The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Thieves target Fiat cars as steel prices rise
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4
Increasing steel prices and less risk of recovery have led to an increase in theft of heavy cars, like Fiat.

The fact came to light following the interrogation of three auto lifters specialising in lifting Fiat cars from the city. Karam Singh, Baldev Singh and Jasmeet Singh, all from Patiala, were arrested by a team of the Sector 17 police station today, a day after a Fiat car was stolen. The alleged thieves told the police that they used to sell these cars to scrap dealers in Patiala for Rs 5,000 or 6,000.

They told the police that there had been a sudden spurt in the demand for quality steel scrap since the price of the metal shot up.

They also said since the vehicle was dismantled immediately to be sold in scrap, there were very little chances of recovery of the vehicle by the police. According to the police, 32 Fiat cars were stolen from the city this year and there were no clues to the thefts.

The Sector 17 police station met success after it started developing intelligence inputs on the thefts of Fiat cars.

The cars stolen from the city were being sold as scrap in Patiala.

Yesterday, a Fiat car was stolen from the house of Rajiv Berry in Sector 22-C. The Sector 17 police station team immediately took Mr Berry along to Patiala to trace the car in the Kabari Bazar and to scrap dealers. The car was traced parked in front of the shop named “Oberoi Scrap” at Bahera Road in Patiala. The thieves were sitting in the car, the police said.

Karam Singh and Baldev Singh told the police that they, along with Narinder, alias Nandu, stole the car from Sector 22-C yesterday and had come to sold it off to the owner of Oberoi Scrap, Jasmeet Singh. The thieves disclosed that they had been stealing cars from Chandigarh and selling them to Jasmeet Singh.

The auto thieves told the police that such was the demand for Fiat cars that the scrap dealer had given them Rs 1,000 in advance and they were negotiating the price with the scrap dealer when they were arrested.

The dealer had offered a price ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs6,000. The dealer used to earn between Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 on each car.

Middle-aged Karam Singh and Baldev Singh used to do reconnaissance in the area to identify their target. They would strike at night and open the vehicle with duplicate keys. They have been remanded in the police custody.

Nankana Sahib incident overblown, says eyewitness
A.S.Prashar
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4
The reports of an “attack” on Nankana Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan have been grossly exaggerated and blown out of all proportions by the Indian media, complains an Indian Sikh religious group leader who happened to be on the spot when the incident took place on September 25.

“It was a group of less than 100 students who came to the gurdwara and threw stones at it in protest against the Pakistan Government’s abrupt decision to hand over the building housing their college to the gurdwara management for setting up an inn for the pilgrims in view of the increasing number of visitors to the gurdwara”, says Mr M. S. Mianwal, convener of the International Kamboj Brotherhood who returned here from Pakistan a few days ago.

In an interview with TNS, he said: “I was at the gurdwara for a couple of hours along with my Pakistani hosts and I could see no damage the gurdwara might have suffered due to the stone pelting by the demonstrators”.

It was life as usual at the gurdwara, asserts Mr Mianwal who also took certain photographs to back up his claim. As a matter of fact, the only unusual sight was a 50-strong posse of Pakistani policemen posted near the main gate of the gurdwara which did not allow the demonstrators to come anywhere near it.

“Another contingent of policemen dealt with the demonstrators elsewhere. From what I learnt from Pakistani shopkeepers around the gurdwara, the Pakistani police was quite tough with the demonstrators and chased them away in no time”.

Therefore, says Mr Mianwal, he was quite bewildered to find on his return here that the Indian press and others were making quite a big issue out of the small incident.

Mr Mianwal says that that he also went round the gurdwara and found that “paath” was continuing uninterrupted as usual in the sanctum sanctorum. He himself was given “parshad” readily by sewadar Prem Singh and later, he had langar also which indicated that all the activities of the gurdwara were continuing normally despite the so-called “attack”. In the “sukhasan room”, air conditioner was on and he found a female disciple reciting gurbani along with her baby.

He says that there are certain mischievous elements in Pakistan who are not happy with the thaw taking place in relations between India and Pakistan.

The demonstration could be their handiwork to somehow stall the process. It was, therefore, for the people of the two countries to make sure that their machinations did not succeed.

The reaction of certain Indian leaders and bodies to the incident was “unwarranted and exaggerated”. There were some demonstrations in Delhi. Given the facts of the incident, these were not really called for, he says.

Also, the move by the SGPC and the Delhi Akali Dal to send a delegation to Pakistan to “investigate” is also an overreaction because this betrays a lack of trust in the Pakistan Government. “They are welcome to go there any time they want, but not for ‘investigation’,” he says.

