The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

COURTS

On-dot Courier told to pay Rs 9,800 for lost play station
Rapped for imposing unilateral terms and conditions
Anuja Jaiswal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 14
In a significant judgment, the Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum today rapped the “unilateral” terms and conditions imposed by courier companies in respect to their limited liabilities on lost goods and directed On-dot Courier and Jagdamba Enterprises to pay a city resident, Jaspal Singh, Rs 9,800, the cost of a play station portable (PSP) that was misplaced by the company. The forum also ordered the courier company to pay Rs 10,000 compensation to the complainant.

In his complaint, Jaspal Singh, a resident of Sector 15, stated that he had hired courier services for sending a PSP to New Delhi on September 27, 2010. But it was not delivered till September 29, 2010. The complainant tried to find out the factual position of the courier from the company but the latter didn't respond.

When the complainant urged the company to give the claim, it refused any settlement and told him that his courier was lost.

In a written reply, the company stated that at the time of booking, it was clearly mentioned on the consignment note that the opposite party had specifically limited its liability to a maximum of Rs 100 per consignment for any loss to the consignment within India (domestic) and to a maximum of US $100 for international consignments as per terms and conditions of the company. Therefore, the complainant is not entitled to claim more than Rs 100.

They also stated that the complainant himself made a mistake by not declaring the value and contents of his consignment and refused to take an insurance cover on it. Thus there is no deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on the part of the courier company.

The forum comprising its president PD Goel and members Rajinder Singh Goel and Madanjit Kaur Sahota observed: “The terms and conditions cannot be unilateral because they have failed to place on record or prove any agreement signed by the parties. Regarding the limited liability of Rs 100, as it is only unilateral contract, has no value in the eyes of law,” the forum stated.

Brewer acquitted of murder charges
Witnesses turn hostile; businessman was killed on September 11, 2010
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12
A local court today acquitted a man on the charges of murdering a businessman. The court acquitted Kapil Gupta, a resident of Sector 10 Panchkula, and owner of Himgiri Brewery at Kala Amb in Himachal in the murder case of a Solan resident.

The murder took place on September 11, 2010, at a factory in Industrial Area (Phase 1) when Kapil Gupta was allegedly flaunting his new weapon in front of Varun Aggarwal.

Court sources said three main prosecution witnesses turned hostile during the proceedings, which helped in the acquittal of the accused. Twentythree-year-old Varun Aggarwal was injured after a gunshot was allegedly fired by Kapil. Aggarwal succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Gupta had shot at Aggarwal after aiming at him from a short distance while sitting on the opposite side at the office table. Aggarwal owned a shop at his native place, Solan.

The incident occurred in the office of the general manager of a bottling plant in the Industrial Area. Gupta and Aggarwal had come to meet Varinder, who was the GM of the plant and also a consultant of the duo in their business.

The police had informed the court that Kapil took out the weapon and started aiming at those present in the room turn by turn. His friends cautioned him, but he fired at the victim in the forehead.

The police came to know about the incident after his friends took the victim to the GMCH-32.

Kapil was acquitted today after the prosecution failed to prove the charges and the witnesses turned hostile.

CRIME

Youth commits suicide; in-laws booked
Victim’s father alleges foul play
Tribune News Service

Zirakpur, May 14
Vishal Kumar (26) allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his house at Sunrise Apartment, Lohgarh village, here this morning. However, the Zirakpur police has booked his wife and in-laws in a case of abetment to suicide on the complaint of the deceased’s father Shagun Lal, a resident of Uttam Nagar, New Delhi.

In his statement the deceased’s father Shagun Lal said Vishal married to a girl from Zirakpur around six months ago. He alleged that his wife and parents-in-law forced Vishal to stay with them at Zirakpur. This made the youth depressed, added his father.

The investigating officer said the incident came to light when the deceased’s brother-in-law saw Vishal hanging from the ceiling with a dupatta. He immediately informed his parents about the incident. They called up the police, who took Vishal to the Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The body of the deceased would be handed over to the family after conducting the postmortem at the Dera Bassi Civil Hospital tomorrow, the officer added.

A case under Section 306 of the IPC had been registered against his wife Rajni, father-in-law Raj Kumar, mother-in-law Kiran Bala and Rajni’s uncle Parveen.

Victim had affair with other boys too: Police
Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, May 14
The new mobile SIM card bought by Amritsar girl Simran Kundra, whose body was found in a mutilated condition in Jalandhar on May 3, had confirmed the suspicion of the murder accused Tanmay Arora that his girlfriend was having affairs with other boys too.

According to sources, Tanmay had told the police during investigation that he wanted to marry Simran. However, he got suspicious when it came to his knowledge that she had purchased another SIM card and did not inform him about the same. He said he decided to give a surprise visit to her rented house in Sector 15 on April 30 where he saw her taking liquor with three or four boys. He said he lost his temper and once Simran’s other friends left he had heated exchanges with her and murdered her by hitting her head against a wall and subsequently strangulating her. After killing Simran he packed her body in his Punto car and left for Jalandhar and dumped her body at a vacant plot.

SHO, Sector 14 police station, said when the police, along with Tanmay, visited Simran’s residence this evening they found the blood on the walls of the bathroom. He said the affair between the two was going on since 2008, which led to the divorce between Simran and her former husband Karan Mehra.

