NEIGHBOURHOOD

30 students get jobs

Panchkula, February 18
A local court today acquitted an employee at a Mani Majra-based jeweller's shop booked in a case of stalking and molestation.

The incident dates back to October last year. The victim, who worked at a beauty saloon in Sector 8 here, had accused Raju of stalking and molesting her. She had stated that she was calling it a day when the accused reached there and molested her.

However, during the trial, several contradictions surfaced in the statements of the victim and the investigating officer, following which the local the accused was acquitted by the court.

Defense counsel Amandeep Bindra said, "The victim stated that the police reached the spot after 20 minutes and we pointed out how come the accused did not flee by then. We argued that it is a matter of general prudence that in such a situation, either the accused will abscond or will be apprehended as the incident occurred at a public place. Moreover, there was no private witness to the incident," said Bindra. He added, "As per the prosecution, the incident took place on October 20 but during cross-examination, the victim stated that it happened on October 22. While she claimed that a PCR reached the spot, the investigating officer in the case said the police came in a private vehicle." — TNS

Mohali, February 18
The local police have booked five persons, including a woman, for defrauding a private finance company of Rs 30 lakh on the pretext of purchasing vehicles.

The police have registered a cheating case against Jagdish Singh, Veerpal Kaur, Satpal, Rachpal and Rajinder on the complaint of Rohit Sareen, area manager of the HDB Finance Services Private Limited.

Sareen alleged that the accused had taken a loan of Rs 30 lakh from his company’s branch office at Phase VII on the pretext of purchasing three vehicles.

Sareen alleged that they returned Rs 1.50 lakh only and went missing. “Their documents were also bogus,” alleged the complainant.

The complaint in this regard was made on April 11, last year.

After conducting an enquiry and taking opinion of DA (legal), the police registered a case at Mataur Police Station.

Mohali, February 18
The police have arrested a youth Amjad Khan, who along with his two accomplices, forcibly made a Sikh youth smoke and trimmed his beard this evening.

The two accomplices, identified as Vijay Singh and Ashiq Ali, are still at large. The accused are residents of Saneta village here.

In his complaint to the police, the victim, Balwinder Singh (19), a resident of Bhua Kheri village in Fatehgarh Sahib district, alleged that he was going to his maternal grandparents’ place when the trio stopped him near the Durali village and forced him to smoke. They also trimmed his beard, he alleged.

An SGPC member, Hardeep Singh, reached the spot where people had gathered now. They tried to block the traffic on the Landran-Banur highway. However, the police pacified them by assuring strict action against the culprits.

“We have registered a case in this connection,” said Satwant Singh, Station House Officer, Sohana police station.

In the evening, the police claimed that the 'victim' had concocted a story and the accused were 'innocent'.

Chandigarh, February 18
A youth has been arrested on the charge of drug peddling. The UT Police today arrested Lakhbir Singh (23), a BPharma student hailing from Amritsar, for carrying 50 gm of heroin worth Rs 90,000 meant to be supplied in the city.

The police said the accused hailed from Harike Pattan village in Amritsar and was arrested from near the ISBT in Sector 43. Lakhbir reportedly confessed that he was to supply the drug to two youngsters at the bus stand.

The police said the accused was an addict and was an associate of Harjeet Singh, who was arrested from Sector 41 on February 10 for peddling 15 gm of heroin. Harjeet's interrogation helped the police nab Lakhbir.

The police claimed that the drug peddler confessed that the drug was to be further supplied to bouncers at different hangs-outs in the city.

The police are now examining the mobile call details of Lakhbir to know his links in the city and where all he had been supplying drugs. On February 3, Vikas Kumar alias Kala of Mani Majra was held with 25 gm of heroin.

Mohali, February 18
A man has been booked for duping a Phillaur-based woman of Rs 40,000 on the pretext of making her son clear the Class X exam.

Rajwinder Kaur, the complainant, said the accused, Bhajan Singh, had taken Rs 40,000 from her and claimed that he would make her son Lovepreet clear his Class X examinations conducted under the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), in which he was asked to reappear in one of the examinations.

"After taking the amount, the accused gave us a certificate showing Lovepreet has passed the examinations. When we submitted the certificate to the PSEB office for his further admission, we were told that it was fake,” she alleged.

A case has been registered a case at the Phase VIII Police Station. — TNS

Chandigarh, February 18
Following a tip-off, the Crime Branch of the Chandigarh Police arrested Sonu Kumar, a notorious burglar, from the dividing road of Kishangarh and Manimajra today.

Sonu, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was wanted in various cases of burglary. The police have recovered 29 tola of gold, 1kg of silver and Rs 43,000 in cash from him at the time of the arrest.

The accused has been sent to a two-day police remand. — TNS

Chandigarh, February 18
International athlete Husandeep Singh won the 100m and 200m race events during the Annual Athletics Meet of the DAV College, Sector 10, organised here today.

Main events were 100m race, 200m race, 1500m race (men), 800m race (women), shot put, three legged race, obstacle race and sack race. A tug of war between athletes of Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11, and students of DAV College was also organised.

Husandeep Singh and Shiksha were adjudged the best athletes of the college, in men’s and women’s category respectively.

The meet was inaugurated by principal Dr BC Josan. He also presented the annual sports report of the college in which the achievement of the players, who brought laurels in international, national and Panjab University inter-college competitions this year.. In the men’s category of Panjab University inter-college competitions, the college won 9 championships. In the women’s section, the college won two championships and three runners-up positions. In all, nice students brought laurels to the college in international championships, while 33 students represented the city in various national championships.

