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Prime accused in murder case surrenders
Chandigarh, May 25 He was produced before a local court today, which remanded him to police custody till May 27. The other two accused of killing Thakur Prasad, Krishna and Kamlesh, were arrested yesterday by the police. The police said Mewa Lal had escaped to Ghaziabad after allegedly killing Thakur Prasad in connivance with his friend Kamlesh and Krishna, the wife of killed man. The police put pressure on him through its sources forcing him to surrender. According to the police, Mewa Lal also sustained injuries on his hand while killing Thakur Prasad. Mewa Lal was subjected to interrogation and the weapon used in the killing was not yet recovered. He had reportedly gone to Ghaziabad but could not stay there for a long there following police pressure. It may be recalled that Mewa Lal, Krishna and Kamlesh hacked Thakur to death by stabbing in his belly. They also severed his head. Mewa Lal and Kamlesh had illicit relationship to which Thakur had objected. Following this they all hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Thakur.
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MC makes it easy to complain
Chandigarh, May 25 They can also avail the services on numbers 2704526, 2704576, 2710671 and 2711672 on all days excluding gazetted holidays and Sundays. In a press statement here yesterday, the corporation announced a central control room to lodge complaints relating to roads, horticulture, water supply, sewerage, street lights, health, sanitation, estate branch and the enforcement wing of the corporation. Earlier the residents of the city had to locate various officers on multiple numbers to lodge their complaints and often at different places all over the city. The complaint centre will be fully computerised with e-connectivity to all the functional wings of the corporation. Residents complaints will be transmitted online to the concerned departments. The concerned Executive Engineer will hold weekly appraisal meetings with their team members. An action taken report will be sent to the top brass. The nature of complaints can include patch work on roads, repair of kerb channel, and removal of congress grass.
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Dutt’s mentor feels cold like death
Chandigarh, May 25 Mera bhi intezaar hai, jaane laga hoon main…” Balraj, alias Sunil Dutt might well have harked back to his favourite couplet while nearing death in Mumbai this afternoon. But back in Chandigarh, the hand that wrote the verse is still shaking in grief. K.L. Zakir, Dutt’s mentor and first cousin, knew little that a couplet he once recited casually in his brother’s presence would attain its relevance in the tragic reality of today. “I feel cold like death,” said the poet who knew the Dutts for ages. He is among the few who watched a young Balraj from Hindoli village of Yamunanagar morph into the Sunil Dutt of Bollywood. Not just that, Zakir also traced the boy back, long after he had left Haryana to chase his dreams in Mumbai. For this while Sunil’s mother lived with Zakir, her nephew. “We shared much together - sorrows, struggles, success. Today my memory travels back to pre-Partition days when Sunil’s mother lived with us in Gujarat. She went to Pakistan after marriage. Of her children - Balraj, Som and Rani, Balraj was the most charming,” recalled Zakir, continuing his narration. “The family settled in Yamunanagar after Partition and I remember how we lost track of Sunil after he went to Mumbai. One day I heard him interviewing Dalip Kumar on Radio Ceylon.” That was when Zakir knew Sunil was few steps away from success. Some time later, the family saw him in Ramesh Sehgal’s “Railway Platform”. And then there was no looking back for Dutt who left the studios of Radio Ceylon for the sets of Bollywood. But his roots remained strong despite the star dust. As Zakir, a frequent visitor to Sunil and Nargis Dutt’s home in Mumbai, recalls, “They were a special couple — kind and concerned. They coaxed me to write for films. I even signed a film titled “Akela” at their behest. And they prevented me from returning the signing amount of Rs 40,000 even after the film was shelved. Both Sunil and Nargis had humble inclinations. That’s what made their bond unique. Sunil deserves kudos for the way he lived after Nargis. He won over all temptations and worked to provide relief to cancer patients. His love for Nargis shone in every move he made.” The brother ended on a rueful note, “Sunil had brought me a stick which got stolen. I must now make do with memories which are painful.” Zakir’s fondest memory is “Sunil used to touch my feet when ever we met.” At the professional front, broadcaster Vijay Vashisht can’t help lauding Dutt’s broadcasting skills. “I grew up listening to him when he worked for Radio Ceylon. I met him first when I was in charge of “Jaimala” for Vividh Bharati. I was amazed to see how he wrote his own script for the programme. Vashisht still lives by the golden rules of interviewing which Dutt taught him. Interestingly, long before Sunil Dutt married Nargis, he had interviewed her as a Radio Ceylon broadcaster. Kamal Tewari, a music director who received the Haryana ‘Gaurav Samman along with Sunil Dutt last year’. Another trait of Dutt was his endearing nature. That was the magic of Sunil Dutt who will live in his vision. Death, as such, is a state of mind. Tagore’s couplet comes handy here, “Life does not leak because death is not a crack.”
