Delhi cops conduct raids
Venod doesn’t know where Manu is
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 2 — A party of the Delhi police today conducted raids at about 15 places in and around Chandigarh in an attempt to locate Siddharth, alias Manu Sharma, a suspect in the Jessica Lal murder case.

Attempts to locate Manu have failed so far. The Delhi police party raided the homes of known friends of Manu in Chandigarh. More raids are expected tomorrow, a senior police officer said, adding that the Delhi police party had been informing the local police about the raids.

Besides, the identification of another suspect is being linked to Chandigarh. This suspect , who is said to be above 6 feet tall, was also in the party where Jessica was shot, according to news reports.

Sources said this youth matches the description of the son of a retired banker and was employed in a multinational cold drink company here. The youth then switched job to join a rival cold drink company in Delhi. He is employed as a manager in the company, according to sources in the local police. Meanwhile attempts to contact the family of Mr Venod Sharma failed.

During the day, Mr Sharma’s personal staff and congress party workers received phone calls, who told callers that Mr Venod Sharma was out of town.

Later tonight Mr Venod Sharma told the Tribune over telephone that it was an unfortunate and a sad incident. “ I have full faith in the system and judiciary of the country,” he said, adding that the law shall take its own course.

He claimed that no communication had been established between him and his son, and that he was unaware of his son’s whereabouts. Mr Sharma said since his (Manu Sharma’s) name had been in question he should immediately clarify his position to the authorities. “I have sincere sympathies with Jessica Lal’s family”, Mr Sharma added.

Mr Sharma refused to be drawn into any thing about the co-suspects in the murder, saying “I am not aware of the situation as to who was there thus I am in no position to comment. “ Similarly he declined to give comments when asked if any aspect of the murder was being used politically against him.

Investors may lose money
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 2 — People who have invested several lakhs of rupees in an agro-forestry concern of Sector 36 here are facing the threat of losing their money as several post-dated cheques issues by the company have bounced during the past one month.

More than 500 investors in the city had deposited their money with a company by the name of Money Kunj Forest having its offices in Sector 36. The cheques drawn on various banks have been bouncing on account of insufficient funds.

A few of the investors have approached the police, while other are thinking of taking to legal recourse.

The investors had been issued receipts for the amounts deposited by them in the company. Post-dated cheques were issued and almost all of them have bounced.

Money of the receipts, copies of which are with The Tribune, shown that the deposit period was between two and three years. Several investors belong to middle class and lower middle-class families.

This is not the first time they money of investors is being lost in all agro-forestry concern. Most operators have just collected the money and vanished during the past decade or so.

Protesting employees held
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 2—As many as 137 employees of Punjab Government and Chandigarh Administration were arrested by the police following an attempt by them to hold a dharna in the VIP area of Sector 39 here today.

The employees, who were protesting against the increase in the rent of government accommodation by the Punjab Government, were later released on bail. They were demanding the lowering of rent of government accommodation from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, as recommended by the Punjab Pay Commission. Out of them, 89 were men and 48 were women.

The drama started around 11 am, when the employees, who were trying to put up tents for holding a protest rally, were allegedly forced into trucks by policemen, led by SHO Chamel Singh, and taken to the Sector 39 Police Station. They were detained till 5 pm, when the Executive Magistrate released them on bail.

The Sangharash Committee of the Punjab Government Employees Welfare Association described the police action as uncalled for. It alleged that no water was given to the employees for two hours in the police station and they were manhandled by the police, which also dismantled their tents and used abusive language at the time of the arrest.

Mr Sajjan Singh, the Chairman of the Joint Action Committee of Punjab and UT Employees, said the police used force against employees to abort their attempt to hold a march outside the residences of Punjab ministers in Sector 39, which was the right of every citizen. He claimed that about 500 employees were detained and some of them were sent to an undisclosed place.

The protesters described the police action as totally unjustified, unreasonable and without any provocation. Mr Sajjan Singh said a call to shun work in offices during lunch hours had been given to the employees in Punjab to protest against the action of the police.

On the other hand, the SHO said the action against the protesters was taken to prevent any untoward incident in the VIP area. He said the employees had been advised to hold their rally near the residential area in Sector 39, but they had ignored it.

Ms Kulwant Kaur Grewal, the President of the Residents Welfare Association, Sector 39, demanded the withdrawal of the hike without any further delay. Mr Umakant Tiwari, the President of the Punjab Civil Secretariat Association, threatened that if the hike was not withdrawn, the employees of the secretariat would boycott their offices.

Meanwhile, Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, a former MP, strongly criticised the "undue burden" thrust upon employees by the Punjab Government by increasing the rent of government accommodation.

Addressing the employees in Sector 39, Mr Bansal condemned the attitude of the Chandigarh Police in dealing with the employees. He said the employees were manhandled and humiliated. He said it was high time the local police adopted a "humane face" by differentiating between petty criminals and peacefully-protesting employees.

Professor visits Lohgarh for ADC
From Our Correspondent

ZIRAKPUR, May 2 — Prof K. Gopal Iyer, Chairman of the Department of Sociology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, visited Lohgarh village on behalf of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Patiala, on Saturday to hear the grievances of villagers.

Mr Iyer, who was accompanied by Mr Ajaib Singh, Block Development Officer (BDO), Rajpura, talked about the village shamlat land, education system, involvement of women in politics and various development works in the village with the Sarpanch, Mr Narinder Sharma.

The Sarpanch told Mr Iyer that the village had a Government Middle School which was being run from the building of Panchayat Ghar for the past many years. He complained about the frequent power cuts, low water pressure and the absence of civil and veterinary dispensaries in the village .

"The people are keen that the village be declared nagar panchayat, after which the development of surrounding colonies would pick speed, " said the Sarpanch.

