Panchkula, August 4
A 42-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by jumping before a train on the track in Sector 19 here last evening. The police recovered a detailed suicide note from the spot in which the victim, identified as Rajbir Singh, held his wife responsible for his death.

Rajbir Singh, who was a resident of Sector 19, was taken to the General Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The victim is survived by his wife and 15-year-old son.

In the suicide note, the victim has stated that despite having a paucity of funds, he spent a lot on the education of his wife, but she betrayed him.

ASI Urmilla of the GRP, who is the investigating officer in the case, said, “We are investigating the matter. The suicide note will be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Karnal, so that the handwriting can be matched with that of the victim, as there are no signatures on the suicide note.”

Another police official said, “We spoke to the victim’s son, who said there was no dispute between his father and mother. We are probing the matter.”

The victim hailed from Jind. Last evening, he went out of his home, saying that he was going for some official work. A passerby informed the police about the incident, following which they reached the spot and recovered the body from the railway track. With the help of the victim’s driving licence, the police contacted the family.

In the evening, the family got a call from the police that Rajbir Singh was found dead. 

Wife betrayed me, says victim in suicide note

In the suicide note, the victim has stated that despite having a paucity of funds, he spent a lot on the education of his wife, but she betrayed him.

Mohali, August 4
A local court today awarded life term along with a fine of Rs 10,000 each to a man and his mother for the murder of his wife.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mohali, Jaswinder Shimar pronounced life term to Satinder Pal Singh and his mother Paramjit Kaur, both residents of Rasanhera village near Kharar, in the two-year-old case of murder of Deep Shikha (Satinder Pal’s wife).

A case of murder was registered against the accused on May 12, 2012. In her dying statement, the victim, Deep Shikha, had alleged that she was set afire by her husband Satinder Pal and his mother after pouring kerosene on her on May 9.

She had succumbed to her injuries at the PGI, Chandigarh, during the treatment. 

Chandigarh, August 4
Taking a serious note of incidents of violence on the Panjab University campus in the past month and a half, the UT police have written to the PU not to hold the student council elections this year.

In a written communication to the PU authorities, DSP (Central) Ashish Kapoor said a number of incidents of clashes between student parties had been reported from the campus.The students were holding car rallies. If this continued, the police would not be able to “allow” the student council elections this year.

In light of this, the police had recommended to the higher authorities not to conduct the elections this year, he said.

PU Dean Students Welfare Navdeep Goyal confirmed that the authorities had received a communication, which was tabled at a meeting held with student parties today.

He said the letter mentioned that the university authorities should take stringent steps to control violence on the campus. He said a special meeting had been convened on August 8 with the UT SSP in which all these issues would be discussed in the presence of representatives of the student parties.

Sources said college principals had also requested the university authorities to “go in for unanimous selection of candidates rather than hold student council elections this year”.

A senior official said as minor clashes had been reported from colleges even though the university was yet to announce the elections, the college managements were in favour of not holding the elections this year.

Chandigarh, August 4
Holding that the CBI did not properly investigate the Sham Fashion Mall murder case of 2009 and there was scope for further investigation, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Anubhav Sharma today rejected the closure report filed by the CBI in the case. The closure report was filed in December 2012 and has been rejected after opposition by the complainant.

Two robbers on a motorcycle had shot dead Amarjeet Singh, owner of Sham Fashion Mall in Sector 34, outside his Sector 35 residence in May 2009. The UT police had failed to solve the case following which it was transferred to the CBI.

The court today ordered that the case be further investigated and rejected the closure report.

The CBI had submitted a closure report in the sensational murder case on November 27, 2012, in the court. However, a gang of robbers busted the next day by the police had provided some clues to the murder case, argued counsel Harish Bhardawaj in the court while opposing the closure report and demanding further investigation into the case. The CBI had failed to get any lead in the case from the robbers at that time.

On November 28, the UT police had busted a gang of six robbers hailing from West Bengal and Bihar who had confessed to having shot the owner of Sham Fashion Mall outside his residence in Sector 35 in 2009.

