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81,000 cases pending in District Courts
Chandigarh, December 14
In a development that may lend credence to the dictum ‘justice delayed is justice denied’, the city’s district courts are bursting at the seams with over 81,000 pending cases till November 2009.

Stray Cattle Menace
Man dies as scooter hits buffalo
Chandigarh, December 14
The failure on the part of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to curb the stray cattle menace in the city today claimed life of a scooterist.

A file photo of cattle moving on a road in Chandigarh during night. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Bonanza for contractual teachers
Chandigarh, December 14
After a long protest, the UT contractual schoolteachers have a reason to smile as the administration has decided to raise their salaries almost by a double. As per the formal instructions letter dispatched to the schools, the scales of the contractual teachers have been revised and will be paid with effect from August 2009.

Lunch Break: Indian geese gather around an employee of the Chattbir Zoo for food on Monday.Tribune photo: Vickey Gharu

Link between cancer, guilt contested
Chandigarh, December 14
Doctors in the city have questioned the findings of the “research” of senior PGI cardiologist Prof Yashpaul Sharma that “speaking lies can cause cancer”.

MC yet to come to grips with parking problem
Chandigarh, December 14
Instead of having increased the number of parking lots in the city, the municipal corporation is now burdened with the task of optimum utilisation of the limited space in the existing lots to ease residents’ parking woes.

COMMUNITY

50 illegal structures razed
Chandigarh, December 14
Over 50 structures were razed during a clean-up operation at Colony No. 5 here today. The demolition drive, which began at 10 in the morning, lasted till around 12 noon.

Residents of Colony No. 5 look on as cops guard the area during a demolition drive on Monday. Tribune photos: Vinay Malik

Residents look for their belongings. Tribune photos: Vinay Malik

Whiskey’s Arrest
Victim’s father lauds cops for promptness
Chandigarh, December 14
KS Dhillon, father of Harjinder Singh Dhillon, who was allegedly killed by Davinder Singh, alias Whiskey, on November 25 today appreciated the Chandigarh police for arresting Whiskey in a short span of time.

Seminar on ‘Press, Police and Politics
Mohali, December 14
“Back door censorship to control news content through the Cable Regulation Act by the Congress led UPA government will strongly be opposed by the Akali government. The act aims at curbing freedom of the press,” said Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Minister of Information and Public Relations and NRI affairs at a seminar on “Press, Police and Politics” organised by Mohali Press Club here today.

Experts at a seminar on ‘Press, Police and Politics’ in Mohali on Monday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Rs 4.65 cr for revamping of schools
Chandigarh, December 14
In a bid to revamp the schools ailing infrastructure, the administration has decided to spend Rs 4.65 crore on the construction of buildings of schools and colleges. The decision was one amongst many taken at a meeting, which was convened by UT Home Secretary Ram Niwas.

Campaign against social evils
Chandigarh, December 14
Fiftyfive members of Ram Mohan Mission, Kolkata, were in the city today as a part of its all-India social awareness movement against social evils. Speaking to the media here, Sankar Biswas, founder and president of the mission, said they took up the campaign on February 3 and volunteers would educate public to raise their voice against the social evils and prejudices.

Sankar Biswas (extreme right) along with volunteers of the Ram Mohan Mission take oath to eradicate social evils, at the Press Club in Chandigarh on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Playing with life!

Underage motorcyclists don't care two hoots for traffic rules in Chandigarh. Tribune photos: Vinay Malik

NSUI adopts electoral system to choose leader
Chandigarh, December 14
The National Student Union of India (NSUI) has taken an initiative of introducing the democratic system in the organisational set-up of the party.

New Transport Nagar
Process of acquiring land begins
Chandigarh, December 14
The process for the acquisition of land for the new modernised transport nagar, coming up approximately on 75 acres in Daria village, has started.

Poor Cousin — II
Staff crunch hits MC functioning
Panchkula, December 14
It’s not only Panchkula’s police force that is plagued by a manpower shortage. Over 50 posts in the local civic body have remained vacant ever since they were sanctioned years ago. In the absence of adequate staff maintenance of roads, streetlights and parks as well as sanitation in the town have been affected badly, leaving the residents in a lurch.

