2 women flee with newborn
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, December 6
Two unidentified women took away a male newborn from the waiting hall outside the labour room at the Sector-6 General Hospital in the wee hours here today. The incident occurred after Suman, sister-in law of Meena (25), who delivered the boy at 5:30 pm on Monday, came out of the labour room around 2 am.

The women, who were sitting in the waiting hall, became friends with her. One of them offered to hold the baby while the other offered to take Suman for a cup of tea to the hospital canteen.

Around 2:45 am, the duo walked to the canteen counter, located about 100 metres from the building. On the way, the elderly woman accompanying Suman asked her to wait while she got cash out of her purse, which lay elsewhere.

The boy was born after three daughters in the family. Meena’s husband Nanhe Ram, a resident of Haripur village in Sector 4, said the boy had come as God’s gift after three daughters.

Suman said she waited near the canteen for a long time, but the woman did not return. She returned to the ward entrance and did not find either the newborn, or the woman holding him.

In a state of panic, Suman rushed to the hospital staff, who in turn, informed the police. A police team, accompanied by DSP(HQ) Iqbal Kaur, reached the spot.

Suman told the police that the women, one aged around 35 years and the other between 22 and 25, were present in the waiting hall since past evening and tried to be friendly with the attendants.

She said they had told people that their sister-in law was admitted to the hospital for delivery. The two greeted her relatives after the birth of the newborn and tried to distribute money as a sign of good omen. No one doubted their integrity, she added.

Medical Superintendent Usha Gupta said the responsibility of looking after the child lay with the sister-in-law of Meena, who handed over the newborn to women not known to her.

Civil Surgeon VK Bansal said the incident came to his notice this morning, adding that the hospital would cooperate with the police during the investigation into the case.

Terming the incident as unfortunate, Deputy Commissioner of Police Maneesh Chaudhary said directions were issued for making sketches of the two women. He said all officers were put on the job to nab them.

Chandigarh, December 6
A public debate, ostensibly organised to introduce MC candidates to the electorate of ward 17, turned out to be a free-for-all affair today, with prospective councillors getting into a heated argument and mudslinging.

The so-called debate ended even before it started, in less than 15 minutes, with the three candidates walking out in a huff and leaving the organisers red-faced.

The initiative for an open debate by an NGO, Youth Innovative Society, was a progressive idea, but it seemed that the city’s politicians were yet not ready for a civilised way of contesting the poll.

Even before the debate could commence, Bhupinder Singh Gill, Independent candidate, and Pradeep Chopra, a supporter of rebel Congress candidate Baljinder Singh Bittu, got into an argument over the trivial issue of excess time given to the former in the introductory session. The verbal duel soon turned fiery, leaving spectators at the Sector-21 community hall aghast.

Chopra apparently took offence to Gill using the introductory session for canvassing rather than speaking on his plans for the ward. Gill objected to this and supporters on both sides joined in.

They indulged in slogan-shouting against each other. Many residents left the venue in disgust, alleging that the debate was a ‘tamasha’ by the candidates. Interestingly, while three candidates, two Independents and one of the BJP, turned up for the debate, the Congress nominee was conspicuous by his absence.

Sitting Congress councillor Anju Beniwal evaded questions on Mukesh Bassi’s absence and claimed that she had no idea as to why he had not come. Unpunctual, like always When it comes punctuality, politicians are always found wanting. Except for the BJP candidate, no one turned up on time for the debate, leaving residents fuming.

business, he had a point because a random survey at Hallo Majra, Ram Darbar and Dadu Majra liquor vends during the afternoon hours showed a normal crowd. Most of the supplies were lifted straight from the godowns and sent to the storage venues of the candidates.

A salesperson said the evenings had the usual rush and there was no crowd in the wake of elections. The state president of a national party said, “The supply goes straight from the godowns to the parties interested. This liquor is not sold at vends. These are festive offers.” A daily labourer working for a candidate at Ram Durbar said, “I am getting Rs 25 daily and my daily quota of evening liquor.”

