NEIGHBOURHOOD

Drug peddler nabbed

Ambala, January 3
Thieves targeted an electronic goods showroom yesterday night at Ambala City. They took away LCDs, LEDs and microwave ovens worth Rs 8 lakh.

Rajesh Battra, owner of the showroom, said when he came this morning to open the shop, he found the locks of the shutter broken. He said valuable electronics goods, including 27 LCDs and 9 LEDs, were missing from the shop. After getting information, Raj Kumar Walia, ACP, Ambala, and SHO Pawan Sharma reached the site.

The thieves could not be apprehended as CCTV cameras were out of order.

The police has registered a case. No clue of the thieves has been found so far. — OC

Chandigarh, January 3
A local court today framed charges against three accused in the case of murder of a shopkeeper in Sector 22 last year.

The court framed charges of murder and criminal conspiracy under Sections 302, 120-B of the IPC against Sanchit Verma, Nazir Khan and Rakesh. The case is now set for recording of evidence on the next date of hearing, which is on February 5.

A Sector 22-based shopkeeper Kailash Chand, was shot dead at his shop on July 26, while his brother and helper were seriously injured. Robbery was the motive behind the murder, the police said.

The accused were drug addicts and were known to each other for the past few years. Sanchit used to frequently visit Kailash’s shop to get his mobile phone recharged.

Sanchit had noticed that Kailash used to wear a heavy gold chain and a silver “kara”. Moreover, he used to have a lot of cash at the end of the day, so he along with his friends planned a robbery. Nazir Khan and Rakesh entered the shop and Sanchit waited for them outside the shop. One of the accused snatched the gold chain from Kailash. On seeing this, Kailash’s brother, Madan Lal, jumped over the counter and caught hold of the accused.

The other assailant stabbed Madan Lal with a knife on his back.

One of the accused then fired a shot from a country made pistol at Kailash Chand, which hit his chest, and another shot hit his helper Tilak Raj on the back.

The accused then robbed a gold chain, a locket, silver “kara”, mobile phones and some cash from Kailash Chand. The accused were caught with the help of a mobile phone that fell from their pocket during the scuffle.

Chandigarh, January 3
Three incidents of eve-teasing were reported in the past 24 hours. While the police managed to apprehend two youths involved in two incidents, in one incident the accused managed to flee.

The two accused apprehended are Kulwinder of Mohali and Krishan Kumar of Sector 45. The police has arrested Kulwinder for molesting a girl near the Booth Market in Sector 22, and accused Krishan for passing lewd remarks at a girl, resident of Sector 45, near her residence.

Three girls staying as paying guests in Sector 11 were in Sector 10 when three youths in an Innova car chased them and occupants of the vehicle passed lewd remarks. The victims managed to note down the registration number of Innova (PB-23L-7272) and passed it to the local police.

A case was registered at Sector 11 police station. The police said the accused were being traced through the registration details of the vehicle.

Panchkula, January 3
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nazneen Bhasin today suspended the ASI and station house officer (SHO) of the Mansa Devi Complex (MDC) police station for "concealing" facts in an FIR that had to be registered in a robbery that took place on New Year’s Eve.

SHO Aruna Kumar and ASI Devi Chand had projected the robbery as a theft.

The robbers had held a six-month-old infant at knifepoint.

The SHO had registered the case under Section 380 (theft) instead of Section 392 (robbery).

The matter was highlighted in these columns following which Bhasin intervened and spoke to the complainant.

It was learnt that the officials had even deleted the records of the previous FIR.

“The ASI and SHO have been placed under suspension. A departmental inquiry has also been conducted. Such things will not be tolerated," said Bhasin.

It was on New Year’s Eve when miscreants looted money and jewellery after holding a six-month-old baby girl at knifepoint at Sakteri near Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula. The two unidentified masked youths pressed the doorbell on the pretext of delivering a New Year gift on the behalf of someone and forcibly entered the house by pushing the mother inside. 

Chandigarh, January 3
A day after the UT police was sent in a tizzy by a girl who staged a kidnap drama, another kidnapping complaint by an ITBP constable kept the police of the Sector 31 police station on tenterhooks.

The constable said his colleague had been kidnapped from near an ATM at Behlana village.

Investigations revealed that the constable recently got married and did not get his choice of posting and refused to join duty. He was marked absent when he called his friend and enacted a drama of kidnapping.

The police has registered a case under Section 363 of the IPC.

SHO of the Sector 31 police station said the constable had been contacted and it was only a drama. 

