NEIGHBOURHOOD

Red beacon atop MC chief’s car goes unnoticed
Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 22
The Punjabi University organised fourth seminar in its series of functions regarding the tercentenary celebrations of Gurta Gaddi Diwas at its neighbourhood campus of Joga Rallah in Mansa district.

While presiding over the seminar, Dr Jaspal Singh, vice-chancellor of the university, said Gurbani was replete with examples sensitising human beings towards their surroundings. It not only contains divine values but also deals with the temporal values related to the societal fabric.

The vice-chancellor advised the politicians to learn lessons from Gurbani as it comprises of all values of good governance.

Seminar coordinator, Dr Gurnek Singh, said the university had planned to hold 11 such seminars. This will culminate into holding of a grand function on the university campus, he said.

Dr Amanjot Kaur, Dr Gunjanjot Kaur and Dr Malkinder Kaur presented their research papers on the occasion. 

Bassi Pathana, December 22
The Arthiya Association has criticised the move of the state government to distribute bonus directly to farmers through banks.

In a press release issued here today, Rajesh Singla, press secretary, Punjab Arthiya Association, and Surinder Singh, general secretary, District Arthiya Association, said there was resentment among commission agents as well as small farmers against the government move.

They said most farmers did not have bank accounts and even if they had one, it was mandatory for them keep a minimum balance of Rs 1,000 in the account. Also, opening a new account required a lot of formalities.

Most cheques of small farmers were less than Rs 1,000. They said a majority of farmers relied on commission agents who paid them in cash.

Meanwhile, farmers have urged the government to distribute bonus through commission agents as they made payment in cash, whereas in banks they had to face harassment.

Ropar, December 22
Neelam (30), a resident of Phase XI, Mohali, is suspected to have committed suicide by jumping into Sirhind canal here today.

The incident took place at around 10 am, when Neelam apparently jumped into the river and nobody standing nearby could save her. Eye witnesses said Neelam sat on the Sirhind canal bridge for sometime and was feeding fish in river. Suddenly she fell into the river, leaving the onlookers astounded.

The Sirhind canal bridge is one of the busiest passages to the city.

ASI Manjit Singh from city police station reached the spot and recovered Neelam’s purse and footwear. The police recovered her mobile phone from her purse and made a call to her husband, Surinder Kumar. Divers looked for her body for around three hours, but could not find it.

SHO (city) Sheetal Singh said Neelam had been married for 10 years and had a seven years old son. Her parents live in Sector 44, Chandigarh, who left their home in search of their daughter after receiving the news. Neelam was working with a telecom company in Phase VII, Mohali.

Meanwhile, the police has registered a missing’s case.

Kalka, December 22
The rail traffic on the Kalka-Shimla section, which was suspended on Sunday due to derailment of the 253 up Holiday Special near Dharampur, resumed here today.

Official sources at the Kalka railway station said it took them 16 hours to clear the track.

A special relief train, with a team of doctors and labourers of the IOW department, was sent to the scene for rescue operations.

A team of the Northern Railway, including higher officials of engineering, operating, commercial, safety and mechanical departments, had rushed to the scene after the accident.

Ajay Jyoti Sharma, Company Commander (CC) of the RPF, Kalka, said the track was cleared around 12.45 am. The sources said all trains except 253 Up Holiday Special ran on the section.

Rail traffic on the section was suspended after the accident yesterday. 101 Rail Car and 241 Shivalik Deluxe were cancelled due to the late arrival of Hawra-Kalka mail, while 241-A Duplicate Shivalik, 251 Mail, 255 Express and Up Mix Train had remained suspended.

Subsequently, hundreds of passengers and tourists had to face inconvenience as they had to go to Shimla by hiring taxis.

The sources added that over 300 passengers were given full refund worth Rs 40,000. The railways had started two holiday trains to cope with rush on December 20.

Chandigarh, December 22
Sonu, a resident of Ludhiana, was arrested for allegedly planning to kill Ram Pal, a resident of Kajheri.

Ram Pal, who works as a tailor in a boutique in Sector-22, alleged that Sonu, who worked with him, had come to his resident on the intervening night of October 6 and 7. He requested Ram Pal to allow him to stay in his house.

But, Sonu bashed him over the head with a brick and even tried to strangulate him with the clutch wire of a scooter.

“I fell unconscious. Sonu decamped with my mobile, gold chain and cash worth Rs 3,000 after locking the room from outside, alleged Ram Pal.

Cops seized the brick and the clutch wire of the scooter from the spot and registered a case under Sections 342, 382 and 411 of the IPC at Sector- 36 police station.

