NEIGHBOURHOOD

Air Force official commits suicide

Fatehgarh Sahib, Oct 25
Litigants had to face great difficulty and harassment as the lawyers belonging to the District Bar Association suspended the work in the courts and observed complete strike in a protest against the amendments in the Rent Act and delegated the powers to hear the rent cases to the SDMs by the State Government.

The lawyers, led by Narinder Tiwana, president of the District Bar Association, sat on the main entrance of the district courts to prohibit the other lawyers from attending the courts.

The litigants, who had come from far-flung areas, were disappointed as their cases were not taken up and they were given the next dates.

Addressing the gathering, Bar president said that the government has overpowered the powers of judiciary as now the SDMs will hear the rent cases and after their decision the appeal will be made with tribunals and not with Session Court and High Court further appeal will be made in the Supreme Court only.

He added that it was direct interference in the judiciary. He demanded that the amendments in the Rent Act should be withdrawn and restored the powers to hear rent cases to civil courts.

Amardeep Singh Dharni, former president, DSKang, DS Grewal, ML Singhi MPS Batra, all advocates also addressed during the occasion.

Banur, October 25
A 10-day NSS Pre-Republic Day camp organised by NSS, Regional Centre, Chandigarh, Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports at Shaheed Udham Singh College of Engineering and Technology, Tangori, concluded on Thursday.

Dr Rajneesh Arora, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Technical University (PTU), Jalandhar was the chief whereas Er Sukhwinder Singh, chairman, Shaheed Udham Singh Group of Institutions, was the guest of honour on the occasion.

Over 200 NSS volunteers from seven states Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana and New Delhi participated in parade led by experienced instructors of Punjab Armed Police.

The Regional Centre also organised various academic sessions covering different issues of relevance to youth like female foeticide, environment conservation, HIV/AIDS, woman cancer by inviting experts from the various universities and institutions from across the nation. While displaying beauty of unity in diversity, the volunteers from various states displayed their unique cultures from their respective regions in cultural evenings throughout the camp. — OC

Banur, October 25
A 25-member delegation from South Korea presented a musical concert at Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital in Banur here on Wednesday.

The delegation, International Youth Fellowship, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), is on a week-long visit to Chitkara University under a youth programme. It aims at promoting fraternal feeling among youths across the globe and to promote work culture.

Dera Bassi, October 25
In an effort to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, the Health Minister of Punjab, Surjit Kumar Jiyani, inaugurated an integrated counselling and testing centre at the Civil Hospital, Lalru. The facility to detect HIV/AIDS will be available at the centre free of charge.

Dr Rajiv Bhalla, CMO, said that anybody could walk in at the centre and would be tested without any charge and the information would be kept confidential.

Dera Bassi, October 25
A 14-year-old boy went missing in Lalru last week. The victim, Saurav, son of late Kamaljeet Singh, is a student of Class VIII.

Saurav’s mother reported that she gave her son Rs 200 to purchase a pair of shoes after which he never returned.

The police has registered a case following the complaint of his mother and has started the investigation into the case.

Panchkula, October 25
The local court today acquitted the then Panchkula Deputy Superintendent of Police, three other police officials and two others in a fraud case.

Those who have been acquitted are the then DSP Deshbandhu, Assistant sub inspector(ASI) and now SI Narender Rana, ASI Mange Ram, then ASI Ashwini, Neelam Chopra and Shiv Kumar.

The case pertains to year 2005 when Neelam Chopra got a case of kidnapping and extortion registered at Raipur Rani against her NRI husband Ashok Kumar Chopra. Following the case, Ashok who is resides in Canada, lodged a complaint that following a dispute with his wife, she grilled him. The enquiry was conducted by the then SP of CM flying squad, Shiv Shakti Rao. In year 2006, a case was registered against all the six persons after they were indicted in the enquiry.

Ashok did not depose before the court. Council Sameer Sethi said finding no other circumstantial evidence against the accused persons, they were acquitted. — TNS

Chandigarh, October 25
In yet another incident of assault on the police, two unidentified youths were booked for injuring a traffic policeman after hitting him with their motorcycle and snatching a challan book from him.

The incident occurred when Head Constable Balwinder Singh was on duty at a checkpoint on the Mansa Devi road, Mani Majra, today. The policeman noticed two youths on a motorcycle without helmets.

As he siganalled them to stop, the youths accelerated and hit him. They then snatched his challan book and fled.

The Head Constable received injuries on his right leg and arm. The police said the pillion rider had covered the number plate of motorcycle with his foot due to which the injured policeman failed to note down the registration number of the motorcycle. A case has been registered at the Mani Majra police station.

Last week, a police commando was assaulted at the ISBT, Sector 43, by two persons, who fled after the attack.

Panchkula, October 25
The police today arrested the domestic help who had committed theft of around Rs 30 lakh, with his aides, at the house of his owner, Vijay Jindal at Sector 8, Panchkula, when the family was away for a wedding. The police arrested Tapan from West Bengal however his aides fled to Bangladesh.

The police have recovered cash amounting to 13.7 lakhs and 25 tolas of jewellery. Tapan was ready to flee with his bag containing his share of 5.5 lakhs when the police officials nabbed him.

