17112025-JTR-01.qxd 11/16/2025 10:35 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune TRIBUTES PAID TO SHAHEED KARTAR SINGH SARABHA PROMOTE ECO-FRIENDLY CELEBRATIONS, BAN LOUD DJs Seize illegal noise equipment and authorities must keep a close vigil on the violators. P3 MAINLY CLEAR MAX 24°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 24°C | MIN 10°C SHAHID & TAMANNAAH TURN SHOWSTOPPERS Attendees agreed that the best way to honour the sacrifice is to implement their ideals in the present day. P2 FORECAST Shahid Kapoor & Tamannaah Bhatia turned showstoppers for celebrity fashion designers duo Falguni & Shane Peacock.P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 5.26 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.50 AM » MONDAY | 17 NOVEMBER 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. INBRIEF MAN ALLEGES ~2.16 LAKH FRAUD Phagwara: A resident of village Dhak near Phagwara, identified as Gurpreet, has filed a police complaint alleging that he was cheated of ~2,16,000 by a man who promised to send his son abroad to Greece. According to the complaint submitted on March 5 this year, Gurpreet stated that Jatinder Singh, also known as Jonny, a resident of House No. 42-B, New Dashmesh Nagar, Jalandhar, took the money on the pretext of arranging overseas travel for his son. Gurpreet approached the office of the SP, Phagwara, seeking action against the accused. He alleged that despite receiving the amount, Jatinder Singh failed to make the promised arrangements, leading him to file the complaint. The police have registered the matter for an inquiry following the directions of the SP, Phagwara. — OC WAREHOUSING CORPN FRAUD Phagwara: An employee of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, Satpal Singh, has been arrested for his alleged involvement in fraud. As many as 1,500 empty grain bags (bardana) were recovered from his possession. Superintendent of Police, Phagwara, Madhvi Sharma, while addressing a press conference on Saturday, said that Satpal Singh, a resident of Gilco Green on Hoshiarpur Road, had allegedly procured government bardana and used it to pack wheat flour, which he later sold illegally. She said that investigations further revealed that he had also sold wheat and rice to a private firm, Kalucha Agro. The SP said that another accused, Sonek Kalucha, has been named in the case and is currently absconding. SP Madhvi Sharma said that multiple FIRs were already registered against Satpal Singh at various police stations in Kapurthala district. The arrested accused was produced before a judicial magistrate who sent him in judicial remand of 14 days. —— OC BURNT BODY OF WOMAN FOUND Phagwara: An unidentified, partially charred body of a woman, was discovered on Saturday in the agricultural fields near Sultanpur Lodhi, triggering a police investigation into a suspected case of murder. The incident came to light when Manpreet Singh, a resident of Sultanpur Lodhi and currently farming 11 acres of leased land belonging to Jagdeep Singh of Georgepur, visited the fields to inspect the recently sown wheat crop. Manpreet immediately informed the landowner, Jagdeep Singh, who then alerted village Sarpanch Sarbjit Singh. Acting on the information, police registered a case and began further investigation. — OC Case filed against ex-councillor, mother Domestic help had hanged herself in their house Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 16 One year after a 22-year-old domestic help working in a Model Town locality was found dead, a case has been registered against former councillor Rohan Sehgal and his mother. The case has been registered under Section 103 of BNS. When the incident happened, it was said that the girl died by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in the house of former Congress councillor Rohan Sehgal's mother at Shiv Vihar on Saturday morning. The deceased, identified as Nikita Verma, originally from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, was Ex-councillor Rohan Sehgal living with her aunt in Sodal Nagar. As per the information received, the deceased woman had been working as a domestic help for several years. The Tribune had reported at the time of the incident that Nikita's aunt Krishna Verma received information about the death of her niece and upon arriving at the scene, she expressed doubts over the circumstances surrounding Nikita's death. She had then claimed that no evidence at the spot suggested that her niece died by suicide. She suspected foul play was involved in death of her niece. Though Krishna did not accuse anyone directly, she urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation in the case. SHO, Division No. 7 police station, said, "The complaint was filed by the deceased's parents in Uttar Pradesh. No arrests have been made yet, the investigation is underway." MC General House meeting convened on November 18 Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 16 After more than 10 months in office, Mayor Vaneet Dhir is set to preside over his second General House meeting on November 18, a point repeatedly raised by the opposition, that has criticised the limited number of meetings held until now. Dhir took charge as mayor on January 10, and since then, one General House meeting has been convened. That meeting, held in March at Red Cross Bhawan, was marked by uproar and dissent. Although proceedings then formally began after 3 pm, the