07072026-ATR-01.qxd 7/6/2026 11:53 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 24°C RINTU INAUGURATES SEWERAGE PROJECT, REVIEWS ROAD WORKS BRITISH SINGER RITA ORA LIGHTS UP T20 STAGE THE VANISHING ACT: SATLUJ DISAPPEARS FROM OTT AIT Chairman Rintu reviews ongoing road development works in different parts of Amritsar. P2 British singer Rita Ora lit up the stage with her performance at the Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s. P4 Diljit Dosanjh-starrer only saw two days of OTT streaming, before it was pulled off abruptly on Sunday in India. P4 » » » SUNSET TUESDAY 7.38 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5.31 AM TUESDAY | 7 JULY 2026 | AMRITSAR Twin ops lead to seizure Extortion suspect shot at while trying to flee custody of 13 kg heroin, 3 held Probe continues as police work to identify others allegedly involved in extortion & firing case Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of the Amritsar police has busted two interlinked narcotics smuggling networks with the arrest of three alleged drug smugglers and the recovery of 13 kg of heroin in two separate operations. The arrested accused have been identified as Akashdeep Singh, a native of Khemkaran in Tarn Taran who was currently residing at Kherabad in Amritsar, and Mangal Singh and Baljit Singh, both residents of Bhodiwala village in Moga district. The police also impounded a Hyundai Verna car allegedly used to transport narcotics. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were acting as couriers, collecting heroin consignments from different locations and supplying them to various parties across Punjab, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said. In the first operation, acting on specific intelligence, a Counter Intelligence team raided Akashdeep Singh’s residence at Kherabad and Officials of the Counter Intelligence wing with the seized contraband in Amritsar on Monday. recovered 8 kg of heroin from his possession. In a separate operation, the CI team received information that two smugglers were transporting a heroin consignment in a Hyundai Verna. Acting swiftly, the police set up a naka on the Amritsar-Chabal GT Road and intercepted the vehicle. During the search, officials recovered 5 kg of heroin from the car and arrested its occupants, Mangal Singh and Baljit Singh. The DGP said further investigations are underway to establish the backward and forward linkages of both networks, identify other members of the syndicates and trace the entire supply chain. Two separate FIRs have been registered at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) police station in Amritsar under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act. Amritsar, July 6 The Amritsar police have arrested two alleged associates accused of opening fire at a businessman’s shop and attempting to extort money from him. One of the accused sustained a bullet injury during an alleged attempt to snatch a police weapon and escape from custody on Madan Mohan Malviya Road in the heart of the city. Sharing details, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said a few rounds were fired at the shutter of the businessman’s shop on July 1. The shop owner initially refrained from approaching the police and was reluctant to lodge a formal complaint. However, after the incident came to the police’s notice, officials initiated an inquiry and launched a detailed investigation. During the probe, the police found that the businessman had allegedly been receiving extortion calls before the firing incident, suggesting that the attack was intended to intimidate him into paying money. An FIR was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Mild showers boost paddy transplantation Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 Mild showers over the past few days have brought much-needed relief to farmers across the district, reducing their dependence on tubewells for irrigation and helping paddy transplantation progress smoothly. Agriculture experts and farmers said the transplantation season is now almost complete in most parts of the district. The weather remained pleasant during the early morning hours on Monday as light drizzle continued in several areas. Residents enjoyed the cool breeze and overcast skies after days of intense heat. However, the relief was short-lived as humidity levels rose sharply by around 10 am, making conditions uncomfortable for people venturing outdoors. A waterlogged road in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR The intermittent showers have proved beneficial for farmers, particularly those engaged in paddy cultivation. Baldev Singh, a farmer from Pandori village near Amritsar, said the rainfall helped main- tain moisture in the fields and reduced the need to run tubewells continuously. “The showers have saved both electricity and diesel expenses. The paddy crop has received a good start,” he said. Another farmer, Gurpreet Singh, said the timely rainfall had eased pressure on groundwater resources. “We were worried about irrigation requirements, but the rain has helped significantly. Most of the paddy transplantation work has now been completed,” he added. While farmers welcomed the rainfall, residents in urban areas faced inconvenience due to waterlogging on a few roads and in low-lying localities. Commuters complained of slow-moving traffic at several locations during the morning hours. Rajesh Kumar, a resident, said that although the rain brought relief from the heat, civic authorities need to improve drainage arrangements. “A little rain should not result in waterlogging on roads,” he said. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar with other officials at the encounter site in Amritsar. Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act at the Civil Lines police station. Bhullar said that using technical surveillance and human intelligence, the police identified the accused as Jashanpreet Singh, alias Jashan (19), and Sajanpreet Singh, alias Sajan (26), both residents of Veeram village. Separate police teams were constitut- Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 For Rajiv Singh, the morning of September 6, 1995, changed his life forever. It was the day human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted by Punjab Police from outside his Amritsar residence in Kabir Park. Rajiv Singh was supposed to accompany Khalra and a group of journalists from Delhi on a spot visit to the cremation grounds in Patti later that day. Instead, he became an eyewitness to the incident that would become one of the most significant human rights cases in Punjab. Recalling the incident, similar to the tragic scene shown in the film “Satluj” based on Khalra’s life and struggle, Rajiv says he was reading a newspaper in the drawing room while Khalra was washing his car outside when a Maruti Omni van stopped outside the house. According to him, policemen forced Khalra into the vehicle. When he rushed outside to intervene, he had a brief scuffle with them. Even after more than three decades, he says he clearly remembers the colour of the van, its registration number DNB-5969 and the faces of the policemen involved. Rajiv Singh, who was then working as a correspondent for Punjabi Tribune from Patti, first met Khalra in 1988 when he was leading farmers under the “Sarhadi Kisan Ghol Committee” for compensation for agricultural land left beyond the India-Pakistan border fence. Their association grew stronger through several public meetings. “We saw him working for people all the time. Khalra’s research based on records from cremation grounds in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Patti exposed illegal cremations of unidentified youth during the militancy period. The Eyewitness Rajiv Singh findings made Tarn Taran SSP Ajit Singh Sandhu feel insecure and threatened. The attempts were first made to silence Khalra through warnings conveyed by a local Congress MLA and others, before he was abducted and killed,” said Rajiv Singh. He further claimed that Sandhu had allegedly warned that if Khalra continued speaking about 25,000 bodies, the count would become “25,001”. Rajiv said Khalra pursued his work entirely through democratic and legal means. He referred to a handwritten note (dated March 6, 1995), which later became part of the court record. In the note, Khalra wrote: “Even if I am killed, the truth cannot be buried.” The note also mentioned the threats conveyed through a local MLA. Looking back, Rajiv said he never imagined that the case would become high profile and one of prominent human rights cases. He credited Khalra’s wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, and the Khalra Mission Committee for pursuing the legal battle that eventually led to the conviction of police personnel in 2006. He also described the testimony of former Special Police Officer (SPO) Kuldeep Singh Bachhra as a crucial turning point in the case. Rajiv Singh believes the Khalra case goes beyond the Sikh case or even the human rights case. “This is about every Indian citizen’s right to democ- c m y b slowed near Madan Mohan Malviya Road after an animal suddenly came in front of it. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused allegedly scuffled with the escorting policemen in an attempt to escape. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said Jashanpreet forcibly opened the rear door of the vehicle and allegedly tried Desilting of Ravi intensified to reduce flood risk in border dists Amritsar, July 6 Learning from the devastating floods of previous years, the Water Resources Department has accelerated desilting work on the Ravi river to improve its water-carrying capacity and reduce the risk of flooding in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts during the monsoon season. Sharing details, Executive Engineer (XEN) Vishavpal Goyal said the department is carrying out large-scale desilting operations at the Dharamkot Ghonewal complex along the Ravi. The work aims to remove silt and debris accumulated in the river channel, ensuring the smooth flow of floodwaters and protecting villages located near the International Border, he said. Eyewitness recalls Khalra’s abduction, struggle for justice Charanjit Singh Teja ed, and the duo was arrested from Majitha on Monday. He said Sajanpreet allegedly attempted to flee when the police team moved in to arrest him and sustained an injury to his right foot during the escape attempt. In a separate incident, while Jashanpreet Singh was being brought back to Amritsar, the police vehicle racy and the right to exist,” he said. He added that if society is to progress, it needs many more people like Jaswant Singh Khalra, who stood up for truth despite the risks. He also urged the government to allow the release of the film “Satluj”, saying it would help preserve Khalra’s enduring legacy. Speaking about removal of the film from OTT platform, Rajiv said that when Khalra was abducted, only a handful of people knew about the case. As the matter reached the courts, hundreds became aware of it. Books later took the story to thousands of readers and the film would