Five nabbed for demanding dowry
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 14 — The in-laws of a woman have been nabbed for demanding more dowry.

According to police sources, Ms Samrit Kaur of Sector 28-A lodged a complaint that her daughter, Anju Bajwa, was being harassed and maltreated by her in-laws for bringing insufficient dowry.

Following investigations, Harpreet Singh (husband), Amrik Singh (father-in-law), Satwant Kaur (mother-in-law), Inderdeep Kaur (sister-in-law) and M.P. Singh (relative) were arrested by the police.

All are residents of phase VI in SAS Nagar. A case under Section 406\498-A of the IPC has been registered against them at the Sector 26 police station.

Attacked: Mr Banarsi Dass of Dumarkhen village in Jind district reported to the police that he was attacked by a person on a scooter (CH-OI-R-0345) in Sector 22. The scooterist later fled.

The complainant has been admitted to the Sector 16 General Hospital with injuries. A case under Section 323\506 of the IPC has been registered at Central Police Station. Further investigations are on.

Group clash: Separate cases have been registered against two groups which clashed today. Sources said Prit Singh of Khuda Lahora alleged that he was assaulted by Ram Bahadur, Avdesh, Jagan nath, Rajesh and others.

Jagan nath of the same village lodged a complaint that he was assaulted by Prit Singh, Harish, Satwant Devi and others. Old enmity was the reason behind the clash.

Satwant Devi, Prit Singh, Jagan Nath and Ram Bahadur have been admitted to the PGI. a case under Sections 452, 323, 324 and 506\34 of the IPC has been registered on the complaint of Prit Singh. Another case under sections 323 and 506\34 of the IPC has been registered on the complaint of Jagan Nath.

Bicycle recovered: The police has arrested Om Parkash of Dera Bassi and has recovered a stolen bicycle from his possession.

A complaint had been filed by Manjoor Ahmed of Bapu Dham in this context. A case under section 379\411 of the IPC has been registered at the Sector 17 police station.

Gambler held: The police has arrested Mani Ram of Ram Darbar colony for gambling near the colony gurdwara. A case under Section 13-A-3-67 of the Gambling Act has been registered against him in the Sector 31 police station.

Assaulted: Mr Harpreet Singh of Industrial Area, Phase I, reported to the police that he was assaulted by the occupants of a car (CH-OI-X-2745) near the Sector 20\21 traffic lights. The assailants later fled. A case under Sections 323, 506\34 of the IPC has been registered at the Sector 19 Police Station.

Four arrested: The Sector 34 police has arrested Jolly Verma, Amit Verma, Sonu Kumar and Sanjay Gupta of Sector 45 as a preventive measure under Section 107 \151 of the IPC.

PANCHKULA

Three booked: Three persons, including a retired divisional forest officer, have been booked by the police under the charges of theft, mischief and intimidation.

According to the information available, the complainant, Jaspal was running a cable network from a rented accomodation at the top floor of a showroom in Swastik Vihar of Mansa Devi Complex here. The showroom is owned by the wife of the retired forest officer. One of the suspect, Rajiv, who is related to the retired forest officer, had a share in the cable business run by Jaspal and a few months ago, the two fell apart.

An agreement was reached between the two on ending the parnership after dividing the money put in the business. However agreement turned sour after Jaspal refused to pay the due share of the money to Rajiv. The matter was taken to court.

In the meantime, Jaspal approached the court alleging that he had not been allowed to enter the premises though he had been paying the rent. The court appointed a commission to visit the place on July 13. Following this, the accused, Rajiv, Parvesh and Rattan Chand, allegedly tried to remove all proofs of the premises being used to run the cable network. A dish antenna installed at the roof of the showroom was thrown on the ground, damaging some electricity and cable TV wires.

The accused who were arrested by the police last night were granrted bail by the Duty Magistrate at the district court here today.

Three injured: Three unidentified persons were injured after a collision between a Tata Sumo and a tanker at Surajpur here on Tuesday. The police has registered a case against the tanker driver, Som Lal, under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC.

Liquor pouches seized: At least 340 pouches of country liquor were seized from a person called Karam Chand at Zirakpur barrier here today. The police has confiscated the rickshaw used by the suspect to carry the pouches. He has been booked under the Excise Act.

