Mohali, May 13
The Permanent Lok Adalat (PUS), Mohali, has directed GEE City Builders, Chandigarh, to refund a security amount of Rs 10,000 deposited by Sukhjit Singh Pasricha of Sector 70 here and to pay him interest at the rate of nine per cent per annum since the date of deposit till payment.

The builder was also directed to pay Rs 5,000 as cost of litigation.

Pasricha had booked a flat with GEE City Builders and, besides other payments, deposited a maintenance security of Rs 10,000. The flat was allotted to him and he paid the entire sale amount thereof.

The maintenance security was not adjusted or refunded by the builder to the applicant. The maintenance of the colony was handed over to the Residents Welfare Association with effect from May 1, 2011, but the maintenance security was retained by the builder, upon which the present application was moved.

The builder opposed the application claiming that in view of the arbitration clause and the agreement between the parties that all disputes and differences shall be settled in Chandigarh, the Permanent Lok Adalat (PUS) had no jurisdiction to try the application. It was also claimed that in view of a letter received from the GMADA, the maintenance security was to be handed over to the Residents Welfare Association and therefore, the applicant was not entitled to the refund thereof.

The Permanent Lok Adalat (PUS), headed by Jagroop Singh Mahal, held that it was not bound to refer the dispute to arbitration because the Code of Civil Procedure does not apply to these proceedings. It was also held that the Legal Services Authorities Act does not empower the parties to oust the jurisdiction of a Permanent Lok Adalat (PUS) and therefore, the application was tryable by it.

On merits, it was found that Rs 10,000 had been received by the builder as maintenance security and it had no right to retain the amount. The amount had not been transferred to the Residents Welfare Association either and the maintenance charges were being paid by the applicant direct to the association out of his own pocket.

The builder was, therefore, directed to refund Rs 10,000 with interest at the rate of nine per cent per annum since April 1, 2006, the date of deposit, till the amount was paid to the applicant. The builder was also directed to pay Rs 5,000 as costs of litigation. It was ordered that if the amount was not paid within 15 days, the builder would be liable to pay a penal interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum instead of nine per cent per annum.

Mohali, May 13
In advocate Amarpreet Singh Sethi aka Lucky murder case, the main eyewitness and the victim’s uncle Manjit Singh Sethi today identified all the nine accused and the weapons and other things recovered from them, in the local court today.

During today’s hearing in the court of Mohali’s additional sessions judge Tarsem Mangla, Sethi identified all the accused, namely Sunbir Singh, Onkar Singh, Deepak Kaushal, Dharminder, Vishal, Jaswinder Singh Khattu, Kevin Sushant, Sunil Bhanot and Rajat Sharma.

Sethi also identified the two pistols used in the crime and the empty rounds and cartridges recovered from Jaswinder Singh and Kevin Sushant. As the chief of Manjit Sethi, also a complainant in the case, has been completed, the process of cross-examination would begin from the next hearing scheduled for May 21.

Notably, Lucky was shot dead in an indiscriminate firing by the accused over a trivial issue of parking of vehicles in front of the victim’s house at Phase III-A on February 27.

Panchkula, May 13
A man has been arrested for allegedly sodomising a 14-year-old boy at Surajpur in Panchkula district today.

The police said the accused, identified as Rahul alias Kalu, offered a bike ride to the victim, and took him to an isolated place and committed the crime. The accused threatened him with dire consequences in case he revealed the incident to anyone. However, he told his father, who lodged a complaint at the Pinjore police station. The victim underwent medical examination, which confirmed sodomy.

Sources said the accused was already booked in some theft cases reported from the area. — TNS

Chandigarh, May 13
For the first time, the UT Sports Department along with Chandigarh Sports Council will organise an inter-college cricket tournament under floodlights at the cricket stadium in Sector 16, here.

In their annual sports calendar, available with The Tribune team, the Sports Department has decided to conduct the inter-college cricket tournament in the last week of August. In the tournament, all local colleges will be invited to participate. The main aim is to provide exposure to the college teams. According to District Sports Officer (DSO) KS Bharti the tournament is expected to witness good competition. “The UT Sports Department will initiate 16 events in this session, including all-India tournaments of certain disciplines, along with various coaching camps at outstations. The camps will be conducted under the supervision of provisional coaches while, like every year, the tournaments will be conducted in a professional manner,” said KS Bharti.

The department has also proposed to organise a Tricity inter-school (U-19) basketball tournament for boys and girls. The tournament is scheduled to be organised in the second week of January in 2015 at the sports complex of Sector 7. However, in case of completion of indoor basketball court, the tournament’s venue will be shifted to the new indoor stadium of Sector 42 here.

Meanwhile, the department will host an annual summer coaching camp for 700 sub-junior and junior boys’ and girls’ category for 20 days, from the second week of May at various local coaching centres. In the second week of June, the department will organise a high altitude summer coaching camp of the Chandigarh Football and Hockey Academy trainees at the SAI (Sports Authority of India) centres in Dharamshala and Shilaroo or at YS Parmar University, Nauni (Solan), for 12 days. Also, in the third week of June, an inter-school (U-17) kho-kho /kabaddi tournament will take place. And later in the last week of June, a swimming competition for sub-junior and junior (boys and girls) will be organised at the swimming pool in Sector 23.

The department will also host the UT Open Tennis Tournament for boys and girls (U-19) at Lake Sports Complex in the first week of August while later in the last week, an inter-college cricket championship will be organised at the cricket stadium of Sector 16. August 29 will be celebrated as National Sports Day. The department will host their annual feature, All-India level 12th Administrator’s cup football tournament for boys (U-17), in last the week of September at the football grounds of Sector 17 while in the last week of October, Chandigarh State Women Competition in 12 games (as per SAI schedule) will be conducted.

Later in November (second week), Tricity inter-school hockey championship for (U-19) boys and girls will take place at the hockey stadium of Sector 42 and in the third week of the same month, an all-India volleyball tournament for women will be conducted at the sports complex of Sector 7.

Finally, in the third week of December, the department will host an all-India invitational weightlifting tournament for women.

Then in the beginning of the next year (January 2015) to March 2015, besides hosting the Tricity basketball tournament, the department will also conduct refreshers course /orientation course for coaches, sports department employees’ volleyball tournament and inter-department employees’ cricket tournament.

Chandigarh, May 13
Top seed Paramveer Singh Bajwa, who recently made it to the Indian junior squad for the Davis Cup, outclassed his doubles partner Param Pun on the concluding day of the tennis for excellence academy’s AITA tennis championship for (U-16 years) boys and girls held at the tennis courts of Sunny Enclave, Kharar, today.

In the finals of the singles’ category, While in the doubles final, both Paramveer and Param Pun together outclassed their rivals.

In the finals of singles’ category, Parmveer Singh Bajwa, a trainee of Tennis Excellence Academy, beat his practice and doubles partner Param Pun in straight sets. Parmveer defeated his rival by 6-3 and 6-1. Earlier, in the semi-finals, Parmveer Singh Bajwa beat Kabir Manrai while Param Pun overpowered Sabrang Sandal of the CLTA (Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association).

Chandigarh, May 13
Taekwondo player Murari Thakur brought laurels to Gagan Taekwondo Club by bagging a gold medal in the Taekwondo State Tournament held at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Sector 10, Ambala from May 9 to 12.

Murari won a gold medal in under the 57 kg category. With this feat, He has been selected to represent the state in the forthcoming National Taekwondo Championship to be held at Kurukshetra from June 8. The Panchkula Taekwondo Association congratulated Thakur on his achievement.