have introduced it to lakhs of people. “Now that the film has been banned, it will reach crores,” he remarked. Rajiv Singh faced several false police cases and threats while pursuing Jaswant Singh Khalra’s case. He remained underground for nearly 10 years until the final verdict in the case. Recalling last year’s situation in Amritsar district, he said the Ravi breached its embankments at 23 locations, affecting 198 villages. The floods claimed 10 lives, destroyed crops spread across 59,793 acres and led to the death of 307 livestock. Within the Dharamkot Ghonewal complex alone, embankments were breached at six locations, leaving behind massive deposits of silt that reduced the river’s capacity to carry floodwaters safely. To address the problem, the department conducted detailed surveys and prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) in accordance with the National Framework for Sediment Management issued by the Government of India. The project was subsequently approved by the Joint State Technical Advisory Committee, comprising experts from the state government and the Central Government. Goyal said the desilting work is being carried out under strict supervision using digital geofencing technology to ensure transparency and compliance. The excavated material is being stored at designated locations for emergency floodcontrol measures, including strengthening embankments and filling sandbags. He said the department is working on a war footing to safeguard lives, crops and livelihoods before peak monsoon flows arrive, while continuous monitoring of the project site is being carried out. — TNS AAP condemns removal of Khalra biopic ‘Satluj’ Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday strongly condemned the removal of the film “Satluj”, based on slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, from an OTT platform and called it a direct attack on freedom of expression. Addressing mediapersons, Punjab AAP’s chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Central Government and demanded the immediate lifting of the ban on the film. He alleged that the BJP and Congress were “secretly working together”, claiming the film was removed to prevent younger generations from learning about alleged atrocities committed during Congress rule. He also accused the Shiromani Akali Dal of being “an equal partner” in the alleged conspiracy alongside the BJP and Congress. Criticising the Shiromani Akali Dal, Dhaliwal said Jaswant Singh Khalra himself had been associated with the party, yet the Badal family and its leadership never stood by him. Referring to a recent interview of Khalra’s wife, Bibi Paramjit Kaur Khalra, he said her account deeply affected him and described it as a “permanent blot” on the Akali Dal. He alleged that Bibi Khalra had earlier sought help from then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, but was not assisted. He said Sukhbir Singh Badal should “hang his head in shame” over his father’s alleged conduct. Dhaliwal said the film portrays the “true story” of Punjab’s tragic past, which he claimed certain powers in Delhi were attempting to suppress. to snatch the official carbine from an accompanying Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI). After allegedly grabbing the weapon, he pointed the loaded firearm at the police party. The police claimed that the ASI immediately held the barrel of the weapon and pushed it downward to prevent the accused from opening fire. During the struggle, one round was discharged, striking Jashanpreet in the left leg. He was immediately shifted to the Civil Hospital, Amritsar, for treatment. Following the incident, the police registered another FIR under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act at the Civil Lines police station. Preliminary investigation revealed that Jashanpreet Singh has one previous criminal case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act by the STF, SAS Nagar, involving the recovery of 260 grams of heroin. The police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the larger conspiracy behind the extortion calls and the firing incident, besides identifying any other persons involved. Youth found dead in canal; kin suspect foul play Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 The Amritsar police have booked a juvenile for allegedly causing death by negligence after the body of a youth was recovered from a canal under suspicious circumstances. According to the FIR, the complainant, Harjinder Singh of Udhowali Kalan village in Gurdaspur, alleged that his son, Gulab Singh, left home on the morning of July 4 on his motorcycle after telling the family he was going to work. Later that evening, the family allegedly received a phone call from the victim’s friend, who informed them that Gulab Singh had drowned in a canal near Tara Wala bridge while the two were bathing. When the family reached the spot, the youth was present and claimed that the victim had accidentally drowned. The complainant alleged that despite an extensive search, Gulab Singh could not be traced that day. He further claimed that the accused assured the family the body would be found the following morning. On July 5, the body was recovered from the canal near Ibban Kalan bridge. The family alleged that the body bore multiple injury marks, raising suspicion that Gulab Singh had been assaulted before being thrown into the canal. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the juvenile and launched an investigation to ascertain the exact circumstances leading to the youth’s death.