News / Author / Nikhil Sharma

Nikhil Sharma

Nikhil Sharma is a staff reporter who covers Faridkot district in the Mansa region of Punjab.

Articles by Nikhil Sharma

Pastor Bajinder sentenced for life in Zirakpur rape case

Additional district and sessions judge Vikrant Kumar pronounced the judgment as Bajinder, who runs the Church of Glory and Wisdom in Mohali, was brought from Patiala jail and produced before him amid tight security.

(HT FilA Mohali court on Tuesday sentenced self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh, 42, to life imprisonment until death in a rape case registered against him in Zirakpur in 2018.e)

Chandigarh

Published on Apr 02, 2025 07:24 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Punjab: Pastor Bajinder gets life imprisonment till death in Zirakpur rape case

Life imprisonment till death signifies a life sentence with no possibility of parole or release, meaning the individual will remain incarcerated until natural death.

Self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh (wearing cap) being whisked away by Punjab Police personnel after he was sentenced to life imprisonment till death by a Mohali court on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Updated on Apr 01, 2025 12:08 PM IST

ByNikhil Sharma

Mohali: 2 excise officers, steel industrialist awarded three-yr RI for tax fraud

As per the Vigilance Bureau’s report, Vikas Mittal of Bishan Nagar, Patiala, by forging and fabricating documents, had moved an application at the office of the excise and taxation department, Mandi Gobindgarh, for the registration and issuance of Sales Tax Number and TIN for the said form

While one official failed to catch fake documents provided by the industrialist, another took no steps to recover due tax. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Chandigarh

Published on Apr 01, 2025 07:38 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Panjab University scholar among 3 killed in late-night Mohali crash

Though Mohali police have yet to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident, they have registered a case against an unidentified vehicle driver for causing it

The mangled remains of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga that met with an accident near Boothgarh light point on Siswan road in Mohali on Sunday night. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Apr 01, 2025 07:22 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma

₹100-crore Zirakpur land grab case: Trial against 16 to begin on May 5

A special CBI court accepted the investigation report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the probe from Mohali police following allegations of fraud and forgery.

Three public servants are among the 16 accused, including DSP Kuljinder Singh, retired tehsildar Harminder Singh Sidhu and retired sub-registrar Kuldeep Singh. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 31, 2025 08:40 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

2007 Moga sex scandal: SSP, SP among 4 cops convicted

CBI public prosecutor Anmol Narang said: “The court will now pronounce the quantum of sentence against the four cops on April 4.”

The accused cops in special CBI court in Mohali. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 30, 2025 08:06 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Mohali MC eyes higher property tax revenue in ₹211-crore budget

Parminder Pal Singh, the MC commissioner, said the civic body was aiming to generate over ₹70 crore by conducting a detailed property survey; using the Government of India’s “e-Naksha” scheme, drone images will map the area, allowing teams to visit properties to check the property area and number of tenants

Mohali MC also expects to rake in <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>27.5-crore revenue from advertisement fees. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 28, 2025 11:14 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Garbage centres in Mohali set to undergo ₹2-cr revamp

Since June last year, Mohali has been reeling under a waste management crisis as the Phase 8-B dump site was closed in the wake of the high court rap, which left the MC’s 14 RMCs in the city to overflow with waste

Mohali Municipal Corporation (MC) House passed all 14 resolutions on the agenda during a meeting held on Thursday. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 28, 2025 10:26 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Punjab budget: Mohali among 4 districts picked for ₹140-cr road overhaul

Announcing the project, the finance minister said in the first phase, the government will build around 50 km of world-class roads in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Mohali over the financial year

Mohali AAP MLA Kulwant Singh said though the state had yet to fix the amount to be spent on the district, key roads in Mohali, including Airport Road (PR-7), the road from Balongi to Bestech Mall, and that from YPS Chowk to Golf range, will be upgraded and streamlined. (HT)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 27, 2025 09:46 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Punjab pastor booked for assaulting woman

The Mohali police have booked controversial pastor Bajinder Singh days after a purported video of him assaulting a man and woman in his office went viral on social media, said officials

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 26, 2025 09:50 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma

Digital arrest scam: Cops foil ₹1.1-cr cyber fraud targeting elderly couple in Mohali

The fraudsters, posing as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), kept the couple under psychological captivity through continuous WhatsApp calls.

