Mohali, July 12
More bogus votes have been unearthed in municipal poll wards here with residents approaching the State Election Commission with serious objections to the voters’ list.

Some of the objections filed with the commission have revealed startling inaccuracies in the poll rolls. In many cases, the names of persons who do not live in the ward in question have been included in the voters’ list. In one case, a person said to be a prospective candidate in the municipal elections scheduled for July 30 got himself and members of his family registered as voters on the basis of his shop address even when they were registered as voters on his home address also. Under the rules, votes cannot be made on the addresses of shops.

Two residents of Phase VII had filed 229 objections with the State Election Commission stating that bogus votes had been made in the area and must be deleted from the voters’ list. After employees of the office of the SDM-cum-Electoral Registration Officer, Mr Sandeep Hans, carried out a verification drive in connection with these objections, 154 objections were found to be correct and as such the names were deleted from the voters’ list.

Earlier, the SDM had rejected 1,357 cases after objections filed in connection with bogus votes were found to be correct.

Sources said that Mr Nirmal Singh, reported to be a prospective candidate, was a resident of Phase III B2 and had govt seven votes made on his home address (1266) for the civic body polls. These seven votes also figured in the Vidhan Sabha voter list for the 69 Kharar assembly constituency.

It is said that since Mr Nirmal Singh wanted to contest from ward no 18 and not 27 where he lived, he allegedly got seven votes made on his shop address (1302/5, Phase XI). The shop was being run illegally in a house. Someone complained to the Election Commission in this regard and all the seven votes made on the shop address were cancelled after verification.

Sources further said that Mr Balkaran Singh, a resident of Phase VII, had filed 139 objections with Election Commission out of which 83 were found to be correct after verification. He had brought to the notice of the commission that voter number 1565 and 1566 no longer lived in Phase VII as they had shifted to Sector 70. Similarly, voter number 1592 and 1593 from house number 2586 lived in a village and not at the address mentioned in the voters’ list.

Mr Balkaran Singh further pointed out that six voters (1796, 1797, 1800 to 1803) had shifted to Sector 68 and no longer lived in house number 2620, Phase VII, as mentioned in the voters’ list. All such names were deleted from the list after a verification was done in this regard.

Mr Manjit Singh, a former Municipal Councillor, who is reported to be contesting the elections from ward no 23, had filed 90 objections regarding bogus votes from his area out of which 71 were found to be correct.

Meanwhile, printing of the supplementary list is being done once again as mistakes were found in the earlier list. The work of printing is likely to be completed tomorrow.

Chandigarh, July 12
The Rail India Technical Economic Services (RITES), the consultancy services of the Indian Railways, has drawn up two routes in the tri-city comprising Chandigarh-Mohali-Panchkula for the ambitious Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS). The routes have figured in the ‘discussion note’ submitted to the Chandigarh Administration for a formal approval.

The two major routes include Panjab University to Panchkula bus terminus via Madhya Marg and Mohali bus terminus to Punjab and Haryana High Court/Secretariat via Himalaya Marg. Minor additions have been later made to the final list of stations on both the routes. The Madhya Marg route now will also include the Railway Station, Mansa Devi complex and the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park.

The Himalaya Marg corridor will now include new ISBT, Sector 43, and the Sukhna Lake. The total length of the project which earlier was 25 km has now been revised to 34.7 km. Chandigarh has a share of 24.7 km, Punjab has 5.4 km and Haryana has 5.4 km.

It has been decided to include certain more areas, including Dhanas and Gwala colonies, Sectors 48-49-50, planned educational belt along the Dakshin Marg, Chandigarh airport, and the proposed IT Park in Panchkula, besides others at a later stage. A network of 51 km has been planned in the second phase.

Chandigarh, July 12
Nature compensates in many ways. Only a year ago, seven-year-old Mohit lost his mother to cancer. Soon after the tragedy, he was abandoned by his father, who could not cater to the child’s needs. The relinquishment happened at Pingalwara, a Palsora-based charitable institution where Mohit was to find a new home and also a new mother.

A year after being rejected, he has reasons to smile. Snug in the arms of Raaj, who has taken of him as her own, he cries no more. Together, the two strike a winning combination despite the odds that define their lives.

Both of them have high degrees of mental disability, spurred in Mohit’s case by a congenital spinal deformity that has blocked his mobility. He is vegetating and there is little hope for him unless the best possible medical expertise is summoned. It was this state that led his father to abandon him.

