Neerja’s family moves HC

Chandigarh: Flight purser Neerja Bhanot's family has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court after failure to resolve the money-sharing issue with the makers of Bollywood blockbuster and national award-winning movie "Neerja". The family has alleged that the respondents are going back on their word of sharing 10 per cent of the net profit. The petition came after the two sides failed to agree on the appointment of an arbitrator. As of now, a notice has not been issued on the petition and the matter is expected to come up for hearing in July. The family has moved the petition for appointment of an arbitrator to resolve the dispute. Neerja, a senior flight purser of the Pan-Am 73 flight, was killed in a shooting following a hijack by terrorists, who entered the aircraft with arms and hand grenades. Following her act of bravery and the supreme sacrifice, Neerja was given the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award for bravery, in 1987. The hijack left 20 people dead and 150 injured after a bloodbath at the Karachi airport. There were around 200 Indian passengers on the flight, of whom 13 died while over 100 were injured. TNS

Hit by bus, woman dies 

Chandigarh: A 51-year-old woman pedestrian died after she was hit by a Haryana Roadways Volvo bus near the Sector 21/22 light point on Thursday. The driver was arrested and the bus impounded by the police. Sources said the victim, identified as Lalita, was going to Sector 22 when the accident took place. The victim was rushed to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, from where she was referred to the PGI. The victim later succumbed to her injuries. The sources said the victim suffered a head injury that led to her death. Police officials said the driver, Sushil Kumar, was arrested and later released on bail. A case has been registered at the Sector 17 police station. TNS

Gold chain snatched in Sec 41

Chandigarh: Miscreants snatched a gold chain from a woman in Sector 41. Snatching incidents have witnessed a sudden spurt with over two dozen incidents reported this month. Sources said the victim, Paramjit Kaur (42), had gone for an evening walk with her family at the park near her house on Thursday night. The incident took place when the victim was returning home. A miscreant came and snatched her gold chain. He then ran towards a motorcycle where his accomplice was waiting. The victim failed to note down the registration number of the motorcycle. The police have registered a case at the Sector 39 police station. TNS

Guv reviews leprosy programme

Chandigarh: Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore on Friday reviewed the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) with senior officers of the Health Department, Chandigarh. Badnore asked the officials concerned to ensure the IEC (information, education and communication) activities, aimed at generating awareness among city residents about the disease and its control. After going through a presentation made by the department on the ongoing activities under the programme, Badnore directed the officials to carry out an extensive awareness campaign in this regard. “The need of the hour is to intensify efforts towards early detection of leprosy, provide equitable access to appropriate treatment and integrated leprosy services,” added the UT Administrator. TNS

Labourer found dead in city

Chandigarh:A labourer was found dead in Sector 25 on Friday. The police have ruled out any foul play. The victim has been identified as Makhru, who worked at a construction site in Sector 25. Inquest proceedings have been initiated by the police. TNS  

Rain likely on Monday

Chandigarh: Showers are expected to lash the city on Monday. The relative humidity on Friday was between 40 and 83 per cent. The maximum temperature was recorded at 35.5 degree Celsius while the minimum was 24.4. It is expected to remain in the same range over the next three days. Monsoon is expected to reach  the city by June-date. TNS

Judicial custody for two drug peddlers 

Kharar: A Kharar court on Friday sent two drug peddlers-Manpreet and Navdeep-to judicial custody. They were arrested following the recovery of 7 gm of smack. ASI Kesar Singh was patrolling near Chanloan area when he arrested them. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered. OC   

Judicial custody for con man

Dera Bassi: Con man Parimder Singh Toor, who was arrested for posing as a Haryana minister and duping many on the job pretext, was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court on Friday. On Thursday, the police had sought extension of Toor’s remand by two days. But the court extended it by a day. The accused confessed to have carrying his .32 bore licensed revolver and possessing a vehicle with a beacon atop, but refuted the allegation that he took Rs 31.5 lakh from Balwant Singh, a resident of Sangrur, for a gas agency. The counsel for Toor, Gurjeet Singh Kaura, accused the police of working only on surmises alleging that no such recoveries had been made by them even after sorting extension of Toor’s remand by one day. Balwant Singh, SHO, Zirakpur, said the case was being investigated from different angles. TNS

Abetment of suicide: 9 booked 

Chandigarh: The police have booked nine persons for abetment of suicide. Bakshish Singh, a resident Dariya, had committed suicide by hanging himself. He was admitted to hospital and died on June 22. The victim had tied the knot in January this year. His wife went to her parents’ place after the couple started fighting frequently. The victim, in his suicide note, had stated that his wife’s relatives were harassing him. A case against the accused, all residents of Shahabad in Haryana, has been registered. TNS

Drug peddler arrested

Chandigarh: The police arrested a resident of Mohali with banned injections and smack in Sector 38-West. The police said accused Amit Kumari was nabbed from the taxi stand in Sector 38-West. On search, 24 banned injections and 8-gm smack were recovered from him. A case has been registered at the Maloya police station. TNS

Drive against liquor

Chandigarh: Fourteen persons were arrested for consuming liquor at public places. The accused were later released on bail. Cases have been registered. TNS

Organic products on display 

Mohali: Organic farming will prove beneficial and strengthen the financial position of farmers. This was stated by Amit Dhaka, Secretary, Punjab Mandi Board, on Friday. Dhaka, who inaugurated an exhibition-cum-sale point for organic products in the District Administrative Complex (DAC), Sector 76, said the board would encourage organic farming. He told mediapersons that organic products were good for health. Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra said a farmers’ group would be set up to encourage organic farming and create awareness. She said the Agriculture Department had been asked to create awareness about organic farming right  up to the grass-roots level. The sale point in the DAC will function from 1 pm to 6 pm on Fridays in Room No. 123. Farmers from different villages have offered products for sale, such as vegetables, wheat, turmeric, honey, wheat flour, soyabean, rice and gur.  TNS

Panchayati Raj panel’s visit 

Mohali:  The expert committee constituted by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India, to develop the future roadmap for the Panchayati Raj Institutions in union territories, visited Daria and interacted with gram panchayat members there. Villagers gave suggestions for the improvement of the Panchayati Raj Institutions. The committee also visited Palsora village, which prior to its merger in 2006 with the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, was under the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat, UT, Chandigarh. TNS

Kher writes to Guv

Mohali:  ity MP Kirron Kher has written to Governor of Punjab to raise the share of appointments on compassionate grounds in the Union Territory. Kher said the Punjab pattern should be followed as far as the appointments were concerned. At present, there is a ceiling of 5 per cent for compassionate appointments in the city on the Union Government pattern and because of this ceiling, most applicants are unable to avail the benefit. She has requested the Administrator to consider the issue so that kin of those who lost their lives could be compensated. She said the Chandigarh Administration had adopted the Punjab State Civil Services rules and recently enhanced the upper age limit for the first entry into government services from 25 to 37 as applicable in Punjab. Employees of Chandigarh are also entitled to other benefits on a par with Punjab staff, such as pay, allowances, age of retirement and pension benefits, except compassionate appointments. TNS