Justice Ranjit Singh observed that the Panchkula SP reported that three FIRs were registered against Harpreet Singh. Justice Ranjit Singh asserted, “Despite this, the arms licence has been renewed by the SDM, Panchkula, after suo motu condoning the delay of four years in seeking the renewal of licence. The DM and the SDM have not acted wisely in renewing the arms licence. It appears that the DM, as well as the SDM, has lost sight and has ignored provisions of the Arms Act.”

He further said, “The matter needs to be brought to the notice of the Home and Chief Secretaries to look into the same. They should see if the DM or the SDM had been bonafide in exercise of their power or had exceeded their jurisdiction and acted in an illegal manner.

If it is an attempt to screen the offender by renewing the licence, the same needs to be set right.

The renewal of the licence appears illegal and unjustified. The DM and SDM, Panchkula, may have to be made to answer for this conduct on their part.”

Chandigarh, December 6
With hardly 10 days to go for the municipal corporation (MC) elections, campaigning has gained momentum with contestants moving in their wards till late night and starting early in the morning to reach to maximum number of voters.

The BJP candidate from ward number 14, Chandrawati Shukla, with the support of Residents’ Welfare Federation of Sector 45 campaigned in various parts of the ward. Shukla went for door-to-door campaign to garner support.

Darshan Kumar, a Congress candidate from ward number 11, also held an intensive campaign in his ward, along with his supporters.

Rajesh Kumar Gupta, a BJP candidate from ward number 16, gearing up with the election campaign also held a meeting with residents of its ward. While addressing public meetings in Sector 20A and B, he informed the residents about developmental works done by him during his tenure.

When husbands are slugging it out in the poll arena, can their better halves be left behind? Leading the pack of wives who are taking a keen interest in the MC elections and helping their husbands in the campaign is Anjela Bassi, who went door to door to campaign for her husband, Mukesh Bassi, a Congress candidate from ward number 17.

With only 10 days left in the elections, Davesh Moudgil, a BJP candidate from ward number 22, has also hot up his election campaign. Accompanied by the party activists, he is going door to door to woo the voters and is covering each and every corner of the ward.

A Congress candidate from ward number 26, Arshad Khan, today received support from various organisations and associations in the area. Chandigarh Youth Congress president Gurpreet Singh Gapi came to the ward to address youths. He held a meeting with the local youth Congress leaders and handed over the responsibility of the campaigning to them. His visit gave a boost to the spirit of the people.

Arun Sood, a BJP candidate from ward number 8, organised a campaign, focused and directional with participatory outreach of party workers to each and every household of the ward.

Chandigarh, December 6
Panjab University (PU), apart from educating students, has proved to be a nursery for local politicians contesting in the civic polls. There are many, contesting the municipal corporation (MC) elections, who have cemented their base in politics by actively taking part in the PU student politics.

A senior Congress candidate, Chander Mukhi Sharma, a sitting councillor from ward number 1, who is trying his luck from ward number 15 this time, was an active student leader in PU. The intensity of his passion for politics can be gauged with the fact that Sharma studied in various department of the university, including anthropology, ancient history, Gandhian Studies, just to participate in the student politics. “I was the NSUI president from 1986 to 1992, before that I had also remained the general secretary,” he said.

Saurabh Joshi, another young leader fielded by the BJP from ward number 2 against Anu Chatrath, has been an active student leader since his college days.

Joshi after learning the basics of student politics from DAV College entered into PU politics where he contested the elections of the PU student council twice. “I first contested for the post of general secretary, then the very next year, I contested for the post of president while studying law,” Joshi said.

Pardeep Chhabra, another senior Congress leader contesting from ward number 3, was also active in the student politics. Chhabra’s craze for student politics drove him to study political science and Gandhian Studies at PU. “I was so much involved in the student politics that just for the sake of participating in the politics, I took admission in two different departments and finally completed law from UP,” Chhabra said.

The story of Arun Sood, a BJP candidate from ward number 8, is no different. He was also a part of the student politics for over 11 years. “The association with politics started since I was in the university from 1989 to 2000. We also staged a massive protest against the indirect elections in 1997,” Sood said.

HS Lucky, a Congress candidate from ward number 16, who pursued his LLB from PU, said politics had always interested him. His political journey started from DAV College, which further gained momentum when he entered the university campus.

