Schoolgirl raped, case registered
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 10 — The police registered a case of alleged rape of a student of plus one of a government school, Sector 22, here today.

According to police sources, the girl, a resident of Sector 35, had reportedly skipped classes and gone to watch a movie in Sector 17 with three classfellows. Since the girls were in uniform, they were stopped by a policeman on duty near the cinema hall and questioned about not being in the school. This unnerved them and they started back for school.

It was about at this time that one of the old schoolmates of the girl joined her in Sector 17. He reportedly lured her to a patch of land covered with wild vegetation adjacent to the Haryana Mini secretariat in Sector 17 and allegedly raped her. He later ran away leaving her behind.

Initially, considered as an accident victim, she was taken to the Sector 16 General hospital by a rickshaw-puller and her family was informed. A medical examination was conducted. No arrest has been made so far.

Rape alleged: Mr Vinod, a resident of Colony No 5, lodged a complaint that his six-year-old daughter had been raped by Sajjan, a resident of the same colony.

He said he had gone to buy vegetables with his wife and his daughter was alone at home. When they came back at about 6.30 p.m.. they found her crying and without clothes. On enquiring, she said that after they had left Sajjan came and offered her a toffee and asked her to accompany him. He took her to some fields nearby and raped her.

The police has registered a case under Sections 363 and 366, IPC, against the accused at the Sector 34 police station.

Rs 50,000 stolen: Mr Atul Kumar, a resident of Sector 16, reported to the police that his servant, Ram Bahadur, alias Basant, had stolen Rs 50,000 from his shop in Sector 9. A case under Section 381, IPC, has been registered.

Purse missing: Mr Vijay Kumar, a resident of Sector 23, reported to the police that someone had stolen his purse containing Rs 11,600 from his residence.

A case under Section 380, IPC, has been registered at the Sector 31 police station.

13 arrested: As many as 13 persons have been arrested for committing various offences in the city.

Seven persons have been arrested for creating nuisance at a public place while under the influence of liquor.

Four persons have been arrested for roaming about under suspicious circumstances.

Two persons have been arrested under preventive action.

SAS NAGAR

Two injured: Two persons were injured after the car in which they were travelling was hit by an unidentified vehicle near Phase 6 here on Friday. The police has registered a case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC.

Liquor seized: Rajpal Singh, a jhuggi-dweller, was arrested with eight bottles of liquor on Friday.

KHARAR

Cop booked: The local police has registered a case against a head constable of the Chandigarh police and other persons on the charge of serving liquor at a dhaba near Dawn village. According to information received here today, the accused is a share-holder in the dhaba. A case under the Excise Act has been registered against the accused.

House burgled: Mr Jaspal Singh of Garden Colony here has lodged a complaint with the police that his house was burgled and cash, ornaments and some important documents were stolen. The police has registerd a case under Section 380, IPC.

Bold and sensuous figures
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 10 — A splash of colours, bold and sensuous figures of half animal-half man and stark use of some defiantly vigorous strokes — this is what sums up artist Satwant Singh, whose exhibition of latest works, titled 'Savage Garden', in his characteristic colourful style, opened today at Alliance Francaise Art Gallery, Sector 36, today.

The 18 works, done in mixed media, represent the temptations, desires and violence of the human mind, and sometimes reflect the riot and revelry of the human experiences as well.

According to Satwant Singh, "this exhibition is an ode to the circus of life being staged in a 'Savage Garden'. I have in fact mixed and mingled the instincts and emotions of animal and human forms".

Interestingly, Satwant's works, with its brazenly arresting forms and figures are easily recognisable today. Without deviating to any other style, whether it is his goats or his bulls or his fish, Satwant seems to relish while using his aggressive style in both colour and form.

The exhibition of drawings and paintings was inaugurated today by Mrs Vineeta Rai, Adviser to the Administration, UT Chandigarh.

Satwant Singh was recently awarded two national awards for children's literature by the UNESCO and the NCERT for the year 1998. A product of the Art College, Chandigarh, he has held about 55 solo shows of his works in both India and abroad.

The exhibition will be open till September 18.

Forum order affirmed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 10 —The UT Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has affirmed the order of the District Consumer Forum in the Ms Sudesh Rana Vs Unit Trust of India (UTI) and the Mumbai-based Datamatics Financial Services Limited case with costs of Rs 2,000 against the former.

The District Consumer Forum, in its judgement passed on February 19 this year had ordered the UTI and Datamatics Financial Services, the respondents, to pay an amount of Rs 20,550 (for 1500 units of mastergain 1992, a capital growth scheme floated by the UTI) along with interest of 12 per cent per annum on a complaint instituted by Ms Sudesh Rana. Besides this, the complaint was also awarded a compensation of Rs 1,000. The respondents approached the commission against the order.

While upholding the decision of the District Consumer Forum, the Commission, in its order, said no interference was called for in the case and dismissed the appeal with costs of Rs 2,000 against Datamatics Financial Services for its lackadaisical attitude towards the consumer and for causing continued harassment to her.

