Chandigarh, June 21
The results of the JEE (Advanced) for admission to the IITs have not brought much cheer to the tricity as only two students have made it to the top 100. The results were declared today. Last year, five students from the tricity were among the top 100. City lad Abhijit Lavania has topped the tricity in the exam this year and has secured the 27th rank in the country. Last year, the tricity topper had secured the second rank in the country.

The second topper from the tricity this year is Akshit Trehan, who has secured the 85th rank in the country. The JEE (Advanced) was held on June 2.

Over 2,000 students from the tricity appeared for the JEE (Advanced), the final part of a two-tier engineering entrance exam, introduced for the first time in the country this year. As many as 1,50,000 students from all over the country had qualified for the JEE (Advanced) through the JEE (Main), the results of which were declared on May 7.

Experts and students have cited various reasons for the poor performance of the tricity in the exam. Tricity topper Abhijit Lavania said it was difficult to point out one reason, but students were definitely under pressure because of the new system since those aiming for the IITs had to appear for two exams compared to the only one earlier.

Tricity second topper Akshit Trehan, who recently shifted to Ambala, said it was a shock for him that many of his friends, who were expected to be among top 100, ended up with ranks above 200.

“I think the poor results this year were more due to lack of performance than any other reason,” said Suchit Verma, head of a Chandigarh-based coaching centre. He said the new exam pattern was the same for everyone.

City-based maths teacher Anil Verma said students taking tuitions for different subjects was also one of the reasons. This culture was not prevalent in other cities.

No student from the tricity has got ranks between 100 and 200. Arnav Kansal from Panchkula has got the third rank in the tricity and has secured the 229th rank in the country followed by Gaurav from Chandigarh, who secured the 236th rank.

Lakshya of Chandigarh has secured the 276th rank, while another city lad Amandeep Arora has bagged the 291st rank.

Mohali, June 21
One person was killed and another injured in an incident of firing at Kharar this evening. The deceased has been identified by the police as Sanjeev Kumar (32). His elder brother, Vijay Kumar (36 ), is reported to have been injured in the attack. Both are residents of Mohali.

The firing sent shock waves in the area and the market was closed soon after word of the crime spread.

According to reports, the two brothers had a kiryana shop on the Kharar-Landran road. They were allegedly attacked by certain persons running a telecom goods shop opposite their kiryana shop. While Sanjeev Kumar received in a bullet injury in his chest, Vijay Kumar sustained injuries on his arms. Soon after the two brothers were attacked, they were taken to the Civil Hospital in Kharar, where Sanjeev Kumar was declared brought dead. It is reported that four persons were allegedly involved in the firing, who fled after the incident.

A dispute over the payment of money by the two brothers was reported to be the reason behind the crime.

Raj Balwinder Singh Marar, DSP, Kharar, said the police had registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC against Babu Ram, his two sons and son-in-law. He said police parties would be sent to different areas to arrest the suspects.

Chandigarh, June 21
Even as local families are safely retuning home after being evacuated from the flood-hit areas in Uttarakhand, many in the city are feared to have lost their loved ones in the natural calamity in the hill state.

The Sharma family in Sector 38, Chandigarh, is inconsolable as it returned home last night without two of its members. "My daughter and mother-in-law are missing from Kedarnath since June 17. I don't know whether I will be able to trace them now or not," said a teary-eyed Prof Ashutosh Sharma.

Ever since they returned home last night, Professor Sharma's wife Dimple has been crying relentlessly fearing that she may have lost her 10-year-old daughter Anandita and 60-year-old mother Pushpa Devi.

Narrating his tale of woe, Professor Sharma said he started his journey from Chandigarh on June 10 along with his wife, daughter, son and mother-in-law (who joined them from Jagraon). The family had no problem in visiting Yamnotri and Gangotri.

But all hell broke loose when they reached Kedarnath on June 15. He said continuous heavy rain triggered floods in the Kedarnath area.

"The whole family managed to stay together during the first two days, but on June 17 a check dam near Kedarnath gave way, flooding the entire area. I immediately asked my family to move to the second floor, but within no time, my daughter and my mother-in-law were washed away as we watched helplessly," said Professor Sharma.

A government teacher posted in Ropar, he said they tried hard to find them, but in vain. He said, "My grief is nothing in front of some other joint families, which lost as many as 40 members in the floods in Kedarnath. The first floor of several houses was buried under the debris and many may have died in these."

He said after remaining stranded there for two days, the family was finally airlifted from the Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi on June 20 and from there, they reached Dehradun by air. From Dehradun, they reached Chandigarh by road, he said.

