18122025-ATR-01.qxd 12/17/2025 11:55 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 20°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 7°C COPS USE ROAD ROLLER TO GET RID OF MODIFIED SILENCERS EARLY MORNING WALK IN WINTERS CAN AFFECT HEALTH BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES THAT DEFINED 2025 Residents were amused to see the police hiring a road roller to crush modified exhaust systems (silencers). P2 Doctors warn that exercising in extreme cold can silently strain the heart and lungs, especially among the elderly. P3 From Vishal Jethwa’s Homeboundto Sanya Malhotra’s in Mrs, the year belonged to actors who redefined their craft. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 5.29 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7.24 AM » THURSDAY | 18 DECEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR Goods worth lakhs gutted in Bhikhiwind hardware store fire Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, December 17 Goods worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed in a fire that broke out at Dhawan Hardware Store on Khemkaran Road in the border town of Bhikhiwind on Tuesday night. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident. The fire reduced all material stored in the shop to ashes, causing huge financial losses to the owner. The family of the shop owner, Ashok Kumar, who resides on the upper floor of the building, was safely rescued. Ashok Kumar said the fire was allegedly caused by an electrical short-circuit from a parked motorcycle, which caught fire and spread to plastic material and other goods in the shop. Local residents immediately rushed to help in the rescue operation and informed the police. The police alerted district officials of the Fire Department and other authorities concerned. District Fire Officer Varinderjit Singh said that upon receiving information, Fire Brigade vehicles from Patti and Tarn Taran municipal councils were Ruling AAP poised for big victory in zila parishad, block samiti polls Tribune News Service Firefighters along with nearby residents engaged in dousing the flames engulfing the hardware shop in Bhikhiwind on Tuesday. rushed to the spot, while another Fire Brigade was called from Amritsar. Despite continuous efforts by Fire Brigade personnel and local residents, the fire could not be brought under control for several hours due to an acute shortage of water. The water tank of the nagar panchayat, Bhikhiwind, was lying non-functional, forcing authorities to call a BSF vehicle to supply water to douse the flames. Varinderjit Singh added that another Fire Brigade vehicle was also called from the border area of Bhikhi- wind as the town is located far from Patti and Tarn Taran. He further said that heavy traffic congestion in urban areas often makes it difficult for Fire Brigade vehicles to reach fire spots on time. Inspector Naresh Kumar, SHO, Bhikhiwind, said no case has been registered in connection with the incident so far. Khemkaran MLA Sarwan Singh Dhunn expressed sympathy with the affected shopkeeper and assured that, as per state government norms, due compensation would be provided to the victim. Amritsar, December 17 In the zila parishad and block samiti elections, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears set to sweep the polls, securing a clear majority in most of the 10 block samiti zones. In the Verka block samiti, AAP won 14 zones, while the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) registered victories in six and three zones, respectively. In the Rayya block samiti, of the total 25 zones, AAP secured 13 seats, while both the Congress and SAD won six seats each. With this, AAP has gained a clear majority in the block samiti. In Jandiala, results were declared for 15 block samiti zones, of which the Aam Aadmi Party won 13, while SAD managed to win one zone. In the 20-zone Chogawan block samiti, AAP has so far won 14 zones, while results for six zones are yet to be declared. Notably, of these 14 victories, A SAD candidate along with other party leaders and workers after securing victory in the rural body elections in Attari Block on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR AAP candidates were declared elected unopposed in eight zones even before polling day. In Attari, however, SAD per- Commuters face traffic nightmare as fog hits visibility Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 17 City residents woke up to dense fog on Wednesday morning, with thick cover visible in the wee hours, particularly on the outskirts of Amritsar. Gurpreet Kaur, a homemaker and mother of two kindergarten-going children, said it felt as though the shivering cold had almost set in. A glance out of the window from her residence in the New Amritsar locality revealed that the surroundings were completely enveloped in fog. She added that while the severe cold is yet to arrive, the fog served as a reminder of the approaching chill. As the day progressed, sunlight appeared, but it lacked warmth. A thick blanket of fog slowed down the movement Amid foggy conditions in the morning, commuters make their way at the Golden Gate in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR of buses, cars and other vehicles on the roads during the morning hours. The fog descended in the wee hours, reducing visibility and forcing