Police solves 13 theft cases
Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, March 5
The Fatehgarh Sahib Police today claimed to have solved 13 car lifting cases with the arrest of a Hoshiarpur resident identified as Bhupinder Singh, alias Sunny. The police had already registered many cases against Sunny in various police stations of Punjab. Sunny had already been declared a proclaimed offender.

Three stolen cars and one Kinetic Honda had been recovered from his possession. A special naka was laid near Talania village and the driver of a Tavera tried to flee after seeing the police. He was, however, chased and nabbed by the police. The driver failed to produce documents of the vehicle and later told the police that he had stolen it from a nearby dhaba.

The accused admitted to lifting vehicles from Batala, Patiala and Hoshiarpur. Further investigation was on to trace other stolen vehicles.

Referral transport scheme
Ambala gets top spot in Haryana
Tribune News Service

Ambala, March 5
Ambala district has got the top position in the implementation of the Referral Transport Scheme introduced by the Haryana government on November 14 last year to ensure ambulance services to all people in the state.

Financial commissioner and principal secretary, health, Navraj Sandhu and the director general, health services, have honoured the deputy commissioner, Ambala, Sameer Pal Srow, by giving him commendation certificate for this achievement.

Srow, who is also the chairman of the Red Cross Society, said such kind of achievements were possible only by joint efforts of the officers of the district administration, particularly the health department. This was the second major achievement of the district after getting a national award in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, he added.

He further said in Ambala district, ambulance services had been provided to 2,016 cases up to February 15 and out of these 1,423 cases were provided facilities on free basis and 593 cases on paid basis.

Srow, listing the details of the services, said out of these 2,016 cases, 459 cases were of emergency nature, 1,071 cases were of pregnant women, 208 cases were roadside accident cases and 278 cases had been referred from one hospital to another hospital.

He further said the Referral Transport System had been launched on November 14 last year in Haryana. Under this scheme 18 ambulances had been provided and all were distributed in different areas. These ambulances were giving 24 hours services in different area.

Srow said the main aim of this system was to attend to the emergency cases, pregnant women, roadside accidents and reference from one hospital to another.

In case of any accident or situation mentioned above, anyone could call on telephone number 102. After receiving the phone call, the ambulance would take only 15 to 20 minutes to reach the said location, he added.

Dairies told to move out of residential areas
Attar Singh
Tribune News Service

Ambala, March 5
District magistrate Sameer Pal Srow has ordered dairies in the city’s residential localities to halt their activities and shift to other areas in view of an imminent spread of epidemic diseases perceived by the administration.

The directive said dairying activities in residential areas in Ambala City were posing a major threat and hence needed to be shifted outside these areas to locations allotted to dairies outside the municipal limit.

ordered a halt to all dairying activities dairies in residential areas to halt being undertaken be halted and the shifted outside areas. In addition to the above, he has also ordered that the following measures may be taken in the district with immediate effect.

Srow asked the municipal council executive officer, Ambala City, Sadar and the secretary of the Naraingarh municipal committee to ensure “all necessary arrangements to keep residential areas and nullahs are clean and there is no dirty water and garbage in their jurisdiction”. They were also told to take steps to shift the dairies out of residential areas after giving three months’ notice to their owners.

The district magistrate order stated: The public health executive engineer, Ambala should ensure clean drinking water is provided to the district’s residents. The civil surgeon will make all necessary arrangements for fogging and spraying of medicines in urban as well as rural areas and ensure facilities in hospitals to ward off epidemic diseases”.

“There is a perceived likelihood of an outbreak of diseases like swine flu, diarrohea, jaundice and malaria in Ambala district due to mosquitoes and contaminated drinking water, which could seriously threaten the life and health of the public”, the order added, adding any violation of these directives would be punishable under section 188 of the IPC.

Car catches fire in Ambala
Our Correspondent

Ambala, March 5
A Maruti car while crossing near milk plant at Ambala City caught fire all of a sudden. Though the occupants of the car managed to escape, the car was totally burnt. According to information, a gas kit was found in the car which could be the cause of the incident. The occupants of the car left the burning car on the road and fled from the spot.

The fire brigade reached there and controlled the fire. The police said the car was having the number plate of Chandigarh, but the claimant of the car did not approach it so far. The road traffic was disrupted for half an hour when the incident occurred.

Two held for forgery
Our Correspondent

Ambala, March 5
The Ambala City Sadar police has nabbed two members of a Delhi-based transport racket here this evening who used to prepare forged documents of commercial vehicles and generally used those for theft vehicles.

The police had arrested Ravinder Kumar and Rajinder Singh in this regard on National Highway 1, near Ambala City, and their two trailers were also impounded. The SHO said during investigation the documents of the trailers were found to be fake.

He said this gang was operating in various states and it was expert in preparing forged bills and goods delivery receipts of transports.

The police had got a tip of in this regard and recovered several forged documents from their possession. The involvement of some officials could not be ruled out in this scam, he added.

Cricket match at MM varsity

Ambala, March 5
A cricket match was organised at MM University, Mullana, here today. The staff and students of MCA department took part in the match. Secretary of MM Education Trust Sanjeev Garg said the students should take part in sports, besides, their regular studies.

