Chandigarh, December 11
In a glaring example of "justice delayed is justice denied", an 87-year-old man fighting a legal battle over the alleged murder of his son for the past 27 years died before he could see the verdict.

Allah Singh, a Patiala resident, prayed and fought for justice into the alleged murder case of his son ardently. His body had turned frail but not his desire to fight for justice in the case. He died yesterday at his residence in Patiala much before he could see the judgment in the case that has been hanging fire since 1985.

“I want to see justice before my death,” was Allah Singh’s last wish as he often narrated his ordeal to mediapersons during court hearings. For the past six months, he had not been coming to court due to his ill health. Allah Singh’s body was cremated today.

The CBI court of Vimal Kumar was today informed about Allah Singh's death by his advocate Vinay Jhingan. During a resumed hearing of the case today, three witnesses were examined, including the doctors who conducted the postmortem of his son. Defence arguments are being heard in court in the case. While it is not known when the case will meet its logical end, Allah Singh will not be there to see the verdict.

“He vowed to fight till his last breath to ensure that his son’s soul rested in peace. His wife died four years ago waiting for justice. Now, Allah Singh has also died without seeing the verdict. Their wish remained unfulfilled,” said Allah Singh’s elder son Kanwarjeet Singh.

Kanwarjeet and his wife were brought to the country from the USA to appear as witnesses in the case.

On July 8, 1985, Allah Singh got a phone call informing him that his son Inderjeet Singh had died. Inderjeet's body was found hanging in a rented accommodation in Sector 34. The UT police had dismissed it as a case of suicide. Allah Singh refused to believe the police theory. “He was very brave and strong,” he used to say.

After endless inquiries, writs and re-investigations, a case of murder of Inderjeet Singh was finally admitted in the sessions court.

Chandigarh, December 11
A city-based doctor has brought laurels by securing the fourth position in the PGI MD/MS entrance examination. Leaving behind over 5,000 candidates who appeared in the examination for 50 seats, Mukul Kaushal, an MBBS from Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, has topped from the city, securing the overall fourth rank.

Mukul considers himself fortunate to have fared well in the examination, despite losing focus following the cancellation of the first examination held on November 10. “I was dejected following the cancellation of the previous examination since I thought I had done well. The good part was that I analysed my answers following the first examination and prepared accordingly after finding out the correct answers for some of the questions,” Mukul said.

Candidates from all parts of the country appear in the PGI entrance examination for admission to 50 seats. The PGI entrance is considered as one of the toughest medical entrance examinations in the country.

Mohali, December 11
A local Punjabi singer, Subhash Sharma, aka Babbu Chandigarhia, was allegedly beaten by some SAD workers at a marriage ceremony at the PCA Club, Phase IX, last night.

Talking to mediapersons at the Civil Hospital, Phase VI, this morning, Babbu Chandigarhia alleged that he was beaten by SAD workers, who were probably provoked by his satire on the SAD, which he had uploaded on YouTube.

Babbu Chandigarhia, who sustained injuries on his right eye, forehead and legs, alleged that he was invited as a guest at the marriage ceremony of an acquaintance of SAD leader BS Ramoowalia.

“As soon as I reached the venue along with my wife and two children, some persons asked me to sing songs, which I declined by saying that I had come to attend the ceremony and not to sing. When I was about to leave the venue, a group of about 10 to 12 persons stopped me and beat me up,” alleged the singer, adding that Ramoowalia was also present at the ceremony but had left before the incident occurred.

“I can recognise two or three among those who thrashed me,” said Babbu Chandigarhia.

Ramoowalia said his name was being dragged into a controversy unnecessarily. “I don’t even know the singer. I went to attend the function and left the venue at around 9.30 pm. I was told that a tiff took place at around 10.30 pm and the singer was in an inebriated condition at that time,” said Ramoowalia while talking to Chandigarh Tribune.

Chandigarh, December 11
Taking cognisance of a news report that appeared in these columns today raising a question mark over the police investigations into a murder that took place at the ISBT, Sector 43, in September, the UT SSP today marked an inquiry into the case.

