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Police, IT Dept lock horns over scam
Chandigarh, February 11
The UT police had locked horns with the Income Tax Department in the multi-million IT refunds scam over the issue of parallel verification of records, thereby, giving a clean chit to the IT officials by their department before the completion of police investigations.

More staff likely for UT police
Chandigarh, February 11
After gathering dust for over eight years, a proposal to increase the strength of city’s police force is on the cards. In this regard the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is learnt to have sent positive signals to the top brass of the Chandigarh Police.

Dr Kewal’s appointment rejected by PU panel
Chandigarh, February 11
Panjab University has rejected the appointment of Dr Kewal Singh as the Director of the Sports Wing of the campus, according to sources here today. A decision to this effect was taken by a high-level committee constituted by the Vice-Chancellor following difference of opinion on the issue in the September-2002 meeting of the Senate.

’84 riots: 2 widows threaten suicide
Chandigarh, February 11 Nearly 19 years after the Delhi riots, two widows of the alleged victims have threatened to commit suicide on February 16. The identity is being kept a secret, at least for the time being. Members of the Widow Jatha address a press conference in Chandigarh on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

A family therapist in Australia
Chandigarh, February 11
Looking after victims of domestic violence is both her avocation and passion. It is the total commitment to the cause of “bringing peace to families tormented by violence for one reason or the other” that has taken her to the top bureaucratic post of CEO in Victoria, Australia, her second home after Chandigarh.

Id holiday today
Chandigarh, February 11
Schools, colleges and government offices will remain closed in Chandigarh, Panchkula and SAS Nagar tomorrow on the occasion of Id-ul-Zuha. However, the holiday has not been announced under the Negotiable Instruments Act.

Pre-Valentine's Day celebration

Chandigarh, February 11 The ground opposite the Students’ Centre at Panjab University was abuzz with dances and loud music as a fete was organised as a pre-Valentine's Day celebration by the Panjab University Students Union here on Tuesday. LET’S JIVE: Boys and girls dance merrily at the pre-Valentine’s Day fete organised by the Panjab University Students Union on the campus in Chandigarh on Tuesday. — Photo Manoj Mahajan

Geri route out of bounds on V-Day
Chandigarh, February 11
The geri route will be out of bounds for revellers on Saint Valentine’s Day. Around 700 cops will be on the duty along the geri route and other “sensitive” places in the city.

GERI ROUTE DEBATE
“Three cheers for UT”
I am of the opinion that day by day the youth of this city is going vulgar. Opening the geri route can prove to be very critical to; law and order situation because boys use this route to tease girls in the name of Valentine Day The victims of their offensive behaviour are the poor poor girl students who don’t want to indulge in such acts.

COMMUNITY

9,000 apply for houses in Mohali
SAS Nagar, February 11
* People want plots in Kharar, Zirakpur and Dera Bassi but very few want to live there in a house.
* Very few people see Ropar as the place to own either a house or a plot.
* Residents of SAS Nagar want small houses to live in.

Proving betting charges an uphill task for police
Chandigarh, February 11
In the much-hyped case of the Chandigarh Police arresting bookies for betting on cricket matches being played during the World Cup in South Africa, the charges of cheating against the bookies are likely to be dismissed in the court.

Police gets tough on cyber crime
Chandigarh, February 11
The Chandigarh police yesterday held a meeting with owners of cyber cafes operating in the city to discuss the preventive measures to stop cyber crime. The police would carry out surprise checks on cyber cafes as a preventive measure to check cyber crime.

Poor sanitation irks residents
SAS Nagar, February 11
Sanitation has deteriorated in the town. Garbage can be seen littered here and there and residents complain that various localities are not being cleaned properly and on a regular basis.

Kalpana forgotten in din of bash
Chandigarh, February 11
Twenty years later, Kalpana Chawla remembered her Alma Mater by sending a message from space. Yet the recipients of the message, sent from the space two days before Columbia shuttle exploded while returning home, seem to have taken little time to forget her.

Mayor inspects petrol stations
Chandigarh, February 11
Mayor Subhash Chawla carried out early-morning inspection of commercial water users, including major industries and petrol stations. After finding faults in water meters and low average bills, Mr Chawla today set up separate vigilance cells for domestic and commercial users.

17 panchayats get Rs 30 lakh
Chandigarh, February 11
The zila parishad here today allocated around Rs 30 lakh for sanitation and street lighting in 17 panchayats of the city. Hallo Majra and Kajheri have been given additional Rs 1 lakh each as their condition was assessed to be worse than other places.

• Development of park sought

• Jhuggis demolished

CRIME

PO’s luck finally ends
SAS Nagar, February 11
The police here has today nabbed a proclaimed offender, Kulbir Singh, wanted for causing an accident leading to the death of Gagandeep Singh, a Phase 3BI resident, five years ago. Interestingly, the police caught the accused from a village in Jagroan where he had come to get married all the way from Canada.

Pirated CDs seized
Chandigarh, February 11
The police today seized around 3,000 pirated audio and video CDs worth lakhs from two shops in the city late this evening. The raids were conducted by the CIA wing of the police on a tip-off given by agencies guarding the copyrights of companies selling the CDs. A police official said 1160 CDs were seized from Sonu Music Centre in Sector 20.

