17022025-CT-01.qxd 2/17/2025 12:22 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune PB KINGS TO PLAY FOUR MATCHES IN MULLANPUR PARAS STARS IN WARRIORS’ VICTORY OVER MAVERICKS KANIKA KAPOOR BACK WITH GORI HAI KALAIYAN 2.0 IPL managing committee approves four important matches of Punjab Kings at Mullanpur stadium. P3 Wild Woods Warriors record a 28-run victory over Manohar Mavericks in T20 tournament. P3 Kanika calls Gori Hai Kalaiyan 2.0 a vibrant reinterpretation of a beloved number. P4 » » CHANDIGARH Silk n Wool Expo: Kisan Bhawan, Sector 35, on till February 18 Nrityaanjali: Three-day CSNA Classical Dance Festival, Rani Laxmi Bai Bhawan Auditorium, Sector 38-C, from February 21 to 23, 6:30 pm APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 and 45, and Maloya Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Mohali: Phase V Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF DHANKHAR IN MOHALI TODAY Mohali: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar will inaugurate the Advanced Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme on “Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals and their safety” at BRIC-National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute in Mohali on Monday. He will interact with the faculty and students of IISER in the afternoon. TNS 3 held with heroin Chandigarh, February 16 Three drug peddlers have been arrested with 58.37 gram heroin. The suspects, identified as Ahmad Pal Singh (39) of Mullanpur, Satnam Singh (42) and Baljit Singh (37), both residents of Tarn Taran, were nabbed while they were travelling in a car at a checkpoint near the Community Centre, Dhanas. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered at Sarangpur station. — TNS /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Liquor counter at venue adds to buzz IResidents in vicinity suffer traffic, parking woes Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 16 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for a deep introspection within the legal system after pointing at its failure in delivering justice to an accident victim for more than two decades. The court awarded Rs 1.31 crore as compensation to the victim. Taking up the case where an injured was deprived of rightful compensation for more than 24 years, Justice Sanjay Vashisth asserted that such delays defeated the very purpose of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. He observed that responsibility for such prolonged delay could not be pinned on any single entity but lay within the larger framework of justice delivery. The judicial system, the Bench noted, was required to engage in selfassessment and equip itself to ensure early decisions, particularly in cases involving sensitive subject matter. Brain-dead son of soldier gives lease of life to 6 Tribune News Service Akashdeep Virk Tribune News Service Panchkula, February 16 Arijit Singh captivated fans with his hit songs such as “Tum Hi Ho”, “Channa Mereya” and “Kesariya” during his live concert at the Shalimar Ground in Sector 5 here today. Thousands of his fans gathered at the venue to see their favourite singer perform live. The event was part of Arijit’s multi-city India tour. Over 10,000 tickets were sold. A liquor counter was set up at the venue, which saw a steady rush. Though security personnel were deployed there, managing the massive turnout remained a challenge for them. Fans sang along and cheered through the evening, making for a charged atmosphere. Some struggled with long queues at the entrances and parking woes. However, the energy inside the venue remained high as the singer’s voice echoed through the jampacked ground. Residents living in the vicinity faced inconvenience due to road closures and diversions put in place for the concert. They had to take long detours to reach home. Residents, who planned to The audience at the Shalimar Ground in Panchkula. Civil suit filed against organisers, police Arijit Singh performs at Sector 5 in Panchkula on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: VICKY visit to markets in Sector 8 and 9, which are located near the venue, were held up in snarl-ups. “The roads were blocked. I had to take a much longer route to reach home, which usually takes just five min- utes,” said Rahul Mehta, a resident of Sector 9. Another local resident, Neha Sharma, said, “It was chaotic. People parked their vehicles outside our houses, making it difficult to even step out.” Paid ~80 lakh to Haryana-based agent, claim kin of US deportees Couple from Mohali village entered US from Mexico border Tribune News Service Mohali, February 16 A couple from Jaulan Khurd village, who reached here after being deported from the US, had paid Rs 80 lakh to a Haryana-based immigration agent, members of their family claimed. Gurpreet Singh and his wife Amanpreet Kaur, both aged around 25, were among the 67 Punjab deportees who arrived at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar by a special flight on Saturday night. Gurpreet has done bachelors in agriculture, while Amanpreet is a Class XII pass-out. Gurpreet’s father, a Punjab Police ASI posted in Mohali, said the couple had last called him on February 5 when they entered the US territory from Mexico. The couple first left for Dubai around nine months ago. “We have suffered a great financial loss. We appeal to the government to compen- sate for our loss to some extent. Action must be taken against immigration agents who dupe people of their hard-earned money,” said Gurpreet’s father. A native of Khera village in Sialba Majri block, Taranveer Singh. today reached home but remained confined to his room. Rupnagar deportee Harsimranjeet Singh’s family had gone to pick him up from Amritsar but they left for an undisclosed destination from there. 