04112025-JTR-01.qxd 11/3/2025 10:38 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune LAWYERS PROTEST VILLAGE MERGER WITH NEW DISTRICT LIFE REWARDS THOSE WHO DARE TO DREAM: VARSITY CHANCELLOR BOLLYWOOD APPLAUDS WOMEN IN BLUE AFTER WIN Adv Ranjit Kumar Kitty says that merging Hoshiarpur areas with a new district without public consent is unjust. P2 The life story of Gurvinder Singh Bahra is a testament to the power of belief, perseverance and hard work. P3 Celebs take to social media to share their excitement and send their love to Team India for this historic win. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 30°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 16°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.36 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:46 AM » TUESDAY | 4 NOVEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR All 3 in jewellery robbery case arrested from Ajmer 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. Man who provided trio shelter also nabbed |On 4-day remand Tribune News Service INBRIEF NAMAN TOPS CA FINAL EXAM IN CITY Jalandhar: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on Monday declared the results of the Chartered Accountants Final, Intermediate and Foundation Examinations held in September 2025. In the CA final examination, Naman Gupta stood first in Jalandhar with 392 marks, followed by Kanik Gupta with 361 marks, while Mehak, Aditi, and Prerna shared good rank. In the CA Foundation Examination, 443 students appeared from Jalandhar, out of which 109 cleared. Archit Jain and Rupinder Kaur jointly secured the first city rank with 314 marks, while Triveni Soni stood third with 312 marks. TNS THREE BOOKED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The police have booked three individuals following an alleged assault linked to a property dispute. Complainant Amritpal Singh Bedi of Khalsa Enclave, Phagwara, states that he jointly owns an ancestral house in Mohalla Bhagatpura. The property is jointly owned with Kamaljit Singh. The house had been rented out to a tenant, who reportedly complained that Kamaljit Singh, his son Mandir Pal Singh Bedi and daughter-inlaw Sahjpreet Kaur had been harassing him and pressuring him to vacate the premises. When Amritpal questioned Kamaljit, Mandir, and Sahjpreet about it, they entered into argument with him. The argument escalated, leading to a physical altercation during which Amritpal was allegedly assaulted. OC MAN SURVIVES MURDER BID Phagwara: A man narrowly escaped an attempt on his life on the night of November 1. The complainant Harjinder Singh of Shahjahanpur reported that he had stepped out of his house around 8:38 pm for an evening walk when two youths arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire at him. The complainant narrowly escaped the gunshots, sustaining no major injuries. Following the attack, the suspects fled the scene. Acting on Harjinder Singh's statement, the police have registered a case. OC A thick layer of smog on Monday morning, causing inconvenience to commuters. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Air ‘very poor’ residents say , no option than to leave city Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 3 Thirteen days after Diwali, Jalandhar continues to reel under persistently poor air quality. The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the 'very poor' category, leaving residents gasping for clean air and prompting calls for urgent intervention. Post-Diwali, pollution levels have shown only marginal improvement. While the AQI touched a severe 500 on Diwali night and the following day, the maximum AQI has stayed above 300 for nearly two weeks. Today, Jalandhar recorded a maximum AQI of 318 and an average of 213. For the first three days of November, the trend remained grim. On November 1, the maximum AQI was 306 and average 194. On November 2, the maximum AQI was 319 and average 160. An AQI above 300 is considered 'very poor,' and anything over 400 falls in the 'severe' category. For the past few days, the AQI in Jalandhar remain extremely poor as residents complain of watery eyes, cough, irritation in the throat. At dawn, Jalandhar remains enveloped in a thick layer of smog. The constantly bad AQIs and report of poor health among immuno-compromised patients and the elderly has also prompted the more well-heeled to leave city for a few days. Smriti Sharma, a resident, said: "With AQI touching 400 to 500, bad air days are becoming routine every winter. For those with respiratory issues, there's no choice but to leave city. Children can't play outside and elders can't go for walks. The city air is choking us. This should be treated as a health emergency, but the authorities seem indifferent." Jalandhar, November 3 Four days after three armed robbers struck a jewellery shop in Bhargo Camp in broad daylight, the Commissionerate Police has claimed to have cracked the case by arresting all three accused from Ajmer. The police, however, did not disclose any recovery of gold. Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur said investigation was still being done and the details would be shared once the process gets over. The police have also not yet recovered the weapons used by the robbers, including a gun and a sword. A fourth arrest too has been made in the case. The man who provided shelter to the trio in Ajmer too has been arrested, said the police. The police presented all four of them in the court today and got their four-day remand. An FIR had been registered at Bhargo Camp on Thursday. Owner of Vijay Jewellers Ajay Kumar had alleged that gold jewellery weighing about 850 Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur addresses a press conference after the arrest of three accused in the jewellery shop robbery case in Jalandhar on Monday. g and over Rs 2 lakh cash had been robbed at gunpoint from the shop shortly after his son Nikhil had opened it around 10:30 am. Special police teams had been constituted under the supervision of Manpreet Singh Dhillon (DCP/Investigation), Jayant Puri (ADCP/Investigation), Harinder Singh Gill (ADCP-II), Amarbir Singh (ACP/Crime), and Sarwanjit Singh (ACP/West). The teams comprised the CIA staff, Special Cell, Crime Branch, and Bhargo Camp police. Through examination of CCTV footages, use of technical and human intelligence inputs, the police had identified the culprits and traced their movements. It was revealed that after committing the robbery, all three accused fled towards Rajasthan. Further investigation revealed that the trio had been provided shelter by Gaurav in Ajmer. The police conducted a raid and arrested all four accused. All set for light and sound show today Angural alleges extortion by Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 3 The district administration on Monday made all preparations for the light and sound show to be organised at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium on November 4. The show is a part of the series of events being conducted by the state government to commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur. Addressing the media today at the local District Administrative Complex, along with Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department Adviser Deepak Bali, Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal and Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur and minister Mohinder Bhagat said the unparalleled sacrifice made by the ninth Sikh master for the welfare of humanity is unmatched anywhere in the world. He said kirtan programmes are being held in towns and cities blessed by the Guru’s presence, along with light and sound shows across all districts. Inviting people to join the events dedicated to the “Hind Di Chadar”, he urged all resi- 350th martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur fake cop, demands SIT Tribune News Service DC Himanshu Aggarwal and CP Dhanpreet Kaur and other officers take stock of the preparations of the light and sound show on Guru Teg Bahadur’s life at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium Jalandhar. dents of the district to attend the show with their families to learn about the Guru’s life, philosophy, and supreme sacrifice. Bali said shows are being organised using digital technology to familiarise the new generation with the Guru’s life, teachings, and martyrdom. Bali further said shows will be held in four districts, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala. He also mentioned that the government is organising Nagar Kirtans from different places. One such Nagar Kirtan will start from Gurdaspur on November 20, reach Jalandhar on November 21, and then proceed to Nawanshahr on November 22. Further, he said from November 23 to 25, special events will be organised at Sri Anandpur Sahib, and he urged everyone to take active part in these celebrations. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) Jasvir Singh and Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Amaninder Kaur were also present. Jalandhar, November 3 BJP leader and former MLA Sheetal Angural has alleged that two men carried out a loot and extortion in Jalandhar West on the night of October 21, with one of them posing as a policeman. Sheetal alleged the registration of a ‘fake’ FIR in the case while the fake policeman who carried out the crime allegedly goes scot free until now. Angural alleged even though he was in police uniform, the police have been unable to find him despite passing of 11 days. Angural claimed that the FIR registered in the case is “fake” and that the man impersonating a police officer remains at large even after 11 days. He has demanded the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter, alleging that some of the individuals named as accused in the FIR are actually victims of extortion. Speaking at the Punjab Press Club, Angural said: Leader shares CCTV footage, photos, says FIR omits