NEIGHBOURHOOD

Civil hospital sans doctors
Surinder Bhardwaj

Ambala, April 27
An irate mob of the 12 Cross Road here today blocked the Ambala-Jagadhari road outside the Civil Hospital for about one hour, demanding arrest of the culprits who had killed a youth.

Vijay Kumar (22), a resident of 12 Cross Road, was stabbed when he went to the residence of his friend Ankush in Shivala Mandi around 10 last night. As Vijay Kumar raised the alarm on being stabbed, the alleged assailant fled from the spot leaving the profusely bleeding Vijay behind.

Neighbours rushed to the spot and took Vijay to the Civil Hospital. When doctors were preparing to shift Vijay to the PGI, Chandigarh, he breathed his last. Residents of 12 Cross Road joined Vijay’s relatives when the body was handed over to the family members this morning and demanded arrest of the culprit.

The SP reached the spot and assured the protesters that the culprit would be nabbed soon. On his assurance, the protesters lifted the blockade.

Later in the afternoon, SHO Baljit Singh of the Sadar police station told The Tribune that one Ankush had been arrested and a case had been registered against Vijay’s friend for killing him. He said the police was investigating the case from different angles, as it was not a case of enmity.

Ambala, April 27
The postal department has introduced parcel services on flat rates initially in three fixed sizes to compete the courier service.

Chief Postmaster General, Haryana circle, Indu Gupta said here yesterday that India Post had launched a domestic flat rate parcel service, which was an express service, including high quality flat rate boxes that were of different weights with fixed rates for transmission to anywhere in the country.

She said parcel service would be available at different places, including GPO, Ambala Cantt, and Ambala City, Sadar Branch Ambala Cantt, Baldev Nagar PO, post offices of Sectors 4 and 8 at Panchkula, Yamunanagar head post office and Kalka sub-post office with immediate effect.

According to sources, the Small Parcel Boxes would be available in these post offices at the flat rate in three sizes in the beginning, including small box that carries up to 1 kg and would cost Rs 125 each, medium box that would carry 1 kg to 1.25 kg to cost Rs 200 each and large box to carry 2.5 kg to 5 kg and would cost Rs 400 each.

The consignments would be dispatched to distant places through air service. It would provide an added convenience to the customers by offering them readymade flat rate parcel boxes as per their requirement. It would also assure safe delivery of parcels and offer secure dispatch and delivery solutions coupled with a wide network nationwide, sources added.

Kalka, April 27
On the complaint of SDM, Kalka, Vandna Disodia, the Pinjore police yesterday booked land acquisition officers, a tehsildar, two naib tehsildars and a kanoongo.

Official sources of the SDM office revealed that the case was registered for illegal disbursement of compensation two years ago in context with the land acquisition by HUDA for developing sectors in the Pinjore area, construction of Kaushlaya Dam and Pinjore-Kalka-Parwanoo bypass.

Sources further said that the compensation amount for hundreds of bighas acquired by HUDA was disbursed without the permission of the collector.

Police sources confirmed that on the complaint of the SDM, Kalka, Dinesh Yadav, the then land acquisition officer, DR Kairo, land acquisition officer, Ishwar Chand Bairagi, the then Kalka tehsildar, Surinder and Dhoop Singh, naib tehsildars and Ram Singh, kanoongo, were booked under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of 
the IPC.

The case has been further forwarded to the CID crime branch for investigation, sources added.

Chandigarh, April 27
In a setback to the prosecution, a witness in the case of illegal allotment of sheds, involving Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla as the accused, turned hostile in court today.

While recording his statements in court, GR Pillai, assistant secretary, market committee, said he had not prepared the list of licensees who had been allotted the sheds. He also told the court that he had merely signed the list, but was unaware of its contents.

While recording his statements before the police at the time of the registration of the case in 2009, Pillai had stated an auction recorder, Jatinder Kumar, had come to his room and had added more names in the list. However, today Pillai said he had no clue whether Jatinder Kumar, auction recorder, had added more names to the list.

The case was registered in August 2009 against Babla, former chairman of the market committee,
and Rakesh, president of the Arthiya Association of the Grain Market, Sector 26, into alleged irregularities committed in allotment of 69 platforms in the market.

Babla had been accused of cheating and criminal conspiracy for accommodating 10 ineligible persons during an auction of platforms at the market when he was the chairman of the market committee.

Chandigarh, April 27
Justice Permod Kohli of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the issuance of final select list of 133 posts of Ayurvedic Medical Officers (AMOs), while hearing a writ petition filed by Dr Kulwant Singh and 14 others. They were seeking the scrapping of the result of the written test conducted on April 3.