The Mohali cybercrime police on Monday saved an 80-year-old man and his wife from losing <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>1.10 crore to cyber fraudsters running a ‘digital arrest’ scam. (Representational image)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 25, 2025 10:10 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma

Assault video: Police initiate probe against pastor Bajinder

According to officials familiar with the matter, the video is of the Church of Glory and Wisdom at Majri run by pastor Bajinder. The CCTV footage from his office is of February 13, 2025, said officials.

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 25, 2025 09:52 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Balongi man booked for securing ₹36L car loan using fake documents

The accused identified as Manjit Singh, a native of Fatehgarh Sahib and currently residing in Balongi, was booked following the complaint of the branch manager at Punjab Gramin Bank, Balongi, who also suspected involvement of the staff of the RTO, Mohali.

Police have booked a Balongi resident for fraudulently availing a loan of <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>36 lakh for purchasing a Toyota car after submitting fake documents. (Representational image)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 24, 2025 09:50 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Mohali: GMADA again fails to sell land near YPS protest site

Notably, during an auction in September last year, a 6.64-acre site in Sector 62, near the aforesaid land was sold for a staggering ₹527.11 crore to Phoenix Group under the name of its subsidiary Casper Realty Private Limited, well above the reserve price of ₹290.40 crore

According to sources, GMADA could not get any bidder for the 6.30-acre commercial site in Sector 62, which has been encroached upon by the protesters. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 24, 2025 09:36 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Mohali: Sale of 368 sites fetches GMADA ₹1,986 crore

While 85 of the total 453 sites found no takers, the authority managed to sell a mixed-use-site spread over 18,223 square metres in Aerocity for ₹264.69 crore to Jalandhar-based Gaurav Infra LLP

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 23, 2025 09:40 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Life term for Himachal man who raped, killed widow in Mohali’s Baltana

The Mohali court of additional district and sessions judge Vikrant Kumar held Sandeep Kumar guilty of sexually assaulting the victim after false promise of marriage and eventually strangulating her to death

A fine of <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>20,000 was also slapped on Sandeep,a native of Dobar village, Una, Himachal Pradesh. (Getty Images/Purestock)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 23, 2025 09:18 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

False Class-12 medical verifications unearthed: PSEB officer among 4 booked

The fake medical verification certificates allowed two candidates to obtain D-Pharmacy licences (required to run a chemist shop) through the Punjab Pharmacy Council

The investigation, led by the PSEB joint secretary, uncovered that records related to the case had been tampered with and pages from the verification branch register were missing. (File)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 21, 2025 10:12 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

HP bus attack: Got clues, vandals to be caught soon, say Kharar police

Meanwhile, Mohali rural superintendent of police (SP) Manpreet Singh said no one would be allowed to disturb the peace in the state. The accused would be arrested soon, he said.

Vandalised a bus of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) on the Kharar flyover on Tuesday. (HT)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 20, 2025 10:18 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

PMLA case: Charges framed against ex-forest minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot

The court of Ajit Atri said that “prima facie offence under Section 3, punishable under Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, was made out against the accused and he is ordered to be charged for the offence”.

A special court in Mohali framed charges against Congress leader and former state forest minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in connection with a PMLA case on Wednesday.

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 20, 2025 10:08 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Mohali: Three days on, momo factory owners booked for adulteration

The accused identified as Arzudeen and Joginderpal Singh were booked following the complaint of a Food Safety Officer (FSO)

The Mohali SSP said that the accused have been booked under sections 272 and 274 of the BNS at Mataur police station (File)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 20, 2025 07:28 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Mohali MLA seeks full e-challan revenue for traffic infra expansion

Notably, Mohali police till Monday had imposed e-challans worth ₹2 crore through the CCTV camera network and realised ₹8 lakh of the total amount from violators.

