22092025-JTR-01.qxd 9/21/2025 11:04 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune FLOOD-HIT BAUPUR MAND STRENGTHENS BREACHED BUNDHS REFORM LICENSING RULES & SET SPEED LIMITS DRAPE IT LIKE THE DIVAS ON THIS NINE-NIGHT FESTIVAL MP Seechewal transported soil from nearby fields to reinforce the bundhs, while a heavy excavator worked alongside.P2 Implement e-challan for violators and display clear road markings and warning signs .P3 Navratri is a celebration of vibrant colours, music and dance and it’s a time to embrace traditional attire. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.19 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:11 AM » MONDAY | 22 SEPTEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. Post-flood efforts on to repair bundhs, provide relief Breach in advance embankment SAD promises holistic solution if voted to power on Beas at Baupur Mand plugged Tribune News Service Tribune News Service INBRIEF 3 HELD WITH 192 GM OF HEROIN Phagwara: Police booked three separate cases under the NDPS Act on September 20, after heroin was recovered during patrolling in Kapurthala. A police team led by ASI Gursarn Singh intercepted a woman near Baba Lal Ji’s temple in Sundar Nagar during routine checking. On being questioned, she identified herself as Babi, wife of Bittu, a resident of the same locality. Six grams of heroin were recovered from her possession, following which a case was registered at Kapurthala city police station. In the second case, ASI Keval Singh and his team apprehended two youths after their motorcycle skidded while attempting to flee on seeing the police near SubhanpurSaif Link Road. They were identified as Dilshad Singh alias Billu of Daleke village, and Jagga Masih alias Jaggu, of Jafarkot village. A total of 180 grams of heroin wrapped in a plastic pouch was seized from them. A case was registered at Kotwali police station, Kapurthala. Meanwhile a patrolling team led by ASI Harpal Singh spotted a youth acting suspiciously near Hamira bridge. On noticing the police, he threw away a transparent polythene pouch and attempted to flee. Six grams of heroin was recovered from his possession. -- OC LADOWAL TOLL PLAZA STIR Phillaur: Activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Union staged a protest at the Ladowal toll plaza on Sunday, forcing the plaza to remain tollfree for nearly 45 minutes. The protest was held over the poor condition of nearby roads, which farmers alleged had been neglected for months. Protesters surrounded the toll plaza in the afternoon and allowed vehicles to pass without payment. The demonstration prompted a swift response from the administration. SDM Jasneet Kaur and DCP Harpal Singh reached the site and assured the farmers that road repair work would begin on Monday. Following this assurance, the farmers called off their protest. — OC Sultanpur Lodhi, Sept 21 During the floods in Baupur Mand area, the first advance embankment that had breached has now been repaired with the collective efforts of the people. On the night of August 10, a breach occurred in this advance embankment, allowing the waters of the Beas river to flood the Baupur Mand area, causing large-scale destruction. Efforts to strengthen this embankment continued today as well. Under the leadership of Rajya Sabha member and environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, more than 15 tractors transported soil from nearby fields to the embankment. A large excavator machine was also deployed to reinforce the embankment. In Baupur Mand, 10 young men from village Ramgarh, Tehsil Nabha, district 8 BREACHES IN 32-KM BUNDH There are eight breaches in all in the advance bundh of Baupur Mand in Sultanpur Lodhi. The first one which has been plugged on Sunday was about 500 metre wide. There are other big breaches as in Aahli Kalan and Rampur Gaura villages. The latter is 1.5 km wide and could be the last one to get repaired. Patiala, arrived with tractors and diesel to help restore the farmlands of flood-affected farmers. Among them, Manjeet Singh and Gurkirat Singh, shared that they also brought along two trolleys of fodder for the livestock. They said that inspired by the continuous relief services carried out by Sant Seechewal from the very first day, their 10member team has come here in complete unity on Seechewal’s call to serve the flood-hit areas. The youngsters mentioned that they would stay here for two days and would return again to continue assisting the affected farmers. