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P4 » » » SUNSET FRIDAY 6.02 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 7.24 AM FRIDAY | 30 JANUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR Extortion calls linked to gangsters spark panic in city; 3 FIRs lodged Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 29 A series of extortion threats allegedly linked to notorious gangsters has triggered panic across parts of Amritsar district, with the police registering three separate cases under stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act. In one of the cases, unidentified assailants opened fire at the residence of a victim following repeated extortion threats demanding Rs 50 lakh. According to the police, in the first case, Dilbagh Singh (60), a resident of Jinjeani village, stated that he began receiving WhatsApp calls from an international number in December 2025. The caller identified himself as gangster Satta Naushera and demanded Rs 50 lakh as extortion. After the complainant disconnected the call, the accused allegedly sent audio clips containing death threats. The complainant further stated that on January 26, INVESTIGATIONS ON TO IDENTIFY ACCUSED ■ In one of the cases that involves Khushwant Singh (36), a shopkeeper who runs a sweets outlet on Verowal Road. He told the police that on January 20, he received a WhatsApp call from an international number. The caller introduced himself as foreign-based gangster Doni Bal and demanded Rs 50 lakh, threatening to harm him and his family if the money was not paid. Police officials said investigations are underway to identify the accused and establish possible links between the extortion calls, foreign numbers and local facilitators. around 10.22 pm, unidentified youths riding a motorcycle fired four rounds at his house. One bullet hit the wall of his bedroom, while three others struck other walls of the house. The assailants fled the scene immediately after the firing. In the second incident, Navtej Singh (60), owner of MK Road Carrier Transport, alleged that he received a WhatsApp call on January 22 from a foreign number. The caller, claiming to be notorious gangster Happy Jatt, demanded Rs 50 lakh and threatened dire consequences if the demand was not met. The complainant alleged that his mobile number had been shared with the accused by an unidentified person from within the city. The third case involves Khushwant Singh (36), a shopkeeper who runs a sweets outlet on Verowal Road. He told the police that on January 20, he received a WhatsApp call from an international number. The caller introduced himself as foreign-based gangster Doni Bal and demanded Rs 50 lakh, threatening to harm him and his family if the money was not paid. Police officials said investigations are underway to identify the accused and establish possible links between the extortion calls, foreign numbers and local facilitators. Raids are being conducted at suspected locations, and cyber and technical analysis of the calls is in progress. No arrests have been made so far. Three operatives of gangster Satta Naushera held after exchange of fire Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 29 The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on Thursday arrested three operatives of foreignbased notorious gangster Satta Naushera after a brief exchange of fire. The accused were allegedly involved in a firing incident targeting a local businessman. The arrests are part of the police’s ongoing crackdown on gangrelated crime in the city. A case was registered on January 16 at the B-Division police station under charges of extortion, criminal intimidation and provisions of the Arms Act in this connection. Sharing details, Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the firing incident took place on January 16. Although the complainant initially refrained from sharing complete details due to fear, the police independently established the facts during the investigation. Given the gravity of Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and other officials visit the encounter spot in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR the offence, special teams were constituted to crack the case, he said. “During the probe, the prime Bhattal should name officers, seek probe: AAP Infiltrator shot Party reacts to former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal’s recent statement on TV dead by BSF jawans near IB Tribune News Service years to remember, and now because thousands of people Amritsar, January 29 The chief spokesperson of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab and MLA from Ajnala, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, reacted strongly to former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal’s statement regarding bomb blasts, saying that the Congress hatched major conspiracies to destroy Punjab for the sake of retaining power. Dhaliwal said that he himself is a victim of that dark period, adding that three members of his family and 25 residents of his village Jagdev Kalan were killed during that time. “In 1980, when Sardar Darbara Singh was the Chief Minister of Punjab and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was part of his cabinet, the first major incident near Dhilwan took place, where people belonging to one community were taken off a bus and brutally killed. After this incident, CRPF and paramilitary forces entered Punjab AAP chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal for the first time, and the state began slipping into debt, the burden of which Punjab continues to bear,” he said addressing the media today. Dhaliwal said that