Banur, November 29
Two persons were killed and two others sustained serious injuries when an auto-rickshaw by which they were travelling collided head-on with a tipper on the busy Zirakpur-Patiala highway, this morning.

The mishap occurred in front of a private university, when an auto with three passengers on board was heading towards Rajpura and a tipper was approaching from the opposite direction rammed into the auto-rickshaw. The tipper overturned after the collision.

In the mishap, auto driver Tara Singh, a resident of Chauhan Colony, Rajpura, a migrant daily wage earner, Sunil Kumar, from Nanak Nagri locality in Uttar Pradesh, were killed.

Tara Singh died on the spot while Sunil Kumar succumbed to his injuries at the AP Jain Hospital, Rajpura.

The injured Damini Mehra, a nursing student, and Kuldeep Kumar, a relative of the auto driver, were admitted to the AP Jain Hospitals.

Eyewitnesses said students of the university and residents assembled at the spot soon after the accident and helped the police in rescuing the injured from the mangled remains of the vehicles.

The tipper driver escaped from the crime scene after leaving the vehicles behind, The investigating officer, ASI Sahib Singh, said.

The body of the auto driver was handed over to the family after the postmortem examination at the hospital. Family members of Sunil Kumar had been informed about the incident and his body was preserved at the hospital morgue, said the IO.

The police have registered a case of rash and negligent driving against the unidentified driver of the tipper (PB-58B-0187) at the Banur police station.

Chandigarh, November 29
The Chandigarh Police have registered a case under the IT Act on the complaint of Punjab cadre IPS officer who reported that some fraudster withdrew cash from her account and made unsuccessful attempts to shop online from her credit card.

Police sources said that around two months ago, a person who introduced himself as Gaurav and claimed to be a representative of a private bank, called up Amrit Brar, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG)(Traffic), seeking the card verification value (CVV) number of her credit card. The CVC is a number printed on the rearside of the credit or debit card. At present, Brar is posted at the Punjab Police headquarters.

Brar, in her complaint to the police stated that calls were made on her cellphone from three different numbers and at the time of seeking details, fraudsters were aware of her personal details, including her date of birth and residential address.

She complained that the fraudsters withdrew Rs 5,000 bonus of her credit card and made unsuccessful attempts of online shopping by using the details of Brar’s account and credit card.

A Chandigarh Police official said that the possibility of bank employees involved in the case could not be ruled out.

A case was registered at the Sector 3 police station and the investigation has been transferred to the cyber cell of the Chandigarh Police.

Chandigarh, November 29
The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Anshu Shukla, today issued non-bailable warrants against a juvenile accused in the case of rape and murder of a 11-year-old girl, Pinky, which was reported in Pulsora last year.

The prosecution today informed the court that the accused had escaped from the juvenile home.

While the UT police had arrested the accused in Pinky murder case, the Mohali police had also arrested him for a murder in Dera Bassi. Several other cases registered against him.

The court has now adjourned the case to December 11.There were four accused in the Palsora murder case: Sunita and Bhagat Singh, both residents of Palsora, and two alleged drug addicts, who were hired to kidnap and then murder the girl. They were Raj Kumar, alias Raja, a resident of Lal Pura in Rupnagar, and the juvenile accused from Faizabad. It was Raj Kumar and this juvenile accused, who had executed the crime and were hired by Sunita.

Pinky

While Sunita was granted bail last week, Bhagat Singh was still in custody.

Pinky, who was missing since November 27, 2013, was found dead with her body disposed of in a gunny bag near the furniture market in Sector 56 on December 1, last year. As per the police, the two addicts had kidnapped the victim from Palsora, on November 27 last year and kept her in the forest area near Sector 52 for at least three days. They sexually assaulted her before strangulating her on November 29 when her body was recovered. Later, the police arrested Sunita , who was the mastermind. Sunita was Pinky’s neighbour and had a dispute with her family, and this led her to plan the crime.

Mother breaks down in court

Drama was witnessed in the court as the wailing mother of the victim questioned the Judge as to why the bail was granted to Sunita, the main accused in the case, during the previous hearing on November 19. An application seeking the bail of another accused in the case, Bhagat Singh, was also moved in the court on Saturday.

