NEIGHBOURHOOD

Youth gets life imprisonment for murdering man
Suman Bhatnagar

Chandigarh, May 4
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued contempt notice to Dera Bassi tehsildar Subhash Bhardwaj and kanungo Madan Lal in the Sukhna choe case.

Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Alok Singh issued the notice while hearing a petition filed in public interest by Jaswant Singh of Baltana village. The notice was issued on the report of local commissioner HC Arora.

The petitioner is seeking directions to the respondent-government to stop unauthorised and illegal construction on Sukhna choe area in Baltana village.

The High Court, vide order dated March 5, had appointed Arora as local commissioner for submitting a report indicating total area registered as ‘Gairmumkin Nadi’ in the revenue record. He was also to indicate the area over which the Sukhna choe was as on date flowing, if at all.

The local Commissioner was directed to consult the revenue record. For the purpose, the Division Bench stated that the local commissioner would be provided with all possible co-operation and assistance from the department concerned and the officers of the state government.

The High Court also authorised the local commissioner to call for a meeting with officers concerned of the revenue department and other departments concerned.

As the case came up for hearing, the Bench was informed of the efforts made by the local commissioner to secure the requisite revenue records from the tehsildar and the kanungo. The Bench was told that the two revenue officers did not cooperate with Arora. They did not provide him with revenue record, despite personal visits; and even ignored his telephone calls and messages.

The local commissioner further apprised the Division Bench that he was offered cooperation only after the transfer of tehsildar Subhash Bhardwaj to Ranjit Sagar Dam. Under the instructions of the new tehsildar, the requisite revenue record was recently provided to him.

The local commissioner, as such, sought extension of time for submitting his report. Granting two weeks’ time to the local commissioner to submit his report, the Bench took a very serious view of the conduct of the two revenue officers and issued contempt notices for May 9.

Chandigarh, May 4
Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s pilot project, which was severely resisted by garbage collectors, has come under the Punjab and Haryana High Court scanner.

Acting chief justice MM Kumar of the Division Bench and justice Alok Singh today made it clear that the project launched in Sector 22 would be monitored by the High Court.

The Bench also fixed September 4 as the next date of hearing in the matter to see how effectively the system was operating.

Last September, the High Court had asked the Chandigarh Administration and the Municipal Corporation to give details of the remedial measures it proposed for solving the issue of garbage disposal in the city brought about by improper facilities at the Dadu Majra dumping grounds.

The directions came after an affidavit was filed by the principal of Sanawar Montessori School-11.

In her affidavit, principal Harjeet Sehgal had expressed apprehension that school children could be afflicted by malaria and added that as a result of the carelessness on the part of the respondents, a class IV employee residing within the school premises was “attacked” by the malady.

Elaborating, she said that the High Court during the course of the hearing had verbally suggested that the Sehaj Safai Kendras be cleaned twice a day. The counsel for the respondent Chandigarh Administration and the Municipal Corporation had assured the High Court of compliance. But no action was taken by the respondents on the issue.

In the petition, the school is seeking the removal of the Sehaj Safai Kendra between the Sanawar Montessori School and the Government School in Sector 11.

The development is significant as residents have been staging protest over the dumping of unprocessed garbage at the Dadu Majra dumping ground. In fact, the area residents recently did not allow the MC vehicles to enter the dumping ground recently.

The residents have been saying that the foul smell emanating from the unprocessed garbage was making it impossible to live in the area.

It was also decided that the garbage will not be dumped at the dumping ground. If anybody was found violating the order, strict action would be initiated against the official.

At a meeting, the MC Commissioner had even directed the officials to fix the responsibility of those allowing the disposal of garbage in the dumping ground. 

Chandigarh, May 4
Less than a week after an NGO accused IAS officer Prerna Puri of misusing her official position in an alleged case of mistreating a 13-year-old domestic help hired by her mother, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today dismissed the petition after virtually passing strictures.

Coming down heavily on NGO Vatsal Chaya’s chairperson for filing a frivolous PIL against Chandigarh IT Secretary Prerna Puri, Acting Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Alok Singh termed it misuse of the legal process.

