Ambala, May 11
Senior Akali leaders of Haryana, including BS Bindra and Gurdip Singh Bhanokheri, member, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (Haryana circle), received the six-week-long procession to hail the tercentenary celebrations of Sikh warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur at Topkhana Mor here this evening.

The procession, on its way from Gurdwara Banda Ghat Sahib at Nanded Sahib to Fatehgarh Sahib, was accorded a rousing reception as it entered Ambala Cantonment from Panjokhra road.

It will travel across several states before reaching its final destination at Fatehgarh Sahib on May 14. The devotees showed enthusiasm and devotion as they lined up to welcome the procession.

The Panj Piyaras (five beloved Sikhs) led a bedecked palanquin of Guru Granth Sahib, which was followed by vehicles displaying arms and ammunition of renowned Sikh warriors.

The “Fateh March” had left from Nanded, the holy place where Baba Banda Singh Bahadur had met Guru Gobind Singh.

“In the morning, the procession was received at Naraingarh by prominent public figures of the state,” said Narinder Pal Singh Makkar, general secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Haryana).

Bhupinder Singh Bindra, general secretary, Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Ambala Cantonment, said: “We are happy that the ‘Fateh March’ is passing through Ambala Cantonment and staying in Ambala overnight, giving an opportunity to people of the city to be part of the procession.”

A spokesperson for the Shiromani Akali Dal today said the procession would proceed for Fatehgarh Sahib tomorrow morning.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal would receive the march at Punjab entry point from Ambala on May 12.

He said the SGPC would issue commemorative coins of gold and silver to mark the occasion.

A series of light and sound programmes would be organised at various district headquarters to apprise people of the sacrifice of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur for the establishment of “Sikh Raj”.

Ambala, May 11
Officials of the state health department and the local administration, including the district health officer and the tehsildar, raided eateries and stores selling unhygienic and cut fruits here today.

A large number of shops, including Reliance Fresh and Easyday, and kiosks selling exposed food were raided and sub-standard food items were destroyed by the team.

According to a senior official of the administration, the health department had launched a crackdown on the sale of sub-standard food items. The team raided had shops, including sweet shops, at Ambala City yesterday.

It is scheduled to survey Naraingarh and adjoining places tomorrow, the sources added.

Patiala, May 11
A refresher course on “Recent development in law and role of judiciary” organised by Academic Staff College of Punjabi University began here today.

Punjabi University Registrar, Dr Manjit Singh, inaugurated the refresher course.

He said globalisation and liberalisation of the world economics in conjunction with rapid advancements in information and computer technology had reiterated the importance of legal awareness and understanding in emerging areas of law.

Dr Ravi Karan Singh, head of department of law and course coordinator, while welcoming the participants said a law, which was static, could survive for long and would be rejected by people for whom the law would be implemented.

Dr NK Dogra, director Academic Staff College, said 24 participants from Goa, Karnataka, Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab were attending the refresher course.

Panchkula, May 11
The local police has filed a charge sheet against a family member of an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA and two of his friends in a local court for an alleged assault on a police official.

Sources said the police had filed the charge sheet against Karun Chaudhary, son of former municipal council president Seema Chaudhary and nephew of Kalka MLA Pradeep Chaudhary, besides his friends Robin and Dhruv.

The police had earlier faced criticism for dropping Section 307 (attempted murder) against accused Karun. Interestingly, injured constable Sagar Bakshi had been transferred by the Haryana police from Panchkula to Kaithal, the sources added.

Sagar Bakshi had lodged a complaint against the accused on January 1 alleging that Karun along with two other youths had attacked him with sharp-edged weapons when he had gone to meet his friends Kapil Datta and Vikas Datta, both brothers and residents of Sector 14.

His friends were also injured in the incident. Sagar was shifted to the General Hospital, Sector 6, from where doctors referred him to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh.

On February 14, Karun Chaudhary and Robin were arrested by the police from a market in Sector 7. However, both were granted bail by a Panchkula court. On February 17, the police arrested accused Dhruv from Chandigarh.