drivers to switch on their headlights. The fog disrupted normal life, with road traffic, buses and trains being adversely affected. Several commuters pointed out that the fog was not noticeable during the night but became dense in Fatehgarh Churian Road firing case: Three suspects arrested Amritsar, December 17 With the arrest of three persons, the Amritsar police have cracked an extortion and firing case involving a grocery shop owner on Fatehgarh Churian Road here. The main shooter was injured during a police operation conducted to recover the weapon used in the crime. According to the police, a masked assailant had opened fire inside the grocery shop of a businessman and his son on December 8 with an intention to kill. However, both victims escaped unhurt. After the incident, the assailant fled the spot on a motorcycle along with two accomplices towards the Preet Nagar side. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the complainant initially failed to disclose complete details of the incident due to fear and hesitation. “Despite this, the police independently developed the case using technical surveillance and human intelligence inputs,” he said. During the course of the investigation, the police arrested all three accused — Nirmaljot Singh, alias Jot (22), Manpreet Singh, alias Mangu (30), and Karandeep Singh (19), all residents of Muradpura village. The vehicle used in the crime was also recovered. The police said none of the accused had any prior criminal record. Bhullar said the police took the main accused, Nirmaljot Singh, to recover the countrymade pistol near the VerkaBatala bypass. During the recovery process, the accused allegedly pushed a policeman, forcibly snatched a police carbine, cocked it and attempted to fire at police personnel with an intention to kill. However, the weapon did not fire as the safety lock was engaged. “Despite repeated attempts by the police to overpower him, the accused again tried to shoot a policeman with the snatched carbine. ASI Navtej Singh first fired a warning shot in the air. When the accused persisted, he fired in self-defence, with one bullet hitting the accused on the lower part of his left leg,” Bhullar said. The accused fell to the ground and dropped the weapon, after which he was immediately shifted to a hospital for medical treatment. Further investigation revealed that Nirmaljot Singh had fired the shot during the incident, Manpreet Singh was riding the motorcycle, while Karandeep Singh had conducted a recce of the complainant and the shop prior to the attack. The Police Commissioner said the trio carried out the firing at the behest of Harwinder Dodhi, a resident of Muradpura village, who has multiple criminal cases registered against him and is currently absconding. The police recovered a country-made pistol along with four live cartridges and an Innova car from the accused. — TNS the early morning hours. Arshpreet Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran who commutes daily to Amritsar for work, said he had not noticed fog at night so far, but visibility was clearly reduced in the morning. Due to poor visibility caused by the foggy weather, several flights and trains arrived and departed behind their scheduled times. Foggy conditions also affected power supply in some parts of the city, adding to the inconvenience faced by residents. Both day and night temperatures dipped, while a hazy sun made a brief appearance around noon. At the railway station, passengers and their relatives were forced to wait for hours as train schedules kept changing. Waiting halls were packed to capacity, with passengers anxiously tracking arrival and departure timings on LED display boards. Vinod Mehra, a resident of Indore, said he had come to the holy city after visiting Jammu and Kashmir to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. He, along with four family members, was scheduled to board a train to Agra. Despite reaching the Amritsar railway station on time, they were shocked to learn that their train had been delayed by several hours. With no alternative, they decided to wait in the waiting hall. He added that the delay would disrupt his entire travel itinerary, as he was supposed to catch another train from Agra to return to Indore. Meanwhile, the air monitoring system installed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) at the Golden Temple recorded a moderate Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city over the past few days. formed strongly, winning nine of the 21 block samiti zones. AAP managed to secure eight seats, while the Congress won three. An Inde- pendent candidate also registered a victory from the block. In the Majitha-2 block samiti, AAP won 15 zones, while SAD secured three seats and the Congress won one. The complete results of Ajnala, Ramdas, Harsha Chhina and Majitha-1 block samitis are yet to be declared. Meanwhile, amid allegations of misuse of official machinery by the ruling party, controversy continued even on counting day. Youth SAD president Navjinderpal Singh Gandhi accused the AAP government of adopting unfair practices during the counting process. Gandhi alleged that 13 ballot boxes from the Majitha zone were found missing during counting. “We were later told that these were mistakenly sent to Jandiala. Our counting centre was in the city, and