NEIGHBOURHOOD

Bassi Pathana locality sans power for 2 days
Tribune News Service

Bassi Pathana, December 9
“Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who boasts of development in all spheres, should pay a visit to the town and see how “developed” it is,” rued members of the intellectual forum and residents of the town.

Though the council has funds to initiate development work, there is no permanent sectional officer (SO) to prepare the estimate of the amount to be spent on the development work.

Residents have to face a great difficulty in getting their building plans approved.

Streetlights on roads are non-functional. Heaps of garbage can be seen everywhere.

With no facilities, residents are left with no other option but to leave the town.

When contacted, Kulbhushan Malhotra, president of the municipal council, said in the absence of a sectional officer and an accountant, the development work had to be put off.

He said sectional officer from the Sirhind municipal council had been given an additional charge of the town, but he visited the council once in two months.

He said several representations to ministers and higher officials had fallen on deaf ears. He alleged that the PSEB officials were not providing maintenance staff for repairing streetlights as per agreement.

Amardeep Singh Dharni, former president, District Bar Association, Kirpal Singh Sethi, SAD leader, Ashok Tulani, social worker, Rajesh Singla, commission agent and advocate BB Verma demanded a a special package for the town.

Ambala, December 9
The police claims to have solved the murder case of a blind teacher, Jagdish, with the arrest of his wife and her paramour. The teacher’s body was found hanging in his house in February.

The police got the breakthrough when Sunder Devi, mother of Jagdish, suspected the hand of Anita, wife of the victim, behind the murder.

The police rounded up Anita and as part of its investigation took her mobile phone into its possession. The SIM card (No. 9416285122) turned out to be in the name of Karnal businessman Manish Babbar.

The police arrested Manish Babbar and interrogated him in connection with the teacher’s murder.

Babbar disclosed that he had lost his mobile SIM card two weeks ago and hadn’t registered a complaint with the police. The card was used by Anita during this period.

On the basis of the call record and statement of victim’s mother, the police arrested Anita and her paramour Dharamveer for the murder of the teacher.

The two admitted to their involvement in the murder. They reportedly strangulated Jagdish and later hung his body from the roof using a rope.

The body of Jagdish, a resident of Durana village under the Mulana police station, was found hanging from the roof at his residence on February 22 this year.

A case of suicide was registered at the police station on the complaint of Anita. However, the post-mortem report pointed at murder, as the victim was found to have been strangled to death.

Manish Babbar was presented in court today and he agreed to become a police witness in the case.

Chandigarh, December 9
The Chandigarh Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has penalised a sub-divisional engineer of the electricity department and an assistant executive engineer (electricity) for not disclosing the basis or formula for charging a bill after a Panjab University professor retired from his job.

The officials have been asked to refund the bill (Rs 15,942), besides Rs 10,000 as compensation for mental harassment, and Rs 7,000 as cost of litigation.

Prof DN Jauhar, department of laws, on his retirement, in 2009, sought a “No Dues Certificate”’ from the electricity department. He was handed over a bill of Rs 16,189. Professor Jauhar, in his complaint, said, “At no point of time, it was ever pointed out by meter reader or flying squad that his meter had “stuck” way back in 2007 as was being claimed by the officials. Neither the meter was packed and sealed in a cardboard box nor was it sent to ME lab for testing as per required rules.”

As the house was to be handed over to the PU authorities, Professor Jauhar paid the disputed amount “in protest”. He later approached the consumer redressal forum. He had to pay Rs 700 per day as penal rent to the university authorities for the month of April, 2009.

It has been argued that Dr Jauhar was never informed by the officials, at any point of time, that his meter had got “sticky” and was not even told that his meter had been changed. The sealed samples were never signed by the complainant.

Holding the officials guilty, the forum directed that if the order was not complied within 45 days, an interest of 18 per cent would be imposed on the defaulting parties till the payment of the bill.

Chandigarh, December 9
Burglars broke into a Sanitary-cum-hardware shop in Sector 26 and decamped with Rs 35,000 and hardware items worth over Rs 3 lakh. The shop is located at the rear side of the Sector 26 market.

The thieves gained entry to the shop by breaking the locks of the shutter of the shop Surya Laminates. Sudhit, owner of the shop, said the major loss was on account of hardware items like taps and brass items.

The market had engaged a night watchman, but he did not notice any activity last night. Incidentally, the shop is located at a short distance from the Sector 26 police station.

A case of theft has been registered at the Sector 26 police station.

Chandigarh, December 9
Two persons died in two separate road accidents in the city today. Nirmal Singh, a resident of Parol village, died after being hit by two vehicles near Sarangpur-Mullanpur barrier here. The deceased, Nirmal Singh, was pillion riding on a scooter driven by Gurmail Singh. Both fell after being hit by a motorcyclist, Jagpal Singh. Then they were hit by a car driven by Baljinder Singh.

Zirakpur, December 9
Thieves decamped with jewellery, cash and valuable things after breaking into a locked flat at Penta Homes on the VIP road, Zirakpur, here.

In his complaint to the police, BR Mahapatre, owner of the house, said he went to Abohar to meet his parents on Monday.

He got information about the theft by a courier delivery boy this afternoon. He immediately informed his neighbours and asked them to check his house.

When his neighbours entered the house, they found that things were scattered in all rooms of his house.

The owner claimed that cash worth Rs 12,000 (approx), a phone, a watch and gold and silver ornaments were missing.

The police said they had registered a complaint and started further investigations.

Panchkula, December 9
Nineteen-year-old Sharmila Nicollet from Bangalore tamed the tough and tricky greens of the Panchkula Golf Club to take a comfortable four-stroke lead in the sixth leg of the Hero Honda Women’s Professional Golf Tour that got under way here today.

Sharmila made the most of the early morning sunny conditions with a slight breeze wafting across the greens to card a one under par 72 card. This was four strokes better than Nalini Singh Siwach’s three over 76 score at the close of the first round.

Sharmila was happy about her score but said she could have returned a still better score had she been a bit careful.

“My driving was excellent,” she added.

Chandigarh’s Saaniya Sharma, winner of the fifth leg at Gurgaon, just could not find her driver in order to end the day at a distant tied fourth slot with Vandana Aggarwal at eight over 81.

Saaniya, who was the first to tee-off with 18-year-old Tanya Wadhwa, double bogeyed the ninth hole which in fact tested the putting prowess of most of the golfers. Tanya, the junior champion from Texas, fumbled on her debut as a professional. In her words: “My hitting was extremely poor. Driver needs to be more accurate”. She found the greens “very tricky” and was hopeful of reading them better in the subsequent two days. “I had four three-putts and just five greens,” she added. She conceded two double bogeys in a 13 over 86 card and occupied the eighth slot, a good 14 strokes behind the leader.

The other Chandigarh girl, Preetinder Kaur, who is improving with every outing is tied sixth, along with Nitika Jadeja at 84. Compared to the last two days breeze is picking up speed which might throw some challenge later. The course looks in good shape with the greens playing true and firm. All golfers were happy with the conditions on the course. With rule +16 in force, it will have some pressure on some of the golfers, who have not been doing well so far.

Since the par-4 18th hole is 460 yards, the tournament director decided to make it a par 5, thus making the total 73 for the course.

Scores (after the first round): 72 Sharmila Nicollet, 76 Nalini Singh Siwach, 77 Nalini Singh, 81 Saaniya Sharma and Vandana Aggarwal, 84 Preetinder Kaur and Nitika Jadeja, 86 Tanya Wadhwa.