session wrapped up in under an hour, with all agenda items pushed through in less than 45 seconds amid deafening protests inside the hall. The mayor had then acknowledged the severe infrastructural challenges confronting the MC. "Manpower and machinery-relat- A file photo of Mayor Vaneet Dhir and Senior Deputy Mayor Balbir Singh Bittu. ed problems are there, and sewage has taken a 'vikral roop' (serious form). To address this, we will undertake cleaning of the main sewage lines using super-suction machines. The MC will procure eight grab machines and eight jetting machines. Additionally, 56 km of main lines will be cleaned using a road-sweeping machine to maintain cleanliness on city roads," Dhir had stated. A total of 85 agendas are slated to be tabled during the meeting. Among the key pro- posals is the engagement of a consultant to develop worldclass urban street design in Jalandhar. The MC will also discuss the formation of a city-level committee to guide and oversee this urban development initiative. The agenda also mentioned that Jalandhar, being one of the prominent cities of Punjab with growing economic and industrial potential, requires a robust and modern infrastructure to cater to the needs of its citizens and visitors alike. In this regard, the vision is to transform some of the key roads in the city to worldclass urban roads. Another agenda mentioned that for ensuring uninterrupted water supply, Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of all 636 tube-wells in the city should be outsourced due to its limited in-house capacity. The current O&M contract is nearing expiry, and fresh estimates were prepared accordingly. Gangsters make fake claims over blast that did not take place at police station Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, November 16 A new wave of fake claims on social media in Punjab is becoming a persistent problem for the police administration. This latest hoax involves gangsters falsely claiming responsibility for a bombing at the Talwara police station, located in Hoshiarpur, despite no explosion taking place. The bizarre incident unfolded when three gangsters, who appear to be sitting far away from Punjab, learned about a bomb blast in a police station in Naugaon, Kashmir, which killed several people. Mistaking the location, they issued a letter claiming responsibility for a blast at the Talwara police station, which they threatened to continue carrying out. The gangsters also warned the Punjab Police that future attacks would involve AK-47s and rocket launchers instead of pistols and that they would target individuals assigned by Pakistan-based terrorist Rinda. The viral post sparked panic in the district, prompting an immediate response from the police. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Malik convened an emergency meeting with senior officers, including DSP Dasuha Balwinder Singh Jodha, SP (D) Temporary fencing installed over the boundary wall of Talwara police station. Parminder Singh, DSP (D) Puneet Sharma and station in-charge Satpal Singh Jalota. A team of officers was dispatched to Talwara police station for a thorough inspection. An anti-sabotage bomb squad was called in to search every room, roof, water tank and courtyard. After a detailed investigation, it was confirmed that no explosion had occurred, and the gangsters’ claim was dismissed as completely fabricated. DSP Balwinder Singh Jodha explained that a web channel had falsely linked the Kashmir incident to the hoax, leading the gangsters to make the false claim. The cyber cell has been instructed to trace the source of the post, and a thorough investigation is now underway. Police have also begun reviewing CCTV footage from key roads surrounding the Talwara police station, including Talwara-Hajipur, TalwaraDaulatpur, TalwaraSansarpur Terrace, and Shah Canal Headworks. The hoax threat was made in the names of three gangsters—Manu Agwan, Maninder Billa and Gopi Nawanshaharia—who are believed to be associates of terrorist Harvinder Rinda. In response to the false claim, security at the Talwara police station has been strengthened. Green mesh fencing has been installed on the outer walls of the station, raising the height to prevent anyone from peeking inside or throwing objects. Twentyfour-hour checkpoints have been established in the area, and additional CCTV surveillance is now in place. Police personnel are on continuous duty at the station. SSP Sandeep Malik has issued instructions for all police stations in the district to remain on high alert. The administration assures that, despite the false claims, the Punjab Police is fully prepared to respond to any emergency. Cyber cell nabs ex-minister’s aide for fake FB IDs ARORA’S ASSISTANT POSTS OBJECTIONABLE COMMENTS ON JIMPA Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, November 16 The cyber cell of Hoshiarpur police on Saturday evening arrested Rajinder Parmar, office in-charge of former minister Sunder Sham Arora, for allegedly operating fake Facebook IDs and posting objectionable comments and false allegations against MLA Brahm Shankar Jimpa and his family. The action came after a complaint was filed by Dheeraj Sharma, nephew of former cabinet minister and current MLA Jimpa. The complaint, lodged against unidentified persons, sought action against the operators of the Facebook IDs involved in circulating defamatory posts and comments. According to the information