Slumdwellers demand allotment of plots
Panchkula, December 14
Thousands of slumdwellers from Rajiv colony and Indira colony took out a protest march seeking plots under the rehabilitation scheme, here today.

FIGHTING THE CHILL: With mercury taking a dip in the region, these children seem to ensure full protection against chill by putting on multi-layered woollen clothing in Chandigarh on Monday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Sweaters given to needy
Mohali, December 14
Prerna Sahayta Society, Sector 70, Mohali, an initiative by a group of homemakers of Mohali, today extended a helping hand to the children of economically weaker sections of society by distributing pullovers in Satyanarayan Mandir, Sector 70, Matour village, here.

Dhonchak appointed Registrar (Grouping)
Chandigarh, December 14
Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) MM Dhonchak has been appointed Registrar (Grouping) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Sarang to celebrate founder’s centenary
Chandigarh, December 14
The Sarang Research and Cultural Centre, Mohali, has planned to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of its founder Gyani Mohinder Singh Rattan, a renowned Sikh scholar.

EDUCATION

‘Monkeynastix’ in school
Chandigarh, December 14
The city-based British School becomes the first ever north Indian educational institution to introduce “Monkeynastix”. The pioneer movement hailing from South Africa is meant for the children between the age group of 2.5 year to 8 year and aims at improving physical, motor, cognitive and intellectual skills of the children.

Tiny tots of British School get training in ‘Monkeynastix’ in Chandigarh on Monday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Teachers’ body defends Dhanda’s enrolment
Chandigarh, December 14
Questioning the opinion given by the legal council of university on the PhD exemption case, the All-India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO) today held a press conference at the student centre, defending the enrolment of Vijay Dhanda.

Students seek affordable hostels
Chandigarh, December 14
The monthly expenditure borne by a student staying in rented accommodations, which have a thick student population, is nearly five times more than the expense of a hosteller in Panjab University.

Performance in raga Lalit enthrals audience
Chandigarh, December 14
The department of music, Panjab University, in collaboration with SPICMACY, witnessed a lecture-cum-demonstration by Dr Prateek Chaudhri, son and disciple of world renowned sitarist Padmabhushan Pt Debui Chaudhri.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Ensure drug-free society, says ex-SGPC chief
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 14
Single party rule at the Centre has harmed the interests of minorities in the country, who feel insecure even after 64 years of independence.

Red beacon on vehicles common sight in Rajpura
Rajpura, December 14
Red beacons on vehicles have become a common sight here as a number of people have installed red beacon atop their vehicles without having any authorisation.

Robbers loot Rs 1.35 lakh from hardware shop
Kalka, December 14
Robbers decamped with Rs 1.35 lakh in cash from a hardware shop at Abdullapur on NH-22 in Pinjore yesterday evening. In a complaint filed with the local police, the shopowner, Ravinder Thakur, who is also heads the town’s INLD Beopar cell, alleged four men came in a Maruti Zen car from the direction of Panchkula and forcibly entered his shop, adding he was there at the time. He stated three of them began beating him and hit his head and legs with wooden rods.

Two get 10-year jail
Ropar, December 14
The court of district and sessions judge GK Dheer today awarded a 10-year rigorous imprisonment to two persons, including a Punjab police employee, in a murder case.

Pbi varsity to have flower valley: VC
Patiala, December 14“To spread a splash of colours, Punjabi University, Patiala, will soon develop a “flower valley” on its campus exhibiting a large variety of seasonal flowers. This will be done with the purpose of adding more beauty to the environment and aesthetic ambience of the university”. This was stated by Vice-Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh, while distributing prizes to the winners in various categories of the “Chrysanthemum Flower Show”, organised by the university’s construction wing here today.

