07022026-JTR-01.qxd 2/6/2026 10:55 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune NIT-CALICUT CROWNED OVERALL CHAMPION AT INTER-NIT TOURNEY SANT SAMAJ JOINS PARKASH PURB CELEBRATIONS REWRITING THE RULES OF STORYTELLING A total of 22 NITs from across the country participated in the mega sporting event. P2 Besides samaj, CM and ministers paid obeisance at the tap asthan of Guru Ravidas at Khuralgarh. P3 From Guneet Monga to Reema Kagti — women filmmakers who are re-shaping Indian cinema for global audience.P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 21°C | MIN 7°C YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 6°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.07 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7:15 AM » SATURDAY | 7 FEBRUARY 2026 | 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. AAP leader’s murder triggers panic among residents in city Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service INBRIEF 2 YOUTHS KILLED IN ACCIDENT Hoshiarpur: Two youths lost their lives while two others were injured in a road accident on the Hoshiarpur-Tanda road. Ravi Kumar of village Pandori Bawa Das told the police that on February 4, he was travelling by a car along with his brother Om Parkash, villager Dildar Singh, and his cousin Ajay Kumar of Mudki in Ferozepur district, towards Lachowa. When they reached near village Alowal, their car collided with a truck that was parked on the wrong side of the road. All occupants of the car were injured in the accident. They were rushed to a hospital where Om Parkash and Ajay succumbed to their injuries. The Bullowal police have registered a case. oc WOMAN DUPED OF ~7.5 LAKH Hoshiarpur: The police have booked a travel agent for allegedly cheating a woman of around Rs 7.5 lakh on the pretext of sending her husband abroad. Baljit Kaur of Miani village told the police that the accused Surjit Singh of village Sindhra in Jalandhar district promised to send her husband to the US and took the money from them. However, he failed to send Lakhwinder abroad. Later, the accused also signed an agreement to return ~4.5 lakh but did not repay the amount. The police have registered a case. oc Jalandhar, February 6 The murder of Aam Aadmi Party leader Satwinderpal Singh, alias Lucky Oberoi (41), on Friday morning outside Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Model Town here triggered widespread panic among residents. Oberoi’s Thar was riddled with bullet holes after he was shot from a close range at 7:36 am by a youth who arrived on a scooter and opened fire in the parking area outside the gurdwara. A wedding was underway inside the premises at the time, adding to the chaos and panic among the families present. As the motive behind the crime became clearer by afternoon, it emerged that a recent appointment of a student union president at Lyallpur Khalsa College — made by Oberoi — had created a dispute that ultimately led to the killing. This was not the first such incident. On December 21, gunshots were fired at a group of 20–25 students of St Soldier College, Jalandhar, at a fuel station near Alawalpur over a similar conflict concerning the appointment of a student union president. The police had arrested the main accused after a brief encounter the same day. Angad Dutta, secretary, Punjab Youth Congress, held the government morally, administratively and politically responsible for the killing. He stated that the tragedy was waiting to happen and could have been prevented had the Oberoi was shot from a close range by a youth The wailing mother and kin of AAP leader Lucky Oberoi, who was gunned down in Jalandhar on Friday. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH police adhered to the alarm sounded to them. Dutta revealed that on December 22, he had warned the Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, about the growing menace of illegal ‘presidentship’ culture, armed youth groups, and parallel power centres, and demanded immediate legal action. “I had warned the administration that if such unlawful activities were not curbed, Jalandhar would slide into violent confrontation and today we are witnessing the consequences.” Dutta has demanded an independent judicial probe ‘CONFUSED ADMN’ ❝Gangsters anda criminals have got booster dose of confidence because they see a confused, and politically compromised administration. ❞ Jaiveer Shergill, BJP LEADER into the murder of Lucky Oberoi, accountability of district officers who ignored preventive warnings, immediate From barefoot run to coaching glory: Neha’s inspiring journey Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 6 At just 23, Neha’s journey from hardships to hope stands as a reminder of what determination and the right guidance can achieve. A 400m hurdler and daughter of a factory foreman, Neha has now taken on a new role, as a Khelo India coach at the very sports college where her own sporting journey began. Neha officially joined as a coach on January 20, marking a significant milestone in her life. Just months earlier, in November 2025, she added another feather to her cap by winning a silver medal in the 400m relay at the Khelo India Games. “When she started, Neha didn’t even have proper shoes and would run bare- foot,” recalls Sharandeep Kaur, her physical education teacher at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Adarsh Nagar, who first spot- ted her talent. “Seeing her reach here is a feeling that cannot be described. What more could I ask for?” It was Sharandeep Kaur, who took Neha to the sports college, where she was introduced to Sunil Kamboj, an athletics coach with the Sports Department. That meeting proved life-changing. For the past seven years, Neha has trained under Kamboj’s guidance, a mentorship she says she can never repay. “I have seen penury. Those memories still come back to me,” Neha told The Tribune. “But main bahut agge vadh chuki haan life vich. Now, I am only thankful.” Coming from a humble background, Neha has witnessed her family’s struggles up close. Her mother earlier worked as a domestic help and now stitches footballs at a factory. Despite the challenges, Neha says her parents’ pride in her achievements is her greatest reward. “My parents are proud of me and I am the happiest now,” she said. “Coming from