10032025-CT-01.qxd 3/10/2025 12:16 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune FANS CELEBRATE INDIA’S CHAMPIONS TROPHY TRIUMPH PU WOMEN CAGERS END 11-YEAR MEDAL DROUGHT Women’s basketball team claim second position in the North Zone Inter-University Championship. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 30°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 29.9°C | MIN 10.9°C AMAR SINGH CHAMKILAEXCELS AT IIFA DIGITAL AWARDS 2025 People started bursting crackers on the streets as soon as Jadeja hit the winning four. P3 FORECAST Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila and third season of web series Panchayat emerged as the top winners. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 6.27 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.37 AM » MONDAY | 10 MARCH 2025 | CHANDIGARH /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Music producer held Admn razes Rock Garden wall after singer Sunanda claims fraud, duress Sheetal Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH ‘Exploited’ by Dhaliwal over marriage promise with son Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Just-a-Scapes: Exhibition of digital photomontages by Shankar S, Art gallery, Alliance Francaise, Sector 36, on till March 10 (9 am to 1 pm, 2 pm to 7 pm) Mega Trade Fair: Parade Ground, Sector 17, on till March 10 (11 am to 9 pm) Rang Prayog: By Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi, play ‘Mitran Ki Kahani’ to be staged on March 10, main auditorium, Tagore Theatre, 6:30 pm APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 and 45, and Maloya Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Mohali: Phase V Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF MAN ARRESTED FOR THEFT BID Mohali, March 9 Punjabi music producer Pushpinder Dhaliwal has been arrested after singer and actress Sunanda Sharma filed a cheating, forgery, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation complaint against him. Sunanda alleged her songs fetched Rs 250 crore, but she got no direct payments over the years, and “defamatory conduct has caused her severe financial loss”. In her complaint lodged with the Mohali police, she also alleged that Pushpinder Dhaliwal, also known as Pinky Dhaliwal, exploited her on the pretext of marrying his son Gurkaran Dhaliwal with her. Dhaliwal was arrested from Sector 70 on Saturday. He was sitting on the front seat of a police vehicle while being taken to the court. Two Mataur police station officials were sitting on the back seat. When mediapersons approached Dhaliwal, he reportedly said, “Jadon kisi bachche no roti paaogey, tan aaei kuch hoyga.” He added: “The whole Punjabi music industry knows about it.” The court sent Dhaliwal to two-day police remand. “He consistently forced me to perform at various events, concerts and other professional engagements without providing me compensation... The accused has made The police arrest Pushpinder Dhaliwal in Mohali on Saturday. HER POST ON ‘X’ PLATFORM The 33-year-old singer and actress posted on the “X” platform: “This is to inform the public, business associates, and all concerned parties that certain individuals/entities are falsely claiming to have exclusive rights over my professional engagements and misleading third parties into believing that I am contractually bound to them. These claims are completely false, fraudulent, unauthorized, and legally baseless. Legal action will be taken against anyone found misrepresenting their association with me or attempting to interfere with my professional engagements.” considerable personal wealth by financially exploiting me... Recover my passport, identification documents... Provide me protection against further harassment,” the FIR read. A case under Sections 406, 420, 465, 467, 468, 341, 500 and 506 of the IPC was registered at the Mataur police station yesterday. Punjab Women’s Commission chairperson Raj Lalli Gill took up Sunanda’s case after she posted her ordeal on the social media. She has also tagged Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in her post. Gill said two-three more persons are in touch with her to expose people of the music industry. Sunanda, best known for songs “Patake”, “Morni”, “Sandal”, “Jaani Tera Naa” and “Duji Vaar Pyar”, has alleged that the music company ‘Mad4Music’ has been withholding her dues for years and kept bonded her to continued on page 2 Red Saree Run Three arrested for robbery Chandigarh: The police have arrested a man for damaging an ATM in a bid to steal money. Sumit Thukral complained that on the night of March 7, an unidentified man tried to steal cash from an ATM machine in the Motor Market, Mani Majra. The police registered a case and arrested 21-year-old Neeraj, a Mauli Jagran resident, during the investigation. TNS ONE HELD WITH 49 GRAM HEROIN Chandigarh: The police have arrested a man with 49 gram heroin. The suspect, identified as Narinder Kumar, alias Aman of Mauli Complex, was arrested in Sector 48. The police have registered an NDPS Act case at the Sector 49 police station. TNS Chandigarh, March 9 The UT Administration demolished a section of the Rock Garden wall last night amid opposition by local residents and environmental activists. Videos of the wall and the entrance structure being pulled down at night surfaced on the social media soon after the demolition. The work continued till afternoon. Residents have termed the administration’s plans to widen a road near the Rock Garden and create additional parking space for visitors to the High Court as an attack on the city’s cultural and ecological heritage. The Saving Chandigarh group has pointed out major discrepancies in the parking