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Rodrigues expresses grief
Chandigarh, May 25
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Major fire in Morni forest
Panchkula, May 25 Official sources said large tracts of the forest area were affected by the fire. Though residents of Morni claimed that the fire was spread over 20
hectares and flora and fauna in the forest were affected, the forest officials denied this. The forest officials said the fire only
spread in the wild growth on the ground. Officials said over 50 labourers and forest guards and workers were pressed into operation to control the fire and efforts were being made to douse the flames. They were being assisted by local villagers led by Mr Nand Kishore and Dr
Harnesh.
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Tigers galore at Chhat Bir zoo
Chandigarh, May 25 Of these 19 tigers, some are set to find their new homes soon in other parts of the country. Though these have been bred in captivity, which is a far easier task from the rearing of the tigers in open parks spread over hundreds of miles such as the Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan, but Chhat Bir tigers have been graded among the best in the country by the Central Zoo Authority of India. Whereas several crores of rupees are spent on national parks, only a few lakhs are spent here at the Chhat Bir zoo. The zoo here has a genetically pure breed of Royal Bengal tigers. It has been proved by the DNA tests conducted at the behest of the Central Zoo Authority”, says a senior officer of the Punjab Wildlife Department. And only genetically pure tigers command value in the world of animals. An hybrid tiger or a lion is considered not even worth a stray dog. Sources said as per the latest census conducted at official
level, there are only 1150 tigers in captivity. As far as the number of tigers in open parks concerned, there is no exact account. But rough estimates say that their number is above 1500. The number of tigers all over the world is said to be between 5000 to 7500. Commercial exploitation of tigers, especially in Asian medical market, has played havoc with these most beautiful mammals. Poachers spare no opportunity to kill them to earn a few thousand dollars. Their fur coats fetch high price in the international market and their bones are used for medicinal purpose. Soon one tiger from Chhat Bir zoo will reach the cool climes of the Kangra valley. Mr Kuldeep Kumar, Director of the zoo, says that one tiger would be gifted to the Gopalpur zoo, near Kangra, in Himachal Pradesh and two pairs will be gifted to the Aurangabad zoo in Maharashtra. And in lieu of two pairs, the Aurangabad zoo will gift one white male tiger to the Chhat Bir zoo. Already there is one white tigress at the zoo. One tiger will be gifted to the Rajkot zoo in Gujarat. One pair was gifted to Libya a few years ago. The Himachal Pradesh zoo will gift mountain goats, red jungle fowls and “khaleez” (black pheasants) etc to the Chhat Bir zoo. Rajasthan has gifted some “Chinkaras” to the zoo. Besides, Punjab has planned for the exchange of birds and exotic animals with zoos in Pakistan. The Central Zoo Authority has given Rs 50 lakh as grant to the Chhat Bir zoo for setting up one veterinary hospital and expansion of a lion
safari where old lions will be housed to spend the last phase of their life. Money has also been given for water treatment plant to provide clean water to the hippos.
