NEIGHBOURHOOD

Man found murdered
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, January 30
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the State of Punjab to keep the Singh Choe nullah free of obstruction. Storm water in the nullah drains through Panchkula before entering Zirakpur, and eventually joins the Ghaggar river.

Taking up a petition filed in public interest by Subash Chand Mittal against the State of Punjab and other respondents for keeping the nullah obstruction-free, the High Court also directed its regular cleaning up to “prevent its chocking with garbage thrown by the residents of the area”.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Arun Palli also directed Punjab to strictly adhere to the norms fixed by the municipal authorities for keeping an area of 25 feet on both sides or 50 feet on one side of the nullah construction-free

Disposing of the petition, the Bench directed the listing of the matter on February 21 for compliance and asked the respondents to place before the court a status report and “photograph of the complete stretch of the nullah, showing free flow of storm water and the sides being cleared”.

The directions are significant as until recently the Panchkula residents have been alleging the flooding of streets due to obstruction in the flow of nullah. For solving the problem, a drain was also constructed to divert the flood water entering the nullah into the Ghaggar river.

Punjab Chief Secretary, too, had asked the Mohali Administration to ensure the removal of encroachments along the nullah. The orders came soon after the High Court summoned the chief administrator and other officers of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority.

Initially, residents had filed a PIL for the removal of encroachments along the nullah, as encroachments were leading to the flooding of their houses during heavy rain.

The PIL filed in 2005 was disposed of the next year after the states of Haryana and Punjab assured the court that a joint committee had been constituted and steps would be initiated to clean the nullah.

But the next year, the residents filed a contempt petition alleging inaction on part of the two states. Otherwise, the nullah stands notified under Section 55 of the Northern India Canal and Drainage Act that authorises the Drainage Department to remove encroachments on the “choe” land.

Chandigarh, January 30
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today dismissed a petition challenging the promotion of Ram Gopal as Inspector in the sports category.

The order by the Bench headed by Justice Hemant Gupta came on a petition filed by six Chandigarh police personnel. The petitioners, Yash Pal and others, had earlier claimed that Ram Gopal was promoted in the sports category, though yoga was not a sports under the 2002 instructions issued in this regard. The respondents claimed that the Inspector’s case was pertaining to a period prior to the issuance of the 2002 rules. As such he could be promoted.

Earlier, it was alleged that the Inspector had produced a forged certificate before the police authorities, stating that he was declared a world champion as he stood first and won a gold medal in World Yoga Sport Cup held in Genoa, Italy.

On the basis of this, Ram Gopal was given seniority. When the facts were checked from the website of the International Yoga Federation, it was found Balmukund Singh of India stood first.

Later, a case of cheating and forgery was registered against Ram Gopal in the Sector 3 police station on April 25, 2008. The investigation of the case was entrusted to the ASP (Central), who in order to help Ram Gopal and without considering the enquiry report, submitted untraced report in the trial court, it was further alleged.

Chandigarh, January 30
A Sector 20-based coaching institute has been told to pay Rs 23,000 in compensation to a former student for not refunding fee.

The Chandigarh District Consumer Forum was acting on a complaint made by a Panchkula resident.

Sanjay Kumar of Ramgarh village in Panchkula had filed a complaint against Dr A Kataria of Dr Kataria’s Institute of Chemistry in Sector 20.

The complainant reportedly got his son, Adarsh Aggarwal, admitted to the institute for preparing for the IIT entrance examination in February 2013. He had paid Rs 30,000 as fee, he stated in his complaint.

He stated that at the time of joining the institute, he was told to pay the complete annual fee, but in case his son wanted to discontinue the classes for any reason, the fee for the remaining period would be refunded proportionately.

Sanjay Kumar stated that his son attended the classes from April 22 to August 8 in 2013, following which he told Dr Kataria that Adarsh would be leaving the institute with immediate effect.

Since Adarsh attended the classes for about three-and-a-half months, the complainant requested Dr Kataria to refund the fee for the remaining period of eight months.

Sanjay Kumar, in his complaint, alleged that the respondent initially kept on dilly-dallying, and later flatly refused to refund the fee.

Dr Kataria, in his reply, stated that Adarsh was not admitted to the institute in February 2013, but in April 22. He stated that a payment of Rs 20,000 was made through three cheques by the complainant, but denied that the complainant made any cash payment of Rs 10,000.