The questioning of the robbers had revealed that two of the gang members, identified as Manu Gawala and Rahul Gawala, hailing from West Bengal, had shot dead Amarjeet Singh while the remaining four robbers had conducted a recce of the house. They tried to snatch his bag and as Amarjeet resisted their attempt, they shot him.

However, both the CBI and the UT police failed to establish the robbers’ confession in the murder case as no evidence was found.

Panchkula, August 4
The conman, who duped a number of Punjab IPS officers in the past, was seen enjoying the hospitality of the Chandimandir police last night while he was on police remand.

Devinder Gill, a known coloniser, who was arrested in a rape case by the Panchkula police, was sitting on the investigating officer’s (IO’s) chair, instead of being in the lock up, said the victim.

The victim who reached the police station at 10 pm clicked photographs of Gill sitting in the AC room and on the IO’s chair. She has sent the photographs with a written complaint to Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) SN Vashisht, Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rahul Sharma, the Commissioner of Police and the National Commission for Women.

Gill was arrested by the Panchkula police after a woman got a rape case registered that the accused on the pretext of marrying her, raped her in a hotel in Morni.

The victim said that the DCP assured her immediate action.

“ I was called by the police for investigation. As I was out, I reached around 10 pm and I was shocked to see Gill sitting in an air-conditioned room,” said the victim.

She added, “When I clicked the photographs, in front of the policemen, he abused me and the policemen present there tried to calm him down by addressing him as sir. Is he an accused or a VIP?”

The victim in her complaint also mentioned that a camera was installed outside the lock up but wasn’t functional following which she clicked the pictures.

Station House Officer of the Chandimandir police station, Inspector Arvind Kumar said, “We had already taken the statements of the victim. She just dropped in.

At that time, the Munshi had gone to take a mat for the accused to sleep on in the lock up, leaving the accused waiting there with another policeman.

It was then that the victim came there and said that the accused was being given a VIP treatment.”

Chandigarh, August 4
Even as ‘hush’ is the word in the Punjab Police when it comes to talking about the police case and connections of an alleged conman Devinder Gill, arrested by the Panchkula police two days ago on charges of rape and cheating a woman and wanted in a fraud case in Punjab, the Mohali police will seek his production remand from the Panchkula police.

Officials confirmed in the evening that the production remand would be sought as earlier there was uncertainty over the issue. Though Devinder Gill, alias Devinder Thapa, was declared a proclaimed offender (PO), the police was not able to pursue the investigation further due to a direction by the state Vigilance Department which had reportedly stalled the investigation pending a vigilance inquiry. The vigilance inquiry was regarding allegations of misuse of authority by some senior officials, who had threatened Devinder Gill.

However, a senior official on condition of anonymity admitted that there was a directive from the vigilance but the law had to take its course, “We are duty bound to seek production of a proclaimed offender.” He said they would move for the production remand once Devinder Gill was shifted to judical custody.

Devinder Gill is accused of duping several Punjab police officials and other influential persons by offering them state-of-the-art living in a 2.5 acre farm house in Mullanpur (now New Chandigarh). However, the scheme existed on paper only and in which the Mohali police booked five persons, including Devinder, early this year.

The FIR said the accused were identified as Devinder Gill, Golty, Manpreet Chahal, Neeraj Wadhera and Dhanraj of the Sky Heights Housing Building Society. A Delhi-based resident, Jaspal Gupta, had lodged the complaint. They claimed that they had given Rs 2 crore to the accused but neither got the money nor the plot.Inquiries made from several police officials about the case were met with one response- “no comments”. As many complaints have been filed against Devinder Gill and he and his family too have filed several complaints against the police, the officials are wary of commenting on the case.

Chandigarh, August 4
With the construction of 388 flats in one of the blocks of the Sector 63 General Housing Scheme of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) gaining speed, a ray of hope has emerged for allottees for early completion of flats.