Talking to HT, Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh said he had prepared a proposal, aimed at uplifting the traffic management infrastructure across the district, and will send it to the state government on Wednesday. (HT File)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 19, 2025 09:32 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Zirakpur sexual harassment case Pastor Bajinder appears in Mohali court

Self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh, against whom non-bailable warrants (NBWs) were issued on March 3 in connection with a 2018 sexual harassment case, appeared in a Mohali court on Tuesday along with six other accused

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 19, 2025 06:42 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali:

2 masked miscreants vandalise HRTC bus in Kharar

According to the police, the two men who had stationed their Alto car at the flyover near Shivjot Enclave, stopped the bus ferrying around 20 passengers around 7 pm.

Amid the controversy that erupted following display of flags carrying slain militant preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s pictures on the vehicle of a Punjabi tourist in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali and its removal by local residents, two masked miscreants vandalised a bus of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) on the Kharar flyover on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 19, 2025 06:40 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

All 299 liquor vends in Mohali sold in one go for ₹849 crore

In addition, the Mohali excise department earned ₹3.30 crore by charging a non-refundable application fee of ₹5 lakh from 66 applicants for the 299 vends

As many as 12 liquor vend applications were rejected for not meeting the technical bid requirements. (Shutterstock)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 18, 2025 10:08 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

MC seals Mohali Golf Range over ₹13-lakh property tax dues

According to officials, Mohali Golf Range defaulted in paying property tax for financial years 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24

Several notices were issued as reminders, but the dues remain pending, said Mohali MC commissioner Parminder Pal Singh. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 18, 2025 10:02 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Mohali: Property dealer loses ₹4L to fake Diljit concert tickets, two booked

The accused were booked following the complaint of Harpreet Singh, a property dealer, who said he met the duo in various clubs in Mohali and Chandigarh last year

The accused, Jaswinder Singh of Kaithal, Haryana, and Gurharsh Kaur, live in a rented accommodation in Zirakpur. As Jaswinder used to book VIP tables in clubs, he offered the complainant, Harpreet Singh, tickets for Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in Sector 34, Chandigarh, on December 14, 2024. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 17, 2025 08:14 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Mohali: Army sepoy booked for duping naik of ₹19 lakh

The 34 year-old victim, Naik Gursewak Singh of Gidderbaha, lodged a complaint with the Punjab director general of police (DGP), following which an investigation was marked to a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) rank officer in Mohali

The accused has been identified as Rohit Saini of Phase-1, Mohali. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 17, 2025 08:12 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Two more lives snuffed out on killer Mohali roads

55-year-old scooterist and a 33-year-old car driver become latest accident victims, taking the toll to 51 in just 75 days of this year

The first fatal mishap on Saturday occurred around 2.20 am near the Sector 66/67 light point, when a car driver stopped to relieve himself while returning home with his wife from Sohana, Mohali. (iStock)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 17, 2025 08:06 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

4 rob taxi driver of car at gunpoint in Mohali’s Phase 2

The 24-year-old taxi driver was returning to his taxi stand in Phase 2, Mohali, when the robbers waylaid him past Wednesday midnight

The victim, Navdeep Singh, 24, hails from Garhshankar, Hoshiarpur, and works as a driver for Raj Tour and Travels in Phase 2, Mohali. (Shutterstock)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 14, 2025 08:02 AM IST

ByNikhil Sharma, Mohali

Punjab Police on trail of man behind IISER researcher’s death in Mohali

Accused booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder after scuffle between neighbours over parking turns fatal.

Police on Thursday booked the absconding neighbour of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) researcher Abhishek Swarnkar, 39, for culpable homicide not amounting to murder after a scuffle over a parking dispute claimed his life. (Representational photo)

Chandigarh

Updated on Mar 13, 2025 03:16 PM IST

ByNikhil Sharma

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Nikhil Sharma

Nikhil Sharma is a staff reporter who covers Faridkot district in the Mansa region of Punjab.

Additional district and sessions judge Vikrant Kumar pronounced the judgment as Bajinder, who runs the Church of Glory and Wisdom in Mohali, was brought from Patiala jail and produced before him amid tight security.

Life imprisonment till death signifies a life sentence with no possibility of parole or release, meaning the individual will remain incarcerated until natural death.