The inquiry has been marked to DSP BS Negi. The DSP has been asked to submit a report.

It was reported that the UT police did not bother to go deep into the postmortem report of the murdered victim, Raj Kumar, which suggested that the stomach and intestines of the victim were missing and had been removed with surgical precision. According to doctors and CFSL experts, the way the two vital organs, found missing from the victim’s body, had been taken out with surgical precision hinted that the deceased could have been a victim of human trafficking.

Chandigarh, December 11
Of the total number of green buildings that have come up in the whole of India, only 0.58 per cent of them have been built in northern India. Such is the state of affairs even though the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) was introduced by the Union Ministry of Conservation in 2007.

Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Center for Science and Environment, said this at an orientation workshop on sustainable buildings 
here today.

Out of the total of 17,027 green buildings in the country, there are only 100 such buildings in the northern region. This shows that the ECBC 2007 norms have not been properly implemented by the state governments of the region, she said.

On the whole, even less than 3 per cent of the built up area is certified as green today which shows that a majority of the states are yet to give a serious thought to the execution of ECBC norms in their areas, said Roychowdhury.

Referring to the data available for the green buildings, she said that the majority of the states, which were in the process of adopting the green building concept were constrained to execute it in commercial premises. However, the huge residential complexes which are coming up in every state are yet to be covered under ECBC norms, she said.

The ECBC norms reinforce the concept of energy-efficient building design that would reduce energy requirement and enhance resident comfort. However, the concept has failed to pick up.

Stressing upon making ECBC norms mandatory in every state, she said that until the states draft their own norms for green buildings, the percentage for the same will not increase in the country.

Meanwhile the Punjab Chapter joint secretary architect Archana Chaudhary, present at the occasion, revealed that the Punjab government had drafted its own ECBC and was going to implement it in April 2013 after the approval of the Ministry of Environment and Non-Conventional Energy. She said after the ECBC is approved, the priority of the government would be to enforce the norms on commercial buildings in the first phase and big residential societies in the second phase.

Mohali, December 11
The work on large-scale computerisation at the local civil hospital that began more than eight months ago has still not been completed.

A senior Health Department official said the work got delayed due to some software snag. The technical problems had now been solved and the system would become functional in a fortnight, he added.

The official said that since the work was a part of the state government’s pilot project, the authorities concerned wanted to be doubly sure about its success.

The computerisation at the hospital was to be done in a phased manner.

Under the phase I of the plan, the OPD block and the central money collection points were to be computerised, while the emergency wing, laboratories, blood bank and X-ray department were to be covered under the phase II.

The phase I was completed successfully, but further progress on the project got delayed as problems that had arisen during the earlier work had to be sorted out first, the official added.

The indoor wing, the operating theatres and the labour room were to be covered in the last phase.

To begin with, three new computers, along with printers, were purchased for patient registration and billing of facilities like dialysis, operation, X-ray, blood bank, physiotherapy, laboratory and ambulance. These computers started operating on April 12.

Panchkula, December 11
As part of the investigations to identify the persons who were in contact with 24-year-old Jyoti, who was found murdered on November 22, the Panchkula police has zeroed on Ram Kumar Chaudhary, a Baddi-based politician, who had attended the wedding of the deceased’s sister in 2009.

Based on a photograph that shows Ram Kumar posing with Jyoti’s sister and her husband during their wedding, the police is now on his lookout, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Virender Sangwan.

Ram Kumar’s brother, Madan Lal Chaudhary, meanwhile, informed the media today morning that his brother was being framed as part of some political conspiracy. He claimed that Ram Kumar did not even know the victim.

The victim, Jyoti, who was staying as a paying guest in house number 3295, Sector 21-D, Chandigarh, was pursuing BEd from a private institute in Mohali. She was also working in a security agency in Mohali.

“Jyoti had introduced Ram Kumar as her boss,” said Buti Ram, her father, while recalling the wedding of her other daughter in 2009. “He was very courteous throughout the ceremony,” Buti Ram added.

