Two bodies found in city
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — The police recovered two bodies, one of a Delhi resident and the other of a beggar, in the city here today.

While the former was reportedly murdered, the latter had apparently died a natural death.

According to police sources, Satish Mehra (50) of Tagore Nagar, had been coming to the city for the past many years to collect payments from cloth showrooms on behalf of wholesalers based in Delhi.

He reached here on Saturday at about 5 pm to collect money from the proprietors of Gulati Saree Centre, Sector 22. Then he left for the ISBT on a rickshaw at about 7.30 pm. Before this, he also collected payment from a shop of the Gulatis in Sector 17. That was the last anybody saw him.

Since he did not reach till next morning, Mr Nirmal Mehra, a brother of the deceased, called up the Gulatis and asked about the whereabouts of the deceased. Mr Parveen Gulati, who attended the phone and later lodged a missing report with the Sector 22 police post, said he suspected foul play as the deceased carried large amounts of money.

Sources said a call was received at the Crime Stoppers Cell that a body was lying in a ditch near the slow carriageway behind the Udyog Bhavan in Sector 17. The police reached the site and found the body, with some papers and the driving licence of the deceased lying nearby.

The head of the deceased was in a pool of water and the rest of the body was outside the ditch. Blood had caked on the mouth of the body. There were strangulation marks on the neck and the clothes were also torn.

The body was identified by Mr Parveen Gulati. The police suspected that he was murdered and his body was thrown here.

Further investigations are on. A case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered at the Sector 17 police station.

In the second instance, the body of an unidentified 40-year-old man was recovered from under a pipal tree near the Sector 26 transport roundabout. Sources said the deceased appeared to be mentally unsound. He had been living in the vicinity for many years and sustained himself by begging.

The body was in tatters and the left foot was affected with maggots.

No foul play is suspected but the body has been sent for a post mortem.

CHB to get tough with violators
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is contemplating action against its allottees who have violated building bylaws in various sectors of the city.

According to sources, the board had decided to get tough with the violators since the internal structural changes, alterations and additions had an adverse bearing on the structural stability of the dwelling units. These alterations were in violation of the Chandigarh Housing Board (Allotment, Management and Sale of Tenements) Regulations, 1979, and the provisions of the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952.

These changes also endangered the lives of occupants and neighbours. The violations adversely affected the zoning of the blocks, putting to inconvenience the law-abiding citizens. The lights and ventilation of the dwelling units were also affected on account of this, which was also against the rules, sources said.

Sources informed that a detailed survey of the violations was also likely to be conducted by the CHB soon. The board had conducted a survey of the violations in some sectors (like Sector 61) a few months back.

Action against the persons misusing their houses for commercial purposes was also on the cards, since the number of persons indulging in this malpractice was on the rise with the each passing day.

While urging the violators to remove illegal structures themselves, sources warned that penal action, including demolition of illegal structures and cancellation of allotment, could be taken against the violators.

Jawans cremated with honours
From Our Correspondent

ZIRAKPUR, Sept 20 — The mortal remains of Constable Bhagwan Singh of 26 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who died on September 18 in a landmine blast near Bansdish village in Palamau constituency in Bihar, were consigned to flames with full honours at his native place Nabha Sahib village, near here, today.

The 28-year-old constable died on the spot along with nine other colleagues and one polling officer while they were on their way to a polling station.The body was brought from Delhi to Chandigarh by air today and then taken to his village by road. Deputy Commandant Kuldeep Singh and a team of CRPF jawans accompanied the body from the airport to the village.

The coffin with mortal remains of the hero in it reached the village in the morning by a truck.The villagers and the family members of the slain constable were in for a shock as they had no prior information of the tragedy. Gloom descended on the village as the news spread to the surrounding areas.

Hundreds of residents of the surrounding villagers gathered and paid their respect to the departed soul before the bugler sounded the last post.A team of CRPF contingent reversed arms and saluted in honour of the constable during the last ceremony.

Constable Bhagwan Singh joined the CRPF in 1993 and was posted in Barnala. Before being transferred to Bihar about one and a half years ago, he was in Jammu and Kashmir.