When the refund amount, which came out to Rs 1,000, was offered to the complainant, he refused to take it, stated the respondent.

After going through the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing the parties and perusing the records, the forum directed the respondent to refund the balance amount of Rs 11,000 to the complainant. Dr Kataria was also asked to pay a compensation of Rs 7,000 to the complainant for causing harassment besides Rs 5,000 as the litigation cost.

Panchkula, January 30
Two persons were convicted in separate cases by a local court today; one was convicted of murdering a woman and another of raping a minor girl.

In first case, 23-year-old Sunil Kumar was found guilty of murdering 22-year-old Pooja, with whom the accused is said to have an affair. Sunil along with his accomplice, who was a minor, had strangulated the victim to death on October 19, 2011.

Sunil was a bus driver. The victim was a resident of Bhainsa Tibba in MDC. Sunil along with the bus cleaner, a minor, strangulated Pooja with her dupatta as she had started insisting him to marry her. The accused had dumped her body outside a hardware shop in MDC.

In another case, a 20-year-old youngster Saajan has also been held guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl after abducting her. Saajan abducted the minor girl from Rajjipur village in Pinjore on April 22, 2013. Later, the girl was recovered from Bihar on July 20 and she was found three weeks pregnant. The quantum in both the cases would be pronounced tomorrow.

Panchkula, January 30
A five-year-old boy was crushed to death by a tipper truck during busy afternoon hours, on Morni-Jallah-Chandimandir road, here today. After the incident, the driver fled away from the spot. The victim boy was identified as Sameer. In his complaint to police, Raju, brother of Sunil, alleged that the victim was crossing the road, when he was hit by a speeding tipper truck. Sameer died on the spot. The police had registered a case of causing death due to rash and negligent driving against the driver of the truck. The truck is bearing a temporary registration number of Chandigarh. During investigation, the police also found evidences of illegal sand mining as the tipper truck was overloaded with sand during the time of the incident.

In another accident, a driver (Rampal) died after his truck over turned and fell into 30 feet deep crest on road side. The accident occurred in the wee hours near Nadda village. The victim was identified as Rampal (32-years) of Sadoli Rawalpindi village in Kapurthala district of Punjab.

Chandigarh, January 30
Digital cameras and other equipment worth Rs 5 lakh were stolen from a shop at Dhanas last night. This is the third such incident in the area in a week.

Thieves stole eight digital cameras, 24 cellphones, mobile and camera accessories and cash from Uttaranchal Photo Studio in the Chaman Colony market.

Thieves entered the shop after breaking the front shutter locks.

Chandigarh, January 30
The police have booked two Punjab National Bank employees in a case of cheating.

Rupinder Pal Kaur, a resident of Sector 9, reported to the police that her brother-in-law, Amardeep Singh, and some officials of the PNB cheated her by withdrawing Rs 10 lakh from her joint account with her father-in-law.

She said her father-in-law recently expired. She had a separate fixed deposit worth Rs 10 lakh in the same bank account.

The police said Rupinder alleged Amardeep, with the help of certain PNB officials, withdrew Rs 10 lakh, the amount of the fixed deposit, in 2009. The police, after getting legal opinion in the case, have registered a case of cheating (420), forgery (468) and criminal conspiracy (120-B of the IPC). The police are yet to identify the officials involved in the crime.

Yesterday, six officials of HDFC Bank were booked for allegedly forging the signatures of a Panchkula resident on a loan request letter. The complainant, Satish Kumar Chadha, had alleged that he had taken a personal loan of Rs 4.5 lakh from the Chandigarh branch of HDFC Bank and he was offered a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh, to which he agreed in 2012. Chadha was also offered an insurance policy from the bank, which he denied. But the officials had reportedly forged his signatures and made a paper which showed Chadha had agreed to the policy.

Meanwhile, Sonia Kharbanda of Sector 45 alleged that her father-in-law purchased a house in Burail from a Punjab National Bank employee Ved Pal Singh, who in turn cheated them. Kharbanda told the police that Ved Pal did not disclose that the house was mortgaged Punjab National Bank. The police registered a case of cheating under section 420 of the IPC on Wednesday.

Chandigarh, January 30
The badminton team of the Dev Samaj College of Education for Women bagged the title of Panjab University Inter-College Badminton Championship of Women (C-Division) for B Ed Education Colleges, concluded at the Badminton Courts of Panjab University, here today.