Earlier, the police had revealed that a political leader from Himachal Pardesh and his accomplices had made the last call on Jyoti’s phone, a few minutes before her murder.

Ram Kumar Chaudhary had contested the legislative assembly polls from Himachal Pradesh.

Chandigarh, December 11
High drama was witnessed at the sector 17 office of the Registration and Licensing Authority (RLA) when a large number of applicants for the leftover vanity numbers alleged a lack of transparency in the allotment of the numbers of the CH01 AQ series.

Though the leftover numbers were to be allotted on a first-come-first-served basis, certain applicants alleged that the RLA was not adopting proper procedure in the allotment of the leftover numbers.

“Yesterday, applicants kept on waiting for the entire day outside the office of the RLA, Kavel V Parashuram, only to be told in the evening that he was out of the city. Today, the RLA came late and there was jostling outside his office,” said one of the applicants.

It has been pointed out that neither the list of the numbers was displayed on the notice board nor any information was being given at the counters.

One of the applicants, Saurabh Kapoor, an advocate, in a complaint to the Advisor, Central Vigilance Commission, and the Deputy Commissioner, alleged that he was shunted out on the RLA’s orders when he objected to a lack of transparency in the allotment of the numbers. “The RLA was extremely rude with applicants,” he said.

Saurabh Kapoor said the Deputy Commissioner had assured him of a suitable action on his complaint. There is no system of allotting the leftover numbers.

Chandigarh, December 11
The Red Ribbon Express, which has been launched with the aim of creating awareness against AIDS, will arrive in the city at 7.30 am on Wednesday. The train, which has a special coach housing facilities for free-of-cost HIV test and counselling, will be stationed at the local railway station for three days. The visiting hours for residents will be 9 am to 6 pm.

Figures reveal that the number of persons voluntarily walking into the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTCs) has increased both among the general population and the High Risk Groups (HRGs). The New Case Detection Rate among these persons has declined from 7.1 per cent in 2008 to 2.19 per cent this year.

A total of 17,405 cases were tested in 2008 and 1,239 were found positive. Of 34,581 cases tested this year till October, 758 have been found positive. The prevalence of HIV as measured by the detection of virus in a pregnant woman also shows a decline from 0.25 per cent to 0.23 per cent.

Mohammed Shayin, Deputy Commissioner, said the Red Ribbon Express had four exhibition coaches with exhibits on HIV and AIDS and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The NRHM exhibits are on tuberculosis, malaria, reproductive and child health services, general health and hygiene. There is one coach for conducting training of the local stakeholders.

The train also has a coach equipped with the facilities of an auditorium to provide training to batches of 60 trainees each. It has been planned to have at least four training batches everyday from December 12 to 14.

In the special health centre coach, four specialists of sexually transmitted infections/reproductive tract infections will provide treatment free of cost. Also, free counselling and test services for HIV will be available throughout the three days.

Dr Vanita Gupta, Project Director, Chandigarh, SACS, said a minimum of 5,000 people were expected to visit the train everyday. Free pick up has also been arranged for people living in various colonies. 

Chandigarh, December 11
The Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) of the Municipal Corporation today gave its approval to the handing over of underground parking lots opposite the CMC building and the MOH in Sector 17 to traders.

An official of the MC said shopkeepers who own their shops in Sector 17 would use these underground parking lots. These parking lots will be maintained and managed by the traders and the authorities will not charge anything from them for the utilisation of the space, the official added.

In yet another key decision, the committee members also discussed and proposed that the MC would not spare any safai karamchari or sanitary inspector for the functions organised by the UT Administration. The committee also decided that the MC would charge in advance for barricading the surroundings at the venues of cultural events.

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 11
A havildar of the Punjab police was killed in a train accident today. He was hit by a speeding train while trying to cross the railway track on the Sirhind side this morning.

The victim has been identified as constable Balvir Singh, a resident of Dadheri village. After receiving information, assistant sub-Inspector Jaanpal Singh reached the spot and took the body into custody.

The body of Balvir was handed over to the family members after conducting
a post-mortem. The deceased is survived by two daughters and a son. 

