06042026-LT-01.qxd 4/5/2026 10:42 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune POULTRY DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT FOR THIS YOUNG FARMER NEGLECTED BASKETBALL COURT ‘DEN OF DRUG ADDICTS’ BOLLYWOOD MEN ARE REINVENTING WHITE VEST Harmandeep of Chauhan village has successfully diversified into poultry farming, setting an example for others. P2 Cong leader Pawan Dewan took on the MC and dist admn over an unfinished basketball court on Pakhowal Road. P2 From casual staple to style statement — take cues from star on how to elevate the humble tank. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY, RAIN MAX 30°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 16°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.48 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:08 AM MONDAY | 6 APRIL 2026 | LUDHIANA Parapet over six shops gives way in Kitab Bazar, no casualty reported Family of murder victim hold protest, allege police inaction Nikhil Bhardwaj Ludhiana, April 5 The kin of 9-year-old Aman, who was murdered by slitting his throat in Ludhiana in February this year, staged a protest on the national highway near Jalandhar bypass on Sunday. Slogans were raised against the police for alleged inaction as the accused still remained at large. The kin alleged that it has been two months since their son’s murder, but the police have failed to trace the accused. Whenever they visit the police station, the cops only make hollow promises, they added. The protest affected traffic movement on the highway, causing inconvenience to commuters. Passengers travelling in public transport had to walk across the blocked stretch as vehicles were not allowed to pass. The protest lasted for about two hours, Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 5 A major accident was averted in the bustling Kitab Bazar here on Sunday morning when a parapet built above several shops suddenly collapsed. The incident occurred in one of the city’s most crowded markets, where a large number of people visit to purchase books, notebooks and stationery items, with the new academic session beginning in schools. The parapet over six shops came crashing down with a loud bang in the morning, sending people in the vicinity rushing out towards the road. Fortunately, the market was relatively empty at the time as most shops were still closed and the road was clear of heavy pedestrian and vehicular movement. Had the parapet fallen during peak business hours, it could have resulted in a major tragedy. It took considerable time for the debris to be cleared from the road, leading to traffic disruption for several hours. Customers The debris of the parapet that collapsed in Kitab Bazar in Ludhiana on Sunday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN coming to the market had to park their vehicles at alternative locations. With the new school session underway, Kitab Bazar has been witnessing heavy footfall these days as parents and students throng the area for textbooks and other study material. Being a Sunday, the crowd was even larger than usual. Shopkeepers’ employees remained active in managing the situation and trying to ease the traffic congestion caused by the incident. Market shopkeepers said that the parapet had been in a shambles for a long time and it was visibly unsafe, but market association didn’t pay heed. Fortunately, no tragedy occurred in the incident. More unsafe buildings The Town Planning Department in Ludhiana had in the recent past wrapped up its inspection of unsafe structures across the city, flagging a total of 159 buildings that are now considered dangerous. Despite the development, the municipal corporation has limited its role to just pasting notices and not taking interest in demolishing the unsafe structures. Spread across all four municipal zones, these buildings pose serious safety risks to residents and passersby. Last year, a big portion of the ancestral house of businessman Anand Mahindra had collapsed in the city. As per information, zone D tops the list with 55 unsafe buildings, followed by zone A, the area encompassing much of the old city, where 48 such structures have been earmarked. Zone C accounts for 35 and zone B 21 structures. These numbers mark a shift from the previous survey carried out in 2021, when zone A had the highest count with 64 unsafe buildings, while zones B, C and D had 21, 38, and 33 such structures, respectively. Tribune News Service after which senior police officials assured the family that raids had already been conducted at the suspected hideouts of the accused and that he would be arrested soon. The police had announced a cash reward of Rs 20,000 for anyone providing information about the accused’s whereabouts. Posters of the killer had also been put up across the city. Meanwhile, police officials said that the accused neither used a mobile phone, nor remained in contact with anyone, which was making it difficult to apprehend him. The accused, Ajay Singh, is a resident of Kasabad, Ludhiana, and a native of Uttar Pradesh. The victim’s mother, Anisha, stated that her son was flying a kite outside their home on February 5 when he suddenly disappeared. She said the child was playing near their house. After his disappearance, the family visited three police stations, but the police failed to take timely action. The child’s body was later recovered on February 8 from bushes about 