NEIGHBOURHOOD

Choked drains in Lalru cause inconvenience to residents
Parmod Mehta

Patiala, April 27
Amanbir Singh Sidhu was unanimously elected president of the Punjab Handball Association during a meeting held at Ranbir Club, Sangrur.

The meeting was presided over by Dr Darshan Singh, joint secretary of the association. In this meeting, the association was elected for 2012 to 2016. Sidhu's name was proposed by Baldev Singh Bhullar and Sher Singh Bath. For the post of General Secretary, the name of Sher Singh Bath was proposed by Jatinder Singh and seconded by Paramjit Singh Sarao.

Both the officials were appointed with the consent of present members for the current term. Pritam Singh, observer of Punjab Olympic Association, and Karam Singh, District Sports Officer nominee of Punjab State Sports Council, were also present in the election. — TNS

Chandigarh, April 27
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today appointed Justice GC Garg as provisional liquidator in the Super Bazar case.

Known for introducing the concept of shopping under one roof at affordable prices, the bazar’s properties were to be auctioned with the help of a committee constituted earlier by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Division Bench of Justice MM Kumar and Justice TPS Mann had directed the open auction of the properties through a committee of retired High Court Judge Justice AL Bahri and chartered accountant Kumar Bhagwat and company.

The entire process was to be carried out in consultation with the Home Secretary. The committee was given the liberty of taking advice of any other person as well. The development is significant, as the employees of the erstwhile Super Bazar have been oscillating between optimism and despondency over the issue of due benefits.

Their counsel, Jagdeep Bains, has all along been asserting that the employees stand terminated for almost a decade now.

Taking up an appeal filed in the matter, the High Court had earlier asked the UT Administration to see if they could be absorbed, or as an alternative they could be given the benefits of the voluntary retirement scheme.

A Division Bench had in April, 2009, observed: “We are of the considered opinion that it would be appropriate to direct the Finance Secretary, Union Territory, Chandigarh, to examine the matter and file an affidavit as to whether the employees of the erstwhile Super Bazar can be absorbed or they are entitled to the benefits of the voluntary retirement scheme.

Over 200 employees were depending upon the bazar for their livelihood. They have been facing uncertainty for long, with the case witnessing twist and turns.

In March, 2003, the High Court had quashed the orders directing the winding up of the bazar with about 50 outlets. Challenging the orders of winding up the bazar and the appointment of a liquidator, Hem Raj, and other petitioners had earlier contended that the same were in violation of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.

The High Court at that time held that the report submitted by a committee formulated by the Registrar of Co-operative Societies could not be termed as “investigation” as envisaged under the provisions of the relevant Act.

The report, as such, could not have been relied upon by the Registrar, while passing the impugned orders directing the winding up of the bazar, besides the appointment of the liquidator.

Chandigarh, April 27
Resorting to “frivolous” litigation has cost the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) dear. In a severe indictment of the state government-controlled Authority’s functioning, the Haryana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has dismissed an appeal filed by HUDA with costs of Rs 25,000 in an oustees’ quota case terming its action as “illegal, unfair and unjust on the face of record”.

Relying upon the judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the commission ordered that the complainant was entitled to allotment of a plot under the oustees’ quota as per his share even if the complainant had not furnished a no objection certificate (NOC).

The case relates to the acquisition of land belonging to Nasiba, father of the complainant, Fakhir Singh, by the Haryana government in Panchkula district in 1992. After Nasiba’s death in September, 2006, Fakhir Singh applied for the allotment of a plot as per HUDA’s oustees’ quota policy. Responding to Fakhir Singh’s application, HUDA allotted the plot in the joint names of all legal heirs of Nasiba. However, Fakhir Singh approached HUDA asking it to allot the plot in his own name as he was the only applicant. HUDA demanded an NOC from other legal heirs.

Aggrieved, the complainant filed a complaint before the district forum, Panchkula, contending that all requisite formalities had already been completed as per award of the permanent lok adalat dated March 16, 2007. All necessary documents were received in the office of the Estate Officer, HUDA, Panchkula, on March 28, 2007.

The district forum directed HUDA to issue an allotment letter in the sole name of Fakhir Singh and pay punitive costs of Rs 15,000 and legal costs of Rs 3,500. However, HUDA filed an appeal against the orders before the commission.

Meanwhile, Pankaj Chandgothia, president of the Consumer Court Bar Association, welcomed the decision and said “it should serve as an eye-opener for the government authorities and they should make genuine efforts to eliminate unnecessary litigation”.

Chandigarh, April 27
The police today brought the NRI Sabha chief, Amarjeet Singh Virk, on production warrant from Patiala jail. He was arrested on the statements of a woman who had alleged that Virk had pressurised her to lodge a complaint of rape against three persons.

In November last year, the woman had alleged that she was abducted and raped by three youths in a car. However, subsequent police investigations found that the three accused as alleged were abroad at the time the woman was alleging rape.

As the police confronted the woman, she told the police that she made the allegations as part of a conspiracy by Virk who has been lodged in Patiala jail in a rape case. Thus, Virk was arrested today. The statements of the woman were recorded in the court.

Panchkula, April 27
Three persons were sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering a businessman of Kalka, Anupam Aggarwal, by the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Kanchan Mahi on Thursday.

Rajinder Singh and Rakesh Verma, residents of Panipat, and Arun Sharma, resident of Saharanpur, were sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000 each for murder. Seven years imprisonment and fine of Rs. 5,000 each for kidnapping and three years imprisonment and fine of Rs 2,000 each for disappearance of evidence were also awarded to them. All the three punishments will run concurrently.