While the other three were away to some place after keeping the booty at their houses in the same village, the police recovered the amount but they fled.

Meanwhile in a theft at Sector 21, the owner has submitted an affidavit that he doesn’t want to register any case and requested to cancel the FIR.

Mohali, October 25
Five persons who were arrested by the police in connection with a case of duping a jeweller of Rs 57 lakh have been remanded in police custody by a court till October 27.

All five accused were produced in a court here today where the police demanded their custody stating that others wanted in connection with the case were yet to be arrested. The police also wanted to know from the arrested persons where they had kept a packet containing gold and diamond jewellery and why a packet containing artificial jewellery was delivered by them in Mumbai. The police also wanted to interrogate them for knowing who else was involved in the crime.

Two local courier companies had allegedly cheated a Mohali-based jeweller of about Rs 57 lakh by replacing a parcel containing gold and diamond jewellery with the one that contained artificial jewellery.

The police had arrested five persons, including the general manager of the company, while three others wanted in connection with the case were still at large.

According to the police, Anmol Rattan, a jeweller based in Phase V here, had hired Bright Courier Company and Super Bright Courier Company to send two parcels containing gold and diamond jewellery to its head office in Mumbai. Bright Courier Company was given a packet containing jewellery worth Rs 36 lakh on October 19, while the other parcel, which was given to Super Bright Courier Company, contained jewellery items worth Rs 21 lakh.

The police raided the offices of the two courier companies and found one packet containing jewellery items worth Rs 21 lakh lying there. This was not sent to the desired destination.

The police had registered a case of cheating in this regard and arrested Santosh Saini, general manager of Super Bright Courier Company, Ashok Kumar, Kewal Ram, Vishnu and Sachin Kumar. Those on the run are Manoj Kumar and Mahesh Kumar, both partners in the companies, and Harphool. 

Panchkula, October 25
“Parivar ki izzat ke kaaran kuch bhi kar sakte hain” (can do anything to keep the reputation of the family) were the words of Salim, who killed his niece, for honour and had no remorse on his face while he was being taken by the police after being produced at a local court.

Salim, paternal uncle of the victim, was produced at the court today from where he was sent on a five-day police remand. He confessed that as his niece, Tahira, was not mending her ways and had told them that she would marry the boy, who was not acceptable to Tahira’s family.

Salim said, Tahira had fled with the boy and had spoiled the reputation of the entire family in the native village at Muzzafarnagar in UP. He also said they can go to any extent to keep the family’s reputation.

Salim, during the police investigations, revealed that he, along with his son (minor), and others, smothered Tahira with a pillow. The girl was then half burnt and buried near Tangri river at Barwala, Panchkula.

‘Girl’s father directed me to kill her’

Salim also revealed that whatever he did was after a go-ahead by the girl’s father and brother. Salim said they had asked him to bring the victim to Panchkula and kill her.

“Poore parivar ki salaah thi, baap ke mashvahre pe hi maari.. bhai saath tha” (“It was the consent of the entire family and Tahira was killed with the consent of her father… brother was also involved”), said Salim.

He also stated that the entire family knew about Tahira’s death and now he was being grilled intentionally.

Chandigarh, October 25
A 25-year-old youth committed suicide by hanging himself at a hotel in Burail here this evening. He had allegedly eloped with a girl from Yamunanagar on October 22 and was staying in a hotel at Burail.

The police said Rajbir, a resident of Yamunanagar, was staying at a hotel in Burail with a 22-year-old girl, also hailing from Yamunanagar. The police said it got the information about 2 am on Friday that Rajbir hung himself in the bathroom of his room. The police reached the spot and rushed Rajbir to the GMCH-32 where he was declared brought dead.

The police said Rajbir was already booked for abduction under Section 366 of the IPC in Yamunanagar. He was booked for kidnapping a girl. The police said Rajbir had financial constraints, which was the reason for his extreme step.

Rajbir’s body was handed over to his family after post-mortem examination, while the girl was sent to her native village. — TNS

Chandigarh, October 25
Miscreants set a car afire in Mani Majra yesterday night. The police said Ravi Kumar of New Indira Colony, Mani Majra, reported that someone set afire his Alto Car (CH-01-AL-7864).

Ravi said his car was parked near his residence on October 23. The police has registered a case of mischief by fire under Section 435 of the IPC at Mani Majra Police Station. The police said investigation was on in the case.

Chandigarh, October 25
Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, and Ryan International, Sector 49, reached the finals of the under-14 boys Table Tennis Inter-School Tournament held at DAV Public School, Sector 8. Ryan International, Sector 49, beat DAV, Sector 8 and Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, beat St. Solder 28 (3 - 1).

In the semi finals of under-19 boys, Saint Soldier, Sector 28 beats St Joseph, Sector 44 (3 - 1) and AKSIPS, Sector 41 beats DAV, Sector 8 (3-0).

In under - 17 boys, DAV, Sector 8, beat Manav Mangal, Sector 21 (3-2) and St. Joseph, Sector 44, beat Sri Aurobindo, Sector- 27 (3-1).