The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

COURTS

zirakpur flyover
Why not enough room for buses & trucks, asks HC
UT cops, Admn face flak for laxity on lane driving
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 7
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the National Highways Authority of India and other respondents why insufficient clearance for buses and trucks has been provided in service lanes along the Zirakpur flyover. Justice Rajive Bhalla has come down heavily on the Chandigarh Police for doing nothing more than ‘lip service’ to the requirement of lane driving. The Administration has also been asked to act or face the consequences.

Taking up the traffic regulation and pollution control case, Justice Bhalla asserted, “The respondents are directed to produce the original site plan and show cause why sufficient clearance has not been provided for buses and trucks travelling in the service lane abutting the Zirakpur flyover.”

In his detailed order, Justice Bhalla asserted: “A perusal of an affidavit dated September 26 reveals that apart from empty lip service to the requirement of driving in demarcated lanes, no progress has been made.”

He further observed, “An order directing the Chandigarh Administration to demarcate lanes was passed, but till date, even after passing resolutions and conducting surveys, no signage has been put up, informing the public of designated lanes and no steps have been taken to enforce lane driving”.

Issuing a stern warning to the Chandigarh Administration and other respondents, Justice Bhalla added, “It is made clear to the respondents if the needful is not done within a month, this court will be constrained to punish the respondents for violation of orders passed by this court.”

‘Haryana soft on drunken driving’

Applying the brakes on the practice of mixing drinking with driving, he ruled, “The police is directed to enforce the provisions relating to drunken driving strictly and magistrates are directed not to show any leniency in the matter.” He had called upon judicial officers to consider sentencing drunken drivers to imprisonment. The direction came after he took cognisance of the practice of letting drunken drivers get away easily in Haryana.

He observed, “It appears that apart from a couple of districts in the Haryana, offenders challaned for driving under the influence of liquor are being released by imposing a token fine.”

Justice Bhalla ruled, “It is once again emphasised that the offence of drunken driving, unlike other offences under the Motor Vehicles Act, has to be dealt with seriously.”

CRIME

2 youths shot at near hospital
Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 7
Two persons were seriously injured when armed persons opened fire at them near Indus Hospital in Phase 3B2 in the wee hours of today. One of the injured, Saudagar Singh, who received a gunshot in the leg, underwent surgery at the PGI, Chandigarh. The assailants fled the scene after the attack.

This comes within two days of a youth being injured in an attack by sword-wielding car-borne youths in the Phase-V market.

According to sources, the victims, Saudagar Singh and Amarjit Saini, had gone to the hospital to know about the welfare of their friends, Surinder Singh and Sursahib Singh, who had been admitted after being injured in a road accident at the Kumbra traffic lights.

The assailants waylaid Saudagar Singh and Amarjit Aaini and fired three shots at them after they emerged out of the hospital and went to the parking lot in the Phase 3B2 market around 3.25 am.

While two bullets hit Saudagar, the third one missed the target.

Matour SHO Tarlochan Singh said two bullet shells were recovered from the scene.

One person, Goldy, has been arrested in connection with the incident and a case of attempted murder registered against him and four other persons.

Goldy is said to be related to a senior Akali leader. There has been a history of violent confrontation between the two groups but the police has failed to act so far.

Enquiries revealed that the assailants had an old rivalry with Saudagar Singh, a proclaimed offender in an attempted murder case registered at Kharar.

Saudagar had then allegedly attacked a member of the rival group. Today’s attack is being seen as an attempt by the rival group to settle a score.

Four killed in road accidents
Tribune News Service

Zirakpur (Mohali), October 7
Four persons lost their lives and two others, including a woman, got injured in separate road accidents that took place at Zirakpur, Sohana, Kurali and Balongi in Mohali district.

Adesh Mishra (30), a resident of Dera Bassi, was killed after he lost control of the bike he was riding and fell down on the road. Gouri Shankar, who was riding pillion, received serious injuries in the accident. The accident took place near the McDonald’s outlet. The injured was being treated at the GMCH-32, Chandigarh. The police said the two were under the influence of alcohol and riding without helmet at the time of the accident.

