The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

COURTS

Majithia gets notice for hurting religious sentiments
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, Aril 28
A local court today issued a notice to Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia for hurting religious sentiments on a petition filed by advocate Mandeep Kaur. The petition has been filed against Majithia for his alleged “distortion” of a hymn (shabad) of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh at a Kamboj community meeting in Shaheed Udham Singh Hall on April 24.

The court of Pradeep Synghal, Civil Judge (Junior Division), has issued a notice for July 28.

The petitioner has demanded unqualified apology from Majithia and action under Section 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), IPC, against him.

The petitioner stated in the petition, “A video recording has been seen by the plaintiff on YouTube wherein the respondent has been shown at Shaheed Udham Singh Hall, Amritsar, during the election campaign-2014 uttering and altering the wordings (Shabad) religions hymn belonging to the Sikh religion.”

Panchkula resident fined Rs 1.40 lakh for deficiency in service
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed a Panchkula-based man to refund Rs 1 lakh along with a compensation of Rs 40,000 to a resident of Nawanshahr for failing to arrange work permit in Canada as promised to the complainant, besides not refunding the money charged for the purpose.

The forum has directed Vivek Kapoor to refund Rs 1 lakh along with a compensation of Rs 40,000 for causing mental harassment to the complainant.

The complainant, Ranjeet Singh of Nawanshahr, had approached Kapoor stating that he wanted to go to Canada on a work permit.

Kapoor assured Singh that he would get him employed at Dairy Fresh Farm on a work permit for 16 months. “For this, Kapoor sought Rs 3.60 lakh as payment charges,” alleged the complainant.

The complainant agreed and made an advance payment of Rs 1 lakh.

Singh alleged that Kapoor took his passport and got him medically examined, while assuring to inform him about the date of departure to Canada soon.

Thereafter, the complainant waited for a week but did not get any response from Kapoor.

“After a few days, I asked Kapoor to refund the amount but he failed to do so,” alleged the complainant.

However, Kapoor allegedly denied having signed an agreement with the complainant for sending him to Canada on a work permit.

“The averment of the complainant to the effect that he paid a sum of Rs 1 lakh as advance money is corroborated. It is also proved that the opposite party had agreed to send the complainant to Canada on a work permit for a period of 16 months. The opposite party had also agreed to arrange for a visa, job and residence for the complainant at Canada. However, Kapoor failed to do so,” the forum ruled.

Production warrants issued against accused in lawyer’s murder case
Our Correspondent

Mohali, April 28
A court here today issued production warrants against all accused in the advocate Amarpreet Singh Sethi murder case. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Tarsem Mangla took serious note of the accused not being present for the hearing.

The production warrants were issued against Jaswinder Singh Mangli, Sunil Bhanot alias Chotti, Rajat Sharma, Dharminder Singh, Onkar Singh, Dyal Singh, Sanvir Singh, Deepak Kaushal, Vishal Kumar and Kevin Sushant. The charges in the case have already been framed.

The police and staff of jails told the court that owing to the Lok Sabha elections to be held on April 30, police personnel had been put on election duty and the accused could not be brought to the court from jails due to it.

The court fixed the next date of hearing as May 13. It has also summoned complainant Manjit Singh Sethi to give evidence on May 13.

Amarpreet Singh was shot down in an indiscriminate firing on February 27 last year in Phase III A here. A quarrel between neighbours over vehicle parking had taken an ugly turn when certain youth living as paying guests opened fire on him, killing Amarpreet and injuring two others.

Man gets 10-yr jail for minor’s rape
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28
A local court today sentenced a man to 10 years of imprisonment for the rape of a seven-year-old girl. Pronouncing the sentence, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on the convict, Raj Nath (55), a resident of Industrial Area, Phase I here.

As per the prosecution, the victim’s mother, a rag-picker, had filed a police complaint against Nath on May 12, 2013. She had stated that she was working in a godown in the Industrial Area, Phase I, while her daughter was playing in the nearby area. Suddenly, she heard her daughter crying for help and ran towards her only to found Nath violating her.

She rescued her daughter and filed a complaint with the Industrial Area police station.

A case was registered against Raj Nath under Section 363, 366 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code.

contempt of court
Education Dept Secy gets HC notice
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) has issued contempt notice to IAS officer-cum-Education Department Secretary Saravjit Singh after an SS Mistress alleged that she was not allowed to join duties despite court orders.

A notice has also been issued to DPI (schools) KK Bhadoo for May 20 by Justice Mahesh Grover.

In her petition, Arpana Mahajan had claimed that a Division Bench of the High Court held her removal from the post illegal before setting aside the same on January 31, 2014. But she was not being allowed to join her duties, with consequential benefits.

It was contended on behalf of the petitioner that she was removed from the post with effect from December 3, 2012, vide an order passed on November 16, 2012, by the DPI (schools). The removal order was, however, challenged and the same was set aside by the Central Administrative Tribunal’s Chandigarh Bench on March 28, 2013, with a direction to the respondents to pay her wages for the period she was denied continuity of service.

The writ petition by the Chandigarh Administration against the CAT order too was disposed of by the HC on January 31, 2014, by holding that her removal was illegal.

It was further directed that a revised merit of the selection process initiated in 2007 for recruiting 536 regular teachers be prepared afresh within two weeks, in consonance with the conditions laid down in the original advertisement issued on August 5, 2007. But Mahajan was neither allowed to join with consequential benefits nor was the revised list prepared by the Education Department.

CRIME

Thieves steal computer, Rs 15,000 from gurdwara
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28
Thieves struck at a charitable laboratory located inside a gurdwara in Sector 52 and decamped with an auto analyser, computer and Rs 15,000. The theft came to light after the local sevadars of the gurdwara noticed the broken locks on Monday morning.

