NEIGHBOURHOOD

Two booked for raping minor girl
Accused absconding
Attar Singh
Tribune News Service

Ambala, October 23
Bittu and his nephew Pappi , both residents of Model Town, Ambala, have been booked by the police on the complaint of a minor girl hailing from Katihar in Bihar for allegedly raping her for the past few months.

The complainant in her statement to the police said that she was raped by both the accused. The minor girl was staying in the servant room along with a maid servant in a house in Model Town. She somehow managed to escape from there and met Shiv Kumar, a resident of Ghas Mandi, Ambala City,. She narrated her story to him and with his help immediately reported the matter to the police. The girl was produced before the SDM, Ambala, who ordered the police to register a case against the alleged rapists after a medical examination.

The medical examination conducted at Civil Hospital, Ambala City, confirmed that the minor girl was raped and was pregnant.

In a statement before the police, the victim said that she was repeatedly raped by the two as they threatened her with a knife. The victim was sent to Nari Niketan in Karnal.

The police said the accused have been absconding and police parties had been sent to different locations to nab them.

Chandigarh, October 23
In a rare judgment, the Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services) has directed the Chandigarh railway authorities to refund the ticket amount of Rs 900 along with Rs 1,000 as costs of litigation to a resident here.

The Lok Adalat comprising chairman Justice (retired) NK Kapoor and members Brig SK Gupta and VK Kapoor observed “Various objections have been taken which have no bearings upon the merit of the claim set up by the petitioner. We are not inclined to examine those objections in the light of the pettiness of the claim. Since admittedly, the petitioner paid a sum of Rs 900 for the booking of two railway tickets, refund of the amount is his legitimate claim, which for no valid reason has been withheld by the respondents”. The petitioner, Dalip Singh, averred that he had booked a ticket for May 15 for two persons from Delhi to Chandigarh in which he was put on the waiting list bearing no 84-85. On the day of departure, he was not allotted any seat and was forced to make alternate arrangement so as to reach Chandigarh on extra expenditure. On reaching the city he approached the railway office at the Sector 17 bus stand for the refund of the amount. The officer in charge present refused to refund the amount and directed him to the railway station office for getting the amount refunded. However, the officials present there also refused to refund the ticket.

The counsel for the railway while raising some preliminary objection on technical grounds failed to explain whether the amount deposited by the petitioner for tickets was liable to be refunded or not?

Panchkula, October 23
A building contractor was arrested today for duping a Sector 2 resident of Rs 75 lakh. The accused has been identified as Sumeet Singla, a resident of Sector 37 in Chandigarh.

According to the police, Sumeet along with his father, Tarsem Singla, struck a deal with Vikram Singh, a resident of Panchkula, for selling a house in Sector 37. The due had, in an agreement, projected themselves as the owners of the said house.

Vikram had even paid Rs 75 lakh in advance to them, the police added.

Vikram in his complaint lodged with the police alleged that he had given Rs 75 lakh in advance to the father-son duo for purchasing a house in Chandigarh. But they kept delaying the registration of the property.

Vikram said he demanded his money back as soon as he came to know that the property had already been mortgaged. They handed over a cheque for Rs 61 lakh to Vikram, but it bounced.

Following the complaint lodged by Vikram, the accused moved to the court for seeking an anticipatory bail.

The court granted anticipatory bail to Tarsem, but his son Sumeet was arrested from near Chunni village in Punjab today.

Chandigarh, October 23
A day after a 13-year-old girl of Government Model School in Sector 21 was found in an unconscious state in a park, the police registered a case of kidnapping and molestation against a youth on the statements of the girl. However, the police is recording statements of the girl with a pinch of salt and is verifying her claims.

It has booked a person identified as Tarun in a case under Section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354 (outraging modesty of woman) 363 (kidnapping) of the IPC.

The girl was under the influence of liquor and was taken to the Government Multi Speciality Hospital in Sector 16 yesterday. She regained consciousness today and the police then recorded her statements.

She disclosed to the police that she left for school at yesterday 7.30 am when she met this youth. He told her to come along with him. She said the youth was asking her to be friends with him and as she refused, the boy forcibly gave her a drink laced with sedative. He then forced her into a car and took her along with him. She added that she did not remember anything.

There are several unanswered questions, which have made the police suspect the claims of the girl. Officers investigating the case said it was not possible that the girl was forcibly pushed into the car and there were no eyewitnesses, that too at the entrance to a school in the morning hours. The police said it took at least 15 minutes for a drug to show its effect and it was a mystery as to why the girl never raised the alarm when she was being pushed into the car by the youth.

“Medical examination of he girl has ruled out rape. We have registered a case of kidnapping and molestation but her statements appear doubtful. We are investigating the case and the picture will be clear soon,” said inspector Janak Rana, SHO, Sector 19 police station.

Chandigarh, October 23
Spring Dales School, Amritsar, defeated local outfits Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, by 2-0 to win the final of the CBSE North Zone Tennis Tournament for Girls (U-14) being played at Banyan Tree School here today.

For Amritsar, Rashi outplayed Aastha 6-0, 6-1, while Malika defeated Rubani 7-5, 7-5. In the semifinals, Sacred Heart School ousted Carmel Convent, Sector 9, 2-0 and Spring Dale got the better of Bal Bharti School, Pitampura, Delhi, 2-0.

Aastha of Sacred Heart School defeated Ishdeep 6-2, 6-0, while Rubani defeated Arju in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. In the second semifinal, Rashi of Spring Dales School overcame Pallavi 7-5, 6-1, while Mallika defeated Pragati 6-2, 6-2.

Bal Bharti School bagged the third place after defeating Carmel Convent by 2-1.

Chandigarh, October 23
A 128-run partnership between Sandeep Bhattacharjee and Yatharth Tomar helped Haryana score a total of 267 runs against Vidarbha during the third day of Col CK Naydu Cricket (U-22) Trophy Plate Group being held at JR Institute of Cricket, Panchkula, today.

In reply to Vidarbha’s total of 580 for 6, top three batsmen of Haryana team were bowled out on the total of 78 runs.

For the fourth wicket, Sandeep scored a brilliant ton (107 off 327), while Yatharth Tomar scored an individual score of 69 runs. Rahul Dalal also contributed 26 runs to the team’s total.

For Vidhrabha, Sumit Raikar was the pick of the bowlers for his 3 for 46, while Ashish Chauhan took 2 for 65.