10032026-CT-01.qxd 3/10/2026 1:02 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune RAJASTHAN RESIDENT HELD FOR INVESTMENT FRAUD MAYOR ORDERS REMOVAL OF ILLEGAL VENDORS WHEN ALE ALE ALE MEETS OH HO HO HO! UT police arrest the prime accused in connection with an online investment fraud of nearly ~27 lakh. P3 Saurabh Joshi visits PEC-Nayagaon barrier to check problem of traffic chaos caused by encroachers. P3 India's T20 World Cup victory sees viral moment as Ricky Martin grooves to Sukhbir's Oh Ho Ho Ho. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 115 PANCHKULA 53 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 29 and 56, and Dhanas Panchkula: Sector 15 Mohali: Sectors 68 and 71 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com CHANDIGARH WATER SUPPLY TO BE HIT March 10 and 11 MORNING SUPPLY: 3.30 am to 9 am Full pressure EVENING SUPPLY: 6 pm to 8.30 pm Low pressure Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 9 Coming down heavily on the spiralling prices of residential plots and flats in the Tricity, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has observed that the states and their housing agencies appear to have “started indulging in profiteering”, leaving the common citizen and the middle class struggling for a roof over their heads. The observation came as the Bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda directed the states of Punjab and Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh to place before it a proposal aimed at restoring the objective of Asks Punjab, Haryana, UT to come up with affordable plan affordable housing by adopting alternative allotment mechanisms, including draw of lots, so that residential plots and flats remain within the reach of salaried and middle-class families. At the onset, the Bench asserted, “It has come to our notice that the prices at which the residential plots or flats are being auctioned by the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority and the Chandigarh Housing Board in the Tricity are out of reach of the professional, salaried class and other not so affluent sections of the society, including the middle class.” The Bench added that these instrumentalities earlier had schemes for allotment of plots through draws of lots and other mechanisms designed to widen access to housing, but had now “opted to auction the residential plots deviating themselves from the real object of their statute”. The court further observed that the agencies were continuing to auction plots at exorbitant rates despite having substantial financial reserves. “We have also noticed that the government instrumentalities are cash Continued on page 2 body to improve its financial management. The department had first written to the MC last month after an alleged Rs 590-crore fraud involving Haryana Government funds in a private bank had come to light. The MC was asked to reconcile the amounts of all bank accounts and open accounts only in nationalised institutions. During the reconciliation process, it was found that an employee hired on outsourcing was missing for many days. The employee used to receive banking-related OTPs on his mobile phone. He also had access to the official email c m y b FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Body with limbs tied found on railway track 40 PU students rounded up for disrupting seminar on Sikh Guru Tribune News Service Were opposing RSS functionary as chief guest Dera Bassi, March 9 The body of an unidentified middle-aged man was found with his hands and legs tied on the Ambala–Kalka railway track near the Janetpur underpass in the early hours of Monday. The Government Railway Police (GRP) found the body, which was badly mutilated and severed into two at the torso. Suspecting foul play, the police are investigating whether the body was placed on the track after the victim’s death or before. The GRP have registered a case of murder. The body has been kept in the mortuary of the Dera Bassi subdivisional hospital for a post-mortem examination. Continued on page 2 Tribune News Service ~116-cr fraud: MC told to rationalise bank a/cs Chandigarh, March 9 The UT Finance Department has written to the Municipal Corporation (MC) to rationalise its over 85 accounts opened in different banks. Sources said it was the second letter of the Finance Department in recent times, giving directions to the civic MAX 33°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 33.2°C | MIN 16.3°C SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6.37 AM /THETRIBUNECHD HC flags ‘profiteering’ in Tricity housing auctions PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET TUESDAY 6.27 PM » TUESDAY | 10 MARCH 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST IDs of some officers. Suspecting something fishy, the MC wrote to the UT SSP , seeking a probe into the matter. A case of Rs 116-crore fraud has now been registered. In the second letter, the civic body has asked to bring down the number of its bank accounts. — TNS Chandigarh, March 9 A seminar on the life and philosophy of Guru Tegh Bahadur at Panjab University today witnessed heated protests after some student groups objected to the presence of a functionary associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the chief guest. Police had to intervene and round up around 40 students to maintain law and order on the campus. The organisers of the programme invited Banveer Rana, the RSS North Zone Pracharak Pramukh, as the chief guest. Even before the event began, several student organisations had voiced opposition to the invitation. During the seminar, protesting students raised slogans both inside and outside the venue, creating a tense atmosphere. A student reportedly associated with the PSU-Lalkar also interrupted the programme to register her protest. The event was briefly disrupted. As the situation escalated, the university administration informed the Sector 11 police station. Cops soon reached the campus and tired to disperse the protesting students. During the intervention, a scuffle broke out between cops Cops take away a protester at Panjab University on Monday. and students. Several students were detained and taken away in buses, with some reportedly being dragged by the collar. Student leaders alleged that during the police action, the turbans of some Sikh students were removed and a kirpan belonging to a student was confiscated. Nearly 40 students were rounded up, who were let-off after the programme concluded. Student leaders maintained that the PU was an academic institution and should remain free from political propaganda. They alleged that individuals linked to the RSS had come to promote their ideology, which they opposed. According to police officials, the programme was being held on the campus when some students began raising slogans, which created a disturbance and interrupted the event. After receiving information from the university authorities, cops from the Sector 11 police station reached the spot to maintain order. Police officials said the students were asked to disperse, but when the protest continued, precautionary action was taken and several students were rounded up to prevent the situation from escalating. During the process, brief jostling was reported between police personnel and some students Continued on page 2