Chandigarh, May 11
In six months, you may be able to get your premises vacated from your tenant on the ground of personal necessity. Decade old cases will be decided in three months.

For, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a slew of directions for cutting down the delay in the disposal of cases. Justice SD Anand ruled: Every petition based upon an averment of personal necessity or a petition filed by a specified landlord would be disposed of within six months of the filing thereof. For expeditious disposal, the judicial courts shall have to accord noticeable and compulsive priority to those cases.

“More than 10-year-old cases shall be positively wiped out within three months from the cut off date, that is May 14. For that expeditious disposal, the courts would be entitled to prepone the date of hearing after notifying the parties opposite.

“Over five-year-old cases shall be completely annihilated upon within six months from the cut off, that is May 14. It will be the administrative responsibility of the district judge to monitor the progress of this type of cases, wherever those are pending, by resorting to whatever methodology they may like to adopt in their own discretion. Quality of supervision would be a part of their administrative acumen, which they are expected to display”.

For monitoring the progress, Justice Anand ordered Punjab registrar (vigilance) would be the nodal officer for the entire state of Punjab and also the Union Territory. Similarly, Haryana registrar (vigilance) would be the nodal officer for the entire state of Haryana.

“The Nodal Officers shall be entitled to oversee the progress of these cases on the administrative side and furnish a report in the relevant behalf by the seventh of every month. Their responsibility in that behalf would be an exercise in continuity till further orders of the court on the judicial side.”

Justice Anand added: “The current are trying and prying times for our institution, which is the constitutionally announced sentinel of justice. The former expression has been used to signify that our institution has to redeem itself by annihilating the old pendency, particularly in a scenario where certain quarters are even endeavouring a resort to RTI for finding out the causes of delay.

“We have to evolve our own in-system mechanism to take care of the malaise of large pendency. It can also be done byprioritising the pendency”.

Chandigarh, May 11
Driven to despair by abject poverty, and unable to rise above his circumstances, a youngster with a blade in his quivering hand threatened to commit suicide before a Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge.

With a tremble in his voice, Hrusikesh Singh blamed the government of spending “corers of rupees” on a “militant”, instead of setting up a project with the same money for generating employment.

Hailing from Orissa and working as a daily labour, Hrusikesh Singh said he wanted the ruckus raised over his silent death to generate awareness among the masses.

In Chandigarh all the way from Ludhiana, especially for taking the extreme step on the high court premises, he was immediately rounded up by the police and taken to the security room. The police station concerned too was informed about the presence of a “youngster with disturbed mind”.

Hrusikesh Singh was moving towards the courtrooms, when the security guards stationed at the gates intercepted him. Inquiries revealed his intentions, resulting in the summoning of backup force. Immediately after the cops surrounded him, Hrusikesh Singh handed over the blade.

Visibly disturbed over news-report on facilities being provided to Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, he said a project set up with the amount spent on him would have given employment to “hundreds” of people. His assertion underscored the dejection faced by the not so affluent in the days of economic crisis; and the inability of the state machinery to redress the financial grievances of the deprived.

Hrusikesh Singh (25), with a younger brother and a sister at home along with parents, blamed everyone around for not understanding his sentiments. He said go to a crowded city like Ludhiana and you find young girls in their 20s begging at the traffic lights. “The people in the cars simply overlook. They do not even pause to look into their eyes,” he said.

Agitated, he said becoming another Ambani was an impossible. “You can’t rise above your poverty, with just Rs 100 for the hard work done daily.” 

Chandigarh, May 11
The police has arrested a resident of Sector 34 from Sector 30 with a knife.

The police said Afzal Khan alias Raju was arrested from near a park in Sector 30 yesterday while carrying a dagger.

