The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

COURTS

Traffic snarls at Zirakpur
Explore possibility of extending flyover: HC
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 25
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to explore the possibility of extending the flyover in Zirakpur to ensure free flow of traffic towards Patiala and Panchkula.

Asking the authorities concerned to come out with a viable solution of the traffic problem, Justice Rajive Bhalla observed in the open court that the existing flyover was planned before the unprecedented explosion of urbanisation in Zirakpur.

The High Court also directed the Chandigarh Administration to earmark extra parking space in the sectors to de-congest the parking problem in the city markets. The UT counsel JS Toor told the bench that the Administration had initiated the process of installing CCTV cameras to cover the entire city. Toor also told the court that the UT had removed vegetation and other hurdles that had covered the traffic lights or sign boards on the city roads. Hearing in this regard is scheduled for May 23.

The High Court had earlier made it clear that all unauthorised crossings in the medians were to be closed forthwith. Justice Rajive Bhalla had also asked the Chandigarh Administration to specify whether the cycle tracks across the city were illuminated.

The Administration was also been asked to consider the feasibility of providing rough pavement/stones at the zebra crossings instead of just demarcating zebra crossings with white lines.

The High Court had, on a previous date of hearing, had also made it clear that the Administration should ensure easy identification and utilisation of the tracks. The Administration was also directed to deploy extra home guards volunteers to regulate the traffic.

The High Court had taken a note of the fact that the bus stand constructed in Zirakpur was without a proper exit.

It had further reproached Mohali and Panchkula authorities for their inability to regulate traffic in Zirakpur and Panchkula. The bench had asserted that the practice of loading and boarding of passengers near the flyover was still a major cause of concern. The bench was of the view that buses were still not being parked in the service lane and thereby, directed Mohali Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police to file an affidavit on the functioning of the bus stand and make further arrangements for traffic regulation in Zirakpur.

Maintenance of toilets: Selvel moves HC

Chandigarh, April 25
Nearly three weeks after the CBI registered a preliminary inquiry in case related to an allotment of tender to a private firm, for operation and maintenance of 80 public toilets in Chandigarh, the company, Selvel Media, today approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

It sought directions for quashing orders directing the company to hand over the possession of the toilet blocks along with the passages. Taking up the plea, the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Arun Palli issued notice of motion to the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh.

In its plea, Selvel pleaded that the respondents have started removing the company’s advertisements installed in toilets and the connecting passages. It added that the ad-hoc arrangements, existing presently, should be allowed to continue till the issuance of formal letters of allotment.

It also sought directions to the Corporation to issue formal letters of allotment in favour of Selvel, in pursuance to tenders dated June 24, 2013, for operation and maintenance of toilets blocks inside markets in Chandigarh. The company further pleaded that the public toilets were allotted in its favour after the general house of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation approved it. — TNS

Shoddy investigations by police
Court acquits main suspect in shootout case
Hina Rohtaki
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 25
In yet another incident of shoddy investigations by the police, the District and Sessions Court acquitted two persons involved in a shootout case. The court held that it was a ‘fit case based on faulty investigations’.

The two youths arrested by the Chandimandir police, Ramesh and Suresh, were acquitted of the case due to lack of circumstantial evidence. The police had arrested them for shooting at a youth, Raj Kumar. Kumar was released on bail in a rape case. The body of the victim was found on the dividing road of Sector 23/25. Raj Kumar’s brother Kaala was also shot dead by some accused a long time back.

“The police have failed to investigate the case as per the required standards. The person, who was the main suspect, has been found innocent by the police without any supporting evidence. The complainant party has categorically deposed that they suspected Pradeep, who is real brother of the accused, for the murder of the brother of the deceased. He used to threaten the deceased that in case he deposed against his brother he will kill him, but the police failed to investigate and examine this aspect,” stated the order.

It further stated, “Even the last call made from the mobile phone of the deceased was not verified. As such it is a fit case which is based on faulty investigations and which is required to be reinvestigated on the above aspect.”