Gamblers arrested: Four persons — Hukam Singh, Sham Lal, Raju and Baldev — have been arrested by the police for allegedly gambling at a public place here. A total of Rs 220 have been seized from them.

SAS NAGAR

Man kills wife: Major Singh, a resident of Sohana village, has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife Pritam Kaur after a quarrel over a trivial issue.

According to the police, the accused hit his wife with a stick after a quarrel between the two after which she went to sleep with no visible injury on her head. She was found dead in the morning. Her body was allegedly cremated by her in-laws without informing her parents.

Following a complaint by Bant Singh, a brother of the deceased, a case has been registered under Sections 304 and 201 of the IPC against the accused.

Bootlegger held: Kesar Singh, a resident of Samana village in Morinda subdivision, was arrested by the Sohana police for illegally carrying eight bottles of country-made foreign liquor. He was arrested by an ambush party while he was roaming around under mysterious circumstances in the village with bottles in a gunny bag.

CHB ordered to refund money
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 14 — The UT Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-II has come down heavily on the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) for gross delay in delivery of possession of a dwelling unit.

In his complaint, Mr Kapoor Singh Grewal contended that he had applied for allotment of HIG flat in Sector 43-B, Chandigarh, under the scheme floated by the CHB for retired/retiring employees of Punjab, Haryana, UT, Central Government undertakings on March 10, 1986. The tentative cost of the flat was Rs 2.25 lakh against the covered area of 1300 sq ft. He further stated that he was issued an allotment letter dated August 30 as he was successful in the draw of lots and was allotted dwelling unit no. 1238/2. He alleged that he had completed all the formalities and made all the requisite payments in terms of the allotment letter but in spite of that the CHB failed to deliver the possession of the house and there was no valid reason for it. The possession of the same was delivered to him after several years on March 17, 1994. Besides, the CHB recovered an extra amount of Rs 43,871 plus Rs 12,439.

The complainant thus sought refund of these amounts and compensation for delay in possession and unnecessary harassment.

In its reply, the housing board stated that in pursuance of the allotment letter issued to the complainant, he had sought extension of three months for depositing the amount as he was unable to raise the funds. This extension was granted to him up to December 27, 1989, subject to payment of interest, normal monthly installments, watch and ward charges. In the meantime, the CHB came to know that the complainant had sold the house to Mrs Susheel Kaur by executing the power of attorney etc and it is this lady who had deposited Rs 57,350 on December 14, 1989, which was also short as other dues had become payable by then.

Subsequently, a letter dated March 7, 1990, was issued to the complainant to cancel the special power of attorney in favour of Mrs Susheel Kaur and to explain his relationship with her. In pursuance, the complainant furnished the letter dated April 10, 1990, inter alia, saying that the power of attorney had been cancelled and that Mrs Susheel Kaur was his cousin. The complainant was then vide letter dated December 19, 1990, asked to submit the original affidavit. It was on January 5, 1993, that the complainant was asked to furnish his affidavit along with the affidavit of Mrs Susheel Kaur. The same were deposited on February 1, 1993, and on deposit of Rs 43,971, it was decided to deliver the possession of the house to the complainant along with deposit of another amount of Rs 12, 439 , which had also become payable by then. The complainant deposited the said amount on March 15, 1994, and thereafter the possession slip dated March 17, 1994, was issued and the physical possession was handed over to the complainant on March 18, 1994.

The Forum bench comprising its President, Mr R.P Bajaj, and member, Mr H.S Walia, after going through the records found that condition No.5 of the allotment letter dated August 30, 1989, provides that the possession of the dwelling unit would be handed over to the complainant on the receipt of the money and the documents referred to in clause 3 of the letter. A sum of Rs 57,384 was to be deposited within 30 days of the issue of the letter. As per condition No. 5, the complainant was required to pay Rs 50 as watch and ward charges till the date of actual possession. The complainant had on September 29, 1989, sought an extension of three months for the payment of the demanded amount which was granted to him on October 12, 1989. The complainant deposited Rs 57,350 on December 14, 1989, but by then Rs 1,256 more had fallen due which the complainant paid on January 28, 1990. The Housing Board then took up the case to verify if the complainant had transferred his dwelling unit to Mrs Susheel Kaur because the transfer of the flat for 10 years was prohibited under the terms and conditions of the allotment. The complainant conveyed the cancellation of the special power of attorney in favour of Mrs Susheel Kaur in his letter dated April 10, 1990. The complainant was told to submit the original affidavit on December 19, 1990. The Housing Board had by then decided not to take any action for the cancellation of the allotment on account of its alleged transfer to Mrs Susheel Kaur.