Mohali, January 3
In protest against the failure of the police in arresting the main accused, Amandeep Kaur, the Superintendent of Police (Vigilance), in the ETO Ranjit Singh's suicide case, the deceased's wife, Manjit Kaur, staged a dharna in front of the Mohali SSP's office at Phase I today.

"Despite the clear direction from the court, the police is making all efforts to save the police officer and other accused in the case. Amandeep Kaur and other accused have applied for an anticipatory bail in the Apex Court and the police is giving them time by not arresting them," alleged Manjit Kaur.

She was accompanied by Congress leader Lakhwinder Kaur Gracha and Ramesh Dutt, president of the Hindu Suraksha Samiti (youth wing) and some other local leaders.

Manjit Kaur alleged that she was being threatened by some persons to take back the case. "My life is in danger and I have applied for police protection. The police has not done anything in this direction so far," alleged Manjit Kaur.

The police had arrested accused Paramjit Singh, a driver, recently. "I am not satisfied with his arrest. The police took more than four months to arrest only one accused," alleged Manjit Kaur, adding that if the police failed to arrest the remaining accused till Sunday, she would sit on an indefinite dharna in front of the office.

Mohali SSP GS Bhullar claimed that three teams were conducting raids on every possible hideouts of the accused. "The arrests will be made soon," said Bhullar.

The Mohali court has also issued arrest warrants against the accused and directed the police to produce them on the next hearing scheduled for January 9.

The police had presented a challan in the case on October 25 after registering a case under Sections 120-B, 306, 506, IPC, Section 7, 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against all the accused on August 18 this year, following the direction of the Mohali court.

ETO Ranjit Singh had committed suicide on April 23 last year following his arrest by the vigilance team led by Amandeep Kaur on the charges of corruption. His family had alleged that he was was framed up. 

Zirakpur, January 3
A 22-year-old married man was arrested for raping a minor girl today. The girl (15), a resident of Vikas Nagar Colony, Baltana, was allegedly raped on January 1. In the complaint, the victim alleged that her parents were at work and she was with her minor sister at the home when the incident took place.

Meanwhile, Raju, a resident of (House No. 160) the same colony, entered her house around 3 pm on the pretext of having an important work with her. He sent her minor sister out for buying chocolates. Later, Raju raped her.

She narrated the incident to her mother in the evening, following which a complaint was filed. The police said a case under Section 376 of the IPC had been registered after a medical examination of the victim.

Raju was produced before a court in Dera Bassi. He was sent to 14-day judicial custody.

Zirakpur, January 3
Two persons were killed in separate road accidents near Zirakpur and Dera Bassi recently. One person was killed in the accident, which took place on the Zirakpur-Panchkula Road on Tuesday.

The deceased had been identified as Mohan Sharma, a resident of Zirakpur. The accident took place when a speeding car hit him near an overbridge. The victim was rushed to the GMCH-32, Chandigarh, where he succumbed to injuries today.

The police has registered a case against car driver Ashwani Sharma of Gaziabad district, Haryana. He has been booked under Sections 279 and 304A, IPC. The body was handed over to the victim's relatives after a postmortem.

In another incident, one person was killed in a road accident on the Dera Bassi-Barwala Road on Tuesday night. The deceased has been identified as Mahadev, hailing from Bihar. The accident took place when a vehicle hit the scooter of the victim near Kuranwala village. He was rushed to Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi, where he succumbed to injuries. — OC

Zirakpur, January 3
The local police has arrested a person for outraging the modesty of his colleague in the office here. In her complaint, the victim, who is a sales girl in a private company, alleged that the sales manager of the company, Sushil Kumar, had been making advances towards her.

Chandigarh, January 3
In the ongoing Coca Cola Cricket Cup for Boys (U-16), Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, defeated Guru Nanak Public School, Sector 36, today.

The winning side posted a total of 304 runs for the loss of three wickets in 40 overs. Abhimanyu scored a brilliant knock of 115 off 100 studded with 17 boundaries and two sixes. He was equally supported by Utkarsh, who contributed a brilliant 97 off 96. For the bowling side, Amish Sidhu claimed 1 for 65.

In reply, Guru Nanak Public School could manage to score only 155 runs for 6 in 40 over. Batsman Rrizul scored 68 off 85 while Anurakt contributed 27 off 60. For the bowling side, Ujwal and Jagjit took two wickets each.

In another match, DAV School defeated Saupin’s School, Sector 32, by 164 runs. After electing to bat first, DAV posted 265 runs. Abhimanyu Singha hogged the limelight after scoring 115 off 108 balls while Amrit Lubana contributed 87 off 77.