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Going may be tough for Chander Mohan camp
Panchkula, May 25 Wise after being sidelined in the elections for President of Zila Parishad, Congress Councillors belonging to the Selja camp are demanding that elections for the post of President be held in the beginning of June. These Councillors are trying to hold the elections in the absence of Mr Chander Mohan, who is away on a holiday and will be back only around mid -June. Ms
Selja, Union Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Employment, is also away to South Africa on an official visit. She is likely to come back by the end of the month, and Councillors from her camp want the elections to the top post be held immediately upon her return. “We are skeptical that just like in the Zila
Parisahd, Mr Chander Mohan will seek the support of Councillors owing allegiance to the INLD to get his man elected as President and work out a power sharing formula with INLD. We want fair elections for the post of MC chief, so we want the elections to be held,” they say. These Councillors say that though its been over a month that the Congress Councillors had ousted INLD supported President, Ms Seema Chaudhary, Mr Chander Mohan has made no initiatives to elect the President. The Councillors had got together and approached Mr Chander Mohan, asking him to elect the President. “But he has been unable to make a decision because of groupism amongst the Councillors. The MC has been without a regular President for almost a month. The Chief Minister has already said that he wants to strengthen the local bodies in the state, so the Council will not be dissolved,” say the Councillors from the Selja camp.
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Helping kids with learning disabilities
Panchkula, May 25 ‘‘I had never thought that I would be in this field but while seeking help for my daughter who had a similar problem, I developed interest and decided to help other children like her and parents like me’’. Her learning centre was established in 1988 and is now providing a ray of hope to 150 students. She has been fully involved in the project for the past 17 years and devotes around 10-11 hours everyday. ‘‘Now I have as many as 25 teachers working in the school. She is currently on a visit here to conduct a five-day workshop organised by ODE, an organisation working for children with learning disorders. It was her passion for helping children with learning disabilities that made this postgraduate in psychology enroll for courses in dyslexia in London and for Strategic Intervention Module at Kansas University, USA. ‘‘There is a lot of awareness about learning disorders in western countries so I wanted to upgrade my knowledge to develop a more effective curriculum suited to the needs of Indian kids’’. At her centre yoga, dance, tai chi, karate, occupational therapy are being used to work out holistic development of the child and to improve reading, writing and body coordination skills of the children. ‘‘Yoga and meditation have helped us a lot in improving concentration and motor abilities in hyperactive and attention deficit children’’, she adds. Her quest for learning more also took her to Israel where she attended the Instrumental Enrichment Programme and became a certified trainer. At the workshop held in Panchkula she trained teachers from different schools from Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali in instrument enrichment. Giving details of the programme, she said this method helped under-achievers cope with the challenges of life. The programme devised by Dr Reuben Feuerstein in Israel, comprises a set of paper and pencil activities. It has 14 instruments and these include comparison, analytical perception, orientation in space and time, instructions, illustrations, progression, transitive relation, designs, empathy, emotions, comparisons, unit to group and tri-channel attention. She has held training workshops in
Coimbatore, Kochi, Madurai, Mumbai, Kolkata and at several other places. ‘‘It gives me a lot of satisfaction to see that the awareness about learning disorders is much more now as compared to what it was about 20 years ago’’, says
Lalitha. Learning disorders can include Attention Deficit (AD), attention deficit and hyper active disorder (ADHD), Asperges syndrome (low end autistic children who have poor social skills, language ability and impaired learning), so it is important to make an accurate assessment.’’ ‘‘Schools should not throw out these children and parents should coordinate with the teachers. If a child is getting low scores and is not able to cope up with normal school work, not able to analyse and comprehend on his own then there is a need to know why it is so and the sooner the help is provided the more effective it is, as the success rate is much higher in younger kids’’.