space plans of the Administration. According to them, the drawings approved by the Department of Environment initially indicated that only a narrow strip of land aligned with the existing Rock Garden wall would be diverted from forest to non-forest use. However, the actual work at the site follows a different plan issued in October 2024 by the Chief Architect’s office, involving a significant land expansion and a straightened road, necessitating a large-scale demolition than what was sanctioned originally. The activists also highlighted the absence of an environmental impact assessment (EIA), a legal requirement for such large-scale modifications. They have called for an immediate on-site survey by the Forest Department to assess the number of trees cut or damaged due to the road-widening work. Environmentalists, architects and residents have expressed anguish over the Women take part in the 8th Red Saree Run to mark Women’s Day on Sunday. PRADEEP TEWARI Chandigarh, March 9 The UT police have arrested three persons for robbing a youth in Sector 44. Gayni (18), a resided of Ludhiana, had reported that on March 8, he was walking to his uncle’s house in Jagatpura. When he reached Sector 44, three persons robbed him of his mobile phone and cash near the forest area. One of them threatened him with a sharp weapon. The police registered a case at the Sector 34 police station and later arrested three suspects near the Labour Chowk, Sector 44. They have been identified as Vikramjit, alias Vicky of Sector 45; Om Parkash, alias Omi of Sector 32; and Kishan Kumar of Dhanas. The police recovered the phone and cash was from them. — TNS Ayushman medicine scam unearthed at PGI Perpetrators of multi-crore racket had access to patient data of various departments Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 9 A racket involving misappropriation of medicines meant for patients under the Ayushman Bharat cashless scheme has been unearthed at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). The scam, allegedly spanning multiple states, is under investigation. On February 18, the PGIMER security staff caught a youth attempting to claim Rs 60,000 worth of medicines from AMRIT Pharmacy using a fake stamp. After the interrogation of the accused, officials recovered an indent book from the Department of Urology and eight counterfeit stamps belonging to various departments of the PGIMER. The police found that the accused was getting instructions from a handler in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, who had been using forged documents to fraudulently obtain medicines worth crores under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. These medicines were then allegedly sold to private medical stores. The perpetrators also had access to patient data of the PGIMER, raising concerns about data security and misuse. The PGIMER and the AMRIT Pharmacy lodged a complaint with the police. They also formed an internal committee to investigate the scam and recommend preventive measures. To safeguard the integrity of its healthcare services, the institute has made several reforms. The PGIMER is now transitioning to a ‘secure online indenting system’, replacing the manual process to prevent further misuse of medicines under the scheme. The computer section, in collaboration with the internal committee, has developed an c m y b online solution that will be integrated with the existing Hospital Information System (HIS 1) within a week. A dedicated service area outside the Emergency has been allocated for the AMRIT Pharmacy exclusively for the cashless scheme beneficiaries. To further enhance services, the authorities are working to increase staffing to ensure timely delivery of medications and implants directly to patients at their bedside. Machines dismantle a wall of the Rock Garden in Chandigarh on Sunday. PHOTOS: PRADEEP TEWARI MATERIAL COLLECTED BY NEK CHAND DAMAGED Activist RK Garg has raised concerns over the neglect of raw materials collected by Nek Chand for Phase III of the Rock Garden. In a letter to the Engineering Department, he highlighted that a large quantity of broken artistic pieces and tube lights lie scattered along the pathway near the entrance. Some of the material got buried under the rubble due to the ongoing construction work. Garg has urged the administration to shift this material to a secure facility. GREEN LOSS The demolition of the Rock Garden wall has led to significant environmental damage, as revealed in the Enumeration List of Trees report. This official inspection document identifies a total of 50 fully grown trees, including species such as leucaena leucocephala (lehsuniaya), prosopis juliflora (mesquite), senegalia catechu (khair) and vachellia nilotica (babool), which are being felled to make space for road-widening and additional parking. Environmental activists said this large-scale deforestation contradicted Chandigarh’s green vision and threatened biodiversity. alleged unilateral decision by the Administration. Samita Kaur, an environmentalist, said: “Many people are justifying this act by calling it the DEMAND FOR ACCOUNTABILITY Members of an action group, called the citizens’ movement, have demanded accountability from both the Chief Architect and the Chief Engineer for their roles in approving and executing the demolition plans allegedly in violation of the city’s Master Plan, which explicitly protects green spaces. removal of ‘just a wall”. But why were alternative solutions not explored? This wall bore the signature of the great artist Nek Chand. It wasn’t just a structure — it was a piece of his creativity and legacy. Today, that artistic marvel has been reduced continued on page 2