The petitioners have alleged discrepancies and gross violation of the set parameters for the conduct of written test. Notice on the writ petition seeking directions to re-conduct the written test has also been issued for June 2, to the Principle Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Director Ayurveda and Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.

In the petition filed through their counsel Ranjivan Singh, it was contended in pursuance to an advertisement issued on June 29, 2010, by the Directorate Ayurveda, applications for 133 posts of regular AMOs was sought.

The petitioner, along with others, appeared for the written test held on April 3 at Chandigarh. A number of discrepancies were found in the question booklet, including misprinting, printing disorder, and spelling mistakes. Even though these were conveyed to the invigilators by the candidates, the varsity authorities, instead of cancelling and re-conducting the written test, decided to check the question booklet manually by overlooking the mandatory full-proof pattern of optical scanner system, thereby making room for large-scale bungling. 

Chandigarh, April 27
The CBI court today sentenced former Assistant Director of Advanced Training Institute (ATI), Ludhiana, to two-and-a-half-year imprisonment in a corruption case.

Yogi Ram Verma was caught by the CBI in 2008 while accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh. A fine of Rs 60,000 has been imposed on him.

The CBI had registered the case under Sections 7, 13 (1) d and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In his capacity as Assistant Director, the accused demanded a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from Balwinder Singh, chairman of Desh Bhagat Technical College, Bhjattal village, Hoshiarpur district. Balwinder Singh had stated in his complaint that Verma was demanding money from him for signing a report regarding inspection of the institute.

The inspection was carried out on September 9, 2008. Later, a deal was struck and it was decided that the bribe would be paid to him in Delhi. The CBI laid a trap in Delhi and caught him red-handed.

Chandigarh, April 27
In a rare case, UT Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has asked the consumer forum to rehear a case wherein an ex parte order was passed on the grounds that the respondent was not given an opportunity to explain his stance.

The forum had directed MOH Parking, Sector 17, to pay Rs 4.18 lakh, the cost of a car which was stolen from the parking, to city resident Bhavya Sharma and her mother Neelam Kanta and pay them Rs 50,000 as compensation and Rs 5,000 as litigation costs.

MOH Parking claimed that it was neither served any summons at the address given in the complaint, nor given any opportunity of submitting its version.

The commission, comprising its president Sham Sunder and members Neena Sandhu and Jagroop Singh Mahal, observed that the summons had been tendered to officials of the respondent, which they had refused to accept.

It was of the opinion that an opportunity should be given to the respondent to submit its version before the forum on May 25.

It also set aside the forum’s order, subject to a payment of Rs 5,000 as costs by the respondent to the complainant.

In her complaint, Bhavya had stated that her car was stolen from MOH Parking when she went to attend her classes at the Global Education Centre on October 24, 2009.

She had stated that she had paid Rs 5 as parking fee, but when she came back after classes, her car was missing. She had also stated that she enquired from the person present at the parking, but she did not get a satisfactory reply.

The matter was reported to the police and after a preliminary inquiry, a case under Section 406 of the IPC was registered against MOH Parking.

Chandigarh, April 27
In an ex parte order, the UT Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum has directed Harish Communication and GSM (Fly Service Point) to repair and then return the mobile phone of a city resident, Suraj Pradhan, and pay him Rs 4,000 in all, Rs 2,000 each as compensation and litigation costs.

In his complaint, Pradhan had stated that he purchased a mobile phone of Fly, with one-year warranty, from Harish Communication in August, 2010, but it developed a problem of automatic switch off on November 20.

He had subsequently handed over the phone for repair to the authorised service station of Harish Communication at Sector 35, but it mobile was not returned to him despite several visits.

The forum, comprising its president Lakshman Sharma and members Ashok Raj Bhandari and Madhu Mutneja, observed that the company was guilty of deficiency in service.

It awarded compensation and litigation costs to the complainant, besides directing to the company to repair and return the phone.

Chandigarh, April 27
A Sector-47 resident, Karamdeep Singh (25), shot at himself at his residence here tonight.

The police said he came home in the evening in an inebriated state and had an altercation with his father, Subedar-Major Jaswant Singh (retd). Following which, Karamdeep took out his father's revolver and shot at himself.

He was taken to Fortis Hospital in Mohali where his condition was stated to be critical.

The police reached the scene and was carrying out investigations till the time of filing of this report.