key accused “On the intervening night of October 21 and 22, two men — one a fake police officer and another a real one, who is a gunman of a political leader — raided a house at Bhargo Camp where gambling was taking place. They posed as cops and extorted money from those involved.” He added that the FIR was registered only on October 28 after pressure was mounted on the police, but it allegedly omits the names of the fake cops and instead implicates some victims. Angural further alleged that the complainant in the FIR has links with AAP leaders and that mediators tried to hush up the case through extortion. Contrary to the FIR, he claimed, the complainant does not run a salon. Angural identified the fake cop as a man who uses the names Ritin Bhardwaj and Ritin Bhagat, allegedly living just 100 meters from Bhargo Camp police station. He accused local AAP leaders of sheltering him and shared photos of the man in uniform and CCTV footage purportedly showing the accused dragging a victim. The FIR registered at Bhargo Camp police station states that complainant Azad Ahmed and his brother Danish were looted of Rs 27,000, beaten, and kidnapped at gunpoint by accused Ashish Jha, Naveen, Vicky, Sajan Pandit, Rahul, and 4–5 unidentified persons. The incident allegedly occurred at 12:10 am on the intervening night of October 21 and 22, starting from Buta Mandi and ending in Model Town, before the victims were dropped back at Buta Mandi. SHO of the Bhargo Camp police station Mohan Lal said, “The complaint has been registered as per the allegations made by the complainant. The complainant hasn’t named any uniformed man in his statement. The FIR is also registered against unidentified men.” Farmers face crop loss of ~10k cr due to sharp fall in yield; forced to sell paddy below MSP: Pargat Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 3 All-India Congress Committee secretary and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh on Monday visited the grain market at the flood-affected Kukkad Pind. He inspected the paddy arriving in the mandi and listened to the grievances of farmers struggling to sell their produce. He alleged that the government has failed to provide adequate procurement facilities and ensure fair purchase of crops in mandis. Expressing concern over the widespread crop damage and reduced yields across the state due to this year’s floods, Pargat pointed out that only about 30–32 per cent of the paddy had been harvested by October, while the remainder still stands unharvested. He alleged that in many regions, farmers were being compelled to sell their produce below the MSP . Citing a media report, the former minister warned that farmers are staring at potential losses amounting to approximately Rs 10,000 crore due to a significant drop in paddy production. The Food and Civil Supplies Department has also reduced the state’s procurement target for the current season from 185 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) to 150 LMT. This decline — approximately 20 per cent — is the lowest crop yield since 2016, when only 140 lakh million tonnes were procured. Pargat urged the government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to ensure that all farmers receive the notified MSP for their crops and the compensation for the damaged crops is released without delay. He said nearly 3.5 lakh to 4 lakh acres of paddy fields were submerged during the recent floods, with around 37 per cent of the total crop damaged. The losses are estimated to exceed Rs 7,500 crore. The worst-hit districts include Tarn Taran, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, and Ferozepur, while crop damage was also significant in Amritsar, Jalandhar and Mansa. Pargat added that the average paddy yield in Punjab, typically above 30 quintals per acre, has dropped by 10 to 15 per cent due to floods and heavy rainfall. In most c m y b regions, yields have fallen to just 15 – 20 quintals per acre, reflecting a 50–55 per cent decline. In severely floodaffected areas, over 90 per cent of the standing crops have been destroyed, leading to per-acre losses of nearly Rs 30,000. Farmers are finding it difficult even to pay the rent for leased farmland. He stated that after the floodwater subsided, several areas remained covered under 1–3 feet of silt, rendering large tracts of farmland unusable. Wheat sowing in these regions is at a serious risk until the soil recovers. Highlighting another major concern, Pargat alleged that farmers are unable to access DAP fertiliser through official channels and are being forced to buy it at inflated prices, ranging from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 per bag, from private dealers. Farmers are also being coerced into purchasing additional micro-nutrients along with the fertiliser. Punjab is currently facing an estimated shortage of 2,00,000 tonnes of DAP this season. He demanded that subsidised DAP fertiliser be made available to farmers without delay.