Chandigarh, June 21
UT Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shayin urged all staff members of the departments under him to contribute one-day salary to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for extending relief to the Uttarakhand flood-hit.

The entire staff agreed to the proposal readily. The Deputy Commissioner also asked the public to contribute to the relief fund and show solidarity with the affected people.

The Kumaon Sabha and the Garhwal Sabha of Chandigarh have set up camps in the city to provide financial assistance to the victims. The Kumaon Sabha has organised a camp in the Satsang Bhawan in Sector 26, where people can give donations. A similar camp has been organised by the Garhwal Sabha in the Garhwal Bhawan in Sector 29.

Mohali, June 21
A family residing in Sector 68 here while on a trip to Hemkund Sahib had harrowing experiences as nature unleashed its fury forcing them to return from Govindghat in Uttarakhand.

Bhupinder Singh said today that his family and his relatives, comprising a group of 14, reached Govindghat by car on Sunday. They were staying in a hotel.

He said the water level of the river started rising at Govindghat, and gradually the speed of the raging waters became very fast. The water level rose 50 ft to 60 ft above normal. One by one, three parking lots got washed away. The vehicles disappeared in the surging waters.

He said the bridge in the area collapsed adding to the problems of the people who had got stuck there. Water entered the ‘langar’ hall of a gurdwara at Govindghat. Windows and doors broke and people were washed away. Some buildings also got damaged.

Bhupinder Singh said his family tried to go back through the Badrinath route, but could not get through. They had to spend two days in their cars.

He said it came as a relief when the Army men came to help the stranded people. They were told by the Army men that the vehicles would not be able to go ahead. Their hired cars had to be abandoned. The Army men used ropes to help people cross over on foot.

Bhupinder said his family reached home here around 1 am on Thursday night. He said he had gone to Hemkund Sahib twice earlier, and this time he had gone with his family. But, he had never seen such destruction in his life.

Another group of residents here, Hamraj Singh, Inderpal Singh, Manpreet Singh and Gagan, was also lucky to return home safe. They, too, had planned to go to Hemkund Sahib but could not make to the shrine. They ended up witnessing death and destruction in the flood-hit areas in Uttarakhand.

Mohali, June 21
The Mohali police has set up a special counter at the Sector 43 bus stand to help bring stranded persons back from the relief camps set up in the flood-hit areas in Uttarakhand.

SP (City) Swarandeep Singh said here today that the police had made arrangements with the Punjab State Transport authorities to send buses for bringing back the affected persons. Police personnel would accompany and help the stranded people return home.

Meanwhile, members of the Mohali Industries Association (MIA) at a meeting held at the MIA Bhawan here expressed shock and grief at the magnitude of devastation caused by floods and landslides in Uttarakhand.

At the meeting, it was decided to form a committee to supervise the collection of contributions in cash and kind from the members. The committee will become functional from June 22 at the MIA Bhawan.

Aurag Aggarwal, president of the association, said although rescue operations were continuing, there was a scarcity of food, clothing, shelter, medicines and basic amenities. Members of the MIA would contribute and provide relief material to the victims of the natural disaster.

The MIA would open a counter for the collection of contributions from its members and the general public at the MIA Bhawan, bay number 143-144, Industrial Phase VII, Mohali.

The president of the association requested the residents to come forward for this noble cause and provide help to the victims. The items would be sent to the victims under the supervision of the committee constituted by the MIA.

The members would also be undertaking cash collection, which would be used to provide further relief material to the flood-hit victims.

Panchkula, June 21
When Pandit Vishnu Dutt Shastri, a resident of Sector 9, Panchkula, found it wise to get petrol filled in his car at his native village in Uttarakhand to come back, he found the entire petrol station getting washed away.

Shastri had gone with his family to spend the summer vacation at Augustmuni village in Uttarakhand. He returned to Panchkula last night. However, his relative’s wife and two sons are still stuck in the area. He is a priest at a Sector 9 temple.

“I went to a fuel station to get petrol filled in my car, but was shocked to see the entire filling station getting washed away,” said Shastri. “Since we were at a place where rescuers couldn’t reach, we had to walk about 15-20 km to reach a place where rescue teams were available,” he said.

Shashtri said: “It seemed to be a battle of life and death. I saw people crying after losing their near and dear ones.”

Panchkula, June 21
The nightmare for Satish Beniwal, a resident of Sector 9 here, continues as his relatives have returned home from the rain-battered Uttarakhand, but his wife and children are still out of the reach of the rescuers. They are still stuck in Augustmuni village, where even the Army is finding it difficult to reach.

