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P4 » » » SUNSET TUESDAY 5.28 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7.23 AM TUESDAY | 16 DECEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR Associations to hold protest over teacher couple’s death Voting today in Khassa, Verpal after polls cancelled over errors Our Correspondent Polling was cancelled due to printing errors on ballot papers Tarn Taran, December 15 Leaders of various teacher unions have expressed their resentment over the death of a teacher couple, who died in a road accident in Moga district on the day of Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections. Union leaders said teachers of the district would hold a protest against the administration here on Tuesday. The deceased couple, Jaskaran Singh and Kamaljit Kaur, were on way to election duty when the accident occurred. The leaders alleged that election officials had “knowingly” deputed teachers to far-off polling stations. The deceased couple had to pay a heavy price for the negligence of the Moga district election administration, they added. Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service An illegally felled tree along the route near UBD Canal in Amritsar. Admn orders probe into illegal tree cutting along UBD Canal Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 15 Following allegations by a city-based NGO of illegal cutting of trees along the UBD Canal, the district administration has ordered a probe and assigned the matter to ADC (Urban Development) Dr Amandeep Kaur. She is scheduled to hold the first meeting in this regard on December 18. Sarabjit Singh Sonu Jandiala, a member of the Akal Sewa Foundation and the complainant in the case, alleged that workers of the company involved removed the remains of the cut trees and cleared the site to erase evidence. He stressed that the same canal supplies water to Panj Sarovar, including the Amrit Sarovar of the Golden Temple. He further pointed out that a large number of trees have been growing along the UBD Canal for decades. To facilitate water supply, a hansli has been constructed at the site. Jandiala said he had emailed complaints to the Punjab Government, the Deputy Commissioner and Akal Takht officiating Jathedar continued on page 2 Amritsar, December 15 Polling for the panchayat samiti elections will be held tomorrow (on December 16) in two zones of Attari block after voting at several booths was postponed earlier on December 14. As per directions of the Punjab State Election Commission, elections in panchayat samiti zone No.8 (Khassa) at booths No. 52, 53, 54 and 55, and panchayat samiti zone No.17 (Verpal Kalan) at booths No. 90, 91, 93, 94 and 95 were deferred due to certain reasons. Providing details, Additional District Electoral Officer-cumAdditional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development) Parmjit Kaur said that fresh polling at these booths will be conducted on December 16, ADC Parmjit Kaur addresses mediapersons in Amritsar. from 8 am to 4 pm. She appealed to voters of both zones to actively exercise their franchise and participate in the democratic process. Parmjit Kaur added that all administrative arrangements for the re-poll have been completed and duties of polling personnel have already been assigned to ensure the smooth conduct of elections. It is worth mentioning that the block samiti elections in Khassa and Verpal villages of Amritsar district were cancelled on Sunday following errors in the ballot papers. According to official sources, the elections were called off after candidates raised objections regarding discrepancies in the ballot papers. Acting on these complaints, the district administration cancelled the polling process in both villages to ensure fairness and transparency. In Khassa village, the block samiti election was cancelled after it was found that while the name of the Aam Aadmi Party candidate was printed correctly on the ballot paper, the election symbol was wrongly printed. Owing to this error, voting was stopped midway. Similarly, in Verpal village, a BJP candidate lodged a formal objection stating that his name and election symbol were missing from the ballot paper. Taking cognisance of the complaint, administrative authorities cancelled the election there as well. 2 injured in encounter at Ajnala, extortion racket busted Police arrest two for murder of shopkeeper in Hathi Gate area Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 15 The Amritsar Rural Police on Monday claimed to have cracked several extortion and robbery cases following the arrest of two criminals after an exchange of fire at Chaharpur border village in Ajnala. The injured accused were identified as Vanshpreet Singh and Bhupinder Singh. Both were rushed to a hospital for treatment, while the police recovered two pistols from the spot. Investigations revealed that a UK-based murder accused, Maninderpal Singh, alias MP a resident of Mohan , Bhandaria village under the Jhander police station, was the mastermind behind an extortion module operating in Ajnala and Ramdass areas. To run the racket and evade identification, Maninderpal allegedly created a fictitious gangster identity under the name “Keshav Batala,” in DIG, Border Range, Sandeep Goel along with other police officials at the encounter spot at Chaharpur village in Amritsar on Monday. GURU GOBIND SINGH’S SAHIBZADAS’ MARTYRDOM Spl bus service to ferry sangat to Fatehgarh Sahib from Dec 20 Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 15 As a mark of tribute to the unparalleled martyrdom of the four Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh and his mother Mata Gujri, BJP leader from the North constituency, Akshay Sharma, has announced a special free bus service for pilgrims. The service will operate daily from December 20 to 27, ferrying devotees from Amritsar to Fatehgarh Sahib and back. The primary objective of this sacred journey is not only to provide the sangat with an opportunity to have holy darshan, but also to connect the younger generation with the glorious legacy of Sikh history, said Sharma. He emphasized that at an age when children typically rely on their parents to understand life, the four Sahibzadas made the supreme sacrifice for the protection of faith and humanity. BJP leader Akshay Sharma makes an announcement of the special bus service in Amritsar. Their martyrdom, he added, is not only a source of inspiration for Sikh history but for the entire nation. Akshay further stated that during the bus journey, passengers will not only travel together but will also be educated throughout the route by students and scholars of histo- ry. These scholars will share detailed accounts of Guru Sahib’s sacrifices and the martyrdom of the four Sahibzadas. The initiative aims to instil values of faith, culture, and moral ethics among the youth, guiding them away from social evils such as drug abuse and towards a righteous path. Emphasising inclusivity, Akshay Sharma said the bus service is completely free of cost and open to