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Retired JCO gets pension of jawan
Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 25 Even a legal notice served to the Controller of Defence Accounts (CDA) did not move things. Finally, he knocked the doors of the judiciary and the Punjab and Haryana High Court has now directed the CDA to act upon the legal notice and decide the case within two months. A resident of Kalka, Leela Dhar had served with the Punjab Regiment and retired in May, 2003. However, due to a clerical error, his pension was wrongly recorded in the discharge papers, even though his rank, length of qualifying service and other details were mentioned correctly. Given his service qualifications and trade, he had been placed in Group-Y, where the salary and consequent retirement benefits are higher and that of Group-Z where lower grades are applicable.. However, the basic pension being paid to him is Rs 1275, which is the lowest grade. His actual pension works out to be much higher. He took up the matter with the regimental records office as well as the CDA and wrote to them several times. In fact, the records office even wrote to the CDA pointing out the clerical mistake. In its communication with the CDA, the records office even mentioned that the onus for the mistake and its rectification lay with the CDA and that the Army would not be responsible in case any legal proceedings are initiated by the aggrieved ex-serviceman.
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South Asia ‘major hub’ for human trafficking
Chandigarh, May 25 This was revealed by Ms Feroza Mehrotra, Deputy Director of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). She said Muslim women from the South Asian region are lured for jobs as domestic helps, in massage parlours and beauty parlours. Upon reaching these countries, they were either pushed into prostitution; sold off; or, used as sexual slaves. Human trafficking from the region also includes trafficking for organs and trafficking of children as camel jockeys. While maintaining that South Asia is a current hub for human trafficking, she said that the source areas keep on changing.”
Poverty, internal strife and lacklustre laws have made this region as the current source area,” she says. The problem can be contained when the government and social agencies begin to look at the problem as a human rights issue, and not merely as a socio-moral issue, she adds. She was here to participate in the Regional Consultation to Combat Cross Border Child Trafficking and Talking to The Tribune, Ms Mehrotra says that UNIFEM has recently supported the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Institute of Social Studies in preparing a report on human trafficking. She says that in this study, which has now been submitted in the Supreme Court, they have made a profile of the victims as well as the customers, besides doing their
mapping. She informs that UNIFEM has also been focussing on cross border interactions between social organisations to stop the influx of women and children from Bangladesh and India, through South Asia Professionals Against Trafficking (SAPAT). “SAPAT consists of lawyers, police officials and social organisations, who are helping in dealing with the “push back system”. Often girls from Nepal and Bangladesh, who are rescued from traffickers in India, are pushed back across the border into their countries at night. SAPAT is helping people understand why push back system is important,” she says.
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UT-club stalemate over rent may end soon
Chandigarh, May 25 Yesterday the Chandigarh Club informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it was ready to pay the enhanced lease rent to the Chandigarh Administration and also clear the arrears of the lease amount. As per the new offer, the club will pay Rs 1.15 crore to the Administration if it is allowed it to relocate the kitchen and enter into a fresh lease of 33 years. This means that the club management will pay increased rent of Rs 1.08 lakh/month with effect from April 1, 1993. During resumed hearing of the petition filed by the club challenging the enhancement in the rent as also order to pay the arrears, counsel for the club said the club was ready to pay all dues as per the enhanced rent if the UT Administration cleared its building plans for shifting the kitchen. Another condition put by the club is for UT to renew the lease deed. During hearing, both sides appeared to be reaching a compromise, with counsel for UT Administration saying that UT could consider the offer. As per the compromise formula, the club will submit fresh plans of the alternations made allegedly in violation of the rules and the Administration would examine them and decide within three months. It may be recalled that UT Administration had increased the rent of the club from Rs 8,300 per year to Rs 2.08 lakh per month. However, later the rent was reassessed at Rs 1.08 lakh per month and the club was asked the pay arrears with effect from 1982, which the club refused.