There were heart-rending scenes when the relatives of the constable lifted the coffin.Mrs Kulwinder Kaur, widow of the constable, and other women of the family cried inconsolably.four-year-old Amandeep Singh, son of the constable, lit the pyre.

Wreaths were laid on the coffin by Mr Zohra Singh on behalf of Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister of Punjab, Mr G S Pannu, SP Operations, Mr. Bhupinder Singh Virk, DSP of Rajpura, Mr Paramjit Singh, Naib Tehsildar, Dera Bassi and Mr Pritam Singh, SHO Banur.

CHANDIGARH

The mortal remains of Havildar Ranvir Singh of the 9 Battalion of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were consigned to flames with full honours at the Sector 20 crematorium in Panchkula on Monday.

The brave soldier was killed by militants on September 18 while he was on security duty at the polling station at Handwara village in Baramulla district.He leaves behind his wife and a son.

According to officials, he was part of a party guarding five polling booths in a building when some militants dressed in the uniforms of Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and carrying arms entered the building at about 8. 30 a.m. and opened fire.Since personnel of the RR were also deployed on poll duty in the same area, the ITBP men were caught unawares.

others opened fire but the militants while retreating lobbed grenades, one of which killed Ranvir Singh.While Constable Dilbagh Singh, a resident of Ajnala, was killed in the firing, three other men were injured and have been admitted to a base hospital.

One militant was also killed in the attack.

A large number of men from the 9 Battalion, the Transport Battalion and the BTC, Bhanu, paid homage to the deceased.

Also present on the occasion were Mr N. K. MIshra and S. C. Nayyar, both ADIGs, and Mr Raj Singh, 2 I\C of the Transport Battalion.

Five arrested from PU campus
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — The police arrested five persons from the Panjab University campus today for an alleged threat to the peace.

According to police sources, all the five persons arrested were outsiders and were found to be roaming under suspicious circumstances on the campus. During the course of checking, the police recovered batons from their possession.

Those arrested include Paramjit and Dharamvir from Sangrur and Harpinderjit Singh and Arpindejeet Singh from Ferozepore. The police has impounded their vehicles. They have been booked under Sections 107 and 151, CrPC.

Meanwhile, the SHO of Sector 11 police station, Mr Vijay Kumar, said the police would not disturb the routine activities on the campus and emphasis would be on checking outsiders and miscreants among insiders whose motive was to create trouble. Legal action would be taken against them.

The number of ‘nakas’ on the campus had been increased to about 10, besides increasing the police force manning the three main gates, Mr Vijay Kumar added.

Case registered for defrauding department
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — The police today registered a case against eight officials of the Directorate of Agriculture, Punjab, Sector 34, for defrauding the department of Rs 11 lakh. The money was withdrawn between 1989-91.

According to police sources, the Joint Director, State Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, had lodged a complaint that the accused had prepared bogus medical claim forms of 14 employees, passed the bills and later withdrawn the money. Those accused include Brij Kumar, senior assistant, Satnam Singh, DDPO, P.C. Marma, Senior Controller, Kulwant Singh Grewal, O.P. Soni and Charan Singh, Superintendents, and Ajmer Singh and Ajaib Singh, Project Officers.

The complaint was investigated by the Special Crimes Cell (formerly the EOW) and a case was registered under Sections 465\468\471\420 of the IPC and Section 13 (1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigations are on.

In another case, the police arrested Des Raj, who was wanted in connection with a case of forgery registered under Sections 420, 567 and 468 of the IPC at the central police station. The Secretary, STA, had lodged a complaint that the accused had presented a fake no objection certificate of the Punjab transport authorities for changing the registration of his truck (PAT-9733).

The officials got suspicious and the document was referred to their counterparts in Punjab, who wrote back that it had been forged. The accused had been absconding for the past eight months.

PUTA dharna on September 23
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — The Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) will organise a dharna on September 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the Vice-Chancellor's office to protest against the non-payment of arrears, non-implementation of a viable pension scheme, wrong fixation of pay in the new scales, denial of promotional benefits from January 1, 1996, non-implementation of super selection grade and ending the benefit of encashment of earned leave.

