Around Town

Fathers of Express employees die

The fathers of two employees of The Indian Express died on Friday. Mukandlal (88),father of Shivlal Ranakoti,is survived by his wife and two children. Daya Ram (75),father of Mahesh Gupta,was cremated at the Manimajra cremation ground. He is survived by his wife,three sons and two daughters.

Two panchayat officers assaulted

In separate incidents,two panchayat officers were assaulted when they tried to check illegal mining and land grabbing in different parts of Mohali district,police said on Friday. According to Mazri Block Panchayat Officer Gurnam Singh,he spotted illegal sand mining at Malakpur Tapprian village during a field visit. When he apprehended the offender — one Manga of Tewar village — he was assaulted. Similarly,Dera Bassi Block Development and Panchayat Officer Preet Inder Singh complained that while on visit to Nagglan village,he found panchayat land to be under illegal occupation. When he questioned the encroachers,he was manhandled.

One held with 160 liquor boxes

The police have arrested a truck driver,Rakesh Kumar for allegedly smuggling liquor. Acting on a tip-off,police flagged down a truck at Mullanpur barrier and recovered 160 liquor boxes,meant for sale in Chandigarh. The police have booked Kumar — a resident of Gander village in Himachal Pradesh — under Sections 61,1 and 14 of the Excise Act.

Consumer dispute panel gets new president

The Chandigarh Administration has appointed Justice Sham Sunder (Retd) as president of the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission,with immediate effect.

Hit and run victim buried

Even as three-year-old Sonu was laid to rest on Friday,the police are yet to make any headway in the case. Sonu died on Thursday after being hit by a speeding car. The car driver,on the pretext of admitting the boy to a hospital,allegedly dumped him at a church in Sector 18. A resident of Manimajra,Mandeep Singh admitted the child to the Government Multi Specialty Hospital,where he died.

Father,son chargesheeted under NDPS

A Panchkula court has chargesheeted Hakim Rai and his son Sohan Lal — residents of Sector 9 — under the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Act. The police had apprehended the duo on August 10 last year and allegedly recovered 10 kg of opium from them. Both are currently in jail.