There is no helipad in Augustmuni due to which the rescuers have not been able to reach out to the rain-hit people.

On June 11, Beniwal’s wife and two sons, along with their relatives, had gone to spend the summer vacation at their native village. However, due to flash floods, Beniwal’s ancestral house, where his father was residing, got washed away. His wife, sons and father have taken shelter in a nearby village.

“The road connectivity between the village where Beniwal’s wife and sons had taken shelter and the place where the other relatives had taken shelter got snapped due to which only Beniwal's relatives managed to return, while his family members are still stuck there,” said Pandit Vishnu Dutt Shastri, a resident of Sector 9, Panchkula, and relative of the Beniwals.

He said, “We had to walk 20 km to reach a place from where we could board a vehicle to return home.”

A helpless Beniwal is now praying for his wife, sons and father to return home before June 25, when more rain is expected.

Panchkula, June 21
As many as 25 families from Sector 9 and Sector 10 here, who had gone to spend the summer vacation at Augustmuni village, are still stranded due to flash floods in Uttarakhand. Though all of them have walked about 15-20 km to reach a safer place, they are still craving for returning home safely.

The elderly couples, all members of a Yoga group who had gone for the Chardham Yatra, returned home safely last night.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune on the phone from Rishikesh, Sudesh Vashisht, a resident of Sector 10, Panchkula, said: “I went on an outing with the family and we were at Badrinath, while my sister was at Kedarnath when the incident took place. She stuck in the flood and even had to leave her car there,” said Vashisht.

Vashisht said: “Since the route has been diverted, my sister has reached the Tehri border. We walked around 15 km and managed to get a vehicle to reach Rishikesh”.

One family from Sector 9 here has managed to reach Mayali in Uttarakhand.

“We just want to reach Panchkula safely,” said Bheem, another resident who is stuck at Rudraprayag.

Chandigarh, June 21
Gurjot, a four-month-old baby, who was the victim of counterfeit brain shunt in brain surgery carried out on April 2, died today at the PGI.

Jatinder Kaur, a resident of Khumbadha village of Mohali, alleged that she had lost her girl child due to medical malpractices at the PGI.

She said the baby required life-saving surgery due to accumulation of extra fluid in her brain. The doctors treating the baby planned to insert a shunt which was purchased from M/s Baby Care Chemists located in the Advanced Pediatrics Centre at PGI. After ten days the doctors told the parents that the shunt which was inserted in baby's body was duplicate due to which the child was facing problems. The parents are now planning to file an FIR against the PGI and chemist tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Pankaj Chandgothia, an advocate and a social activist, has filed a complaint before the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, alleging a large scale medical malpractice at the PGI and its chemist shop. The complainant seeks action against the PGI Director, Baby Care Chemists and Director, Health Services, UT.

The complainant would also seek damages and penalty of Rs 5 lakh for the deceased parents. He said, "Operating doctor Dr Ram Samujh is also to be blamed for planting the counterfeit shunt. The Director, PGI and Director, Health Services, UT, have also been charged with criminal negligence causing baby's death. They have failed to monitor and regulate the sale of fake medical equipment's and expired medicines."

Manju Wadwalkar, PGI spokesperson, said: "The authorities will decide the action to be taken against the guilty."

Chandigarh, June 21
State Transport Authorities are going to take stringent action in next 10 days against the owners of commercial vehicles which flouted the norms of taxes, fitness, permit, insurance and pollution certificates.

As per the official spokesperson, the department has prepared the list of the defaulters and surprise checks will be conducted by the team of officials after two weeks.

As per official report, there are 499 three-wheeler goods carrier, 1,172 three-wheeler passenger carrier, 279 buses, 523 taxis, 37 ambulances and seven cash vans which were found flouting the norms during the inspection by the department.

An official said in case of surprise checking if the vehicles are found without any document the vehicle will be impounded and the permit will be cancelled with imposition of heavy fine as per the Motor Vehicle Act. These vehicles can also be taken in possession from the parking stands. 

Chandigarh, June 21
Hundreds of passengers commuting to Chandigarh via trains in morning faced trouble due to the delay in arrival and departure of trains. The delay was caused due to a damaged overhead wire near Babarpur. Railway officials said all the trains which were plying between 8:45 am to 1:30 pm were delayed due to repair work of the overhead wire.

A senior railway official said due to the damage in the overhead wire only single track was used for the plying the trains on the route near Babarpur. This delayed arrival and departure of all the trains till afternoon.

