NEIGHBOURHOOD

Youth killed in mishap

Chandigarh, December 6
The special CBI court of Vimal Kumar today acquitted three persons, including two former officials of the Chandigarh State Cooperative Bank, accused in a Rs 11 crore Punjab Wireless Limited (Punwire) scam dating back to 1998.

As per the CBI case which was registered in 2000 after an inquiry by the UT Administration, the three were accused of indulging in a criminal conspiracy to cause a loss of crores of rupees to the bank through illegal investments. The court acquitted former managing director of the Chandigarh State Cooperative Bank Jagtar Singh, the then general manager Vinod Sharma and executive director of Punwire Ved Parkash of the charges of cheating and corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 420, 120-B of the IPC.

Advocate RK Handa, defence counsel for Vinod Sharma, said neither the CBI could prove that the investments were illegal nor could it connect the bylaws and rules and regulations to the alleged fraud. As per the case, the CBI had stated that the then bank officials had "wrongly invested" Rs 11 crore in Punwire and its sister concern PNCL between September 14, 1998, and October 7, 1998.

According to them, the huge investment was made whereas in the bank vouchers it was termed as short-term loans. The huge sum was invested as unsecured loans and the deal between the bank and Punwire was suspiciously inked within a day, the CBI had said.

The CBI had stated that the bank officials did not take the mandatory permission that was required from the Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS), who is the Deputy Commissioner, before carrying out such an investment. Under normal circumstances, a bank lending money on such a scale takes collateral securities in immovable properties from the borrower in lieu of the loan. In the case of the Cooperative Bank, the board of directors was required to clear the loan, however, the employees did not take any permission from the board and went ahead to invest the money promising high returns.

However, the defence had argued that it was a commercial investment and the permission was taken.

By the beginning of 1998, Punwire was already facing a slide on the stock market and the promised return of money on investments could not have materialised. Indications of money going down the drain were evident but nothing was done to stop it, the CBI said.

However, none of the charges could be proved in the court resulting which all the three were acquitted today.

Punwire closed down
A profit-making company for over 20 years since its establishment in 1975 had shot into the limelight for the establishment of the prestigious communication link between Dakshin Gangotri (Antarctica) and New Delhi. The operations of the company came to a grinding halt in 1999 following the unearthing of the scam. The company was locked for liquidation in July 2000 and the final winding up orders were passed in February 2001 by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Chandigarh, December 6
A day after a section of the UT District Bar Association sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the ‘criminal’ wastage of money in the construction of the lawyers’ chambers building in Sector 43, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the UT and others.

The petition has been filed by the construction committee constituted by the investor-members of the District Bar Association for the allotment of chambers in the Sector 43 district courts complex. It has been filed through its members, including HS Awasthi, Vinod Choda, RS Walia and Amar Singh Chahal. The chambers are being built on self-finance basis.

The petition says the CBI may be directed to register a case on the basis of a complaint dated November 6 sent by the member-investors of the chambers building. Directions have been also sought to “undertake investigation of the same for the purpose of prosecution of persons responsible for the offences so committed by them, as stated in the complaint”.

The petitioners said their grudge was that amount “running into crorers, collected from some members of the District Bar Association had been wasted on the basis of forged bills, use of substandard material, procurement of forged documents and showing purchase of material on false documents”.

Elaborating, the petitioners said the total contract money was Rs 13.30 crore, while the amount paid to date to the contractor was Rs 14.60 crore. As such, an excess payment of Rs 1.30 crore was made, while 40 per cent work was yet to be completed. “The estimated money wasted could well be more than Rs 5 crore,” the petitioners alleged.

Panchkula, December 6
The police arrested 11 persons, including nine policemen, for gambling on Wednesday. The police also recovered Rs 49,387 from their possession. They have been booked under the Gambling Act.

The accused were gambling in the courtyard of a tubewell in Sector 6. Though the police remained tight-lipped, sources said constables and a peon working in police headquarters, besides two employees of HAFED HSIDC were arrested. All the accused were released on bail today.

Inspector Chattar Singh, in charge, CIA, who was part of the raiding team, said the accused were nabbed following a tip-off.

“We caught the accused red-handed. The ACP of the area was also informed about the incident. The gamblers were taken to the Sector 5 police station, said inspector Chattar Singh.

Panchkula, December 6
Two masked robbers looted Rs 10,000 from a liquor vend at 4.45 am in Sector 16 this morning.

In the same sector, locks of a sweet shop were also found broken and an unsuccessful attempt was also made to loot another vend in Sector 20 at 4.15 am.

The police said the miscreants, who had come in an Esteem car, broke the locks to gain entry into the liquor vend. Two workers, Manoj and Harnam, were sleeping inside. A CCTV camera has been installed in the vend.

The police said it did not get any clue from the CCTV footage as it was dark.

The police said the same miscreants might have targeted the vend in Sector 20.

The two could not enter the vend as they were unable to break the grill.

Chandigarh, December 6
A pedestrian was killed when a car hit him at the Kala Gram lights last night. The deceased, Jeetu, who worked in a shop at MHC Mani Majra, succumbed to his injuries in hospital. A case has been registered in this connection.

Chandigarh, December 6
Unified Club defeated City Club by 20-18 during the first match of Chandigarh Kabaddi State Championship for Boys and Girls held here today.

The championship was organised by the Chandigarh Kabaddi Association at Kabaddi Grounds of Sports Complex, Sector 42.

Over 480 players are representing 40 teams in various categories.

In another matches of the same category, Dhanas defeated GMSH-41 by 24-12, while Indira colony defeated Chandigarh Club by 40-17.