Centre permits buses to Nankana Sahib
Our Correspondent

Mohali, October 4
The Central Government has paved the way for the Sikhs to visit holy places in Pakistan by giving permission to run bus services from Amritsar to Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib.

This was stated by Mrs Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha, OSD to the Punjab Chief Minister, here today. She said that by giving this permission Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh, had fulfilled the long standing demand of the Sikhs and Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab, had played a major role in this.

She said by starting these bus services, the relations between the two countries would become better and trade would also flourish.

Probe against PEC
Honorarium to contract staff
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4
After the expose of a scam in the recruitment of non-teaching staff on contract in Punjab Engineering College, the Chandigarh Administration has initiated a probe in a complaint against the college principal allegedly for distributing honorarium to contractual employees, in violation of the rules.

The inquiry has been initiated on the directives of the Chief Vigilance Officer-cum Home Secretary. As per the rule, the honorarium is granted to regular employees for work, which is done outside duty hours and is occasional in nature. The nature of work should be different from the work for which a regular appointment has been made.

Sources in the administration said around 245 employees, both regular and contractual, were paid honorarium last year. Of these several of the employees had been paid the amount twice or thrice. One of the employee had been paid the amount four times.

As per the rule 5.55 of the Punjab Civil Services Rule, the work performed by the employee concerned should be occasional or intermittent in character and either so laborious or of such special reasons, which should be recorded in writing. It is learnt that not more than seven employees fulfilled the provisions in the rules.

The rule further says that the amount of honorarium must be fixed with due regard to the value of the service in return of which it is given. There was no provision under the pay honorarium to contractual employees. Some of the examples are, Ms Rita Chhabra, a clerk and Ms Bhanu, record restorer. Ms Reeta Chabbra was paid Rs 1500 on March 24, 2003 and within a week she was again paid Rs 300. Similarly, another employee, Sonu was paid Rs 200 on March 24, 2003 and within a week he was paid Rs 500. Ms Veena Manocha, steno to the Administrative officer was paid Rs 1500 on March 24, 2003 and Rs 2500 on March 31, 2004. Sewa Ram, a clerk was paid Rs 200, Rs 600 and Rs 800 between March 2003, October 2003 and March 2004.

It is learnt that the statement of the beneficiaries was being recorded. It was unusual that honorarium is paid to so many employees in such a manner, said an officer. Principal begins

Plastic surgery a boon for breast cancer patients
Neelam Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4
A 25-year-old unmarried woman bore the pain of having a tumour in her breast for four years until the malignant tumour swelled and emitted an intolerable odour. Her only fear behind keeping the cancerous lump was to avoid psychological trauma of losing the breast for her entire life. That, until she was convinced by the plastic surgeons at the PGI that the tumorous breast once removed could be recreated, by using no artificial component but from the flesh of her own body. And that too, at the same time when her malignant breast would be removed.

As the profile of the breast cancer patients undergoes a change roping in more younger women in its garb, the utility of breast reconstruction is more pronounced which helps the women to come out of their psychological trauma.

“We are jointly working with the general surgeons to counsel breast cancer patients before the surgery if they are interested to go in for breast reconstruction. With their consent, we reconstruct breasts immediately after the cancerous breast is removed,” explains Dr R.K. Sharma, head of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the PGI, and adds that in last couple of years more than 50 such patients have opted for reconstruction of breast.

In simultaneous surgery the removal and reconstruction is done at the same time and on the same operation table. While the woman undergoes breast mastectomy, where the general surgeon removes her breast inflicted with tumour, the plastic surgeon works on taking out flesh from either the abdomen area or the back to create the lost breast. The reconstructed breast is similar to the natural one in size and shape and the patient does not have to wear the prosthesis, which is otherwise the only option available for women after surgery.

“The operation takes around three hours and the patient does not have to go through any added trauma,’’ says the surgeon adding that elderly women prefer surgical scars on the abdomen area while the younger women prefer the flesh to be taken from their back for the reconstruction.

The patients are also opting for reconstruction of the breast after a gap of several years of the surgery. “In case of older women, their main concern is to initially go in for treatment. They go in for reconstruction surgery once they have undergone the radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But the younger women prefer reconstruction much earlier,’’ adds the doctor.