Chandigarh, December 22
The police has registered a case on a complaint filed by Harpreet Kaur of Manimajra, alleging that Gurpreet Singh, Bharpur Singh, Gurinder Singh, Kulbir Singh and Jaswinder Singh threatened him on the phone. A case has been registered.

Assaulted

Harbhajan Singh has filed a complaint with the police, alleging that Paramjit and Manmohan of Maloya beat him at his house today. A case has been registered.

Stolen

Renu Garg of Khara has lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that an unidentified person stole her bag containing Rs 500 and a mobile phone from her car parked in Sector 24 today. A case has been registered at the Sector 11 police station.

In another incident, Sarad Aggarwal, a resident of Uttarakhand, has got an FIR lodged, claiming that his bag containing a laptop, Rs 500 and important documents was stolen from Sector 17 here today. A case has been registered.

Locks broken

The local police has registered a case on a complaint lodged by Gurjit Singh, a Sector-23 resident, that the locks of his relative APS Sandhu’s house were broken yesterday.

Presently, Sandhu is posted in Anandpur Sahib. A case under Section 457 of the IPC has been registered at the Sector-11 police station.

House burgled

Santosh Devi, a Sector-47 resident, has in a complaint lodged with the police alleged that Rs 32,000 in cash and gold rings were stolen from her residence yesterday. A case under Section 380 of the IPC has been registered at Sector-31 police station.

Chandigarh, December 22
Seven persons, including Amit, Honey and Rahul of Sector 25, Nitin of Sector-12 and three others allegedly robbed two security guards deputed at a mobile tower in Sector-25, yesterday. Om Parkash, a resident of Bilaspur, has in complaint lodged with the police alleged that the accused armed with sharp-edged weapons, stole his purse containing Rs 1,800 cash, two mobiles, clothes and nine batteries yesterday.

A case under Section 395 of the IPC has been registered at Sector-11 police station. All accused have been arrested. Amit has been put behind bars and other sent to a juvenile home.

Mohali, December 22
A Dubai-based couple, Veer Vikram Singh and his wife Neena Singh, were picked up from the Delhi airport and brought to Mohali today in connection with a case of alleged cheating lodged by Rajesh Gupta, a resident of Sector 33, Chandigarh.

The Mohali police had issued a lookout notice for the couple and on the basis of the notice, immigration officials at the airport detained the couple.

Gupta, the complainant, had alleged that the couple, who were his business partner in a Mohali-based plant manufacturing scaffolding material, had cheated him of several lakh rupees.

After being brought to Mohali, the couple were questioned by DSP (city-II) Swarandeep Singh. In spite of repeated attempts, the DSP could not be reached for comments.

The couple after being questioned were left off and given time till January 2 to give their side of the story. The police has not registered any case so far and is probing the matter.

The complainant had alleged that between April, 2007 and November, 2007, he had sent material worth Rs 7.5 crore to Dubai.

His partner’s husband, Veer Vikram Singh, who was in Dubai, had received the material for dispatch to parties. But the money never reached Rajesh.

Rajesh had to pay back bank loans and other liabilities taken to run the business.

Mohali, December 22
Close on the heels of a bomb hoax at Taj Hotel a couple of days ago, a hawker used a bogus identity proof to slip through gate No.5 right under the nose of private security staff in spite of foolproof security ring around the PCA stadium, the venue of the five-day Test match between Indian and England.

The “vigilant” private security guards failed to notice that the identity card was valid for access through gate No. 6 and not gate No. 5.

Intending to sell the Tri-colour and some other items, the suspect, Surinder Kumar, tampered with the identity card of Vasant, who had been allowed to sell cold drinks. The suspect changed the picture of Vasant’s and used his own to avoid suspicion.

Some mediapersons sitting in the block noticed commotion when policemen in mufti nabbed the hawker.

After being arrested, the suspect was taken to the police station, Phase 8. The police was verifying the antecedents of the suspect before registering a case.

Tickets in black

The police had been on a high alert ever since reports of unscrupulous elements selling match tickets in black was highlighted.

The tickets of different stands were being sold for a marginal profit and most of the gullible purchasers were college-going students coming to the stadium. “Since the ticket sale counter on the outer boundary wall of the stadium was closed, we had not option but to buy the ticket in black,” said a group of college students.

The movement of CID sleuths around the stadium had also been intensified to arrest suspicious elements, confirmed sources in the police.

Cheer for hotels

The match at PCA has brought fortune to two hotels in Phase X market as beer is continuously flowing, courtesy English visitors who are spending time in the hotel’s bar. A manager at one of the hotels said the English visitors were finding it convenient to relax at the hotel’s bar due to its proximity to the stadium. This afternoon, there was little space at the restaurant as it was flooded with English guests.

