NEIGHBOURHOOD

Two arrested for murder 
A Correspondent

Kalka, January 5
The link-roads’ of various villages of Kalka sub-divisioin, which were laid in 1994-95 by the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board (HSAMB) are in a state of neglect. Vijay Bansal, former secretary of state Congress and former chairman market committee, Kalka, said marketing board has not taken any initiative to repair these roads in the past 14 years, subsequently the roads have been turned into deteriorating condition and have even lost their existence. The various link-roads’ of Pinjore block, including Dharampur to Kangulwala, Pinjore Nalagarh Road to Khokhra, Kalka Paploha Road to Tagra Sahu, Pargian Road, Khuda Baksh to Dolan link-Road, Kherawali Road, Nawan Nagar Banjara Basti Road have not been repaired, despite of the tenders in 2006. All these roads are of second priority.

The repair work of the link-roads’, which was sanctioned during 2005-2006 was yet to be carried out.

The work of carpeting of Karanpur to Johluwal, Sotwala to Himachal boundary link-roads’ have been lying pending since 1995.

Bansal further told that the board in other sub-division and blocks of Haryana is carrying out the work of construction and repair of the roads. In Pinjore block only a road of Rs 4 lakh have been laid in the past five years.

In the meeting between the officials and chief administration of the marketing board held in August 2008, it was decided that the pending work of the link-roads’ would be completed before the end of November 2008, but nothing happened till date.

Bansal has written a letter to Bhupinder Singh Hooda, CM Haryana, in this context. He stated that despite Haryana Chief Minister’s directives in the first quarter of 2008 regarding immediate repair of the roads, the officers/officials concerned responsible for such an inordinate delay in the work are least bothered about it.

Rajpura, January 5
Sukhdev Singh, a local resident, was killed due to excessive consumption of liquor near Ambala barrier. The police has initiated an inquest under Section 174 of the CrPC.

Patiala, January 5
The local branch of the Indian Medical Association organised a continuing medical education (CME) programme on allegations of medical negligence at Government Medical College here today.

Dr BR Sharma, professor and head, department of forensic medicine of Government Medical College, Chandigarh, said the public awareness on medical negligence in the country was growing and the patients had been becoming more demanding.

He said the Supreme Court had clearly stated that in order to make a doctor criminally responsible for the death of a patient, it must be established that there was negligence or incompetence on the doctor’s part, which went beyond a mere question of compensation on the basis of civil liability.

But the medical professionals needed self-introspection to bridge the gap between them and their patients, said Dr Sharma. The doctors could prevent allegations of medical negligence by taking precautions like not guaranteeing a cure, maintaining full and accurate medical records, getting proper-informed consent from patients, exercising a reasonable degree of care and skill, confirming diagnosis by appropriate and necessary laboratory tests and keeping themselves updated on the latest developments in the medical field. The doctors needed to treat their patients with dignity and include them in decision-making, the doctor added.

Meanwhile, Dr SP Gupta has been installed as president of association’s local unit for the year 2009 in the general body meeting, held after the CME programme. The other office-bearers include Dr Naveen Saronwala and Dr AS Grover as vice-presidents, Dr Harish Malhotra as honorary secretary. Dr Ashok Gupta is president-elect for 2010 of the unit.

Fatehgarh Sahib, January 5
Close on the heels of former Deputy Speaker Vidhan Sabha Bir Devinder, retired IAS officer Dr Rai Singh today claimed to be the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from here.

Bir Devinder claimed to be the Congress candidate from Anandpur Sahib, Dr Rai Singh claimed he would be the new face that the Congress was looking for.

He said he had a word with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and she had assured he would be the new candidate for the Congress.

The Congress is yet to declare its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. 

Chandigarh, January 5
The Punjab and Haryana High Court believes “the criminal justice system is in complete shambles”.

For redeeming the “rickety” system marred by unwarranted delays, it has called upon Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to “examine the feasibility of a criminal justice monitoring board”.