received, the cyber cell procured technical details of the suspicious accounts from Facebook. Based on the information received and further technical surveillance, the team reportedly traced the activity to Parmar. He was taken into custody and his mobile phone — used to run the fake IDs — was confiscated. Dheeraj Sharma told this correspondent that two complaints had been filed — one a year ago and another recently — regarding the Facebook IDs — “Raja Thakur” and “Rab Kolo Darr Sajana”. The former displayed locations such as Brampton (Ontario, Canada) and sometimes Hoshiarpur, while the latter listed Kapurthala as its location. “I was at Ludhiana when I received information over the phone that the accused has been rounded up and the device used to operate these IDs has been seized,” said Dheeraj. He further claimed that Parmar had “taken the name of a big gun on whose directions he was doing all this.” Arora said, “It is sheer political vendetta. Parmar and Jimpa had been political rivals and they had been contesting MC election against each other. So, he has been framed falsely for political vedetta and justice will be surely delivered by the court.” Meanwhile, the accused has been sent by court to two-day police custody to help in probe. 13-yr-old son lost to cancer due to polluted water, DBA celebrates 50 kin say clean water for village is now their mission years of advocacy Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 16 The recent death of a 13-yearold boy due to blood cancer at Baupur village has steeped his family in penury and debt. The crisis has been deepened by the damage to the family's fields due to floods this year. Sharanjit Singh (35) has three acres of land and was working as a vehicle repair man until 2022. The family was poor, but life was good. The debt brought about by cancer of his then 10-year-old son, altered his life. The cancer relapsed this year, claiming the life of 13-year-old Sukhman Singh on October 5 last For the village, it's a collective tragedy, which reminds them of the demise of two children during the 2023 floods --- Gurbir Singh Gora (8) and Gursimar Singh (11) who drowned in Beas in 2023. Sukhman's father Sharanjit, a crestfallen man, also blames their 20-feet borewell Sharanjit Singh with his wife, parents and the photograph of his 13-year-old son Sukhman Singh who died on October 5 this year. — which he says is a cause of maladies. All he needs is clean water and clearing of debts accumulated. Sharanjit Singh says, "I quit my repair job in 2022 for Sukhman's ongoing treatment at PGI Chandigarh. He had to be taken every three months. Even after he got better, I tried to restart my job as a mechanic but he would c m y b not part with me. While Sukhman had gotten better after 2022, his cancer relapsed this year. The PGI guys asked us to take him elsewhere. So, we took him to Mumbai (for cancer treatment). I borrowed money from wherever I could. His treatment started off well. But he later got pneumonia. After that, he never recuperated." "I spent over Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakh on my son's treatment. I have a Rs 32 lakh debt but no money to repay it. We were in Mumbai when the floods happened. My fields sustained some damage. I couldn't even take our share of relief. All I need is my debt to be repaid and a new borewell for my family and mother to drink clean water," he adds. Sharanjit's bore is 20-feet deep. "Due to financial crisis, we haven't been able to afford a deeper borewell. My mother has liver cirrhosis. Most villagers have 300 to 400 feet deep bores. Mine is just 20 feet, since it cost just a few thousand rupees. Our water is not good, the pipes get blackened every few months." Village Sarpanch's brother and a do-gooder, Paramjit Singh, says, "Sukhman's death is a tragedy for the whole village. We couldn't even grieve the child as we were busy in rescue and relief work. Several poor families in the village have borewells, 20 feet deep or so. Hence, they are cheaper. These just need a Rs 1,000 motor. Water in houses with deeper borewells is clean. But these houses have constant problems. Their motors go bad, pipes don't work. We are planning to get an overhead tank for the village so that poor farmers also may get clean water. Our focus is now to get them clean water." The Baupur village doesn't have an overhead water tank and all water supply is through borewells and tanks, the Sarpanch said. Mandeep S Sachdev, recently designated as Senior Advocate, being felicitated by HC judge Justice Deepak Sibel. Jalandhar, November 16 A programme for honouring the past presidents and secretaries of the District Bar Association and lawyers, who have completed 50 years of their advocacy, was held near the courts complex on Saturday. Justice Deepak Sibel, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, was the chief guest and Nirbhow Singh Gill, District and Sessions Judge, was the guest of honour. Lawyers Abhay Kumar Jain, Ashok Pruthi, Ashwani Kumar Sharma, Brijesh Chopra, Darshan Singh Dyal, Davinder Raj Seth, Ashok Gandhi, GK Malhotra, Navtej Singh Toor, VK Sareen, Subash Chander Sood and others were honoured. Advocates RK Bhalla, GS Pelia, Ashok Gandhi, Daljit Singh Chhabra and others were honoured for being the past presidents. Prabhjot S Sidana, Abha Nagar, Harsh Vardhan Kohli, Kapil Batra, Rattan Dua and others were honoured for being the past secretaries of the DBA. — TNS