He also participated in the match and said a sports stadium would soon be constructed on the university campus to promote sports. — TNS

COURTS

Press club case referred to arbitrator
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 5
The district court today referred the case pertaining to Chandigarh Press Club to the arbitrator, dismissing a suit filed by three members of the club. Sanjeev Pandey, Chanchal Manohar Singh and PD Mohindra had challenged the amendment to the club constitution by filing a declaration suit against its president and 10 executive members, praying that the declaration of president and office-bearers of the club in the elections held in 2009 was illegal.

They said the amendment in 2009 was illegal, thus it should be declared “null and void”.

The counsel for the club, while moving the application under Section 8 of the Arbitration and Consolation Act, said the matter should be referred to the arbitration on the grounds that the amended constitution was passed on January 4, 2009 and if anyone had any complaint regarding the club should have moved its application to the arbitration and not straight away to the court.

The three have now challenged the amendment made during the registration of the club in 1979 stating it to be illegal but still they participated in the same, he added.

If they had any objection, they should have raised the objection earlier and not now when the elections were round the corner.

3-month sentence, but 14 yrs in jail
Human rights body seeks release of Pak boy
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 5
Sentenced to three months! Behind bars for 14 years! The sordid tale of a Pakistani boy’s “illegal” detention in an Indian jail was today brought to the notice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In a petition, city-based advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal through his non-government World Human Rights Council has sought freedom for Asgar Ali’s release, along with release of another Pak youngster Faizaz Ali. Lakhanpal claimed he, too, was put behind the bars without legal authority for 11 years.

Also the chairman of the council, Lakhanpal said Pakistan’s former minister-cum-human rights activist Ansar Burney brought their plight to his notice, resulting in the filing of the habeas corpus petition against the union of India, the state of Punjab, the Director-General of Police and Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police.

Lakhanpal said both residents of Faislabad, Pakistan, were arrested near the PoK by the Border Security Force. Asgar Ali was sentenced to three-month jail by the Rajouri sessions judge. In the other case, the then 16-year-old Faizaz was sentenced to five-year term. Both had undergone the sentence period, but had not been released and repatriated, Lakhanpal said.

Lakhanpal said lodged in Sangrur jail, they were losing their mental balance and things were only getting worse for them.

Taking up the petition, Justice TPS Mann of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the Union of India, through secretary in the Department of Home Affairs and other respondents. The case will now come up on March 16.

The high court is already hearing a similar matter in which Pakistan national Abdul Sharif was sentenced to three-month imprisonment for crossing the Indo-Pak border without valid documents; but has already spent 12 years in jail. On the petition seeking his release, the HC has asked the Union of India and others to furnish the details of the policy on repatriation of foreign nationals in Indian jails and the system adopted for sending them back.

CRIME

Inter-state gang of car thieves busted
Our Correspondent

Mohali, March 5
The police has claimed to have busted an inter-state gang of car thieves and recovered four vehicles from them. According to the police, some members of the gang used to allegedly lift cars from parking areas by using duplicate keys and later sold these in other states by changing their registration numbers.

They even used to hire taxis and on the way used to offer eatables laced with intoxicants to drivers and after they fell unconscious they were allegedly thrown out of the cars and took away the vehicles.

SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said a naka was laid after the police got a tip off that some members of the gang were moving in a stolen Scorpio, which they wanted to sell. The vehicle was stolen from Nawanshahr. The police team succeeded in nabbing members of the gang and recovered the Scorpio, which had a fake registration number on it.

The police rounded up Gurminder Singh, alias Rana, a resident of Ahlomajra, Gurpreet Singh, alias Patial, Nadeem Ahmed, alias Mama, resident of Shimla, Taranjit Singh of Morinda and Mukesh Kumar, alias Sonu, a resident of Nayagaon. Two members of the gang, however, managed to escape.

The police recovered an Indica, which was stolen from Kurukshetra and Maruti cars stolen from Chandigarh.

The SSP further said that on questioning the members of the gang revealed that four more stolen cars were running in Himachal Pradesh. A police party was sent to recover these.

They also revealed that two members of the gang had got fake identity cards of some Air Force personnel, which they used for hiring taxis. The gang had been active for the past one year, he added.

The police has registered a case under Sections 379, 328, 465, 468, 472, 201, and 411 of the IPC against the arrested persons.

SPORTS

Bisla fashions Kings XI-A win
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 5
A fine batting performance by M Bisla enabled Kings XI (KXIP)-A beat Kings XI-B by 29 runs during a practice match at Cricket Stadium, Sector 16, here today. Batting first, Kings XI-A scored 181 runs for the loss of two wickets in their stipulated 20 overs. M Bisla hammered 97 off 61, including 12 fours and three sixes, while Sunny Sohal scored 37 off 29 balls, including seven four. W Mota remained not out on 38 with five fours.

For KXIP-B, Love Ablish and Amanpreet took one wicket each, giving away 29 and 42 runs, respectively. Set a victory target of 182 runs, KXIP-B needed to score at an average of around nine runs per over. However, its batsmen failed to face some tight bowling spell of KXIP-A and scored only 152 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their stipulated 20 overs. Ravi Bopara 36 runs off 30 balls with six fours and Karan Goel 43 not out with four fours and two sixes were the top-scorers for their team.