The team of Government College of Education, Chandigarh, secured runners-up spot in the championship. In the final match, the Dev Samaj College of Education for Women defeated Government College of Education, Chandigarh 2-1.

In the individual categories, the Dev Samaj College tasted defeat with Kitti Batra losing to Meghna 2-0 (4-21 and 2-21) whereas in next two games the players of wining college outclassed their opponents. Namrata beat Parul 2-0 (21-8, 21-10) while the pair of Poonam and Namrata defeated Meghna and Parul 2-0 (21-11, 21-15).

Results

Semi-finals

Dev Samaj College of Education for Women, Chandigarh beat GHGH College of Education, Sidhwan Khurd 2-0 (Namrata beat Rajinderpal Kaur (21-4, 21-6); Poonam and Namrata beat Rajinderpal and Preeti Saini ( 21-11, 21-12); Government College of Education, Chandigarh beat Dasmesh Girls College of Education, Badal 2-0 (Meghna beat Amandeep Kaur (21-10, 21-6); Meghna and Parul beat Amandeep and Sukhbir (15-21, 21-19, 21-15).

Chandigarh, January 30
Table tennis players of DAV College of Education, Fazilka (Ferozepur) defeated Guru Ram Dass B Ed College, Jalalabad (Ferozepur), to win the Panjab University Inter-College Table-Tennis Tournament of Men (C-Division) for Evening and Education Colleges, concluded at the gymnasium-hall of Panjab University, being held here today.

The team of DAV College of Education lost two matches before winning the title 3-2. In the first match, Vishal (DAV College) lost to Sandeep (4-11, 9-11, 8-11) while Raghav (DAV College) defeated Sumit (11-6, 11-4, 11-1) in the next game. In the third game, Akshay (DAV college) beat his rival Harjinder Singh (11-4, 11-2, 11-2) however Raghav (DAV college) lost to Sandeep (5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 8-11) in a well settled match. In the last match, Vishal of DAV College defeated Sumit (11-5, 11-4, 11-6) to ensure the title.

Results

Semi-Finals: Guru Ram Dass B Ed College, Jalalabad beat Babe Ke College of Education, Mudki (Ferozepur) 3-0; DAV College of Education, Fazilka (Ferozepur) beat Government College of Education, Chandigarh, 3-1.

Final: DAV College of Education, Fazilka beat Guru Ram Dass BEd College, Jalalabad 3-2.

Chandigarh, January 30
The Annual Athletics Meet of the UT Education Department, scheduled to be organised from January 14 to 16 (onwards), has been postponed till February 15.

As per the sports calendar of the UT Sports Department, released in the month of May 2013, the Annual Athletics Meet was scheduled to be held in January. However, due to extended winter holidays and preparation for the parade-march of January 26 (2014), the meet has been postponed till February 15.

On other hand the new dates, yet to be announced officially, left the local athletes in lurch. On the time of preparing for upcoming exams in the month of March, the athletes will strive hard to maintain the balance between preparing for sports meet and upcoming exams.

“The authorities should understand the concept of organising the sports events. Every year the athletics meet is organised, during the end of the session (January), after the inter school tournaments of all events. The organisers could have conducted the athletics meet after January 26. However, the delay till mid of the February has landed us in trouble. Sportspersons participates in various activities throughout the year and these months are critical to prepare for the annual examinations. Now, if our competition will start on February 15, how can we prepare for any practical tests or house tests or annual examinations,” said an athlete.

Another athlete, seconded him and added, “The same officials claims to maintain a strong decorum in the department however when it comes to implementation of the same in sports, they seems to be least bother. These days, performance in academics is as important as performance in sports. A player needs to concentrate on both things equally. And both things need time and attention that hard to get attain in a fraction of 10 days” said another athlete.

Mohali, January 30
Harcharn Singh Bhullar, IPS, has been re-elected unanimously as president of Punjab Gatka Association (PGA) for the second consecutive term in its general body meeting here today.

In the election meeting Jaswant Singh Bhullar proposed the name of Harcharn Singh Bhullar as president that was seconded by Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal ETO, Jaswant Singh Chhapa and Gursharn Singh Bittu.

Harjeet Singh Grewal has been elected as general secretary, Daljit Kaur as joint secretary-cum-legal advisor and Baljinder Singh Saini as office secretary of the association.