22042026-JTR-01.qxd 4/21/2026 10:50 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ISHAN MITTAL BAGS ALL INDIA RANK 154 IN JEE MAIN WALIA BECOMES PRESIDENT OF SURJIT HOCKEY SOCIETY Ishan Mittal of Cambridge International School secured AIR 154 in examination conducted by National Testing Agency. P2 Deputy Commissioner Varjeet Walia has been appointed as the 22nd president of the renowned Surjit Hockey Society. P2 » » PUNJABI ACTOR NEERU BAJWA ON PARENTING & PRESENCE At the trailer launch of film Jawaak in Mohali, Punjabi film star opens up on mindful parenting, staying youthful. P4 » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 37°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.01 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.50 AM WEDNESDAY | 22 APRIL 2026 | JALANDHAR TWO BOOKED FOR RAPING MINOR Shahkot: The police have booked two miscreants for gang raping a minor girl. Investigating Officer (IO) Inspector Seema said the accused were identified as Mani and Giani, both residents of Thamuwal village. The victim complained to the police that Mani raped her while the other accused stood as guard. The IO said a case under Section 70(2) (gang rape) of the BNS and Sections 5(G) and 6 of the POSCO Act was registered against the accused. OC Rural areas grapple with 4-hour power outages amid rising heat TRIBUNE PHOTOS: MALKIAT SINGH INBRIEF AMRITSAR MAN BOOKED FOR RAPE Phillaur: The Bilga police have booked an Amritsar resident on the charge of raping a minor girl. Investigating Officer (IO) ASI Amandeep Kaur, posted at the Phillaur police station, said the accused was identified as Rahul, a resident of the Kaliann Singh road, Hathi Gate, Amritsar. The victim’s close relative complained to the police that the accused raped her minor nice in Amritsar. The IO said a zero FIR under Sections 65(1) (raping minor) of the BNS and Section 6 of the POSCO Act was registered against the accused, the IO said. OC ONE BOOKED FOR HURTING FEELINGS Nurmahal: The police have booked a villager on the charge of insulting religion of any class. Investigating Officer (IO) Janak Raj said the accused was identified as Navreet Singh, a resident of Cheema Kalan village. Surjit Singh of the same village complained to the police that the accused attacked and injured him on April 18 and removed his turban and threatened him. The IO said a case under Sections 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship with an intent to insult religion of any class), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS was registered against the accused. OC CATTLE THIEVES STRIKE IN BILGA Nurmahal: The Bilga police have booked unidentified persons for stealing cattle. Tirath Singh, a resident of Pati Bhatti Bilga village, complained to the police that thieves struck at his cousin’s Daljit Singh’s cattle shed on Shampur Road and stole a buffalo and six calves. Investigating officer (IO) Kulwindar Singh said a case under Sections 303(2) (theft in dwelling house) and 331(4) (lurking house trespass) of the BNS was registered against accused, the IO said. OC THREE ARRESTED UNDER NDPS ACT Nakodar: The Sadar police have arrested three drug peddlers, including a woman, on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. Station House Officer (SHO) Palwindar Singh said 54 tablets (loose) were recovered from accused identified as Kaushaya, a resident of Pati Takhar Shankar village, and Amandeep, alias Kalu, and Jatindar Kumar, both residents of Pati Purewal Shankar village. The SHO said cases under sections 22/61/85 of the NDPS Act were registered against the accused. OC Women cover themselves to beat the heat as they ride on a summer afternoon; and (right) families sit outside their houses to get some relief during a power cut in Jalandhar. Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 21 Amid scorching heat, with temperatures breaching 39°C, rural belts of Jalandhar district are witnessing prolonged power outages lasting up to three to four hours, as Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) struggles to meet rising demand with constrained supply, officials familiar with the matter stated. Reportedly, certain rural parts of Jalandhar district witnessed an outage of around two and half hours on Monday night. However, the situation on Tuesday showed slight improvement after certain units of the Ranjit Sagar Dam and the Mukerian hydel project, which were earlier offline due to low demand, resumed operations by evening, adding to state’s total power generation. PSPCL officials in Jalandhar said supply to farm feeders was being prioritised during low demand hours, mainly between 3 am and 8 am, as electricity use in fields remained relatively lower during the ongoing harvest season. “The outages are being largely imposed across rural pockets of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala, typically between 6 pm and 10 pm over the last few days,” officials added. Officials said, “The issue is not confined to Jalandhar, but extends across certain pockets of rural Punjab, driven in KEY FACTS ■ Peak Temperature: 39°C ■ State’s total power demand: 8,652 MW ■ State’s power generation: 5,349 MW ■ Average outage in rural areas of the district: 3 to 4 hours part by reduced hydel power generation. Prominent hydel projects such as Ranjit Sagar Dam, Mukerian Hydroelectric Project and Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) were previously non-operational due to low demand.” According to Punjab State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) data, state’s gross power generation stood at above 5,349 MW on Tuesday evening till 7.30 pm, against an installed capacity of 6,840.5 MW. Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant, Ropar; Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant, Lehra Mohabbat; and Goindwal Sahib Thermal Power Plant, with a combined capacity of 2,300 MW, are presently generating only 1,606 MW electricity. Additionally, the hydel capacity of Ranjit Sagar Dam, UBDC, Mukerian and Anandpur Sahib, with a collective capacity of 1,160.5 MW, are currently producing only 565 MW power. Similarly, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo power plants, which have a total power generation capacity of 3,380 MW, are producing 3,129 MW. PSPCL officials said the state’s current demand was recorded at 8,652 MW on Tuesday evening. Of this, around 5,349 MW was being generated within the state, while the rest was being sourced from the central pool, they said. Des Raj Bangar, Chief Engineer, North Zone, said, “The ongoing imposition of power cuts is not a localised problem, but a statewide issue. The situation was more severe last week due to a fault at a 660 MW unit at the Talwandi Sabo plant. After the restoration of this unit on Saturday, the situation improved, with no cuts reported on Sunday and reduced outages of around two and a half hours, from 7 pm to 9.30 pm on Monday night. The situation is likely to improve in the coming days.” Huge quantity of illicit liquor, 50,000 kg lahan seized in mand belt Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, April 21 In a major drive against illicit liquor, the Excise Department on Tuesday carried out a large-scale inter-district joint search operation in the sensitive mand areas under the Dasuya excise circle of Hoshiarpur district. During the drive, a substantial quantity of material used in the manufacture of illegal liquor was recovered and destroyed on the spot. The seized materials included 15 tins, eight iron drums, four operational distillation units, five plastic cans, nearly 50,000 kg of lahan (fermented wash) stored in 95 tarpaulin covers and 75 litres of illicit liquor. The drive aimed to curb illegal distillation, prevent revenue loss to state exchequer and safeguard public health in the district. Assistant Excise Commissioner Hanuwant Singh said the search operation began around 6 am and continued till afternoon. Extensive searches were conducted in mand areas along the Beas river, particularly in Bhikhowal, Terkiana and Saidpur villages, he said. “Owing to difficult terrain and proximity to water sources, these areas are considered vulnerable to illegal liquor production,” the Assistant Excise Commissioner said. The operation was supervised by Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Malik and Assistant Excise Commissioner Hanuwant Singh, while field action was led by Preet Bhupinder Singh, Excise Officer, Hoshiarpur-2. Dasuya Deputy Superintendent of Police Hargurdev Singh, Dasuya SHO Amarjeet Kaur, Talwara SHO Satpal Singh, along with other senior police officials, also participated in the drive. The joint inter-district campaign saw participation from the Hoshiarpur Excise Department, Gurdaspur Excise Department and the Punjab Police. The Hoshiarpur team included Inspectors Parvinder Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Rashpal Singh, Lovepreet Singh and Kulwant Singh, while Inspectors Deepak, Pankaj Gupta, and Kashmir Singh from Gurdaspur range assisted in the operation. Such intensified drives in the sensitive areas would continue in the future, the Assistant Excise Commissioner said, while adding that coordinated efforts like these were crucial in effectively curbing the illegal liquor trade across the district. Thieves target NRI’s house, ~4.6 cr ramp to come up along PAP flyover in 6 months decamp with valuables Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Phagwara, April 21 A sense of fear and insecurity gripped residents after a daylight theft was reported at a locked house belonging to a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) family at Mauli village near Phagwara. Unknown miscreants allegedly broke into the premises and decamped with valuables after ransacking the property. According to information, the house belongs to Ravinder Singh, who has been residing abroad with his family for a long time. The incident came to light when a local resident, Baljot Singh, who reportedly looks after the property, noticed suspicious activity while passing by the house in wee hours. He found main gate of the house open, which immediately sent alarm bells ringing. On entering the premises, he discovered that the locks of the main entrance had been broken. Inside, rooms were found in complete disarray, with household items scattered across the floor, indicating that intruders had thoroughly searched the house. Cupboards and almirahs were left open and belongings were strewn around, suggesting that culprits were looking for valuables and cash. Upon receiving information, the police reached the spot and initiated an investigation. A case was registered in this connection. Jalandhar, April 21 Coming as a huge relief for city residents, who frequently commute towards Amritsar and Pathankot side, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started the construction of a 300 metre long and 5.5 metre wide ramp along the PAP flyover. Though the plan was finalised during the