Raaj’s case is equally hopeless as she suffers from amnesia. She does not know her status nor does she remember if she has a family. All she mutters occasionally is Pathankot, perhaps indicating the place of her belonging, but she was spotted in Amritsar from where she was sent to Pingalwara in Chandigarh.

Raaj came to Pingalwara in February 2000 but never has he been so happy. It is as if she has found the purpose of life in caring for Mohit, whom she serves day and night. Having found home in each other’s company, they sail through their lives with courage, sharing hope and despair alike.

Even for the inmates of Pingalwara, which shelters destitute and the disabled, Raaj and Mohit’s relationship is a matter of celebration. It is something that reinforces faith in the goodness of humans.

Ms Kuljeet Kaur, caretaker, says: “From day to night, Raaj is in the service of Mohit because he cannot move an inch by himself. A few days ago, we had planned to send Mohit somewhere for physiotherapy. We can’t tell you how anxiously Raaj reacted. She cried the whole day and ate nothing. That was when we realised that it would be criminal on our part to separate the two. If we move one, we will have to move the other, too.”

Till that happens, Raaj and Mohit are happy to be where they are. At peace with life and with each other, the two have evolved a special language, in which love is the only alphabet and silence the only script. Both cannot speak but the communication never ceases.

Chandigarh, July 12
The police today arrested Darpinder Brar, alias Cherry Brar, in the stabbing case of a DAV college student at Panjab University yesterday.

Brar, along with Roopinder Singh Mann, president of the Panjab University Students Union (PUSU), and Kamaljit Singh Sidhu, had allegedly stabbed Harjeevan Singh. While Mann was arrested at the spot, Kamaljit Sidhu is still on the run.

A local court remanded Mann and Brar in two-day police custody while the other five, Dalwinder Singh Goldy, president, Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU), Karanbir Gill and Bhagwan Singh, both of SOPU, Rajaydeep Singh and Jatinder Singh of PUSU, arrested under Sections 107 and 151 of the IPC, were sent to jail for 14 days.

Harjeevan, the victim, is still in PGI.

While Mann had alleged that he along with his friends was attacked by a group of a dozen outsiders, led by SOPU activists, including their president Dalwinder Singh Goldy, according to the SOPU activists, Mann and his over 20 supporters stabbed Harjeevan when he along with the other SOPU activists was manning the students’ help tent outside the law auditorium.

Meanwhile, the police today carried out a flag march with over 250 policemen on foot and 15-20 vehicles on the university campus in the evening. They were led by DSP (Central) S.S Randhawa along with three SHOs.

Former PUSU president Malwinder Singh Kang and PU Senator today alleged that the PUSU president had been wrongly booked. He added that the police was biased against PUSU and knew exactly what had happened yesterday since some police constables were on the spot.

Members of the Students Organisation of India too have voiced their support for the PUSU president.

The university authorities have, however, made no change in its internal security system. Sources added that only 54 men are guarding some fixed points in the university.

Chandigarh, July 12
A vacancy of about 28 posts of patwari and kanungo in various departments exist, even as the Administration has not been able to make an arrangement for getting its revenue staff trained in ‘’patwar.’’

Punjab and Haryana have institutes to train patwaris.

Since 1993, at least eight patwaris and kanungo, whose appointment in Haryana has been dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1993, managed to seek appointment in the UT. The selection of 485 candidates had been challenged. Of these, some have been promoted and the others are working on contract.

Regular vacancies in the Estate Office have been converted into contractual posts and interviews are being conducted to select candidates against about six posts. A similar proposal has been sent in case of vacant posts in the office of the Deputy Commissioner, sources said.

Due to lack of trained staff, the work of entering “jamabandi” of land transaction has been suffering for many years.

Chandigarh, July 12
Not only does she teach you to mind your Ps and Qs perfectly, she can neatly twirl that long strand of spaghetti on a fork with élan while telling you the precise difference between why you eat your soup and not drink it!

For her petite frame, Sabira Merchant, style and etiquette guru, theatre and television personality (remember 'What's the Good Word' on Doordarshan which ran for 15 long years), strikes a classy, self-effacing punch.

In the city for the inaugural training session of the first batch of 30 youngsters at the Flying Cats, the Complete Airhostess Training School in Sector 8, Sabira's unaffected demeanour and earthy replies had everyone charmed in a jiffy.

