17092026-CT-01.qxd 9/17/2026 12:37 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune ‘TUESDAY GANG’ BUSTED; 3 HELD WITH JEWELLERY RESIDENTS RESENT INACTION OVER ENCROACHMENTS CHANDIGARH TO MUMBAI — SUCHI BIRGI CHASES DREAMS Three-member inter-state gang of burglars targeted houses on Tuesday nights. P3 Encroachments on government land and public spaces across the city have left residents fuming. P3 From being part of Bareilly Ke Bacchanon Colors TV to working on a SonyLIV series, Suchi Birgi has come a long way. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 57 PANCHKULA 62 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD Racket linked to fake call centres involved in duping US citizens Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 34, 56 and Ram Darbar Mohali: Sec 88 and Phase 8 Please send information about events in Tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 10 am to 2 pm: Parts of Sectors 42, 50, 52, 61, Khudha Jassu village, Dadumajra, Kajheri, Dhanas 2 pm to 5.30 pm: Sectors 50, 52, 61, Halomajra, Dadumajra, Kajheri, flats in Dhanas, DRDO flats in Sector 42 Mohali, September 16 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted search and seizure operations at several business and residential premises in Mohali, Dera Bassi and Patiala on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as part of a money laundering investigation into fake call centres. These centres were allegedly involved in duping US citizens. In a statement issued later, the federal agency said it had seized 66 mobile phones, 13 laptops, hard disks, cash and bags containing documents from four premises in Sector 82, Mohali, besides locations in Patiala and Pune. In Sector 82, ED officials, accompanied by CRPF personnel, arrived at the residence of a local businessman around 8.30 pm on Tuesday and continued the search until around 10 am on Wednesday. Sources said the house had been rented out and two individuals were questioned during the operation. Six ED officials were seen leaving The house at Sector 82, Mohali, which was raided by the ED on Tuesday night. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY the house with two sealed bags and a laptop. Two persons subsequently came out of the house and left on a Gujarat-registered motorcycle and in a luxury car. A businessman from Mehsana, Gujarat, who is said to own a nightclub in Sector 26, was the focus of the ED probe at the premises, sources said. Neighbours said they were unaware of the background of the individuals, adding that they visited the premises intermittently. The ED said it was examining “the calling campaigns, scripts, dialler and VoIPbased systems, victim-related data, payment channels, the persons managing and controlling the operations, as well as the flow of funds generated through the alleged activities of the call centres”. Over the past five years, the local police have busted several fake call centres operating from industrial and residential c m y b areas in Mohali and allegedly targeting US citizens. The police have repeatedly stated that victims were duped through bulk spam emails. Fake call centre crackdowns May 2024: The police arrested 155 call-centre employees during a nightlong raid in Sector 74. They seized 79 desktop computers, 204 laptops and several mobile phones. The employees were allegedly Continued on page 2 MAX 33°C | MIN 22°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 21.6°C SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.08 AM /THETRIBUNECHD ED raids Sec 82 house in money laundering case PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET THURSDAY 6.25 PM » THURSDAY | 17 SEPTEMBER 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE CHB approves need-based changes, lifts in dwelling units 25K pending notices over alterations turn infructuous Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 16 The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) Board of Directors today approved regularisation of need-based changes in independent houses and cleared installation of lifts in dwelling units. The decision would benefit over 1.5 lakh residents living in 35,000 independent houses and flats of the CHB across the city. The meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad and all members of the Board were present. With over 25,000 notices for violations relating to needbased changes presently pending against allottees, sources said these notices would become infructuous with today’s decision. The CHB approved the recommendations and first report of the committee constituted for need-based changes in independent houses, with one modification. Alteration of existing dwelling units has been permitted for all independent houses, with development control norms applicable to marla houses under the Chandigarh Building Rules (CBR), 2017, to apply at the Houses with need-based changes at Sector 39. PARDEEP TEWARI CHB DECISIONS AT A GLANCE ■ Independent houses: ■ Beneficiaries: 1.5 lakh Alterations permitted; exceeded ground coverage/FAR under earlier need-based orders to be retained ■ Lifts: Permitted in all CHB dwelling units residents living in 35,000 independent houses, flats ■ Also cleared: SOPs for SelfCertification Scheme; rooftop solar plants under PM Surya Ghar scheme time of seeking permission. Significantly, where allottees have already carried out construction exceeding the ground coverage and permitted floor area ratio (FAR) under the CBR, but within limits allowed by earlier need-based change orders issued by the CHB from time to time, they will now be permitted to retain such construction at the time of seeking permission for alteration. The Board also approved the second report of the commit- tee on installation of lifts in CHB dwelling units without any modification. The Board also approved the standard operating procedure (SOP) for approval of building plans under the self-certification scheme and issuance of completion certificates, along with installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic systems, requiring no prior CHB approval or NOC. The solar plants are installed under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana through CREST.