former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, just about a month and a half ago, had also admitted that when he was a Congress MP he got 25 youths , to surrender, but all of them were later killed. He questioned where the bodies of those youths went and what their names were. He said it took Captain Amarinder 30 he claims that he sometimes cannot even sleep. The AAP leader said that during the 2017 Assembly elections, when there was widespread discussion about the Aam Aadmi Party winning 100 seats, the Maur bomb blast took place, after which the Congress formed the government. He said that Bhattal’s statement today brings those events into a clearer perspective. Dhaliwal said that Bhattal often claims to be the daughter of freedom fighter Baba Hira Singh Bhattal. “If she truly loves Punjab, she must name the officers and leaders who advised carrying out bomb blasts. If she does not disclose the names, then she is also trampling upon the patriotism of her forefathers,” he said. The MLA demanded that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann order a thorough investigation into this statement. He said this is an extremely serious matter MC negligence leads to road accident near Kachahri bridge Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 29 Alleged negligence by the Amritsar Municipal Corporation led to a serious road accident on Wednesday night, leaving a car driver critically injured. The incident occurred around 9.30 pm when a speeding car rammed into a water tanker parked on the road near Kachahri bridge. According to information, the accident took place due to an open pit dug on the road and a water tanker standing without any safety arrangements or warning signs. The car was badly damaged in the collision, and its driver sustained serious injuries. Passersby present at the spot rushed the injured driver to a private hospital. Family members of the injured driver alleged that no NO WARNING SIGNS WERE PUT UP ■ According to information, the accident took place due to an open pit dug on the road and a water tanker standing without any safety arrangements or warning signs. The car was badly damaged in the collision, and its driver sustained serious injuries. Passersby present at the spot rushed the injured driver to a private hospital. safety measures were in place at the work site. They claimed that there were no reflectors, warning boards or barricades installed to alert commuters. Due to darkness, the stationary tanker parked on the road was not visible, which led to the accident. The family stated that the driver was heading towards Bhandari Bridge when the mishap occurred. On receiving information, the Civil Lines police reached the spot and inspected the scene. SHO Gurjeet Singh said that municipal corporation employees were carrying out work in the area. A water tanker trolley was parked on the road, but adequate barricading had not been done behind or alongside it. The police further stated that appropriate action would be taken in the matter. Local residents alleged that similar negligence by the municipal corporation has caused accidents in the past as well. As per safety norms, roads under repair are required to be either closed or properly secured with barricades, reflectors and warning signs to prevent mishaps. accused, Jashandeep Singh, was arrested. Based on his disclosure statement, two other accused — Jobanjit Singh and Gurkeerat Singh, alias Keerat — were identified and subsequently arrested. Investigations revealed that all three were actively involved in the conspiracy and execution of the firing incident,” the Police Commissioner said. On January 29, the police were taking accused Jobanjit Singh to the Sultanwind area for the identification of another suspect. During transit, he complained of ill health. When the police vehicle was halted and he was brought out, Jobanjit Singh allegedly attempted to snatch the .38 bore service revolver of ASI Sharanjit Singh. During the ensuing scuffle, a round was accidentally fired, injuring the accused in his left leg. Following the incident, a separate case was registered against him at the Sultanwind police station. Further investigation revealed that Jobanjit Singh, a resident of Waria village near Naushera Pannuan in Tarn Taran district, was act- ing on the directions of gangster Satta Naushera, also a native of the same area. The police said the gangster had allegedly hired the accused youths to carry out criminal activities. At the time of the firing incident, Jobanjit Singh was riding the motorcycle, while Gurkeerat Singh, alias Keerat, a resident of Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, and Jashandeep Singh provided logistical support and assisted in executing the crime. Police records show that Jobanjit Singh is already involved in a theft case registered at the Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran. Gurkeerat Singh, alias Keerat, is named in an Arms Act case registered at the Sadar police station in Amritsar, involving a carjacking at gunpoint. Police officials said further investigation is underway to identify additional associates of the gang and to dismantle the wider criminal network operating in the region. Ex-PSPCL staffer murdered in Indira Colony; tenants suspected were killed in Punjab and many are still in jails. “These conspiracies must be exposed,” he asserted. Earlier this week, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal’s statement in a televised interview triggered a political storm in Punjab as she admittedly said that she was advised to orchestrate bomb blasts to win leverage in elections. Meanwhile, former acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh, also posted on his X account, stating. “Former Chief Minister Bibi Rajinder Kaur Bhattal Ji should have come forward personally and publicly disclosed the names of those officers and advisers, who, for political gain, had advised carrying out bomb blasts in Punjab.” He went on to question the AAP government on filing an FIR and constituting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to investigate the matter. Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Batala, January 29 An infiltrator was shot dead by BSF jawans when he tried to cross the International Border (IB) here on late Wednesday night. Amritsar, January 29 An elderly woman was brutally murdered allegedly by her two tenants in the Indira Colony area on Majitha Road here on late Wednesday night. The victim has been identified as Veena Rani (65). Police teams, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Sirivennela, reached the spot soon after the incident and launched an investigation. The police said the two tenants had organised a party and invited the deceased’s son, Varinder, on the pretext of celebrating a visa approval for one of the accused. During the gathering, the accused allegedly served drinks laced with intoxicating substances before committing the crime. Simmi, the deceased’s daughter who lives in the neighbourhood, said she was informed about her mother’s death by another woman Heroin, opium seized from border area District Judge reviews living conditions in jail Tarn Taran, January 29 A joint team of the Khalra police and the BSF seized 1.662 kg of opium and 300 grams of heroin from two different locations in the border area here on Wednesday. The police said here on Thursday that the Khalra police team, led by SHO Sub-Inspector Sahib Singh, and BSF officials recovered 700 gms of opium from panchayat land. Farmer Harjinder Singh of Khalra village had taken the land on contract to till. The contraband was dropped by a drone in the area. A case under Sections 18, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act and Sections 10, 11 and 12 of the Aircraft Act has been registered. SI Sahib Singh said the police and the BSF during patrolling in the area arrested three residents of Mari Kamboke village continued on page 2 c m y b Tried to hoodwink BSF men near Ghanie-KeBangar BoP Taking advantage of dense fog, the infiltrator tried to hoodwink the security men of the 113 Battalion of the BSF near the force’s Border Outpost (BoP) at Ghanie-KeBangar. The security men asked him to reveal his identity. However, when he refused to do so, he was shot dead. Sources reveal Pakistan has a knack of pushing in infiltrators carrying heroin, arms and ammunition by taking advantage of the adverse weather conditions. The wailing family members of deceased Veena Rani in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR residing on rent on the upper floor of the house. She said when she reached the spot, she found her mother lying in a pool of blood in her room, while her brother was found in a deep sleep in another room. She alleged that the accused decamped with her mother’s jewellery and rummaged through the room, indicating robbery as the motive behind the murder. She added that her mother was a retired employee Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 29 District and Sessions Judge Jatinder Kaur, along with Amardeep Singh Bains, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), conducted an inspection of the Amritsar Central Jail on Thursday. During the visit, the District and Sessions Judge carried out a comprehensive inspection of various sections of the jail, including barracks, kitchens, medical facilities, sanitation arrangements, record rooms and security infrastructure. She assessed the quality of food, availability of drinking water, cleanliness of living areas and the functioning of healthcare services, while emphasising the need to maintain humane living conditions and ensure strict adherence to statutory provisions governing prison administration. District and Sessions Judge, Amritsar, Jatinder Kaur along with DLSA Secretary Amardeep Singh Bains at the Amritsar Central Jail. The District and Sessions Judge also interacted with undertrial prisoners and convicted inmates, heard their grievances and issued necessary directions to jail authorities for their prompt redres- sal. She stressed the importance of the timely production of undertrial prisoners before courts and strict compliance with judicial orders. Meanwhile, Amardeep Singh Bains apprised the of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The ADCP said prima facie the crime appeared to have been committed by the two youths living as tenants in the house. He said both suspects are absconding and efforts are underway to nab them. The exact motive behind the crime is yet to be ascertained. The accused had been living on rent in the house for nearly two years, he added. inmates of free legal aid schemes, plea bargaining, compounding of offences and other benefits available under legal services programmes. He informed them about their right to legal representation and the procedure for availing legal aid through the DLSA, with special focus on women inmates, senior citizens and economically weaker sections. The visiting dignitaries also reviewed the functioning of legal aid clinics, jail Lok Adalats and the role of paralegal volunteers within the jail premises. Directions were issued to strengthen legal awareness initiatives and enhance coordination between the jail administration and the DLSA to ensure the speedy disposal of eligible cases. Rajiv Kumar Arora, Superintendent, Central Jail, was also present during the inspection.