Mohali, November 29
For the Mohali police, who had to face flak in the recent Mehram Sandhu’s kidnapping and murder case, nearly 50 per cent rise in such cases this year (so far) is upsetting.

The official data reveals a sharp rise in kidnapping cases this year (till October 31) in comparison to crime charts of the last three years.

This year (till October 31) as many as 66 kidnapping cases have already taken place while the figure was 45 in 2013. In 2012, the district had witnessed 33 cases while the number of such cases in 2011 was a mere 27.

The official data revealed that of the 66 cases, the police could work out as many as 45 cases so far, while the rest are yet to be solved. Last year, the police was able to crack 37 of the total 45 cases. Rape cases have been showing an upward trend in the district. In comparison to 48 number of rape cases in 2013, till October this year, there have been 54 cases thus there has been a rise of about 15 per cent in such cases.

Of the total 54 cases, the police have claimed to have worked out 52 rape cases. As per the data, this year (till October 31) there have been 22 murder cases in Mohali whereas the figure in 2013 was 26. The Mohali police have claimed to have solved 18 murder cases, which have brought their success rate to nearly 80 per cent.

There has been a slight rise in theft cases and dip in cheating cases. Till October 31, 315 theft cases were registered whereas the number was 313 in 2013. In comparison to the 422 cheating cases last year, the number has come down to 243 this year. 

Chandigarh, November 29
A new accommodation block built at the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC) in Mohali has been named after the Army’s only wheelchair-bound Major General.

Maj Gen SK Razdan Block will be formally inaugurated by Haryana Governor Prof Kaptan Singh Solanki on December 1 during the PRC’s 37th Raising Day celebrations.

Maj Gen Razdan, a retired special forces officer, will be present on the occasion.

A unique institute and a centre for excellence, the PRC takes in paraplegic and tetraplegic soldiers having 100 per cent disability due to spinal injuries suffered in the line of duty, and imparts them vocational training to make them self-sufficient besides offering medical treatment and physiotherapy.

As a Lt Colonel, the officer was deployed on counter insurgency operations in the Damal Kunzipur area of Jammu and Kashmir in October 1994 to save several Muslim women taken hostage by militants. While the women were rescued, the officer suffered grave injuries in his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed below the waist. He was decorated with the Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award. Under the Army policies, battle casualties are not invalided out of service and their disability is not a hindrance in promotion boards as long as they are able to meet certain requirements. While there have been instances of war- disabled soldiers who have lost their limbs reaching the rank of Lieutenant General, Maj Gen Razdan is the only wheel-chair bound officer to become a Major General.

Chandigarh, November 29
The Registration and Licensing Authority (RLA), Chandigarh, will conduct an open auction of registration numbers (0001 to 0100) of new series ‘CH-01-BA’ on December 6 (9.30am onwards). The open auction for registration numbers 0101 onwards will be held on December 7 (9.30 am onwards).

The applicants, who wish to buy the paid registrations numbers, have been advised to attend the auction at the RLA office in Sector 17 here along with prescribed amount for the desired numbers, a copy of sale letter (From No. 21) and a residence proof of Chandigarh.

The reserve price will be accepted in the form of cash only. The list prescribing the reserved price against special numbers or any other number is available in the RLA office, as well as http://chdtransport.gov.in, www.chdpr.gov.in.

Chandigarh, November 29
On the second day of the three-day Chandigarh Carnival, thousands of people from tricity thronged the carnival village set up at the Leisure Valley in Sector 10 here.

A vintage car exhibition remained a source of attraction while a photography exhibition attracted a large number of art lovers.

Visitors enjoyed rides on specially-designed vehicles prepared by the students of arts college, and battery-operated pollution-free tourist carts. Foreign tourists were seen enjoying camel rides. In the evening, singer-actor Babbu Maan enthralled the audience with his choicest numbers at the open auditorium. — TNS

Mohali, November 29
Congress MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu today alleged that blue cards had been issued to undeserving persons under the influence of SAD jathedars and halqa in-charges.

Sidhu,who is also the Mohali district president of the Congress, said in order to woo voters before the last Lok Sabha elections, the state government had organised camps at village level for filling forms for blue cards. Those wielding influence got the cards made even as they were not eligible. Sidhu said the state government was now trying to pass on the blame to the Department of Food and Civil Supplies for the irregularities.

