24082026-CT-01.qxd 8/24/2026 12:32 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune ALLIANCE TALKS FOR PU POLLS GAIN MOMENTUM AYESHA, ABHINAV EMERGE WINNERS IN CARROM MEET ACTOR BOBBY DEOL BREAKS THE VILLAIN MOULD Regional groups representing students of Haryana, HP and Punjab are yet to reveal their cards. P3 Ayesha wins the girls’ junior final by defeating Aashia in straight games 20-0, 21-0. P3 The actor says he is seeking diverse roles to move beyond his image of antagonist. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 34 PANCHKULA 52 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 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 9 am to 2.30 pm: Parts of Sector 37, waterworks, telephone exchange 10.30 am to 2.30 pm: Kishangarh, Bhagwanpura 10.30 am to 3.30 pm: Sector 41, Badheri, Buterla 3 pm to 4 pm: Sector 33 Mohali, August 23 Residents of Jagatpura, near Phase 11, have been facing severe hardship for the past three days due to a disruption in electricity supply. They said the power outage had also affected the water supply in the area. The residents said meeting basic daily needs had become difficult. Women claimed they had to fetch buckets of water from a dis- FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE IED concealed in tiffin box found near Sectorrecovered; 3 held 43 ISBT Weapon, 5 kg gelatin sticks, detonator High Court quashes UT police rule providing three categories for constable promotions Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 23 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has set aside the June 18, 2021, notification amending Rule 13.7 of the Punjab Police Rules, 1934, which provided for promotion of constables to the post of Head Constable through three categories — 70 per cent on seniority-cum-merit, 25 per cent through the “B-1” Test and 5 per cent from outstanding sportspersons according to their date of appointment. The Division Bench of Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi and Justice Amarinder Singh Grewal allowed two writ petitions challenging the April 2 order of the Central Administrative Tribunal, Chandigarh Bench, which had upheld the notification. Going into the background of the matter, the Bench observed that the Police Act, 1861, was adopted by the State of Punjab and 1934 Rules were framed under it. The Act continued to operate till 2007 when Punjab decided to frame its own Punjab Police Act 2007. The Bench added that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs adopted the notification Chandigarh, August 23 The UT police recovered an inactive improvised explosive device (IED), concealed in a tiffin box inside a bag, from a forested area near the Sector 43 ISBT today. Three persons, including two teenagers, have been arrested, police sources said. The suspects, one from Amritsar and two from Tarn Taran, were arrested by the Sector 36 police. A weapon, 5kg gelatin sticks and a detonator were recovered from the bag, said the sources. Acting on a tip-off, the police launched a search operation in the area and spotted the unattended bag lying inside the forested patch. The recovery assumes significance as the Sector 43 area houses the ISBT, District Courts Complex and residential areas. Soon after the bag was found, senior police officials, along with personnel from a bomb disposal squad, dog squad and forensic teams, reached the spot and cordoned off the area. The IED was safely recovered and tak- CRPF personnel inspect the spot near the ISBT-43 where the IED was found. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY en into custody. A search of the surrounding area continued for nearly two hours. “Acting on secret information, the police launched a search operation and found a bag containing an IED (tiffin bomb) placed inside the jungle. Three accused have been arrested by teams of the Sector 36 police station,” a police source said. The police have not yet disclosed the identities of tant location for cooking, while there was not enough water even for drinking. Former Mohali Mayor Amarjit Sidhu said a large number of residents in the area earned their livelihood through daily-wage work. The lack of basic facilities such as electricity and water had made their lives extremely difficult, he said. “Residents are struggling with everything from bathing and cooking to arranging drinking water,” Sidhu said. He said, according to residents, several transformers were faulty, while officials of the Electricity Department had cited a shortage of staff. Sidhu urged the Punjab Government and the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd to immediately resolve the electricity and water supply problems in Jagatpura and ensure that the necessary infrastructure, including faulty transformers, was repaired or replaced. the suspects. An investigating officer said the IED was found near a drain and it was possible that the suspects had tried to mark the location. “The exact reason for keeping the IED there will be known only after interrogation of the arrested persons,” the officer said. The IED was found to be inactive and no other explosive material or suspicious object was recovered during the Mohali, August 23 The Kharar police have arrested the main accused, Sartaj Singh, in the Kumbhra school headmaster murder case from the Delhi airport. Following the incident on August 5, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against Sartaj after the police received information that he was allegedly trying to flee to Canada. The Delhi airport authorities detained Sartaj late on Friday evening. A Kharar Continued on page 3 Bids invited for 10 parking zones; farmers, traders exempt from fee Tribune News Service PHOTO PARDEEP TEWARI SEPARATE SPACES FOR VEHICLES ■ Separate spaces will be provided for two-wheelers, non-commercial cars, trucks and tractor-trailers ■ A four-hour parking fee of ~10 has been proposed for twowheelers, with