28042023-CT-01.qxd 4/28/2023 12:22 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune DERA BASSI TRAGEDY: FIRM GM, DIRECTOR SEEK BAIL EIGHTH AUCTION OF LIQUOR VENDS IN UT A FLOP SHOW RE-AUCTION OF LEFTOVER FANCY NOs. FROM MAY 7 The GM and a director of Federal Agro Industries Pvt Ltd, Behera, apply for anticipatory bail. P2 In the seventh auction, three liquor vends were sold. The department will hold ninth auction on May 1. P3 RLA will hold a re-auction of leftover fancy/special registration Nos. of previous series from May 7. P3 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 105 PANCHKULA 98 MOHALI 102 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF TWO POs LAND IN POLICE DRAGNET Chandigarh: Two proclaimed offenders (POs) have been arrested by the police. Yogendra, a native of Uttarakhand, who was declared a PO in August 2022, was arrested from Sector 31. Also, Vishal, a resident of Mauli Jagran, who was declared a PO on April 11, has been arrested. Both were produced before the court that sent them to judicial custody. TNS TWO BOOKED FOR ASSAULTING MAN Chandigarh: Two persons have been booked for attacking a Sector 25 resident. Harsh claimed Prince, alias Ghinger, and an unidentified boy attacked him with stones near a wine shop at Dadu Majra Colony. A case under Sections 324, 506 and 34 of the IPC has been registered at the Maloya police station. TNS Suspect walks out of Anthropology Dept lab with stool; FIR lodged Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 27 While frantic efforts are being made by the UT Heritage Items Protection Cell to thwart auction of city’s legacy furniture for lakhs of rupees on foreign shores, pilferage of prized articles continues quietly right under the nose of authorities back home. In a latest incident reported on April 25, an unidentified miscreant stole a heritage furniture item from a Panjab University (PU) laboratory. The police say the suspect entered the laboratory of the Anthropology Department while MSc students were busy with their academic work. The suspect casually walked into the laboratory and asked a student for a heritage stool. He picked one up and escaped on a motorcycle parked outside the department. The PU security was alerted and the police were also informed about the theft. Department chairperson Maninder Kaur lodged a complaint with the police following which a case under Section 380 of the Indian 48 CHAIRS NICKED FROM SOCIOLOGY DEPT IN 2020 ARTICLES WORTH ~4.16 CR SOLD THIS YEAR ~1.64 CR ~1.38 CR ~1.14 CR 9 heritage items go under hammer in US 9 articles auctioned in France on Feb 23 9 UT items auctioned off in US on Jan 20 FETCHED ~2L APIECE RECENTLY ■ Heritage furniture ranging from desks, chairs, stools and study tables have been stolen from PU in the past ■ In a recent auction, a set of three stools from PU was sold for around ~6L, each item fetching nearly ~2L ■ In Nov 2020, the UT police arrested a carpenter in Baltana, Zirakpur, for his alleged involvement in the theft of 48 heritage chairs from Sociology Department of Panjab University ■ He took the chairs from thieves, who gave him the task of delivering these at Delhi and Mumbai. As many as 20 chairs were recovered by the police VARSITY DEPTS HAPPY HUNTING GROUND FOR CRIMINALS In past, heritage furniture from PU depts, including anthropology, zoology & geology, have been taken abroad illegally and sold in auctions. — Ajay Jagga, MEMBER, UT HERITAGE PROTECTION CELL ❝ Penal Code was registered at the Sector 11 police station. An investigation is underway. DSP (Central) Gurmukh Singh says the footage of cameras installed at the exit points of the university have been scrutinised, but no ❞ motorcyclist has been seen ferrying a stool. “The suspect must have either smuggled it out in a vehicle or may have stashed it away on the campus itself,” says the DSP . While a suspected motorcycle is seen in the CCTV c m y b footage, its registration number is not visible, say sources. This is not the first case of a heritage item being stolen from the university. Ajay Jagga, a member of the Heritage Items Protection Cell of continued on page 2 MAX 35°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 22.4°C SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:42 AM TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD One by one, city losing its heritage items on PU watch GENERALLY CLOUDY SUNSET FRIDAY 6:58 PM » FRIDAY | 28 APRIL 2023 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Man enters girls’ hostel, roams for 20 mins; 2 guards suspended PU authorities seek explanation from warden, other officials Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 27 In a major security lapse on the Panjab University campus, a man entered the girls’ hostel No. 4 and stayed on premises for nearly 20 minutes early on Thursday. The suspect is seen in the CCTV footage entering the hostel premises at 3.45 am and roaming inside before exiting at 4.03 am. Terming it a “shocking” incident, Jatinder Grover, Dean Students’ Welfare (DSW), said: “There has been a complete security lapse. The university will pursue the matter further. The two security guards, who were found missing from duty at the hostel gates, have been placed under suspension with immediate effect. Also, an attendant and another security guard were found sleeping during duty hours, which allowed the suspect to enter GAINS ACCESS TO UPPER MAIN GATE UNMANNED, FLOORS UNCHECKED TWO STAFFERS ASLEEP ■ In CCTV footage, a The hostel gate was ‘tipsy’ man is seen unmanned from 3 am to entering premises at 4.15 am. An attendant and a 3.45 am on Thursday ■ He accesses the reception security guard deployed area and stays there for inside the premises were nearly 10 minutes caught sleeping. It’s a case ■ He roams the building, uses stairs twice to reach the upper of major security lapse. ❝ floors, leaves at 4.03 am the building and roam its galleries. An explanation has been sought from the hostel warden and other officials.” A report had been submitted to the Vice-Chancellor and action would be initiated against those found guilty of lapses. “We will ensure such incidents don’t recur,” he added. Sources claimed the man, who was apparently in a drunken state, entered the premises and roamed the ❞ — Jatinder Grover, DEAN STUDENTS WELFARE hostel building. He used the stairs twice to reach the upper floors. All this while, the security staff were unaware of his movement. Sources claimed the suspect tried reaching out to a hostel resident, but the latter denied this. In a letter, she said: “The warden took swift action by procuring the CCTV footage and informing officials. Through this letter, I want to submit that security continued on page 2 Two arrested for harassing law students CHANDIGARH: The UT police have arrested two former PU students for harassing two law students on the campus. The police said the two first-year students were sitting on the stairs outside the UBS Department when the suspects riding a bike passed lewd comments and threatened them. A case under Sections 506 and 509 of the IPC has been registered at the Sector 11 police station. During investigation, Harinder Singh (28), a resident of Mullanpur, and Gagandeep Singh (28), a resident of Bathinda, were arrested and their bike seized. — TNS