01052026-ATR-01.qxd 5/1/2026 12:52 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY AKALI ACTIVISTS PROTEST LONG POWER CUTS IN AMRITSAR HOSHIARPUR PLAYERS SHINE AT STATE KARATE CHAMPIONSHIP ‘ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS’: NEETU REMEMBERS RISHI KAPOOR SAD leaders and workers on Thursday held a protest in Amritsar North constituency against frequent power cuts. P2 Aarti Kumari emerged as the star performer, bagging gold medals in the under-21 girls’ category. P3 MAX 35°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 20°C Neetu Kapoor paid an emotional tribute to her late husband Rishi Kapoor on his sixth death anniversary on Thursday. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 7.10 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5.44 AM » FRIDAY | 1 MAY 2026 | AMRITSAR City girls shine in ICSE Class X, ISC XII exams maker. Sanchi credited her self-motivation for her success. “I kept giving myself pep talks and pushed myself to perform well without external coaching,” she added. Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 30 The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations on Thursday declared the ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII) results for 2026, recording overall pass percentages of 99.18 per cent and 99.13 per cent, respectively. Girls stood out in academic performance this year, securing the top positions in the city. We spoke to meritorious students as they celebrated their success. Helper held in truck driver murder case CLASS X Heeral Sharma Students of Sacred Heart Convent School erupt in celebrations after the declaration of their ICSE Class X and ISC Class XII results in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR CLASS XII Satvika Duggal Sanchi Sood Aasaneet Kaur 99.25% 98.5% 98% Sacred Heart ConventSchool, Amritsar Sacred Heart ConventSchool, Amritsar Sri Harkrishan Public School Basant Avenue jects,” she said. Beyond academics, she has a keen interest in reading. Her mother, a government school teacher, played a key role in helping her plan her studies. ‘School disruption during floods made me anxious’ Sanchi Sood, a commerce student at Sacred Heart Convent School Amritsar, scored 98.5 per cent, securing sec- ond rank in the city. “The year did not begin well for me. The possibility of an India-Pakistan conflict early in the 2025 academic session and later school disruptions due to floods made me anxious. However, I continued working on my concepts during the closure,” she said. Currently preparing for the CUET exam, she aims to get into Delhi University. She shared that Punjabi and accounts were her strongest subjects. “I did not expect to score 100 in both. Punjabi is a language subject where perfect scores are rare and accounts was initially my weak subject, which I improved through consistent effort,” she said. Her father, Rajiv Sood, owns a pharmacy, while her mother, Kavita, is a home- Aasaneet Kaur, a non-medical student of Class XII at Sri Harkrishan Public School Basant Avenue, scored 98 per cent, securing third position among city toppers. “I feel relieved and am enjoying the moment. I plan to take a short break and focus on personal growth before deciding my next step in higher education,” she said. With a strong interest in both physics and the arts, Aasaneet views the world through complementary perspectives. “Physics helps us understand the laws of nature, while art allows us to express its beauty and complexity. I want to pursue research in physics and explore concepts like light, motion and symmetry, which are not just scientific ideas but also sources of artistic inspiration,” she said. Skilled in drawing, sketching, painting and solving complex equations, Aasaneet is keen to grow at her own pace. “I am not in a rush,” she added. Her mother, Manmeet Kaur, is a tutor and her father, Bikramjeet Singh, is a businessman. Agamjot Kaur Sartaj Singh 99% 98.2% 98.6% SacredHeart ConventSchool, Amritsar ‘I will take a break, work on myself now’ ‘No fear, disciplined study hours helped score big’ Satvika Duggal, a student of Sacred Heart Convent School, Amritsar, emerged as the city topper in CISCE Class XII with 99.25 per cent. A non-medical student, Satvika now plans to go abroad, as her father, a businessman, is settled in the UK. “I want to pursue science and will plan my academic course accordingly,” said Satvika, who is celebrating her results with her family. Her achievement reflects not only academic excellence but also consistent dedication, disciplined study habits and a genuine curiosity for learning. “Practice helped me attempt difficult subjects like chemistry with a clear head. I maintained a disciplined routine and spent most of my day planning my study schedule according to sub- Stories of hard work and passion Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 30 Girls continued to excel in the ICSE (Class X) examinations for March 2026, with celebrations erupting across schools following the declaration of results by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations. Stories of hard work, passion and purpose emerged as meritorious students shared their success. Heeral