Goods worth Rs 1.7 lakh stolen
SAS Nagar, February 11
In a daylight robbery, thieves decamped with jewellery and household goods worth around Rs 1.70 lakh from a house in Phase II here yesterday. In a complaint to the police, Col H.I.S. Virk said the theft took place between 11 am and 1.30 pm when nobody was at home.

4 Health Dept employees booked
Panchkula, February 11
The police has registered a case against four employees of the State Health Department and the daughter of an employee on charges of fraud, impersonation and criminal conspiracy. The case, under Sections 420, 468, 469, 471 and 120-B of the IPC, has been registered on the directions of a local court.

BUSINESS

Booking of Net connections made easy
Chandigarh, February 11
For the convenience of general public, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has decentralised the booking of Internet and ISDN connections in the city, Panchkula and SAS Nagar.

Beopar Mandal to give memo to Naidu
Chandigarh, February 11
Amidst reports of police keeping an eye on protesting traders, who have announced to show black flags to BJP President Venkaiah Naidu, the Beopar Mandal here today decided to hand over a memorandum to Mr Naidu for withdrawal of the Chandigarh Administration’s notification on the Rent Act.

LIFE & STYLE

GLITZ & GLAMOUR
Bring fun back in your affair on Valentine’s Day
TEARS rolled down her fair visage as she turned down the volume before switching off the stereo. The last notes of ABBA’s “SOS” faded into the oblivion, but the lyrics kept haunting her for days together. “Whatever happened to our love, I wish I understood. It used to be so nice, it used to be so good”, she kept on humming the song.

VENUS SPEAKS
Party all the way
RUHI is all set to celebrate St Valentine's Day. In the morning, the ramp model plans to zip up and down the geri route in a jaunty jalopy decked up with cheerful baloons. Has already made the preparations for the drive.

Shake, rattle ‘n’ roll on V-Day
ALL you guys and dolls eager to twirl all around the polished dance floor, illuminated by colourful intelligent lights, to the thumping beat of reverberating music, go to any of the discotheques and night clubs in and around the city. They are organising Valentine's bash just for you to lose your blues.

• Top 10 Hindi Valentine songs

Varsity teachers to observe protest day
Chandigarh, February 11
Members of the All-India Federation of University Teachers’ Associations have decided to observe February 13 as a “protest day” in university campuses in the region in support of their demands.

FROM COLLEGES
PNB’s cultural competition
Chandigarh, February 11
Cultural programmes and prize distribution ceremony marked the conclusion of 20th Inter-Region Cultural Competition of Punjab National Bank (Northern zone) here today.

Painting with vegetables Chandigarh, February 11 For the young students of Sector 44 St Joseph School, painting was a whole new experience. Instead of just scrawling with crayons on white sheets of paper in an attempt to draw scenaries, they learnt to paint with vegetables, besides other wonderful things including magic painting, during a workshop.
Tiny tots attend an art workshop at St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School, Sector 44-D, Chandigarh on Tuesday.  — A Tribune photograph

NAAC team visits GC-11
Panchkula, February 11
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council of the University Grants Commission has lauded the building infrastructure of local Government College, Sector 11, here, while asking the authorities to improve the laboratory facilities and the college library.

Probe ordered into assault on teacher
Chandigarh, February 11
The Senior Superintendent of Police, Chandigarh, has marked an inquiry in the yesterday's alleged incident of assault of a vocational course teacher, Mohan Lal, in a Mani Majra school. The teacher had been assaulted by an ASI of Chandigarh Police, Kamal Dev Sharma.

• Students welcome new DEO

• Seminar focuses on population issues

HIGH COURT
Directed
Chandigarh, February 11
Taking up a petition alleging the demand of bribe by income tax officials for “not opening his case”, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed an Assistant Commissioner to be present in the Court on February 24.

DISTRICT COURTS
Notices served on 3 policemen
Chandigarh, February 11
A local court today issued a notice to three police personnel who were involved in the investigation of the jail-break conspiracy case, acting on a complaint filed against them by Baljit Singh, claiming that he was falsely implicated in the case by the police officials.

• Defamation case

CULTURE

Trust gets buyer for Hussain art
Chandigarh, February 11
A countrywide search launched by the city-based Aruna Asaf Ali Memorial Trust several months ago to locate a buyer for a painting to be done here by one of India’s most celebrated modern painters, M.F. Hussain, for the trust as a part of its fund-raising campaign, has finally borne fruit.

Evening of sarod, melody and master Chandigarh, February 11 Born in 1957, Pandit Vikash Maharaj has grown to become one of the leading sarod players in the country. That he is adept at nuances of both the Benaras and Maihar Senia gharanas became amply clear at his recital during the 73rd monthly baithak of Pracheen Kala Kendra this evening.

SPORTS

Martial art instructor at 14
Chandigarh, February 11
Local boy Nitin Sharma has achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest instructor in the Choi Kwang Do Martial Art. Nitin was chosen as Assistant Instructor during the National seminar held at Panvel (Mumbai). He was honoured at a function held at Choi Kwang Do Martial Art Community Centre, Sector 44.