In a momentous ruling expected to ensure speedy trial, the Bench of Justice K.S. Garewal and Justice Jitendra Chauhan has suggested the board may comprise the heads of police, prosecution and prisons. “Such a board would cover three important limbs of the criminal justice system- investigators, prosecutors, and jail superintendents”. The Bench has also suggested: “The board could meet regularly to monitor the progress of all trials and give directions or guidelines to their respective wings, if it is found that delays are taking place on account of lack of infrastructure or manpower concerning their respective limbs”.

The Advocate-Generals of Punjab and Haryana have also been vested with the responsibility to prevent delays. “The Advocate-Generals of the states of Punjab and Haryana should be responsible, nay accountable, if trials are not conducted speedily and rights of accused are violated,” the Bench has asserted. The ruling comes on an appeal filed by murder accused Dalip Singh. He was arrested on July 13, 1998, and charged for the murder of his wife Jasbir Kaur by smashing her head with a spade. The FIR in the matter was registered under Section 302 of the IPC at Machhiwara police station. 

Taking up the case, the Bench asserted: “On November 26, 2008, we had expressed our extreme dismay at the long time the appellant’s trial had taken before the trial court.  ”We now propose to record some observations on the criminal justice system in the states of Punjab and Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh. Our desire is to highlight Dalip Singh’s case, make it an example to demonstrate the rickety system we have developed.”

The Bench affirmed as many as “six-and-a-half year were consumed for recording 28 pages of evidence” in the case. “From this, we can only conclude that the criminal justice system is in complete shambles. No one seems to be in charge of the criminal justice system.

“The police blames the prosecution, which blames the defence. The trial judge is over-burdened with work and the accused person, in whose favour there is a presumption of innocence, continues to languish in jail without bail”. As such, the need is to establish the board.
The Bench has also issued guideli

es on grant of bail. In another matter involving delay, the Bench has directed the development of information technology-enabled data base of under-trials and convicts for “enabling anyone to access it through the internet to see important milestones in the journey of a person passing through the criminal justice system”.

Mohali, January 5
In connection with the alleged wrong mutations of around 500 acres of shamlat land at Mullapur Garibdass village, the Supreme Court has admitted an SLP of Mullanpur gram panchayat and granted an interim stay in favour of the petitioners.

The prime land worth several crores of rupees has been under contention for the past several years as the village panchayat claims ownership of the land, stating that it is a shamlat (village’s common land).

On the other hand, a few villagers belonging to the choe reclamation society have been claiming that the land was private and belonged to them.

A division bench of the High Court passed order in favour of the societies.

Against the order of the High Court, the village panchayat had filed the SLP in the apex court.

Chandigarh, January 5
Even three months after Kashmir Singh and Gurmeet Singh, acquitted in the court firing case, moved a petition for the release of case property, order is yet to be pronounced. The case property includes weapons — two carbines and two magzines.

The decision that no one out of the 15 accused, that included DSP Jagjit Singh and former Muktsar SAD president Manjit Singh Barkandi, had fired gunshots in the courts complex on July 6, 1998 came after Barkandi and five others filed an application for quashing the first information report (FIR) that was accepted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. All accused were acquitted in April, 2008.

Kashmir and Gurmeet moved the application in the court of chief judicial magistrate Kanchan Mahi seeking release of the weapons in October, 2008 and decision on it is yet to be pronounced.

The application mentioned that weapons were taken into possession at the time of arrest from the Kashmir and Gurmeet. It was further added that both petitioners were government servants and the case property was needed by the two to perform their duty.

Though 11 years have passed, the prosecution has still not been able to zero in on who fired the shots in the courts complex.

On the day of firing, lawlessness had ruled the courts complex for 40 minutes but no one could be held responsible for the act.

The police has been unable to identify those accountable for bringing the ammunition to the courts. The case property included two swords, one SLR, a carbine, two AK-47s.

As per the prosecution, the incident took place on July 6, 1998, when Harvinder Singh, alias Vicky, a resident of Barkhandi village in Muktsar district, allegedly involved in the murder of SAS Nagar resident Manjit Singh, was being taken to the court.

Firing took place when “supporters” of Harvinder Singh, accused of killing Manjit Singh in the Sector 10 market, had allegedly gathered in and around the court complex while the accused was being produced.

