03082026-CT-01.qxd 8/3/2026 12:29 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune SHERELL, VADYA WIN TT GOLD IN U-17 CATEGORY ACTOR RANDEEP HOODA JOINS ASSAM FLOOD RELIEF DRIVE SPIDER-MAN BRAND NEW DAY EARNS ~215 CR IN INDIA Sherell of DPS, Sector 40, overcomes a tough challenge by Vani Sharma of St Joseph’s School, Sector 44. P3 The actor distributes rations and other essential material among flood victims of Assam. P4 Tom Holland and Zendaya’s film has earned over ~200 crore in India in the three days of release. P4 » » MAX 34°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 35.2°C | MIN 27.4°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:43 AM /THETRIBUNECHD 8 pieces of UT heritage listed for auction in US on Aug 13 GENERALLY CLOUDY SUNSET MONDAY 7.15 PM » MONDAY | 3 AUGUST 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE All set for T20 league Diplomatic intervention sought to suspend sale, secure return of items Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 2 Eight more pieces of Chandigarh’s heritage furniture are set to go under the hammer in the United States on August 13. A fresh demand has been raised for the suspension of the proposed auction and the return of the heritage furniture to India. Ajay Jagga, Additional Standing Counsel for the UT and member of the Administrator’s Advisory Council, has written to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and UT Culture Secretary Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, seeking immediate diplomatic intervention. According to the representation, Wright Design, a USbased auction house, is scheduled to auction eight original pieces of furniture designed by Pierre Jeanneret on August 13. The items include an office chair, linen chest, desk-chair set, file rack, writing chair, committee table, day bed and dining chairs, with a combined estimated value of nearly Rs 52.61 lakh. According to Jagga, the auction catalogue identifies the provenance of the furniture as Chandigarh, including the administrative buildings and Panjab University, indicating that the pieces form part of India’s architectural and cultural heritage. He said the proposed auc- OF ITEMS ~52.61 LAKH ■ The pieces listed for auction include an office chair, linen chest, desk-chair set, file rack, writing chair, committee table, day bed and dining chairs 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 provenance of the furniture as Chandigarh, including administrative buildings and Panjab University PAST AUCTIONS HALTED SALES JUNE 4: Seven pieces UT heritage were auctioned in the US for ~1.32 crore June 18: Seven out of 13 furniture items were sold in Brussels for ~1.6 crore JUNE 25: The scheduled sale of two institutional armchairs linked to PU and PGI in Paris was suspended after UT filed FIRs and pressed for diplomatic action July 22: The auction of a chair designed by Pierre Jeanneret scheduled to be held in Barcelona was called off following the MEA intervention tion, scheduled just two days before India’s Independence Day celebrations, was a mat- 51 Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service PANCHKULA ■ Catalogue identifies the ter of national concern. In his representation, Jagga recalled that similar auc- Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, AAP MP from Sangrur (second from right), along with Indian cricketers Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh, launches the logo of the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League at New Chandigarh. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI (PAGE 3) 8 laptops, 3 LED TVs stolen from Phase 6 shooting range in Mohali; guard held Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Mohali, August 2 The police have arrested Yuvraj Singh, a security guard at the Phase VI shooting range and resident of Chahal village in Patiala district, for allegedly stealing eight laptops, two printers and three LED TVs from the facility on July 30. Following a complaint by District Sports Officer Umeshwari Sharma, a case was regis- tered at the Phase I police station. According to the police, the suspect had allegedly been stealing laptops belonging to shooters and other equipment from the range over a period of time. The DSP (City-1), Gurcharan Singh, said, “The suspect was identified and arrested with the help of CCTV footage. He was produced before a court and remanded in three-day police custody.” Residents protest police inaction In another development, residentsofNewSunnyEnclave,Sector125,alongwithoffice-bearersof the Residents Welfare Association (RWA), staged a protest at the Sadar Kharar police station on Sunday over the alleged failure of thepolicetocurbtheftsinthearea. They submitted a memorandum to the SHO, demanding stricter law enforcement and immediate action to prevent recurring thefts. A local resident, Pavitar Pal Magisterial probe ordered into PU scholar’s death on campus AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH ESTIMATED COST tions of Chandigarh’s heritage furniture proposed in France and Spain earlier this year were halted following the intervention of the Government of India. He urged the ministry to take up the matter with the US authorities, seek the withdrawal of the identified lots, examine the legality of their export from India in coordination with the ministry and other agencies, and initiate steps to bring them back to India. He has submitted that Chandigarh is not merely a planned city but an internationally recognised cultural asset. “The Capitol Complex has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the furniture specially designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret constitutes an integral component of that heritage. Every original item removed from Chandigarh diminishes the authenticity and integrity of this unique cultural ensemble,” he stated. “The present auction, however, once again threatens the continued dispersal of Chandigarh’s heritage. Unless urgent diplomatic and legal intervention is undertaken before the scheduled auction, these irreplaceable heritage objects may pass into private collections, making their recovery significantly more difficult,” he added. 