Consumer court slaps Rs 10,000 fine on SBI

Chandigarh, October 28
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on the State Bank of India for mental agony and harassment suffered by former DGP Punjab Dr AA Siddiqui.
District forum comprising PD Goel and members Rajinder Singh Gill and Madanjit Kaur Sahota observed that undisputedly the opposite party has redressed the grievances of the complainant after filing of the complaint, therefore, the complainant is certainly entitled for compensation for mental agony.
The complainant averred that he had availed the services of the bank through primary credit card and duly paid the amount through cheque drawn on the SBI after the opposite party dispatched the bill for the services in May 2010. He said he was shocked to find the monthly statement, wherein the amount of Rs 5764.32 was reflected. He informed the bank about the irregularity and the primary Credit Card which was cut into half and returned the said card to the bank.
The bank also charged some financial charges and late fee of Rs.350. He tendered an amount of Rs 9934.85, which was debited, from his account on June 30, 2010. He said even though amount of Rs 5765 stood debited from his account he received a letter from the bank about the outstanding amount.
The counsel for the SBI admitted that cheque amount was debited from complainant’s account on May 26, 2010 but due to unavailability of correct card number, it was in suspense account.
It was pleaded that amounts due were not paid to the bank by the due and payable date and hence overdue and late payment charges were payable.
It has been further stated that opposite party has given the benefit as per one time settlement and the amounts as demanded have been reversed. The grievance of the complainant has been redressed as the credit card account of the complainant has already been zeroised and the requisite no due certificate has already been issued. The account of the complainant has already been closed as settled.

LAYING OF RISHIKESH-KARNPRAYAG RLY TRACK

Nod to project a historic initiative of Centre: MP

Satpal Maharaj, Lok Sabha MP from Pauri Garhwal, addresses a press conference in Dehradun on Thursday.

Dehradun, October 27

Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence Affairs and Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj said today that the nod to the laying of the Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway track was a historic initiative of the Central Government.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi would lay the foundation stone of the Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway track on November 5.
Addressing a press conference at the state Congress headquarters here, he recalled that Sonia Gandhi had always maintained a close relationship with Uttarakhand, particularly Garhwal. He said after the coming up of the railway track, the state would head towards unprecedented development.
He said various projects like the start of Ramnagar-Haridwar Link Express, the setting up of computerised reservation centres in Kedarnath, Gwaldam and Karanprayag were in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, he accused the state government of adopting a negative attitude towards development schemes. 

Want to Learn driving? Check out the school

Chandigarh, October 29
Planning to learn driving from a driving school? Ensure that the driving school has a qualified instructor and a classroom for theory classes.
While there are a number of driving schools operating across the city, only 20 are registered with the State Transport Authority (STA) and have a valid licence to teach driving.
One can find a driving school in every corner of the city, but how many of these have the licence is yet to be found by the STA.
To run a driving school, there is a need to obtain a licence from the STA after completing various requirements, one of which is to have a classroom with a qualified instructor.
The instructor should have a diploma or a degree in mechanical engineering or a diploma in motor mechanics. These rules are hardly followed, with operators running from parking lots and markets.
According to rules, one needs to pay Rs 500 as licence fee every year to register a driving school and Rs 1,000 for pollution check.
Vehicles used by driving schools need to have controls on the left side as well. Before enrolling a student, the driving school should ensure that the applicant has a learner’s licence.
STA secretary Mahavir Kaushik has said they will hold special checks to ensure that driving schools operating across the city have a valid licence.
“We regularly penalise schools running without STA permission and ensure that the rules are being followed,” he has stated.
Official sources say the STA is also preparing a list of driving schools with licence and those being run without permission.

