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Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, February 25
High drama was witnessed outside the district courts in Sector 17 today when convicts in the Beant Singh assassination case Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) chief Jagtar Singh Hawara and BKI India operations chief Paramjit Singh Bheora - were being produced in connection with Burial jailbreak case.

Heavy posse of police was deployed and tension prevailed when over 50 members of the Anti-Terrorist Front India (ATFI) under the leadership of ATFI president Viresh Shandilya gathered outside the court building where Hawara was brought, and raised anti-terrorism slogans and showed black flags as mark of their protest.

As members of the ATFI raised slogans against terrorism, Hawara countered the slogans by raising “pro-Khalistan” slogans. As the situation became tense, the police from the Sector 17 police station intervened and arrested 12 persons as a cautionary measure.

“The two are dreaded criminals and shouldn’t be given any VIP treatment. While the police never took action against Hawara, they booked us under the preventive measures. We were released after being produced before the SDM,” said Shandilya.

The hearing of the Burail jailbreak case was deferred till April 2, 2011.

The two were brought to the city by the Delhi Police as they are lodged in Tihar Jail for their involvement in Delhi bomb blasts.

Chandigarh, February 25
A lower court today framed charges against the former Narcotics Control Bureau Director, Saji Mohan, in a case of misappropriation of funds.

Additional District and Sessions judge, Gurbir Singh, framed charges against the IPS officer in the embezzlement case.

Saji Mohan would now face trial under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13(1)(C) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

UT police had registered a case on January 30, 2009, against both, Saji Mohan and NCB superintendent Balwinder Kumar.

The charge sheet alleges that Saji and Kumar had in connivance misappropriated Rs 13.85 lakh during his tenure in Chandigarh.

The amount, which was part of a case property, was handed over by Kumar to Mohan in December, 2008, for depositing the same in a bank. However, the money was allegedly not deposited by Mohan.

The misappropriation came to light after the Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Mumbai police arrested Saji Mohan in a drug haul case.

Saji Mohan also appeared before the court of the Additional District and Sessions judge, Lalit Batra, in connection with a drug pilferage case registered by the NCB that is also pending against him. The court on Friday recorded evidence of four prosecution witnesses.

Chandigarh, February 25
The UT State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has directed the United India Insurance to pay Rs 4.69 lakh to a city resident instead of Rs 2.69 lakh announced earlier by the Consumer District Forum in June 2010 for the total loss of a car in an accident. The commission has also held that the forum had erred in its judgement.

Jaspreet Singh, a resident of Sector 44, had insured his Elantra car from in January 2008 for Rs 7 lakh and it met with an accident three months later in April. Since the loss was estimated at Rs 9.54 lakh, the insurance company agreed to pay Rs 6.75 lakh after a compromise.

The company subsequently made a part payment of Rs 2 lakh to Jaspreet immediately after collecting the salvage of the vehicle, but the balance amount of Rs 4.69 lakh was not released. Left with no option, Jaspreet approached the district forum.

In a written reply, the insurance company admitted that the car was insured but claimed that the entire coverage could not be claimed as the customer had informed them about the accident 14 days after the incident, which was against the terms and conditions of the policy.

They further stated that the customer took the plea that timely intimation could not be given as he was busy completing formalities with the police and getting the vehicle released from the court on ‘superdari’. However, the customer failed to provide any documentation to prove that the vehicle had been released from the court.

The court dismissed the insurance firm’s contention that no such objections were raised earlier and a surveyor was appointed by the company to assess the loss and a part payment of Rs 2 lakh had already been paid.

The commission comprising presiding member Neena Sandhu and member Jagroop Singh Mahal said the district forum had erred in awarding an amount of Rs 2.69 lakh whereas the complainant was entitled for Rs 4.69 lakh as per the surveyor report.

Taking these facts into consideration, the commission modified the forum’s order and directed the insurance company to pay Rs 4.69 lakh instead of Rs 2.69 lakh.

Chandigarh, February 25
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to consider the case of surviving freedom fighters and their spouses for free air travel in government airlines.

The Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih came out with the directions while he disposed of a petition filed in public interest by advocate HC Arora.

He was seeking directions to the Central government to grant the facility of free air travel to the surviving freedom fighters and their spouses in government airlines.

Arora had contended that if war widows and war heroes could be granted such free travel facility, the freedom fighters also deserve similar treatment.

Disposing of the petition, the Bench asserted: “We need not recapitulate the contribution of freedom fighters. Suffice it to say that it would only be an honour for them for their contribution to the freedom of the country if they are given the facility of free air travel up to a specified number of trips every year as the government may deem fit.

