12052026-CT-01.qxd 5/12/2026 1:15 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune TEWARI HAS NO RIGHT TO SEEK FREE POWER: TANDON KARAN MAHAJAN’S BOOK REVISITS SOCIALIST INDIA ALIA BHATT JETS OFF TO FRENCH RIVIERA BJP leader Sanjay Tandon says the Congress in Himachal ‘discontinued’ the benefit given to the poor. P3 The Complex tells multiple stories emerging out of a family caught between the past and present. P3 As anticipation builds around Cannes Film Fest, actor offers fans a stylish glimpse into her journey. P4 » » 76 PANCHKULA 75 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 29 and 56, & Dhanas Mohali: Sec 68, 71 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com UT notifies rules for digitisation of court summons, warrants Chandigarh, May 11 The Chandigarh Administration has notified a set of rules for the digitisation of court summons and warrants. The rules have been framed under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and aim at the transition from physical paperwork to electronic communication. The courts are now empowered to generate summons and warrants through advanced software like the case information system (CIS) or the e-summons application. Every electronic process must be encrypted, bear a digital image of the court’s seal, and be authenticated with an e-sign from the presiding officer or an authorised official. A printout of an electronically generated process is now legally equivalent to an original document. Summons can be served via email or messaging applications like WhatsApp. If an email is sent and does not “bounce back”, or if a messaging app shows a delivery receipt, the court will presume the summons has been successfully served. If electronic details are unavailable or service fails, traditional physical delivery by a police officer or court official will still be used. To ensure the system works, the police and courts must collect digital footprints. During arrests or investigations, the police must record the phone numbers, emails, and messaging app details of the accused, victims and witnesses. Experts pitch for ‘overloop’; former Chief Architectcalls project ‘myopic’ Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 11 Even as the Chandigarh Administration is awaiting the Centre’s nod to award the Rs 247-crore Tribune flyover project to its lowest bidder, architects, urban planners and the city’s former Chief Architect are pushing back hard against the project. They have questioned its impact on 700 mature trees, the city’s Master Plan and the very logic of building a flyover in Chandigarh. The case has once again reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, with petitioners mounting a multipronged challenge against the project on grounds ranging from large-scale tree felling and Master Plan violations to questions of transparency in the evaluation of alternative designs. Matter listed before High Court for further hearing tomorrow PROJECT DOSSIER TOTAL COST ~247.07 CR (INCL. GST) ESTIMATED BID COST ~214.66 CRORE (EX-GST) L1 BID ~147.98 CRORE (SINGLA CONSTRUCTIONS LTD) FUNDING: 100% BY CENTRE UT SHARE: ~35.54 CRORE (UTILITY SHIFTING) LENGTH: 1.65 KM | FLYOVER: 1,442 M | UNDERPASS: 519 M COMPLETION: 30 MONTHS FROM AWARD THE OVERLOOP ALTERNATIVE City-based architects and urban planners Pearl Ahluwalia and Aashray Ahuja, Directors of URap (Urban Research and Architecture Practice), have proposed an alternative called “The Overloop” — an elevated rotary over the existing Tribune Chowk that they claim would segregate traffic across two levels. It will enable continuous signal-free movement and increase traffic capacity by nearly 50 per cent, while requiring the felling of only 65 trees against an estimated 700 under the current flyover plan. “The key to urban mobility is moving people, not cars,” the architects said, adding that the proposed flyover reflects an outdated approach. Both experts said they invested three years developing a comprehensive master plan for Chandigarh’s next 50 years rooted in Le Corbusier’s original planning principles, of which “The Overloop” is a key component. The proposal was presented to the UT Admin- istration in 2019 and was, they claimed, recognised and shortlisted among two competing designs. However, they alleged the subsequent evaluation raised serious questions about process and transparency, having been assessed by the same party that was eventually being awarded the tender. “Our engagement has been guided not by opposition, but by the need for a more informed and inclusive consideration of alternatives,” they said. 700 TREES FACE AXE At the heart of the opposition is the proposed felling of nearly 700 mature trees along the Tribune Chowk corridor. Petitioners have filed affidavits before the High Court pointing out that 17 of these mango trees belong to an orchard carrying Heritage Grade 1 status. The architects argue that planting saplings as compensation offers no real substitute. MASTER PLAN AT THE CORE Beyond trees, the petitioners argue the flyover violates the Chandigarh Master Plan 2031 — a legally binding document — which does not recommend flyovers within the city and prioritises green cover. continued on page 2 FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE UT mulls division of industrial plots, hike in floor area ratio Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 11 For optimum utilisation of vacant space, the UT Administration is considering