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal hands over aid for repair of embankment at village Ahli Kalan, Sultanpur Lodhi. said, “We are living in misery since the last floods in 2023. Even roads, which had been damaged in the 2023 floods, have not been repaired even as no effort was taken to make the Dhussi Bundh strong. The AAP government abandoned us earlier and continues to ignore us even now.” Badal, on his part, assured the village committees that he would provide 4,000 litres of diesel to strengthen the bundh, get earthworks done on roads and clear sand from the fields offarmers. He also assured to send tractors and Police bust illegal call centre in Phagwara New projects along with repair of flood-damaged roads: MP Ashok Kaura Phagwara, September 21 A major cybercrime racket operating out of Phagwara has been unearthed after a police investigation exposed an illegal international call centre running under the guise of a corporate office. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora disclosed that the syndicate was generating nearly USD 20,000 (Rs 17.6 lakh) daily, with the proceeds laundered through cryptocurrency, gift vouchers and hawala channels. He confirmed that 38 IT-trained employees have been arrested and are in police custody while the alleged mastermind remains absconding. The investigation revealed that the call centre operated from a rented hall in a local hotel, with employees working nightly shifts between 7 pm and 1:30 am (IST) to coincide with business hours in the United States and Cana- SSP Gaurav Toora addressing a press conference in Kapurthala. da. The operation followed a three-stage modus operandi, beginning with impersonating representatives of reputed technology firms to lure victims into downloading malicious applications or sharing screens, followed by extraction of sensitive banking and personal data, and culminating in financial exploitation and extortion. SSP Toora explained that the accused were recruited through a Delhi-based online job consultancy and trained on-site in Phagwara before being deployed in the fraudulent operation. Forensic analysis of laptops and mobile devices seized during the raid has revealed live screen-sharing sessions, banking credentials and communication logs documenting ongoing cyber fraud. Among those arrested are Sajan, responsible for managing daily operations; Jaspreet Singh of Delhi, who trained recruits in cyber fraud techniques; Varun, handling technical systems; and Rohan, who oversaw operations. Preliminary inquiries indicate that the alleged mastermind, Amrinder Singh alias Sabhi Tohri, a local resident who leased the premises, has close links with associates in Delhi and Kolkata, and possibly to international contacts in Dubai. Investigators are coordinating with multiple state police teams to track other members of the syndicate and trace the network. SSP Toora highlighted that the racket’s operations spanned multiple states. The case, registered at Kapurthala cyber crime police station, is being described as one of the most significant crackdowns in Punjab in recent months. Tribune News Service Mukandpur (Banga), September 21 Laying the foundation stone for the construction of Mukandpur-Chakdana road here on Sunday, Member of Parliament Malvinder Singh Kang said that the 9.62 km link road would be constructed at a cost of Rs 4.30 crore. Accompanied by MLA Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, MP Malvinder Singh Kang stated that the construction of this link road would be done shortly. He said this major connectivity to Phillaur and other destinations for the nearby villages was being rejuvenated, thus ensuring smooth travel between Banga and Phillaur. He said the vital link road would further strengthen rural connectivity. The MP pointed out that along with repairing flooddamaged roads, new road projects were being executed to improve road infrastructure across the state. He also directed the officials concerned to strictly ensure quality and timeline. MLA Dr Sukhi said the state government would build or strengthen road network where required in the assembly segment as well as upgrade the roads. Maintenance would also be ensured for the next five years, he said. Up in flames Two arrested in death case of ex-MP’s son Tribune News Service FOREIGN TRAVEL CASE REGISTERED Phagwara: A case has been registered in Kapurthala district under the Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act after a local resident alleged he was defrauded of Rs 6.5 lakh on the promise of being sent abroad. The complaint by Ravinder Kumar, a resident of Pajia village in Sultanpur Lodhi, accused Kewal Singh of Bidhipur village, Talwandi Chaudhrian, of taking money in exchange for arranging travel to Portugal. Following a preliminary inquiry by the NRI cell and IT Fraud staff in Kapurthala, the case was formally registered and is now under investigation. — OC Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal expressed his gratitude to the youth and the local communities who worked tirelessly day and night to rebuild the embankment. He said that the youth possess immense strength, which only needs proper guidance. He recalled that during the floods of 2019 and 2023 as well, the timely construction of embankments was made possible largely due to the contribution of the youth. Seechewal further added that