Mohali, November 29
Elderly and widow pensioners of Balongi village were up in arms for not receiving pension for the past eight months.

The victims, who have been forced to visit one officer to other to get justice, accused the village sarpanch of not giving them their dues despite having the funds.

“The village sarpanch has received funds around Rs 1.84 lakh from the department concerned, still she is not releasing our dues,” the victims alleged.

According to the victims, including Amarjit Singh, Suresh, Surinder Kaur, Sheela Devi and Kamla Devi, they have not received their pension since March this year.

Swaranjit Kaur, president of Mahila Mandal, said the mandal workers accompanied the victims to the office of Mohali deputy commissioner a few days ago. “We have submitted a memorandum with the DC. Nothing has been done so far,” Swarnjit Kaur claimed.

Supporting the victims’ cause, the officials of the Senior Citizens Welfare Association, Balongi, also demanded an inquiry into the matter.

“The victims belong to poor families and pension is a big support to them. We demand immediate action in the matter,” said Tarlochan Singh Mann, chairman of Senior Citizens Welfare Association, Balongi.

On being contacted, Bahadur Singh, husband of village sarpanch Balwinder Kaur, ruled out all allegations. “The fund in question is being deposited in bank. As the village panchayat secretary was transferred, so the amount could not be disbursed to the pensioners,” claimed Bahadur Singh adding that some people were trying to malign them.

On the other hand, the newly-appointed panchayat secretary of the village, Lal Singh, claimed that he had given two cheques, worth Rs 2.45 lakh to the village sarpanch a week ago. “I have also procured pension record of certain period from the sarpanch. I am not aware whether or not the sarpanch has disbursed the pension to the pensioners,” the official said.

Zirakpur, November 29
Congress leader Manpreet Kaur Dolly and a number of residents today held a protest against officials of the Zirakpur Municipal Council (MC) and the local MLA.

They accused the civic body of acting under the influence of the local MLA and extending favour to a builder by auctioning a chunk of government land on a prime location. The builder’s project is reportedly coming up in the area and it was not connected to any road. However, the MC auctioned the land in question to help the builder connect the project to a road.

The protesters alleged that MC officials sold 1,700 sq yard of prime land to the builder under the influence of the MLA. They raised slogans against the Punjab Government and threatened to sue the civic body officials.

Dolly alleged that the civic body officials sold the land after uprooting a number of poor families rehabilitated by her father late Capt. Kanwaljit Singh.

As the protesters approached the site, Vijay Arora, a representative of the realtor, along with others, reached there and heated arguments ensued. Arora claimed that the land was purchased from Ramesh Kumar, the successful bidder at the open auction of the land.

Parminder Singh, Executive Officer of the MC, claimed that the land was sold in an open auction after following all the rules and regulations. He refuted the allegation that the MC worked under the influence of the local MLA.

Mohali, November 29
Twenty-five eye patients were operated and more than 550 were examined during a free eye camp organised by an NGO, Sarbat Da Bhala, at Gurdwara Singh Shahedaan in Sohana today. A team of eye specialists from Shri Guru Harikrishan Charitable Trust Eye Hospital was on the job at the camp.

“About 60 patients will be operated on Monday and Tuesday free of cost,” the organizers said. The patients were also given free of cost medicines and spectacles.

Panchkula, November 29
An infant who was found dead in Ghaggar, was suspected to be murdered, said the doctors after the post mortem was conducted at General Hospital, Sector 6, here today.

“There are ante-mortem injuries (before death) on the head of the child. And it appears that he was hit by a blunt weapon,” said Dr Sunil Gambhir.

He added, “Had the child been thrown in water, he would have suffered post mortem injuries (after death).”

Severe injuries were found on the legs of the child. The doctors also clarified that the child just one-day old.

The police said, “We have yet to receive post mortem report and after that we would register a case.”

The police are investigating on several theories. “We are browsing through the data of deliveries that have taken place in the last few days at various hospitals in the city,” added the police official. The police was suspecting that it can be a case of illicit relationship. The body of the infant was found floating in Ghaggar in Sector 23 on Tuesday. 

Panchkula, November 29
Some varieties of cactus can heal many serious ailments. In the annual cactus exhibition held at Sector 5, Panchkula, these species with medicinal values were the most sought after.

