23032023-CT-01.qxd 3/23/2023 12:21 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune DHARNA CONTAINED TO 100M OF YPS CHOWK, HC TOLD NAVRATRI: OVER 15K PAY OBEISANCE AT SHRINES DESPITE FUND CRUNCH, LAKHS SPENT ON PU MEETS Dharna contained to 100m of YPS chowk and on space abutting road towards Mohali, Punjab tells HC. P2 Over 15K pay obeisance at Mansa Devi, Kali Devi and Chandi Mata temples on first Navratri. P2 Lakhs spent annually on Senate and Syndicate meetings, no record of expenditure on food served. P2 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 72 PANCHKULA 44 MOHALI 47 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF TWO PU STUDENTS HELD FOR STALKING Chandigarh: The UT police have arrested two PU students for stalking two girls on campus. The police got a complaint from two students claiming the suspects, identified as law students Joginder and Amit, were following them in a car. The two were held and vehicle impounded. A case under Sections 354-D, 506 and 34, IPC, has been registered at the Sector 11 police station. The two were later released on bail. TNS CYCLIST HURT IN ROAD ACCIDENT Chandigarh: A cyclist was injured after being hit by a motorcycle. Kishangarh Ram resident Balli alleged biker Jarnail Singh hit his father Ganga Ram, who was riding a bicycle, at Maloya. The injured was admitted to GMSH-16. A case has been registered. TNS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 22 Throwing caution to the wind, the flagship hotels of the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) have been running bars on their premises without failing to procure the mandatory fire safety no objection certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department of the Municipal Corporation. Under the norms, a bar licence can only be issued by the UT Excise and Taxation Department to a restaurant or hotel if it furnishes the fire safety NOC. However, the three CITCO hotels — Hotel Mountview in Sector 10, Hotel Shivalikview in Sector 17, Hotel Parkview in Sector 24 — and restaurant Chef Lakeview at Sukhna Lake managed to get the bar licence last year after submitting an undertaking to the Excise and Taxation Department of having applied for the NOC. A CITCO official said they had already applied for the NOC and that it was under process. The Fire Department had asked them to CHECKLIST TO GET FIRE CERTIFICATION ■ Fire extinguishers on all floors ■ Automated sprinkler system in entire building ■ Escape routes must be clear of any obstruction ■ BIS-compliant electrical wirings and installations ■ Adequate provision for natural CITCO’s Hotel Parkview in Sector 24, Chandigarh. PRADEEP TEWARI ventilation, lighting ■ Treatment of furniture with flame-resistant material ■ No dumping of waste or volatile/flammable liquids APPLICATION UNDER PROCESS, SAYS OFFICIAL ■ Norms say bar licence can be issued by the UT Excise and Taxation Department to hotel/restaurant only if it furnishes fire safety NOC ■ But CITCO’s Hotel Mountview, Hotel Shivalikview, Hotel Parkview got licence last year on undertaking to Excise Dept of having applied for NOC ■ A CITCO official said they had applied for NOC and it was under process; Fire Dept wanted some equipment installed and bids had been invited install some fire equipment to get the NOC and they had invited bids for procurement. Meanwhile, the MC has decided to carry out a fire safety audit of all private and government buildings from next month and action would be initiated against violators on the basis of the report. An official said of nearly 20,000 commercial establishments in the city, merely 5 per cent had obtained the fire safety certificate/no objection certificate from the Fire Department. The official said notices had been issued to the commercial building owners many a time, but to no avail. In case of a fire, c m y b safety of people would be at risk, he said, adding some government departments and other establishments had applied for the certificate, but had been asked to do away with certain discrepancies and procure necessary equipment. As a result, these were not issued the certificate, added the official. MAX 28°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 26.6°C | MIN 14.2°C SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:22 AM TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD Fire safety goes for toss as CITCO saysmandatory clearance fromNOC cheers sans Fire Dept Hotels run bars without PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET THURSDAY 6:35 PM » THURSDAY | 23 MARCH 2023 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Two UTcops land in CBI net for taking ~50K bribe Ex-Union Minister’s nephew among two found hanging Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 22 An Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) and a Head Constable (HC) of the Chandigarh Police posted at the Police Post, Sector 24, have been arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a Dhanas resident after threatening to implicate him in a fake rape case. The suspects — ASI Varinder Rana and HC Randeep Singh Rana — had allegedly sought a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from the resident. The complainant had alleged Randeep, who was his tenant earlier, had threatened to implicate him in a rape case and initially demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 in the name of a police officer. The complainant allegedly paid Rs 10,000 to the HC on March 10. The complainant who claimed to be innocent then approached the CBI on March 15. Sources said the complainant on the directions of CBI officials met Randeep, who identified the other police officer as ASI Varinder and claimed the bribe amount would be decided by him. The complainant then met both cops outside the Sector 24 police post. As per the CBI, on March 17 Threatened to implicate man in ‘fake’ rape case The two cops being produced in a court in Chandigarh. VICKY EXCERPT FROM TRANSLATED TRANSCRIPT ASI: Yes, tell me Complainant: Kindly settle issue; haven’t done anything wrong, am being framed ASI:You must have done it. It won’t be easy, things may get out of hand Complainant: Settle the issue, I am being framed; you asked for ~20K, I gave ~10K to Rana-ji ASI: Yes the complainant met Randeep in a park at Dhanas where he demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh. The complainant told him he would pay Rs 50,000 on March 21 and the remaining amount in April. After investigating the Continued on page 2 Chandigarh, March 22 The bodies of two persons, including a former Union Minister’s nephew, were found hanging from two trees under mysterious circumstances in a forest area at Kajheri, Sector 52, this afternoon. The victims, both natives of Chandrapur in Maharashtra have been identified as Mahesh Ahir (28), nephew of former Union Minister Hansraj Ahir, and Harish (27). The bodies were noticed by a passerby, who informed the police. Both men from Maha, cops suspect suicide The police arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation. A forensic team also visited the scene. The two had been reported missing a week ago, following which a missing person’s report was filed by their families at the Chandrapur police station. Some documents, including Aadhaar cards, were recovered from the pockets of both victims. The police also found bus tickets on the two, indicated the duo had travelled from Dehradun to Chandigarh on the night of March 20 and stayed at a Continued on page 2