Davesh Moudgil, another senior BJP leader, an alumnus of PU, also started his political career from student movements in the campus. Moudgil who remained as the ABVP general secretary from 1996 to 1999, got elected as the joint secretary of the PU’s student council in 2000. “My roots are still in PU, where I got involved in the student movements that drove me towards the politics,” said Moudgil who is contesting from ward number 22.

Chandigarh, December 6
Youths are considered to be the pillars of a nation, however, when it comes to the civic polls, anybody can doubt this perception. While the Gen-X is aware about what’s happening in the lives of their favourite Bollywood stars, they are ignorant about the municipal corporation (MC) elections, scheduled in the city on December 17.

Even though the elections bugle has been played and posters and banners were displayed all over the city, the youngsters are still clueless about the MC elections.

Blissfully unaware about the MC elections in the city, 23-year-old Manpreet Singh, a resident of Sector 34, has a lot to talk about the problems existing in the city, however, when asked about the elected body that looks after such problems, he had no answers.

“I have no idea about the functioning of the municipal corporation, nor I am aware of the MC elections to be held in the city,” he said.

The percentage of participation in the elections shown by the wards, consisting a large number of youngsters, clearly points out the seriousness shown by them in electing the civic body.

The ward number 2 that comprises of Panjab University, PGI, PEC, Sector 15 and Khuda Lohra Colony, has witnessed 46.65 per cent polling in 1996 elections, which further witnessed a drastic fall in the 2001 elections with hardly 29.53 per cent voters casting their votes. The participation in 2006 elections showed a slightly better response with 42.76 per cent persons using their right to vote.

Mehar Verma, a research scholar at PU, said although he was aware that the MC had an elected body and elections were approaching, however, he admitted of having no clue, as under which ward Sector 14 falls. “I don’t even know who is contesting from this ward, as I am least concerned,” he added.

The number of voters registered for the upcoming MC elections also shows falling interest of the people in the civic polls as compared to previous years. The MC ward numbers 1, 2 3 and 4 that include Sectors 1 to 24 and Sector 36 has shown an alarming fall in the registration of voters. The percentage fall of voters are 33.64 per cent in ward number 1, 26.76 per cent, 22.44 per cent and 22.16 per cent in ward numbers 2, 3 and 4, respectively.

Ronak Singh (24), a resident of Sector 22, working in a BPO, said he had no information about the civic polls. “I haven’t even registered with the election office for casting the vote,” Singh said.

The case of Manisha Gupta, a college student and a resident of Sector 36, is no different. She is also ignorant about the MC elections. “I have no idea whether the civic polls are going to be held in the city and what is the criteria through which the councillors are elected,” she said.

Chandigarh, December 6
Stringent action will be taken by the State Election Commission against those who will indulge into defacement of walls of public and private buildings. The State Election Commissioner, Chandigarh, Rakesh Mehta today issued directions to all political parties that if any party or candidate deface any property in public view by writing or marking with ink, chalk and paint on public or private property, he will be punishable with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to six months or with a fine, which may extend to Rs 1,000 or with both. The offence punishable under this act will be cognizable.

The department issued instructions to all parties to prohibit the workers of their parties and other candidates to indulge into the defacement of walls of public and private buildings by pasting of election posters, writing of slogans and painting of election symbols without the permission of the owner at the time of electioneering campaigns of the municipal corporation elections.

The commission feels that the political parties and other candidates have no right to deface or spoil private or public building by pasting their poster. It also gives an ugly look not only to the building, but also to the whole city.

Chandigarh, December 6
Busy getting private schools to reserve seats for the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, the UT education department is yet to gear up city teachers, habitual to leave by 2 pm, to stay back for one-and-a-half hours daily as demanded by the Act. Even though it forms an integral part of the Act, the UT has not spared a thought about the prescribed academic calendar asking the local government to ensure 40-45 teaching hours in a week as compared to 36 till date. The extra nine hours would be devoted for academics and syllabus planning, which will now be an important part of the teachers’ schedule.

Surprisingly, while former DPI (S) PK Sharma held a series of discussion with the teachers and even chalked out a plan to alter school timings from this year, it was shelved soon after its exit.

While a senior department official says increase in hours goes without saying, the teaching fraternity has refused to accept it.