Ritender Sodhi was the other batsmen who faced KXIP-A bowlers with some courage and scored 15 runs off 13 balls with two fours.

Brief score: Kings XI-A: 181 for two in 20 overs (Sunny Sohal 37, M Bisla 97, W Mota 38 n.o; Love Ablish 1/29, Amanpreet 1/42). Kings XI-B: 152 for eight in 20 overs (Ravi Bopara 36, R Sodhi 15, Karan Goel 43 n.o).

Kanan, Sanya shine in athletics
Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 5
Kanan Thakur of class I, Sanya Chaudhry of class II and Anandni and Aastha of class III dominated in the girls’ events during the inter-class annual athletics meet of classes I, II, and III of Yadavindra Public School that concluded here today. Gurmehar of class II shone amongst boys in the three-day meet in which students of primary classes competed in seven sports events.

Brief results: Boys: 200m: class I: 1 Neel, 2 Guntaspreet, and 3 Gurnoor; class II: 1 Gurmehar, 2 Sidharth and 3 Dhruv; class III: 1 Harmeet, 2 Shiv and 3 Uday.

100m hurdles: class I: 1 Harteshwar, 2 Guntaspreet, and 3 Tanush; class II: 1 Gurmehar, 2 Sidharth and 3 Dhruv; class III: 1 Shehbaaz, 2 Harneet and 3 Angad. Ball throw: class I: 1 Aarav, 2 Subeg, and 3 Varun; class II: 1 Teg, 2 Dhruv and 3 Arshpreet; class III: 1 Advitya, 2 Joshnoor and 3 Harmeet.

Girls: 100m hurdles: class I: 1 Kanan, 2 Jitin, 3 Harleen; class II: 1 Sanya, 2 Manhar and 3 Ishroop; class III: 1 Anandini, 2 Inayat and 3 Aastha. 200m: class I: 1 Kanan, 2 Jasleen and 3 Shubhneet; class II: 1 Sanya, 2 Ishroop and 3 Ananya; class III: 1 Anandini, 2 Mankirat and 3 Aastha. Ball throw: class I: 1 Gurnoor, 2 Jitin and 3 Seerat; class II: 1 Shreya, 2 Sanya and 3 Bismanjot; class III: 1 Jasmeen, 2 Mankirat and 3 Jasmeen.

Ranjit hangs on to slender lead
Gaurav fires best card of the day
Donald Banerjee

Panchkula, March 5
Caddie turned pro Ranjit Singh of Chandigarh managed a one under 71 card to hang on to a slender one-stroke lead at the midway stage of the Aircel-PGTI Players’ Championship on the par-72 greens of the Panchkula Golf Club here today.

His sizzling 65 on the opening day held him in good stead as he finished at eight under par 136 after the second round of the Rs 40-lakh event. Breathing down his neck, barely one stroke behind, is Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh who shot the best card of the day (five under 67) to be seven under 137.

Seasoned city golfer Harmeet Kahlon played a par 72 to slip down the ladder occupying the joint fifth slot at three under 141.

About 50 golfers fell by the wayside as 59 of them moved into the third round after the cut was declared at six over 150.

Ranjit Singh sank three birdies, but conceded an equal number of bogeys to be par 36 at the turn. A bogey-free back nine with one birdie got him a one under 71 card as Ranjit continued to strike it well today but struggled with his putting.

Ranjit, who is a regular at the Panchkula Golf Club, said: “I just could not sink enough putts today. I left at least four putts short which were on the right line. I will have to improve on my putting if I want to stay in contention.”

Gaurav Pratap Singh was on par till the fifth hole and then followed a hat-trick of birdies on the sixth, seventh and eighth. He made a birdie-eagle on the 11th and 12th before conceding the only bogey on the 17th for an excellent 67 card.

Gaurav, a winner on the Aircel-PGTI in the 2009 season, said: “I hit the ball really close today. I hit my three-iron approach to within two feet on the eighth. The eagle putt from 20 ft also lifted my confidence and helped me finish the day on a high.

Results:

Raju Ali Mollah of Kolkata and Sri Lankan Anura Rohana lie tied third at five under 139.

Gaurav Ghei is tied 23rd at two over 146 and Mukesh Kumar is placed tied 41st at five over 149.

Leading scores (after second round): 136 Ranjit Singh (65-71); 137 Gaurav Pratap Singh (70-67); 139 Raju Ali Mullah (70-69) and Anura Rohana (71-68); 141 Toran Bikram Shahi (71-70) and Harmeet Kahlon (69-72); 142 Om Prakash Chauhan (70-72) and Feroz Ali Mullah (72-70); 143 Sanjay Kumar (75-68), Raju Singh (70-73) and Roop Singh (71-72); 144 Randhir Singh Ghotra (72-72), Sujjan Singh (72-72), Ranjit Singh Rathore (72-72), Dinesh Raghuvanshi (68-76), R Murthy (74-70) and Vikrant Chopra (69-75).