Lawyers seek land for cabins
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Sept 20 — Lawyers practising at the district courts in Sector 1 are forced to operate from make-shift sheds in the ground opposite the courts in the absence of regular cabins for them. This is in spite of a three-month agitation which was suspended in February this year following an assurance from the government that land for the same would be allocated very soon.

Since no action has been taken in this direction so far, the President of the District Bar Council, Mr Randhir Singh Badhran, today submitted a representation to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Vivek Joshi, asking for allocation of land for the construction of cabins. He said Mr Joshi had responded positively to the demand.

The council has demanded the construction of a double-storey chamber with the foundation for three storeys. He added that in the absence of rooms for the lawyers, they were exposed to the vagaries of the weather. "When it rains, all of us are forced to pack up files and take shelter in the building. Our work suffers and we are unable to operate efficiently and satisfy our clients, '' Mr Badhran says.

The council has also demanded the opening of a sessions court in the city which will save the lawyers the inconvenience of going to Ambala to attend these cases till their disposal. "There are many cases of appeals and claims lying pending at the Sessions Court in Ambala and it is a harrowing experience to manage work in the two courts simultaneously,'' he contends.

PUSU-HSA-NSUI combine names panel
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — The Panjab University Students' Union (PUSU), the Haryana Students Association (HSA) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), which have formed an alliance, today announced their panel of candidates for the coming elections to the Panjab University Students' Council (PUSC).

The combine had earlier announced the candidature of Bhupinder Singh 'Bhuppi', a final-year student of the Department of Laws, for the post of the PUSC president and Mohan Singh 'Mohani', a third-year student of Bio-Chemistry (honours), for the post of the secretary.

Bhupinder Singh has resigned from the post of the President of the HSA to contest these elections. The combine has decided to field Shivani Solanki, a first-year postgraduate student of the Department of Political Science, for the post of the vice-president and Harjodh Singh 'Harry', a final-year law student, for the joint secretary. 'Bhuppi', who hails from Haryana is a national-level basketball player. Mohan Singh has been active as a student organiser of various cultural activities at inter-university youth festivals. Shivani has been a vice-head girl of Auckland House School in Shimla, a senior prefect of Lawrence School in Sanawar and the President of the Political Society in the GCG. A topper in political science (honours), she is also doing her diploma in journalism. Harjodh Singh, a former student of the GCM-11, is a tennis player.

The President of the campus unit of the SFI, Ganesh Dutt Bhardwaj, immediately after the announcement of the panel, said his party will join the PUSU-HSA-NSUI alliance in the coming elections. He said the SFI and the combine have jointly fielded Harjodh Singh for the post of the joint secretary. He said they had decided to support secular forces against communal forces of the opposite group. He promised to try to create an academic atmosphere on the campus. The party had earlier said that it would contest these elections as an independent group.

With his development, there seems to be a direct contest between this four-party alliance and the ABVP-SOPU alliance.

Addressing a joint press conference, Munish Anand, a former students' council president, and the presidential candidate, Bhupinder Singh, said peace on the campus, restoring academic atmosphere and increased cultural activity would be the main items on their agenda.

However, a major issue before the alliance will be its performance. Work done by students' councils in the past two years will be before students who have the vote. While the PUSU candidate, Munish Anand was elected the President of the council in 1997, it was the SOPU candidate, D.P.S. Randhawa who was the President of the council, last year. The alliance also promised to get the President of this year's council nominated to the Senate and the Syndicate. Listing their achievements in the past year, the alliance-members criticised the former council for not fulfilling its promises on an open air theatre and railway-booking counter at Students' Centre, establishment of Dean Placement Cell and free bus passes for students. They also said they would oppose the nomination of D.P.S. Randhawa because the university calendar specified that "an accused guilty of non-bailable offence'' should not be allowed to contest the elections. Violence on the campus is another main issue on their agenda.

Meanwhile, members of the ABVP and the DAV Students' Association (DSA), in a meeting held today, decided to field a joint panel of candidates in the elections to the students' council of the Sector 10 DAV College. While Amanpreet Singh Sidhu, a BA final-year student will contest for the post of the council president, Surinder Kalta, a BA second-year student is the candidate for the post of the vice-president. Nishu Dubey, a B.Sc second-year student will contest for the post of the secretary and Bobby James, a BA second-year student will contest for the post of the joint secretary.

