15062026-CT-01.qxd 6/15/2026 1:08 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune 2 GANGSTERS, COP INJURED DURING EXCHANGE OF FIRE SD SCHOOL PUGILISTS WIN TROPHY AT STATE TOURNEY SHARVARI ON STARDOM AND STAYING GROUNDED The gangsters had opened fire on a police team during the recovery of arms in Fatehgarh Sahib. P2 The team representing the Sector 32 school claimed the top position by scoring eight points. P3 From Bunty Aur Babli 2to Main Vaapas Aaunga— actress’ journey takes a step with the Imtiaz Ali directorial. P4 » » PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 22°C YESTERDAY MAX 36.8°C | MIN 20.6°C SUNSET MONDAY 7:25 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:21 AM » MONDAY | 15 JUNE 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE City faces heightened threat from major Himalayan quake, warns study Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Ropar, June 14 Thousands of residential and commercial structures in Chandigarh and adjoining areas could suffer a severe damage during a major Himalayan earthquake, with local ground conditions intensifying tremors, according to a study. Conducted by researchers from the Central University of Himachal Pradesh, it warns that ageing buildings lacking earthquake-resistant features and rapidly growing stock of multi-storey structures requires closer scrutiny by planners and engineers. The researchers have called for the integration of scientific findings into urban planning and building regulations to reduce potential losses. Published in the Journal of Applied Geophysics, the study presents one of the AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 64 PANCHKULA 65 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 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 8.30 am to 11 am: Parts of Sector 35 10.30 am to 11.30am: All India Radio, Sec-34 11.30 am to 1.30pm: Parts of Sector 35 12 noon to 3pm: Parts of Sector 43 most detailed seismic micro-zonation assessments undertaken for Chandigarh. It combined advanced geophysical investigations with geotechnical studies to determine how different parts of the city are likely to behave during strong ground shaking. According to the researchers, Chandigarh’s location near the seismically active Himalayan belt, coupled with its underlying geology, makes it particularly vulnerable to earthquake hazards. While the city has largely escaped a major destruction in the past, the potential impact of future Himalayan earthquakes cannot be overlooked. The study states that many older two-storey buildings constructed using burnt brick masonry without adequate anti-seismic measures remain vulnerable to damage. At the same time, the city’s expanding skyline, marked by framed struc- Researchers say local ground conditions likely to amplify tremors The study calls for closer scrutiny of ageing buildings and rapidly growing stock of multi-storey structures in city and adjoining areas. tures and high-rise buildings of 10 to 15 storeys, underscores the importance of understanding site-specific seismic behaviour. The researchers said such information was essential for ensuring that future construction adhered to earthquake- resistant design principles. Prof AK Mahajan told The Tribune that the team carried out extensive field investigations between 2021 and 2023. Ambient noise measurements using the horizontalto-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) technique were con- ducted at 200 locations across Chandigarh. In addition, multiple simulations with one-receiver (MSoR) surveys were carried out at 40 sites. “A multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) was conducted at 16 sites, while five boreholes were drilled for a detailed geotechnical analysis,” he said. SOFT GROUND CONDITIONS Mahajan said the findings revealed that Chandigarh was largely underlain by soft alluvial deposits comprising clay, sand, gravel No breakthrough yet in Sec 11 murder case, police intensify hunt for accused Auto-rickshaw driver, garment shop owner rounded up for questioning sage on social media, warning of consequences of supporting the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. “We take the responsibility for the killing and those who won’t pick our calls will meet the same fate. Whosoever sits at Kumar Brother, be it a worker or anyone else, we are not bothered. If our demands are not met, we will do the same. In Chandigarh, whosoever pays money to Lawrence group, we will ensure the same with them,” said Goldy Dhillon. However, The Tribune cannot identify the authenticity of the audio. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 14 The three accused in the gruesome killing of a Sector 11 chemist shop employee remained at large more than 24 hours after the crime, even as the city police intensified efforts to trace them. Janki Das, a native of Rohru, was shot dead at point-blank range at Shri Kumar Medical Hall, Sector 11. He was rushed to the PostGraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), where doctors declared him dead. The accused, who reportedly arrived on a stolen bike bearing a Punjab number, had remained in the city after firing 13 bullets at the cashier before fleeing to a neighbouring state. Meanwhile, the police remained on alert, setting up several nakas across the city. On Sunday, the police took in possession the footage of several CCTV cameras and reconstructed their escape route. Last night, the police carried out an intensive checking across hotels in Kajheri village, and also got more pictures of the accused from the CCTVs installed in the vicinity. AUTOPSY CONDUCTED A CCTV grab of the suspects circulating online; and the police check a car at the entry to the Sector 11 market. PARDEEP TEWARI The police claimed to have gathered important clues. The police have also rounded-up some individuals. The photographs of the assailants have also been circulated widely on social media. The police are also questioning an auto-rickshaw driver and a garment shop owner. The auto-rickshaw driver allegedly took the suspects to Kajheri village, where they bought some clothes from a shop. “The accused committed the recce of the area twice, and stayed in a hotel the night before committing the crime. The police are working closely on the case,” said a police officer. They said the preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had visited two other chemist shops before arriving at the Sector 11 shop. After committing the crime, the accused drove towards Sector 3 before fleeing to Kajheri village. The accused reportedly stayed at a hotel the night before, and returned to gather their belongings. Hours after the killing, Canada-based gangster Goldy Dhillon claimed responsibility for the attack on a Facebook page. The post mentioned “Kumar brothers” as the target, whereas the firing took place at Shri Kumar Medical Hall, which leads to suspicion that the owners of the other shops may have been the actual target. GANG RELEASES NEW AUDIO On Sunday, the Goldy Dhillon gang released an audio mes- The victim’s post-mortem was conducted at the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16. Das sustained multiple gunshot injuries in the chest, abdomen and neck. Doctors found that several bullets had pierced through his body. “He had no enmity with anyone. If someone wanted to target him, they could have attacked him outside the shop,” said his wife Ina Machret, who was recently elected the pradhan of Dalgaon gram panchayat in Rohru subdivision of Shimla. She is currently working at the PGIMER. and silt, resting above deeper Shiwalik bedrock. “Such geological conditions can intensify earthquake shaking,” he added. The researchers found that the city’s fundamental frequency ranges from 0.84 to 1.09 Hz, while the site amplification factor varies between 2 and 3.5. This indicates that seismic waves reaching the surface could become two to threeand-a-half times stronger in certain areas because of local soil conditions. The study also estimated that the underlying bedrock lies at depths ranging from 160 to 200 metres, suggesting the presence of thick sedimentary deposits beneath the city. Based on measured shearwave velocities, Chandigarh was broadly classified under Soil Class C, representing relatively soft ground conditions that may experience enhanced shak- ing during earthquakes. SUBMITTED TO CENTRE Mahajan said previous seismic hazard assessments for Chandigarh were mostly based on regional studies and limited field data.“The latest investigation fills that gap by generating high-resolution maps depicting local variations in soil properties, amplification levels and expected seismic response. The study has been submitted to Union Government and Chandigarh administration for further action,” he said. The researchers said the findings could assist policymakers, architects, engineers and disaster management agencies in developing safer infrastructures. The researchers stressed that scientific inputs must become an integral part of development planning, ensuring that growth does not come at the cost of public safety. Awaiting MHA nod, UT defers auction of leasehold properties Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 14 The UT Administration will begin the e-auction of residential plots from June 27, while the sale of commercial and industrial properties has been put on hold pending approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the conversion of leasehold sites into freehold. Officials said the Administration had already identified a number of commercial properties for auction but decided not to proceed with it until the Centre approved its proposal to convert commercial and industrial properties from leasehold to freehold. Unlike residential properties in Chandigarh, which are freehold, commercial and industrial properties are allotted on a 99-year lease. According to experts, the system has adversely affected investor interests, with many businesses preferring to invest in neighbouring cities such as Panchkula and Mohali where commercial properties are available on a freehold basis. Traders in Chandigarh have also been demanding full ownership rights by paying the required conversion fee. Earlier, the Administration had planned to conduct simultaneous auctions of residential, Auction of 10 freehold residential plots from June 27 commercial and industrial properties every quarter. However, due to poor response to leasehold commercial properties and continuing uncertainty over the freehold proposal, the plan was revised. At present, commercial properties worth hundreds of crores are lying vacant in the city. Officials believe that