Conditions that are a must

• Classroom with instructor having diploma or degree in mechanical engineering or diploma in motor mechanics
• Valid licence from State Transport Authority
• Vehicle used should have controls on the left side as well
• Boards on vehicle displaying ‘L’ clearly so that other commuters are aware that the driver in under training

3 cops get 5-yr jail for misbehaving with warrant officer

Abohar, October 29
A district court has sentenced ASI Sohan Lal Tanwar, former in charge of the Seetogunno police post in this sub-division, head constable Balwinder Singh and home guard Darshan Singh to five-year imprisonment for misbehaving with Punjab and Haryana High Court Warrant Officer Gyaninder Ahlawat on January 25 last year.
The cops were accused of keeping the Warrant Officer in illegal detention and restraining him from performing his duty.
The Seetogunno police had allegedly picked up some followers of a dera run by Swami Brahm Chaitanya of Chak Radheywala village during investigation of a complaint. The villagers were divided over the status of the dera. One faction wanted the police to get it shut while others defended the chief asserting that some vested interests were conspiring to implicate him in false cases.
A follower of the dera chief had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging that some followers had been kept in illegal custody at the Seetogunno police post. The HC on January 25 dispatched Warrant Officer Gyaninder Ahlawat to investigate.
According to the complaint, he, along with Devi Lal - complainant from Dhaani Nayianwali - and car driver Ram Phal, reached the police post early in the morning and spotted the detainees there.
The Warrant Officer alleged that he and the duo accompanying him was detained by the police till 8.30 pm and humiliated. He was forced to sign a statement that no one was found in illegal custody there.
After high drama, the Sadar police finally arrested the accused cops under Sections 342, 353, 460, 467, 468, 471, 506 and 186 of the IPC on January 26, 2010.

Nankana Sahib jatha’s departure postponed

Amritsar, October 29
The jatha of Sikh pilgrims that will be going to Nankana Sahib to celebrate 542nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev will now leave for Pakistan on November 8 instead of November 5 as announced earlier.
In a statement released here, SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh said the jatha would leave Amritsar on November 8 and reach Nankana Sahib the same day.
The jatha will also visit Gurdwara Sacha Sauda on November 9, Gurdwara Panja Sahib on November 11, Gurdwara Dehra Sahib in Lahore on November 13, Gurdwara Rori Sahib on November 15 before returning on November 17.

Bobby Jindal’s kin refuse to celebrate his win as‘promise’ to visit Malerkotla not kept

Malerkotla, October 23
Though Louisiana's Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal secured a landslide win pipping nine contestants to get re-elected for a second four-year term, his victory failed to impress anybody at his native place in Malerkotla.
After the news of the second consecutive win spread here, no special happiness could be seen among Bobby Jindal’s relatives. They said they hardly had anything to celebrate as neither had Bobby ever visited Malerkotla, nor had he made any phone call to them in the past.
Bobby Jindal's father Amar Chand Jindal had migrated to America in 1972, just a few months before his son was born. Bobby’s mother Raj Rani had been sent by the Indian government for higher studies to the US. While Amar Chand decided to settle in the US, his brothers stayed back here. They rue that the Louisiana Governor had never even tried to contact them, a reason they today “decided not to hold any kind of celebration over his latest victory”.
Vijay Luxmi, real aunt of Bobby Jindal, claimed he had failed to keep his promise of visiting Malerkotla that he made after his first victory as Governor. “Later, he even stopped attending our calls,” she said. While the Jindal family originally hailed from Khanpur village near here, almost all his close relatives shifted to Malerkotla over the years.
When Bobby Jindal’s cousins Bhagwant and Narinder weer contacted at their house, they refused to talk to mediapersons. Notably, a wave of joy had swept the town when the news of the election of Bobby Jindal reached here in 2004. Sweets were distributed by his relatives at their houses then.

Healthyway’s Sec-42 basement sealed

Chandigarh, October 28
Trouble for Healthyway Immigration Consultancy does not seem to end. After being shut for duping clients in the region on fake promises of easy immigration overseas, the estate office sealed the basement of the company’s Sector-42 office today for misuse as a pantry was being run there.

Ravinder Sharma, chief inspector, misuse and enforcement, said the estate office had issued several notices to the company, asking them to shut the pantry, but it failed to do so.

Officials further said the basement also had furniture, along with tables and chairs in a row, like a makeshift office. As per rules, running a pantry or an office in the basement of the building was illegal, the officials said.

The UT police had earlier sealed the company’s office following several cases against owner Amit Kakkar for allegedly providing fake documents for visa in lieu of money. All cases were presently under investigation.

Indian Formula One's Indian Grand Prix: Vettel wins pole position in India's debut F1

Record crowds expected to watch the world’s fastest motor sports in Noida

New Delhi, October 29

You would never have heard anything like it. The scream of a Formula One car isn’t a sound you will forget in a hurry. Stripped down to bare essentials, with a brute of an engine hammering away horse power beyond the comprehension of a normal person, an F-1 car idles at RPMs that you would struggle to get out of your daily ride, while trying to outdo each other on the mad roads of Delhi.