He further revealed that Tanmay got suspicious about a month ago as the victim was not attending his call and had also purchased a new SIM card. A police team would visit Amritsar as it is yet to recover the mobile phone and other items of the accused.

Notably, Tanmay had got into hiding after murdering Simran, who was presently residing in a rented accommodation in Sector 15 and was doing fashion-designing course at National Institute of Fashion Designing in Sector 8 Chandigarh.

The police had found her car (PB-02BL-0596) abandoned in Sector 16 on May 1 and informed the victim’s father Rajesh Kundra after getting his address from the documents in the car. The father had informed the police that his daughter was married to Karan Mehra, a resident of Amritsar, in 2004 and she had divorced him in April this year.

Tanmay, a resident of Green Avenue Amritsar, was handed over to the police by his father Dinesh Arora. According to sources, the police had mounted pressure on the family after the accused went missing from his house after the gruesome murder.

Tanmay was presented in the court today, which remanded him to two days police custody. The police was hoping that further inquiry would reveal some more facts in the case.

Two arrested for possessing pistol
Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 14
A police team from Mator arrested two persons with a .30 bore pistol from a checkpoint on the Chawla chowk, Phase VII, here.

The accused have been identified as Gurinder Singh and Narang Singh, both residents of Ludhiana.

A police team stopped a car coming from Chandigarh and during search found a pistol made in the US beneath the driver’s seat.

The accused were arrested and produced in the court, which remanded them in judicial custody till May 28.

Opium seized

The Mohali police today arrested Inderjit Singh, a resident of Sanoli, Zirakpur, and seized 25 gm opium from his possession. The investigating officer said a police signaled a car to stop at a checkpoint near Vivek School, Sector 70. On search, 25 gram opium was seized from the car. The accused was produced in court, which remanded him in judicial custody till May 28.

Four booked for trespass, defacing shop at Baltana
Tribune News Service

BLACKENED: Sunita shows the defaced wall of her husband’s shop at Baltana. A Tribune photograph

Zirakpur, May 14
The police today booked more than four persons for trespass on the complaint of Sunita Rani, a resident of Main Bazaar, Baltana.

The accused have been identified as Jaspal Singh Dhillon, a resident of Modern Complex, Mani Majra, Rajinder Kumar, Jasbir Singh and other unidentified miscreants. The investigating officer stated that in her complaint, Sunita alleged that the accused had defaced the shop bearing her husband’s name with black paint and started pelting stones on the first floor.

She also alleged that Jaspal Singh Dhillon and Jasbir Singh, along with other persons, trespassed her place and started assaulting her. Before leaving the house, they also threatened to kill her, she alleged.

A police official said a case under Sections 451, 448, 354, 506, 427 and 511 of the Indian Penal Code had been registered against them and further investigations were on.

SPORTS

Chandigarh drub Bathinda
Shubam Chand claims 4 for 91
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 14
Chandigarh, Patiala and Ludhiana won their respective matches on the basis of first innings lead in the ongoing ML Markan Trophy tournament at different venues here today.

While Chandigarh defeated Bathinda, Patiala got the better of Mohali and Ludhiana registered win over Ropar. All these winning teams logged two points each.

Playing against Chandigarh at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, Bathinda resumed from overnight score of 0 for 1 and gave up at 182 in 87.3 overs. The team conceded 221-run lead to Chandigarh, which had posted a mammoth 402 for 7 in 95 overs in their first innings.

Bathinda lost wickets at regular intervals and at one stage had half of their side back in the pavilion for 53 in 32.1 overs. K Raghav (33) and Rahul (68) steadied their innings and took the team to 182. Shubam Chand was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 91, followed by Sagar, who took 3 for 32.

Chandigarh, in their second innings, were 3 for no loss when the play ended.

Brief scores: Chandigarh (Ist innings): 402 for 7 in 95 overs.

Bathinda (Ist innings): 182 all out in 87.3 overs (Rahul 68, K Raghav 33, Atul Bhanu 26; Shubam Chand 4 for 91, Sagar 3 for 32, Bhagminder 2 for 20).

Chandigarh (IInd innings): 3 for no loss.

In the second match at YPS ground at Mohali, Patiala secured a first innings lead of 80 runs and won the match.

Brief scores: Patiala (Ist innings): 273 in 91.1 overs.

Mohali (Ist innings): 193 all out in 75.3 overs (Ramandeep 48, Gurinder Singh 22, Amit Sidhu 36; Tanish Gill 2 for 38, Navandu Sharma 3 for 40, Gurtej Singh 2 for 20).

In the third match between Ludhiana and Ropar at Ludhiana, Ludhiana edged out Ropar on the basis of their first innings lead of 15 runs.

Brief scores: Ropar (Ist innings): 155 for all in 56.4 overs.

Ludhiana (Ist innings): 170 for all on 75.2 overs (Mayank Bagdaria 44, Nikhil 37, Rajat Arora 20; Karan Sharma 6 for 70, Harpreet Brar 3 for 37).

Ropar (IInd innings): 77 for 4 in 41 overs (Shubankar 29, Anmolpreet 26 n.o, Hartejasvi 3 for 24).