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Rathore’s girl, too, defaulted on fee

Chandigarh, January 7 In a startling revelation made by the UT administration today, Sacred Heart School expelled Ruchika Girhotra in 1990 for non-payment of fee, but it overlooked the fact that SPS Rathore’s own daughter, Priyanjali, was also a defaulter for the quarters of April and October the same year.
Home Secretary Ram Niwas reads out the probe report at Chandigarh on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Decision on Rathore’s bail plea today
Panchkula, January 7
Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanjeev Jindal today reserved his decision on the anticipatory bail plea of former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore and co-accused Sewa Singh in the Ruchika molestation case for tomorrow.

Anand Prakash, petitioner in the Ruchika case, discusses the matter with a lawyer at the district courts in Panchkula on Thursday. Tribune photo: Nittin Mittal

Lid blown off school’s claims
Chandigarh, January 7
The UT administration enquiry report which was made public today not only found Sacred Heart School, sector 26 guilty of expelling Ruchika Girhotra in an arbitrary fashion but also traumatizing her there by indelibly scarring her impressionable mind.

Sun brings respite, mercury may rise further
Chandigarh, January 7
City residents got some respite from the unrelenting cold today after the sun came out from the clouds after a foggy morning. The adjoining states of Punjab and Haryana also enjoyed relief from the dense fog that had thrown life out of gear during the past few days.

Costly generators meant for tubewells lying idle
Mohali, January 7
In a classic case of taxpayers’ money going down the drain, two diesel-run power generator sets purchased by Mohali municipal council to operate tubewells in Industrial Area, Phase IX are gathering dust.

New attraction at Mohali: A Sikh museum

Mohali, January 7 The state government has chalked out an elaborate plan to promote tourism in Punjab so that state’s rich cultural heritage can prosper. Tourism, Culture and Jails Minister Hira Singh Gabria said this after inaugurating the “Sikh Ajiab Ghar” here today. A statue put up outside the Sikh museum, which was inaugurated by Punjab minister Hira Singh Gabria in Mohali on Thursday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Sirohi is customs chief
Chandigarh, January 7 PK Sirohi, a 1978 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), has joined as the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, Chandigarh zone. The zone comprises Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh.

COMMUNITY

Governing bodies may run community centres
Chandigarh, January 7
The municipal corporation (MC) is mooting a proposal to hand over the maintenance and upkeep of community centres in various sectors of the city to the elected governing bodies, headed by area councillors.

Admn battles termite menace Chandigarh, January 7 Termite menace continues unabated, particularly affecting green trees all over the city. A survey of trees along the city roads shows deep scars of termite infection along the Madhya Marg, the Sarovar Path, the Vigyan Path and the Dakshin Marg, besides others. A tree shows heavy termite infection on the Madhya Marg in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Census preparations under way
Chandigarh, January 7
Preparations for the census-2011 have begun and the Government of India has decided to create the National Population Register (NPR), which will contain information on specific data items for each individual.

District crisis groups in all Punjab dists
Chandigarh, January 7
District crisis groups (DCGs) have been constituted in all districts of Punjab for tackling industrial disasters, Tiksham Sud, Punjab Minister for Forests and Labour, said here today.

30 tubewells to be installed
Mohali, January 7
The Mohali district administration is spending Rs 170 crore on the installation of 30 new tube wells in rural areas across the district. The tube wells will be fully operational by March 31.

2 killed, 5 hurt in accidents

Zirakpur/Lalru, January 7 The early morning fog has taken its toll here with two persons being killed and five others getting injured in four road accidents on the Chandigarh-Ambala national highway in the past 24 hours. Also, three vehicles collided at Zirakpur due to fog. A truck that met with an accident on the Chandigarh-Ambala national highway at Dera Bassi on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Fog hits road traffic Zirakpur, January 7 With fog engulfing the region, especially in the early and late night hours, traffic on the stretch between Zirakpur-Lalru on the Chandigarh-Ambala national highway continues to move at snail’s pace due to poor visibility. A car takes a wrong turn in dense fog on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway. Tribune photo: Nittin Mittal

Tax waiver for bordering states unfair: Mohali industry
Mohali, January 7
Protesting against the extension of incentive package to neighbouring states of Punjab, BS Anand, president, Mohali Industries Association (MIA), has said that income tax and central excise waiver to the states neighbouring has resulted in discrimination against Punjab and preference for states enjoying tax holiday, whereas it is prohibited under Article 303 of the Constitution of India.

Road Safety Week ends
Chandigarh, January 7
The 21st Road Safety Week conducted by the Chandigarh traffic police concluded at the Children Traffic Park in Sector 23 here today.

Theft at shops
Watchman cooked up kidnapping: Police
Mohali, January 7
Investigations by the police into a series of thefts at shops in Phase V today revealed that the watchman, Raju, was never kidnapped by burglars, with the former confessing to sleeping at his house when the theft took place. He was only informed about the theft by his fellow early in the morning.