Giving a sympathetic hearing, Mr Iyer assured the villagers that he would visit them again in June after discussing their problems with the authorities.

Put off May 4 paper: PUSU
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 2 — The Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) today sent a representation of the MA (I) students of the History Department to the head of the department in connection with a demand of postponement of an examination to be conducted on May 4 as another examination is being held on May 3.

In a press note issued here today, the PUSU also demanded that the MA English (part I) paper of literature and criticism, which contained questions from outside the syllabus, be cancelled. The PUSU also appealed to the university authorities to give grace marks to students of the fourth semester of industrial sociology.

Youth must come to fore: Sunil Dutt
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 2 — “We are not touching any controversial areas. The purpose of our expedition is to interact with youth and understand problems of the common man. Dissatisfaction or disenchantment of the common man must go. Unless governments pay attention, this unrest, which is responsible for many of our problems, cannot be just wished away,” says Mr Sunil Dutt, a cine star-turned politician-cum-social crusader.

“We have not made any films for the past 10 years,” he said while talking to newsmen at the UT guest house here this morning. Mr Sunil Dutt is here as part of the “Hands across the borders” expedition of the Yuva Shakti, a Delhi-based non-government youth organisation.

The expedition, according to its President, Mr Akhil Bakshi, has already covered more than 10,000 km across some of the SAARC nations during the past two months and hopes to complete another 5,000 km by June 4 when it terminates at Delhi.

Fourteen members of the expedition, including representatives from Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, arrived in the city late last night, almost four hours behind schedule. Two representatives from Nepal stayed back because of general elections in the country. “We expect two Pakistanis to join us when we move to that country on May 26 through Wagah. The expedition was flagged off in Sri Lanka on March 4.

Mr Sunil Dutt said delays were primarily because of overwhelming response and enthusiasm among general public at various places where members of the expedition address public meetings, interact with youth and social leaders. “At places I am mobbed for autographs. Though I want to give autograph to each and every child, but it is not practically possible,” says Mr Dutt.

For Mr Dutt, such an expedition is nothing new. It was he who in 1987 got worldwide attention with his peace march from Mumbai to Amritsar.

“You do not expect results immediately. If you plant a sapling, it takes time for it to give you fruit. Besides peace, I am also campaigning for eradication of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment besides working for the cure of cancer patients. These are my missions in life now,” he said when asked about his “sanyas” from the Bollywood.

Asked about his experiences of the current expedition, Mr Dutt said that there have been a number of problems which are common to all SAARC nations. Poverty being the foremost of these problems. Since India is big, its problem of poverty was bigger in size and dimension than other nations. Illiteracy and unemployment were the other major problems facing the SAARC nations. It was because of these problems that our youth, frustrated and disappointed, has been turning its face towards western countries. Unless we can promise secure future for our youth, we just cannot prevent them from being tempted by the western world.

Mr Dutt said during the expedition,they have been impressing upon political leaders and others to address basic problems of the general public, including poverty, illiteracy, pure drinking water and unemployment.

Mr Bakshi said we are telling them to discuss these issues at the next meeting of the SAARC. “Bhutan has decided to invite all members of this expedition when the next meeting of the SAARC takes place there next year,” he added.

“We also want the present arms race to be stopped. In fact, we are also suggesting a joint military command on the lines of NATO for lasting peace in the subcontinent, Mr Bakshi said, saying that Pakistan was spending 60 per cent of its budget on defence while India was next with 25 per cent.

“In our country, more than 100 persons have died because of heat wave. Another 50 have died of starvation in Tripura. Cannot we divert some money to tackle these problem than concentrate on defence spendings?” Mr Dutt asked.

Later speaking at a function organised jointly by the Shahid Bhagat Singh Sports and Cultural Club and the local Nehru Yuva Kendra authorities at Kajheri village, near here, Mr Sunil Dutt, who was addressing the gathering in Punjabi, urged the people, particularly youngsters, to help create an atmosphere of universal brotherhood as it was the need of the hour in the changing world scenario.

“We cannot look forward if we remain divided over petty issues such as cast creed and religion. We cannot make progress by killing each other in the name of religion. We should draw inspiration from Golden Temple, which symbolises communal harmony, as its foundation stone was laid by Mian Mir, a Muslim saint,” he added.

Making reference to the killing of Christian missionaries in the country, he said it was nothing but foolishness as,” nobody could wipe out any community or religion as a whole by killing just a few people belonging to that community or religion.”

Quoting extensively from Sikh history, Mr Dutt said people should try to emulate great men such as Guru Gobind Singh, who had sacrificed whole of his family and waged war against the contemporary tyrannical regime just for the cause of people, justice and truth, and not because there was any hatred in his heart against Muslims. He said he was extremely happy to see an atmosphere of peace in Punjab, particularly as he had seen a “burning Punjab”, during his “paidal yatra”, which he undertook in 1987.

Earlier, he was welcomed by villagers, and the members of the club who garlanded him upon his arrival in the village.

SNIPPETS

198 examined at eye camp
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 2 — The Aggarwal Sabha organised a fee eye camp at Maharaja Aggrasain Bhavan in Sector 30 here today.

As many as 198 patients were examined at the camp held under the supervision of Dr K.S. Rana.

Twenty patients were shortlisted for eye operations to be conducted tomorrow.

Earlier, Mr S.D. Bhambri, General Manager of The Tribune, inaugurated the camp.

Curbs on watering of lawns
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, May 2 — The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has urged the local residents not to water their lawns and other open spaces during the morning supply hours.

The residents have also been advised not to wash their vehicles at home as it affects the water pressure.

Besides, the use of online booster pumps has been prohibited. Anybody found using the booster pumps would be fined Rs 1,200 each, an official of HUDA said.