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HUDA
open darbar a success Panchkula, May 25 Residents complained that the policy for changing building bylaws with regards to the front projection of the houses should be clarified. “The old frame houses in Sectors 2, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 17 were allowed to make some minor changes in the front projection of houses after giving a compounding fee. However, the Estate Office now says that any change in the front projections are not allowed,” said Ms Jyoti, an architect. Some architects demanded that the HUDA policy on construction of rain water harvesting structures should be changed. Mr Deepak Rai Walia, Congress leader and resident of Mansa Devi Complex, demanded an alternative route for Mansa Devi Complex residents. He also demanded bus queue shelters for Mansa Devi Complex. Ms Kasni, asked the engineering wing to conduct a survey for the same. Complaints regarding the functioning of the Estate Office were also received. Ms Kasni asked the survey branch and the engineering branch to check illegal occupation of unsold HUDA booths in Mansa Devi Complex by beggars. The issue was highlighted in the columns of Chandigarh Tribune on May 23.
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Parents of stillborn allege gender lapse
Chandigarh, May 25 Twentyeight-year-old Reena Rani gave birth to a stillborn baby at 1.40 am on May 23 and was told by the staff that she had given birth to stillborn girl. However, after checking record files today, Reena’s father, Ram Chander alleged that in one of the columns, the sex of the stillborn had been mentioned as `boy’. Alleging lapse on the part of the staff he said: “It is a matter of social justice. When the record showed that a boy was born to my daughter, how could the nursing staff mislead us. The family had in fact even buried the
girl. The Head of the Department of Gynaecology, Prof Sarala Gopalan, was not available for comment.
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Nurse alleges harassment
Chandigarh, May 25 The complainant, who is presently admitted to the CCU ward of the hospital, has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking action against the GMCH Director-Principal, Dr
H.M. Swami, and Medical Superintendent (MS) J.K. Dass. The petitioner had also complained against the two to UT Home Secretary. The petition says that Dr Swami and Dr Dass are blackmailing her and she had complained about the same in writing to the UT Adviser, SSP, and Chief Vigilance Officer. However, no action has been initiated in the matter. After hearing her counsel, Mr Justice S.K. Mittal today issued notice for July 22.
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Day market contracts for unemployed
Chandigarh, May 25 Details of day markets have been worked out by the corporation and the markets will see the light of the day in the near future, reliable sources said. The city will be divided into three zones and the markets will be allotted for a contract of one year only. The markets will be located near the site of the existing apni mandis. Vendors have been asked to specifically sell items other than agricultural products.
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BJYM rally against UPA
Chandigarh, May 25 Mr Davesh
Moudgil, president of the local unit, said the Bihar Assembly had been dissolved in an undemocratic manner. Mr Satya Pal Jain, national convener of the legal cell of the BJP, and Mr Yash Pal Mahajan, president of the local unit, also criticised the UPA government.
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Boy goes missing
Chandigarh, May 25 Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Sector 23, had gone missing since 8 am yesterday. Mr Roshan Lal, Mukesh’s father, said Mukesh is 5 feet 7 inches tall having a fair complexion. He was wearing blue-coloured jeans and a red shirt with grey strips.
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Drug peddler held with charas
Chandigarh, May 25 The police sources said Ram Kumar, a resident of Burail village, was arrested with the contraband that he had brought from Bihar. He is said to be originally hailing from Madhepur village in Madhu Vani district in Bihar. The police in a press statement said they were on the hot pursuit against drug-peddlers in the city of late. The Crime Branch had already identified the outlets where the narcotics are sold in retail. In pursuance of the strategy, a special picket was set up near the intersection of Sector 44 and 45. The police had information about a few suspected out-lets of the narcotics in the Burail village. Accordingly, a trap was laid at a strategic point under the supervision of the in-charge, Crime Branch. During the trap, the police party observed one person, who was coming towards the intersection from Sector-44 side, suddenly turned back on seeing the police party. On suspicion, the police party present on the spot apprehended him and the search of a bag that he was carrying led to the recovery of one kg of charas, said the police sources. A case under Section 18 of the NDPS Act has been registered at PS-34, Chandigarh. During the preliminary interrogation Ram Kumar reportedly confessed that he was in the trade for quite some time. He had brought the present consignment from Bihar for its further disposal in the retail sale to the customers. He will be produced in the local court tomorrow. His interrogation is continuing for further recovery and arrest of his associates, said the police.