38 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 & 45 Mohali: Sectors 70, 78 & Phase 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 10 am to 1.30 pm: Parts of Sector 21, Motor Market & Main Bazar, Manimajra 11 am to 2 pm: Sector 31, Aman Chaman Colony 11 am to 4 pm: Buterla village Chandigarh, August 2 The UT Administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death of Panjab University PhD research scholar Jyoti on July 28 to ascertain the cause of her death, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents. District Magistrate Nishant Kumar Yadav has constituted a three-member inquiry committee to examine the circumstances leading to the incident, identify the cause of death, fix responsibility, if any, and recommend appropriate remedial measures. The committee has been directed to submit its report within a week. According to the order, the committee will be headed by Naveen Rattu, Director, Social Welfare, UT. Its other members are Lakshay Pandey, DSP (Traffic), Chandigarh Police; and Gurpreet Singh Bains, Executive Engineer (Electrical), Division I, Chandigarh. The committee will investigate whether there was any Three-member inquiry committee to submit report within a week Senior officers of Panjab University’s Engineering Department inspect the site on the South Campus wherePhD scholar Jyoti (inset) was electrocuted. FILE negligence, omission, lapse or failure on the part of any individual, authority, department, agency or institution and fix responsibility wherever warranted. It will also review the adequacy of safety measures, maintenance protocols and emergency response mechanisms at the site. Besides fixing responsibility, the panel has been asked to recommend remedial, preventive and systemic measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur. It has also been authorised to examine records, inspect the site, inter- act with officials and witnesses, obtain technical inputs, and seek any additional documents or information required for a comprehensive inquiry. The District Magistrate has directed Panjab University to extend full cooperation by facilitating inspection of the site, providing access to CCTV footage, technical reports, records and other relevant documents, and extending all logistical and administrative support required for the expeditious completion of the inquiry. All departments concerned and officials have been instructed to cooperate fully with the committee. Jyoti (28), a PhD scholar in the Department of Microbiology, was electrocuted on July 28 after stepping into a waterlogged area on the university’s South Campus. She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Following protests by students, the university authorities suspended two engineering officials and announced a compensation of Rs 16 lakh for the victim’s family along with a job for her brother. An FIR under Section 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at the Sector 11 police station. Admn announces ~5L for kin of 4 boys who died in Haridwar tragedy Dera Bassi societies reel Tribune News Service Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria meets bereaved families in Chandigarh on Sunday. Chandigarh, August 2 Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the four bereaved families whose minor sons drowned in Ganga Canal during the Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar on July 31. The Administrator visited the bereaved families today to express his condolences and offer support. Interacting with the family members, he assured them that the Chandigarh Administration stood firmly with them during this difficult time. Describing the incident as deeply distressing, Kataria said the loss of four young lives had caused immense grief not only to their families but also to the entire city. He noted that the deceased boys belonged to economically weaker families, with some living in extremely difficult financial circumstances, making the tragedy even more heartbreaking. c m y b Announcing the relief from the Governor’s Discretionary Fund, Kataria said each of the four affected families would receive Rs 5 lakh as financial assistance. He observed that while no monetary support could compensate for the loss of a child, the assistance was intended to provide immediate relief to the families during this period of immense hardship. He also directed the officers concerned to ensure that they received every necessary continued on page 2 under 8-hour power cut Tribune News Service Mohali, August 2 Several parts of Dera Bassi remained without power for nearly eight hours today as Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) imposed a scheduled shutdown from 8 am to 5 pm for maintenance work. Residents struggled to cope with the hot and humid weather during the prolonged outage. The extended power cut drained backup systems and generators, while inverters also became ineffective because of the lengthy disruption. Mahabir Singh, a resident of Dera Bassi, said, “There seems to be no end to the power woes here. Power cuts continue during the summer and rainy season on one pretext or another. While the government claims to provide free electricity, the PSPCL has continued on page 2 Singh, said several theft incidents had been captured on CCTV cameras, which should help the police identify and arrest the culprits. He added that another theft was reported on Sunday morning in the lane behind Avian Medicare. Referring to an earlier incident, the resident said on July 29, during the theft of a gas cylinder, miscreants allegedly struck a watchman with a motorcycle, leaving him unconscious. Former Army man shoots at trader for objecting to drunken behaviour Mohali, August 2 Rajnish Kumar, a former sarpanch and shopkeeper in Fatehpur Sialba village under Majri Block in the district, was shot at by a fellow villager, Mahinder Singh, following a scuffle on Saturday evening. Three gunshots were fired during the incident, triggering panic in the village market. The victim sustained a bullet injury to his stomach and was rushed to the PGI by fellow shopkeepers. He underwent surgery and was stated to be out of danger. According to the police, Rajnish and Mahinder had an altercation over a trivial issue in the village street, where locals intervened and separated them. Rajnish later returned to his shop, but the accused, a former Army man, allegedly came back with his rifle. He opened fire at Rajnish while he was sitting inside the shop. Neighbours claimed they narrowly escaped being hit by the gunfire. A team from the Majri police station arrested the accused from his house at night and seized the rifle used in the attack. The police are investigating the motive behind the incident. A case under Sections pertaining to attempt to murder and the Arms Act has been registered. The DSP Kharar 2, , Harkirat Singh, said, “The victim had objected to Mahinder’s drunken behaviour in a public place and asked him to return home. Enraged by the objection, Mahinder allegedly opened fire at him. He was produced before a court and remanded in police custody for two days.” — TNS