COURTS

Mamta case: CBI to name probe official
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — The officer who will inquire into the allegations against Punjab’s Additional Director General of Police Mr B.P. Tiwari in the Mamta Sharma case will be nominated by the Director, Central Bureau of Investigation, Delhi.

The director, according to sources in the premier investigating agency, will nominate the officer soon after receiving the order’s copy. The order, say sources, will be forwarded to the director by the local officer here in Sector 30.

As per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the officer will not be below the rank of DIG and will not be from the Punjab cadre. This, sources add, would rule out the possibility of the officer being influenced by his counterparts.

Sources further reveal that cases against SGPC’s former chief Bibi Jagir Kaur and Haryana’s former DGP SPS Rathore were also being investigated by officers belonging to other states.

Burail Jail courtroom jalis to be removed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — Permitting the removal of iron jalis attached to the grills in the makeshift courtroom at Model Jail in Burail village, Mr Justice V.M. Jain of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed that no one would be allowed to enter the courtroom with weapons, including fire arms.

Pronouncing the orders in the open court, Mr Justice Jain observed that permitting the guards, accompanying the officers conducting court proceedings, to enter the premises with weapons was contrary to law, besides being a security risk.

The UT District and Sessions Judge, it may be recalled, had directed the removal of grills and jalis fixed in the courtroom where the Beant Singh assassination case was being heard. 

SSPs to file affidavits in kidnapping case
By Our Legal Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — Mr Justice Amar Datt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed Mr R.L. Bhagat, former SSP, Ludhiana, and the present SSP, Ludhiana, to file detailed affidavit relating to the allegations made by Mr Budh Prakash Walia, a resident of Ludhiana, alleging false implication in a child kidnapping case in view of his enmity with the SP, Khanna.

The two SSPs were present in the court. They had earlier failed to appear in court despite summons and the DGP, Punjab, was directed by the judge to ensure their presence in the court. They apologised for their non-appearance earlier.

Forum orders repayment
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — The UT Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Amrit Agencies, Madhya Marg, to take back the water purifier of a city resident and pay him the deposited amount and compensation for harassment.

The complainant, Mr Gurpreet Singh, had filed a complaint before the forum that he purchased a water purifier from Amrit Agencies, Madhya Marg, on July 11, 1996, for Rs 5,300. It was manufactured by Sanskrut Comfort System, Ahmedabad. The complainant alleged that the water purifier started leaking soon after its installation and it had manufacturing defects. The representation made to the agencies for repair defects or replacement proved ineffective.

The Bench observed that the complainant had lost faith in the agencies and the product and he was not prepared to accept the replacement of purifier. The Bench allowed the complaint with costs of Rs 1,100, including compensation for harassment, and directed the agencies to take back the purifier from the complainant and refund him Rs 5,300 with interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum.

Holiday in dist courts
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — According to a notification issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, April 6, will be a holiday in the district courts of Chandigarh on account of Mahavir Jayanti.

CULTURE

Cyanide begins with ghazal concert
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — A ghazal concert by Shamim Iqbal was the inaugurating event for the ‘Cyanide’, the techno-cultural festival of the Department of Chemistry, at Panjab University here today.

Shamim Iqbal’s recital was a sober beginning to a festival of dramatics, fine arts, literary events, and magic.

Among today’s events was ‘Esoterica’, a national-level paper presentation contest, which features teams from leading technical institutions including IITs, Delhi and Kanpur, the HBTI, Kanpur, the local Punjab Engineering College, RECs, Kurukshetra and Jalandhar, Thapar Institute, Sant Longowal Institute besides others.

The Vice-Chancellor Prof K.N. Pathak today released ‘ Tatva’, annual magazine of the department of Chemical Engineering.

A fashion show, ‘Cyanide grind’ music contests, informatics and literary sections are the main attractions. Dramatics and the fine arts sections are subdivided into scores of contests.

Grandeur of Shiva
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — The root of works, which were on view at the Government Museum and Art Gallery today, lies in divinity. The source, as spills from every frame which the artist has created, is Lord Shiva. Just as one entered the exhibition hall, one could smell the inspiration which had driven the artist so. There could not have been a better occasion to open this exhibition than on the Mahashivratri day today.

For Ravinder Kumar Sharma, Shiva is truth, he is life. “He is the source of all creation, he is the balancing element, and he is the power behind destruction. He is so closely linked to the universe that I, as an artist, could just not discount his presence,” said the artist who is teaching in the Government College of Art, Sector 10.

All works reflect a history of events which bless the Indian mythology. And the most interesting part of the whole affair today was that the artist cared to get it inaugurated from someone who is a master in philosophy himself. The works were thrown open by Swami Brahmrishi Vishvatma Bawra.

As for the works, they exude beauty and warmth. A feeling of turmoil can be witnessed in every painting which relates Shiva to art and vice versa. As the artist himself says, “I have sought immense pleasure even in this turmoil. Every work on display today has been created through the night hours when I have time to be with myself. As I painted, I experienced a strange sense of satisfaction. I secured a blissful company even in the loneliness of the night.”

There are various mythological sequences on display. Right from the one in which he shows Shiva invocating Lord Ganesha before striking at the Tripur-antak to the one in which he shows Lord Shiva as Prak-ritiraak (the Lord of nature) — all works are arresting to the hilt. They transcend beyond the physical and material limits and try to hint at the quest for salvation. “There are different moods in these works, but the gist is singular. The idea is to establish the grandeur of Shiva in colours, to share with the world my view on divinity,” said Ravinder.

The works can be viewed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Charity show
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — “The Zeppelin,” a group of old students of St Annes, performed at a charity music and dance extravaganza organised by the St Annes Old Students Association, at the school for Gujarat earthquake relief. They collected about Rs 20,000 from this show.

The evening started with old fast numbers. Students from other institutions also participated. These included students from Chemistry Department , Panjab University, Arts College, Sector 10, and Gem Public School, SAS Nagar.