Sharma, a Class X student of Sacred Heart Convent School, Amritsar, secured the top position in the city with 99 per cent. She was closely followed by Agamjot Kaur Sandhu, who scored 98.6 per cent from Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Basant Avenue. Arpandeep Kaur and Ekamjot Kaur jointly secured the third position with 98.4 per cent each, while Sartaj Singh scored 98.2 per cent from Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Bhagtanwala. Bhawandeep Kaur of Sacred Heart Convent scored 98 per cent. At Sri Guru Harkrishan Pub- lic School, Basant Avenue, Rajdeep Singh scored 97.4 per cent, Danish scored 97.2 per cent and Abir Singh scored 97 per cent. Congratulating the students, school principal Nirmal Kaur said they had lived up to the institution’s motto: “The will to win, the desire to succeed and the urge to reach one’s full potential.” At Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Bhagtanwala, Sartaj Singh topped the school with 98.2 per cent, followed by Gurkirat Singh with 95.6 per cent and Karanbir Singh with 94.2 per cent. At Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Golden Avenue, Jasum Khurana secured first place with 97.2 per cent, followed by Navleen Kaur with 96.4 per cent and Dilpreet Kaur with 96.2 per cent. The results of Holy Heart Presidency School also featured several meritorious students. In the Class XII results, Diya Bhatia topped with 97.5 per cent, followed by Sana Arora with 97.25 per cent and Deepali with 95.5 per cent, all from the non-medical stream. In the medical stream, Palakdeep Kaur topped with 96.5 per cent, while in commerce, Deepti secured first position with 96 per cent. Simranpreet Singh secured second position with 95.75 per cent, while Sargunpreet Kaur and Shubreet Kaur jointly stood third with 94.75 per cent each. In Class X, Digvijay Singh and Deepanshu Raj scored 97.6 per cent and 97.4 per cent, respectively. Heeral eyes career in AI Heeral Sharma is celebrating her academic achievement after scoring 99 per cent in the ICSE Class X exams without any external coaching. Her success was driven by disciplined self-study and simple practices like taking long walks to manage stress. “I believe in self-confidence, but there were days when studying felt overwhelming. I would take breaks, go for walks and talk continued on page 2 Gangster’s aides fire at marble Drug module busted, 1 held with 6 kg heroin trader’s shop over extortion Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Amritsar, April 30 A day after, a truck driver was found murdered in a truck parked near the C division police station here, the police have arrested the accused involved in the murder. According to the police, the 45-year-old truck driver, identified as Nishan Singh, a resident of Shekhchak village near a petrol pump on Goindwal Road, was allegedly murdered by his co-driver with a spanner. A complaint was lodged by his wife, Harjit Kaur, who stated that her husband had left home on April 28 to transport a consignment of wheat from the Dana Mandi, Bhagtanwala, to a private company in Kapurthala. She informed the police that on April 29, Nishan Singh, along with his associate Harjit Singh, alias Jeetu, had parked the truck (PB-11DF-6891) near their residence before leaving again after a short break. Later in the afternoon, the truck owner, Raman Kumar, arrived at their house and informed the family that the vehicle was found stationed at Chattiwind Chowk, with Nishan Singh’s body lying inside the cabin. Harjit Kaur alleged that Harjit Singh, alias Jeetu, who had accompanied her husband during the trip, was responsible for the murder. She further claimed that there had been previous disputes between the two and her husband had expressed concern over threats from the accused. Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case and arrested the accused. During the investigation, the weapon used in the crime — a continued on page 2 Tarn Taran, April 30 Three henchmen of notorious gangster Doni Bal fired gunshots at the shop of a marble trader in Pandori Gola village here on Wednesday night. The victim, Jaspreet Singh, a resident of Amritsar, was working at his shop when three masked men arrived on a motorcycle. After parking the vehicle, one of the suspects began recording a video on his mobile phone, while another fired multiple shots at the shop using a pistol. The businessman and his employees managed to save The door pane of the victim’s shop damaged in firing in Tarn Taran. themselves by hiding behind stacks of marble. The gunfire shattered the shop’s windows and the attackers fled the scene immediately afterward. Moments later, Jaspreet continued on page 2 De-addictioncentreowneramong twonabbed forinmate’s‘murder’ Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 30 A day after a 38-year-old man was found dead under mysterious circumstances at a private de-addiction centre in the Manawala area, the police on Thursday arrested the owner of the facility and an inmate on murder charges. Deceased Sunny Sharma, a resident of Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar on Tarn Taran Road, was undergoing treatment at the centre. Sunny’s family