The case dates back to November 13, 2009 when Anupam, who was into printing business, had left for Panipat by train from Kalka for a property deal.

The family had alleged that the accused were calling him constantly for a deal. The accused murdered the victim first by hitting him with a blunt weapon and then strangulated him with a wire on November 14. After the murder, the accused removed the victim’s clothes and poured acid on his face so that no one can identify him. They dumped the body in the bushes near a canal.

On November 16, 2009, the Panipat police recovered the body and cremated after three days as it was not claimed by anyone. Meanwhile, the victim’s family tried to contact Anupam but his phone remained switched off. On May 31, 2010, the family got to know that Anupam had been murdered and his body was cremated.

The police said Anupam had allegedly cheated these persons in a deal. Arun and Rajinder had a plan to kill Anupam and the third accused Rakesh helped them in executing it. “We had also recovered the murder weapons," said Kalka SHO Mukesh Kumar.

Chandigarh, April 27
The police has arrested two more persons in the sodomy case involving an eight-year-old boy on the PU campus yesterday. Six persons, including 19-year-old Vijay, have already been arrested in the case.

The police today arrested two juveniles for their alleged involvement in the child sodomy case.

The incident occurred in the servant quarters of the PU campus and came to light only when the MMS was circulated.

All accused as well as victims are wards of Class IV employees at PU.

Meanwhile, Vijay was produced in the District Courts and sent to judicial custody for 14 days on Friday.

It has also recovered the mobile phone, which was used in making the obscene MMS and sent it for the forensic examination to the CFSL-36. The incident came to light when the victim’s father reported the matter to the police and an FIR was registered at the Sector-11 police station.

He stated that his child was playing outside his house when the minor was taken by a group of five minors on April 13. All seven arrested juveniles have been sent to juvenile home in Sector 25.

Chandigarh, April 27
Four players, Abhnandan Vohra, Arunima Goyal, Himal Gusain and Pardeep Singh Negi, with three points each are leading after the third round in the 23rd Chandigarh Chess Championship being held at St Xavier’s Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, today.

A total of 37 players are participating in the championship being organised by Chandigarh Chess Association to select a team of four players to represent Chandigarh at the National Challengers Championship at Tirupathi from May 18.

The fourth round will start at 9am and fifth round at 2.30 pm tomorrow.

Points position at the end of the third round:

Three points: Abhinandan Vohra, Arunima Goyal, Himal Gusain, Pardeep Singh Negi

Two and half points: Kritika Kapila, Two points: Nitin, Naveen Bansal, Tarini Goyal, Rahul Arora, Piyush Manuja Chander Mohan Sharma, Sunil Bansal, Vipan Negi, Aryan Oswal, Rishabh Hitesh Issar, Shweta.

One and half points: Manmohan Singh, Jashan Singh, Navneet Kaur Ahuja,

One point: Harpreet Singh, Levanshu, Jaskeerat Singh, Kashish Jain, Lakshay Bhatia, Mayank Verma, Manvir Singh, Mohit Thakur, Shishir Lamba, Puneet Kumar, Mohit Chaudhary, Mauraya Mahajan.

Mohali, April 27
Ropar got three points on the basis of the first innings lead against Mohali team during the ML Markan Under-16 cricket tournament held today.

After gaining a lead of 61 runs Ropar were bundled out for 106 runs in 42 overs. Sanchit 32 and Abhishek 18 were the main scorers for the team. For Mohali, Amish took 5 wickets for 42 runs, Taranpreet Singh took 3 wickets for 24, Harpreet Singh took 2 for 30. The match was decided in favour of Ropar on the basis of first innings lead. Jalandhar won by an innings and 144 runs and got a bonus point too.

Brief Scores: Ropar 1st innings: 312 all out in 118.4 overs (Abhishek 120, 200 balls, 18x4, Jagdeep Singh 64, Rohit Sharma 46, Sahil 32, Harpreet Singh 4 for 82, Amish 3 for 78, Taranpreet Singh 2 for 46).

2nd Innings: 106 all out in 42 overs (Sanchit 32, Abhishek 18, Amish 5 for 42, Taranpreet Singh 3 for 24, Harpreet Singh 2 for 30)

Mohali 1st Innings: 251 all out in 89.5 overs ( Taranpreet Singh 74, 144 balls, 14x4, Shubham Gill 59, Janatpreet Singh 26, Harpreet Singh 26, Pranje Sharma 28, Resham 5 for 78, Jagdeep Singh 4 for 74) & 2nd Innings: 103 for 8 in 42 overs (Jaswinder Singh 24 n.o., Siddharth Rawat 18, Taranpreet Singh 14, Resham 4 for 48, Jagdeep Gill 2 for 38

Brief Scores: Jalandhar 1st Innings: 476 all out in 102.3 overs (Mansab Gill 128, 178b, Sahil Lal 42, Harkanwaljit Singh 40, Karan Sharma 32, Rajat Sharma 30, Sher Bahadur 5 for 119, Manan Jain 3 for 128, Ragav Sharma 2 for 110)

Ludhiana 1st innings: 127 all out in 52.4 overs and 2d Innings: 205 all out in 60 overs (Jaskaran 60, Dipin Chitkara 37, Ramandeep 28, Anirudh 19, Harnoor 20, Karan Khalon 5 for 42, Mohit Marya 3 for 26). — TNS