The laboratory is being run by an NGO. The FIR was lodged by Manpreet Singh, a resident of Phase V.

As per the complaint, unidentified thieves entered the lab after breaking open the front lock. They stole cash after breaking open the almirah. The auto analyser was kept in the sample-testing room of the laboratory, while the computer was installed adjoining the machine.

A forensic team of the local police collected clues, including fingerprints, from the spot.

The police said thieves did not make any attempt to enter the main premises of the gurdwara. A case has been registered at the Sector 36 police station.

In another incident, thieves decamped with gold jewellery and Rs 5,000 from the house of Vinod Kumar in village Khuda Ali Sher on Sunday night. Kumar along with his family members was away when the thieves struck. The complainant alleged that the thieves also took away some important documents. A case has been registered at the Sector 11 police station.

In another case, a Class X student was robbed of his cycle and mobile by two unidentified persons in Sector 33 when he was returning home from the school on Monday afternoon.

The police said Ajay, studying at the Government School in Sector 33, complained that when he was returning home on his cycle, two youngsters allegedly stopped and thrashed him before taking away his mobile and cycle.

gang of thieves
Police arrest one more accused
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28
The crime branch of the UT Police arrested another accomplice of the gang of thieves, who used to target residential areas of the city. The accused identified as Sat Parkash Singh, a resident of Sector 20, was involved in disposing of the stolen jewellery and other valuable articles.

Accused Singh used to dispose of the stolen articles and valuables after receiving them from the accused. He used to sell it to the jeweller and hand over the cash to the burglars.

Sat Parkash Singh worked as an artisan (skilled manual gold worker) at a jewellery showroom at Sector 20. The police have recovered valuable articles and jewellery, which was stolen from several houses in the residential areas. The crime branch had nabbed three burglars on Monday, who reportedly challenged the UT Police and used to target residential areas. The accused used to target houses during the day hours when the government employees were away to work.

The accused confessed to have committed 15 burglaries in Sectors 19, 20, 22 and 23. The stolen valuables are worth ~30 lakh.

The three accused — Rakesh Kumar alias Lucky, Tilak Raj alias Monty and Vikas Kumar alias Vicky — have been sent to three-day police remand.

Miscreants again target Five Degrees
Hina Rohtaki
Tribune News Service

Panchkua, April 28
Five Degrees restaurant in Sector 5 here, which courted controversy after a gunman attached to a senior Punjab IAS officer suffered gunshots, is continuously being targetted by miscreants.

Fifteen days after its expensive glasses were broken, the wooden ply that was fixed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) in its place was also found removed from some parts here today.

Executive Engineer of the HUDA Preet Mohan said: "I was told that a security guard deployed by us was also thrashed. The glasses were found smashed so we fixed the ply and now, even that has been removed from some places by the anti-social elements."

Sandeep, the owner of the restaurant, said: "I have been suffering huge losses. I gave in writing to the HUDA authorities that the expensive glasses are being broken time and again. They said they have deployed security guards but I never came across any of them."

He added: "Even the wooden ply that has been fixed is of poor quality. I have invested a lot and I am suffering losses at the hands of the authorities."

The eating joint courted controversy when Jaipal, the gunman attached to senior Punjab-cadre IAS officer KBS Sidhu, was injured while he was reportedly accompanying the bureaucrat's son, Sehaj Sidhu.

After the incident, the Punjab Police had also ordered a probe and withdrawn Sidhu's security. Jaipal has been recently shifted to Fortis Hospital, Mohali, owing to his critical condition.

After the gunshot incident, the violations by the eating joint also came into the fore. The officials of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) had sealed the restaurant after it was found that it was being run illegally.

Lawyers beat up CJM’s driver for wrong parking

Panchkula, April 28
High drama was witnessed when the driver of a Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) was allegedly thrashed by a few advocates on the court premises after he parked the official’s car on the wrong side. However, as the victim refused to lodge a police complaint, no case was registered in this regard.

The incident took place in the morning when the driver parked the official’s car outside the court premises.

Eye-witnesses said an advocate asked the driver to park the car at a distance, following which an argument broke out between the two. Later, other advocates joined and allegedly thrashed the driver. Both the parties later struck a compromise. — TNS

SPORTS

Skating Meet
Rolling Tigers Club bag 51 medals
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 28
Skaters of the Rolling Tigers’ Club claimed 15 trophies and 51 medals, including 28 gold, 14 silver and nine bronze, on the concluding day of the two-day All-India Roller Skating Championship held at the Rink Pavilion, Camel Back Road, Kulri, in Mussoorie. The championship was held from April 26 to 27.

Over 200 skaters from across the country participated in the competition. A total of 28 participants from the club took part, of them 15 members won the overall trophy by claiming over one gold medal, and the rest claimed silver and bronze medals.

Results:

Overall champions - Under 6 Boys’ Quads: Arnav Jakhotra; Under 6 Girls Quads: Chahat Grover; Under 8 Girls’ Quads: Manika Mahajan; Under 8 Girls Inline: Mourvi Malik; Under 8 Boys’ Inline: Tanay Chauhan; Under 10 Boys’ Quads: Kartik Jindal; Under 10 Boys’ Inline: Haren Chaudhary; Under 12 Boys’ Quads: Aditya Dabas; Under 12 Girls’ Quads: Vidushi Rawat; Under 12 Boys’ Inline: Anannaya Prabhakar; Under 14 Boys’ Quads: Aryan Pal Singh; Under 14 Boys Inline: Love Verma; Under 16 Girls Quads: Karen George; Under 16 Boys’: Siddharth Jain; Above 16 Girls’ Quads: Akrita Sangari.