Suman Sharma, a resident of Sector 38, who was traveling in the Himalayan Queen which got delayed by 20 minutes, said it has become a routine practice of the railway to delay the arrival and departure of the trains. She was not consoled with the fact that the delay in the train today was due to some technical fault. — TNS 

Chandigarh, June 21
UT Excise and Taxation Department conducted raid at Padam Motors Limited, a car showroom, at plot number 182/1 in the Industrial Area Phase I, today.

Assistant Excise Taxation Commissioner Naresh Dubey said the team could not find the purchase and sale bills of the vehicles parked on the premises. He said there were 187 Chevrolet and 164 Ronaldo cars parked on the premises. The team has seized three laptops, CPO and some documents of the agency during the raid. The department plans to communicate with the respective companies for the details of sale of the vehicles found on the premises. He said there were reports of tax evasion by the owner of the agency due to which the department initiated the action. He said last week also the excise team conducted a raid in the same showroom and found some faults in the sale and purchase of the vehicles. — TNS

Mohali, June 21
An intruder was caught by the occupants of a house at Phase XI in Mohali. They alleged that the intruder was a thief and they had to detain him till the morning because the police station allegedly refused to keep him in the lock-up for the night.

The complainant, Harpreet Singh, in a complaint to the SSP said the intruder tried to jump over the gate of his house at 12.15 midnight last night. As soon as Harpreet saw him, the alleged thief tried to jump back and suffered injuries. Harpreet, however, managed to catch the intruder. Harpreet said he took the alleged thief to the Phase VI Civil Hospital for treatment.

Later, he took him to the Phase XI police station. An ASI, who was present at the police station, did not take any action against the suspected thief. But asked Harpreet to take the intruder home and present him at the police station at 10 am the next day.

Harpreet further said he and his neighbours had to guard the thief whole night to prevent his escape. He alleged the police took no action in the case.

When contacted SP (City), Swarandeep Singh, regarding the incident, he said the suspect had been beaten up by the public. The police declined to take his custody last night fearing that the police would be accused of inflicting the injuries.

The public should not have beaten him up but should have handed him over to the police. The suspect was now in police custody, the SP added. 

Panchkula, June 21
To facilitate the rural folks of Barwala and the nearby villages, an e-Sewa Kendra was opened at Barwala here yesterday.

The centre was inaugurated by Haryana Chief Secretary PK Chaudhary.

Several services, including birth and death certificates, child registration, domicile certificate, payments of electricity bills, are available at the centre.

“Very soon, more will be provided at the centre,” said Chaudhary. — TNS

Chandigarh, June 21
The UT police today recovered a Sten gun along with 35 live cartridges near a garbage dump in a briefcase at Sector 20. The gun was later traced to an ITBP staffer posted in Leh who had misplaced his briefcase two days ago while he was in the city.

A passer-by saw the briefcase at noon and informed the police control room. The police reached the spot and opened the briefcase, which contained a Sten gun along with live cartridges, some documents and clothes.

On the basis of the documents, the police contacted the ITBP authorities based in Chandigarh. On further inquiry from the ITBP, it was found that the bag belonged to constable Devindra Singh of the ITBP (24 Battalion), who is posted in Leh. Singh was contacted through senior ITBP officials and he confirmed that he had lost his briefcase in the city on June 19.

The police said Devindra had returned from Mussooorie after completing his commando training course and he was scheduled to change his bus when his briefcase was stolen from the ISBT-17 on June 19.

Devindra had lodged a missing complaint about his briefcase with the Sector 17 police station. In the complaint, he did not mention about his service weapon and cartridges in the briefcase. He only stated that the briefcase contained clothes and some documents. Devindra, who has joined his duty in Leh, has been summoned by the police to collect his briefcase.

The briefcase will be handed over to the ITBP personnel after the permission of the local court. A daily diary report was registered at the Sector 19 police station.

DSP Vijay Kumar said they would prepare a detailed report about the incident and send it to the higher officials of the ITBP. It was up to them as to what action they would take against the constable for his negligence.

Chandigarh, June 21
The Engineering Wing and the Enforcement Wing of the Municipal Corporation today removed 12 unauthorised temporary sheds at Daddu Majra village here today.

The MC staff removed 12 tin sheds constructed with bricks with the help of JCB machines. The drive was carried out under the directions of Sunil Bhatia, Additional Commissioner, and supervision of Kashmira Singh, Superintendent, Enforcement, and other sub-inspectors of the Enforcement Wing of the MC. The team also challaned 82 violators in different areas of the city and seized rehari-pharies, tables, chairs, counters, etc., from the encroachers. The enforcement team also removed and seized water kiosks from the Sector 17 Plaza. — TNS

Chandigarh, June 21
High drama was witnessed at Government Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, last night when a girl in an inebriated state was brought to the hospital by the police.