Results

SAI Club bt Diamond Club by 32-14; Unified Club bt City Club by 20-18

Girls (Sub-junior): Aman Club-20 bt GMSH-41 by 40-11; Maloya Club bt City Club by 20-17; Dhanas Club bt Diamond Club 40-17

Boys (junior): Dadau Majara Club bt Dhanas Club by 42-24; SAI Club bt Unified Club by 20-12; Unified club bt Maloya Club by 19-11

Girls (junior): SAI Club bt Chandigarh Club by 36-24; Maloya Club bt Diamond Club by 22-13; Aman Club bt Unified Club by 39-18

Chandigarh, December 6
Tennis player Paramveer Bajwa will face Param Pun in the final of the boys’ (U-16) category during the ongoing St Stephen’s School AITA Championship Tennis Series, being held at the CLTA and Lake Sports complex here.

In the semifinals of the category, Paramveer defeated Vikas Singh by 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, while Param Pun routed Shrey Gupta by 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

In the semifinals of boys’ (U-12) group, Rishabh Sharda defeated Sahishnu Sharma by 6-1 and 6-1 to face top seed Sachit Sharma, who in the second semi-final defeated Amit Beniwal by 6-2, 6-7, 6-1.

Results

Boys (U-12): Sacchit Sharma bt Amit Beniwal (6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-1); Rishabh Sharda bt Sahishnu Sharma (6-1, 6-1)

Girls (U-12): Prinkle Singh bt Chetna Kumari (6-1, 6-3); Sarah Dev bt Shreya Gulia (6-2, 6-4)

Boys (U-16): Paramveer Bajwa bt Vikas Singh (4-6, 6-3, 6-1); Param Pun bt Shrey Gupta (4-6, 7-5, 6-2)

Girls (U-16): Bhawya Wadhawan bt Simranjeet Kaur (6-1, 6-0); Nandini Sharma bt Aarushi Kakkar (6-2, 6-1)

Boys (U-12): Himanshu Mor and Amit Beniwal bt MS Karthik and Asav Kumar (4-1, 4-1)

Boys (U-16): Shrey Gupta and Vikrant Dahiya bt Rahul Seth and Eklavya Singh (1-4, 5-3, 7-5); Vikas Berwal and Rohit Kumar bt Vikas Singh and Sumit Pal Singh (3-5, 4-2, 8-6)

Girls (U-16): Prinkle Singh and Aarushi Kakkar bt Bani Singh and Simarjeet Kaur (1-4, 4-2, 7-5). — TNS

Chandigarh, December 6
The club that made football icons like Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Xavi Hernandez, Gerad Pique is here in Chandigarh to scout talent.

Spanish football giants FC Barcelona will hold a coaching camp for children in the age groups of 5-15 years from December 15 to January 26 in Chandigarh.

The fee for one batch of training is Rs 13,500, which includes kit and other gear.

The first overseas club to arrive in the city will start FCBEscola coaching camps in a bid to hunt talent in India. Barcelona is likely to set up an academy in Haryana by March-April next year with the partnership of Conscient Football. The other cities in the itinerary are Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and Pune.

"We have found that there is a good talent available in India and they have the potential to become the stars of future. We have shortlisted potential participants from the earlier camps and soon we will be finalising the students who are going to be part of football academy," Antoni Claveria, the technical director of FCBEscola India, said.

"If we find there is a talent from economically weaker section, then surely we will support them," an official said.

"This is one of the most ambitious projects for FCBescola worldwide. We hope to train 12,000 young footballers in the coming three years. With this initiative, we will provide the depth and the quality needed to develop coaches and players from a young age," the official added.

Chandigarh, December 6
Strawberry Fields World School, Sector 26, hosted and won the ICSE Schools Basketball Tournament for Girls’ (U-14) held from December 5 to December 6 here.

In the first qualifying match, Saupin’s School, Panchkula, went down against Strawberry Fields by 23-2, while in the semifinals, the host team got the better of Tender Heart Convent School by 29-4.

In the final of the tournament, the title winners overcame St Xavier’s School with a score of 22-14 and bagged the winning trophy.

Chandigarh, December 6
In the first match of the ongoing Edmund Rice Cricket Trophy for Boys (U-14), the host team of St John’s School, Sector 26, defeated Chitkara International School by 149 runs, here today.

Batting first, the wining side posted a total of 179 runs in the allotted slot of 20 overs. Amit Bhatia scored an unbeaten 81 off 40, including 12 boundaries, while his teammates Paritosh Baath and Narun scored 26 runs each. For the bowling side, Dalip took 1 for 40.

In reply, Chitkara team was bowled out for a mere total of 38 runs. Ritish claimed 4 for 15, whereas Shithij Verma took 3 for 10.

In the second match, the team of Chandigarh Baptist registered a win over Ryan International School. Batting first, the team of Baptist scored 161 runs in 20 overs. Nikhil topped the team's score chart after contributing 30 off 31, while Karan added 30 runs.

Chasing the target, the team of Ryan School was bundled out for a mere total of 75 runs with Akash scoring 15 runs. Bowler Manu grabbed 4 for 20.

In the match of the boys (U-17) category, the team of St. John’s School beat Ryan International School by 43 runs. The host team scored 183 runs with Tejas Kang contributing 86 off 47 studded with two sixes and 12 boundaries. Pranjay Sharma was the other main contributor with 42 off 29. Sahil Kapoor claimed 3 for 30.

Ryan School was bundled out for 140 runs with Harmandeep (52 off 29) contributing the lion's share. Tejas and Pratul claimed three wickets each, whereas Akhil claimed 2 for 20.