the strength of the younger generation has the power to rebuild Punjab, which has been devastated by floods, and put it back on its feet. Phillaur, September 21 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said his party would lay concrete bundhs and embankments in floodprone areas once it came to power in the 2027 assembly elections to eradicate the menace of floods once and for all from Punjab. Addressing villagers who had gathered at the Dhussi Bundh in Phillaur constituency, the SAD president said, “Both the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have failed you. They have even failed to maintain your bundhs, forget strengthening them. This has increased the menace of floods in Punjab manifold. I am committed to finding a holistic solution to the entire issue. Besides laying concrete at crucial bundhs, we will also finish Part II of the project, of laying concrete embankments to control the fury of the Ghaggar.” The farmers, while interacting with the SAD president, JCB machines for this purpose, besides giving financial help to the village committees on the spot. The SAD president, who was accompanied by exPhillaur MLA Baldev Singh Khaira, also disclosed that the party was dispatching maize silage for livestock to all flood-affected farmers and requested the village committees to give their requirements to Khaira. He said besides, a comprehensive programme had been devised to distribute certified wheat seeds to farmers for one lakh acres of land. He said the SGPC had also decided to distribute certified seed for one lakh acres of land. He also appealed to the Punjab government not to delay compensation for crop losses. “The time to is now when the farmers need it the most to prepare their fields for the next crop,” he said and added that the AAP government should also distribute certified seed for the remaining two lakh acres besides providing DAP fertiliser to farmers free of cost. Head of Dera Radha Soami Gurinder Singh Dhillon at the bhog ceremony of MS Kaypee’s son Richie in Jalandhar on Sunday; (right) SAD chief Sukhbir Badal with MS Kaypee. SARABJIT SINGH Jalandhar, September 21 The city police have arrested two accused in the fatal hit-and-run case of exJalandhar MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee’s son Richie Kaypee. The two persons arrested by the police are brothersin-law of the main accused, Gursharan Singh Prince, whose Creta car had collided with the Fortuner car of Richie on the ill-fated evening on Saturday last. The two accused — Taranjit Singh of Ludhiana and Gurpreet Singh of Jalandhar — had reportedly harboured the accused and helped him in escaping. Both of them were presented in the court today after which they were granted bail. The main accused in the case, Prince, has applied c m y b A shop that caught fire in Jalandhar Cantt. Locals suspect it to be an act to create panic among the migrant community. Police is probing the matter. TRIBUNE PHOTO P2 Lawyer gets extortion call from abroad for bail, which is to be heard tomorrow. But owing to ‘No-Work Day’ in court, there is a possibility of the case getting held up. Meanwhile, the bhog ceremony of Richie was held today which was attended by the chief of Radha Soama Dera Beas Gurinder Singh Dhillon, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi, Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh, Shahkot MLA Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia and former BJP MP Hans Raj Hans. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 21 Three days after a city-based prominent lawyer Mandeep Singh Sachdev alleged that a Canada-based extortionist had been harassing him, he has been provided four gunmen by the police. While two cops will provide him security, two more women cops have been deployed with his wife and daughter. To express solidarity with him, the District Bar Association (DBA) has announced a ‘No-Work Day’ tomorrow. NO-WORK DAY TODAY Canada-based Sandeep Singh Sunny, who hails from Nakodar, had on Thursday evening here sent a cloth trader Sam Kwatra to Sachdev’s office for recovering Rs 50,000 from him. Sunny was reportedly connected to an accused in a 17-year-old abduction case in which Sachdev was reportedly the defence lawyer. Sam Kwatra, however, had clarified to the police teams that he too was a victim and he did not even know that the money he was going to collect was actually an extortion amount. He was taken into custody for an hour or so and was let off after his interrogation. Sachdev alleged that Sunny already had two cases of extortion against him and that he was even putting posts against his wife and daughter, which made him feel very upset. The lawyers alleged that cases of extortion from the legal fraternity were a new phenomenon, especially when a lawyer lost a case in defence. They alleged that such cases needed to be nipped in bud. For the same reason, they have announced ‘No-Work Day’ tomorrow.