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Our Correspondent

Patiala, June 19
In a bizarre development, the Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, authorities have deputed gardeners, who are supposed to maintain gardens, in operation theatres and other wards to assist doctors and patients. On the contrary, as many as 40 employees, including 24 ward attendants, have been put on general duty that includes cleaning the corridors and cutting of trees and maintaining the gardens.

Documents available with The Tribune show that despite a shortage of ward attendants in the wards, following which the night shifts in most of the wards are vacant, the hospital authorities have deputed around 40 employees at general duty.

As many as seven gardeners, who are completely ignorant of anything related to patient care and medical procedures, have been deputed at various operation theatres and other places where they have to do the work of ward attendants.

Head gardener Gurdev Singh has been transferred to the operation theatre on the second floor, gardener Rajkumar has been shifted to the orthopaedics OT, Gurpreet Singh has been posted at the ICCU, Kesar Singh has been shifted to the blood bank, Pawan Kumar has been posted at the main emergency and head gardener Nachattar Singh and Baljinder Singh have been given the task of cleaning the corridors.

One of the gardeners said: “We have no idea about the instruments, medicines and other things that are involved in treating patients. How are we supposed to assist patients and doctors is beyond my understanding? Who is going to be responsible if anything goes wrong with any patient? Moreover, we are appointed as gardeners and draw the salary for the same post, so we are being overburdened by shifting us to operation theatres”.

“The hospital authorities say there is a shortage of staff and they may require our services in operation theatres. But, why did they take out so many ward attendants from wards and deputed them at the cleanliness duty. This is a deliberate attempt to harass us,” said another gardener.

Meanwhile, Dr VK Sharda, superintendent of the hospital, said all these employees were appointed in the Class IV category and none of them was a trained gardener.

Actually, they were merely appointed against the posts of gardener, but they sit idle the entire day. Despite repeated instructions and warnings, they did not do any work, loiter around and later leave from the duty. The decision had been taken with the sole purpose of making them work. They would only be doing the cleaning work inside and transporting patients from one place to another. They would not be given any work that causes inconvenience to patients or doctors, he said.

Mohali, June 19
The Facebook case took a new turn when the local court asked the Mohali Police on what basis theft charges were pressed against Tarminder Kaur and her son Gunveer Singh.

The court has sent a notice to the police, directing it to submit the entire records in the case.

The Mohali Police had registered a case under Sections 380, 120 B, IPC, and Section 66 A of the IT Act on a complaint of a Sector 70 resident, Sandip Singh Maini. Maini had alleged that his wife and son had posted vulgar comments, abuses and threats on his Facebook wall. An inquiry was conducted by a Sub-Inspector before registering the case against the mother-son duo.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Tarminder Kaur alleged that her son Gunveer Singh had been studying in Canada for the past two years. “The house in which I am living with my second son is registered in my son’s name. My husband (the complainant) has been living in our house forcibly. How could I commit a theft in my own house? Moreover, there is no mention of any theft in the FIR. I am shocked how the police could press charge under Section 380 (theft) against us,” said Tarminder Kaur, alleging that the police has falsely implicated them in the case.

Her counsel Mohit Jaggi said the judge had summoned the case records.

Tarminder Kaur has applied for anticipatory bail, a hearing on which would take place tomorrow.

Mohali SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar ordered a fresh inquiry into the case today. Mohali SP (City) Swarndeep Singh said the fresh inquiry would be conducted by Inspector Navin Pal Singh, station house officer of the Mataur police station.

Swarndeep Singh said: “Every aspect will be looked into thoroughly. If needed, the Section in question will be deleted from the FIR,” said the SP.

Meanwhile, Tarminder Kaur said she had also filed a dowry case against her husband a few years ago and they had filed divorce applications in a Mohali court. 

Chandigarh, June 19
The UT police registered two cases of eve-teasing today.

In the first case, a Mani Majra resident was beaten up after he objected to the teasing of his woman friend near the Sector 20 temple by two youngsters. Taveen, a resident of Mani Majra, had gone to the Sector 20 temple with his friend. As both Taveen and his friend were coming out of the temple, two youngsters started passing lewd remarks about the girl. Taveen asked the duo Dheeran Kumar and Akash Arora to leave, following which they beat him up.

Taveen alleged Dheeran of Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar, and Akash Arora of Sector 20-A thrashed him after he objected to the passing of lewd remarks about his friend.

The police has booked Dheeran and Akash under sections 341 (wrongful restraint) 323 (causing hurt) 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman).

In another incident, a girl alleged that Lalit of Maloya Colony, along with others, assaulted and passed lewd remarks about her. The police said the girl lived in Maloya and she was known to the boy. Lalit asked the girl to come along. After her refusal, he thrashed and abused her, the police added.

The police has registered a case under sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force against woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal 
intimidation) and 509 of the IPC. The accused has been arrested.

Chandigarh, June 19
The STD booth owner, Ram Raj, who was arrested yesterday on suspicion for his alleged role in the theft at a petrol station in Sector 4 on Sunday, was remanded in two-day police custody today.

The police said it would match his voice samples with the recorded voice of the thief who had threatened the station owner on the phone after committing the theft.

Yesterday, the police had arrested the STD booth owner in Sector 8 under Section 41 CrPc (arrest without warrant) as the police suspected he was hiding vital information pertaining to the identity of the thieves.