"Everything you need to know about me is on my website", she insists but it is no grooming guru who styled her but what she refers to as her "school of experience" that taught her the delicacies of diction arising from an inherent love for the English language and a strong grounding at Bandra Convent where she studied as a child. "I remember staying up at night to listen to BBC Radio to correct my pronunciation," she smiles.

But today what keeps her spry is her love for young people, ("I love goofing off with them,") and her "balanced regular habits and six days of exercise," that keep her looking like a million wonderful dollars. "There is nothing like believing in oneself along with a spiritual conviction to connect to for that inherent strength," she elucidates.

With her fingers in many pies, including her work with over a hundred multinationals, banks and corporate firms, including airlines and hospitality institutes like this, she says she finds the time to play with her grandchildren, cook, read, party and yes indulge in her first love, theatre.

While Sabira got the Critic's Award for her work in Alyque Padamsee's "A Streetcar Named Desire' for playing Blanche Dubois, she has also received tremendous international acclaim for 'The Rummy Game' with the late Hosi Vasunia, a show that travelled the world. Today she is part of Padamsee's opus 'Macbeth'.

How does she find the time to do all this? "The way I look at it is if the President of the United States can find time to play golf, and he is the most important person and busiest in the world, then why can't I," she smiles, for epitomising this gentle and elegant trait, which is "respect for time" and "humility", two mantras that she essays to perfection.

Chandigarh, July 12
Dimpy had realised that death was coming to him a few seconds before he was fired upon. In an instant reaction he raised his hands and uttered "oh shit", but it was too late.

Police sources said investigation officials questioned Harneev Kaur alias Honey to reconstruct the sequence of events. As her condition is slowly showing signs of improvement, she was questioned about the incident by the cops.

Quoting Honey, the lone eyewitness to the killing, sources said Dimpy had realised that two motor cyclists were about to draw pistol. His instant reaction was to raise hands and uttered the words "oh shit".

Honey further told the cops that she did not notice the approaching motorcycle, as she was looking to her left side where Dimpy was seated and was talking to him. As she was looking in the opposite direction, from which the assailants came, she only realised about what had happen when Dimpy uttered his last words and the fires were shot at him.

The sources added the things just might have been different had Dimpy been armed at that movement or else accompanied by his escorts. A senior police officer said all this gave credence to the theory of murder being carried out with the help of an insider. The assailants knew that at that time he was not accompanied by escorts and was also unarmed.

Honey told the police that the assailants fired five shots from the front before moving ahead and again fired two shots, which slide past over her back tearing her skin and had a close brush with death. Dimpy had two bullet injuries on his back.

The sources said in all probability the assailants were more than two, as no one would think of escaping from there without a cover. They might have been guarded by more armed persons.

About the proceedings in the investigations in this regard, the police sources said the cops were struggling to fix the puzzle of the dreaded gangster murder and are trying to establish the identity of the killers through the mobile records of his acquaintances present in vicinity of the Lake Club at the time of the incident.

They added that the cops were looking into all the calls made from within and around the club to find out if someone called up the killers to inform them about Dimpy's departure. The sources said all acquaintances would be questioned about the calls they made at the time of the incident. In case of suspicion or inability to explain the reason of the call or about the antecedents of the receiver, the police would proceed further in the matter.

The UT SSP said the matter is being investigated in a scientific manner and the police was looking into all possible angles. The mobile call details were being scrutinised to pick up any clue, which could help in shedding some light over the case.

Mohali, July 12
The Pracheen Kala Kendra today organised “nritya sandhya” on the occasion of Guru Purnima. The programme began with a group kathak dance.

Participants performed an invocatory item “dhayan mulam gurur murati”, paying obeisance to the guru and goddess Saraswati.

Subhra Koser took the stage with “aamad, tode and kavitta of natwari anga”. She moved on to present an episode from the life of Lord Krishna. This was followed by Renu Panth performing a dance based on the childhood of Lord Rama.

A group of seven students of Shobha Koser presented “ashtha kalasham”, depicting shingar rasa from the life of Lord Vishnu.

Panchkula, July 12
A Vaishno Devi pilgrim died on the spot while four others sustained serious injuries when the car they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction near Bhanu on the Panchkula-Naraingarh highway early this morning.