Chandigarh, January 5
Industrialists in the Phase II of the Industrial Area are harried in the wake of spate of theft in the area. Not only organised gangs of thieves, but also petty thieves and drug addicts are having a field day in the absence of police patrol.

Industrialists alleged that lack of police patrol and non-functional streetlights were the major factors behind the rising incidents of theft. They said the police had failed to check crime as drug addicts and thieves were having a field day. Everyday, two-three incidents of thefts took place, but only those incidents were reported where the losses were huge.

In a fresh incident, thieves decamped with scrap of copper wire worth about Rs 50,000 from a plot in Phase II here last night. The police registered a case on a complaint by Ram Pal Bansal, who deals in scrap material.

Sources said earlier also a theft had taken place in his plot about five months ago and the thieves had decamped with articles worth Rs 1.25 lakh.

On December 23, thieves had taken away scrap worth about Rs 4 lakh from an industrial unit after assaulting and confining the watchman. They had taken away two truckloads of scrap.

Even after over two weeks, the police is clueless about the identity of the accused, the industrialists said.

Last Friday, two incidents of theft were reported from the area. A sum of Rs 1.80 lakh was stolen from a plot while Rs 7,000 was stolen from another plot.

The SHO of the Sector 31 police station, Inspector Bhupinder Singh, said cases had been registered on every complaint. He said they were sealing sectors, especially the Industrial Area, to curb crime.

Chandigarh, January 5
After the controversial mega projects, the ambitious conversion policy of the Chandigarh administration for industrial plots in Industrial Area has come under attack.

Terming the policy “anti-industry”, the Chandigarh Industrial Area Tenants Association has alleged that the conversion policy would give a fillip to shopping malls, hotels and pubs at the cost of actual industry and already-established shopping centres in Sectors 17, 22 and 34.

The administration should realise that promoting shopping mall culture in Industrial Area was like driving the last nail in the coffin of the local industry, alleged Sanjeev Sagar, president of the association.

Expressing concern at the alleged mud-slinging at each other by senior functionaries of the administration, the association alleged that the “surcharged atmosphere” was affecting development projects of the city.

Association general secretary BS Saini claimed that tenants had been working in Industrial Area for decades and generating employment for lakhs of people. In fact, industrialist tenants were generating revenue in the form of sales tax, service tax, excise and income tax worth crores of rupees every year, Saini claimed.

Stressing the need for timely steps to safeguard the interest of the industry, the association said the administration should learn from its mistakes.

Meanwhile, the association’s relay fast in support of its demands entered its fifth day today. The association is demanding rehabilitation of industrial tenants in Industrial Area, Phase III.

It contended that if migrants could be rehabilitated then why was the demand for rehabilitation of industrial tenants being pushed under the carpet by the administration.

Panchkula, January 5
Harjinder Singh, security guard of the main post office, was found murdered at Sector 26, Panchkula, last night. The assailants stabbed him to death.

Forty-year-old Harjinder Singh of Jaisinghpura village had been missing since the intervening night of January 3 and 4, when robbers attempted to loot the post office. It was suspected that the assailants had kidnapped him.

The murder came to light when some passerby informed the police about a body lying in a secluded area in the sector at around 10 pm. A police team rushed to the spot and found the body. A police officer said there was a deep stab wound on the victim’s throat.

A senior police official claimed that the CFSL experts have collected the samples of “pubic hair, scissor” from the post office. It is a mysterious thing and would take time to solve the matter.

Ram Swaroop, father of the deceased, said: “He was not having enmity with anyone. The police should take appropriate action to nab the accused.” He further added that the police told them that they did not find anything in his pocket.

The postmaster, YK Bhushan, said: “Though the office was ransacked, however, the cash kept in the office was found to be intact. Only Harjinder was missing from the post office and later, the police told us that he had been murdered. He was working as a guard since 1992.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the post office authorities had not even provided any weapon to him.

While talking to this correspondent, Jagdeep Singh, brother of the deceased, said: “He went by bus for his duty and did not come back. After inquiring, we came to know that he got missing during his duty hours. Last night, the police informed us about his death.”

