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Youth shot by father-in-law
Marital discord cause of crime
Panchkula, February 6
A local man was shot by his father-in-law over a marital dispute, in Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh) today. The man 24-year-old Rohit Bhardwaj, had been called by his wife to Delhi yesterday to sort out their differences. Today, his body was found in Bulandshahr and the police arrested his father-in-law Anand, on the charge of murder. 

Cops to crack the whip on beggars
Chandigarh, February 6
A crackdown on the ever-increasing menace of beggars and vendors active at traffic junctions and at public places in the city is on the cards.

WATCHMAN’S MURDER
Police looking for vagabonds
Chandigarh, February 6
The police is learnt to have identified a group of vagabonds seen at the site where Milkfed watchman Sohan Singh was murdered in Sector 34 on the night of February 4.

Basant Utsav opens
Chandigarh, February 6
The three-day Basant Utsav organised by the Environment Society of India (ESI) in collaboration with the Chandigarh Arts Council was inaugurated by MP Pawan Kumar Bansal today. The venue, however, kept awaiting visitors all day.

(Left) Students of Blue Bird School celebrate Basant Panchami in Chandigarh on Thursday and young dancers take a camel ride during Basant Utsav which opened at Leisure Valley, Sector 10, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — Photos Manoj Mahajan

• Schools welcome spring

‘Archival records ill-maintained’
Chandigarh, February 6
Eminent historian Prof V.N. Datta has expressed his anguish at the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities concerned in preservation of material relating to the national heritage. “Rare historical treasure is ill-maintained in several instances and the available records are sealed”, he said.

Blind women design jewellery for Valentine’s 

Chandigarh, February 6 To label it as a show would amount to undermining the effort that has gone into structuring it. There is something about Trendsmith’s Mind’s eye collection which is more human than commercial. And that is its creative line. Put together by 17 blind women, the jewellery showcases refined expressions of love.  Jewellery designs created by women from the National Institute for the Blind on display at Trendsmith, Sector 17, Chandigarh.

COMMUNITY

Lilette’s play organisers to pay Rs 19,000 as tax
Chandigarh, February 6
Such precedents are not set everyday. The issue of alleged evasion of entertainment tax by organisers of Lilette Dubey’s play at Tagore Theatre on January 31 has been finally sorted out after it was persistently raised in the columns of The Tribune.

Blemishes on City Beautiful

Chandigarh, February 6 Defacement continues to blemish the City Beautiful. One can find posters and banners on pillars in market corridors, at hiding vital information displayed at public places. Even though the UT police has launched drives against defacement from time to time, yet the problem persists. Banners hang in the Sector 35 market of Chandigarh in violation of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.

200 labourers gherao cop’s house
SAS Nagar, February 6
More than 200 members of the Labour Union, Chandigarh, some armed with rods and chains, gheraoed a house under construction in Phase XI belonging to a DIG in Hyderabad here today.

Sector 29 booth catches fire

Chandigarh, February 6 Electronic items valued at several lakhs were reduced to ashes when a fire engulfed Aggarwal Electronics in Sector 29 in the late hours here today. No causality was reported. The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained but sources in the Fire Brigade Department hinted towards the possibility of a short circuit. Electronic items worth several lakhs were gutted when a fire broke out in booth no. 56, Sector 29, Chandigarh, on Thursday night. — Photo Parvesh Chauhan

Programmes for benefit of aged
Chandigarh, February 6
Senior citizens’ associations in the city will constitute a working group to serve as a mediating link between the government and senior citizens in rural areas and slums. They will also help NGOs to reach out to the rural areas.

Centre studying Rent Act Notification
Chandigarh, February 6
The Union Minister of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Mr Anant Kumar, has asked the Joint Secretary of the department, to study the implications of the Rent Act Notification in Chandigarh and refer it to the UT Administration to evolve a formula to bring tenants paying Rs 1500 per month rent out of the protection umbrella.

Power staff hold rallies
Chandigarh, February 6
Employees of the electricity wing of the Chandigarh Administration held protest rallies outside various offices of the electricity department in support of the striking employees of the PSEB and in protest against the proposed privatisation of the electricity department.

• Kirtan darbar
• Former Tribune employee dead

CRIME

Booked for harassing wife for dowry
Chandigarh, February 6
A case under Sections 406 and 498-A of the IPC, on the charge of seeking dowry, has been registered against Sat Pal on the complaint of his wife, Parwati, in the police station of Sector 31. Parwati has reported that she was being harassed and maltreated by her husband for dowry.