50 m from their home. The mother claimed that they themselves had identified the killer. The investigation has revealed a disturbing criminal history of the suspect. In 2020, a case was registered against the accused at Jodhewal police station for the rape of a 7-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for that crime. While being taken to the Civil Hospital for a medical examination on February 2, the accused managed to escape from police custody and has been at large since then. Meanwhile, ADCP Sameer Verma said that police team had also conducted raids at the native place of the accused in UP and other places in Punjab. One-time relaxation policy for Man, son booked for property owners announced murder of youth Tribune News Service Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 5 In a significant move aimed at resolving long-standing disputes over property dues, the Ludhiana Improvement Trust has introduced a one-time relaxation policy (OTRP), offering relief to hundreds of property allottees. The decision, announced by LIT Chairman Tarsem Singh Bhinder, comes after sustained public demand and government intervention. Property owners can get their properties regularised without penalty until June 15, provided they have already deposited at least 25 per cent of the property cost after allotment. Instead of facing hefty penalties, allottees will now only be required to pay simple interest on pending dues. Applications must be submitted by April 30, either at the trust office or through email. The scheme is expected to benefit more than 100 property owners immediately, with many more likely to follow, ending years of disputes and offering a clear path to regularisation. KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE POLICY ■ Deadline: Property owners can simple interest on pending dues. get their properties regularised without penalty until June 15. ■ Eligibility: Allottees who have deposited at least 25% of the property cost after allotment will qualify for the scheme. ■ Relief measure: Instead of hefty penalties, owners will now pay ■ Application window: Interested For years, property owners under various Improvement Trust schemes faced difficulties due to pending dues and penalties, leaving their properties unregularised. The new policy effectively ends this stalemate, providing a pathway for regularisation and ownership security. Bhinder emphasized that the policy was designed to balance financial responsibility with fairness. He said, “This relaxation ensures that genuine property owners are not burdened with penalties. By paying simple interest, they can secure their ownership rights and move forward without disputes.” The decision has been welcomed by property owners, many of whom had been waiting for years to resolve their cases. Civic observers note that the move could also boost trust in local governance and encourage timely compliance in future allotments. allottees must submit applications by April 30, either at the trust office or via email. ■ Impact: More than 100 property owners are expected to benefit immediately, with many more likely to follow. Ludhiana, April 5 A 19-year-old boy has died under suspicious circumstances in Atam Nagar area. The deceased has been identified as Mohit (19), a resident of Mohalla Azad Nagar. Based on the statement of the deceased’s father, Surinder Kumar Gumbar, the police had registered a case yesterday on murder charges against a man identified as Sushant Kumar, his 14-year-old son and several unidentified individuals. In a police complaint, Surinder, a resident of Azad Nagar, stated that his son was at home on April 1. In the evening, his friend arrived on a scooter and took Mohit with him. A short time later, his son’s friend returned home alone. When Mohit’s mother Sunita asked about his son, his friend evaded the question, saying that Mohit had gone with another boy. The victim’s father alleged that the next day, Mohit’s friend again came to their house with his father Sushant Kumar. He told a new story, saying that he had seen Mohit near Atam Nagar Public School the previous night. The family became suspicious when their son didn’t return home and the victim’s friend repeatedly changed his statements. The father added that when they were searching for their son, a passerby informed him about someone lying unconscious outside Atam Public School. He was admitted to the Civil Hospital. Due to his critical condition, he was referred to the PGI Chandigarh, where he died. Surinder told the police that he was convinced that his son’s friend, Sushant and some other associates had brutally assaulted Mohit, due to which he died. Model Town SHO Jaswinder Singh said that the body had been taken into custody and sent for a postmortem examination. The exact cause of the death will be revealed after the report is received. Currently, raids are being conducted to search for the suspects and CCTV footage of the area is being examined. Residents decry neglect of Gol Market park Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 5 What was meant to be a space for families, children and senior citizens to walk, exercise and sit together has instead become a site of neglect and misuse. The upkeep of Model Town Gol Market park is drawing sharp criticism from residents and shopkeepers, who allege that the civic authorities have failed to act despite complaints. After submitting repeated complaints