later we were informed that these ballot boxes had already been counted. This was done without the presence of any of our counting agents,” he alleged, adding that the ballot boxes were deliberately misplaced to benefit the ruling party’s candidate. Over 3.7 kg heroin seized, drug peddler arrested near Attari Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 17 In a major crackdown on narcotics smuggling, the Amritsar Rural Police on Tuesday confiscated around 3.78 kg of heroin in two separate incidents near Attari. The Attari police arrested a drug peddler and seized over 2.8 kg of heroin during a targeted operation. The accused was identified as Nirvail Singh, a resident of Attari. A case under Sections 21(C), 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered in this connection. According to the police, an informer tipped them off that Nirvail Singh was actively involved in selling heroin in Attari and adjoining villages and was on his way to deliver SUSPECT WAS ON WAY TO DELIVER CONTRABAND ■ According to the police, an informer tipped them off that Nirvail Singh was actively involved in selling heroin in Attari and adjoining villages and was on his way to deliver the contraband to a customer. the contraband to a customer. The informer said the accused was travelling along the Defence Drain on a motorcycle (PB-02-ET-4417) from Roranwala Kalan village towards Attari. Acting on the information, the police set up a checking point and intercepted the accused. Following due legal procedure, the police recovered 2.948 kg of heroin along with packing material. The motorcycle and a mobile phone were also seized, and the accused was arrested on the spot. Preliminary investigation suggests that the con- traband was smuggled from Pakistan using drones. In another recovery, the police seized an additional 840 grams of heroin along with packing material from a black polythene bag found lying on the roadside near the border village of Daoke. With these recoveries, the total seizure in the case has reached 3.788 kg of heroin, which the police described as a significant haul. Further investigations are underway to trace the source of the narcotics and identify other individuals involved in the drug trafficking network. Mahal village youth Cops seize heroin, pistols in city dies of electrocution Tribune News Service 2 booked on victim’s father’s plaint Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 17 The Amritsar Rural Police have booked two persons in connection with the electrocution of a youth, identified as Vishal Kumar, a resident of Mahal village. The accused were identified as Vishal and Akash, both residents of the same village. They were booked following a complaint lodged by Satnam Singh, the father of the victim. However, no arrests have been made so far. In his complaint, Satnam Singh alleged that at around 10 pm on Monday, the family was having dinner when Vishal and Akash came to their house and called his son outside. They told him that they wanted help in installing a flex board. He further alleged that the accused forcibly took his son with them. c m y b Satnam claimed that while installing the flex board, his son accidentally came into contact with high-voltage electric wires, resulting in a severe electric shock. Vishal Kumar reportedly died on the spot. Meanwhile, in another incident, a cyclist identified as Raj Kumar, a resident of Guru Nanak Colony in Kala village, died after being hit by a speeding vehicle. He was killed on the spot. Raj Kumar’s son, Bunty Kumar, told the police that he and his father were travelling on separate bicycles to Mahal village for some work. When they reached near Mahal village, a speeding car coming from the Amritsar side hit his father’s bicycle and fled the scene. The police have registered a case and launched an investigation to identify the driver of the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run case. Amritsar, December 17 The Amritsar Rural Police have seized heroin and illegal firearms and arrested four persons in connection with a case registered under the Arms Act. The accused were travelling in a Swift Dzire car when a police team intercepted them. Those arrested were identified as Narinder Singh, alias Nindi, and Jaskaran Singh, both residents of Dhulka village, and Harjinder Singh of Muchhal village. During a search, the police recovered a .30 bore pistol with a magazine and four live cartridges from Narinder Singh, and a .32 bore country-made pistol with a magazine and three live cartridges from Jaskaran Singh. A case under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered at the Khilchian police station. During further interrogation, and on the disclosure of The four suspects in the custody of the police in Amritsar. accused Jaskaran Singh, the police recovered another .32 bore country-made pistol with a magazine, along with 40.63 grams of heroin. Jaskaran Singh disclosed that the heroin and illegal weapons had been supplied by Aasu, a resident of Guru Nanakpura, Beas, who is currently residing in Portugal, in connivance with his associate Akashdeep Singh, alias Akash, also of Guru Nanakpura, Beas. Based on this information, Akashdeep Singh was nominated in the case and arrested as per procedure. However, the arrest of Aasu is yet to be made. Further investigation in the case is underway.