The process of completion of 2,108 flats had been delayed .The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has already missed different deadlines for the completion of the Sector 63 General Housing Scheme.

Though the construction of one- bed room, two-bed room and three-bed room flats had been nearly completed, works pertaining to laying of pipelines and power cables was pending.

A senior UT official said the UT Electricity Department had been asked to lay the electricity cables around the flats. It was being hoped that the possession of the flats would be given by 2015.

Due to the delay, the allotment prices of flats are likely to be revised following changes in the area allotted for the construction of EWS flats.

In 2004, land spread over 60,000 square yards was allotted to the CHB for the construction of 2,108 flats. But after the revision of layout plans and the relocation of green belts adjoining the UT, land left with the CHB was 48,000 square yards.

Earlier, the CHB was short of two acre when it found that over 200 houses at Phase IX had been allotted by GMADA. To construct the specified number of flats, green belts were relocated. The final cost of flats will be calculated on completion. Against the total initial price of Rs 33.64 crore, the cost is likely to increase with the delay in completion.

Chandigarh, August 4
Instructions have been issued to the UT’s top brass only to include new achievements in his Independence Day speech, Since it is likely to be the last Independence Day speech of UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil in Chandigarh.

Sources in the UT Administration said that Patil, whose five-year tenure as the Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator, will end on January 21, 2015, doesn’t want to list out old achievements in his Independence Day speech. Moreover, Patil want his speech be written in Hindi language, sources added. The achievements, which will be included, will be in between August 16, 2013 and August 15 this year.

The Department of Public Relations, have conveyed to various UT Departments and the Municipal Corporation, to submit new achievements to them, which will be included in a booklet of achievements’. This booklet will be distributed to dignitaries during the Independence Day function at the Parade Ground, Sector 17, on August 15. The sources said after such instructions, various departments have now begun compiling “new” achievements of their respective departments. MM Sabharwal, Director, Department of public relations, Chandigarh Administration, said they were preparing Independence Day speech and would include achievements of the one-year period only.

Chandigarh, August 4
The master plan for Chandigarh will finally be notified by October-end. Six years after a petition was filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court for a composite regional plan for Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, the Bench was today informed that the master plan would be notified by the competent authority by October 30.

The High Court had on December 23, 2009, directed the UT to finalise the master plan. As a petition filed in public interest way back in 2008 on the issue came up for resumed hearing this morning, the Bench was told that co-ordination committee meeting for development of the UT was held on July 31.

It was broadly decided that the UT would forward Chandigarh’s draft master plan to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs/the Union Ministry of Urban Development within four weeks for necessary approval and advise. The master plan would then be notified by October 30. A communication to this effect was placed before the High Court by standing counsel for the Union of India Onkar Singh Batalvi.

The communication added that the states of Punjab and Haryana, along with the UT, would convey the agreeable contours of the inter-State regional plan; and would also list out the exact objection and difference of opinion causing delay in the formulation of the regional plan. The details would then be forwarded to the ministry concerned for taking up the matter further.

The development is significant as the Punjab Government and the Chandigarh Administration are at loggerheads over the issue of access to Mullanpur. The UT Administration has already alleged before the High Court that its neighbour was not cooperating with it in the development of a regional plan for Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh; and one of the objections was that there were not enough “doors on the Mullanpur side”.

In fact, amicus curiae or the friend of the court-cum-senior advocate Manmohan Lal Sarin and counsel for the petitioner Shailendra Jain had insisted that only a stay on construction in the periphery area would compel coordination. A public interest litigation in the matter has been filed by Gurbax Singh Shergill for directions to prepare a composite regional plan for the Tricity of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula for the future planning of the periphery of Chandigarh in the consonance said plan. The case will now come up for further hearing on October 6.

Chandigarh, August 4
The UT Estate Office has started issuing notices to property owners who have failed to get completion certificates for their properties. The property owners are being asked to submit the requisite documents to get the completion certificate.

“Over the years, hundreds of property owners have not bothered to get the completion certificates,” said a senior UT official.

