13032025-CT-01.qxd 3/13/2025 12:39 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CHD UNIVERSITY SHINES IN QS WORLD VARSITY RANKINGS MAN GETS 20-YEAR RI FOR RAPING MINOR GIRL The court also imposed ~60K fine on convict in the 2021 case. The crime took place near Ram Darbar. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 14.8°C NAVNEET READY TO MENTOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Secures good rankings in five subjects, while Chitkara University excells in two in QS rankings. P3 FORECAST Once a reigning beauty queen & now a powerhouse entrepreneur, she is proving that success knows no limits. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDY 6.29 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.35 AM » THURSDAY | 13 MARCH 2025 | CHANDIGARH /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Have advanced skill set: Murmu to students WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Tree Walk: At Rose Garden, Sector 16, March 16, from 8:30 am onwards, limited seats, registration is free for all, but compulsory. Contact: chandigarhtreelovers@gmail.com Ran Prayog: Play “Adi Vikramaditya” to be staged, main auditorium, Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, March 12 (6:30 pm) Exhibition: ‘Writing in French – A world of voices’, Alliance Française, Sector 36, March 13 to 31 (9 am to 6 pm) APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 29, 56 and Dhanas Panchkula: Sector 15 Mohali: Sector 71 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com PU CONVOCATIONTerms 80% females on achiever list an example of women empowerment Mohali, March 12 The police have arrested two persons, including a Punjab Police cop, and booked another for extortion and kidnapping of a Sector 77 clinic owner. Babbanjeet Singh of 3rd Commando Battalion, a Moga resident, is posted as a gunman of a retired bureaucrat. His accomplice, Abohar native Manpreet Sandhu has also been arrested, while coaccused Jind Sandhu is absconding. This is the second case in Mohali in the past 10 days where cops extorted money from medics by threatening them with implication in NDPS Tribune News Service Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 12 President Droupadi Murmu has highlighted the change in trend brought by women in various fields, including education. She was addressing the gathering at the 72nd Panjab University convocation featuring the traditional attire as dress code replacing the robes today. Murmu is the first female President to address a PU convocation. Her address in Hindi, which lasted 9 minutes and 48 seconds, was the shortest among the speeches delivered by five former Presidents and dignitaries presiding over the PU convocation in the past. The, event, which was held at the gymnasium hall, saw 679 women, out of a total of 872 students, being awarded degrees or medals. “I have been informed that the ratio of students (male and female) studying in this university is almost equal. However, there are over 80 per cent female toppers in the achiever’s list today. I congratulate all toppers, especially the female achievers. The achievement is a clear example of women empowerment, as they have a lot to contribute towards the development and uplifting of President Droupadi Murmu presents Kala Ratna Award to singer Dr Jaspinder Narula at the 72nd PU convocation on Wednesday. (From right) Punjab and Haryana Governors Gulab Chand Kataria and Bandaru Dattatreya, respectively; Punjab and Haryana CMs Bhagwant Mann and Nayab Singh Saini, respectively; Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney and VC Renu Vig are also seen on the dais. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR the society,” said the President. She also advised the authorities to focus on developing university-industry linkage and future-readiness. “The university should work more in such areas to nurture the institution’s 140-year-old history. The focus should not be only on making students capable of getting jobs in var- Another Punjab Police cop held for extortion Tribune News Service Parking scuffle claims life of researcher PREVIOUS CASE Constable Jasbir Singh Sandhu, posted in the PCR wing, and two others were held for extorting money from a chemist at gunpoint in Kharar on Sunday. Sandhu and his aide, Uday Pratap, a resident of Kharar, had demanded Rs 1 lakh from the chemist by threatening him with implication in a false NDPS Act case. cases during the ongoing Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign. The DSP (City 2), Harsimran Singh Bal, said Raman Kumar, owner of a clinic in Sohana village, had complained that two persons came to his clinic on March 8 afternoon and placed drugs in his shop. Later, both came wearing Punjab Police uniform, and introduced themselves as CIA Staff personnel. They threatened him with implication in an NDPS case and allegedly took his phone along with Rs 30,000 from the cash box. The two