IT Chandigarh

Chandigarh, November 20 The Moga sex scandal just got murkier today after two accused in the case named former education minister Tota Singh and his son Baljinder Singh, alias Makhan Singh, of falsely implicating them in the case. Taking note of the allegations, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notices to the CBI.

Seeking a CBI inquiry into the case, advocate S.P.S. Sidhu today filed a criminal miscellaneous application on behalf of Bhushan Garg and Inderjit Singh, both Municipal councillors of Moga, along with an affidavit. The two were named as accused in the initial FIR dated April 18 registered at Police Station, City, Moga. The counsel alleged that the two were named as accused in the rape case after they refused to succumb to the political pressure exerted by the former education minister.

The two have further raised the apprehension that as senior police officers and highly influential persons are involved in the case, there is every chance of the accused getting a clean chit.

In yet another application, Raman Kumar, who was posted as SHO, Police Station, City, Moga, at the time when statements of Manpreet Kaur, one of the main accused, was recorded, has stated in his affidavit that he has apprehension of impartiality in the investigation, which is being conducted by the Punjab Police, and has prayed that an independent investigation by an impartial agency be conducted.

Meanwhile, Justice Mehtab Singh Gill advised the counsel of Raman Kumar to persuade him to surrender before the court. “Why is he not surrendering. Tell him to surrender. The court will assure that no third degree method is used on him. Let the truth come out,” Justice Gill observed.
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Panchkula: A 25-year-old resident of Chandigarh, Naveen Chand, was killed and his cousin 22-year-old Baby Tewari, a resident of Surajpur, was seriously injured when the motor cycle they were riding was hit by a truck on National Highway 22, near Mallah point in Pinjore today. While Naveen died on the spot, the girl, who was riding pillion, was seriously injured and was rushed to Kalka Civil hospital. Naveen Chand had gone to Surajpur, 4 km from Pinjore, to attend the wedding of his cousin.

“The youth who, according to the vehicle documents, was a resident of Sector 40 A Chandigarh, had gone to Surajpur to attend the wedding of his cousin and while he along with another cousin sister of his were on their way to Pinjore, their bike met with an accident,” said a police official on duty.

He added that the motorcycle was hit by a speeding truck (HP55 1527) from the side, leading to on-the-spot death of the youth and seriously injuring the girl.

The police said the truck was impounded and the driver, Prem Chand, arrested. “The body of the youth has been sent to the mortuary at Kalka Civil Hospital, while the girl has been admitted to the civil hospital,” added the police official. A case has been registered in the case.

Source: ENS

Chandigarh: The UT Adviser has asked the engineering department of the Administration to explore the possibility of constructing the proposed underpasses on the public-private partnership model. This is after the administration had earlier toyed with the idea of making Chandigarh Housing Board the nodal agency for the construction of the highly ambitious project.

The Administration had also decided to float a global tender for the same, which till date has not seen the light of day. After the observation of UT Adviser Pradip Mehra, engineering department officials are busy chalking out what strategy to approach to go on the public-private partnership route.

Engineering department had submitted the proposal stating Chandigarh Housing Board could carry this project by ploughing back the money it earns from commercial transactions in the city.

The Adviser has now asked to explore public-private partnership viability as the Chandigarh Housing Board’s technical ability in the execution of the project has also to be seen. “The experience of the board is restricted only to the construction of houses, “ sources added.
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Chandigarh: The Cardiology Department of PGI was first under the scanner when two senior faculty members — Dr H K Bali and Dr Anil Grover — left the department. Following this, the staff-crunched department could not find a replacement even when interviews were to be held earlier this month.

GMCH-32

Debates ranging from recruitment rules, guidelines of the Medical Council of India (MCI) and others have been dominating the hospital which comes under the UT Administration.

Two names — Prof Raj Bahadur, PGI and Prof S Kashyap, IGMC, Shimla — were shortlisted by the administration to fill the vacant post of Director-Principal. But seven professors from the hospital then challenged the decision and moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) against the appointment of any of these two.