A thief had made a call to the petrol station on Monday at 10.30 am, barely some hours after committing the theft, and threatened its owner with more thefts. The call was traced to the Sector 8 STD booth.

The incident was reported on June 17 when two masked youths entered the department store after at the petrol station after cutting the glass door and stole Rs 3 lakh, a mobile phone and other accessories. The owner of the store had received a threatening call last month from the thief and also yesterday after the theft was committed. 

Chandigarh, June 19
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) today arrested two persons and recovered 9.2 kg of opium from their possession. The NCB arrested 26-year-old Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, a resident of Ambala, and 55-year-old Mahinder Singh from Dhanas. They were booked under various sections of the NDPS Act. The two were produced before a court that sent them to judicial custody.

The NCB officials said while Sanjeev Sharma was a liquor contractor of Ambala, Mahinder ran a juice shop in Sector 35.

Sanjeev had come from Ambala to Mahinder's residence to deliver the drug. The NCB got a tip-off and laid a trap to arrest the duo. A search of Sanjeev's Innova car led to the recovery of 9.2 kg of opium. Besides, cash worth Rs 1 lakh was recovered from the car.

An official of the narcotics bureau said the two are kingpins and used to supply drugs to carriers for sale in the market. The two had been operating in the city and many parts of Punjab and Haryana for the past many years.

Investigations are on to find out more about the drug peddlers’ links, the NCB official said. 

Panchkula, June 18
The St Soldier Cricket Academy, Panchkula, defeated Hansraj Cricket Academy to lift the title of the first Inter-Academy Cricket League for Boys (U-14) Tournament played at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex, Sector 3, here. The team defeated the rivals by 20 runs.

Batting first the St Soldier Cricket Academy posted a healthy total of 180 runs with losing 7 wickets for in 30 overs. Skipper Kshitij Sharma contributed 47 runs while all-rounder Arjun Azad scored a quick fire 39 off 31balls. Sidharth Danda was the other noticeable scorer with his 35 runs contribution.

For Hansraj Academy, bowler Mandeep Singh spotted his spell with grabbing 3 for 19 runs while Utkarsh Bhukkal claimed 2 for 18 runs. Abhishek Parmar claimed 2 for 28 runs.

In reply, the Hansraj Cricket Academy started of well with skipper Aman taking the initiative. He scored unbeaten century of 111 runs off 98 balls including 2 sixes and 12 boundaries. He was equally supported by all-rounder Utkarsh Bhukkal, who contributed 33 off 21 balls. But the other batsmen of the Hansraj team failed to maintain the run scoring pace and could manage to score only 160 runs in allotted slot of 30 overs. For the wining side, Arjun Azad took 3 for 24 runs while Kshitij sharma and Alankrit Kamboj remain the other main wicket-takers with claiming 2 wickets each.

Brief Scores: St Soldier Cricket Academy-180 for 7 in 30 overs (Kshitij Sharma 47, Arjun Azad 39, Siddarth Danda 35, Mandeep Bhardwaj 3 for 19, Utkarsh Bhukkal 2 for 18, Abhishek Parmar 2 for 28).

Hansraj Cricket Academy-160 for 7 in 30 overs (Aman 111 not out, Utkarsh Bhukkal 33, Vaibhav Sharma 19, Arjun Azad 3 for 24, Kshitij Sharma 2 for 26, Alankrit Kamboj 2 for 27).

Aman of Hansraj Cricket Academy with a total tournament score of 302 runs, including 2 centuries and for claiming 6 wickets, was declared as the best all rounder of the tournament while Arjun Azad of St Soldier Cricket Academy for scoring 165 runs was declared as best batsman. Utkarsh Bhukkal of Hansraj Cricket Academy was adjudged as best bowler for claiming 14 wickets. Aman of Hansraj Cricket Academy for scoring unbeaten 111 runs off 98 balls, in the final match, was declared as man of the match award.

Mohali, June 19
Tennis player Savneet defeated Sidharth Goel to win the final of boys (U-14) category during the ongoing Swami Ram Tirath Total Tennis Championship, being held at Swami Ram Tirath School, Phase IV, here today.

Savneet beat Sidharth Goel by 4-1, 4 1. In the other match of girls (U-14) category, Khushbeen routed Anupriya at 4-1, 4-2 while Rahat defeated Panvi by 4-1, 4- 0 during the tennis championship held in Mohali.

In the boys (U-18) category matches, Sohrab defeated Abhishek at 6- 4, 5- 6,6-0 while Nikhil overcame Samrath by 6-3,6- 0. In a boys (U- 12) category match, Sidharth Goel beat Jasvin at 6 3.

Chandigarh, June 19
The UT Sports Department will organise the High Altitude Summer Coaching Camp for 26 players of the Girls Hockey Academy at the RG High Altitude Training Centre, Shillaroo (Himachal Pradesh), from June 20 to 30.

The department is also organising coaching camps for 95 players of boys’ hockey, football and cricket academy at Dr YS Parmar Agriculture University, Nauni, Solan (Himachal Pradesh) from June 22 to July 8.

For smooth functioning of the coaching camps, the department has appointed two hockey coaches at Shillaroo and 10 coaches at Nauni, Solan, including 3 athletic coaches for fitness training.