“Are you trying to say that we are conducting classes without academic planning? Every teacher has free periods and off, which are used for this purpose. We are already overworked and cannot agree to it,” said a teacher.

Chandigarh, December 6
If the State AIDS Control Society (SACS) has its way, the boys’ hostel of Panjab University (PU) may soon have a condom-vending machine outside the building. According to Jitender Dahiya, consultant (civil society mainstream), Chandigarh SACS, the society has already identified a spot for the installation of the machine and will soon write to the Registrar of the university for permission.

Dahiya said, “The idea is that if students have sex, they should have it safe.” He revealed that the society had written a letter to the university in September, seeking permission for putting up hoardings for blood donation and against drug abuse. “We are still waiting for a response,” he added.

While Dahiya said he was hopeful that the university would respond positively to the proposal for the condom-vending machines, a senior functionary of the PU expressed reservations. Requesting anonymity, the functionary said, “Though the proposal is in public interest, it does not seem right.”

Dahiya also revealed that as part of NACO’s project to make condoms easily accessible to the people, they were planning to increase the existing number of machines from 22 to 70 across the city. He said all machines would be manual, operated through a lever, and the existing automatic electronic machines would be replaced.

Giving details of the new locations, Dahiya said besides the Sector-26 Grain Market, Dadu Majra, Maloya and Mani Majra, machines would be installed at the railway station. These machines would offer three brands, priced between Rs 5 and Rs 15, distributed under the NACO project, he added.

What had apparently promoted the SACS to go in for a multi-fold increase in the number of machines was the failure of its scheme of sale of condoms through non-traditional outlets, like vegetable vendors. These non-traditional outlets had decreased from 961 in 2009-10 to 468 in 2010-11. The city had witnessed a decrease in the sale of condoms under the NACO project from 10.83 lakh pieces to 6.74 lakh pieces in the same period.

Chandigarh, December 6
The three-day theatre festival organised by the NZCC, Patiala, in collaboration with the Punjab Arts Council concluded with the staging of a

Hindi play “Sir Sir Sarla” presented by Pancham Theatre ensemble, Jammu, at the Randhawa auditorium here today. The play written by Makrand Deshpande was interwoven with the theme of eternal love, human relationships, more precisely between a teacher and a taught, besides the impact of important decisions taken in haste only to repent in leisure. A love triangle involving professor of literature GP Palekar and his students Fanidhar and Sarla was full of wit, humour and intellectual discussions in the opening spell. While Sarla displayed her fascination for her dormant lover Prof Palekar, the latter had certain reservations due to sanctity of teacher taught relationship who instead suggested her to marry businessman Keshav.

The relationship turned out to be a mismatch as Sarla was deprived of her literary obsessions. Fanidhar was appointed a professor in the same college.

Chandigarh, December 6
A brief spell of showers lashed the tricity, resulting in a decline in the day temperature, here this evening. The showers, the first this winter, were due to western disturbances, a Met officials said.

The weatherman predicted that such conditions would prevail for another two or three days, bringing down day temperature in the region. The region could witness an increase in night temperature by two or three degrees.

The maximum temperature saw a sharp decline to 23.1 degree Celsius, compared to 27.1 degree Celsius yesterday. There was an increase in the minimum temperature, which was recorded at 11.8 degree Celsius.

Met Director Surinder Pal said this was due to western disturbances, resulting in cloud formation in the northern region.

He said rain had also occurred due to low pressure over the Rajasthan region, which had resulted in snowfall in higher reaches in neighbouring area of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

The weatherman further predicted a partly cloudy sky, with rain or thundershowers occurring at some places in the region.

The maximum temperature would be around 23 degree Celsius tomorrow and the minimum temperature the day after around 13 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, the Howrah-Kalka train, which was running late for the past about one week, was late again today by about 13 hours and 17 minutes.

Scheduled to arrive at 3 am, it reached the local railway station around 4:17 pm. Similarly, the Jan Shatabdi from Delhi was late by an hour.

Mohali, November 6
Despite two consecutive incidents of undertrials taking the law into their hands due to laxity on the part of police officials, undertrials still seem to enjoy the privilege of interacting with their friends and relatives while on the court premises.