allowing division of industrial plots in the city. According to officials, a policy was being formulated to allow the division of plots to give a boost to industrial activities under the deregulation 2.0 policy of the Central Government. With the implementation of the policy, owners will be allowed to use their plots for various industrial activities under one roof, stated the officials, adding that it would be applicable to plots of four kanals or more. Under the “ease of doing business” initiatives, the Administration is also mulling over increasing the floor area ratio (FAR) from 1 to 2 for industrial plots. To carry out major reforms, a high-level committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer Nishant Kumar Yadav. One of the major reforms is to increase the permissible FAR for plots in the Industrial Area Phase I and II, said the officials. The FAR dictates the maximum permissible total floor area of a building relative to the size of the plot. Industry representatives have been pressing for the easing of FILE CHANDIGARH MAX 36°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 21.9°C SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:32 AM /THETRIBUNECHD FIGHT TO STOP TRIBUNE CHOWK FLYOVER PROJECT AIR QUALITY INDEX PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET TUESDAY 7.05 PM » TUESDAY | 12 MAY 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FAR norms, saying that the current restriction of FAR 1, which was earlier increased from 0.75 on the basis of payment, was making industrial operations economically unviable. They pointed out that neighbouring industrial hubs such as Mohali, Panchkula, Dera Bassi, Barwala and Baddi are allowed constructions with FAR levels ranging between 2.5 and 3. “Increasing the FAR to, at least, 2 will be a step in the right direction, but its impact on the industry hinges on logical pricing. Neighbouring states offer free additional FAR up to 1.25 and charge reasonable rates (up to Rs 200/sq ft) beyond 1.25,” stated Naveen Manglani, vice-president and spokesman, Chamber of Chandigarh Industries. Another key objective of the reform exercise is to replace architectural controls with zoning regulations for industrial plots measuring up to 2 kanal. Currently, plots up to 2 kanal are governed under architectural control, while larger ones follow zoning regulations. Alongside reforms in the industrial area, the committee will examine the planning parameters for Phase III, with respect to internal road width. During a meeting held recently, the committee also discussed that the FAR of the Industrial Area, Phase III, could be decided on the basis of road width, stated the officials. Located near villages Raipur Kalan and Mauli Jagran, land for Phase III was acquired in 2003. Tasked to adopt a flexible zoning framework that allows for mixed-use development activities, the committee has been asked to define the list of permissible activities and non-permissible activities for different land uses in context of the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031 and implemented layout plans. Court junks plea to frame Night storm disrupts power, water supply rape-bid charges against former Haryana minister Tribune News Service Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 11 A local court has dismissed a plea of the UT Public Prosecutor to frame charges under Section 376, read with Section 511 (attempt to rape), against former Haryana minister Sandeep Singh in a molestation case. The UT had sought an amendment to the charges framed against the former minister and inclusion of the attempt-to-rape charge. It also pleaded to commit the case to the sessions court for trial. The UT Public Prosecutor said material already available on the judicial record, including the statement of the victim made under Section 164 of the CrPC and her examination-in-chief recorded before this court, contained clear, consistent and grave allegations against the Sandeep Singh accused. However Rabindra Pandit, Siddant Pandit and Siddharth Pandit, counsel for accused Sandeep Singh, a former Olympian, opposed the application. They argued that there was no evidence by virtue of which offence under Section 376, read with Section 511 of the IPC, was made out in the present case. The counsel argued that the complainant failed to mention this fact in her initial complaint lodged with the police on the basis of which the FIR was registered. They argued that a similar application filed by the complainant was rejected by a court in its order dated July 29, 2024. After hearing the arguments, the court dismissed the application. The police registered the case against the former minister on a complaint filed by a former coach on December 31, 2022, under Sections 354, 354-A, 354-B, 342, 506 and 509 of the IPC. In the statement given to the Chandigarh Police, the complainant had alleged that the minister had molested her at his official residence on July 1, 2022. When she resisted, he pushed her and also tore her T-shirt. She, however, managed to escape. The court framed charges on July 29, 2024. However, Sandeep claimed before the court that he was falsely implicated in the case. Chandigarh, May 11 Western disturbance hit the Tricity in the early hours of Monday, battering the region with thunderstorm and gusty winds around 2 am. The storm lasted barely an hour but left large parts of the city without power and water supply, both of which were restored in the