This noise and the roars that go with the Formula One extravaganza are set to explode on the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida tomorrow, as India becomes the newest venue for the mother of all motor sports.

There will be noise, there will be the roar of the crowd and there will be music, with Lady Gaga adding to the kaleidoscope of sounds and colours. That show has become even more important now, thanks to the Metallica fiasco in Gurgaon on Friday.

But for some, it’s business as usual. World champion Sebastian Vettel did what he does best - beat the opposition as he clocked his 13th F-1 pole position this season with a time of one minute, 24.178 seconds - giving his team, Red Bull, a record 16 pole positions in the season.

But not all is good for the drivers. Lewis Hamilton, not so long ago the blue-eyed boy of F-1, finished second behind Vettel but has had a three-place penalty slapped on him, while the local favourite Narain Karthikeyan has a five-place penalty, which pits him in 23rd position.

Karthikeyan was penalised for not letting Michael Schumacher pass during the qualification races. Given the fact that the Indian is driving for HRT, which has the slowest cars in the line-up, it would serve Karthikeyan well just to finish the race.

He wasn’t the only one to come to grief, though the fast BIC track will surely challenge even the top drivers, especially with the unstoppable dust and the haze making things just a shade more trying.

But all things considered, the anticipated packed house is in for the time of their lives. This is surely going to be one for the racing fanatics, as also for those curious souls who have paid fairly hefty amounts to be at the BIC when the chequered flag goes down at 3 p.m. For them, life will never be the same again. Neither will their eardrums.

Obama lights Diwali Diya at the White House

Washington: US President Barack Obama celebrated Diwali at the White House complex by lighting the traditional diya and hosting a reception for eminent Indian Americans and officials in his Administration. "Diwali is a special holiday for millions across the country", Obama said in his address to the gathering of Hindu Americans here Friday night.

"Michelle and I greatly enjoy the occasion and the celebration in India last year," Obama said recollecting the dancing of the First Lady at the Diwali festival in Mumbai last year, which he too joined.

"Diwali is the time to celebrate victory of light over darkness, hope over despair. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists consider the day sacred. The message of this day is truly universal," Obama said at the event that was closed for the press.
Among those present on the occasion were the Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao; Neera Tandaon, the new president of the Center for American Progress, eminent Hindu American Anju Bhargava, USAID Administrator Raj Shah, the US Ambassador to Belize Vinai Thummalapally, Hindu chaplain Pratima Dhar and a Sikh delegation from the Golden Temple.

In his remarks, Obama acknowledged the contributions of the Indian American community in every field of the country from New York Taxi drivers to the teenager, who won the Google science fair this year.
Two years ago Obama became the first US President to celebrated Diwali at the White House.

On that day, he established the President's Advisory Committee on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, which is headed by Kiran Ahuja, who according to the President is doing an outstanding work.

Miami Police Officer Arrested for Speeding

  Trooper pulled Miami officer over for going in excess of 120 mph.

Real-Life 'Slumdog Millionaire' First to Win Big

Sushil Kumar, 26, grew up in one of the poorest states in India. His family was so impoverished that they couldn’t even afford a television set. But today he is a millionaire and television superstar, the first contestant to win $1 million on the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.”

With the roar of audience applause in the background, tears streamed down Kumar’s face as Indian superstar and host of “Kaun Banega Crorepati,”Amitabh Bachchan, handed him and his wife of five months a check Saturday for 50 million rupees, the equivalent of a little more than $1 million, after he answered all the show’s questions correctly. The moments after his win were captured by Indian news-station NDTV.

Kumar is a tutor and government clerk who lives in a home with his wife, mother and five brothers in the small town of Motihari, in the state of Bihar. Before appearing on the show, he made the equivalent of $120 a month. Growing up, he was a voracious reader and very precocious, tutoring other students to enhance his own mind. When current neighbors saw how he would answer question after question, they persuaded him to try out for the show.

He took the preliminary test in July and received a call Oct. 16 that he would be on the show. He flew to Mumbai three days later for the Saturday taping. It was his first time on a plane and his first visit to a big city.