Mohali, December 22
After witnessing thin attendance during the first four days, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) has decided to allow entry to two persons on a single ticket on the final day of the 2nd Test match being played between India and England at PCA Stadium.

According to a press release, tickets holders of terrace block (gate No. 1-C), VIP block (gate No.5), chair block (gate Nos. 6 & 12), student block (gate Nos. 7 & 11) and members’ block (gate No. 14) will be allowed to bring along one companion on a single ticket.

However, this offer is not applicable to AC lounge (gate No. 1-A) and corporate boxes (gate No. 1-B).

Chandigarh, December 22
The local police today denied allegations that Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh broke security cover at Hotel Taj recently.

A section of media had reported that the cricketer had breached the security cover at Hotel Taj to reach his father at a petrol station in Sector 17 on Wednesday night.

Denying the allegation, H.S. Doon, SP (security and traffic), said: “Yuvraj had informed the police while going out of the hotel and even our PCR vehicle and a personnel security officer (PSO) had accompanied him. He even informed the camp commander of the security wing before going out.”

“We have given instructions to both teams of informing the police before leaving the hotel premises. Even the PCA has been asked to tell players to inform the camp commander (DSP) before making any such plans,” he added.

Doon said after a hoax call was made by an unidentified person from Chhattisgarh, he had been keeping an eye on security cover at the hotel by visiting the hotel in a private car.

Even the Ministry of Home Affairs has given instructions about security cover given to cricketers and team officials.

Chandigarh, December 22
The UT education department will organise the 54th National School Games here from January 8 to 13.

The games will be organised in fencing and handball for under-19 years boys and girls, skating under-11, 14, 17 and 19 years boys and girls, table tennis under-14, 17 and 19 years boys and girls and roller hockey boys.

The event, in which over 3,000 students will take part from across the country, will be inaugurated by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd) at Sports Complex, Sector 42, on January 8.

Addressing a press conference here today at the UT Secretariat, Home Secretary-cum-Chairman of the organising committee Ram Niwas said a control room had been set up at GMSSS-23 and the education department had selected around 150 qualified referees/umpires from the UT sports department and Panjab University for the games. The department may also take the services of coaches from NIS, Patiala, he added.

The venues for handball, fencing, table tennis, skating and roller hockey would be GMSSS-23, GMSSS-10, table tennis hall, Sector 23, and KBDAV-7, Chandigarh, respectively.

Chandigarh, December 22
Fifth-seed Manav Das of Ambala made his exit as a number of seeded players fell by the wayside in the second round of the LG Goodricke Eastern India Amateur at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkata today.

The region’s challenge in the tournament ended with Manav Das falling tamely to 21st seed Moin Malak.

H.S. Kang of Chandigarh was the first to go when he failed to qualify for the matchplay format. He was followed by 15-year-old Ashbeer Saini from Kapurthala who bowed out after the first round.

The biggest upset of the day was top seed Akshay Butta losing to Pawan Kumar 2 down. Akshay Butta, who had a good run at the LG RCGC Cup, could not live up to his seeding and bowed out of the tournament.

In the bottom half of the draw, number two seed and leader on the LG Order of Merit list Gagan Verma continued to march ahead, despite the seeds tumbling around him. Gagan defeated Divyanshu Bajaj by 4 and 2. He finished runner-up last year at the LG-Goodricke Eastern India Amateur and will be looking to go one better this year with a win.

In another upset, Abhinav Lohan lost out to Jasjeet Singh. Jasjeet won the tie one up, and this was his second close win in the tournament after having won his first round tie in the first playoff hole.

Round 2 scores (seedings in brackets):

Pawan Kumar (17) b Akshay Butta (1) 2 up, Gagan Verma (2) b Divyanshu Bajaj (18) 4 and 2, Jasjeet Singh (20) b Abhinav Lohan (4) 1 up, Moin Malak (21) b Manav Das (5) 5 and 4, Rahul Bajaj (11) b Keshav Kapoor (6) 2 and 1, Amanjyot Singh (8) b Sanjeev Mehra (9) 1 up, Arshdeep Tiwana (23) b Abhishek Jha (10) 19th hole, Karan Vasudeva (14) b Angad Cheema 4 and 2.

Chandigarh, December 22
Panjab University Campus snuffed out the spirited challenge of MCM DAV College (W), Sector 36, 38-22 to claim the Panjab University Inter-College Netball (women) Championship on the PU campus today.

In the match played for the third and fourth place, GGS College (W), Chandigarh, got the better of Government College for Girls, Sector 11, 19-17.

While in the PU Inter-College Weightlifting (men) Championship, SGGS College, Chandigarh, with 10 points bagged the first spot. SCD Government College, Ludhiana, with six points and Arya College, Ludhiana, with five points claimed second and third place, respectively.