02042026-CT-01.qxd 4/2/2026 12:56 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune LT GEN PUSHPENDRA SINGH TAKES OVER AS GOC-IN-C COL YATINDER STARS IN ARMY SERVICE CORPS WIN PRIYANKA CHOPRA OFFERS SEVA AT GOLDEN TEMPLE Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh assumes charge as the GOC-in-C of Western Command. P2 A last-second goal by Col Yatinder helps Army Service Corps log 8-7 win in polo tournament. P3 Priyanka Chopra made a sombre visit to Amritsar, offering prayers at Golden Temple as she remembered her father. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 67 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD /THETRIBUNECHD Explosion near BJP’s Sector 37 office raises fresh security concerns in city Grenade attack follows three firing incidents reported over past fortnight Sheetal Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH FEST: ‘Paigaam Fest 2026’ to feature live musical performance by Ansha Zakir, Sippy Gill & Shipra Goyal; Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26; 4 pm onwards AWARDS: Third Tricity press photographers’ exhibition awards ceremony; CLKA gallery, Sector 16-17 underpass; 5 pm APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 34, 56 and Ram Darbar Mohali: Sec 88 and Phase 8 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Chandigarh, April 1 A blast caused by a grenade hurled outside the Punjab BJP office in Sector 37 on Wednesday evening has raised fresh concerns over law and order in the city. It followed three firing incidents reported over the past fortnight. Following the blast, the police have directed all Station House Officers (SHOs) to intensify night patrol and enhance surveillance in sensitive areas. The police said security arrangements across the city were being further strengthened. On March 17, a firing incident at Panjab University, with SOPU leader Jashanpreet (Jashan) Singh Jawanda being the target, triggered panic among students. Bambiha and Doni Bal gang took responsibility of the attack. The very next day, a property dealer was shot dead in broad daylight near the Sector 9-C parking lot on Madhya Marg. Gangster Lucky Patial had claimed the responsibility of the killing. Shooter Rajan, alias Piyush Pehalwan, and his aide were arrested by the Punjab Anti- A team from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory examines the blast site outside the office of the Punjab BJP in Sector 37, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY Gangster Task Force (AGTF) from Kaithal on March 19. On March 22, a minor allegedly opened fire in Sector 38. The complainant had a narrow escape. The security in the area was already high as Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria was present in the sector that day. Against this backdrop, the grenade attack on Wednes- day has further alarmed residents and authorities. It is believed that the grenade was intended to be thrown inside the Punjab BJP office premises, but failed to reach its target and exploded outside. No casualty was reported in the incident. However, the impact was strong enough to cause panic among people in the area. A scooter parked outside c m y b the office was damaged in the explosion, while the front windscreen and a passengerside window of a car belonging to a youth leader from Mansa district were shattered. The damaged scooter belonged to Arsh, a resident of Nayagaon, who is associated with the BJP’s IT cell. Eyewitnesses said the explosion took place around 5 pm, prompting those inside the office to rush outside and alert the police. As soon as information about the blast was received, Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, SP (City) Priyanka and SP (Headquarters) Manjeet, along with teams of the Fire Department, Kavach, Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), dog squad and several other security agencies reached the spot. Later, IG Pushpendra Kumar and SP (Operations) Geetanjali Khandelwal also reached there. Speaking to the media at the spot, the SSP said, “Around 5 pm, we got information that an explosion was heard near the BJP office in Sector 37. Our teams reached here within 10 minutes. Prima facie, it appears that a small, crude type of bomb was hurled. The NIA, FSL, Chandigarh Police, Crime Branch, Operation Cell and Crime Cell teams have arrived here. We are investigating.” The area was cordoned off and sealed, leading to temporary disruption of traffic. Preliminary findings revealed marks resembling splinter impacts on nearby walls and Continued on page 2 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 32.8°C | MIN 15.8°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6:41 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:10 AM » THURSDAY | 2 APRIL 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Chandigarh University student stabbed to death Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Mohali, April 1 A 22-year-old student of Chandigarh University was allegedly stabbed to death by a group of students at a residential locality in Bhagomajra on Wednesday around 2:30 am. The victim, Aman Dahiya, a student of LLB-third year and native of Garhiwala village in Sonepat, was stabbed to death on the road. Three youths — Ram, Monu and Vinay — and a girl, Lavisha, have been booked for murder and criminal conspiracy. The incident took place near the girl’s house when the victim had gone to drop her in his car. The victim, son of an advocate, was rushed to the Government Medical College and Girl among 4 pupils booked for murder Aman Dahiya, the victim Hospital in Sector 32, Chandigarh, where he died. “Before being taken to the hospital, the victim had told his family members on the phone that Lavisha had allegedly instigated the trio to kill him after which Ram Continued on page 2 CREST accountant held in ~75-crore bank fraud case Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 1 The UT police have arrested an accountant of Chandigarh Renewable Energy & Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST), in the Rs 75-crore IDFC First Bank scam. The suspect, Sahil Kukkar, was produced before a court on Wednesday, which remanded him in two-day police custody. The investigating officer said on March 31, Sahil Kukkar, a resident of Fazilka in Punjab, joined the probe in the case. During interrogation, he failed to clarify or justify multiple transactions amounting to crores of rupees made to CAPCO Fintech Services, allegedly in connivance with Continued on page 2