Derailment passengers seek to launch class-action lawsuit

A law office that successfully led a class-action lawsuit against Via Rail and CN after a 1999 derailment has been contacted by injured passengers from Sunday's deadly train crash near Burlington, Ont.
Sutts, Strosberg LLP will likely move forward on a multi-million dollar class-action lawsuit later this week, said Windsor, Ont., lawyer Sharon Strosberg.
"We're inclined to start a class proceeding on behalf of all the individuals who were on that train, and we have a lot of experience in that area," Strosberg said.
"We think it's a very good case that has some merit and we would be privileged to start it."
Via Rail train 92 derailed on a straight track in good weather Sunday afternoon near Burlington, a community about 60 kilometres southwest of Toronto. Three Via Rail employees — two senior locomotive engineers and a trainee — were killed when the locomotive and five cars jumped the tracks as the train switched from one track to another — what should have been a normal procedure akin to changing lanes.
A total of 45 passengers were taken to hospital, where eight remained on Monday afternoon. The three most seriously injured suffered a broken leg, a back injury and a heart attack.
Typically, Strosberg said, people in class-action lawsuits are compensated based on any inconvenience or injuries sustained.
"Of course, the more serious the injury, people would be compensated for that."
She encouraged any passengers on board to contact Sutts, Strosberg LLP in Windsor or Falconer Charney LLP in Toronto.
Sutts, Strosberg LLP reached a settlement with Via Rail and CN in 2002 over a class-action suit after a Via Rail train derailed in Thamesville, Ont., in 1999. Seventy-seven of the 186 passengers and crew on board were treated in hospital.
Two crew members died. CN and Via Rail agreed to settle and to pay damages.

Face of the week

Mementos of joy 

Dehradun, February 25
Moulding metals to embellish someone’s victory or achievements in academics, sports and gallantry endeavours provides satisfaction to Kabal Singh.
“It gives immense pleasure to me when badges, medals and trophies made by us adorn the glory of defence personnel and students. The smiles on the faces of recipients of our mementos gives me satisfaction,” asserted Kabal Singh.
Singh is a Dehradun-based metal artist who runs a workshop of making trophies, medals, mementos, Army and defence badges for more than 25 years. He supplies them to all the major government organisations all over India. “We manufacture metal engravings, mementos, trophies, medals, badges, swords and name plates, which are supplied to all governmental and non-governmental organisations, including Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and many more,” he said.
“My work is appreciated by my clientele and, hence, which awards me with regular demand throughout the year,” he added.
Having been inspired by his father in metal work, Kabal believed: “My childhood had great impact of my father who worked for Soil Conservation Department and made rain gauge equipments from metals. My first order of metal goods by a government department gave me a profit of about Rs 30,000 that boosted my morale.”
Due to the family pressure and some domestic circumstances, Kabal could not pursue higher education. “The circumstances at that time compelled me to enter into the profession of metal crafting and prevented me to pursue higher education after completing intermediate. But I am happy that my two sons are helping me in my business as well as pursuing graduation,” he said.
 

वाहनों से संभव हुई मानसरोवर तक यात्रा

वाहनों से संभव हुई मानसरोवर तक यात्रा

WWICS bank accounts sealed

Chandigarh - The World Wide Immigration and Consultancy Services (WWICS) here faced another setback as the special investigation team (SIT) sealed six of its bank accounts, including two in Axis Bank, Mohali, two in ICICI Bank and one each in HDFC Bank and Yes Bank.
The company had reportedly informed the police only about one account, while the remaining five were detected during the investigation. What, may, however perturb the owners more is the fact that after grilling the staff officials, the SIT will now probe the role of VIP independent directors attached with the firm.
According to the company website, celebrated names were linked with the firm. These included Joginder Singh, former Director, CBI, Lt-Gen (retd) Bakshi Krishan Nath Chhibber, former Governor, Punjab, Kuljit S Sidhu, former Principal Secretary, Maharashtra, AS Chatha, former Chief Secretary, Punjab, KN Pathak, former Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, and Purshottam Lal, former DG, Punjab Police.
While company officials claim them to be honorary members, primarily as advisors, the police shall probe this claim.
“What has a former VC, a renowned scientist, got to say in immigration issues? We will be seeing the terms of associations of these luminaries with the company and will also try to find how were these big names used to lure clients,” revealed a source.
The company’s official spokesperson said they had alredy joined the investigation and been cooperating since day 1.
“All queries have been duly taken up and further ones will be dealt with accordingly. We have nothing to say about our independent directors till any information is sought by the police,” said the official.
The company has requested the police to reopen the sealed accounts to ensure that clients and vendors with already issued cheques do not suffer. The SIT has, meanwhile, recived over 10 complaints against the company which are under investigation now.

