Contractor buried alive in sewer
Our Correspondent

Ambala, August 12
A contractor who had been laying the sewerage pipe in Jaggi colony at Ambala city was today buried alive when he went down in a 13-foot deep sewerage line that was dug up recently. The deceased was identified as Karnail Singh.

It is learnt the contractor went down in the sewerage line to calculate its depth. All of a sudden, the heap of soil caved in and the contractor was buried. The residents of the colony tried to pull him out, but they did not succeed.

Later a JGB machine was brought to the site and the body was taken out. The contractor was rushed to the local civil hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

House collapses due to landslide
Our Correspondent

Kalka, August 12
A house collapsed due to a landslide at Mahadev Colony of Rampur Seuri village near Surajpur. The house was owned by Ali Jaan.

According to information, due to continuous heavy rainfall during the past couple of days, the main wall of Manav Kendra was washed away resulting in the landslide. Colony residents said the incident had led to appearance of cracks in more than 15 houses and they had sought help from the local administration in the matter.

The recent rains have caused havoc in the villages of Kalka sub-division. Two incidents of house collapse were reported last week from Pinjore in which the occupants of the houses had miraculous escape.

Strict vigil for I-Day
Our Correspondent

Kalka, August 12
In wake of the Independence Day, the police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Kalka, have intensified security at railway station and bus stand here.

Ajay Jyoti Sharma, company commander of RPF and Satbir Rana, mandal secretary of RPF Association, informed that special vigil was being kept on train passengers.

Man hurt as gun goes off in bank
Our Correspondent

Zirakpur, August 12
Anil Kumar, resident of Hallomajra, was injured when a bank guard's gun fired accidentally here this afternoon.

The incident took place in Punjab and Sind Bank on the Zirakpur-Patiala road.

According to sources, Anil Kumar, a 25-year-old computer mechanic, had gone to the bank for computer repair. Suddenly, Gurcharan Singh, security guard of the bank, slipped on the stairs following which his rifle went off and bullet hit Anil's leg. The victim was immediately rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.

SPORTS

Deepu, Shivali lift I-Day Cup
Donald Banerjee

Chandigarh, August 12
Sixteen-year-old Shivali Aggarwal and Deepu Dhanoa clinched the Independence Day Cup in the ladies section played on the par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club here today.

They overcame the twosome of Pauline J.M. Singh and Ashu B. Singh after a keenly contested final, which went up to the 15th hole with the winning team leading by five holes with three holes to go.

Shivali, a Class XI student of DAV Public School, Sector 15, and Deepu Dhanoa, who is chairperson of the ladies handicap committee, played well to oust seasoned campaigner Pauline and her partner.

The Independence Day Cup is one of the major tournaments of the Chandigarh Golf Club, which continues for more than one month.

This year, 16 ladies comprising eight teams of two each were in the fray. Lots were drawn for the pairings in the contest.

The youngest contestant in the tournament was Jaipreet Ghuman.

In the semifinals, the winners defeated Binny Bath and S. Ratiya and the losing finalists overcame the twosome of Dimple Minocha and Pikka P. Singh, lady captain.

AITA: Mehak upsets Jaanesh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 12
Wild card and top-seed Jaanesh Kaur, a trainee of high performance tennis programme of the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association, today looked out of form as she was shocked by Mehak in the girls’ under-18 singles first-round match of the AITA Talent Series Tennis Tournament being played at the CLTA stadium in Sector 10 today.

Fifth, sixth and seventh seeds in the boys’ under-18 singles also made their exit in the first round. Aiman Abdullah upset seventh seed Bhavneet and wild card Mandeep Singh Gill showed the exit door to fifth seed Gurvinder Singh Mann.

Results: Boys’ U-18 (Ist round): Himanshu Mali b Amandeep Singh 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, Nischay b Fatehdeep Singh 6-1, 6-2, Atul b Nikhilesh 6-1, 6-1, Ajay Yadav b April 6-4, 6-1, Naveen Kumar b Hardeep Singh 6-2, 6-0, Dinesh Goel b Kavit 6-3, 7-6 (5), Shikhar b Rahul 6-3, 6-4, Aiman b Bhavneet 6-1, 6-3, Mandeep Singh Gill b Gurvinder Singh 6-1, 6-4, Garry Singh Amor b Pankaj Kumar 6-2, 6-1, Abhilash b Bhavesh 6-4, 7-6 (5), Dhruv b Naunin 6-0, 6-2, Bhavanpreet Singh b Parramveer Singh 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, Suraj Beniwal b Gurinder 6-3, 6-3, Akshat Joshi b Rohit 6-4, 6-4.

Girls Under-18 (Ist round): Mehak b Jaanesh Kaur 7-5, 6-2, Nikita b Nyana Goswami 6-2, 6-4, Jaspreet b Sudeshna Sen 6-2, 6-0, Yogita Saini b Shivani Manchanda 7-5, 6-3, Shreya Malhotra b Tanya 6-2, 6-0, Hassan Abdal Dhanoa b Rajbir Kaur 6-2, 6-2, Madhushani b Riya Bhatia 6-4, 6-3, Sandeep Saran b Lavleen 6-2, 6-1, Gundeep Kaur b Indu Punia 7-5, 6-2, Parminder Kaur b Ravnoor Kaur 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, Kinshu b Samridhi Lodha 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7), Bhavika Wadhawan b Disha Dang 6-1, 6-2, Prabhamrit Kaur b Raunica Nagpal 6-0, 6-1, Abhilash b Jaya Lakhshami 6-1, 6-1, Nehal Sahani b Amreen Chaudhary 6-1, 6-1.

