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P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 39°C | MIN 30°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 30°C SUNSET MONDAY 7:28 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:24 AM MONDAY | 29 JUNE 2026 | LUDHIANA Safety goes for a toss as residents use unfinished bridge over Buddha Nullah Deadline overshot by a month, work likely to be finished in 15 days Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 28 The new bridge constructed on the Buddha Nullah near Chand Cinema was expected to be finished by May 31, before the onset of the rainy season. However, the works are yet to be completed and it will take another 15 days to finish the same. Despite this, commuters have already started using the bridge. Carpeting work, installation of lighting and a few lastminute tasks are still pending. Since no barricades have been placed and no ‘work in progress’ boards have been installed, motorists have begun using the bridge prematurely. MLA (North) Madan Lal Bagga said a few works were pending and it would take another 15 days to finish the same. Afterwards, it would be inaugurated and thrown open to the public. “Now, people going towards the city will not be required to take the GT Road. They will be given direct service lane connectivity through the bridge. There was a missing link, which will be covered now,” he said. The new bridge has been The new bridge built over the Buddha Nullah near Chand Cinema to ease traffic congestion. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA THE PROJECT Project cost: ~2.75 crore Executing agency: MC, B&R Department Deadline: May 31, 2026 (delayed) Pending work: Carpeting, lighting installation, finishing tasks Current status: Commuters already using bridge despite incomplete work, no barricades or warning boards Benefit: Direct service lane connectivity, easing traffic on GT Road Concerns: Safety risks at night due to lack of lights; premature use by motorists built to ease traffic snarls and provide direct service lane connectivity to vehicles heading towards the city. The project is being executed by the Municipal Corporation’s Building & Roads (B&R) Department at a cost of Rs 2.75 crore. A local shopkeeper, Payar Singh, said people were using the bridge, though it is yet to be completed. “Since there are no lights installed, it is dangerous to use the same, especially during night hours,” he said. A commuter, Rajesh, said currently they had to take the GT Road, which was always crowded. “With the new bridge, I will save at least 30 minutes every day. I once used it but the works are yet to be completed. I am waiting for the same to commute through the bridge,” he said. The bridge is expected to significantly reduce traffic pressure on the GT Road and improve connectivity for hundreds of daily commuters. Cong leader flays MC for City Bus Service project debacle Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 28 Former president of the District Congress Committee, Ludhiana (Urban) and former Chairman of the Punjab Large Industrial Development Board, Pawan Dewan, has lambasted the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, over collapse of the City Bus Service project. In a strongly worded statement, Dewan said the failure of the much-touted City Bus Service project was a damning indictment of the MC’s chronic mismanagement and absence of vision. “The MC reduced urban transport to a one-time showcase project instead of treating it as a continuously managed public service,” he said, adding that the civic body’s negligence had robbed citizens of accessible and low-floor buses designed for all age categories, particularly, senior citizens and differently abled. Dewan asserted that the collapse of the bus service project was not an accident but the direct consequence of the MC’s incompetence, lack of accountability and betrayal of city residents. He reminded that what began in January 2015 under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to modernise urban transport Pawan Dewan shows the discarded buses at a Ludhiana depot. in Ludhiana has ended in a chaos, leaving commuters stranded and the civic body locked in disputes with a private operator. “The fallout is borne by daily commuters, who now pass dozens of idle buses rotting at the Hambran Road depot,” he said. Dewan said when the nineyear contract ended in January 2024, the MC had no replacement plan. “No alternative transport plan was announced, even as the city gasps under rising pollution and traffic congestion. It is not merely a transport crisis but a civic betrayal. The MC’s inability to execute things properly has left the city without a reliable bus service. For a city that desperately needs clean, efficient public transport, the corporation’s negligence has turned progress into paralysis,” he said. “The project was a progressive step towards inclusive public transport. Instead of protecting and expanding the