Harjinder is survived by a daughter and a son.

The body has been handed over to the family after conducting the post mortem at the General Hospital, Sector 6, here today.

Ajit Kumar, SHO, Sector-5 police station, said: “Earlier, a case under Sections 457and 511 of the IPC has been registered and now Section 302 of the IPC has been added in the FIR.”

Despite repeated attempts, Sandeep Khirwar, SP, Panchkula, was not available for his comments.

Despite spending lakhs of rupees in providing multiple-security cordon around the PCA stadium, the venue of a recent match between India and England, the area around the stadium did not get a facelift.

The standard of basic amenities around the stadium left a bad taste among a number of English visitors. Though impressed with the security, the visitors were quick to point out the broken footpath tiles near the main entrance to the stadium. The GMADA or the local MC did not bother to repair the tiles or repair the roads.

Chandigarh, January 5
It was a cakewalk for hosts Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, who blanked Delhi University, Delhi, 14-0 home runs in a league match of the All-India Inter-University Baseball Championship for Men, here today.

For PU, Ravinder, with his fast base-to-base running top, scored three home runs while Rupesh, Ramesh, Santosh, Pankaj and Vijay contributed with two home runs each. On the other hand, DU’s batter struggled even to score a home run.

Earlier, PU playing its first match had got a tough challenge from MD University, Rohtak, whom they managed to eke out with a narrow 2-1 home runs defeat. Rupesh and Ramesh with one home run, each, were the scorers for the winning team. For MDU, Manish gave some fight scoring one home run.

However, in its next match, MDU made a strong comeback to drub Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 2-1 home runs. Santosh and Pardeep, who chipped in with one home run each fashioned the win of MDU.

With the help of Rinku, Mohammad Ali and Vikramjeet’s one home run each, KU, too beat DU 3-2 home run.

Meanwhile, DAV College, Chandigarh, in their maiden appearance, won the Panjab University Inter-College Lawn Tennis (women) championship for the session 2008-09. DAV College beat Government College for Girls, Sector 11, Chandigarh, by 2-1 in the final match.

PU campus beat A.S College for women, Khanna, by 2-0 and secured third position. In the opening singles, Ankita Singh gave DAV College a winning start as she accounted for Anita 6-3, 6-1.

However, GCG-11 hit back and restored parity through Simar who defeated Alpit Sandhu 6-1, 6-1. The DAV duo of Alpit Sandhu and Ankita Singh clinched the issue in their favour after they defeated Simar and Anita 6-4, 6-4. 

Chandigarh, January 5
Lack of coordination between the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and other universities has left the Panjab University men baseball team in lurch, as the players haven’t got their certificates and gold medals even after a lapse of an year.

The PU team was declared as winner in the All-Inter University Baseball Championship held in October 2007.

The championship was hosted by Kashmir University. However, the AIU and KU are under the impression that the first place was shared by the PU and some other universities.

Speaking to The Tribune, Gurdeep Singh, a senior official of the AIU said, “PU was declared a combined winner with some other university and I haven’t received any satisfactory answer from the KU that on what basis did they declare a combined winner.”

Even Dr Khursid Ahmed Tarzen, director sports, Kashmir University, showed ignorance, “There were combined winners for the first and third place and that is why the AIU fell short of medals and haven’t replied to our communication till today.”

This suggests that how careless the authorities have been on the issue. “There was no combined winner, PU was the only winner,” revealed an officiating officer of the match on the condition of anonymity.

“I will check the documents tomorrow to confirm the same,” said the director sports of KU when the fact was brought to his notice.

Meanwhile, the players are a harried lot as their scholarships and further admission is still hanging fire.

“Its shameful those at the helm are unaware of the wining team and aren’t even bothered to resolve the matter,” said a player.

“We can do nothing but can just approach our coaches who further talk to PU official and always the same reply comes from them, we have written to them and are awaiting their reply,” added another player.