policemen forced him to sit in a car and allegedly demanded Rs 2 lakh for releasing him. A sum of Rs 42,500 was transferred to the UPI account of Jind Sandhu. Bal said the absconding accused would be arrested soon. A case of extortion, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy and theft has been registered at the Sohana police station. ious fields but also to make them capable of tackling life’s challenges. The coming future will be very competitive, and the competition of achieving the best will be at peak. So, it’s important for students to have a positive mindset and advanced skillset,” she said, while stressing the importance of emerging technologies. “You are lucky to be a part of this university, which has produced many laureates, India’s president and prime minister and other well-known personalities. I hope you carry forward the legacy of such humans from the university, who have given their best for a better continued on page 3 Mohali, March 12 A researcher of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IISER) here died in a parking-related brawl with a neighbour in Sector 67 last night. The police said the victim, Dr Abhishek Swarnkar (40) was about to park his bike when his neighbour Monty objected to it. Soon, a scuffle ensued and Monty allegedly pinned Abhishek to the ground, punched and kicked him in the chest and stomach. The victim was reportedly suffering from a kidney problem and undergoing dialysis. Locals gathered at the spot, after which the suspect put him in his SUV and took him to the nearby private hospital. However, the doctors declared him dead on arrival. On a complaint filed by the deceased’s father, a case has been registered at the Phase continued on page 3 FIRST EVENT WITHOUT SENATE For the first time in the history of the university, the convocation was held in the absence of a proper Senate or Syndicate — the university’s governing body. The term of the last senate ended in October and no dates for fresh elections have been issued by the authorities since then. The issue, which was a ‘hot topic’ among various political groups till last December, didn’t find any mention ahead of the President’s visit and no former officebearer raised it with the authorities or in the media. The Senate comprises 91 members. Deceased Abhishek Swarnkar Woman cop found dead in vehicle Tribune News Service Panchkula, March 12 A Chandigarh Police constable, Sapna, was found dead in her car near Mansa Devi Temple here on Tuesday. Her brother, Gaurav, has filed a case against his brother-in-law. He has stated in the complaint that his elder sister Sapna was married in 2014 to Parvinder, a resident of Goria village, Jhajjar district. Parvinder, who is in the Army, and Sapna have a sixyear-old daughter. There had been frequent disputes between the two and Parvinder used to harass her, he alleged. His brother-in-law, who was addicted to drugs, had attempted suicide in continued on page 3 Wishes HAPPY HOLI Jutting-out wall not part ofRock Garden, UT Admn informs High Court Says it serves as a divider between forest area and court complex Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 12 The UT Administration has informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the jutting-out portion of the boundary wall causing a traffic bottleneck near the High Court premises is not part of the Rock Garden. Instead, it serves as a divider between the forest area and the court complex. Appearing before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel, UT senior standing counsel Amit Jhanji referred to a boundary map while informing the court that the wall would be demolished and straightened to create additional parking space Demolition of the wall underway at Rock Garden. FILE PHOTO by April 30. The submissions came during the hearing of a public interest litigation on the holistic development plan of the court complex. The petition’s scope, over a period of time, expanded to include issues such as the shortage of parking for lawyers and litigants, restricted entry and exit points, and the need for additional space by shifting certain court branches to Sector 17, Chandigarh. The Bench “disposed of” intervention plea by two citizens, Trilochan Singh Anand and Pallav Mukherjee. The court observed the applicants were desirous to widen the PIL’s scope by including issues of urban planning and ecological conservation in Chandigarh, “which cannot be permitted, especially qua an intervener”. “Trilochan Singh Anand and Pallav Mukherjee, who are respectable citizens of Chandigarh, are at liberty to approach this court by filing a separate petition making their prayer based on specific and relevant pleadings,” the Bench observed. The Bench also took note of an affidavit by Deputy Conservator of Forests, Navneet continued on page 3 c m y b UPTO * 30% ON ALL DIAMOND JEWELLERY T&C Apply* VENUE - JEWELLERY WALK, SECTOR 17C, CHANDIGARH PHONE NO - 887 233 1111