Cn Heard

Smoking a disagreement
Sharing a light moment with a counsel who was strongly opposing smoking in public places,a senior High Court Judge remarked: “This Bench stands divided as far the issue of smoking is concerned.”

Refusing to take names,the Judge indirectly referred to the other Judge sitting with him (senior) in a division bench.

The Judge said,“On all issues,we are together,but on smoking we are divided. “We all know My Lord who smokes out of the two,” the advocate stood up and said,following a brief session of laughter.

A 58-yr-old living artifact
At his humorous best Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal,while hearing a petition demanding preservation of old artifacts including chairs designed by Le Corbusier’s brother,questioned as to what was the criteria of conferring a heritage status. The counsel had demanded World Heritage Status for the city. Responding to the query,the counsel said the chair is 58 years old. “Well if that is the criteria,then I am also an artifact,” the Chief Justice observed.

Mohali no longer a shadow of Chandigarh
There was time when the Mohali was treated as a shadow of Chandigarh with cricket commentators often referring to the PCA stadium in Mohali as an entity in Chandigarh,The situation,however,seems to be fast changing. Recently,a functionary from the Indian School of Business,Hyderabad,called to inform that one of their senior officials was coming to Mohali and wanted to have an interaction on the latest developments on the ISB Mohali campus. The caller gave an address of Sector 8 and said it was in Mohali,but when he was told that sector numbers does not exist in Mohali,he inquired and called back to clarify that it was a Chandigarh address he was referring to. “Actually we are familiar with Mohali only because our campus is coming up there,” he reasoned.

‘Hello’ with a difference
Talk about new welcome tunes. An IT professional has an interesting one. Dial his number,and the welcome tune is – ‘The number you have called for is either switched off or out of coverage area’. His rationale: this helps in selective response of calls.

Strike when the iron is hot
Municipal councillor Chandermukhi Sharma,known for his proximity with Punjab Raj Bhawan during the tenure of former Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator General (retd) S F Rodrigues,has claimed that Nirvikar Singh,ADC to Rodrigues; had once threatened him on the issue of garbage plant. Interestingly,the recollection come after four years. In the recent House Meet,Chandermukhi Sharma made the startling revelations about Nirvikar. Sharma,who used to frequent Raj Bhawan for meeting Rodrigues on a regular basis,could not recall such a threat all these years.

He was,however,quick in raking up a controversy now when Nirvikar is already under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation and facing a corruption case.

Diffusing the anger
The Station House Officer,Industrial Area Police station,Inspector Dilsher Singh Chandel,who faced the wrath of the agitated residents of Colony 4 and scrap dealers of Industrial Area,has devised a novel way of diffusing the anger against him. Accompanied by many colony residents,the officer distributed langar in the area on Sunday. The colony residents,scrap dealers,workers et al participated in the event.

Interestingly,the inspector thanked them for not lodging a complaint against him and assured them of better policing in the area. All is well that ends well!