The professors have moved CAT on grounds that the appointment of the post by deputation is in violation of the rules.

First to approach CAT was Dr Harsh Mohan, GMCH’s Medical Superintendent and Head of Pathology Department. Following suit were Dr K K Gombar, Head of Anaesthesia Department, Dr A K Janmeja, Head of Pulmonary Medicine, Dr Arjun Dass, Head of ENT Department, Dr Sunandan Sood, Head of Ophthalmology, Dr Suman Kochhar, Head of Radio-Diagnosis Department and Dr B S Chavan, Head of Psychiatry Department.
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Chandigarh: Chandigarh Police today booked a resident of Sector 2 Panchkula, identified as Sanjay Bhardwaj, and some others on charges of defamation, criminal conspiracy and ‘disclosure of identity of the victim of certain offences’. Bhardwaj and others were booked after Chandigarh Police claimed to have conducted a thorough investigation and obtained opinion from its legal cell on the complaint lodged by a resident of Sector 10, Panchkula, against Bhardwaj and others. Bhardwaj is a Panchkula-based businessman.

The complainant had alleged that Bhardwaj and some other persons had prepared compact discs of his daughter and given them to a TV news channel. The content of the CDs was telecast on June 22 and 23, 2007. The complainant alleged that his daughter was kidnapped and raped by Sanjay Bhardwaj, for which the latter was even sent behind the bars a few years ago. He said that after his release Bhardwaj had got a case registered against him and his family members on charges of attempt to murder. The case is still under trial.

When asked, UT Senior Superintendent of Police, S S Srivastava said, “The complaint came to us and we had it thoroughly examined by our legal cell. The woman is a rape victim and revealing her identity is a criminal offence and punishable under the Indian Penal Code. An offence has been committed by the accused Sanjay Bhardwaj and the TV channel as well. As far as the channel which broadcasted the CDs revealing victim’s identity is concerned, we are still probing into its role. The case was registered and the investigation has been entrusted to the UT Police Crime Branch for further course of action.”

Inspector Satbir Singh, Incharge, Crime Branch, said, “The case was registered at Police Station-19. Investigation is transferred to Crime Branch and we shall initiate action according to the provisions of law.”
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SAS Nagar: A state-level valedictory function was held to commemorate the 54th national cooperative week. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was the chief guest at the function. He said that the center is not providing DAP fertilizers directly to the states. He said, “the Central Government has asked us to procure DAP directly from the companies in Mumbai. Earlier, DAP was supplied to the states by the center. Moreover, the Center is asking the states to procure DAP from companies located in foreign countries.”

Badal said that the position of food crops in the region was worsening every day. He said that the farmers must be encouraged to produce more foodstuffs. “70 per cent of the population residing in the villages are not able to afford two meals in a day. The Center boasts of providing facilities to the farmers, but the funds do not reach the grassroots,’ He said.

Badal said that the government plans to set up an ultra-modern “Cooperative Dairy Village” in each block equipped with high quality milch cattle, veterinary services and an excellent marketing network. He said that these dairy villages would be developed as role model to promote dairy farming.

The Chief Minister said that the quality of breed of cows and buffaloes should be considerably improved to enhance milk production in the state. He asked the state Animal Husbandry Department to tie up with Guru Angad Dev University of Veterinary Sciences and undertake extensive research in the field. Punjab Cooperation Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh emphasised the need to run milk plants on commercial lines to compete with the private players in the sector.

Source: ENS

Panchkula: One person died and another was seriously injured in an accident on the Pinjore-Surajpur highway here today. Naveen Chand (35) died on the spot while his cousin Baby Tiwari was admitted to Kalka civil hospital after sustaining serious injuries.

Naveen, a Chandigarh resident, had gone to Surajpur for a wedding. He was going with his cousin to Kalka for some work when his bike was hit from the side by a truck.

Source: TNS