The police said he was mentally unstable. Reports said two years ago, Karamdeep had climbed up a tower in Sector 42 over a girl and threatened to commit suicide. He had been receiving treatment at the PGI for his mental condition.

Mohali, April 27
The police has booked a resident of Zirakpur on a charge of harassing and ill-treating his wife for dowry.

Pallavi, a resident of Phase III-A, had complained to the police that she was allegedly harassed by her husband Abhishek Kumar for bringing more dowry. She told the police that she had got married on November 1, 2009. After about a year her husband allegedly started subjecting her to cruelty for bringing inadequate dowry. A case has been registered.

Killed

One person got killed when he was hit by a speeding truck near Lakhnour village last night.

Harminder Singh, a resident of Shergarh village, Fatehgarh Sahib, told the police that he was going on a scooter from Chandigarh to Sohana. Later his friend, Gurnam Singh, and another person also came on a two-wheeler. When they reached near Lakhnour they were allegedly hit by a truck. Both the injured were taken to the PGI, Chandigarh, where Gurnam Singh succumbed to his injuries. The police has registered a case against the truck driver.

Cheated

A resident of Sector 40, Chandigarh, had complained to the police that he was cheated by a couple who gave him a cheque which bounced.

Ramesh Kumar told the police that he had an iron store in Phase VI in Mohali where Satwinder Singh and his wife Kuldeep Kaur purchased material for a school building, which was being constructed by them in Daon.

They kept making payments for the material purchased by them, but the last cheque of Indian Overseas Bank for Rs 3,90,883 got bounced. The police has registered a case under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC in this regard. 

Chandigarh, April 27
Hosts APJ XI recorded their first win in the APJ League as they beat Coaching Centre-19 by 99 runs at the Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, here today.

Batting first, APJ team hammered 241 runs in the allotted 40 overs. Nipun Pandita played a valiant knock of 56 runs. His innings was studded with five boundaries and two sixes.

He was supported by Karan Ahluwalia (44 off 35 balls) and Sarthak Grover (41 off 28 balls).

For the CCA, Mandeep and Vivek took two wickets each.

In reply, the CCA were bundled out for 142 runs in 34.3 overs. Arun Balhara (23), Ujjawal (22) and Aayush (21) were the notable contributors.

Sahil Chander snapped three for 23 followed by Ashish, who took two for 25 for the winners.

Brief scores: APJ: 241 for seven in 40 overs (Nipun 56, Sarthak 41, Karan 44, Mandeep 2 for 25, Vivek 2 for 7).

CCA: 142 all out in 34.3 overs (Ujjwal 22, Arun 23, Aayush 21, Sahil 3 for 23, Ashish 2 for 25).

Tomorrow’s match: Vampire v CCA at 8.30 am.

Chandigarh, April 27
Local lads Baij Nath Prasad, Nitin, Anil Raina, Rakesh Kochar, Pardeep Singh Negi and Tarini Goyal moved ahead after winning their respective first round matches in the first Chandigarh Below-22 All-India Open Fide Rating Chess Tournament-2011 that started at St Xavier’s Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, here today.

The organisers claimed that out of 117 participants drawn from 10 states, 48 were international-rated players. The tournament is being organised by the Chandigarh Chess Academy.

Points position after first round: 1 point (first round game winners): Vikas Sharma (Punjab); Kantilal Dave (Rajasthan); Ajay Virwani (MP); Ritwan Sauntra (J&K); Swati Mohota (West Bengal); Arvinder Preet Singh (Punjab); Sumit Grover (J&K); Yogesh Gautam (Haryana); Jatinder Kapoor (Delhi); Atul Kumar (J&K); Intkhab Alam (Punjab); Baij Nath Prasad (Chandigarh); Arpit Saxena (Rajasthan); Nitin (Chandigarh); Tarun Sharma (Rajasthan); Anil Raina (Chandigarh); Gursher Singh (Punjab); Raminder Bir Singh (SBoP); Anil Tiwari (Haryana); Rakesh Kochar (Chandigarh); Pardeep Singh Negi (Chandigarh); Tarini Goyal (Chandigarh); Shamim Ahmad (UP); Arunima Goyal (Chandigarh); Imanjot Singh Deol (Punjab); Sewa Singh (Punjab); Trinav Rattan (Haryana); Shweta (Chandigarh); Harinder Pal Singh (Chandigarh); Anubhav Tuknayat (Chandigarh); Manjeet Poonia (Haryana); Jaskeerat Singh (Chandigarh); Sachleen Singh (Chandigarh); Tejas Nagpal (Chandigarh); Stuti Bhanot (Haryana); Shivika Jain (Chandigarh); Aditya P Arora (Haryana); Akshay Anand (Punjab); Amanpreet (Punjab); Anindya Trehan (Chandigarh); Anirudh Trehan (Chandigarh); Anurag Gupta (Chandigarh); Aryan (Punjab); Kuljeet Singh (Punjab); Lakshay Bhatia (Chandigarh); Pawan Jain (Punjab); Shivinder Chib (J&K); Shubham Shukla (Punjab); Tarun Shahi (Punjab); Trilok Mehta (MP); Vipan Negi (Chandigarh).