Many such cases are hanging fire in quasi-judicial courts of the Estate Office for many years.

In the past, the Estate Office had allowed the property owners to obtain completion certificates by just submitting the requisite documents.

Chandigarh, August 4
The Municipal Corporation today started a drive to catch stray dogs in Sector 16.

It was on July 17 that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the Chandigarh Administration and the MC to launch a special drive to control stray dog population in the city.

Directing the UT and MC to start it as a pilot project from Sector 16, the High Court had also asked the respondents to launch a cleanliness drive in the area so that the vulnerable spots, where stray dogs were found assembled most of the time, could be identified and cleaned up.

An MC official said 10 stray dogs were caught from different parts of Sector 16 today. All canines were sent to the NGO People For Animal for sterilisation, said the official. 

Chandigarh, August 4
Despite reporting at least one brain death every week, the region’s premier healthcare institution, the PGIMER, has been struggling to convert these into potential organ donors and save lives of those patients who suffer organ failure.

According to figures available with the PGIMER, in the last six months, the institute received 30 brain-dead patients. But only six (20 per cent) could be turned into potential organ donors.

Medical aspects are found responsible for lesser utility of organs for transplantation, awareness on organ donation is still lacking among the masses, said doctors.

“We have seen situations where all family members of a brain-dead patient give consent for organ donation, but towards the end, the spouse denys permission due to social and emotional reasons,” said Dr RK Dhiman, professor, Department of Hepatology, PGIMER.

Mohali, August 4
To enlighten experts and young doctors about vascular diseases, an international workshop is being held at Fortis Hospital, Phase 9, here today.

In the four-day workshop, organised by Venous Association of India in collaboration with Vascular Society of Limb Salvage on varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, around 20 live surgeries would be displayed to update doctors about advancement in treatment of venous diseases.

Dr Ravul Jindal, National Secretary of Venous Association of India and Director of vascular surgery at the hospital, said, “This vital area of medical science, has till date remained misunderstood and misrepresented by even the medical fraternity who finds it difficult to differentiate between heart and venous system.”Around 50 doctors from across the country would attend the workshop, he added. The international guest faculty including Prof Jean-Francois UHL (France), Vascular Surgeon from Department of Anatomy, University of Paris, who is also the vice-president of French Society of Phlebology along with Dr Jean Patrick Bengini and Dr Jean Marc Diamant, vascular surgeons from France, would address the participants.

Elaborating on the problem of varicose veins he said varicose usually characterised by aching and heavy legs (often worse at night and after exercise), appearance of spider veins in the affected leg, ankle swelling, dilated bluish bulge under the skin, redness, dryness, and itchiness of areas of skin due to waste products building up in leg. In some people skin above ankle may shrink because fat underneath skin becomes hard.

“If not treated early this can result in chronic venous,” said Dr Jindal. 

Mohali, August 4
After support from the Congress, the protesting ETT teachers got support of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and members of Sikh Bandi Rehai Morcha.

Today, SAD (Amritsar) supremo Simranjit Singh Mann and Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa extended their support to the teachers’ ongoing protest and met them at their dharna site in front of the office of Director General School Education, Punjab, at Phase 8, here today.

“Yesterday the police resorted to lathicharge on the teachers and it reflected the the approach of the state government on the issue. We are with you in your fight,” said the leaders.

Meanwhile, the teachers burnt effigy of the state government.

“Our two colleagues, JS Sidhu, the president of ETT Teachers Union (Punjab) and Vipin Lotta, a teacher at Guru Harsahai, have been sitting on ‘fast unto death’ for past several days but the government is not ready to listen to our demands,” said the protesting teachers.

They added that they were not going to bow down despite the atrocities of the state government. “We would continue the protest till our demands are fulfilled,” said the teachers.

The main demand of the protestors is to bring the ETT teachers and the schools (which come under Zila Parishads) under Punjab Education Department. 