The Forum observed that the complainant had given the necessary information sought from him on April 19, 1990. The matter was not dealt with promptly and the CHB took a period of eight months and asked the complainant to produce the original documents on December 19, 1990. The matter was again put in the cold storage and it was on April 12, 1993, after a period of more than two years and three months that the complainant was asked to deposit another amount of Rs 43,871 by April 28, 1993, and the complainant paid the amount on April 16, 1993. The matter was again inordinately delayed for a period of 11 months and the CHB wrote a letter dated March 8, 1994, to the complainant to pay another amount of Rs 12,439, which the complainant did on March 15, 1994, resulting in the issue of possession slip on March 17, 1994, and delivered the possession on March 18, 1994.

The Forum held that the CHB had committed a delay of three years and ten months in handing over the possession of the flat to the complainant. The forum further maintained that during this period the Housing Board remained totally silent and took no action whatsoever to get further information or clarifications from the complainant. They observed that the delay was absolutely unwarranted and it deprived the complainant of the fruits of investment made by him and he was put to harassment.

The CHB has given no explanation for the realisation of the amount of Rs 43,871 paid by the complainant on April 16, 1993, and another amount of Rs 12,439 deposited by him on March 8, 1994. They held the Housing Board guilty of deficiency in service for delaying the delivery of possession to the complainant. There was also no justification to charge watch and ward charges from the complainant for that period of delay.

The Forum, therefore, allowed the complaint with costs of Rs 5,500 including compensation for harassment and costs of the case. They further directed CHB to pay interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum on the amounts deposited by the complainant from the respective dates of deposit till March 18, 1994. The CHB will also refund the amount of Rs 56,300.

Transfer of phone

The UT Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I has imposed costs of Rs 1,500 on the Telecom Department for delay in the transfer of a telephone in the name of a complainant.

In his complaint, Mr D.P Jindal has stated that he had applied for transfer of telephone No: 42808 installed at his residence on the name of his son, Parmod Kumar Jindal, to his name on May 16, 1994.

Subsequently, Commercial Officer-I ( Telephones), Sector 8, asked him to submit Annexure-II duly attested by the 1st Class Magistrate and a copy of the certificate showing education qualification/LIC policy showing the relation between the transferrer and the transferee.

He further stated that he had submitted the original certificate issued by the Principal, DAV Senior secondary School, Sector 8, but the same was sent back and he was asked to furnish attested copies of the educational certificates issued by the board or the university. Even though all the documents were submitted by him vide his letter dated August 8, 1994, the telephone was not transferred from the name of his son to his name.

A notice was issued to the telecom authorities, who appeared and filed the reply. They pleaded that the application submitted on May 16, 1994, but the documents furnished by him were incomplete, so after receiving the same from the complainant, his case was processed and the change of name was effected on September 27.

After going through the records, the Forum bench, comprising its President, Mr H.C Modi, and members, Dr R.K Behl and Ms Shashi Kanta, observed that the complainant had completed all the formalities and submitted the documents on August 16, 1994, but no reason had been assigned by the opposite party for the delay thereafter in transferring the telephone in the name of the complainant up to September 27, 1995. They held that it was the incumbent duty of the Telecom Department to have processed the case of the complainant with regard to the transfer of the telephone to the name of the complainant, but since the same was not transferred the complainant had approached the Forum and the change was affected only thereafter on September 29, 1995. Hence, it would be just and adequate if the complainant is awarded Rs 1,500 as compensation on these counts.

Pineapple up from Rs 25 to Rs 40
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 14 — Except for some, the prices of most of fruits have remained more or less stable in the local market during the past three days.

During a survey of the local market, it was found that if a kg of baggugosha was priced at Rs 50 just three days back, it was available in the market today for Rs 40 in different parts of the city.

