Two Indo-Canadians nominated for NRI Sabha Punjab

TORONTO: Two Indo-Canadians have been nominated to the post of vice-president of NRI Sabha Punjab , a non-political organisation devoted to the cause of Non-Resident Indians. 

Rajinder Saini , a noted journalist from Torontoand Major Singh Sahota from Vancouver, were nominated as vice-presidents of the Sabha, a spokesperson of the organisation said. 

He said that Canadian representatives would help in resolving challenges faced by Indo-Canadians in their home country and educate them about the emerging business opportunities in the State.

VEHICLE THEFTS

Insurance surveyors party to crime 

Mohali, July 16
The notorious gang of interstate criminals busted recently by the Mohali police adopted more than one way of laying their hands on vehicles of their choice.
Apart from lifting and snatching cars, they used to connive with surveyors of insurance companies to procure damaged vehicles auctioned at throwaway prices, keeping the vehicle owners in the dark.
The interesting aspect of the modus operandi of the gang has been revealed by a Kurali-based lawyer, Chander Shekhar Bawa, whose Mahindra Bolero (PB 65 J 6726) was sold in an auction by a surveyor while keeping him in the dark. Though the vehicle was repairable, the surveyor had pressed upon its owner to dispose it of as it had been totalled.
“I was told by the surveyor that I would be given Rs 4.20 lakh, including Rs 1.70-lakh claim, by the insurance company. However, I never got the money,” he claimed.
On probing the matter, he found that the vehicle had been auctioned for Rs 2.50 lakh to a member of the gang. However, he was kept in the dark about the auction. He has now filed a complaint with the police in this regard.
This has prompted the police to probe the role of a key member of the gang, Chetan Bakshi, who is believed to have been in close contact with officials of insurance companies. Mohali SSP GPS Bhullar said all angles were being probed.
Bakshi had slipped from the hands of the police after it had recovered around 25 stolen vehicles. The police had also zeroed in on two persons who specialised in the job of embossing engine and chassis numbers on vehicles and were doing the job for the gang at a price.

Immigration firm owner held for fraud

Chandigarh, July 16
The police has arrested Anu Bhattacharya, director of immigration company ACME Career World Pvt Ltd, Sector 34, in a case of fraud. The accused had allegedly duped nine persons of Rs 81 lakh on the pretext of sending them to Canada.

The victims belonged to different states and were cheated by the accused on false promises. The complainants, including Gurjeet Singh of Pilibhit district in UP, had approached Bhattacharya through an advertisement and paid Rs 9 lakh each in November, 2010. The accused had provided a Canadian visa to Gurjeet, but it was later found to be fake, the police said.

The police sources said the director was arrested following Gurjeet’s complaint and those of eight others who were duped in a similar fashion. The accused had shut down his office in Sector 34 and was arrested through tower location of his cell phone from Zirakpur.

The police said there were three more accused in the case and all were at large.

RTI Act & Jammu and Kashmir

The RTI Act was not applicable in Jammu and Kashmir

Nirupama named US Ambassador

New Delhi, July 16
Just three days before India and US hold their second strategic dialogue, the government today formally announced the appointment of soon-to-retire Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao as its next ambassador to the US. Rao retires on July 31 following a two-year tenure. She will be a key member of the Indian team when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives here for the dialogue.
The External Affairs Ministry formally announced Rao’s appointment as the next envoy to Washington. Rao will succeed Meera Shankar to become India's second woman ambassador to the US. Rao has been ambassador to China and Sri Lanka. She was the second woman to head the Indian Foreign Service after Chokila Iyer. The new Foreign Secretary will be Ranjan Mathai.