As the case came up for hearing, UT senior standing counsel Sanjay Kaushal produced the report of Chandigarh Inspector-General of Police stating that the alleged domestic help was contacted at his native village in Patna, where he had gone to attend his sister’s wedding.

The police said the boy categorically told them that he was not facing any problem at the residence of Prerna Puri’s mother and he would come back to work at the same place. Prerna Puri was not living at her mother’s house, as she was living with her husband in Sector 2, Kaushal asserted.

Kaushal alleged that it was chairperson Sangeeta Vardhan who was, rather, trying to lure him to work at her residence. The boy had been going to the school for the past three years and was absent only on April 27. The NGO sent a car for him and was informed that Shambu had gone to his native place; and immediately the PIL was filed.

After going through the report, the Bench questioned the counsel for the NGO. Finally, the NGO decided to withdraw the PIL and it was dismissed as withdrawn.

The petitioner-organisation had earlier claimed that in 2009, it “came across two young children aged 11 years, working as domestic servants in Sector 8-C, Chandigarh. One of them named Shambu hailed from Jagatpur village near Patna, Bihar. Shambu was employed as a domestic help with Puri, who happens to be the mother of Prerna Puri, who has been serving as an IAS officer in UT for the past nearly six years or so.”

The petitioners concluded, “The two respondents have only for their ego and due to sheer misuse and abuse of their official position have made Shambu deny the educational faculties.”

Chandigarh, May 4
In the hearing of Jammu and Kashmir sex scandal case, investigating officer SL Gupta deposed in four cases in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday.

Gupta was one of the CBI’s investigating officers in the case at the time the scandal had hit the headlines. He had raided the brothel of accused Sabina in 2004 and arrested five girls with two customers after receiving a tip-off.

A total nine cases for various offences, including rape, immoral trafficking and the violation of Information Technology Act were registered. — TNS

Panchkula, May 4
Jaswiner Singh an accused of murdering Ashok Kumar (55), a resident of Sector 15 had surrendered in the local court here yesterday.

Ashok Kumar (55), a shopkeeper was allegedly murdered at Abheypur village on March 21 when he expressed inability to pay the full amount to a carpenter for the work done at his house.

His family rushed Ashok to the Sector-6 General Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The police registered a case of murder on the complaint of his family.

The police said Ashok was running a utensils shop at Abheypur and had got work by Jawinder Singh, done at his house.

Ashok had paid paid Jaswinder Rs 2,600 and told him that Rs 2,400 would be paid to him after the completion of the work. On March 21 when Jaswinder asked for the remaining amount, Ashok expressed his inability to pay it and offered to pay him Rs 1,000 instead.

Agitated at this, Jaswinder pushed Ashok to the ground and tried to strangulate him after a scuffle. After the incident, Jaswinder had fled the spot. 

Chandigarh, May 4
A seven-day summer golf camp will be organised by the Forest Hill Golf and the Country Club, from May 19 to 25 for children, women and men of all ages, here.

The participants would be divided into various groups. The camp will be conducted from May 19 and 20 (9 am to 10 am) and May 21 to 25(4 pm to 5 pm). The participants will be taught basics including grip, aim, alignment, stance, posture, hitting, chipping, putting, safety, etiquette and rules of the game during the camp.

Each participant will get four golf magazines including prizes. The organisers will also conduct a fun competition on the last day of the camp. For amateur players, the organisers will also provide golf equipment and balls.

Those who are interested can contact Parvesh Kaushal (9216036111) and Vijay Vyas (9878545512) at Forest Hill Golf and the Country Club.

Chandigarh, May 4
The Chandigarh North District Netball Association will organise the Chandigarh Junior State Netball Championship for boys and girls (U-19) for the 5th Kailash Bahl Netball, here. The tournament will be organised at KB DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 7, from May 11 to 12.

The players born on or after May 13, 1993 can participate in the tourney. The interested teams should confirm their entries with the organisers before May 9 (1.30pm). According to the organisers, the teams are advised to duly attest player’s proforma by their respective principals mentioning father’s name, date of birth, class with section, admission number, address, phone number and signatures.