Shooting coach, 2 others killed in mishaps
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4
Manjit Singh, a rifle shooting coach training two national players, died in a car accident last night along with two others, including their saviour, near Bansawali Chungi near Kharar. A person who tried to extricate the injured car passengers from the mangled car was also run over by an unidentified vehicle, friends of Manjit Singh told Chandigarh Tribune here today. One of Manjit Singh’s four co-passengers was also killed when the Maruti Zen car they were travelling by lost balance after colliding with a stray animal.

Manjit Singh (37) was returning to home in Ropar last night from Chandigarh when the accident occurred. The coach had been working with the Chandigarh Sports Council for the past eight years. Manjit Singh had imparted training to ace shooter Sabiha Dhillon and was presently coaching national players Jugraj and Arjun Partap, the council sources said. Manjit Singh was returning from duty yesterday. His weekly off was on Monday.

The coach himself was a national rifle shooter, the sources in the council said.

Manjit is survived by his wife and two children of two and four years of age.

The sources said a person from Kharar who came to save the injured coach and one of his friends was crushed by a vehicle while he was crossing the road to bring a torch.

Manjit Singh was declared brought dead in the PGI, Chandigarh.

Body of the coach has been kept in the Kharar Civil Hospital. He will be cremated tomorrow in Ropar at 12 noon

CHANDIGARH CALLING

WHILE sauntering through the Sector 20 labour chowk, one comes across a melange of human souls offering skilled and unskilled services for hire. As the chauffeur-driven car or any other vehicle of their ‘prospective employer’ screeches to a halt, they scurry to the vehicle and hover around it. A fervent appeal oozes out instantaneously “ Babuji, ‘mazdoor’ ‘mistry’ ‘mali’ or a mason, et al?” They hang around and continue haggling till the deal is struck. Those who succeed in striking a deal express their gratitude to the almighty for keeping the wolf away from their doors, may be for a day. A mason is paid between Rs 150 and Rs 200 a day. A carpenter gets almost a similar amount while a ‘mazdoor’, ‘mali’, plumber and other casual labourers get something between Rs 90 to Rs 100 a day.

The chowk bustles with activity as the day breaks, with these beasts of burden reaching the ‘rendezvous’ with a distant hope to clinch an offer for a day’s work, thereby keeping their kitchen fires burning. Grumbles Ganesh Shaw, a Bihari labourer,” Babuji, two square meals a day is the only concern for which we go the whole hog, rain or no rain”. Vasu Dev Shaw also echoed similar sentiments. While a microscopic minority succeeds in striking a deal, a majority of them have to retire home after a 12-hour long ordeal, with a flicker of hope to get an offer, the next day.

Driven by abject poverty and privations of home, these poor children of God come calling in search of greener pastures. As they land up in the city to eke out a living, they find themselves caught up in a bizarre situation from where there is no going back. After trying their hands elsewhere, they find themselves to be amid a sea of humanity selling unskilled labour at the chowk.

Even though the Chandigarh Administration has directed them to operate from Sector 44 where they have been allotted space, near colony number 5, a majority of them continue to operate from here only “since this chowk is an old one and those who need our services can locate us without much difficulty”, says Jagdish Chander, a Punjabi labourer.

Flesh trade

The emphasis of the Panchkula police on arresting those indulging in flesh trade, while leaving out chain snatchers, burglars and thieves, has earned a bad name for the police. Though the drive to bust flesh trade rackets in Panchkula was aimed at earning goodwill for the policemen who had been drawing flak for their failure in controlling all other local and special crimes (theft, burglary, snatching, etc), it led to just the opposite. Various resident welfare associations in Panchkula have condemned the “overzealous” police for busting these rackets with an aim to get some good press, and shift the public focus from its inability to arrest burglars, chain snatchers, etc. As public turned contemptuous over the police’s success in arresting flesh trade accused, the top brass of the police has finally decided to go show on wiping off the flesh trade and concentrate more on real policing than moral policing.

Wonder that wasn’t

An SMS from a colleague on Thursday about a rare natural phenomenon sent the journalists and photographers of Chandigarh Tribune on a late night wild goose chase. The SMS which was received by many in the newspaper read: “News from NASA. Today between 9.45 pm and 9.50 pm IST, the Moon will be glittering dark red because of N2 emission from its soil. It happens once in 600 years. See that wonder”.

Immediately, a reporter was detailed to cover the “rare natural phenomenon” while a photographer was asked to get set to capture it on film. An astronomer in Patiala was also alerted for a scientific explanation who lost no time in rushing to his telescope at his office. He also surfed the NASA site on the Internet only to discover that there was no such “news from NASA”.