to the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner without any visible action, residents have now knocked on the door of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission. The deplorable condition of the park at Gol Market, Model Town. In their letter dated April 5, the Model Town Market Welfare Society detailed the worsening sanitation and misuse of the Gol Market park, urging intervention of the authorities concerned to restore dignity and cleanliness to the public space. Garbage piles, stagnant water and the misuse of the washroom near the site of the National Flag have left the area “unfit for public use”. Daljeet Singh Takkar, pres- ident of the society, stated, “Near the National Flag, people consume alcohol in the evenings and dirty the washroom. Families, children and elderly citizens have stopped coming here.” The society claims it had earlier met the Mayor on March 9, and even forwarded the complaint to officials, however, no action followed. Daljeet reiterated that, “Despite our repeated meetings with the officials, no gardener has been sent here on duty, nor has the Horticulture Department paid any attention. The park is in a very poor condition. We have been requesting the Commission to order the MC to develop c m y b and clean the park.” Shopkeepers and residents echoed similar frustration. Bhagwinderpal Singh, vicepresident of the body, remarked, “This is not just about cleanliness, it is about dignity. A National Flag should not fly next to filth.” Manjeet Singh, chairman of society, added, “We are taxpayers. If civic bodies cannot maintain basic hygiene, where is the accountability?” “We have urged the Human Rights Commission to intervene. Potholes, broken patches and stagnant water make it unsafe for commuters and shopkeepers alike,” added Arvind Sharma, adviser of the society. Victim’s family members block national highway near the Jalandhar bypass. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Woman dies during childbirth, family alleges negligence Ludhiana, April 5 A tragic incident unfolded at a private hospital in Ludhiana, where a woman died during childbirth, sparking allegations of medical negligence and a strong protest by her family and local organisations. The deceased has been identified as Nazia Parveen, daughter-in-law of Mittu Mohammad from Mahal Kalan, Barnala district. According to family members, Nazia was admitted to the hospital for delivery, but her condition deteriorated after the birth of her child. They allege that doctors failed to provide timely and adequate care, leading to her death. Mohammad stated that Nazia had initially gone to her parental home in Malerkotla for delivery. Two days prior to the incident, her health worsened and she was taken to a local doctor, who advised shifting her to Ludhiana. The family claims that doctors at the private hospital performed the delivery prematurely, allegedly motivated by the prospect of conducting an operation, which caused her condition to worsen. As news of the incident spread, leaders of social and public organisations from Mahal Kalan and Malerkotla reached the hospital and staged a protest against the alleged negligence. They demanded strict legal action against the doctor concerned under appropriate sections of law. The family has declared that they will not accept Nazia’s body or perform her last rites until firm action is taken against the accused. Police officials present at the hospital assured that further investigation and necessary legal proceedings were underway. — TNS Motorcyclist falls off flyover, dies Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 5 A motorcyclist collided with a railing and fell off the flyover near Jalandhar bypass. The man was seriously injured and died before reaching the hospital. According to people present at the spot, the bike was being driven at high speed. Losing balance, the bike struck a railing. The deceased has not yet been identified. According to eye witnesses, a man fell from the bridge late in the evening and was severely injured. Bystanders immediately rushed him to a nearby private hospital, but his condition was so critical that he died on the way. The body will be kept in the mortuary for 72 hours for identification. If the next of kin is not located during this time, then the police will conduct a postmortem and complete further legal procedures. Illegal LPG refilling racket busted Ludhiana, April 5 A joint team of the Food Supply Department and the local police carried out a surprise checking operation in Ganesh Nagar, Janta Nagar area of Ludhiana, to curb illegal LPG refilling activities. During the raid, officials seized one domestic LPG cylinder and equipment used for gas transfer from a shop found engaged in the illegal activity. The checking was conducted as part of an ongoing campaign to combat unauthorised LPG refilling and black marketing that posed serious safety risks to consumers. Following the inspection, the police registered an FIR against the shop owner and the individual operating the premises. Further investigation is underway to determine the supply channel and the extent of illegal distribution in the area. The Food Supply Department warned that strict action would continue against those found involved in unauthorised LPG handling or misuse of domestic cylinders, echoing the recent statewide crackdown on such irregularities reported across Punjab. —TNS