EDUCATION

New academic session begins at PGI
Chandigarh, January 7
The new academic session at the PGI began today with an enlightening address by Dr VM Katoch, Secretary to the Government of India, department of health research and director-general, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi. While addressing new students, Dr Katoch said, “The PGI is one of the leading institutes in the country and students, who are trained here, also have to lead in their respective fields.

PU students protest against online attendance
Submit memo to VC
Chandigarh, January 7
Students of department of laws, Panjab University, today initiated a strike against the introduction of online attendance system and authorities refusal to accept medical certificates of students.

Suicide at PGI Nursing Institute
Students allege harassment by principal

Chandigarh, January 7 The suicide by MSc nursing student, Anshu Mathew of the National Institute of Nursing at the PGI on Monday triggered tense moments on the PGI campus here today. Students of the National Institute of Nursing Education raise slogans at the PGI in Chandigarh on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Seminar on alcoholism
Chandigarh, January 7
The NSS unit and medical committee of MCM DAV College today organised a seminar on “Alcoholism and Alcoholics Anonymous”.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Residential school for underprivileged kids
Ropar, January 7

Giving a ray of hope to street urchins, ragpickers, children working at brick kilns and school dropouts belonging to rural areas to build a future for themselves, the local Red Cross Society and the Rotary Club have set up their third residential bridge course school at Salora village under a special scheme of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA). Students of residential bridge course school being given a carrom board at Salora village, Ropar, on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

2.44 lakh kids to be given polio drops
Patiala, January 7
As many as 2.44 lakh children in the age group of zero to five years in Patiala would be administered polio drops from January 10 to February 7.

Free medical camp
Patiala, January 7
The Lions Club Patiala Royal organised a free eye and dental check-up camp at Dhudial Khalsa Senior Secondary School here today.

Health dept collects samples
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 7
Officials of the health department collected 15 samples of midday meal being provided to children in different schools of the district today.

COURTS

Judicial custody for Pritpal Chandigarh, January 7 A local court today sent Baba Pritpal Singh to judicial custody. Accused in a land grab case, he had been remanded in police custody twice since his arrest on January 2. Followers of Baba Pritpal Singh queue up in front of the courts complex in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

Man acquitted in rape case
Chandigarh, January 7
A local court today acquitted an accused of rape and kidnapping in a case pertaining to October 2008.

CRIME

Fruit-seller murder case solved Six of seven-member gang held Chandigarh, January 7 With the arrest of six youngsters allegedly involved in a robbery and snatching spree, the police today claimed to have solved the murder case of fruit-seller Rajesh Kumar. The murder accused being produced at the district courts in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Thursday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

Woman killed in road mishap
Chandigarh, January 7
In a hit-and-run road accident, a 26-year-old woman, identified as Meena, a resident of Colony No 5 and a domestic help, was crushed to death by a school bus near Colony No 5 here early this morning.

SPORTS

Nakireddi, Mohit in final Chandigarh, January 7 Sai Kartik Nakireddi stormed into the final of the boys singles by defeating top seed Sumeet Shinde in the ITF World Grade 3 Ranking Junior Tennis Tournament held at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association here today. A tennis match in progress at the CLTA in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

St Soldier Trophy
DAV-8 beat CM Eleven
Chandigarh, January 7
BTS Academy, MCM-36, BVCA and Greenfield Academy have all made it to the semifinal of the St Soldier Trophy being held at Saint Soldier International School, Sector 28, here.

CLEAN SWEEP: Budding football players of Dadu Majra village prepare the ground for the forthcoming seven-a-side football tournament at Dronacharya Stadium in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

UP, HP to fight for volleyball title
Chandigarh, January 7
It will be a repeat of last year as holders Principal Accountant General, Uttar Pradesh (Allahabad), and runners-up Principal Accountant General, Himachal Pradesh (Shimla), qualified for the final of the North Zone Accountant General Volleyball Tournament being played at the Sector-7 Sports Complex here today.

Paramveer books berth in final
Chandigarh, January 7
Continuing with his winning streak, Paramveer Bajwa, Punjab, entered the final of The British AITA Total Tennis Talent Series being played at The British School courts, Sector 70, here today.

Cricket
Trials to select Haryana team on Jan 10
Chandigarh, January 7
The trials to select probables for Haryana team to participate in the 1st All-India Senior T20 National League Cricket Tournament to be organised by the Cricket Council of India (CCI) at Rohtak, Haryana, from January 21.

Cricket trials tomorrow
Chandigarh, January 7
The trials to select probables for the Mohali district senior cricket team would be held at the C Ground of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) on January 9 at 2 pm.

Football tournament from Jan 18
Chandigarh, January 7
A two-day Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars-2010 Football Tournament would be organised by the High Life Management Calcutta at the Sector-17 Football Stadium here from January 18.