morning. The IMD had issued an orange alert for Monday. The sky stayed largely unsettled but without major activity till the filing of this report. The real escalation, IMD warned, is likely from Monday evening or early Tuesday. ORANGE ALERT FOR TODAY The IMD has warned of thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds of 50 to 60 kmph at isolated places over Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula on Tuesday. This constitutes an orange — “Be Prepared” — alert for both days across the region. Light to moderate rain is expected at a few places on Monday and Tuesday. A woman covers her face to shield herself from the heatwave in Chandigarh. PARDEEP TEWARI From Wednesday through Friday, the intensity steps down to a yellow alert, thunderstorm and lightning with gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph at isolated places across Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana. FIVE-DAY TRICITY FORECAST For Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, the five-day forecast reveals a significant and sustained rise in temperatures once the active spell winds down. Tuesday will see thunderstorm, gusty winds and rain with a maximum of 36°C and minimum of 23°C. Wednesday brings partly cloudy sky, with the maximum nudging up to 37°C and minimum at 22°C. Thursday and Friday both to witness thunderstorm, gusty winds and rain again, with the maximum jumping to 39°C on both days. Saturday turns mainly clear and the maximum climbs further to 40°C — the region’s first brush with 40degree heat this season. The IMD has forecast no large change in maximum temperature over the next five days during the active spell itself. CHANDIGARH TEMPERATURE At Chandigarh’s weather continued on page 3 Charges framed against Youth dies by suicide in police custody at Amloh Dismissed cop kidnaps professor in murder case Was arrested in theft case on May 7, family failed to secure his bail minor in P’kula, held Our Correspondent Chandigarh, May 11 A local court has framed charges against Prof Bharat Bhushan Goyal of Panjab University, who was arrested last year for allegedly killing his wife Seema Goyal. The police registered the case after Seema’s body was found at the couple’s official residence on the university campus on November 4, 2021. Her hands and feet were tied with a rope and cloth stuffed in her mouth. Preliminary investigations revealed that she had been strangled to death. The investigation spanned nearly four years, including a polygraph test of Professor Goyal. He was arrested in December 2025. The police claimed the professor fabricated a false story to confuse the police. He claimed he was sleeping on the upper floor of the house on the night of the incident. When he came downstairs in the morning, he found his wife dead, claiming it to be a robbery incident. During the police investigation, the police found that the window grills were cut from inside. Seema was Professor Goyal’s second wife. — TNS Fatehgarh Sahib, May 11 An accused in a theft case allegedly died by suicide at the Amloh police station in the district on Sunday evening. The victim, identified as Devinder Singh, a resident of Majri Kisne Wali village, was on threeday police remand. According to sources, the accused reportedly hanged himself on the police station premises. After the incident, senior police officials reached the spot and initiated further proceed- ings. The body was shifted him dead. Forensic teams to the Community Health and a Judicial Magistrate Centre, Amloh. were called. A judicial While talking to The Tri- inquiry into the incident bune, SSP Subhas been ordered, ham Aggarwal said the SSP. said Devinder was Meanwhile, a arrested in a theft post-mortem case dated May 7 examination of the and was on threebody was conductday police ed at the Mohali remand. The Civil Hospital police came to under the superviknow that he had sion of a judicial hanged himself Devinder Singh officer. The victim with a blanket in was cremated after the lock-up. He was shifted the post-mortem. to the Amloh Civil HospiThe family members tal where doctors declared refused to talk to media- c m y b persons about the incident. A close relative of the victim’s family, Happy Singh, said Devinder was a habitual thief. His family got him released on bail several times, but couldn’t arrange for his bail this time. He said the Judicial Magistrate had taken in his possession the CCTV footage in which Devinder is seen tearing a “blanket”. The statement of his family has been recorded. Meanwhile, sources said the police had reached a compromise with the deceased’s family. Tribune News Service Panchkula, May 11 The police have arrested a dismissed cop of the Delhi Police, Ravindra Kumar Yadav, for kidnapping a minor child using a fake number plate on a stolen car. The police recovered the 13-year-old child from Ramgarh and handed him over to his family, currently living in Panchkula. On May 10, an auto driver reported that a man had forcibly taken away a minor child near Majri Chowk. The police arrested Yadav, a native of Jhunjhunu district, from Ramgarh within a few hours. The police also recovered a pepper spray and other suspicious items from the stolen car. The accused had joined the Delhi Police as a constable in 2010, but was dismissed from service in 2023. The car used in the crime had a fake registration plate and was found to have been stolen from Jaipur. The vehicle owner had reported the theft in Jaipur.