On the other hand, mausambi, pineapple and pomegranate have become costlier during this period. A kg of pomegranate, priced at Rs 40 just three days back, was available today for Rs 50 in the retail market and the price in the wholesale market has increased from Rs 200 to Rs 250 per 6 kg pack.

Similarly, a dozen of mausambis priced Rs 60 just three days back, could be purchased today for Rs 80. The wholesale price of the fruit has increased from Rs 160 to Rs 200 per three dozens. In case of pineapple, the hike was considerable as the price of a piece of the fruit has increased from Rs 25 to Rs 40. The wholesale price of the fruit has increased from Rs 20 to Rs 30 per piece during this period.

According to traders, the prices of these fruits have increased as the arrivals witnessed a dip in the local market due to heavy rains in the region and in Maharashtra from where the fruit was coming.

On the whole, the prices of most of other fruits remained stable during this period. The dasehri variety of mango was still priced between Rs 20 and Rs 25 a kg in the retail market and for Rs 100 to Rs 110 per 7-8 kg in the wholesale market. Same was the case with kupi, the juicy variety of fruit, as it could be purchased in the retail market between Rs 15 and Rs 20 a kg and in the wholesale market for 120 per 8 kg pack. Chausa and langra, the other two varieties, were priced at Rs 20-25 a kg.

There was no fluctuation in the price of jamun as it could still be had for Rs 40 a kg in different sector markets. The wholesale price of the fruit was Rs 25 a kg in the Sector 26 Vegetable Market.

The price of plum has remained unchanged at Rs 40 in the retail and at Rs 100 per 3 kg in wholesale market.

The royal variety of apple, which is a new entrant in the market was priced at Rs 35 as compared to Rs 40, its price two days back. Nashpati, another new entrant, was priced at Rs 10 a kg, while peach could be relished after paying Rs 40 for a kg of the fruit.

The same was the case with banana, as a dozen of it could be purchased for Rs 20 in retail and for Rs 120 per 100 bananas.

Dhindsa to head cycling body
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, July 14 — Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Mr Rakesh Mohindra have been unanimously elected President and Secretary, respectively, of the Chandigarh Amateur Cycling Association for a term of four years at its annual general body meeting.

Earlier, the general body meeting was called at the initiative of the affiliated members who felt the need of reviving the activities of the association which were negligible during the past few years . The reason cited was the posting of some of the senior members of the executive body outside Chandigarh.

Mr Rakesh Mohindra was authorised to call the meeting where a discussion would be held to revive the activities of the association.

The others nominated to various Executive Committee posts of the association are: Mr A.S. Chattwal- Senior Vice-President; Mr P.S. Gill and Mr K.S. Brar- Vice-Presidents; Mr J.K. Wadhera and Mr Raj Kumar- Joint Secretary; Gurmail Singh and Mr V.K. Bhandari- Executive Committee members; and Mr Sawinder Singh- technical advisor.

Mr K.V.S. Sidhu of the Cycling Federation of India attended the meeting as an observer. Mr J.S. Maini was the previous President of the association .

The members decided to hold the cycling road races from the next month onwards in the city and the house requested the new President to take up the long-pending demand of the association to have a velodrome in the Chandigarh with the UT Administration.

Bhavan TT

The fifth Bhavan Hawk's Chandigarh State Ranking Open Table Tennis tournament, 1999, will be organised from July 23 to 25 at the Sector 23 TT Hall, according to Ms Meenakshi Mohindra, Principal of the DRA Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27 ,the organiser of this meet.

During the past four years , the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Chandigarh Kendra had been sponsoring the TT tournament to nurture and promote young talent.

The present tournament will have events in cadet boys and girls ( under 12), sub-junior boys and girls( under 14), junior boys and girls( under 17) and senior men and women.

The entry forms will be available at Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, during school hours. The last date of submission of entries is July 21.

Carrom coaching

The Chandigarh Carrom Association will conduct a carrom coaching camp for women players at St. Stephen's School, Sector 45, from August 1 to 8, according to a press release of the association. Interested players may contact Mr Mahesh Sekhri, General Secretary of the association, at 686, Sector 10, Panchkula, by July 28.