According to the police, at the time of arrest of the two persons, both got Kumar in good faith under the pretext of consuming liquor. They were on bike and Kumar sat in between the two. “They said they would enjoy near Ramgarh but, when they reached at the road separating Sector 23 and 25, Suresh who was sitting at the back, shot at Kumar from behind,” said the police.

dacoity case
4 get 7-yr imprisonment

Panchkula, April 25
The court of District and Sessions Judge today awarded rigorous imprisonment of seven years each to four accused, including a woman, involved in a dacoity at a businessman’s residence in Sector 4, last year.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 8,000 each on the accused, identified as Gokul, Tabassum, Ankush and Imran Sheikh. They were convicted of the crime by the court on April 23. Three persons, identified as Sujata, Rajvinder and Tejpal were acquitted.

According to information, on May 13, 2013, the accused had barged in the residence of a businessman at Sector 4 and decamped with gold and silver ornaments, cash and other valuable goods.

The owner, a local businessman Rajiv Garg, was not at home at the time of the incident. His son Anirudh, his accountant Parveen and a servant Reena were at the house.

CRIME

attack on party worker
Traffic blocked in protest
Our Correspondent

Mohali, April 25
Traffic was blocked near the Kharar bus stand in protest against an attack on a Congress leader last night. The protesters, led by Kharar MLA Jagmohan Singh Kang, raised slogans and demanded immediate action against the persons involved in the incident. Traffic was not allowed to proceed for about 15 minutes.

Kang said Ranjit Singh Padiala was coming back to his village from the Congress office in Chandigarh around 11 pm, when some persons in two cars followed him. One of the cars overtook him and tried to block his way. Persons in both the cars were armed with sharp edged weapons and allegedly tried to attack Padiala. He, however, managed to slip away in his vehicle.

The MLA said no law and order prevailed in the area. He said he had appealed to the Election Commission to declare the Kharar segment of the constituency as a hyper-sensitive zone.

The complainant told the police that SAD leader Rajbir Singh Padiala may be involved in the attack on him.

The police have registered a case under Sections 341, 427, 323, 506 and 34 of the IPC against four unidentified persons in this regard.

Man arrested for creating fake Facebook profile of wife, posting lewd comments
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 25
A man was arrested for allegedly creating a fake Facebook account of his wife and posting lewd comments from her side. It was the report by the Google headquarters at California which came to the rescue of the victim, a resident of Sector 9.

According to the police, in 2012, the accused, a resident of Ambala, created a Facebook account through the gmail ID of his wife and posted comments about his own sisters to get his wife arrested. The victim said after getting a case registered, the Ambala police sought technical assistance. A report by California headquarters of Google stated that the IP address of the account which the accused said was that of his wife’s, was in the name of the kin of the accused himself.

Meanwhile, the victim lodged a complaint to the Panchkula police that also sought technical assistance and procured the location of the operation of the account. “The reports by the Panchkula cyber cell stated that the location of the operation of the account was from the shop of the accused himself. We have arrested him under Sections 294, 509 and the IT Act 65 and 67,” said Inspector Malkiat Singh of the Sector 5 police station.

SPORTS

City lad seals berth in Davis Cup team
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 25
City lad Paramveer Singh Bajwa has made to the Indian junior squad for Davis Cup. The tennis player, who had discovered his passion for the game at the tender age of six, said: “It was consistent hard work and focus that brought me one step closer to fulfilling my dream of representing the country in the international arena. My ultimate goal is to bag a grand slam in the singles category for the country.”

Paramveer has been selected among the three-member Indian squad, which also includes Karnataka’s BR Nikshep and Delhi’s Alex Solanki, for the Asia/Oceania group stage of the Under-16 Junior Davis Cup. The tournament will be held in Malaysia from April 26 to May 3, where around 15 countries would participate.

The local boy’s glorifying tennis triumphs include third ranking in the U-14 category in 2012. Presently, he is ranked second in the U-16 category.

He has developed an extreme passion for the game and dreams to be a world-class tennis player in times to come. His coaches, too, vouch for his natural talent in the sport. He nurtures a dream of being the first grand slam champion from India. For this, he practices almost three to four hours every day with one hour of fitness programme.

The tennis player, who is presently ranked 300 in the world as per the International Tennis Federation, has won more than 80 titles so far. He was also the winner of the U-16 National Championship (singles) held in Mumbai, plus winner of the National Series Singles Title held in Kolkata in 2013. In 2012, the local boy clinched the title of Asian U-14 Championship, both in the singles and doubles category.

Paramveer said he started training under the guidance of Gurvarinder Singh Sahota at his Tennis Excellence Academy at Kharar almost three years ago. Since then my game, especially serve, had improved in leaps and bounds.