Results

Men-100m-1st Husandeep Singh, 2nd Sushant Deswal, 3rd Randhir Singh; 200m-1st Husandeep Singh, 2nd Sushant Deswal, 3rd Gourav Kumar;1500m race-1st Jatinder, 2nd Ravneet Chauhan, 3rd Mohit Chahar; Shot put-1st Paramjeet Singh, 2nd Vijay Karan, 3rd Vijay Kumar; Long jump-1st Jagjeet Singh, 2nd Vijay Kumar, 3rd Aabid

Women-100m-1st Shiksha, 2nd Padmini, 3rd Jaspreet Kaur; 200m-1st Shiksha, 2nd Shifali, 3rd Jaspreet Kaur; 800m-1st Shiksha, 2nd Varsha Sharma, 3rd Shifali Sharma; Shot put-1st Shiksha, 2nd Ramanjot, 3rd Richa Kashyap; Long jump-1st Shiksha, 2nd Raveena Thakur, 3rd Shifali Sharma.

Chandigarh, February 18
Jugraj Coaching Centre defeated SGGSC Club, Sector 26, 59-48, in a match during the Senior State Basketball Championship for Men and Women at New Public School, Sector 18, today.

In the second match under men’s category, Airforce defeated PUC Club, 65-60. In the women’s category, GGC Club, Sector 26, beat MCM Club, 60-39, and PGGC Club trounced Dev Samaj BEd College Club, 36-15. — TNS

Chandigarh, February 18
Efforts to improve the present condition of local stadiums and come up with new projects such as sports complexes, hockey Astroturf and synthetic athletics track may hit a roadblock because of low budget.

In the draft annual plan, the department had asked the authorities concerned for a total budget of Rs 18.53 crore, which included Rs 10.03 crore for revenue component and Rs 8.50 crore for capital component. The UT Sports Department, however, along with Youth Services Department is allocated Rs 15.55 crores.

In the current draft plan, the department has asked for a total sum of Rs 8.50 crores for the capital component. Under this, the department plans to uplift Sport Complex of Sector 7 (Rs 1 crore), Skating Rink, Sector 10 ( Rs 20 lakh), Cricket Stadium, Sector 16 ( Rs 15 lakh), Football Stadium (Rs 10 lakh), Hockey Stadium, Sector 18 ( Rs 90 lakh), Sports Complex, Sector 42 (Rs 4 crore), New All Weather International Swimming Pool at Sector 42 (Rs 40 lakh), Sports Complex, Sector 46 (Rs 70 lakh), improvement in existing centres (Rs 10 lakh), annual maintenance of filtration process (Rs 25 lakh), new sports complex in third-phase sectors (Rs 20 lakh) and Lake Sports Complex (Rs 50 lakh). However, the department is expected to cut on the upcoming projects due to less budget allocation.

“We have to adjust in whatever grant has been allocated,” said Sunil Bhatia, director, UT Sports Department.

Construction of indoor basketball court, purchasing new Astroturf field, renovation of Basketball Court at Sector 7, new infrastructure plan for Football Stadium, Sector 17, Hockey Stadium, Sector 18, Sports Complex, Sector 46, and synthetic athletics track have been in the pipeline for many years now.

The layout of the Football Stadium was prepared way back in 1980-81, whereas that of the Sports-cum-Athletics Complex, Sector 46, was made in 1983-84. The Indoor Basketball Court is under construction since past five years. The previous year, the Sports Department was allocated with a budget of over Rs 11.29 crore, out of which Rs 3.10 crores was used. Besides the UT Sports Council (separately) was allocated with a total amount of Rs 5 crore (same as the last year).

Chandigarh, February 18
The Senior Selection Committee of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) shortlisted 26 probable squad for the One-Day Limited Overs Tournament for Vijay Hazare Trophy at the PCA, Mohali.

The selected players will report to Bhupinder Singh (senior) on February 19.

According to Sushil Kapoor, spokesperson of the PCA, the probable squad will attend a five-day camp, which would include two practice matches before announcing the final team. The Punjab team will play their first match against Haryana on February 27 in New Delhi.

The players shortlisted are: Harbhajan Singh, Manpreet Singh Grewal, Sunney Sohal, VRV Singh, Vinay Chaudhary, Sandeep Sharma, Rajwinder Singh Golu, Yuvraj Singh, Jiwanjot Singh, Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Gurkirat Singh Mann, Taruwar Kohli, Siddharth Kaul, Gitansh Khera, Ravi Inder Singh, Gurinder Singh, Jaskaran Singh Buttar, Himanshu Chawla, Amitoze Singh, Amit Prashar, Sharad Lumba, Mayank Sidana, Himanshu Satyawan, Abhishek Gupta and Arshdeep Brar

Chandigarh, February 18
The Chandigarh Amateur Body Building Association has selected 11 bodybuilders to represent Chandigarh in the 14th Federation Cup/Physically Challenge and Masters Body Building Championship in Maharashtra on February 20 and 21.

Selected players are-Dharminder, Ajay, Bharat Walia, Manpreet Singh, Guneet, Mandeep Singh, Prince, Kirat Pal Singh, Pushpinder, Monty and Puneet. — TNS