The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Teej celebrated at PU hostel
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — Beautiful young women in vibrant colours and with smiles, raindrops caressing swings, the smell of fresh kheer, maalpuae and ghevar, excitement is in the air...teej is here. This festival, which is celebrated all over Punjab with great enthusiasm, was celebrated by inmates of the Laxmibai Hostel at Panjab University today. Students and teachers danced and sang to the rhythms of the swing. Traditional sweets of the festival were prepared for the inmates, who had a gala time. This festival was celebrated in the hostel for the first time.

Prof Vidhu Mohan of the Department of Psychology, Prof Meera Mallick from the Department of Correspondence Studies, Dr Minna Surjit Singh of the Department of English and Dr Belu Maheshwari of the Department of History along with the new warden, Dr Manju Jaidka, planted saplings in the hostel grounds on the occasion and mingled with the students.

COURTS

Orders reserved on Ranjit's bail plea
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — Mr Justice N.C. Khichi of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today reserved orders on a petition filed by Ranjit Bajaj, the son of senior Punjab IAS officers, for the grant of bail in a kidnapping and criminal intimidation case.

Bajaj was earlier booked by the Chandigarh Police on May 17 under Sections 392, 364, 323 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and under the Arms Act, on the complaint of Sunny Garg. Claiming to have been kidnapped on May 14, Garg, in his complaint before the police, had stated that he was coming in his father's car when he was stopped by four persons, including Ranjit Bajaj, from near the bridge connecting Sectors 11 and 15.

The persons, the complainant had added, directed him to shift from the driver's seat of his car and on his refusal, he was kidnapped and taken to the Bajajs' house. Garg had also alleged that he was beaten up by the accused.

Seeking the grant of bail, counsel for the petitioner had stated on his behalf that Ranjit Bajaj was being implicated in a false case. He had added that the case was registered after Sunny was caught stealing.

Bail in assault case
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — The Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mr Mahender Singh, today granted bail to city resident, Bikram and others in an assault case. They were directed to be released after furnishing personal bonds of Rs 5,000 along with surety of the same amount

The accused Bikram and Vikrant, were earlier booked by the Chandigarh police for allegedly assaulting Mr Pankaj Kapoor, a resident of Sector 44. In his complaint to the police, Mr Kapoor had alleged that the two, along with their accomplices, snatched his gold chain after assaulting him.

Bail denied in allurement case
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — The bail application moved by Anees Jamma, better known as Bangali Baba, accused of enticing a Panchkula housewife, was today dismissed as withdrawn by Mr Justice N.C. Khichi of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The accused — Anees Jamma, alias Billu Badshah, of Panchkula — was earlier booked by the Haryana Police under Sections 343, 366, 368 and 384 of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of the woman's husband.

In his complaint before the police, he had stated that his wife was suspected to have been allured by the accused. According to the prosecution, the woman was recovered from the house of the accused.

The woman, in her statement before the police, had stated that she had approached the petitioner for cure of migraine after seeing an advertisement on cable television. The accused, she had added, asked for her ornaments, as according to him these were under a spell and had to be exorcised. She had further added that she had taken out seven sets of ornaments from the locker.

Police remand in JE murder case
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Aug 1 — The four suspects arrested by the local police in connection with the murder of the junior engineer in the horticulture wing of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) have been remanded to police custody till August 4. They were today produced before the Duty Magistrate, Kharar.

Yesterday the police had arrested Meena, wife of the deceased, Bhoop Singh, and her accomplices, Baljinder Singh, Sohan Singh and Najar Singh. Meanwhile, the police is on the lookout for the sword used by Baljinder. Police teams were searching the nullah where the assailants had reportedly hidden the sword.

On the basis of the information given by Baljinder, the police parties recovered a mere skeleton of the victim which was scattered in the area along the nullah. The doctors at the civil hospital in Phase 6 here referred the remains of the victim to Patiala for identification of the victim.

Dhaba owner acquitted
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — Tehal Singh, owner of a Sector 22 dhaba, was today acquitted by the UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.C. Godara, in a bounce cheque case after he submitted Rs 2 lakh to the court.

He was convicted under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act and was sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of one year by the UT Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Mr A.K. Jain, in August, 1997.

The orders were passed on a complaint filed by Lieut-Col. C.D. Singh of Chandigarh. He had alleged that a cheque for Rs 2 lakh, issued by the accused, was not honoured by the bank.

CULTURE

Bringing nature to city's doorstep
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 — Nothing pleases like pleasure. A perennial source of pleasure is nature, which has been painted at its best by Sushma, a Jalandhar-based artist, whose first solo exhibition opened at IndusInd Bank Art Gallery, Sector 8, here today.

Going by the depth of her imagination, it was difficult to believe that she was displaying the wealth of her creation for the first time. All 17 works on display are laced with deep imagination. The variety of hues employed shows the diverse moods of the artist, who generally paints from memory.

As Sushma confirms, "I have been travelling widely, most of the time in the hills. I tend to pick up images and store these in my memory. My kind of painting is not realistic. It is mostly imaginary."

She adds, "Art is a playful activity and painting is creation of a design. So every colour has been used in a way to create balance, as it is done in a design."

A postgraduate in Fine Arts from Hoshiarpur, Sushma has been into teaching since 1977. "Teaching has been a great learning experience for me. I have seen a lot through the eyes of my students and that has helped me master my skills further."

Although Sushma has also made portraits, nature continues to be her forte and passion as well. The 17 works on display reflect the glory of nature in diverse forms — sometimes in the form of Soaring High, where the artist shows a full bloom tree reaching out for the sky; sometimes in the form of Abode, where she shows homes flanked by pine trees; and sometimes in the form of Resolute, where she sends out a message of forbearance through a painted tree.

Then there are other works, which are reflections of human emotions. From Warmth, where red has been employed with dexterity to show passion, to Fantasia, where a blend of colours brings home the theme of illusion, the range is immense. Among other striking works are Heavenly, Twilight, Luxuriance, Bloom, Rainbow and Desires.

The artist has consciously titled all her works, so that the viewer can relate to her moods and her mind. "I want to put across my feelings exactly, so that there is no scope of confusion. The idea is not to impose my thoughts. The idea is simply to make these clear," says Sushma.

While her painting Abode has been sold, the rest are still mounted for art lovers to relish. Prices range between Rs 10,000 and Rs 3,000. The show was inaugurated by Mr B.N. Goswamy, a Padmashree awardee, who also talked highly of Sushma's artistic talent. The exhibition will be on till August 9.