Chandigarh, January 5
Belgium’s Laurent Daxhelet and Russian Alexander Igoshin caused disappointment in the boys singles first-round matches in the ITF Junior Tennis Tournament (Grade 3) for under-18 being organised by the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association at the Tennis Stadium, here today.

Unseeded Laurent Daxhelet upset Christopher Marquis in a match, which was extended to three sets. After losing the first set, Laurent staged a grand rally and clinched the first-round win by 2-6 6-1, 6-4.

Alexaander Igoshin, who has a ranking of 306 in ITF, shocked fifth seed and 175th ranked Roman Piftor of Uzbekistan in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(4).

City lad Mandeep Singh Gill beat Nischay Rawal in straight sets 6-2, 6-0. Another local wild card entrant Digvijay Singh also moved into second round at the expense of Srikar Alla in straight sets 6-4, 6-1.

Uzbekistan’s Aziz Yuldashev was given a tough time by wild card Rohit Bisht, who extended his rival to three sets before winning by 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Top seed Rashmi Teltumbde and second seed Kyra Shroff scored easy victories in their opening round matches. Rashmi, 82nd in ITF, proved too strong for local boy Ikttesh Chahal, who she defeated without dropping evening a single game at 6-0, 6-0.

Boys singles (1st round): Kaza Vinayak Sharma bt Shogafur Shofayziev 6-3, 6-0, Mandeep Singh Gill bt Nischay Rawal 6-2, 6-0, Laurent Olibel Daxhelet (Bel) bt Christopher Marquis 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, Sai Karkit Nakireddi bt Maninder Singh 6-4, 6-1, Saurabh Singh bt Tushal Thawani 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, Vaidik Munshaw bt Artem Tarasov (Uzb) 7-6 (1), 6-2, Alexander Igoshin (Rus) bt Roman Piftor 6-4, 7-6(4), Chandril Sood bt Lakshit Sood 6-0, 7-5, Digvijay Singh bt Jeroen Bernard 6-4, 6-1, Aziz Yuldashiev (Uzb) bt Rohit BIsht (Ind) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, Sumeet Shinde bt Titov Mikhail (Rus) 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-3, Yoannis Hilelis (Fra) bt Mansingh Athare 6-0, 6-1.

Girls singles (Ist round): Rashmi Teltumbde bt Ikttesh Chahal 6-0, 6-0, Kyra Shroff bt Natasha Palha 6-3, 6-1, Alena Geramisov (Blr) bt Melis Sezer (Tur) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, Valentina Starkova (Kaz) bt Mohan Nimisha 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, Tanvi Shah bt Shweta Solanki 6-2, 6-0, Rishika Sunkara bt Noor Paul 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, Sachie Ishizyu (Jap) bt Sowjanya Bavisetti 6-1, 6-1. 

Chandigarh, January 5
Ashbeer Saini (15) of Kapurthala is all set to give another challenge to India’s top junior golfers when the Lalit Suri Eastern India Junior Golf Championship gets underway on the par-71 greens of the Tollygunge Golf Club in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Ashsbeer had given a fright to Rashid Khan, India’s top amateur, when he led on the first three days in the All-India Junior event at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club last week.

Rashid, who is daring to make it a grand double before he graduates to playing full time on the senior amateur circuit, is wary of the challenge from the 15-year-old Kapurthala lad. Another player capable of upsetting Rashid’s applecart is Bangalore’s Chikkarangappa.

Another player in the junior category, Aman Guron of Chandigarh, has also shown his class in patches.

Kolkata’s Tutul Ali, who emerged as the surprise winner in Category C upstaging the favourite Honey Basoya, would be looking to back up his performance with another good showing at the Tollygunge Golf Club.

Others to watch out in this catgegory will be Chandigarh’s Feroz Singh Garewal and Subhankar Sharma from Patiala.

Exuding confidence before the tournament, Rashid said: “This will be my last tournament on the junior circuit and after a very good week at the ‘Royal’, I want to finish off my stint as a junior with a win.”

The players will be divided into four categories- under-18, under-15, under-12 and under-10 and the leader in each category will be felicitated with a trophy.

The overall winner will be the player with the lowest four-round total from both categry A and B.