tenure of previous Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal, the onsite work had just started. The land for the ramp had already been acquired from the Punjab Armed Police (PAP) headquarters. The ramp was being constructed as there was an engineering defect in the lane A new ramp being constructed along the PAP flyover in Jalandhar. taking local commuters towards Amritsar side when the PAP flyover was opened for commuters in 2019. As the point where the lane merged into the main highway had become accident-prone, it had to be closed. After closure of the lane, city-based commuters were left with two options to head towards Amritsar side — to follow the congested road heading from Ladowali to Guru Nanakpura or take a longer 3 km detour going upto Rama Mandi Chowk and taking the PAP flyover after U-turn. Since there is a busy railway crossing on the Guru Nanakpura road, many commuters often get held up there. Once the ramp gets completed in the next six months to a year, commuters will be saved from unnecessary harassment. The project has been handed over to a private construction company. As per the plan, the new ramp will connect with the Chugitti area where an underpass already exists. It will now merge into the fourlane road at the site. There will be no need for the Railways authorities to lay any slab on the span area. The PAP authorities have already shifted their boundary back and are presently raising a new wall. New drainage channels are also being laid along the highway to prevent any waterlogging in the area during the rainy season. The new direct passage will also be a boon for residents of colonies in the city on the side including Surya Enclave, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Avenue, Maqsudan, Ladhewali, Guru Amardass Nagar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Rail Vihar. Wheat procurement crosses half target in Pistol, live cartridges recovered from Kapurthala district, farmers paid ~416.2 cr car abandoned near railway tracks Kapurthala, April 21 The arrival of wheat in grain markets across the district has gathered momentum, with procurement operations witnessing a sharp surge as harvesting picks up pace. More than 60 per cent of the wheat crop has already reached mandis, enabling government agencies to cross over half of the procurement target. The steady inflow of the golden grain, coupled with efficient arrangements by the district administration, has ensured smooth and uninterrupted procurement of the crop. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Akash Bansal reiterated the administration’s commitment to procure every single Labourers clean wheat at a grain market on Tuesday. SARABJIT SINGH grain brought by farmers. He said following relaxation in procurement norms by the Central Government, the pace of procurement had accelerated considerably. As of the evening of April 21, government agencies including, PUNGRAIN, MARKFED, PUNSUP and the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, had collectively pro- c m y b cured 1,83,516.35 metric tonnes of wheat. Payments amounting to Rs 416.2 crore had already been made to farmers for the procured crop. Providing agency-wise details, the DC informed that PUNGRAIN procured the highest quantity of wheat at 58,024.35 metric tonnes, followed by MARKFED with 47,511 metric tonnes, PUNSUP with 41,558 metric tonnes, and the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation with 36,423 metric tonnes. The DC further assured that adequate stocks of gunny bags were available in mandis and no farmer would face any inconvenience related to procurement or transportation. — OC Phagwara, April 21 A potentially serious security threat was averted after the police recovered a foreign-made pistol and live ammunition from an abandoned car found parked near railway lines at Chaheru village on the outskirts of Phagwara. The suspicious car, left unattended for a considerable period, raised an alarm among locals and passersby, prompting timely police intervention. According to initial information, a passerby noticed a black Verna car abandoned near railway tracks and informed an in-charge of the nearby police post. Acting swiftly, a police team reached the spot and conducted a thorough search of the vehicle. During search, the police recovered one sophisticated foreign-made pistol along with seven live cartridges from car, indicating possible links to unlawful activities. The vehicle, bearing registration number PB08 CMS 4810, also had a Punjab Police sticker affixed to its windshield, further deepening suspicion regarding its usage and ownership. The police took the car into custody and initiated its detailed forensic and technical examination. Investigators are currently scanning CCTV footage from the nearby areas, including both backward and forward tracking of camera feeds, to ascertain who abandoned the vehicle and under what circumstances. The police are also probing whether the vehicle was used in any criminal activity or if it was being prepared for a potential unlawful act. The possibility of the presence of other prohibited materials or narcotics was also being examined. Senior police officials said all angles were being thoroughly investigated, including ownership details of the vehicle and any links to organised crime. Following the recovery, security in Phagwara and the adjoining areas has been tightened as a precautionary measure. A case was registered under the Arms Act in this connection. — OC