20 years on, HC awards ~1.31 crore compensation to accident victim Saurabh Malik MAX 26°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 22.3°C | MIN 10.4°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 7.01 AM Arijit Singh mesmerises audience WHAT’S ON MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET MONDAY 6.12 PM » MONDAY | 17 FEBRUARY 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Calls for introspection over justice delay “This case is a locus classicus wherein the injured-victim has been deprived of just compensation for more than two decades – a total of more than 24 years, awarding of which is the primary objective of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Unfortunately, responsibility for such a delay cannot be fixed on anyone except our system, which requires introspection and self-assessment, to equip itself for making an early decision, especially in the cases which involve painful or sensitive subject matter,” Justice Vashisth asserted. The accident, which took place on June 18, 2000, left a 16-year-old student with lifealtering injuries. His left leg had to be amputated. The Bench noted that the victim was on a cycle from “Chandigarh to Dadu Majra” with a friend when a truck coming on the wrong side hit them near the CTU workshop. Justice Vashisth observed that the victim had endured immense physical, emotional and financial suffering due to the prolonged legal battle attributed to systemic inefficiencies. Now in his 40s, the victim underwent multiple surgeries and was living with permanent disabilities. His ability to lead a normal life, pursue educa- tion and even perform basic bodily functions was severely compromised. The Bench observed that the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in September 2004 awarded the injured claimant a total compensation of Rs 7, 62,000 with 9 per cent interest per annum from the filing of the petition until realisation. Dissatisfied with the findings, the claimant filed an appeal before the High Court, which was admitted on August 30, 2005. Since the admission of the appeal, “no decision has been taken by the high court,” Justice Vashisth observed, adding that the case was delayed on various pretexts. The matter was referred to the Lok Adalat, but a settlement could not be reached, “probably because the insurance company might not have agreed upon the amount proposed by the claimant”. At one stage, the case record was burnt, and the file had to be reconstructed. c m y b The advisory had suggested alternative routes, but many commuters found them timeconsuming and confusing. Those travelling towards Ramgarh or Zirakpur had to navigate through multiple turns and traffic lights. Panchkula, February 16 A local resident has filed a civil suit against the organisers of Arijit Singh’s concert, alleging mismanagement that could endanger public safety. The suit filed by Manbir Singh Rathi through his counsel has named Tarish Entertainment Private Limited, district authorities and the local police as respondents. The petitioner has raised concerns over inadequate security, crowd management and medical arrangements at the concert venue. He has also cited past incidents of poor event management, warning of potential chaos. The district court has admitted the plea and issued notices to the organisers and the Police Department. The matter has been adjourned till tomorrow. — TNS Chandigarh, February 16 The brain-dead son of a soldier has given a fresh lease of life to six critically ill patients after the family decided to donate his organs. Havildar Naresh Kumar of 10 Mahar consented to donate the organs of his 18year-old son, who met with an accident on February 8. A team from Command Hospital, Chandimandir, harvested the liver, kidney, pancreas and cornea, which were then transported to various medical facilities to save the lives of over six patients suffering from chronic diseases. The liver and a kidney were transported to the Army Research and Referral Hospital, New Delhi, via a green corridor facilitated by the Military Police and then airlifted by the Indian Air Force. The other kidney and pancreas were donated to a patient at the PGI in Chandigarh. He was suffering from life threatening type-I diabetes with chronic kidney disease. The corneas were preserved in the eye bank of the Command Hospital. Organ donation and retrieval was introduced at the Western Command Hospital here in 2014, where about 80 such procedures have been performed so far.