Violation of Pollution Control Norms

Balbir Singh Seechewal for legal action against erring industries 

 Patiala, February 27
Taking cognisance of the news report on violation of the pollution control norms by industries in the state, the Rajya Sabha MP and national in-charge of the BJP Human Rights Cell, Avinash Rai Khanna, has shot off a letter to Justice (retd) Jagdish Bhalla, chairman of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC).
In the letter, Khanna has stated that the report on pollution in Punjab, appeared in The Tribune, clearly indicates human rights violations on account of no action pertaining to this crucial matter by the concerned authorities. "Please take cognisance of this and take action in accordance with the law", he said.
Coming down heavily on the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), renowned environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal said that board was going "too soft" on the violators of the pollution control norms.
Speaking from Philippines on telephone, he said, "The PPCB has never taken legal recourse against the industries found flouting prescribed norms. When there is a provision for imprisonment for those found guilty of committing violations pertaining to the water and air pollution norms, why every time the board let the erring industries go by issuing warnings or taking bank guarantee."
Seechewal further said, "It is really unfortunate that people are dying in the state on account of polluted underground water, but the PPCB seems to be least bothered to make sure that all the industries strictly adhere to the prescribed norms."
Padma Shri Baba Sewa Singh, who is also a noted environmentalist, has said that authorities of all the concerned departments must create awareness among the masses to ensure that polluting the environment would only lead to serious health ailments besides disturbing the ecological balance.
Sewa Singh further said, "All the industries must ensure compliance of the rules in the larger interests of the masses. It is high time that everyone should realise that with consumption of unfit water, anyone can fall prey to serious disease like cancer."
Meanwhile, RTI activist Jatinder Jain has said that Arnetu village, situated near the Ghaggar in the Patran sub-division of Patiala district, is an example of how pollution can play havoc with human lives.

The second coming of Sandeep Singh

New Delhi, February 27
Sandeep Singh can bring a dead match alive when he takes his position to slam a penalty corner. His drag-flicks have become a virtual patent and a sure shot to success, something fans eagerly look forward to.
He did that many times over against France in the Olympic Qualifying Men’s Hockey Tournament at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium here, propelling India into the London Olympics, after missing the Olympic bus to Beijing four years ago. He contributed five goals in India’s 8-1 win; all through penalty corner conversions.
There was a huge vacuum in this department after Jugraj Singh met with a crippling road accident a few years ago. Jugraj was a match-winner, and he had great potential, but the messy car crash in Punjab cut short his international career. But Jugraj kept himself abreast with the game by playing it as best as he could, at the local and national levels. And now, his experience has come in handy to chisel the drag-flicks of Sandeep Singh, as India have at last found a hit-man, who can deliver goals with unerring accuracy.
But in his hour of triumph, Sandeep did not forget to remember chief coach Michael Nobbs, who has brought qualitative change in India’s fortune, and in coaching methods. “Nobbs is the best coach I have worked with. He absorbs the pressure on himself, instead of putting the players under pressure. Nobbs ensures that the dressing room atmosphere is relaxed and stress free”, Sandeep said. And the match against France was “one of the best I have ever played”. Sandeep did not forget Jugraj’s contribution in improving his game, but Nobbs’ strategic thinking of “attack is the best defence”, has hugely paid off as the ploy mostly protected the suspect defence from caving in.
India won all the six matches in the Olympic Qualifiers with conviction and courage, barring the one against Canada (3-2). That was a close call, but once again, Sandeep rose to the occasion to apply the knockout punch on the visitors.
Sandeep has a neat, clean style of hitting penalty corners, with quick-silver reflexes, without much flourish. And invariably, his drag-flicks and scoops strike bang on target, giving no room or time for the rival defence and keeper to react. Sandeep had a success rate of 80 per cent with penalty corners, to tote up 16 goals out of India’s total tally of 44 goals, to emerge as the biggest scorer of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. His doughty display at the defence also played a big role in India conceding just nine goals in six matches.
But he alone could not have performed such miracles without the hard work put in by Sardar Singh in the mid-field. Sardar was a roving play-maker, who created moves, moved up to attack, and fell back to defend, as the occasion demanded. The vice-captain’s presence in the field was omnipresent, and it was just as well that he led the team to victory in the title clash against France, when regular captain Bharat Kumar Chetri was rested.
In one sweep action, Sardar sends the ball screeching towards to the top of the circle, where Sandeep quickly does the final kill. The entire operation is completed in one full sequence, instead of breaking it into parts.
Sandeep has had to battle many odds to come this far, as in 2006 when he got shot accidentally on his back in a train near Ambala, this boy from Shahabhad never thought that he would hold a hockey stick again. But after battling for two years, he got back on his feat, and into the hockey field. But then, he faced another kind of trial - problems with the hockey administrators on ground of discipline. He escaped a two-year ban for walking out of the national camp to attend a press conference held by the World Series Hockey only after he gave a written reply to Hockey India.

• Sandeep scored 16 out of India’s 44 goals in the Olympic qualifiers
• Has an 80% successful conversion rate from penalty corners
• Had missed out the qualifying tournament in 2008
• Was accidentally shot in his back in 2006.