Chandigarh, May 11
A two-month summer junior golf camp will be held at the Chandigarh Golf Club from May 20 to July 20. Wards of members and non-members in the 6-17 age-group can take part in the camp which will be conducted by Manjit Kochar, Director, Overseas, Junior Golf Development Programme, ICGA, Canada. 

The trainees will be taught the fundamentals of the game, including putting, chipping, long and short irons, gold etiquette and basic rules of the game. The Indo-Canadian Golf Association will provide all necessary equipment, including golf sets, golf balls, caddy money etc to the participants free of cost. More details can be had from Manjit Kochar at 9815554788.

Chandigarh, May 11
The Chandigarh team will lock horns with Patiala team in the four-day final match of the Punjab State Inter-District Cricket Tournament for Seniors for Katoch Shield, starting from May 13 at PCA Stadium in Mohali.

Today, Chandigarh thrashed Jalandhar by nine wickets at Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, here while Patiala drubbed Mohali by an innings and 240 runs at Dhruv Pandove Stadium, Patiala in the semifinals.

Chasing the target of 75 runs in 66 overs in the second innings, Chandigarh made 77 for 1 in 15 overs to win the match.

In today proceedings, Jalandhar resumed at the overnight total of 270 for 5. Overnight batsman Robin Singh became victim of spinner Gaurav Gambhir when he was at 32. Sarabjit and Robin Singh accumulated 77 runs for the sixth wicket stand.

Sarabjit was unlucky to miss his century by 10 runs. His 176-minute stay at the crease ended by right-arm leg spinner Karanveer, who returned with impressive figure five for 118 in 28 overs.

The second innings of Chandigarh was opened by Sarul Kanwar and Simrat Bawa, who jointly mustered 49 runs before Kanwar (31) was caught by wicket keeper Sarabjit off Rahul Sharma. Karanveer then joined Bawa and the duo took the total to 77 in 15 overs.

Brief score: Jalandhar (Ist innings): 212 all out.

Chandigarh (1st innings): 507 all out in 109.2 overs.

Jalandhar (2nd innings): 369 for all out in 83.3 overs (Taruwar Kohli 88, Abhishek Gupta 91, Sarabjit Singh 90, Robin Singh 32, Karanveer Singh 5 for 118, Amit Uniyal 2 for 23, Gaurav Gambhir 2 for 146, Sarul Kanwar 1 for 31)

Chandigarh (2nd innings): 77 for 1 in 15 overs (Saraul Kanwar 31, Simrat Bawa 26 n o, Karanveer Singh 15 n o, Rahul Sharma 1 for 13).

In the second semifinal played at Dhruv Pandove Stadium, Patiala, Mohali were virtually thrashed by Patiala team as the visitors, who conceded follow-on, were skittled out for 279 in 76.4 overs in their second innings.

Resuming at the overnight total of 125 for 4 in 47 overs, Sumit Ohri and Gunjot took the team’s total to 214 with their 89-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Gunjot hit 69 runs while Ohri contributed unbeaten 53 runs.

Before going back to the pavilion, Ohri stitched another partnership of 65 runs with Sarabjit Singh. Sarabjit Singh chipped in 42 runs off 42. Ankur Jund emerged as the highest wicket taker with three for 87, whereas, Mohit Mohindra and Rajwinder Singh claimed two wickets each for Patiala.

Brief score: Patiala (1st innings): 670 for 5 in 180 overs

Mohali (1st innings): 151 for 9 in 54 overs

Mohali (2nd innings): 279 for all out in 76.4 overs (Gunjot Singh 69, Sumit Ohri 53 n o, Sarabjit Singh 42, Sunny Sohal 42, Ankit Pursharthy 33, Ankur Jund 3 for 87, Mohit Mohindra 2 for 40, Rajwinder Singh 2 for 87, Himanshu Chawla 1 for 24).

The final match will start at 7 am on each day with minimum of 95 overs to be bowled in the stipulated six hours and 20 minutes play.

Sushil Kapoor, spokesperson, Punjab Cricket Association, said the winner would receive the trophy along with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, while the runnersup will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000.