The 33rd annual show of cacti and succulents will conclude tomorrow. The range of various cacti is from Rs 50 to 5,000. Manager Dr Nidhi Bhardwaj Punj said, “Leaves of Aopuntia-ficus-indica help in healing caner. While leaves of Yucca are burnt and then used for treatment of prolonged fever.” Adansoniadigitata leaves are used to get blood sugar levels in control. Aloevera if used for massage relaxes tired body,” added another official. 

Chandigarh, November 29
The NSS Wing of the Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 42, Chandigarh, organised a face painting competition on the theme of “AIDS awareness”.

Principal Mani Bedi addressed the volunteers and encouraged theme for their noble cause for spreading awareness about the deadly disease - AIDS. Gaurav Gaur, Assistant Professor in Social Work, Panjab University, motivated the NSS volunteers and thanked them for their efforts.

In this competition, group of Abha Sharma, Monika, Mandeep Kaur, Harleen Kaur and Indus Sharma won the first Prize. Group of Anglic, Sophica L, Komal, Indu, Nidhi and Sonam bagged the second prize, while group of Sudha Rajni, Joti Verma and Abhilash won the third prize.

Chandigarh, November 29
A day after the Panjab University authorities came down heavily on students protesting the proposed 5 per cent fee hike, representatives of different student outfits formed a joint action committee.

The committee, formed with a motive to oppose the fee hike, includes nine members from nine student organisations. The representatives include those from the ABVP, SFI, NSUI, INSO, HSA, SFS, SOI, NBS and ASA.

“The committee feels that the university authorities are misguiding students and trying to infringe upon the rights of the students’ council, because despite its opposition, they approved the fee hike,” said the representatives.

The committee feels that even last year, the university increased the fee despite opposition by the students. At that time, it had promised not to hike the fee for the next three years.

“The committee will disclose audit expenditure, income resource and many other important documents among students,” read a statement issued by the students today.

Dean Student Welfare Navdeep Goyal had yesterday directed the students to call off the strike.

In a statement issues last evening, Goyal said: “A committee chaired by Dean University Instructions (DUI), which included president, Student Council, and president, Panjab University Teacher’s Association, met on November 25, 2014. The committee has proposed revision in the fee structure for the academic year 2015-16, which is to be put before the Board of Finance (BOF), Syndicate and Senate in due course. The BOF had asked for periodic revision in the fee structure in 2013.”

“No fee was raised in the academic year 2013-14. In the current academic year i.e. 2014-15, the fee was increased at the rate of 5 per cent in all courses. The proposed fee hike for the session 2015-16 will be a maximum of 5 per cent, subject to a minimum increase of Rs 500 per annum and a maximum of Rs 1,500,” read the statement further.

“It is emphasised that the upper limit in fee increase stands reduced from Rs 10,000 per annum in 2014-15 to Rs 1,500 per annum in 2015-16. The fee structure at Panjab University is expected to continue lower than that in their peer universities. It is proposed that additional income that could accrue from the proposed enhanced fee will be entirely spent on student programmes, including enhanced allocation for economically weaker sections. The students have been urged to resist from participating in protests,” the Dean Student Welfare said.

Chandigarh, November 29
Panjab University alumnus & Canada-based dentist Dr Harvansh Singh Judge has offered to contribute Rs 11 lakh to the university for the renovation of the PU Registrar house.

It may be recalled that about 10 years ago, Dr Judge has earlier donated a handsome amount of money for setting up the Dr Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital (HSJIDCH) on the Sector 25 campus.

Dr Judge made the offer in an e-mail sent to PU Vice-Chancellor Professor Arun Kumar Grover.

He said: “We should welcome the new Registrar instead of raising these issues. As we all know, this administrative position is not a 9 to 5 job. It involves a lot of stress and after hours work and responsibilities to run the university affairs”.

Mohali, November 29
As many as 300 students and delegates participated in a conference on recent trends in Human Resource Management at Indo Global Colleges here today.

The conference aimed at identifying and suggesting measures to bridge the gap between what the corporate desires and what academicians are providing.

“The demands of HR and the competencies to meet them have radically changed both in the content and context. These changes have created a dysfunctional disconnect in areas like skills and competencies,” said Sukhdev Kumar Singla, chairman, Indo Global Colleges.