among the industrialised nations, with the inflation rate currently being the lowest in 30 years and the employment rate being the highest in 40 years.

Urging the Indian industry, especially SMEs, to explore the bilateral trade potential considering the favorable tax credit system, Grey said SMEs could obtain an additional 50 per cent tax relief on qualifying research and development expenses, while large enterprises could obtain an additional 25 per cent tax relief on qualifying expenses. The additional tax relief would reduce the tax liability of the UK subsidiary, and under certain circumstances, might even result in the company paying no tax.

On the business strengths of Northern Ireland, Barry Clarke, country head, Invest, Northern Ireland, said Ireland ranked very high as a logistics hub because of its near-shore gateway to the UK and European markets, excellent connections to global market, IT literate and English speaking population. Besides, it had one of the most open and flexible business environments in Europe and with growing potential for trading partnerships and alliances.

Chandrika Shah, country representative, East Midlands Development Agency, The British Midlands, said on account of to of its strong manufacturing heritage, the key sectors for potential investment for Indian companies included transport technologies, healthcare, IT and the services sector.

Amitabh Arora, country head, Think London, apprising the delegates why FDI companies thrive In London, stated that FDI accounted for over a fourth of London's economy, amounting to £ 52 billion. Further over 5,00,000 jobs in London were with overseas-owned businesses.

Presenting the the UK as a destination for business travellers and investment, Chris Feist, UK Visas, British High Commission, said they would facilitate to demystify the visa process and help reduce documentation, checks and update procedural changes.

Ranjit Malhotra, an attorney, apprised the delegates about the legal aspects of funding sources and procedures while setting up the business enterprises in the UK.