“Their number is very small; all of them must be above the age of 80 years; most of them may not like to travel by air at this age. We have also been informed that such facility for free air travel is being extended to war heroes”

The Bench further observed: “Onkar Batalvi, appearing for the Union of India, has informed us that the Ministry of Home Affairs is seriously considering this matter. We, therefore, direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to take appropriate decision on the consideration by passing a speaking order.” — TNS

Chandigarh, February 25
Within 12 hours of a taxi driver being kidnapped by assailants in Kajheri over a financial dispute, the police arrested all the four accused and rescued the taxi driver today. The four had abducted him for ransom and owing to enmity with him. The accused have been identified as Jatinder, a resident of Sahi Majra village, Mohali, Pritpal Singh, a resident of Barnala, Gurvinder Singh, a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib and Ajay Kumar.

They had kidnapped Mandeep from Kajheri where in their Zen car and took him to a house in Sahi Majra village and kept him in confinement. Mandeep managed to send an sms to his employer, Kulwinder, saying that he has been kidnapped. His phone was then switched off. Kulwinder, who is a taxi operator, informed the police.

The police reached the spot and recovered the Mandeep’s Indica car and his mobile phone in the car from Kajheri. On questioning the nearby shopkeepers, a barber told the police that he saw four occupants of a white Zen car pulling a driver out of his vehicle and forcibly taking him with them. Another eyewitnesses said they also saw a motorcyclist, which was following the car.

Under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime) Satbir Singh, various teams were formed which collected information about the suspects. It was then found that the Zen car had been seen in Sahi Majra village. The police raided a house and swooped upon the accused and also rescued Mandeep. Mandeep told the police that the kidnappers made a ransom call to his mother of Rs 35,000 if she wanted to see her son alive. The call was made by using Mandeep’s SIM card.

The police said Jatinder and Pritpal Singh were working at Mad Arts as animation designers. Accused Gurvinder Singh is working at Vodafone call centre in Mohali while Ajay was working with a water filter company. The kidnappers told that they had a grudge against Mandeep as he got one of their accomplices, Devinder Singh Sidhu, arrested in a case of snatching. The accused told the police that they also had a financial dispute with Mandeep.

Chandigarh, February 25
A youth snatched a gold chain of an elderly woman after entering her house in Sector 37 here today.

The victim, 65-year-old Kailash Rani, told the police that she was sitting inside her house when a youth rang the doorbell and asked for her son, Sanjeev Ghai, who is an advocate in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

As Kailash told him that her son is not at home, the youth engaged her in conversation and pulled her gold chain. He fled on a bike on which his accomplice was waiting.

The police has registered a case at the Sector 39 police station.

Mohali, February 25
Neelam Sidhu won the 100m hurdles in the girls (U-19) category on the fifth day of the 32nd annual inter-house athletics meet at Yadvindra Public School, Mohali, here today.

Chandigarh, February 25
Audit General (AG) Tamil Nadu clinched All-India Inter-Zonal Indian Audit and Accounts Department (IA&AD) Cricket Tournament at the Sector-16 Cricket Stadium here today.

AG Tamil Nadu defeated the host AG Punjab by six wickets to bag the cup. The winners elected to field first and bowled out AG Punjab team on 129 runs in 33.2 overs.

AG Punjab batsmen failed to overcome the bowling attack of the oppositions. Fast bowler R Lakshmi took four for 20, whereas S Ramnichandran took two for 32.

Navdeep Singh (21), Amit Kakria (20) and Rajiv Ratan (23) were the main contributors. On the other hand, AG Tamil Nadu achieved the target in 26.2 overs. R Chandrasekar contributed 33 runs, whereas M Vijay Bharat remained unbeaten on 37 runs.

Cricket coach DP Azad distributed prizes among winners.

Scores

AG Punjab: 129 all out in 33.2 overs (Navdeep Singh 21, Amit Kakria 20, Rajiv Ratan 23, R Lakshmi four for 20 and S Ramnichandran two for 32)

AG Tamil Nadu: 130 for four in 26.2 overs (R Chandrasekar 33, M Vijay Bharat 37 no, Navdeep Singh one for 20, Amit Kakria one for 36 and Arun Tuli one for 18).

Chandigarh, February 25
Rupinder Singh reached in the quarterfinal stage of the Junior India international Badminton Championship being held in Pune.

Chandigarh, February 25
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation will organise a marathon and other athletics events on April 3 in various age groups at the Sector-7 Sports Complex here. This was announced during a meeting by Brig Kuldip Singh Chandpuri here today.

The arts, culture and sports committee of the Municipal Corporation will award the winners with cash prizes, free T-shirts and refreshment to the participants.

Dera Bassi, February 25
The 13th Annual Sports and Athletics Tournament was concluded today on the campus of Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology. Prithvi House won the overall trophy by getting maximum number of medals during the meet.

Simranjeet Singh won best sportsman of the year.