the conversion to the freehold status would significantly enhance their marketability and attract greater investor participation. Meanwhile, the Estate Office has announced the eauction of 10 residential freehold plots located in Chandigarh. Interested applicants can submit their Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) and complete the application process by 5 pm on June 23. Only registered applicants will be eligible to participate in the bidding process. The online auction will be conducted from June 27 to 29. The plots are located in Sectors 15-B, 20, 21, 23, 27-D, 30-A, 37-A and 44-B, with sizes ranging from 100 to 502 square yards. The highest reserve prices continued on page 3 Two stabbed to death in Mohali Aerotropolis expansion project under HC scanner Tribune News Service Mohali, June 14 Two persons were stabbed to death in Mohali district in separate instances, the police said on Sunday. The victims included a 17year-old youth, who was stabbed to death near the Badali village bus stand in Kharar on Sunday afternoon. The deceased, identified as Sunny, lived in Badali village and worked at a grocery store. Following the incident, onlookers apprehended the accused youth and handed him over to the police. Sunny was working at the shop till noon. During that time, two youths took him away. Shortly afterward, he got into an argument with an acquaintance near the bus stand. As the argument escalated, the accused allegedly attacked him with a knife, the police said. Seriously injured, Sunny collapsed on the roadside. Locals took him to a hospital, but he died on the way. Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased and the accused had previously worked together. The accused claimed innocence, claiming the knife attack was accidental. The body has been sent for a postmortem examination. In another incident, a bloodsoaked body of a 25-year-old man was found in a forest area in Jhampur on Saturday night. The deceased was iden- tified as Deepak, a resident of Maloya. He had a stab wound on his chest. The body was found on a dirt road connecting Maloya Satsang Bhavan to Jhampur. A motorcycle was recovered from the spot. Initial investigation has revealed that Deepak had come to meet some friends. They were sitting under a tree, eating and drinking, when a dispute took place, the police suspected. However, the police have not yet officially confirmed this. According to sources, the deceased’s younger brother had a fight with some youths some time ago. The police have recovered a blood-stained knife from the spot. Court issues notice to Punjab on affected landowners’ plea, stays passing of acquisition award Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 14 The acquisition of land for the Aerotropolis/Aerocity expansion project in Mohali has come under judicial scrutiny, with the High Court here issuing a notice of motion to Punjab in a fresh challenge mounted by affected landowners. The Bench has also extended to them an earlier interim order staying the passing of the award in the land acquisition matter. The Division Bench of Justice Sandeep Moudgil and Justice Rohit Kapoor was hearing a petition filed against the state and other respondents by Jarnail Singh and other petitioners. c m y b QUASHING OF PROCEEDINGS SOUGHT ■ The petitioners sought the quashing of the acquisition proceedings ■ They said that the social impact assessment was not conducted ■ They said objections filed by landowners were also not considered ■ The Bench ordered that the matter be heard on October 1 They had challenged notifications dated December 9, 2025, and March 24 under the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The petitioners, through counsels Gaurav Datta, Srishti S Sharma and Anushka Gupta, were seeking the quashing of the acquisition proceedings on the ground that the mandatory social impact assessment was not conducted and that objections filed by affected landowners under Section 15 of the 2013 Act were not considered. Appearing for the state, Additional Advocate-General Satjot Singh Chahal accepted the notice. The Bench ordered that the matter be heard along with a related petition on Octo- ber 1 before directing that the interim order passed in the connected matter would operate in the present case as well. Acting on a connected petition filed by Abhinav Bindra and another petitioner, the Division Bench of Justice Alka Sarin and Justice Ramesh Chander Dimri had earlier issued a notice of motion and directed, “Meanwhile passing of the award qua the petitioners shall remain stayed.” By directing that the interim order in the connected matter would apply to the present petition as well, the Bench headed by Justice Moudgil extended the same protection to the petitioners before it, making it clear that the award could not be passed against them pending further consideration of their challenge. The High Court has directed that “passing of the award qua the petitioners shall remain stayed”. In simple terms, the state cannot issue the land acquisition award regarding the petitioner-landowners while the case remains pending. An award in land acquisition proceedings is a formal, binding document that determines the true market value of the land, the final compensation, solatium, and its proper apportionment among the interested continued on page 3