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2 addicts held, remanded
Chandigarh, May 25 Ashwani Kumar Anand and Deepak Sood, both residents of Sector 16, Panchkula, and Ajay Kumar, alias Bunti of Sector 18, Panchkula, were earlier involved in snatching incidents. After getting specific information a trap was laid and they were invited through a source to a particular place on the pretext of exchanging some goods. Accordingly, both of them landed at a pre-determined place. A crime branch team, which was already stationed nearby apprehended them. Deepak Sood said in August 2004, he along with Ajay Kumar of Sector 18, Panchkula, had snatched a gold chain from a woman in Modern Complex, Mani Majra. The gold chain was recovered from their possession.
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4 injured as car, truck collide
Panchkula, May 25 Residents of Sector 12 Panchkula, Mr S.K. Garg, Mr ML Bansal, Mr Ravinder Garg and Ms Anita were on their way from Pinjore to Panchkula when their car collided head-on with the truck approaching from the opposite direction. Some motorists informed police personnel at the Chandimandir police station. The injured were taken to the General Hospital, Sector 6. Critically injured, Mr S.K. Garg has been referred to the PGI.
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Man commits suicide
Mohali, May 25 The victim,
Harphool, left home last night and when he did not return till this morning, his family members informed the Chandigarh police. The SHO, Mullapur
Garibdass, Mr Bhagwant Singh, said the victim was dressed in a pant and shirt. “He had carried a pyjama with him after having planned the suicide. He used the pyjama for hanging himself. He tied one end of it to the tree and the other to the neck and then jumped off the tree,” he said. He added that the victim was married and had three children. The victim had just come back from his brother’s wedding in Delhi.
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Self-styled baba arrested
Chandigarh, May 25 Police sources said Vijay Nath originally hailed from Karnal district in Haryana. A case of kidnapping under Sections 363 and 366 of the IPC has been registered in the Sector 31 police station. A police team has also been sent to Karnal to nab the accused.
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3 held on charge of duping firm
Chandigarh, May 25 The police on Monday arrested two employees and another person who introduced the accused to the bank for opening a fake account there. One of the accused employee is still at large. Mr Ajay Kumar of M/s Ajay Kumar and Sunil Kumar, at plot number 136/39, Phase I, Industrial Area, lodged a complaint with the police alleging that his employees, Pawan Kumar of Sector 27-D, Satish Kumar of Sector 32, who were assigned the job of depositing money in the banks and collection of money with connivance of another accused Vijay Kumar, of Sector 32, a charted accountant of the firm cheating his firm by opening a fake account in the Canara Bank branch in Sector 32.
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Another theft in Panchkula
Panchkula, May 25 The thieves struck at house No 1640, Sector 21, owned by Mr Tej Ram, and decamped with valuables and cash worth thousands of rupees. The owner had been to Shimla along with his family when the thieves targeted the house. The family found the lock of the main gate broke open and the house ransacked. The police has started investigating the matter.
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20 booths auctioned by MC
Dera Bassi, May 25 With the auction of these booths, the civic body has generated an income of Rs 1,00,000 per month. Booth aspirants from the area assembled at the spot and offered open bids amid confusion. A majority of the booths were auctioned from Rs 3,200 to Rs 5,000 on monthly basis along with a security deposit of Rs 50,000. The bids were accepted only after the seekers deposited a sum of Rs 10,000 with the municipality. Mr Vipan Thaman, a local resident, offered a sum of Rs 7,600, the highest bid, for booth no 15, a corner booth.
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Chandigarh
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