Man succumbs to injuries
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 17 — An SAS Nagar resident, Rattan Singh, succumbed to his injuries at the PGI today. Rattan Singh was driving a scooter when his two-wheeler collided with another scooter in Phase II, SAS Nagar.

Meanwhile, two persons were injured in separate road accidents. Mr Raman Gupta, was injured today while trying to save a cyclist that came in front of his scooter. His condition is stated to be serious.

An autorickshaw driver, Santosh, was also injured when a school bus ( DL-1-V-2167) driven by Pritam Singh hit him. The accident took place in the Sector 32 market. The injured has been admitted to the GMCH.

Burgled: Thieves broke into the house of a Sector 35 resident, Mr Suresh Sharma, this morning while he was at the PGI where his son is admitted. Mr Sharma, in his complaint to the police, said that he was not sure if any jewellery had been stolen. The house was ransacked by the time Mr Sharma returned home in the afternoon.

The aged parents of Mr Sharma had gone to Ludhiana.

Youth arrested: More than two months after a youth stabbed a Sector 22 housewife, he was arrested by the police. Ravinder Singh, alias Sonu, of Amritsar had allegedly stabbed Suman, a distant relative of his, on February 1. He along with one more youth had come to Sector 22 when the incident occurred. Since then he had been on the run. He has been nabbed and booked under Sections 392, 394 and 34 of the IPC. The police is on the look out for the other youth.

Pickpocket nabbed: A pickpocket, Palla Ram, was nabbed while picking the pocket of Harbans Lal Chawla, a Punjab Government employee, at the Inter- State Bus Terminus (ISBT), Sector 17.

Landlord held: The police has arrested a landlord and his tenant for allegedly not informing the police before renting out a house in Khuda Lahora village. Mr Gurmukh Singh , landlord, and his tenant, Gurdev Singh, have been booked under Section 188 of the IPC.

Scooters stolen: Two scooters have been stolen in the city in separate incidents. A scooter ( CHP-3035), owned by Ishwar Chand,was stolen from Ram Darbar. Meanwhile, a scooter (CH-01-T-3962), owned by Bhupinder Singh of Sector 32, was stolen from the Sector 17 market.

Compensation for harassment
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, April 17 — A local consumer, who had to wait for 21 years to get possession of a plot from the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), has been awarded Rs 25,000 as compensation by the local consumer court.

The forum has held HUDA responsible for harassing the consumer by utilising the amount deposited by him without giving him possession of the plot .

The order was passed by Mr R.C.Taneja, President and Ms Rekha Sharma, Member of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, on a complaint filed by Mr Dev Dutt, a resident of Sector 16 here. The complainant alleged that he was allotted a plot in Sector 4 here in September 1972.

Thereafter he deposited the entire cost of the plot and inadvertently deposited Rs 500 more. As he wanted to raise construction on the plot he requested HUDA to hand over physical possession of the plot but in September 1994 he was informed that the said plot was not in his name.

He then filed a civil suit in a court which was decided in his favour in April 1996. In spite of this, he was not offered physical possession of the plot. Repeated requests to HUDA regarding the plot failed to yield any results.

The forum in its order said HUDA had indulged in deficiency of services. It observed that possession of the plot was offered after 21 years, thereby putting the consumer to mental harassment. It pointed out towards mismanagement in the administration of HUDA.

HUDA has been directed to intimate the complainant amount of papers required for conveyance deed and to issue NOC certificate and also issue approved building plan of the plot. HUDA has been directed to refund Rs 500 which had been excessively charged from the complainant.

The consumer has also been awarded an interest compensation at a rate of 15 per cent on the amount of Rs 17,000 with effect from the date of deposit till the date of offer of possession of the plot. A sum of Rs 2500 has been allowed as litigation expenses.

Transport co. wins case

The local consumer court has directed National Insurance Company and Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT), Pinjore, to pay Rs 20,834 on account of an accident claim to a Pinjore-based transport company.

The order was passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum on a complaint filed by Prem Transport Company through its partner, Mr Vijay Kumar.

The complainant alleged that he entered into a contract with HMT Pinjore to transport a tractor from Pinjore to Goa. In March 1993, the tractor which was being driven by a driver of the complainant company met with an accident in Rajasthan, whereafter the surveyor appointed by the insurance company assessed the loss at Rs 20,834. However, the authorised dealer of the tractor company put the loss at Rs 26,375.

Efforts by the complainant to get the claim failed to yield any results. The insurance company on being noticed by the forum said the complainant failed to provide the necessary papers which were mandatory before settling the claim. It was ready to pay the claim provided the requisite documents were provided. An ex-parte order was passed against the unit manufacturing tractors as no one appeared on behalf of the company.

The forum has directed the defending parties to pay the accident claim within one month of the communication of the order, failing which 15 per cent interest would be charged on the amount.

The complainant, on the other hand, has been directed to submit the relevant documents within seven days from the date of communication of the order.