Mrs Sudesh Rana had applied for 1,500 units of mastergain in response to a scheme floated by the UTI and had deposited Rs 15,000 in May, 1992, with Datamatics Financial Services, an agent of the UTI. When she did not receive the unit certificates for a long time, she wrote a letter to the UTI authorities. In response the agent of the UTI admitted the allotment was confirmed but the certificates had been lost in transit. The agent also requested the complainant to submit an application for duplicate unit certificates by executing an indemnity bond. Ms Rana had alleged that in spite of completion of all the formalities she did not receive the unit certificates.

After hearing the representative of the appellant and counsel for the respondent, it was brought out that the scheme of mastergain, 1992, was started in May, 1992, with a lock-in period of three years. Hence, the respondent could not encash the units during this period, even if she had received it in time, particularly when the appellants had admitted that the certificates were in their possession.

Vegetable prices stable
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 10 —There has been no fluctuation in the prices of most of the vegetables in the local market during the past 24 hours.

During a survey of the local market, it was found that prices have remained stable during this period, even as the declining trend has been continuing for the past about one week. A kg of brinjal was still priced at Rs 12 in the retail and at Rs 50 per 5 kg in the wholesale market during this period. The vegetable was priced at Rs 16 a kg during the past one week.

Similarly, cauliflower could be purchased for its old price of Rs 20 a kg in retail and for Rs 75-80 per 5 kg in the wholesale market. The fall in the price of the vegetable, priced at Rs 40 per 5 kg during past week, has been effected due to arrival of advance variety of the crop from parts of Punjab and Haryana. The fall in the price of cabbage was negligible, as a kg of it was available for Rs 15 yesterday, could be purchased today for Rs 13. The wholesale price has fallen from Rs 60 to Rs 50 per 5 kg during this period.

A kg of bittergourd, priced at Rs 20 yesterday, was available at the same old price today. Similarly, in the wholesale market the price remained unchanged today at Rs 80 per 5 kg. A kg of gourd was priced at Rs 8 in retail and for Rs 30 per 5 kg in the wholesale market due to more arrivals from parts of Punjab and Haryana, where the crop is said to have been very good. Beans were slightly cheaper today as the price of a kg of the vegetable has come down from Rs 20 to Rs 18 per kg in retail market. Squashgourd was stable at Rs 26 a kg, while one could purchase tomato for Rs 12 a kg in retail and for Rs 50 per 5 kg in wholesale market. Potato and onion were priced at Rs 5 and Rs 10 a kg respectively.

155 entries for shooting tourney
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Sept 10 — As many as 155 entries in various age groups have been received for the Punjab Shooting Championship which will begin tomorrow at the Patialai Rao ranges in Sector 25. According to Raja K.S. Sidhu, Secretary of the Punjab Rifle Shooting Association, In this two-day meet, eleven affiliated units and districts will take part. These units have already conducted their own championships and a minimun of 50 per cent of the total qualifying standards were required to be met before participating here.

The PRSA will provide imported ammunition and latest weapons for this meet. Ironically, as there is no facility for the trap and skeet events in this part of the country, international shooters like Manavjit Singh and Zorawar will not be seen in action. A Punjab State Championship will be conducted later at Delhi for these events at the Tughlakabad shooting ranges.

A keen contest is likely on cards in the air rifle (ISSF) event as young international shooters like Abhinav Bindra and member of the Indian squad, Jaspreet Dhaliwal of Ludhiana, will fight for top honours.

A formal inauguration of the meet will be done at 11 am by Director for Sports of Punjab, Col Raminder Singh.

Soccer probables: Sixteen women probables have been shortlisted for the Panjab University team which will take part in the Inter-University Football Championship. They are Parminder Kaur, Hardeep Kaur, Santosh, Baljinder Kaur, Harsimranjit Kaur and Gurpreet Kaur (all GCG, Mahilpur), Tript Kaur, Simran Sekhon and Gurpeet Kaur (all GCG-11), Rajwinder Kaur, Sachdeep Kaur and Ikjot Kaur (all KCW, Ludhiana) and Surbhi, Ritu, Pooja and Prabhjot Kaur (all MCM DAV-36).

Pataudi Trophy: The trials to select the Chandigarh cricket team for the Pataudi Trophy Inter-district Cricket Championship, will be held on Sunday, September 12 at 11.30 am at Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, according to Mr Surinder Singh, Secretary of the Chandigarh Cricket Association which is affiliated to the Haryana Cricket Association

Swimming meet: A sub-junior swimming competition for boys and girls in the age groups of under-8, under-10 and under-12 will be organised by the Sports Department of the Chandigarh Administration, on Sunday, September 12.

The competition will be organised at the Government Yoga Centre swimming pool in Sector 23-A as per the rules of the Swimming Federation of India.