½ point (who drew their first round games): Abhinandan Vohra (Chandigarh); Manmohan Singh (Chandigarh); Aakarshan Gupta (Punjab); Jeet Singh (Punjab); Simranjeet Kaur (Chandigarh); Ranjan Bhattacharya (UP); Kritik Satija (Haryana); Amartya Bhattacharya (Chandigarh); Amit Sharma (Punjab); Bikramjit Singh (Punjab); Kartik Singh (UP); Kishan Chand (HP); Manish Bhanot (Haryana); NS Guleria (HP); Nivedan Bharowaj (Chandigarh); Rajender Singh (UP); Vikash (Haryana); Vipan Kumar (HP).

Chandigarh, April 27
New Chandigarh Golf Club president Malvinder Singh is determined to implement the five-year rolling plan to give a facelift to the most-trampled course of the country. “It is very much worth it, whatever the cost,” he told The Tribune soon after being elected president of the CGC.

Last year, Birinder Singh Gill had made a similar statement after being elected president for a second term. He had said on March 29 last year: “Our agenda this year will be to implement the roll-on master plan of the golf course so that the course is properly maintained. The services of David Hemstock Associates from the UK have been taken to give training to the staff on green keeping and course maintenance. A five-year plan for the course will be made....”

Obviously, the above-Rs 1 crore per annum cost for the plan has become the proverbial spoke in the wheel in the implementation of the rolling plan, which may touch Rs 7 crore in five years.

Jeev Milkha Singh, the highest placed Indian on world golf rankings, had also appealed to the members to vote for the plan at the annual general meeting (AGM) so that there was consistency in the upkeep of the greens and fairways.

During the trial six-month contract signed by David Hemstock’s team on December 15, 2009, the fairways and greens acquired a greener look. Jeev had praised the work. But he had cautioned the members: “There should be no interference in a long-term plan to give a new look to the course. The subsequent committees should be as committed to keep the five-year maintenance plan going.”

Seeing the enthusiasm of the new president and his complete team, the plan appears viable once it is passed at the May AGM.

Once through, the course with the heaviest player traffic could emerge as the best maintained course. Hemstock’s team has designed 200 golf courses around the world, including the Aamby Valley golf course considered among the best in Asia.

During an interaction, David Hemstock had told The Tribune in March last year: “A lot of work has to be done, as the course has the highest player traffic in the world. The only answer to the problem is continuity in the maintenance work. This is the practice in most of the courses all over the world.” He also has a new design in mind for the 18th greens. Over the years, the Chandigarh Golf Club course has faced a lot of problems with every elected team having its own priorities. But with a five-year maintenance plan on the anvil, the club is sure to see better days.

Panchkula, April 27
The match between DP Azad Cricket Academy and Tau Devi Lal Cricket Club ended in a tie in the Weekend Cricket Tournament at Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Sector 3, here today.

Both teams scored 249 runs in their respective innings in the stipulated 40 overs. While DPCA lost seven wickets in the course, the Tau Devi Lal team were bowled out after the scores were levelled.

For DPCA, Karan Aggarwal (70 not out), Lovejit Singh (66) and Abhilash Sharma (34) were the key batsmen. Gurdeep Singh took 3 for 3 followed by Neeraj, who claimed 2 for 9.

For Tau Devi Lal team, Yugneek emerged as the highest scorer with 45 runs, while Ajay Buhan chipped in with 43 runs. DPCA’s Jeetinder Singh finished as the highest wicket-taker with four for 24.

Brief scores:

DPCA: 249 for seven in 40 overs (Sidharth Rawat 20, Lovejit Singh 66, Karan Aggarwal 70 n.o, Abhilash Sharma 34; Gurdeep Singh 3 for 3, Neeraj 2 for 9).

Tau CC: 249 all out in 39.4 overs (Ajay Buhan 43, Yugneek 45, Yuvraj Singh 37, Honey 37; Jeetinder Singh 4 for 24, Rahul Chabra 2 for 50).