Chandigarh, August 4
Following Mayor Harphool Chander Kalyan’s decision to postpone the Teej function over the lack of consensus in finalising the chief guest, two BJP councillors have decided to hold the function out of their own pocket at Mani Majra.

The councillors—Gurcharan Dass Kala and Deshraj Gupta, who represent wards number 25 and 26 of Mani Majra—today met the MC Commissioner, Vivek Pratap Singh, to seek the civic body’s cooperation in organising the function.

The MC’s Teej function, scheduled for August 3, was postponed after the BJP-SAD and Congress councillors failed to agree upon a common person as the chief guest. While, the BJP-SAD councillors wanted local MP Kirron Kher to be invited as the chief guest, the Mayor, who is from the Congress, was not willing to invite the MP. The Congress councillors were in favour of inviting the Mayor’s wife as the chief guest.

Gurcharan Dass Kala said Gupta and he would organise the Teej function for residents of their wards.

“Today, we sought the civic body’s help for setting up the stage for the programme, which will be organised this weekend,” he said.

Kala said he had taken the step as residents were in favour of organising the function. “Moreover, we are not seeking any financial help from the MC. We will meet the expenses incurred in inviting singers and artistes on our own,” he said.

Deshraj Gupta said they would invite an elderly woman from their ward as the chief guest to inaugurate the function. 

Panchkula, August 4
After the district unit of the BJP held a meeting of party workers to get feedback on suitable candidates for the ensuing Assembly elections, Congress leaders swung into action and started mobilising public to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

Sitting Congress MLA from Panchkula, DK Bansal, held a meeting of the Panchkula Vidhan Sabha Coordination Committee here today.

Bansal asked the committee members to constitute 10-member committees in their respected areas to make public aware of development works taken up during the Congress regime.

He also asked the committee members (from urban and rural areas) to educate people of their areas about various schemes launched for different sections of the society by the Hooda government.

Although 22 leaders, including nine women, have applied for the ticket from Panchkula, frontrunners include DK Bansal, former municipal council president Rawinder Rawal, former district unit president Om Prakash Devinagar and Vijay Sharma. All belong to the Hooda camp.

Pratap Chaudhary, Lilly Bawa, Bhawna Gupta and Mukesh Malhotra, former district Congress president from the Kumari Selja group, are still following the wait-and-watch policy. Others in the race are Rajesh Kona and Manvir Kaur Gill, former president of the Panchkula Municipal council.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former chairman of the Haryana Warehousing Corporation Suresh Sharma has staked his claim for ticket from the Panchkula constituency. A close associate of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, Sharma, while interacting with mediapersons today, said he had kicked off his people-contact programme to strength the party.

Panchkula, August 4
A murder accused suffered chest pain in the court lock-up here this morning. The accused, Bunty was rushed to General Hospital, Sector 6, where his condition is said to be stable.

The case wherein over eight persons are involved in the murder of a youth in Kharag Mangoli was registered last year. Bunty was also among the accused.

The trial is on in the case and today when Bunty was waiting for the hearing in the court lock up, he complained of chest pain following which he was rushed. 

People and the authorities have failed to learn any lesson from incidents of drowning in the Ghaggar and other rivers and ponds, mostly in monsoons. The previous week, too, two boys drowned in the Ghaggar. People must act responsibly and not put their life at risk. Parents must warn their children against playing near flooding rivers. The administration, too, must set up warning boards and other electronic warning system. The police should also conduct patrolling in such areas regularly.

Chandigarh, August 4
The Student Centre at Panjab University was packed to the hilt as the Students Organisation of India (SOI), announced its panel here today.

The security personnel were on guard to avoid any untoward incident as the party leaders have been involved in recent clashes with the activists of other parties.

Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia arrived at the university to announce the SOI panel.

The panel included Manvir Chaudhary as the campus president, Yadvinder Singh as president, Yashpal Hakuwala as chairman, Gurusewak Tohana as party in charge, Piyush Aanand Bawa as campus in charge of the party.