Reporters at Chandigarh Tribune office who surfed the Internet also drew a blank. The final proof of the non-event came when nothing happened to the Moon during the time mentioned in the SMS. The photographer who had travelled all the way to the north of the city to snap the Moon against the background of “Open Hand”, the symbol of Chandigarh, also returned empty handed.

Recognition

Charanjit Singh, the city’s man with many firsts, was the only one from Chandigarh to be recognised with the ITFT’s Media & Entertainment Award 2004 from among the 18 celebrities that were honoured on World Tourism Day at Hotel Mountview. Charanjit Singh was honoured for his contribution to the revival of radio in the city.

Charanjit, a gold medallist from the Department of Mass Communications of Panjab University, was also the topper of the first batch of Associate Fellow of PR which was conferred on him after a national-level examination by the India Foundation for PR Education & Research, Mumbai.

He was the first one to start a full-fledged PR agency in the city way back in 1987, and the first one to start with his friend, Hardeep Chandpuri, a new radio experience RadioBuzz, the first web radio experiment from the city — myradiobuzz, and followed by a first professional academy for radio broadcasters. He and Hardeep are the only two Asians in the international advisory panel of world’s premier online broadcasting institute, Altacert Institute of the USA.

Charanjit is also currently the President of the Chandigarh Management Association.

Change in season

Rain in the past few days had added a chill to the morning air and also to late evenings. It has also signalled a change in the season. Two-wheeler riders working late in the evening have already pulled out their light woollens. Light wind cheaters and half-sleeve pullovers are being used for the past three days.

The early morning walkers are also wearing light woollens; so are the elderly. The swimming pools which were functioning at least in the afternoon have gone out of business and beer drinking has taken a back seat. Meanwhile, the stable diet of winter like ‘gur’ and ‘gachak’ are now available.

Doctors said the rain also brought down the incidence of throat infections. The rain, though, may not be good for the rice growers as their ready crop is lying in the open.

Polio campaign

The UT health officials feel that an increasing number of migrants coming to the city from states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh could alter the near disease-free scenario in the city. Giving a briefing on the national scenario on polio at a meeting held last week, a senior UT health official said though all the 62 cases of paralytic polio in the country till August this year had been detected in western UP and Bihar, the campaign against polio needed to be strengthened in Chandigarh because of a large number of migrants coming from there. The campaign against polio is starting in Chandigarh from October 10 and would conclude on November 21. The focus of the campaign would be on the slum areas, dwellers in construction sites, children of labourers and other rehabilitation colonies. In all 1800 workers and 65 officials of the Health Department would be conducting the campaign. Similar concerns are also expressed by the district leprosy officials who feel extra care needs to be taken about the health of the migrants in the city.

— Sentinel

COMMUNITY

Junction boxes of streetlights to be changed
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, October 4
The Municipal Council will replace almost 35 junction boxes of streetlights in the township. This will ensure that those streetlights that have remained defunct over a large period of time, will be made functional.

This was stated by Municipal Council President Ms Seema Chaudhary today. She said that all defunct street lights in the township have been replaced, and street lights are non-functional only at places where the junction boxes need repair.

Ms Chaudhary said that the contractor hired for maintenance of street lights was asked to carry out a survey of the junction boxes that needed a change, and it was found that 35 of these needed replacement. She added that these junction boxes had not been changed, ever since they were first installed by HUDA. “The contractor will be asked to repair these junction boxes at the earliest, and the money will be released to him by the MC in this week itself,’ she assured.

The township has 8500 streetlight points. Over the past two months, MC had drawn flak from residents because most of the streetlights were defunct.

On the sanitation front, MC President said that in order to bring accountability with the contractor, she has issued directions that sanitation supervisor get the signature from any resident of the road that they clean each day. “I will personally examine the register and see that residents’ grievances on state of sanitation services are removed,” she said.

Fauji Beat
Command Hospital sans gastroenterologist

THE Command Hospital, Chandi Mandir, has a well-equipped gastroenterology centre but it does not function because no gastroenterologist has been posted. Patients needing investigation and treatment of gastroenterology problems have to go to private or other hospitals.

For an important Command Hospital with a large number of clientele of servicemen, exservicemen and their dependents, to remain without this speciality is a great inconvenience to them.

Lieut-Col A.K. Sood, a gastroenterologist, who was posted here for two and a half months from July 1, has been transferred to the Command Hospital, Udhampur.

It is learnt that a gastroenterologist will visit the Chandi Mandir Hospital for a week every month. This arrangement will not meet the requirement of the patients.

