NEIGHBOURHOOD

Need to harness untapped hydro potential: BBMB chief

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 1
The police has arrested a drug peddler and recovered 10 gm of smack from his possession.

Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, SSP, said the anti-narcotic cell of the district police, during a routine check, arrested Varinder Singh, a resident of Hamayun Pur, Sirhind, and recovered 10 gm of smack from his custody. He has been booked under the NDPS Act. — OC

Ropar, June 1
The police today seized 25 kg of poppy husk from a passenger. The accused, identified as Sachin, a resident of Bijnaur in UP, was carrying the contraband in a plastic bag. He reached the local raiway staion via Himachal Express today morning.

When the GRP personnel checked him, 25 kg of poppy husk was seized from his bag. Sachin was produced in the local court after a case was registered against him. He was sent to a two-day police custody. —TNS

Chandigarh, June 1
As many as 5,632 cases of different categories were disposed of in a Lok Adalat held at a local court today. As many as 359 cases were settled under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act. A compensation of Rs 2.3 lakh was awarded in the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) cases.

As many as 712 civil cases, rent cases, HMA cases, executions, appeals, complaints, etc., were also settled. For 4,920 traffic challans, an amount of Rs 20.41 lakh was imposed and realised as fine.

In total, 16 benches were constituted in which cases of different categories like motor accident claim cases, Hindu Marriage Act cases, civil cases, rent cases, executions, civil appeals, compoundable criminal cases, cases under Section 125 of the CrPC, cases under Section 138, NI Act, complaints, bank cases, traffic challans etc. were taken up for settlement.

SK Aggarwal, District and Sessions Judge, Chandigarh, and KK Jain, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandigarh, appealed to the public to resolve their disputes through Lok Adalats as they provide quick and economical justice. They also save valuable time, money and energy of the litigants.

Ashok Chauhan, president of the Bar Association, Chandigarh, and other members of the Bar, extended full support and cooperation for making the Lok Adalat a grand success.

Mohali, June 1
A local court today announced a two-year sentence and Rs 20,000 as fine to an accused for possessing around 750 grams of opium. Mohali Additional District and Sessions Judge PP Singh awarded a two-year sentence to Gian Singh, a resident of Naianwaala village, Dera Bassi, who was arrested by the police at a naka with 750 grams of opium on December 22, 2009.

A case under Sections 18, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act was registered against him at Dera Bassi.

Chandigarh, June 1
A city-based trader was allegedly beaten up and then abducted in a car on late Friday night. However, he jumped out of the moving vehicle to save his life near the Grain Market and sustained various injuries.

According to the police, the victim has been identified as Sanchit Kumar (25), who is a wholesale dealer of fruits at the Sector 26 Grain Market.

The police said the accused were asking Sanchit to pay ‘hafta’ (protection money) and when he refused to pay it, they abducted him in a car.

The police has registered a case against unknown persons and started investigations.

“The incident happened around 11:30 pm on Friday when Sanchit was closing the shutters of his shop. Four miscreants came there in a car and started asking him to pay Rs 150 as ‘hafta’, but he refused,” said a police official here.

The accused also tried to take away the cash from his counter. But when Sanchit resisted, they bundled him in their car and sped away. The workers at the shop tried to chase the car, but failed to catch them.

Sanchit was allegedly beaten inside the car and he managed to jump out of the vehicle near the exit gate of the Grain Market. He was taken to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, for treatment.

The police said a case had been registered against the four unidentified persons.

“This seems to be a case of old enmity and we are questioning the workers of the Grain Market," the police said.

Mohali, June 1
The Mohali police arrested a person who attacked a murder accused in the local court complex here today afternoon.

Giving details, inspector Navin Pal Singh Lehal, station house officer of Mataur police station, said the accused, identified as Anokh Singh from Landran, attacked Hardeep Singh, who was brought to the court for hearing of the Saudagar Singh murder case, near “bakshikhana” (the room in the court in which under trials are kept).

“Anokh Singh and Hardeep Singh have some old rivalry, which is the reason behind the attack,” said Navin Pal Singh Lehal.

He said Anokh Singh, who came to the court with a few persons for some evidence, was not carrying any arm at the time of the incident.

The policemen, under whose custody Hardeep Singh was brought, overpowered Anokh Singh and later handed him over to the local police.

A case under Sections 353, 323, 186 of the IPC has been registered against Anokh Singh at Mataur police station.

“He will be produced before the court tomorrow,” said Navin Pal Singh Lehal.

Mohali, June 1
A car washer from Nepal had a miraculous escape when an electricity pole fell on the car after he rammed into it at Phase IV here today in the morning.

According to sources, Karan Singh, a resident of Nepal, who works as a car washer in the Phase IV locality, started the Swift car belonging to Jaspinder Singh, to fulfil his wish of driving. As he did not know how to drive, he rammed the vehicle into a stationary car and then into an electricity pole. The impact was so strong that the pole, along with the electricity cables, fell on the car. However, Karan escaped unhurt.

After getting the information, the police reached the spot and inquired into the matter.

Jaspinder Singh, a student, said he had handed over the keys of his car to Karan for washing. Jaspinder was asleep when the incident took place.

Mohali, June 1
A resident of Balongi has complained to the police that his son was allegedly kept in illegal custody for 11 days by persons running a company here.

Basant Kumar Thapa told the police that his son, Sonu Thapa, who worked in a private company in the Phase IX industrial area, and another employee, Shobha Guram, were allegedly kept in illegal custody. The reason, he said, was that they had allegedly made the company suffer a loss to the tune of Rs 27 lakh.

The police has registered a case against four persons — Roshan Singh, Natasha, S Chaudhary and Vijay Rai — under Sections 344 (wrongful confinement for 10 or more days) and 34 of the IPC in this regard.

Sonu Thapa said that Shobha was his fiancée. She said she was from Nepal while her parents lived in Hong Kong.

The two said they had helped set up the company but their names were later deliberately kept out of the list of directors.

They alleged that they had been kidnapped with the help of certain police officials. The police had failed to register a case of kidnapping, they added.

They demanded a probe by the National Commission for Women, the Human Rights Commission and the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) and consequent action in the matter.

Chandigarh, June 1
On the first day of the Dhruv Pandove Trophy for boys (U-19), the local side scored 194 runs for 8 wickets against Amritsar, today.

The Chandigarh team elected to bat first and was restricted to 194 runs in 95 overs. Arpit Singh (42 runs), Shubham Bhambri (33 runs), Arjit Singh (31 runs) and Simranpreet (20 runs) were the main contributors for their team.

For the Amritsar team, left-arm spinner Rohit claimed six wickets by giving away 59 runs.