Thanks to the police escort accompanying them, on Tuesday, friends of those in judicial custody or undertrials were seen exchanging items and clothes through the police escort accompanying them. Apparently those “known” to cops were only allowed near the judicial lock-up in the court. Otherwise the visitors were kept at bay from the lock-up.

The public toilets, adjoining the Bakshikhana (judicial lock-up) was another place where the cops facilitated interaction between the undertrials and their relatives.

Sources said after the incident of an undertrial burning the turban of a head constable with a match stick and another one of a cheating accused sneaking into the room of the alhmad, despite both being accompanied by police escort, the court authorities have issued strict instructions to the in-charge of the police escort. A few days ago, friends of an undertrial alleged that the police escort passed on items after accepting bribe.

“Now, the prisoners van is parked near the court lock-up so that there are less chances of interaction of the undertrials with outsiders,” said a police official accompanying the undertrials from Patiala Jail.

A practising advocate at the district courts, Sajveev Sharma, said on humanity grounds, the items could be exchanged, but those should be checked by the police. The security should not be compromised at any cost.

Panchkula, December 6
Beware of a pet dog! Keep your valuable jewellery away from the critter as it may swallow the same sending you in a tizzy. You may call up the police suspecting that your jewellery has been stolen without realising that the thief is sitting next to you.

Diamond-studded earrings of a UK-based NRI woman residing in Sector 16 were swallowed by her dog last night.

The incident came to the light after the American breed dog Pit Bull Terrier was X-rayed at Government Pet Clinic, Sector 3, here today and the earrings were found in its stomach, which were taken out after conducting an endoscopic operation.

The NRI, Deepa, who was in the town to attend a wedding function organised by her brother Sandeep, a resident of Sector 16, said after keeping the diamond earrings worth Rs 1 lakh on a table, she went to the washroom and on return she found the same missing. She searched each and every corner of the house, but could not find the jewellery.

She said as they did not have a domestic servant, the needle of suspicion turned towards the dog which could have swallowed the earrings. The canine was taken to the hospital then.

Head of the pet clinic Dr MR Singla said the X-ray showed that the earrings were still in the dog’s stomach, which were later taken out through endoscopic operation. He said had the jewellery entered the intestine, it would have been difficult to take the earrings out and the pet could have died.

Deepa said she had to spend only Rs 250 on the operation, while the same procedure could have cost her 1,000 pounds in London.

Chandigarh, December 6
A day after a doctor went missing under mysterious circumstances from the PGI, the police today received information that he was in Una (Himachal Pradesh) and was in 
touch with some of his doctor friends.

He told his colleagues that he was fine and would resume work and return to Chandigarh soon.

Hailing form Orissa, 25-year-old Dr Shiv Kalyan, went missing yesterday from his hostel. He is a junior doctor with the medicine department at the PGI.

The police said Dr Shiv failed to qualify his test for MD twice and was upset. He had not been coming to the department during duty hours since December 3. The junior doctor was residing in Kairon block.

Sub-Inspector Eram Rizwi, in-charge, PGI police post, said the tower location of the missing doctor was traced to Una last night and some of his colleagues told the police today that they were able to get in touch with him. The doctor has assured his colleagues that he would return to Chandigarh soon and there was no need to panic.

The police had also informed Shiv’s parents in Orissa about the doctor being missing and subsequently told them today that he had been contacted. He was staying with his friend in the hostel. 

Ravinder Pal Singh, Mayor, municipal corporation, presided over the inaugural programme for ‘Hallmarking Awareness Week’. KK Narang, deputy director-general (North), Anil Kumar Arora, head, hallmarking, and PK Mukhopadhyay also spoke on the occasion. Rajeev Sahdev, president, and Raj Kumar, general secretary of the Chandigarh Jewellers Association, were also present. 

A blood donation camp will be organised by HDFC Bank at its branch in Sector 11 here on December 9. Huge turnout is expected at the camp. Such camps will also be organised at Bank House, Industrial Area, Chandigarh, CLTA, Sector 10, Wholesale Banking Operation, Sector 17, and HDFC Bank, Phase III-B2, Mohali. — TNS