The girl was found lying on the roadside at the Sector 18 and 19 traffic intersection. A senior citizen saw the girl lying on the roadside and informed the police control room.

The girl resisted on seeing the police and accused the policemen of snatching her cellphone as she was heavily drunk. She was identified as a resident of Sector 45.

The police had a tough time as she created high drama when she was taken to the hospital. The police noted her credentials and got her admitted to the hospital.

She was later discharged from the hospital.

Chandigarh, June 21
Owing to the recarpeting of V-3 Road in Sector 38 and Sector 40, the road will be closed to traffic from June 24 to June 27.

Road division No. 3, Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, is starting the recarpeting work.

The MC has appealed to the general public to take alternative routes during the said period. — TNS

Chandigarh, June 21
Goa Tourism organised a three-day expo in Chandigarh to highlight the various facets of Goa and to promote it as a cultural and leisure destination among potential travelers from Chandigarh.

Navjyot Pal Singh Randhawa, Director Tourism, Culture and Archives, Government of Punjab, inaugurated the expo here at Hotel Shivalik View in Sector 17.

The officials said that the visitors would get a glimpse of the Goan culture through its art, handicrafts and authentic Goan cuisine that it is so famous for. It will also give travellers interested in visiting Goa, an opportunity to interact with the Goa Tourism officials and get more details on packages promoted by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC).

A live cultural programme was organised during the opening ceremony which witnessed folk songs and dance performances. — TNS

Chandigarh, June 21
Panjab University (PU) today decided to hike the fee for BCom from Rs 12,600 to Rs 15,000. The fees for MA and MSc in colleges have also been hiked. The decision to hike the fee has been taken by a committee in a meeting held today.

One of the committee members said there would be a universal fee structure for the BCom in all the PU affiliated colleges. "All the colleges will have to charge Rs 15,000 from the students," said the committee member referring to the complaints of students received by the PU in last few years when they were made to pay more fees by the colleges.

Committee members said the fee for MA in colleges has been revised from Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000 per annum, while the fee for MSc has been revised from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000.

The committee has also decided that the colleges will have to divert a particular amount from the fee charged in the self-financed courses towards scholarship fund, poor and needy students' fund and other fund of the college.

Chandigarh, June 21
Panjab University’s community radio station, 91.2 Jyotirgamaya, today celebrated World Music Day by releasing a music CD with songs sung by the university students.

PU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Arun Kumar Grover released the CD and participated in the live talk show on the occasion. The music CD has 10 original songs sung by the PU students. The songs were recorded at the Jyotirgamaya studio.

PU officials said more than 200 students have performed at the PU’s community radio and recorded over 250 songs till date. Besides, five books of more than 250 hours of lessons have been recorded to assist visually impaired students for appearing in different examinations, including civil service examinations.

Officials said last year one blind student cleared UGC NET with help of books recorded at the radio station.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Grover said: “Music unifies humanity. Music is something which permits you to express something innovatively to conceive something in a very innovative manner.” 

Chandigarh, June 21
Principal of Satluj Public School, Sector 4, Panchkula, Krit Serai, has received an award from Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia for his contribution and services towards child welfare activities.

State Child Welfare Council Vice-President Asha Hooda and the Minister for Education and Social Empowerment Geeta Bhukkal and various social workers were present during the ceremony. The Director of the School, Pritam Singh Serai, also received a silver medal for his contribution towards child welfare programmes. The function was organised by the Haryana State Council for Child Welfare. On the occasion, Krit Serai said he was overwhelmed with the award as it has given him motivation to continue doing good work for the society. —TNS

Chandigarh, June 21
A play, “Sukhi Base Maskiniyan”, depicting the generation gap was staged as part of the ongoing Punjabi theatre festival at Government College, Sector 24, Chandigarh.

The play was written by S Gursharan Singh and directed by Raman Dhillon. The play revolved around an old man who was a man of principles. His son was a corrupt business man and politician. The grandson on the other hand was a progressive boy. Tension and conflict occurred between them as the play progressed. The son was becoming famous day by day but the family suffered a lot due to his wrong methods. In the end, the grandson was killed by the police and the grandfather blamed the son for his death.

The play stressed upon simple meaningful and honest living. The cast included Raman Dhillon, Jasvir Dhillon, Mandeep Mani, Satwinder Kaur, Manpreet Singh and Udayveer Dhillon.

Tomorrow, another play, “Yudh Atte Budh”, written and directed by Dr Sahib Singh will be staged at the college.