In Government College, Sector 46, the nominees for the post of the council president are Sumeet Chhabra of the PUSU-NSUI alliance and Devender Rana of the ABVP-SOPU alliance. Rajeev Batra, ABVP candidate, and Rajinder Singh Mahan, a PUSU nominee, will contest for the post of the general secretary of the college council.

In Government College, Sector 11, Nirmal Singh Brar is the PUSU candidate for the post of the president. Khushbaaz Singh Jattana is the presidential nominee of the Government College Students' Union.

Meanwhile, the SOPU-ABVP alliance is yet to announce the name of the candidate for the post of the secretary on its panel. A common manifesto of the alliance will be released tomorrow. The alliance, in a press note issued here today, has urged the opponents to offer healthy criticism by pointing out shortcomings of the organisations rather than taking up issues like rejecting nominations of candidates on flimsy grounds.

Victim’s father seeks probe
From Our Correspondent

KHARAR, Sept 20 — Mr Gurmukh Singh, father of Devinder Singh of nearby Basampur village, who was allegedly tortured to death in the custody of the CIA staff at Ropar yesterday, has demanded that a high-level inquiry should be conducted into the whole affairs and the police officers responsible for the alleged murder of his son should be arrested immediately.

This demand was made when a team of newsmen from Kharar visited the residence of the deceased. Mr Gurmukh Singh refuted the claim of the police that his son developed some health problems in the CIA custody and he was brought to hospital. He alleged that his son was tortured to death.

Meanwhile, the deceased was cremated in the village last evening. A large number of villagers of the area attended the cremation.

Functions to mark Tourism Day
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — A series of functions will be organised here on September 27 to mark the World Tourism Day.

The Department of Tourism is planning to organise a seminar on promoting Chandigarh as a tourist destination.

The Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) will conduct a complimentary sight-seeing tour. A musical programme besides a food festival will be held at Sukhna Lake where live entertainment will be provided by students of the Food Craft Institute.

CITCO, Food Craft Institute and private hotels and restaurants will provide special 15 to 20 per cent discount. Some hotels and restaurants plan to accord special welcome to foreign tourists on that day besides presenting special gifts to children.

The Food Craft Institute will organise a quiz on tourism and hospitality besides organising a free cookery demonstration on Italian pasta and cuisine.

CITCO also plans to conduct an inter-college poster making competition and an on-the-spot painting competition besides a declamation contest for school children.

PU supplementary exams from September 25
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — The supplementary examinations of Panjab University will commence on September 25.

While the examinations of the first, second and third years of B.Com will commence on September 25, the examination of the BBA will start on September 27.

All papers of the BCA will be held on September 27 and 29.

Papers I, II and III of the first and second year of BA will be held on September 25, 28 and 30, respectively. Papers I and II of BA (III) will be held on September 27 and 29 and the third paper on October 1.

All papers of MA (I and II) will be held from September 25 to October 8.

Timings of the examinations for BA (I and III) and MA (II) will be from 9 .a.m to 12 noon, whereas all other examinations will be conducted 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

SNIPPETS

Book released
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — A compilation of the works of the late Bhai Ardaman Singh, ''Thoughts of Bhai Ardaman Singh'', was released at the Institute of Sikh Studies, Ram Darbar, by Justice Kuldip Singh (retd) here today. The book has been complied by his son, Bhai Ashok Singh.

Bhai Ardaman Singh is known for his research on theology, music and literature on Sikhism.

The book deals with about 40 topics covering every major aspect of the Sikh religion. Speaking on the occasion, Justice Kuldip Singh talked of the writings of Bhai Ardaman Singh and his achievements.

Arbitrary accommodation allotment alleged
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, Sept 20 — The local Municipal Employees Union has taken exception to the “arbitrary” allotment of accommodation in the housing complex of the civic body in Phase V, here.

The union President, Mr Ved Prakash Jesuja, said on Friday that in certain cases allotment had been done in violation of the seniority rule or accommodation was given to employees who owned houses here.

The union demanded the allotment of accommodation on the basis of seniority and pay scales and the cancellation of allotment made to those who owned houses here.