people-friendly fleet, the civic body has dismantled it,” the Congress leader said. Take up issue in LS: Dewan to MP Warring Pawan Dewan demanded that Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring should raise the critical issue in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. “We urge Warring to take up the matter in the Lok Sabha, pressing for immediate resumption of the City Bus Service and decisive action against civic officials responsible for its collapse,” he said. City man booked for raping SAD ex-MLA Shivalik joins Akali Dal-Waris Punjab De 15-year-old sister-in-law Manav Mander Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 28 A man allegedly raped his 15year-old sister-in-law. The suspect was reportedly heavily intoxicated when he committed the crime. Following the incident, the suspect threatened to kill the victim if she revealed the matter to anyone, due to which she remained silent for a long time. When the girl reached her village from Ludhiana, she informed her parents about the incident. After receiving information, the Sadarpur police in Sitapur district, Uttar Pradesh, promptly registered a zero FIR and forwarded the case to the Koom Kalan police station in Ludhiana. In her complaint to the police, the victim said she was staying with her elder sister and brother-in-law in the Koom Kalan area of Ludhiana. All of them were residing in the same compound and working at a fac- tory. A few weeks ago, the intoxicated suspect allegedly raped her near the Kohara area, close to Bhatti Hospital. After committing the act, he threatened the victim with dire consequences. In-charge of Katani Chowki under the Koom Kalan police station Surjit Singh Saini said the police were conducting a thorough investigation into the case. He said a case had been registered against the suspect under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act and he would be arrested soon. Ludhiana, June 28 The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) suffered a major setback in Ludhiana as Darshan Singh Shivalik, its former MLA from the Gill constituency, formally joined the Akali Dal-Waris Punjab De at a public event attended by Amritpal Singh’s father Tarsem Singh and senior leader Manpreet Singh Ayali. Shivalik, who was active in Gill for long, said his decision was guided by two core objectives — rescuing state’s youth from the grip of drugs and safeguarding the Panth. Expressing disillusionment, he alleged that his dedication was not valued in the SAD and accused several party leaders of Darshan Singh Shivalik joins Akali Dal-Waris Punjab De at an event. working against it. The move is seen as a significant loss for the SAD, with Shivalik declaring that he now places his trust in Tarsem Singh’s leadership to protect Sikh values and guide youth onto the right path. Speaking openly about internal rifts, Ayali said: “The Akali Dal is still one. If Sukhbir Singh Badal abandons personal gains and selfish interests, we can reunite.” Stressing the party’s vision, Ayali said Akali Dal ‘Waris Punjab De’ alone could provide the right direction and gover- nance to the state. During the event, the party also expressed its support for ensuring compliance with the ‘hukamnama’ issued by the Akal Takht in the matter of the controversial video. He said the Akal Takht was the highest temporal authority of the Sikh community and its directives were supreme. He said he would appear before the Akal Takht on June 29 in accordance with its directions. Tarsem Singh said Punjab needs a purely Panthic government. He announced that Akali Dal-’Waris Punjab De’ would contest the forthcoming Punjab Assembly elections under the leadership of MP Amritpal Singh, who was the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate. He said people from every section of society were standing firmly with the party and its policies. He also made it clear that it would not enter into any alliance with any national party in the upcoming Assembly elections. He said only a regional party could effectively resolve Punjab’s issues. Shivalik thanked the party leadership for reposing faith in him and said he would discharge whatever responsibility was entrusted to him with dedication and sincerity. He said after trying different political parties, the people of the state now have high expectations from the Akali Dal-Waris Punjab De and it would live up to the expectations. City youth’s dream of study in Russia turns into nightmare Jilted lover brutally attacks Son of a bizman, victim spent 20 days in jail before being deported to India Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 28 A youth from Ludhiana who went to Russia last year with dreams of higher studies and financial freedom was deported by the Russian authorities. He returned to India on June 22 after facing hardships. Rajveer Singh, son of a businessman from Gill Road, Ludhiana, spent 20 traumatic days in a Russian jail — an ordeal he describes as worse than a