The deceased’s body was handed over to the family after a postmortem examination. Inquest proceedings have been initiated into the case.

At Sohana, Dalvir Singh (48), a resident of Dholpur, was killed after being hit by a speeding car. The victim’s relative, Harvinder Singh, said his uncle Dalvir Singh, who worked in a factory at Mohali, had alighted from a bus around 7 pm on October 5 when a speeding car coming from the Landran side hit him. The victim was taken to a private hospital in Sector 71 where he later died.

The police has registered a case against the unidentified driver of the car (PB 12 A 9700) and started its investigations.

In another accident at Kurali, Kuldeep Singh was killed while his wife sustained serious injuries after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding truck.

The police said the couple were waiting at the bus stand traffic lights when a truck coming from the Ropar side hit them. A passerby informed the police, which took the victim to the PGI, where Kuldeep Singh later died. The truck driver fled the scene, leaving the truck behind. The police said the deceased’s body had been handed over to the family.

A case has been registered against the truck driver on Kurali resident Parvinder Singh’s complaint.

In yet another accident at Balongi, Jagar Singh, a resident of Nawanshahr, was killed when a speeding bus coming from the Kharar side ran over him while he was replacing a flat tyre of his truck.

The victim was taken to the PGI where he later died.

1 held for snatching car
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 7
The police arrested a miscreant for snatching a Maruti Alto car from one person in Sector 22 last night. The accused has been identified as 28-year-old Daljeet, who works for a computer hardware engineer. The police has registered a case under Sections 382 and 34 of the IPC.

Amar Pal, a resident of Sector 49, had complained that he consumed liquor with a person known to him in Sector 42 and later they came to Sector 22 when two other persons joined them. He said the two persons created ruckus and bashed him up at Sector 22 and fled with his Alto car.

Sub-inspector Rajeev Kumar, in charge, Sector 22 police post, said efforts were on the arrest other accused.

Goods worth lakhs stolen from house, two shops
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, October 7
Burglars targeted three places in Panchkula and decamped with cash and goods worth of lakhs of rupees. In the first incident, burglars targeted house No. 706 in Sector 2. The landlord, Raj Bahadur Singh, had gone out of town along with his family and discovered the lock of the main door broken on return yesterday. According to the police, three mobile phones, expensive watches, a camera, Rs 3,000 in cash and some silver coins besides utensils were missing from the house.

In the second case, burglars targeted SCO No. 18 in Sector 11. Ahuja Furniture owner Lalit Kumar told the police that Rs 12,000 in cash and 12 gold coins had been stolen.

Also, burglars targeted VIVA Medical Store being run from SCO No. 66 in Mansa Devi Complex, Sector 5. The police said the area watchman had seen three youths flee the scene in a car. The watchman informed the store manager, Baljeet Singh, who further informed the police that a cashbox containing Rs 36,000 and some important documents had been stolen.

A forensic team besides a dog squad visited the crime scenes and collected evidence. The police has registered separate cases and started the investigation.

SPORTS

Sec-30 Khalsa school win in handball
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 7
Guru Nanak Khalsa School, Sector 30, defeated Government Model School, Sector 19, 20-9 in a boys’ handball match of the Mini-Olympics here today.

In other matches, SD School, Sector 32, defeated Government Model School, Sector 46, 11-2 and Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23, defeated SGGS-35 16-9.

Results: handball (girls): GMSSS-21 defeat GMSS-16 15-8, GNPS-36 defeat GMSSS-19 9-3, GHS-35 defeat GHS-43 9-7; hockey (girls): GMSS-20 defeat GSSS-37 4-1, St Stephen’s defeat SPS-41 4-0, GSSS-Maloya defeat GGMSS-18 3-0, GSSS-18 defeat DCC-Panchkula 3-0; hockey (boys): DAVSSS-8 defeat SGGSS-35 4-0, GSSS-Panchkula defeat SPS-Mohali 4-0.