Appointed
Patiala, December 14
Director research and medical education (DRME), Dr Jai Kishan, has been appointed in the editorial board of prestigious “India Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Services”, which is an official publication of the National College of Chest Physicians being published in New Delhi. Dr Jai Kishan is also the counsellor of National College of Chest Physicians. —TNS

COURTS

Nari Niketan Case
Court to frame charges on Jan 8
Chandigarh, December 14
Following the submission of the chargesheet in the Nari Niketan rape case, the court will frame charges against all the four accused on January 8.

Husband accuses in-laws of giving dowry
Panchkula, December 14
In a reverse case of sorts, a man has sought registration of a case under Section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, against his in-laws. The applicant, Guarav Mangla, a resident of Sector 9, and accused of seeking dowry, has alleged that his in-laws had given him dowry against his wishes and later implicated him in a dowry harassment case.

Financier’s Murder
Charges framed againt 4 accused
Panchkula, December 14
A local court has framed charges against four accused — Ashok Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Sonu and Robin Khan (name changed as accused is juvenile) — under Section 302 of IPC for killing a financier, Vinod Mittal, and his four-year-old son, Yashan Mittal.

Erring lawyers be brought to justice: HC
Chandigarh, December 14
Less than a month after the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked advocates to be above board, it has asserted that the courts need to ensure that advocates exceeding their role as professionals are brought to justice.

CRIME

MLA’s son thrashed; 9 booked
Chandigarh, December 14
The police today arrested nine persons, including bouncers and a manager of a popular discotheque in Sector 8, for allegedly thrashing son of a Punjab MLA and his friends during a party on Saturday night.

Couple robbed of Rs 5 lakh
Panchkula, December 14
A couple from Yamuna Nagar fell victim to tricksters, who robbed them of jewellery and cash worth Rs 5 lakh here today.

Man hit by truck, dies
Mohali, December 14
Harjeet Singh, a resident of Phase XI, died after being hit by a truck near Celebrations Banquet Hall at Phase XI here. The deceased and his relative Jagwinder Singh were standing on the roadside after attending a wedding on December 12, when the killer truck hit him. He was then taken to the PGI, Chandigarh, where he was declared brought dead. A case under Section 304 A of the IPC has been registered.

One booked for rape bid
Zirakpur, December 14
The Zirakpur police has booked one person for allegedly trying to rape a minor girl of Nagla village here today.

Rs 17,000 stolen from scooter
Zirakpur, December 14
Two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths broke open the dickey of a scooter and fled with Rs 17,000 from the Zirakpur market.

SPORTS

Khalsa lads lift handball trophy
Patiala, December 14
Maintaining their supremacy, GSSDSS Khalsa College, Patiala, lads won the Inter-College Handball Championship (Men) for the 10th consecutive year. The tournament began on December 12 and concluded at Khalsa College here today.


Winners of the handball championship in a jubilant mood in Patiala on Monday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Bhavan Blaster Trophy
Little Flower outplay Holy Child School
Chandigarh, December 14
An all-round performance by Ankur (52, 4 for 14) enabled Little Flower Convent School, Panchkula, to beat Holy Child School, Panchkula, by 35 runs in the Bhavan Blaster Trophy for U-10 being played at Bhavan Vidyalaya School, Panchkula.

A match in progress between Surinder (Punjab) and Neeraj (Himachal Pradesh) during the 17th Senior Men and 4th Women North Zone (Zonal National) Boxing Championship in Chandigarh on Monday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Sharmila wins second time in row
Nalini loses in nail-biting finish at Panchkula
Panchkula, December 14
It was Sharmila Nicollet all the way. This 18-year-old big-hitter from Bangalore overcame an overnight two-stroke deficit to post her second professional golf title of her career, defeating Nalini Singh Siwach in a nail-biting finish at the Panchkula Golf Club here today.

Tennis
Sachin beat Rishabh
Chandigarh, December 14
Sachin Kumar beat Rishabh Sharda 6-0, 6-0 in the first round of U-14 boys singles, while top seed Garry S Amor of the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) won in straight sets against Dheeranush Bhatti in the U-18 boys event. However, Dheeranush Bhatti beat Barun Gill of CLTA 6-1, 6-4 in the U-14 singles. All first round matches concluded on a cloudy day at the CLTA and Lake Club courts.  —TNS