According to the police, five pilgrims — Nitish Kumar, Love Kumar, Twinkle, Aish and Ram Kumar — from Uttar Pradesh were travelling in a WagonR to the Vaishno Devi shrine when their vehicle collided head-on with a truck. Nitish Kumar died on the spot. The injured were taken to the Sector 6 General Hospital.

The driver of the truck reportedly fled the scene, leaving the vehicle behind.

A case has been registered.

Chandigarh, July 12
A motorcycle was stolen from the city today.

Chandigarh, July 12
The local police today arrested two city residents for duping a private money lending company of Rs 70,000.

The police said the accused had taken a loan against a secondhand truck and had given 10 cheques to the company of a non-existent account, which were dishonoured by the bank.

Sources in Sector 36 police station said the accused, P.K. Verma of Burail and Sukdev Singh of Sector 36, were arrested on the allegations of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy after Mr S.K. Modgil, Director of Anukrite Unpreet Leasing and Export Company, Sector 35, reported the matter to the police.

Mr Modgil in his complaint had alleged that the accused had taken a loan of Rs 70,000 to purchase a secondhand truck. They allegedly submitted a fake registration certificate of the vehicle and changed its number to procure the loan.

After that they also handed over 10 cheques of South India Bank, Sector 22, to the company to pay instalments, which were later dishonoured by the bank.

It was later found during the investigations that Verma had allegedly conspired with Sukhdev Singh. Sukhdev Singh handed over his cheques book to Verma, who thereby filled a non-existent account number and put his own signatures on the cheques.

Chandigarh, July 12
A medico landed behind the bars this afternoon after he allegedly slapped two woman law officers, following a minor accident involving his scooter and the car of the women, in a parking lot outside the office of Legal Remembrance, Sector 9, here.

His co-accused, a staff nurse is still at large, said the police.

Giving details of the incident, sources in the Sector 3 Police Station said the incident took place at around 2: 30 pm, when the two women were parking their car in the parking lot outside their office.

At the same time a scooterist reached behind the car and got hit by it.

Enraged over being hit by the car, he had a verbal duel with the two women and slapped one of the women.

The women raised an alarm and their colleagues reached the spot and informed the police about the incident.

The police arrested the accused, who was identified as 26-year-old Parminder Singh, hailing from Sunam in Patiala district. He was accompanied by Sneah, a staff nurse of Sector 16 General Hospital.

Parminder, an MBBS, was taking apprenticeship in the hospital.

A case of causing hurt and criminal intimidation under Sections 341, 506, and 323 the IPC has been registered.

Panchkula, July 12
An elderly couple was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Khangesra village near Barwala early this morning. The decaying bodies of Narsingh (85) and his wife Mohinder Kaur (80) were found lying on their cots in the verandah of their house in the village.

Their neighbours smelt a rat when they found the main gate of the house locked from inside for the second consecutive day today.

According to witnesses, the neighbours assembled outside the house and Mr Ali Hassan, a driver with a feed manufacturing unit, jumped across the boundary wall of the house. He was shocked after finding the bodies of Narsingh and Mohinder Kaur on their cots under a mosquito net with ceiling fan on.

He informed the neighbours and the village sarpanch, Ms Kirpal Kaur. Villagers assembled outside the house and the main door of the house was opened. The sarpanch then informed the police.

Father of four daughters, all married, Narsingh, after selling chunks of his land in Dalheri village in Chandigarh, Banmajra village in Kurali and Shazadpur near Ambala, had invested some money in a bank, besides purchasing land in Mubarikpur village near Dera Bassi. He also sold off his land in Mubarikpur village and had constructed a house in Khangesra village three years ago, claimed Jagmohan Kaur, a daughter of the deceased.

The villagers, however, claimed that the couple had returned from Chandigarh two days ago and since then both of them were not seen outside.

The SP visited the spot. After taking the bodies into custody, the police has sent them to Sector 6 General Hospital for post-mortem examinations. The police has also taken some goods into possession for investigation purposes.

The police did not rule out the possibility of a blind murder but was reluctant to say anything concrete at the preliminary stage. The exact cause of death could be ascertained only after the arrival of post-mortem reports.

A visit by The Tribune team revealed that the decaying bodies of the couple had turned blue and were lying on the cots. The police even failed to locate any poisonous substance they had consumed to end their lives.

Meanwhile, the police has initiated inquest proceedings after registering a case at the Chandimandir police station.