His rags-to-riches story echoes the plot of the 2008 Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire.”

“I never thought in my wildest dreams that I could do this,” Kumar told BBC News.

Host Bachchan said, “You have created history. Your grit and determination has made you come so far in this show.”

Perhaps because Kumar came from such modest beginnings, his plans for the money are simple as well. As the Associated Press reports, he will buy a bigger home for his family, give his brother some cash to start a small business and will use some of the money to pay for a course to prepare him to take India’s civil service exam, which could provide him a secure job.

And just as he was a child who dreamed of access to books to fuel his fervid desire for knowledge, he plans to build a library in Motihari so other children have access to the books and resources he never had.

Latest Steve Jobs mystery revealed: how he drove without license plates

The multitude of mysteries revealed following the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' death now includes one that puzzled car enthusiasts for years: How did Jobs get away with driving without a license plate? It was common knowledge that Jobs would park hisMercedes SL55 AMG in a handicapped spot at Apple's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, with nothing to identify his vehicle other than the tiny barcode that usually rests behind the rear license plate. According to Walter Isaacson's new biography, Jobs wanted to avoid having a plate for privacy reasons; and yet when having a license-less silver Mercedes became a kind of trademark, Jobs kept motoring without one "because I don't."

For years, rumors swirled that Jobs had either won a special dispensation from California authorities or was just daring police to stop him. While the why remains somewhat cloudy, an interview byITWire with a former Apple security executive reveals the real reason: a little-known loophole in California vehicle laws that gives owners up to six months to get plates for their vehicles.

According to Jon Callas, now chief technical officer of Entrust, Jobs would arrange with his vehicle leasing company to switch out his silver Mercedes every six months with a new, identical model — just another of the complicated and expensive ways Jobs thought differently.

New Delhi-Ludhiana Shatabdi Express via Sangrur to be introduced on Nov 4

NEW DELHI: Railways will introduce a Shatabdi Express between New Delhi and Ludhiana on November 4, with its inaugural run to be flagged off by Congress leader Manish Tiwari.

Tiwari, an MP from Ludhiana, will flag off the train from there, said a Northern Railway official.

The train will depart from Ludhiana daily at 4.40pm and reach New Delhi at 10.05pm the same day.

In the return direction, it will depart from New Delhi at 7.00am to reach Ludhiana at 12.20pm, stopping at Rohtak and Sangrur stations in both the directions.

The introduction of the train had been announced in the Railway Budget this year.


Northern Railway senior divisional commercial manager MM Singh said the fact that the Ludhiana-New Delhi Shatabdi express had found a mention in the new timetable itself was an indication the train would begin running very soon. "At the most, it shouldn’t take more than a month or so. But we will give out the exact timeframe for the new train as and when it’s announced by Indian Railways’ headquarters in New Delhi”, he added.

According to information available till now, the new 12037/12038 Shatabdi express will run via Sangrur and Rohtak (which will be commercial stoppages as well) instead of the traditional Ambala-Panipat-Karnal route. The down train will leave Ludhiana at 4:40 pm to arrive in New Delhi at 10:05 pm while on the return journey it will leave New Delhi at 7:00 am and arrive in Ludhiana at 12:20 pm.

Schedule

The down train will leave Ludhiana at 4:40 pm to arrive in New Delhi at 10:05 pm while on the return journey it will leave New Delhi at 7 am and arrive in Ludhiana at 12:20 pm.
Delhi Metro Airport Express Train Timing,
Click below for Train Schedule (Frequency 12-15 minutes) w.e.f. 17th October 2011
http://www.delhiairportexpress.com/passenger-guide/pdf/Train_schedule_w.e.f_17th_October_2011.pdf

Constable booked for cheating

Patiala, October 28
The Patiala police has registered a case of cheating against Darshan Singh, a constable with the Indian Reserve Battalion band staff, who allegedly used fake certificates to procure his job.

A case under Sections 420 and 465 of the IPC has been registered against the accused policeman following a inquiry conducted by SP, Crime, Patiala.

According to the FIR, the accuse1d, employed with the band staff, had used fake educational certificates to get employment. After a formal complaint was made, a police inquiry proved that he was guilty of forging documents. “We are yet to arrest the accused,” said the police.