NCC boat-pulling contest begins
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 12
The NCC organised a boat-pulling competition at Sukhna Lake here today as part of the Pre-Nau Sainik Camp. Teams comprising naval wing cadets of Amritsar, Bilaspur, Chandigarh, Faridabad and Naya Nangal groups are attending the camp.

Two races were held today. Both boys and girls are participating in the races. The event will continue tomorrow when five more races will be held on which the position of different teams will be judged.

As many as 200 boys and girls from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh naval units are participating in the camp, which commenced here on Saturday. During the 10-day camp, cadets will participate in various indoor and outdoor training activities.

The camp is being conducted by Commander Amar Singh, Commanding Officer, 1 Punjab Naval Unit based at Naya Nangal. All commanding officers of naval units in the states are also attending the camp.

CRIME

Banned meat at marriage party
30 held after group clash
Tribune News Service

Raipur Rani (Panchkula), August 12
Tension prevailed in the town when members of a particular community, infuriated over the use of banned meat at a marriage ceremony, allegedly thrashed a group of people belonging to another community at Hangoli village, near here, today.

Though no one was seriously injured in the incident, the police arrested all the 30 persons, including the father of the bridegroom, who were there to attend the wedding party. According to eyewitnesses, agitated members of a particular community thrashed the guests after rumours spread some banned meat delicacy was to be served at the wedding feast.

Pardeep, a panch of Mouli village, claimed that one of the accused was placing the order for the meat on the telephone at a PCO near the village when someone overheard his conversation. He informed the locals about it, who decided to keep a watch on them.

This morning when a person belonging to Naya Gaon village near Sadhora in Yamunanagar reached here with the order, the villagers overpowered him. Thereafter, they thrashed everybody, including the bridegroom, his family members and other guests before handing them over to the police.

The protesters even attempted to block the National Highway No. 73 to mark their protest. As the news about the incident spread, several residents from the nearby villages started reaching the Raipur Rani police station where the accused were taken. They demanded the arrest of the accused and gheraoed the police station while raising slogans against the police and the administration. Shopkeepers also downed their shutters to mark their protest.

Heavy police force was deployed in the area under the supervision of the Panchkula deputy superintendent of police, Ram Chander Rathi. Subdivisional magistrate Arvind Sharma also reached the spot.

Later, the agitated crowd dispersed when deputy commissioner Rajinder Kataria and superintendent of police Sandip Khirwar reached the spot and assured the protesters that a criminal case would be registered against the accused, adding that the meat would be sent to the laboratory for test.

Though a case has been registered, meat samples have been sent for analysis.

4 held for snatching
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 12
The local police today arrested four people, including a rickshaw puller, on charges of snatching and robbery from Sector 52 near Kajheri village this morning. The accused have been identified as Dharaminder and Vijay, residents of Kajheri, Nazim, a resident of Burail, and Munish of Industrial Area.

According to sources, Monu Singh, a resident of Shimla, was on his way to ISBT-43 last night after selling apples to a local merchant in the Sector 26 grain market. As he was walking on the road diving Sectors 35 and 36, a rickshaw puller approached him.

The moment he took the rickshaw, three men armed with sharp-edged weapons stopped him. They forcibly took away his bag containing Rs 60,000. The trio was riding a pulsar (CH-04-B-3677).

Monu informed the police who immediately swung into action. Special nakas were laid to nab the accused.

The accused had robbed an apple merchant off over Rs 1 lakh last month at Press Chowk while he was on their way to ISBT-17.

28-yr-old found dead
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 12
A 28-year-old was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his house here today. The deceased identified as Joginder, belonging to Bhiwani, was an employee at a pharmaceutical company in industrial area of the city.

One of the brothers of Joginder is posed as joint director with income tax department at New Delhi.

According to police Joginder was a tenant in a house at Sector 15.

The incident came into light when Joginder did not reach the office and his colleagues reached at his residence to know about his whereabouts.

Joginder was found lying on the floor of his house. Froth was coming out of his mouth when the police reached the spot and one glass with some marks of medicine was also found from the spot, said the police. The family of the deceased has been informed about the incident and a case has been registered, said the police.

Youth booked for negligent driving
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 12
A youth in his mid 20s hit a student in Sector 17 this evening.

The victim was identified as Prabjit Singh, student of a private institute. According to eyewitnesses, Sukhraj Singh, driver of a Skoda car, was driving at high speed when the accident took place. Eyewitnesses informed the police who arrested the driver near DC’s office in Sector 17. The driver was booked on charges of rash and negligent driving.

1 held for outraging modesty
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 12
The local police tonight arrested Hira Chand, a labourer, on the charges of outraging the modesty of an 11-year-old deaf and dumb girl here.

According to the police, Hira Chand, who is working as a labourer at an under-construction building on the premises of Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16, was spotted by certain persons while luring the girl.

The police was informed which registered a case after arresting him.

‘Books & Beyond’ opens at DLF centre
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 12
For book readers and music lovers “Books & Beyond” brings good news as its sixth outlet opened here today at DLF City Centre, IT Park, Chandigarh.

In addition to 35,000 books, the store has a whole spectrum of magazines, toys, stationery, gift items, music and accessories. The store has consumer activation events like author appearances, music releases and children's activities.

Roopinder Singh, assistant editor, The Tribune, was the chief guest on the occasion. L. Nagar, business head - North, said, “The store will offer a unique search facility which our shoppers can use to find the books that are hard to find. We will search for any requested book and source for our shoppers. This unique facility will be offered at no extra cost.”

Among the many firsts are selective academic text books and an exclusive Punjabi literature section for lovers of vernacular. The store also houses an inspiring collection of books on religion and spirituality.

Singer Harbhajan Mann was also present.