children, women, and senior citizens alike. He described it as a valuable opportunity for the sangat to visit Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, seek the blessings of Guru Sahib, and draw inspiration from Sikh history in their daily lives. He also informed that those interested in availing the bus service can contact his office for registration. Registration forms are available at nearby gurdwaras, and online registration has also been facilitated through QR codes displayed on banners at various locations. whose name extortion threats were issued. With the arrest of the two accused, the police claimed to have solved five cases registered over the past three months, including three extortion attempts and two robbery cases — one at a petrol pump and another involving a cloth trader. Providing details, DIG, Border Range, Sandeep Goel said the police had earlier arrested Dilraj Singh during the investigation, whose disclosures led to the unearthing of the entire nexus. During questioning, Dilraj revealed that Maninderpal, who was earlier arrested in a murder case, fled to the UK in 2024 after securing bail. He was a close associate of Bhupinder Singh, who had recently returned from Dubai. The duo allegedly formed an extortion racket and recruited foot soldiers by luring them with hefty monetary rewards. Dilraj further disclosed that Bhupinder, along with another associate, was on his way to Chaharpur village in a car to carry out firing as part of an extortion attempt. “Acting on this information, a police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Investigations) Gurinderpal Singh Nagra, along with other officials and under the supervision of the SSP , Amritsar Rural, Sohail Qasim Mir, laid a naka at Chaharpur village. When the car arrived, the occupants ignored the signal to stop and sped away onto a kutcha road. They opened fire on the police team, which narrowly escaped. In retaliatory fire in self-defence, both accused sustained bullet injuries to their legs,” the DIG said. Further investigation revealed that the extortion module had successfully carried out earlier extortion bids, and the proceeds were used to purchase the car involved in the incident. 1 suspect arrested in Adarsh Nagar firing incident Improvement Trust plans maintenance & beautification projects in several city areas Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 15 The Amritsar police have arrested one suspect in connection with two firing incidents in which three persons, including a woman, were injured. The accused was identified as Gulshan Kumar, a resident of Adarsh Nagar, who is the paternal uncle of prime accused Chandan Sharma of the same locality. He (Chandan) was yet to be arrested. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Vishaljit Singh said raids were on to arrest Chandan who has been on the run since the incident. The injured were identified as Vipin Sharma of Adarsh Nagar and Billoo and Sonia of Ram Nagar Colony. The complainant, Vipin Sharma, told the police that he had gone to attend a ‘jagran’ at the residence of continued on page 2 c m y b Amritsar, December 15 The Amritsar Police Commissionerate on Monday claimed to have solved a mysterious murder case with the arrest of two accused within days of the crime. A 64-year-old shopkeeper, identified as Yashpal Singh, a resident of the Adarsh Nagar locality, was found dead under suspicious circumstances inside his shop near DAV School at Katra Parja Singh, Hathi Gate, two days ago. The deceased ran a shoe shop that also served as his residence. The incident came to light on the intervening night of December 12 and 13, when his son, Pardeep Kumar, reached the shop and found his father lying dead, with his mouth gagged and his hands tied behind his back with a cloth, clearly pointing to foul play. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that Two accused in the custody of the police in Amritsar. during the course of the investigation, the police conducted technical surveillance and acted on specific intelligence inputs. As a result, today (on December 15), two accused — Mushtaq Ahmad (20), a resident of village Marta Nagrota, Basoli, Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir, and Vishal Singh (19), a resident of Baba Bakala Sahib in Amritsar Rur- Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 15 The Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) has floated tenders worth Rs 13 crore for various development works across the city. Of the 28 tenders issued, a majority have been floated for the second time. The proposed projects include maintenance of water supply and sewerage systems, road works, beautification of parks, and infrastructure upgrades in several parts of the city. Among the major works is the oneyear maintenance of water supply and sewerage at Nehru Shopping Complex on the Lawrence Road, one of Amritsar’s prime commercial hubs. The complex has been grappling with serious infrastructure issues for a long time, including broken walls, damaged staircases, and poor overall upkeep. Traders and visitors have repeatedly raised concerns over the deteriorating condition of the The Nehru Shopping Complex building in pathetic condition in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR building, but despite assurances by public representatives at different times, no significant improvement has been witnessed so far. The tenders, floated on December 10, are open for online bidding till December 20, after which both technical and financial bids will be opened on the same day. The scope of work also includes beautification of parks in Assembly Constituency East, development of Hussainpura Chowk, and maintenance of water supply and sewerage under the New Amritsar Truck Stand Scheme. In the Bhai Gurdas Ji Nagar (340-acre) scheme in New Amritsar, maintenance of al — were arrested. He said that, as per the investigation, the accused had entered the shop with the intention to commit theft, and the murder was committed during the course of the crime. Both the accused are labourers by profession. The police said investigation is underway to recover incriminating evidence. — TNS street lights will be undertaken. The AIT has also planned to clear garbage dumped on its vacant plots by hiring tractors, trolleys, and private labour. Additionally, sewerage and water supply works will be carried out in A and B blocks of New Amritsar. Laying of interlocking tiles is proposed in A Block, while B Block will witness the development of a central verge along with the installation of LED street lights under the Bhai Gurdas Ji Nagar 340-acre scheme. Maintenance of water and sewerage lines in B Block will also be taken up, along with the closure of an existing disposal point. Amritsar Improvement Trust Chairman Karamjit Singh Rintu said work orders would be issued by the end of this month once the technical and financial bids are found to be in order. He added that the focus is on initiating development works before month-end and ensuring timely completion through regular monitoring.