Amritsar to join Green Pilgrim Cities Network

Chandigarh, October 28
Amritsar will formally join the Green Pilgrim Cities Network, the first global network aimed at greening pilgrimage to be launched in Assisi, Italy, from October 31 to November 2. The event is organised by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) in association with WWF and it will be chaired by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth’s husband.

The network will help the faiths make their holy cities and sacred sites as environmentally sustainable as possible according to their own theologies and understanding.

Ten faith traditions have nominated pilgrim cities or sacred sites to become founding members of the Green Pilgrimage Network, ranging as far as Louguan in the People’s Republic of China for Daoists to St Albans in the UK for Anglicans and Amritsar for the Sikhs. The city authorities of Jerusalem, a major pilgrimage destination for three faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, will join the network to green the city for all pilgrims. In addition, Dwarka is also joining from India.

Washington-based EcoSikh has coordinated the Sikh participation in the upcoming summit and has worked with the SGPC and the Punjab government to make a commitment to make Amritsar an environment-friendly city.

The initiative was started when Bandana Kaur from EcoSikh and Victoria Finlay from ARC, the two organisations working with the Sikh community on environmental issues, met city officials in Amritsar to discuss the plans. With the strong relationship between Sikh teachings and the environment, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and Punjab Pollution Control Board chairman Kahn Singh Pannu readily agreed that Amritsar would be a great addition to the Green Pilgrim Cities Network.

At Assisi, Pannu along with Dalmegh Singh, secretary, SGPC, will announce the Sikh commitment. Pannu said, “This is major step to bring together faith and environment in a concrete manner. I am very excited to be part of this initiative”.

Dalmegh Singh said, “The SGPC has taken major steps to make environment as an important agenda in its operation and is committed to make the city of Guru Ram Dass a place of inspiration for nature preservation”.

Dr Rajwant Singh, president, EcoSikh, said, “This is a great opportunity for Sikhs to show to the world that we are committed to save earth and this will start with our concerted action in Amritsar. The idea is to improve environmental practices through eco-friendly planning, and at the heart is the hope that devotees will be encouraged to be respectful to the nature throughout their pilgrimage by minimising waste”. 

The aim: The network will help people of various religions make their holy cities and sacred sites as environmentally sustainable as possible according to their own theologies and understanding

The initiative: Washington-based EcoSikh has coordinated the Sikh participation in the upcoming summit and has worked with the SGPC and the Punjab Government to make a commitment to make Amritsar an environment-friendly city

Faridkot honour killing: Death sentence for 4 of girl’s family

Faridkot, October 28
The court of the Faridkot District and Sessions Judge today awarded death penalty to four persons accused in a case of honour killing in September 2009.

The court found Gurmukh Singh, Gurnaib Singh, Resham Singh and Kulbir Sharma, the cousins and uncle of Manpreet Kaur of Bhagthala Kalan village adjoining Faridkot, guilty of killing Gurpreet Singh after he married Manpreet against her family members’ wishes.

Gurpreet Singh (25), had eloped with Manpreet Kaur and they got married in November 2008. For the next 11 months, the couple stayed at different places to escape the wrath of the latter’s family members, Gurpreet’s brother Kuldeep Singh said.

After some time, on assuming that Manpreet’s family had reconciled to the marriage, the couple returned to Faridkot and started living in Guru Nanak Colony.

On the evening of September 20, 2009, when Gurpreet, his brother Kuldeep and a cousin were riding back on their motorcycles from the Baba Farid Mela, Gurpreet was waylaid by four persons in a car. The accused allegedly attacked Gurpreet with sharp-edged weapons, a hockey stick and a double-barrel gun and killed him after chasing him in the colony.

The Faridkot Police had booked the four for murder on the complaint of Kuldeep Singh, Gurpreet’s brother.

Pronouncing the death sentence, judge Fateh Deep Singh cited a Supreme Court observation that death penalty should be the punishment for honour killing.

In a dramatic twist during the trial, Manpreet Kaur sought to give a clean chit to the accused, saying the murder of her husband was not an honour killing crime. In her testimony, she claimed that her family had accepted their marriage after some time and even gave her dowry. However, on the basis of the testimony of the prime witness in the case, the court held the four guilty of the honour killing.