nightmare. While sharing the experience of the unfortunate day, Rajveer said: “In Russia, I had just stepped out of my house one day and was standing near a traffic light when a Russian police vehicle came. They stopped the vehicle after seeing me. They forced me into the vehicle and took me to the GRATEFUL TO INDIAN EMBASSY: RAJVEER “My friends kept pressuring the Indian Embassy by sending multiple emails. Thanks to the swift intervention and diplomatic efforts of the Indian Embassy, I have finally returned home safely,” said Rajveer Singh. police station. The officials checked all my documents thoroughly. Everything was in order but they demanded proof of residential registration, which I lacked and it became the reason for the beginning of my bad days”. He said earlier also, he was caught twice for verification but was let off by the police. He was caught during a red alert in Russia between June 1 to June 10, when the local police were targeting foreign nationals. He recalled that from morning to evening, he was sent from one office to another, literally begging for help with available documents. Finally, a woman officer took him into custody. “The educational institute that had facilitated my admission to Russia refused to help me when I called its staff for help. I spoke to my parents over the phone and told them I would pay a small fine and get released. The fine for the offence was only 81,000 in Russian currency (ruble). However, the woman officer and the police demanded a bribe of 30,000 ruble for my release. When I refused to pay such a large amount, they turned aggressive, snatched my mobile phone, cash and all belongings, and threw me into the jail” the youth recalled. He further shared that in the barracks, all inmates were given one basic keypad mobile phone for two hours a day to call home. Since the victim could not remember his parents’ number, he could not speak to them for the entire 20 days. “While in the jail, I was offered an option to join the Russian Army in exchange for my freedom. I refused the proposal outright. My friends kept pressuring the Indian Embassy by sending multiple emails. Thanks to the swift intervention and diplomatic efforts of the Indian Embassy, I have finally returned home safely,” Rajveer said. He said people who overstay or violate the norms in Russia face torture but he was c m y b not tortured at all, though it was tough to stay in the jail. 40-yr-old woman in Khanna Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service ‘Russian army didn’t force us to join’ Rajveer said earlier Indians caught by the immigration authorities in Russia were forced to join the Russian army but now, due to the firm stand of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reportedly talked to the Russian President about the safety of Indians in Russia in the past, the Russian army do not force Indians to join it now. “The detention centre where he was kept already had many Indians and people from other countries but Indians were not asked to join the army. Others were told to join the army in lieu of huge monetary benefits and Russian passport,” he said. Ludhiana, June 28 A jilted lover brutally stabbed a woman in Krishna Nagar, Khanna, on Sunday. The woman in a critical condition was referred to a government hospital in Chandigarh by a local hospital. Initially, it was a stated to be a blind case as there were rumours that robbers snatched a mobile phone from a woman and injured her. However, during police investigation, the case turned out to be a one-sided affair and the same was cracked by the Khanna police through scientific investigation. A jilted lover, who is a panch belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal from Harion Kalan village in Samrala, turned out to be the assailant. Senior Superintendent of Police, Khanna, Dr Darpan Ahluwalia, confirmed to The Tribune that the suspect was identified as Gurharpreet Singh (49), alias Sharanjit Singh. “The suspect had proposed to the woman for friendship but she refused the proposal. Angered over the same, Gurharpreet on Sunday cornered the woman and stabbed her multiple times. She was out of danger and referred to a hospital in Chandigarh for treatment,” Ahluwalia said. The SSP claimed that the suspect had also snatched the mobile from the woman after stabbing her as she had reportedly captured his pictures and he wanted to destroy the evidence. The suspect and the woman are married. The SSP said the suspect had a criminal background as four cases, including under Arms Act, were already registered against him in the past in Samrala and Khanna. Police parties were already formed to nab the suspect who is on the run. SMO, Khanna Civil Hospital, Maninder Singh Bhasin, said the injured woman, identified as 40year-old Rajni, had eight to 10 stab wounds and was bleeding profusely. The team of doctors first controlled the bleeding. First aid was administered to her and later, she was referred to a hospital in Chandigarh.