Selection system needs revision

It was believed at the time of introduction of the new selection system at the Services’ Selection Boards (SSBs) in the forties that a candidate who fails to make the grade in the psychological tests once can never succeed later. We had adopted the new system by taking a cue from the system that was in vogue in Germany.

Over the years, some of the Army officers, who had been posted to various SSBs, started their own training academies after retirement. A stage came when almost all candidates appearing before the SSBs went through the training at these academies. Notwithstanding the opinion of SSBs’ staff against this training, it did help the candidates in their selection.

Giving a number of chances to a candidate reappear before the SSBs further diluted the system. So much so that some candidates made the grade on third or fourth attempt. Surely, when the system was conceived in Garmany, the intention was to give only one chance to a candidate. Besides, some candidates who failed in the psychological tests first time, succeeded in the subsequent attempts. Learning from our long experience, we should change the present system of selection of officers for the Army.

Smart card

The smart-card system is being introduced in canteens. A smart card will be issued to all entitled personnel. It can be used to purchase items from any unit-run canteen in the country. This card will prevent a person from purchasing goods beyond his entitlement because it is based on the canteen inventory management software. The entire network for the automation of big canteens and unit canteens will cost Rs 12 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively.

—Pritam Bhullar

Readers Write
No place for upright officer

I have been following the PGI DDA controversy closely. I find it perturbing that there seems to be no place for an upright officer who does not hesitate to call a spade a spade.

Why should the Director feel unsettled if Ms Meeta Rajivlochan encouraged her staff to speak out their minds and “not to hesitate to disagree with the Director, PGI, in administrative matters”? She merely reacquainted her staff with their rights and responsibilities which are fundamental to the successful working of a democracy. Nor is there anything to kick up a fuss about the Director being a medicine man. That is simply a statement of fact. Indeed, “his core competence does not lie in administrative matters......”, because if it did, he would have shown greater maturity and wisdom in his reaction/handling of the situation. Or is it that he, too, has something to hide?

The DDA has merely reiterated the norms of the government which are clearly written down, but are rarely followed in practice, which is why our public institutions continue to be in such a mess.

Kavita Soni-Sharma, Panchkula

Services Selection Board

With reference to the item “City girl selected for commission in Army” (Chandigarh Tribune, September 12), I would like to point out that candidates for commission are screened by the Services Selection Board and not the Subordinate Selection Board, as reported.

Dalip Singh Ghuman, Chandigarh

Panchkula police

The Panchkula police deserves thanks from senior citizens of the town for launching the helping old people police scheme aimed at providing safety, succour and a number of free services to persons aged 58 years and above. Under the scheme, policemen will pay the electricity/telephone bills of senior citizens, assist in getting pensions, bank and postal services, ensure verification of their passports, servants and tenants and provide counselling in settling family disputes. A special cell with the necessary staff has been set up to monitor and implement the scheme. A laudable scheme indeed for the welfare of the aged.

S.C. Mehta, Panchkula

Garbage problem

A dustbin of the Municipal Corporation is kept right in front of our house(376, Sector 38-A) which emits a foul smell. Garbage littered here and there is a big health hazard. Stray animals in search of food create further nuisance in the area.

There are around 10 dustbins of the corporation placed along the route starting from our house to the Vivek High School area, a distance of just half a kilometre, which emit a stench.

These dustbins must be immediately removed from the residential area.

P.K. Bhatia, Chandigarh

Promote vegetarianism

Apropos an advertisement relating to chicken in Chandigarh Tribune (September 9) I would like to suggest that you think twice before printing such advertisements because these encourage the public to buy meat and animal products without thinking how much the animals suffer before and at the time of slaughter. They are usually kept in dark cages and crowded into buildings. The cages are so small that they can barely turn round. They never get to feel the warmth of the sun, breathe fresh air or feel the earth beneath their feet. When they are being taken to slaughterhouses, they are crammed into trucks. By the time they reach the slaughterhouse, some of them are injured badly. Once inside, their throats are slashed, beaks hacked or they are skinned while still alive.

Instead of encouraging such advertisements in your esteemed newspaper, you can help promote vegetarianism. Through your newspaper, you will not only be able to touch the hearts of many people but also encourage them to take up animal protection and adopt a compassionate lifestyle.

These days it is not surprising to see newspaper headlines about people suffering from food poisoning or dying after consuming bad meat. When chickens and animals are slaughtered, it is easy for E. coli bacteria to contaminate the carcasses. The presence of salmonella in meat cannot be ruled out even if you cook it.