As per the Vigilance Bureau’s report, Vikas Mittal of Bishan Nagar, Patiala, by forging and fabricating documents, had moved an application at the office of the excise and taxation department, Mandi Gobindgarh, for the registration and issuance of Sales Tax Number and TIN for the said form

Though Mohali police have yet to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident, they have registered a case against an unidentified vehicle driver for causing it

A special CBI court accepted the investigation report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the probe from Mohali police following allegations of fraud and forgery.

CBI public prosecutor Anmol Narang said: “The court will now pronounce the quantum of sentence against the four cops on April 4.”

Since June last year, Mohali has been reeling under a waste management crisis as the Phase 8-B dump site was closed in the wake of the high court rap, which left the MC’s 14 RMCs in the city to overflow with waste

Announcing the project, the finance minister said in the first phase, the government will build around 50 km of world-class roads in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Mohali over the financial year

The Mohali police have booked controversial pastor Bajinder Singh days after a purported video of him assaulting a man and woman in his office went viral on social media, said officials

The fraudsters, posing as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), kept the couple under psychological captivity through continuous WhatsApp calls.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the video is of the Church of Glory and Wisdom at Majri run by pastor Bajinder. The CCTV footage from his office is of February 13, 2025, said officials.

The accused identified as Manjit Singh, a native of Fatehgarh Sahib and currently residing in Balongi, was booked following the complaint of the branch manager at Punjab Gramin Bank, Balongi, who also suspected involvement of the staff of the RTO, Mohali.

Notably, during an auction in September last year, a 6.64-acre site in Sector 62, near the aforesaid land was sold for a staggering ₹527.11 crore to Phoenix Group under the name of its subsidiary Casper Realty Private Limited, well above the reserve price of ₹290.40 crore

While 85 of the total 453 sites found no takers, the authority managed to sell a mixed-use-site spread over 18,223 square metres in Aerocity for ₹264.69 crore to Jalandhar-based Gaurav Infra LLP

The Mohali court of additional district and sessions judge Vikrant Kumar held Sandeep Kumar guilty of sexually assaulting the victim after false promise of marriage and eventually strangulating her to death

The fake medical verification certificates allowed two candidates to obtain D-Pharmacy licences (required to run a chemist shop) through the Punjab Pharmacy Council

Meanwhile, Mohali rural superintendent of police (SP) Manpreet Singh said no one would be allowed to disturb the peace in the state. The accused would be arrested soon, he said.

The court of Ajit Atri said that “prima facie offence under Section 3, punishable under Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, was made out against the accused and he is ordered to be charged for the offence”.

The accused identified as Arzudeen and Joginderpal Singh were booked following the complaint of a Food Safety Officer (FSO)

Notably, Mohali police till Monday had imposed e-challans worth ₹2 crore through the CCTV camera network and realised ₹8 lakh of the total amount from violators.

Self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh, against whom non-bailable warrants (NBWs) were issued on March 3 in connection with a 2018 sexual harassment case, appeared in a Mohali court on Tuesday along with six other accused

According to the police, the two men who had stationed their Alto car at the flyover near Shivjot Enclave, stopped the bus ferrying around 20 passengers around 7 pm.

In addition, the Mohali excise department earned ₹3.30 crore by charging a non-refundable application fee of ₹5 lakh from 66 applicants for the 299 vends

According to officials, Mohali Golf Range defaulted in paying property tax for financial years 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24

The accused were booked following the complaint of Harpreet Singh, a property dealer, who said he met the duo in various clubs in Mohali and Chandigarh last year

The 34 year-old victim, Naik Gursewak Singh of Gidderbaha, lodged a complaint with the Punjab director general of police (DGP), following which an investigation was marked to a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) rank officer in Mohali

55-year-old scooterist and a 33-year-old car driver become latest accident victims, taking the toll to 51 in just 75 days of this year

The 24-year-old taxi driver was returning to his taxi stand in Phase 2, Mohali, when the robbers waylaid him past Wednesday midnight

Accused booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder after scuffle between neighbours over parking turns fatal.

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