Chandigarh, August 4
In a violation of the pre-code of conduct norms set by all student parties of Panjab University —regarding misuse of printed material for campaigning — several leaflets were found scattered at the Student Centre today after a student party announced its panel.

After the announcement of the Students Organisation of India (SOI), panel today, hundreds of leaflets were lying scattered at the Student Centre. This is not the lone incident of its kind.

A similar practice has been carried out by other student parties while announcing their panels. Despite this, no action has been taken by the authorities.

PU Chief Security officer Jatinder Grover said the matter was taken up with all the student parties and they had assured that this won’t be repeated in future.

Chandigarh, August 4
Student parties contesting the Panjab University student council elections will not indulge in any kind of violence before and after the announcement of the code of conduct on the campus.

This was assured by the representatives of all nine student parties — who participated in the first meeting to draft the pre and post code of conduct with the PU Dean Student Welfare (DSW) today.

In the meeting chaired by DSW Navdeep Goyal, the student parties also agreed not to hold car rallies on the campus by the workers.

Sources said the authorities today received a complaint from the inmates of the girls’ hostel number 8 and 9 that a student party had staged a protest outside their hostel last week, while raising their problems. The inmates alleged that they had not approached the party to stage a protest.

In the complaint, the hostel inmates had also mentioned that the outsiders, who had joined the protest, allegedly misbehaved with them.

The authorities asked all student parties not to bring along outsiders while visiting girls’ hostels on the campus.

Instructions were given to all parties that they would have to make an entry in the register at the gate of the girls’ hostel.

Meanwhile, the authorities also allotted codes to parties to pasting posters. 

Chandigarh, August 4
Irked at the ‘behaviour’ of the warden of the girls’ hostel towards the inmates, the students of SD College today went on a hunger strike.

The students alleged that on Sunday night, a girl of BSc-III fell ill but she was not allowed to go to the hospital until she fell unconscious.

“No staff member accompanied the girl to the hospital nor did they provide any vehicle to carry her to the facility. She was taken to the hospital by her friends,” alleged the students.

“When the students returned from the hospital, they were threatened not to disclose the matter to anybody,” alleged the students.

Four boys sat on a hunger strike demanding resignation of the warden, besides action against the chief warden. As many as 70 girls also took part in the strike and refused to go to the hostel.

Jagwant Singh, senior faculty member, said, “The girls were insisting last night that they wanted to go on their own even though the warden a college vehicle for them.”

He said the principal had designated a woman faculty member with the warden to address the grievances of the hostel inmates.”

Chandigarh, August 4
The National Students Union of India today submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor regarding various problems faced by the PhD research scholars.

The students have sought a new hostel for the female research scholars, hostel facility till viva-voce examination, institutional email, release of grants at regular interval, formation of Research Promotion Cell and routine interaction programmes with PU officials.

The students raised irregularities in the re-employment scheme and enrolment of permanent faculty of campus or affiliated colleges in PhD.

The provision of re-employment to faculty members till the age of 65 years will not serve any purpose. “A large number of young scholars are keen to get recruited in PU. The re-employment scheme must be discontinued,” they said.

“The Senate and Syndicate have approved that permanent faculty of campus/affiliated colleges, who don’t have PhD degree, can enrol in PhD even without clearing any entrance. How can the faculty of campus/affiliated colleges be at par with those regular scholars who are enrolled after clearing NET/GATE/SLET/PU PhD Entrance,” they said.

Chandigarh, August 4
Panjab University (PU), campus is hosting many rare migratory birds. Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) and Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutulata) have been spotted by the bird enthusiasts, who have formed a group to research on the biodiversity of PU.

The group was initiated by Arun Bansal and Navtej Singh to rediscover the biodiversity on the campus. Subsequently, an online group was created which now has more than 300 active members and more than 600 photographs of the birds have been uploaded.

Researchers can join the group at the ‘Biodiversity of PU,’ a group on Facebook.com.

Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) and Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutulata) have never been seen before on the campus or in the region.

The discoveries were shared with the bird enthusiasts of Chandigarh.