4 held for killing taxi driver
Panchkula, February 6
The police has arrested four “hard core car thieves” for allegedly kidnapping and killing a taxi driver, Deepak Singh, who had reportedly gone missing along with the taxi on December 11, 2002, in the late hours today.

BUSINESS

AP handloom mela opens
Chandigarh, February 6
Adviser to UT Administrator Virendra Singh yesterday inaugurated a 13-day crafts fair put up by the Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation at Panchayat Bhavan, Sector 18.

EDUCATION

SGGS College wins running trophy
Chandigarh, February 6
Pallavi and Harleen from SGGS College, Sector 26, won the running trophy in a declamation contest organised on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations at Government College for Men, Sector 11, here today.

School-leaving certificate for Rs 150!
Chandigarh, February 6
Fresh passouts from the local Sacred Heart School have complained that the school was ‘unreasonably’ charging them Rs 150 for school-leaving certificate. A student said on condition of anonymity that there was no justification in the school charging the special fee.

COURTS

Charges framed in Pala murder case
Chandigarh, February 6
A local court today framed charges against Kartar Singh and others in connection with the murder of a former sarpanch of Khuda Ali Sher, Pala Singh. After framing the charges, the UT Additional and Sessions Judge, Mr J.S. Kler, adjourned the hearing of the case till March 3.

Judicial remand for ex-minister
Kharar, February 6
Ms Preeti Sahni, Judicial Magistrate, today remanded Mr Sohan Singh Thandal, former Punjab Minister who was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in connection with a corruption case registered against him at SAS Nagar, in judicial custody till February 13.

CULTURE

NEW RELEASES
‘Khushi’, ‘Satta’ coming
Provogue brand ambassador Fardeen Khan has been roped in to play the lead role opposite Kareena Kapoor for the first time in Narsimha Enterprises ‘Khushi’, a beautiful love story scheduled to be released today at Piccadily, Chandigarh; K.C., Panchkula. This comes from the house of Surinder Kapoor and producer Boney Kapoor. The film also stars Anup Soni, Amrish Puri, Neeraj Vora, Navin Nischal, Sharat Saxena, Beena, Johny lever besides other actors.

HEALTH

US docs’ act of generosity
Chandigarh, February 6
In an act of rare generosity, a team of non- resident Indian doctors from the USA will be operating upon six poor patients in the PGI for implanting pacemakers for free. The team, which includes Dr Salil Midha, Dr John Roy, Dr V.K. Sarin, is in the institute for attending the annual meeting of the International Society of Heart Research and International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences that starts tomorrow.

Fortis package for soldiers, families
Chandigarh, February 6
Fortis Heart Institute and Multi-Speciality Hospital today announced empanelment for retired Army, Air Force and Navy personnel registered with the Kendriya Sainik Board as ex-servicemen and Widows of Ex-Servicemen and their dependants settled in north India through their pension scheme.

Students’ rally on pulse polio
Chandigarh, February 6
At least a thousand students participated in an awareness rally on pulse polio organised by the Citizens Awareness Group (CAG) in collaboration with the UT Health Department here today.

Orthopaedic surgeon
SAS Nagar, February 6
Dr Anant Joshi, renowned orthopaedic surgeon, will be visiting the Fortis Heart Institute tomorrow. Available for consultation, Dr Joshi will be at the hospital from 10 am to 4 pm.

SPORTS

Thai Thassha enters final
Chandigarh, February 6
On the fifth day of the ITF Junior Ranking Tennis Tournament on the CLTA courts, in Sector 10 here, it was a cakewalk for local star and third-seed Chatwinder Singh, as he sailed into the last four of the boy’s singles by beating Vijay Sunder Natarajan of India in straight sets.

Cricket fever catches on Chandigarh, February 6 As the whole nation collectively waits with abated breath to watch the Indian cricket team play the Cricket World Cup, 2003, Spice Telecom, Punjab’s leading cellular service provider, has found a perfect way to wish luck to the Indian Cricket team. Coach D.P. Azad puts up his good wishes for the Indian team on the signboard for the Cricket World Cup at a Spice showroom in Sector 35, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Sports day of school
Panchkula, February 6
The annual sports day of Amravati School, was held here today. The function commenced with an assembly of athletes. The school Principal, Ms Poonam Gupta, hoisted the flag and declared the meet open. This was followed by a march past. A yoga show was also held on the occasion.

ADMINISTRATION

Sensors to control cattle menace
Chandigarh, February 6
The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh favours capsule-sized sensors stuffed in an animal to track down its owner to control the cattle menace. A small portable computer-shaped rod has all data fed in it. When it touches the animal, it reveals the identity of the owner.