These foods are linked to a higher risk of cancer and artery blockage whereas the foods in which cancer-fighting nutrients are found are whole grains, fruit, dark green and yellow vegetables. Vegetarians are healthier and live longer than flesh eaters.

Let’s alleviate the agony undergone by these innocent animals. Let’s all think about their plight before eating the next piece of chicken.

Himanshi Vij, Chandigarh

Panel to review Central Club’s constitution
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4
An extraordinary meeting of the members of the Central Club in Sector 9 last night decided to set up a committee to review the constitution of the club. It also decided that elections of the club will be held in January 2005.

In the meeting a crucial point were the two resolutions of 1990 and 1992 which were to be discussed. President of Club, J.S. Kohli said the two resolutions are redundant, now elections will be held allowing anybody to contest.

Explaining the resolutions he said in 1990 it had been decided that a member who has been an office-bearer for two years consecutively shall have to take a break for one year before re-contesting. This was not implemented.

The same matter had then cropped in 1992 during the Annual General Body Meeting (AGM). It was decided that a special general body meeting be called to decide the matter.

The special general body meeting was never convened and the matter was in a limbo.

After deciding to hold these resolutions as redundant, it has paved the way for a member to contest the elections despite having been an office bearer for two consecutive years.

The club named the five members who will review the constitution.

They are Mr V.S. Sodhi, Mr Kanwaljit Singh, Mr Kulbir Singh, Mr R.L. Chopra and Justice (retd) Mittal. They have been given one month’s time to review the constitution.

CRIME

Goods worth 14 lakh stolen from 2 shops
Our Correspondent

Mohali, October 4
Goods worth nearly Rs 14 lakh were stolen from two shops here in the past 72 hours. While one theft took place in a computer data conversion centre in Phase XI, the other took place in a showroom dealing with sanitary fittings in Sector 70.

The owner of the data conversion centre claimed he had suffered a loss of Rs 9 lakh, while the owner of the sanitary store said that goods worth over Rs 4.5 lakh were stolen from his shop.

The theft in the sanitary store took place last night. The thieves had entered the building after damaging the shutter of the main entrance. The owner of the shop, Mr Satish Garg, said the thieves had decamped with a number of pieces of “CP mixture”, the cost of each piece ranging between Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000, apart from other goods. He said some goods were stolen from the ground floor area but most of them were from the basement of the shop. He showed a number of racks from where the goods had been taken away

He said the theft had come to the notice of a newspaper hawker, who had come to deliver the newspaper in the morning. He brought the theft to the notice of some persons in the area. He said that when his nephew, Manoj, came to the shop in the morning, he saw police personnel and other shopkeepers of the area gathered at his shop. It was then that they got to know about the crime.

He said the chowkidar of the market area could not be traced since morning, though he used to be around even during day time as he lived nearby.

He said that he went with a written complaint to the police which was kept the personnel on duty without formally receiving it. Nobody had come to the shop even till the evening to lift finger prints.

He said that a theft had also taken place in his shop two months ago. Goods worth nearly Rs 1 lakh were stolen at that time but the police had failed to register any case in this regard. He said at that time he had suspected two of his employees, Pawan Kumar and Munish Kumar to be involved in the crime. He had nabbed both the employees and taken them to the police station but no action was taken against them by the police even when they had admitted that they had committed the crime.

Mr Anurag Biala, who ran a computer data conversion centre in Phase XI, said that the theft in his centre took place on the night of September 30 and the crime came to his notice when he came to the shop the next day and saw the lock broken. The case, in this regard, was registered yesterday.

He said he had 13 computer at his centre. The thieves had removed processors, hard discs, rams, motherboards from the CPUs, leaving behind only the cabinets. However, monitors, keyboards had not been taken away. He claimed that the cost of the hardware stolen was nearly 2 lakh. He said he had stored the entire data related to the assignment, delivered to Inteli Tech, a Mumbai-based company, in the computers. He had stored the back-up data in the hard discs which had been stolen. He claimed that data worth Rs 7 lakh was stolen from his centre.

He said the thieves had probably entered from the back courtyard of the building on the first floor. He presumed that they reached the second floor, the area where he was running the centre, after breaking a wiremesh and then jumping on to the staircase. Some footmarks could be seen on a wall of the staircase.

He said fingerprints had been taken by the police including those of some of his old employees. When asked whether he suspected anybody to be involved in the crime, Mr Biala said some of his employees had not come even after being called. In case they don’t turn up at all, some suspicion might fall on them.