Chandigarh, December 11
Rail traffic was disrupted due to poor visibility on the second consecutive day today. As fog grew dense in the periphery areas this morning, many trains got delayed, causing inconvenience to passengers.

Five trains, including the morning Shatabdi, which reached here an hour late against its scheduled arrival at 6.45 am, got delayed. Other trains that reached here late on account of weather changes were the Jan Shatabdi, Himalayan Queen and the Paschim Express. All these trains were late by half an hour. The departure of trains was by and large on time.

Though there was not much fog in the city, a thick blanket of fog enveloped certain spots in the peripheral areas. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Office has warned that fog and mist would persist in the next few days.

Chandigarh, December 11
The infighting in the local BJP unit further deepened today when the president of the local BJP unit, Sanjay Tandon, suspended four party leaders for indiscipline.

The leaders, BK Kapoor, Kewal Krishan Adiwal, former Mayor, Narinder Chaudhary and Anil Dubey, former councillor, were suspended for yesterday’s protest outside the BJP office.

Yesterday, the leaders, led by senior party leader Harmohan Dhawan, had staged a protest outside the Sector 33 office of the party against the ongoing intra-party election process of the local unit.

In the past few days, serious differences had been reported between senior party leaders over the election process. The disgruntled leaders today staged a dharna in front of the BJP office demanding transparency in the functioning of the party leadership.

Chandigarh, December 11
The Science Centre and Planetarium, which was supposed to come up at Panjab University, will not be built at PU now. The UT Administration has decided that the Science Centre would come up in other part of the city.

The Science Centre was supposed to be built on the south campus of PU. It was MP Pawan Kumar Bansal, who had proposed to have a science city in PU.

A meeting regarding this was held today, which was attended by scientists from different parts of the country. Former Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, RC Sobti, was also present during the meeting and gave a presentation over the project.

UT Officials confirmed that the Science Centre would now come up at another place, which is yet to be finalised.

"Various academicians have been associated with the project and the planning has already been initiated," the officials said.

Interestingly, Akshay Kumar, former PUTA president, had also opposed the project, claiming that there was no space for expansion on the PU campus.

The issue was also discussed at the PUTA meeting earlier this year and the general body had passed a resolution, stating that they were not convinced of the project.

Chandigarh, December 11
A day before the commencement of semester exams in postgraduate courses, scores of students from far-flung areas of Punjab, who are pursuing postgraduation courses through correspondence, were seen running pillars to post to get duplicate roll numbers. The students, who didn't receive roll numbers, which were sent by PU through ordinary post, ended up paying Rs 110 for duplicate roll number.

Anxious over not receiving the roll number, the students hailing from the tricity and neighbouring states, reached PU to get the duplicate roll numbers. Although the university claims of sending the roll numbers on time, yet the students blamed the university for inconvenience.

Mandeep, a student hailing from Punjab, said :"The students have made no mistake. if we didn't receive the roll numbers,then why the university is charging Rs 110 for duplicate roll numbers. Rather than sending the roll numbers through ordinary post, the university should have sent the roll numbers through registered post." The problem is going on for the past many years, causing inconvenience to hundreds of students every year.

In many cases, students were not even provided duplicate roll numbers and were declared ineligible for examination. A postgraduate student from Mohali, was denied roll number by PU. The university claimed that he was not eligible to be a postgraduate student as he didn't score the minimum aggregate marks, required to pursue postgraduation, in graduation. "I had to return home and bring the original mark sheet to establish that I was eligible. An error on the part of the university would have prevented me from taking the examination," the student said.

Jagjeet Singh, a student of MA sociology from Moga, had to face similar problem when he was told that he was not eligible to appear for the examination and would not be issued roll number. "I was to appear for the examination on Thursday and at the last moment I was asked to produce original mark sheets to check the aggregate marks," Jagjeet said.

Lalit Bansal, chairperson of University School of Open Learning (USOL), said they had proposed that documents should be sent through registered post to avoid such troubles. PU Senate member Dinesh Talwar said while the students had to travel to Chandigarh for duplicate roll numbers, the staff on duty at PU misbehaved with the students.