NEIGHBOURHOOD

Police officials’ bikes set afire

The matter was brought to the notice of senior police officers. Forensic experts collected samples from the spot.

Fire at factory

Tyres and goods worth Rs 15 lakh were destroyed in a fire that broke out at a factory near Manav Chowk at Ambala City this morning. Five fire tenders were pressed into service. It took them four hours to douse the flames.

One of the co-owners of the factory Karan Kumar said 2 quintals of iron rods were missing from the factory.

He said the reason behind the fire could not be be ascertained so far. — OC

Chandigarh, March 27
After setting a precedent by ordering the removal of tents for the security of the judges, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the UT authorities to remove the tents pitched in the High Court’s green belt.

For the purpose, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover gave the authorities 24 hours. The tents have been pitched by the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel deployed at the High Court.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, the State of Punjab told the Bench that remaining six tents, pitched by the central agencies like the ITBP and CRPF outside the houses of Punjab VVIPs in Chandigarh, have been removed.

The pictures of the greenbelts from where such tents have been removed were also produced before the Bench. As of now, service lane tents remain.

In July 2009, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of a news-report “Who’ll bell the cat” carried in these columns on the violations by the bigwigs in government accommodations.

Nearly three years later, the Chandigarh Administration claimed the removal of all security tents pitched outside the houses of bureaucrats, politicians and other high ups on designated green belts.

Justice Ranjit Singh had earlier asserted, “No one is above law, however so high he or she may be placed. The Chandigarh Administration needs to be asked to perform its functions in accordance with law”.

Justice Ranjit Singh had also directed the issuance of notice to the Union Territory of Chandigarh through its Administrator “to show cause as to why these illegal encroachments etc. be not removed”.

In an apparent attempt to prevent the encroachers from getting away with the illegalities, Justice Ranjit Singh in his detailed order had also made it clear to the administration to ensure all violating officer were brought under the ambit of law.

Various violations by influential officials or officers in the government accommodation allotted to them have been highlighted in the news-item, along with the photographs showing the illegal encroachments or constructions carried out by them.

“The Chandigarh Administration will also carry out checks and report, if any such illegal construction or encroachment had been carried by any other official or officer in government houses allotted to them in Chandigarh”.

Chandigarh, March 27
Acting on a plea alleging that a counsel who appeared on behalf of the CBI in court yesterday was authorised to contest the case, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge issued a notice to CBI to file a reply by March 30.

Advocate Arvind Thakur moved a plea in court against an advocate who appeared on behalf of the CBI yesterday while opposing the plea of jail superintendent that they could not hang Rajoana. — TNS

Chandigarh, March 27
The Vigilance Cell of the UT police has nabbed a clerk with the Chandigarh municipal corporation while accepting a bribe of Rs 7,000 from a taxi operator.

Vigilance sleuths nabbed Om Parkash Thakur while taking money from taxi operator Parwinder Singh for renewing the licence of his taxi stand in Sector 37. Om Parkash initially demanded Rs 20,000 and a deal was struck at Rs 7,000.

Inspector Gurjit Kaur laid a trap and caught the accused. He will be produced in the court tomorrow.

Panchkula, March 27
The vigilance department caught an Executive Engineer (XEN) with the PWD (B&R) in Haryana taking Rs 10,000 as bribe from a contractor at his office near the Majri chowk here today.

After receiving a complaint, the vigilance department laid a trap to nab the XEN, who had demanded the amount for clearing bills of the contractor, worth lakhs, pending with the PWD.

Rajesh Chaudhary of Baltana village in Zirakpur had been working as contractor for the last couple of years. An amount of Rs 3 lakh was pending with the PWD for the last few months.

After moving from pillar to post to get his cheque cleared, he submitted a complaint to SP (vigilance) Hemant Kalsan, stating that XEN Rajesh Kumar Yadav had been demanding money to clear his bills.

The complaint was marked to the Panchkula wing of the vigilance department, which decided to lay a trap to nab the officer red-handed.

The investigating officer, inspector Mahavir Sandhu, said the contractor agreed to pay the amount and the XEN told him come to his office at the Majri chowk this morning.

The contractor reached the office of the XEN and as soon as he gave the officer the first instalment of Rs 10,000, vigilance officials raided the office and caught the XEN red-handed.

The investigating officer said the accused was a native of Rewari and had been staying at Sector 11 here at present. A case under various sections of the prevention of corruption Act was registered. The XEN would be produced in court tomorrow.