a humble background, where I saw several financial challenges, I have reached here. I have started earning now.” Coach Kamboj believes Neha’s journey is far from over. “She has great potential and has reached this stage purely through hard work,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of her achievements.” From running barefoot to mentoring the next generation of athletes, Neha’s story is not just about medals or jobs, it is about the power of believing in oneself, even when the odds are stacked high. Two arrested with capsules, heroin Our Correspondent Phagwara, February 6 The police arrested two persons in separate incidents under the NDPS Act during routine patrol and search operations, recovering narcotic capsules and heroin. In the first case registered under the NDPS Act, a police party arrested Harbans Singh, alias Bansa, a resident of Mohalla Mehtabgarh in Kapurthala. The arrest was made while the police team was on patrol duty to check suspicious persons. When the police reached near Sacred Public School in Sukh Sagar Colony, a youth was seen coming on foot. On noticing the police vehicle, he allegedly became nervous, threw a transparent polythene packet from the right pocket of his pants onto the roadside and attempted to flee. He was immediately overpowered by the police team. On checking the packet, the police recovered 90 unlabelled narcotic capsules, following which the accused was taken into custody and a case was registered. A separate case under the NDPS Act was registered by a police team. The police were on patrol. Near Phagrawal Gate, a young man was spotted coming on foot. On seeing the police, he allegedly threw a polythene packet from the pocket of his pyjama onto the roadside and tried to escape but was apprehended on the spot. The accused identified himself as Kashmir Singh, alias Shera, of Hamira under Subhanpur police station. A search of the packet led to the recovery of six gram of heroin. c m y b dismantling of illegal political and criminal structures and clear fixing of responsibility at the highest level. Jaiveer Shergill, national spokesperson, BJP said, , “Murders and extortions have now become a casual business in Punjab. Under the AAP government, law and order has been reduced to a soft toy in the hands of criminals and gangsters. Instead of doing development, AAP has turned Punjab into a playground for gangsters.” Shergill said. He stated every section of society has become a sitting duck for organised crime. Child falls into open sewer tank, dies Phagwara, February 6 A tragic incident was reported from Kothra Road here on Friday, where a young child lost his life after accidentally falling into an open sewer tank while playing with other children. The incident has triggered anger among local residents, who have alleged negligence on the part of the plot owner. The child was playing near a plot on Kothra Road when he suddenly slipped and fell into an uncovered sewer tank constructed inside the plot. He was immediately pulled out in a critical condition and rushed to the Civil Hospital, Phagwara, where doctors declared him brought dead. A local resident Mona said upon learning about the mishap, he rushed to the spot and helped retrieve the child from the sewer tank before taking him to the hospital. Despite prompt efforts, the child could not be saved. Meanwhile, Rekha, a neighbour of the victim’s family, alleged that the plot owner had failed to install a proper cover on the sewer tank and also not constructed a boundary wall around the plot. She said this negligence proved fatal for the child. Residents of the area have demanded strict action against those responsible and urged the authorities to ensure that all open sewer tanks and plots are secured to prevent such tragic incidents in the future. — OC Shergill further said instead of being used as a professional law-enforcement force, the police are increasingly being converted into the personal muscle-men army of the AAP leadership. “Gangsters and criminals have got a booster dose of confidence because they see a confused, directionless and politically compromised administration. When criminals are not punished swiftly, when police officers are demoralised, and when political masters interfere in investigations, crime automatically flourishes,” Shergill said. Channi takes a dig at AAP over law, order in state Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 6 Hours after the murder of the AAP leader, Jalandhar Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi along with MLAs Hardev Laddi Sherowalia, Sukhwinder Kotli, Avtar Henry and halqa in-charges Dr Navjot Dahiya and Surinder Kaur met Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur and urged her to keep a tab on the law and order situation. Channi told media, “There is a difference between conducting stage and state. The CM is still only conducting the stage and has failed to manage the state.” On the DGP’s statement that more weapons were being smuggled into the country, Channi retorted, “Where is the Centre? They have given more area to the BSF for control. Also where is the Punjab Intelligence. Are they not able to handle the weapon smuggling?” Former Education Minister and MLA Pargat Singh has condemned the brazen daylight shooting in his Jalandhar Cantt constituency. He asserted that gangsters have now systematically targeted leaders from the Congress, the Akali Dal, and currently AAP This . represents a direct affront to the government’s authority. Pargat has demanded the immediate arrest of all perpetrators involved in the murder. He further said, “Punjab craves for not STAGE AND STATE ❝There is a difference between conducting stage and state. The CM is still only conducting the stage and has failed to manage the state. ❞ Charanjeet Singh Channi, MP excuses, but tangible results, enabling its citizens to live in peace. The current nightmarish state has instilled widespread fear.” Pargat emphasised, “The AAP government and police have failed to uphold law and order, heightening the specter of President’s Rule in the state. If politicians and party affiliates are unsafe, how can the security of ordinary citizens be guaranteed? The government must undertake swift, decisive action forthwith, lest Punjab’s situation spirals into further anarchy.”