EDUCATION

Book fest concludes
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — A two-day book fest, organised by the Regional Institute of English (RIE), Sector 32, on its premises, concluded here yesterday.

The following are the results of the various competitions held on the second day:

Fancy dress (8 to 13 years): Maheep Dhillon and Prachi Bhandari (1), Charna Pal and Pradeep Kumar (2), Ruhi Mittal and Rahul Verma (3) and Rohini Batra and Vishal Chauhan (special prize).

Nursery rhyme recitation: team prize (3 to 7 years): GMSS-35 (1), GMSS-23 (2) and GMSS-46 (special prize); individual prizes: Ankita Sharma and Shrividhya Ganesh (1), Shivam Garg and Tanvi Syal (2), Divya Malik and Jasmine (3) and Sahil Mongia and Moon (special prize).

The prizes were given away by Mr D.S. Saroya, Director, Public Instruction (Schools).

PUTA launches dharna
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — Members of the Panjab University Teachers Association today sat on dharna in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s office in support of their demands, including an increase in the number of seats for elected representatives of teachers in the Senate, implementation of the career advancement scheme and pension scheme, increments for Ph.Ds, construction of more houses, encashment of earned leave, ending gender discrimination in reimbursement of medical bills to the dependants of employees, immediate filling of all vacant posts, enhancement in amount available for research, and end to victimisation of teachers, etc, a press release said here today.

COURTS

Panchkula lawyers call off stir
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Feb 21 — The advocates of the District Bar Council in the township ended their strike after 15 days unconditionally here today. The lawyers had been demanding the creation of the Additional District and Sessions Court in the township.

A spokesperson for the council said that they were hopeful that the High Court would create the court of the ADJ in the township. The administration had already provided for the accommodation of the ADJ.

Mr Justice Amarjeet Chaudhary, Chairman of the Haryana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, offered juice to the striking lawyers.

Cops granted bail in Kid murder case
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — Deputy Superintendent of Police S.S. Grewal and Sub -Inspector Amarjit Singh were today granted bail in the Kulwinder Singh Kid murder case by an Additional District and Sessions Judge.

The two were directed to be released on bail upon furnishing bail bonds of Rs 50,000 each along with a surety of the like amount "to the satisfaction the illaqua magistrate".

Pronouncing the orders in the open court, the Additional Sessions Judge observed: "There are certain discrepancies in the contents of the writ petition filed by the father of Kid and that of the statement recorded later on. It is not disputed that both the accused had been joining the investigations as and when called upon by the CBI".

The Additional Sessions Judge also observed: "The witness in the case are from para-military force or the father of the deceased and his relations. There is no argument that any witness has so far been influenced or tried to be influenced by either of the accused. The case is still at the initial stage of summoning of the accused and it would take considerable time for the commitment of the case to the Court of Sessions as well as for the trial".

The Judge added: "Without commenting anything on the merits of the case, I consider it a fit case, so as to grant the benefit of regular bail to both the accused".

Lawyers' strike till tomorrow
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 — The Sector 17 District Bar Association today decided to continue with the on-going strike till February 23 to express solidarity with the family of missing advocate Praveen Kumar Sharma.

Association President N.K. Nanda appealed to the other District Bar Associations of Punjab to abstain from work on February 23 for expressing solidarity. Supporting the call, the President of Sikh Lawyers Association, Mr N.S. Minhas, also asked the lawyers to go on strike that day.

Mr Sharma, it may be recalled, had parked his scooter at the Sector 17 Inter-State Bus Terminus on February 8 after leaving his residence in SAS Nagar at about 1 p.m. for attending a marriage party in Laxmi Nagar, Delhi. No one knows whether the bus was boarded. The scooter was found parked, but his whereabouts are still not known.