a monthly pass costing ~150 ■ For non-commercial four9 tonnes. Separate parking zones will also be provided for trucks and tractor-trailers used by farmers. A four-hour parking fee of Rs 10 has been proposed for two-wheelers, with a monthly pass costing Rs 150. For non-commercial four-wheelers, the 12-hour fee will be Rs 20, while the monthly wheelers, the 12-hour fee will be ~20, while the monthly pass will cost ~300 ■ Payment facility through UPI, debit and credit cards, and digital wallets will be mandatory ■ A fine of up to ~10,000 may be imposed for the first violation pass will cost Rs 300. The four-hour fee for commercial vehicles up to three tonnes will be Rs 20, with a day pass costing Rs 50. The 24-hour fee for vehicles weighing between 3 and 9 tonnes will be Rs 135, while a day pass will cost Rs 150. A one-time entry fee of Rs 180 has been proposed for search, the officer said. An FIR has been registered at the Sector 36 police station and the police are investigating how the device was brought to Chandigarh and whether the suspects had any local links. The recovery prompted heightened security around the Sector 43 ISBT, with security agencies put on alert. Personnel from the CRPF and other security agencies also reached the spot. Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service issued by the State of Punjab vide notification dated March 29, 2010. The notification substituted “Administrator” and “Union Territory of Chandigarh” for “State Government” and related expressions in the 2007 Act. The court observed that the 2007 Act was, thereby, made applicable to Chandigarh “in toto including Section 84 of 2007 Act, according to which, the applicability of the 1861 Act, stood withdrawn.” The Bench, in its detailed order, observed that Rule 13.7 of the Punjab Police Rules 1934, was amended by Punjab Police (Chandigarh Amendment) Rules 2021, vide notification dated June 18, 2021. It was amended to declare that 70 per cent of the constables would be considered for further promotion on the basis of seniority-cummerit and 25 per cent would be selected through ‘B-1 Test’. The remaining 5 per cent would be considered for promotion from the outstanding sports persons according to their date of appointment as constable. The Bench further observed that notification dated June 18, 2021, was impugned by the petitioners before the Central Administrative Tribunal on the ground that the amendment was carried out by seeking power under Section 46 of the Police Act 1861, “which Act no longer existed on the said date”. As such, any amendment by exercising power under the 1861 Act was incorrect The Bench observed: “Once the 1861 Act was not applicable as on June 18, 2021, keeping in view the notification by the UT Chandigarh dated March 29, 2010, no provisions of the 1861 Act could be utilised to amend the Punjab Police Rules 1934. Hence, the amendment of 2021 issued by the Chandigarh Administration on June 18, 2021, to amend Rule 13.7 of the Punjab Police Rules 1934 while exercising powers under the 1861 Act was wrongly used as the same did not exist on the day when the said amendment was brought into operation”. The Bench further observed there was no power with the UT to amend the 1934 Rules. “The proper way of introducing an amendment was required to be followed as per the provision of Section 80 of the 2007 Act,” the court observed. Keeping in view the totality of the circumstances, the Continued on page 3 Murder case accused held at Delhi airport UTtoreintroducepaidparkingatSec26mandi Chandigarh, August 23 The Chandigarh Market Committee has decided to reintroduce paid parking at the Sector 26 mandi after a gap of nearly four years, aiming to curb haphazard parking and frequent traffic jams in the area. The committee has invited e-tenders from eligible firms, contractors, agencies, companies and individuals for the operation and management of the paid parking lots. According to officials, bids have been invited for 10 parking zones. With a reserve price of Rs 1 crore per year, the contract will be awarded for two years and can be extended up to a maximum of four years. The bid amount will increase by 20 per cent in the third year and by another 20 per cent, based on the third-year amount, in the fourth year. The parking zones have been designated according to the type of vehicle. Separate spaces will be provided for two-wheelers, non-commercial cars, commercial vehicles up to three tonnes, and vehicles weighing between 3 and MAX 36°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 34.1°C | MIN 25.4°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 5.55 AM /THETRIBUNECHD 3 days without power, residents of Jagatpura struggle for water Tribune News Service PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET MONDAY 6.54 PM » MONDAY | 24 AUGUST 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST vehicles weighing more than 9 tonnes. In a relief to farmers, no parking fee will be charged for their tractor-trailers. Mandi shopkeepers will also be allowed to park their personal vehicles free of charge. A digital system will be implemented for parking management. A slip will be issued at the entrance, while the fee will be collected at the exit. Payment facility through UPI, debit and credit cards, and digital wallets will be mandatory. Officials said CCTV cameras would have to be installed at all parking lots, with recordings maintained for three months. A fine of up to Rs 10,000 may be imposed for the first violation. In case of repeated violations, action may also be taken to terminate the contract. The tender also takes into account the possibility of shifting the mandi to Sector 39. If the market is shifted during the contract period, the contractor will be allowed to surrender the contract without penalty or other action. c m y b Grand Opening in Chandigarh Kerovit Experience Centre SCO- 45, 46, 47, Sector 17A Aug 2026 th 24