COURTS

Uncertainty looms over Patil’s next public hearing session
Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 24
After having witnessed a record low turnout at the Governor’s public hearing session past month, the fate of the next session, meant to redress grievances of residents, appears uncertain. The previous session, held on November 22, attracted only four complainants. After that, two sessions, scheduled for December 5 and 19, had been cancelled.

While no official reason had been forwarded by the UT Administration, the practice of holding public darbars to listen to citizens’ problems was apparently losing steam.

Issues pertaining to the functioning of official machinery, land acquisition, property matters, compassionate employment and public amenities were generally taken up at darbars.

This year, only eight darbars were held by the Punjab Governor and UT Adminstrator, Shivraj Patil.

The established norm over the years, according to UT Administration officials, was to hold on an average of two darbars a month, on the first and third Mondays.

No darbar was held in February, April and August. The situation was only a little better past year, with 11 public hearing sessions being held.

Soon after assuming charge, Patil had exhorted senior officials to strengthen the public grievance redress mechanism in their respective departments.

A senior official of the UT Administration, requesting anonymity, admitted that the number of complainants had surely gone down and sometimes, the scheduled darbars had to be cancelled as there were only a handful of persons to meet him.

“The Administrator used to meet people at Governor House once or twice a week. At these, between 10 and 15 persons used to turn up. This was also a reason for the low turnout,” he said.

The official added that additional charge of Rajasthan for Patil was also responsible for the cancellation of these darbars.

5,990 cases disposed of in lok adalat
Rajinder Nagarkoti
Tribune News Service

Long queues were witnessed during the lok adalat at the district courts in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Saturday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Chandigarh, December 24
Five-year-old Sonu (name changed) will now stay with his mother. Sonu’s father and grandparents can now meet him on the last Saturday of every month in Sector 17 plaza. The special lok adalat today mutually decided the case pertaining to Sonu’s custody.

Besides the case, a total of 5,990 cases of different categories were settled here in the lok adalat.

Giving details of Sonu’s custody case, member advocate Renu Rishi Gautam said the court of ACJM KK Goel settled the case with the consent of parents, a working couple, and stated that when the child would turn 18, he could take his own decision. She added that the lok adalat had now directed the couple to file a mutual divorce petition in January.

Twenty benches were constituted. Out of the total cases, the settlement of 5,059 traffic challans ended up with the court collecting Rs 6,09,040. Apart from traffic violations, the lok adalat settled 507 cheque-bounce cases. Officials said 17 cases of motor accident claim and 303 civil cases were also settled.

Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Alok Singh, also the administrative Judge of the district court, visited the courts complex during the lok adalat. District and Sessions Judge SK Goel said around 33,617 cases were disposed of this year. “People have faith in this concept of lok adalat and therefore, it is an effective tool to counter the heavy institution,” he added.

Relief for Kings XI Punjab in tax return case
Rajinder Nagarkoti/TNS

Chandigarh, December 24
In a major relief to Bollywood actress Preity Zinta and industrialist Ness Wadia, co-owners of the IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab, a local court here discharged them from the case filed by the Registrar of Companies (ROC) for not filing returns.

Chief Judicial Magistrate JS Sidhu today allowed the application moved by KPH Dreams, which owns the Kings XI Punjab, seeking discharge from the case.

In the application, it was stated that the company had already submitted its annual returns and balance sheets along with tax in April this year before the Chandigarh office of the ROC therefore they should be discharged from the case.

Last year, the Chandigarh District Court had issued bailable warrants against Preity Zinta and other owners for not attending court proceedings. Thereafter they had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Later, the High Court directed Preity Zinta and others to file all the documents related to the case.

The ROC had alleged that Kings-XI Punjab was incorporated in March 2008 and should have filed returns within 60 days of its AGM in September 2009. As per the complaint, the registered firm was supposed to pay the return, but it failed to file returns on time and violated rules of the Company Act.

The ROC had submitted before the court that the co-owners of the company had tried to conceal the financial position of the KPH Dreams, which owns the K-XIP, from the public by not filing the balance sheets and annual returns.

One-day remand for third accused
Stole newborn on December 6
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, December 24
The police has arrested the third accused, Balwinder, in the child theft case. The accused was produced in the court today, which remanded him to a one-day police remand. The police said Balwinder, a resident of Banur village in Mohali district, along with two other women, had stolen a newborn from General Hospital in Sector 6 on December 6 last year.

It said the accused was arrested from Zirakpur and his vehicle was yet to be recovered.

Man killed in accident

Panchkula: Balbir, a resident of Sector 12A, was killed on the spot while his grandson sustained serious injuries when a speeding car hit them here this evening.

They were rushed to the Sector-6 general hospital, where doctors declared Balbir brought dead, while his grandson was immediately rushed to the PGI, Chandigarh, where his condition was stated to be critical.

The driver of the car fled from the spot leaving the car behind. A case was registered against the driver.

Thief decamps with two desktops

Panchkula: A thief took away at least two desktops worth Rs 50,000 from a computer and hardware shop in Sector 8 here today.

Eyewitnesses said the thief, who had come in a golden colour car was spotted by one of the shopkeepers in the morning. The thief was cutting the glass of a window, when the shopkeepers asked him why he was doing so, he replied that he had been asked to replace the window. He then entered the shop and made away with the desktops. A case was registered in this connection.

Cop acquitted
Tribune News Service

cooch Behar Trophy
Punjab seek easy win against Baroda
Tribune News Service

Rahul wins gold in tae kwon do
Tribune News Service

Handball tournament
PU Campus beat PGGCG-11
Tribune News Service