members alleged that he was strangled to death in the wee hours of Wednesday. They added that he was admitted to ‘Jeevan Jagrati’ deaddiction centre at Rajewal village on March 21. Ritu Sharma, the victim’s wife, in her statement to the police alleged that because of her husband’s unstable mental condition, he was admitted to the centre for rehabilitation. Yesterday, she received a call from Gurjeet Singh, the owner of the centre, informing that Sunny had died. Ritu alleged that her husband was murdered by Gurjeet Singh, a resident of Gurnam Nagar, Sultanwind Road, Amritsar, and Sukhwant Singh, another inmate, at the centre. She further alleged that the accused tore a bedsheet, twisted it into a rope and strangled Sunny to death. Acting on the complaint, the police have registered an FIR under Sections 103 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Harchand Singh, SHO, Chatiwind police station, said they are probing the case from all angles, including the functioning of the de-addiction centre and the circumstances leading to Sunny’s death. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death. According to family members, they had been paying a monthly fee of Rs 10,00015,000 to the centre for Sunny’s rehabilitation. Jaswinder Singh, a relative of the deceased, alleged that the centre lacked proper facilities and was overcrowded, with nearly 15 patients confined to a single room. He said better supervision and safety measures could have prevented the tragedy. c m y b Amritsar, April 30 The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of the Punjab Police has busted a drug smuggling module with the arrest of a man and the seizure of 6 kg of heroin in Amritsar. The accused has been identified as Lovepreet Singh. He was arrested while allegedly transporting the contraband in a silver Hyundai i10 (PB10CV-3211), which has also been impounded. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused was acting at the behest of a Dubai-based handler, Antarpreet Singh, a native of Sultanwind. The handler is reportedly involved in narcotics trafficking and has multiple cases registered against him. He added that Lovepreet Singh was part of a larger supply chain and used to procure heroin consignments from different locations before supplying them further on the handler’s directions. Gurpreet Singh said the police had received specific inputs that the accused was to deliver a consignment near Adda Manawala on the Amritsar-Jalandhar GT Road. Acting on the tip-off, Counter Intelligence teams laid a naka and intercepted the vehicle. A search of the car led to the recovery of 6 kg of heroin. He added that efforts are underway to establish forward and backward linkages in the case and to dismantle the entire network. Personnel of the Counter Intelligence wing with the seized contraband in Amritsar. Two held with 4 kg heroin, pistols Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 30 The city police have busted yet another cross-border drug and weapon smuggling module with the arrest of two persons and the seizure of 4 kg of heroin and four sophisticated pistols. Those arrested have been identified as Arshdeep Singh (21), a resident of Lahuka village in Tarn Taran, and Tarsem Singh (31), a resident of Mohalla Jaswant Singh Nagar in Tarn Taran. The police recovered 4.108 kg of heroin, two 9mm Glock pistols, two .30 bore pistols (Chinamade), and five live cartridges. The consignment was allegedly smuggled from Pakistan. According to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused were in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers through social media platforms. The consignments were delivered via drones across the border and later collected and distributed by the accused. He Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar addresses mediapersons in Amritsar. added that further investigations are underway to trace both forward and backward linkages of the network. Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said Arshdeep Singh was initially arrested with 2.6 kg of heroin. His disclosure led to the arrest of Tarsem Singh, from whom 1.5 kg of heroin and the pistols were recovered. Tarsem Singh, described as a habitual offender, is facing 16 criminal cases under the NDPS Act, Arms Act, and Prison Act, in addition to charges of attempt to murder. He is also linked to gangster Gurpreet Singh, who is currently residing abroad. Investigations suggest that the gangster lured Tarsem into the smuggling racket with promises of a fake passport and overseas travel. A case has been registered at the Cantonment police station under Sections 21-B, 21-C, and 29 of the NDPS Act, along with Section 25 of the Arms Act. Further investigations are in progress to dismantle the entire network, the Police Commissioner added. Meanwhile, the Amritsar Rural Police recovered 2 kg of opium from two persons identified as Sucha Singh and Gurjit Singh. SubInspector Harman Kaur said the accused were nabbed near a degree college when a police team intercepted two motorcycle-borne suspects. A search led to the recovery of over 2 kg of opium. A separate case under the NDPS Act has been registered against them.