10072026-JTR-01.qxd 7/9/2026 10:44 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune PHAGWARA DIG OVERSEES NIGHT SECURITY DRIVE KAPURTHALA'S SAVLEEN STRIKES SILVER AT ASIA CUP BRIDGE C’SHIP SIDHARTH’S THE VVAAN TO BE RELEASED ON SEPT 25 Police conducted a large-scale night domination exercise across Jalandhar Range, including Phagwara. P2 Representing India in the women’s pairs event, Savleen Thadani & Sadhana Gupta put up an impressive performance. P3 Sidharth Malhotra-starrer The Vvaan has got a new release date. It will now be released on September 25. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7.34 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:31 AM » FRIDAY | 10 JULY 2026 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. INBRIEF 4 ARRESTED WITH INTOXICANTS Phagwara: The police have arrested a man on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. As many as 13 tablets were recovered from the possession of the accused Pardeep Kumar of Mohalla Udham Singh Nagar, Nakodar. The Nakodar police arrested Sahil of Kotli Gajran village in Shahkot with 25 intoxicating tablets. The Shahkot police arrested Soma of Mohalla Dherian with 31 intoxicating tablets and the Bilga police arrested Gurpreet Singh of Burj Hassan village with 30 tablets. OC 2 SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS HELD How Cong lost Kapurthala after winning it Court relief for Kapurthala Party got clear majority in MC polls, a string of defections paved the way for AAP-backed Mayor councillor’s sweets shop Aparna Banerji The mayoral election was camp had been declared vicJalandhar, July 9 What appeared to be a resounding Congress victory in Kapurthala’s Municipal Corporation elections on May 29 has, within weeks, turned into a political setback. Despite winning 31 of the 50 wards — later increasing its tally to 32 after an Independent joined the party — the Congress failed to elect its own Mayor on July 8, allowing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to seize control of the civic body. The turnaround has been among the most dramatic in the region’s municipal polls. AAP which had secured only , 11 seats in the elections, managed to gain the upper hand after a series of defections from the Congress camp. At least six Congress councillors switched sides in quick succession, including some considered close to Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh. On Wednesday, Congress councillor Narinder Singh Narinder Mansu (centre), who was elected Mayor with the support of the Aam Aadmi Party. Mansu defected and was elected Mayor with the support of AAP and other opposition councillors. AAP Councillor Sameer Sharma was elected Senior Deputy Mayor, while Kamakshi Duggal became Deputy Mayor, both after crossing over from the Congress. Councillor Charanjit Hans was among the other defectors. Phagwara: The Nakodar police arrested and released on bail two buses drivers of private school for rash driving. The accused have been identified as Kulwindar Singh of Mudh village and Parwindar Singh of Bajuha Khurd village. Mangjit Singh of Chak Vendal village complained to the police that the accused were driving buses very fast and negligently and overtaking each other near Chak Pirpur Chowk. As a result, the buses collided with each other and one bus overturned. There were only four kids in the two buses and all escaped unhurt. OC MAN BOOKED FOR BIKE THEFT Phagwara: The Nakodar police have booked a man on the charge of stealing a motorcycle. The accused has been identified as Sahil of Kotli Gajran village in Shahkot. Chindar Pal of Bhodipur village complained to the police that he had parked a two-wheeler outside the grain market on July 8, from where the accused stole it. OC COUPLE HELD FOR ~31.50L FRAUD Phagwara: The police have arrested a couple for duping a Shahkot woman on the pretext of helping her relatives to join the police service. Shahkot SHO Aman Saini said the accused have been identified as Anmol Rattan of Mohalla Dalichi, Sarhind in Fatehgarh Sahib, and his wife Mandeep Kaur. Raveen Kaur of Baupur Bet village had complained to the SSP, Jalandhar (Rural), that the accused duped her of Rs 31.50 lakh on the pretext of helping her cousin sister and brother to join the police service. oc Members of Sikh organisations organise a protest in Phagwara on Thursday. Sikh organisations stage protest in Phagwara over ‘Satluj’ movie ban Our Correspondent Phagwara, July 9 Members of the Sikhs for Equality Foundation, Phagwara, along with the Alliance of Sikh Organisations, staged a peaceful demonstration at Guru Hargobind Nagar in Phagwara on Thursday, calling for the establishment of an independent Punjab Truth, Accountability and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the alleged human rights violations during Punjab’s militancy period. Holding placards and raising slogans, the protesters urged the Government of India and of Punjab to initiate a transparent process to uncover the truth behind thousands of alleged enforced disappearances, fake police encounters, custodial killings, and other human rights violations that reportedly took place between 1980 and 2000. They maintained that many affected families continue to await justice and official acknowledgment of their cases. During the protest, speakers paid tribute to human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, stating that he had risked his life to expose the alleged illegal cremation of more than 25,000 unidentified bodies in Punjab. They said Khalra’s work brought international attention to the issue, but claimed that many questions surrounding the disappearances and alleged extrajudicial killings remain unanswered. The organisations demand- ed that an independent Truth, Accountability and Reconciliation Commission, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, be constituted to conduct a comprehensive and impartial inquiry into all alleged cases of enforced disappearances, fake encounters, and human rights violations during the period. They said the findings of such an inquiry should become part of the official public record to ensure transparency and historical accountability. The protesters also called for the immediate removal of the ban on the film Satluj, arguing that the film highlights issues related to the life and work of Jaswant Singh Khalra and contributes to public understanding of that period in Punjab’s history. In addition, the demonstrators demanded that victims’ families be provided justice, compensation, dignity, and official recognition. They stressed that those responsible for any proven violations should be held accountable in accordance with the law. Addressing the gathering, the organisers said that acknowledging difficult chapters of history is essential for reconciliation and lasting peace. They argued that democratic societies are strengthened by confronting the truth rather than suppressing it and reiterated their demand for an independent commission to establish the facts and help bring closure to affected families. The protest concluded peacefully. preceded by controversy, including action against Congress councillor Neha Ahuja’s 25-year-old establishment, Ahuja Sweets, which was sealed. The business subsequently secured a stay order from the court. Until July 4, Rana Gurjit Singh had been demanding early conduct of the mayoral elections, repeatedly expressing concern over possible horse-trading. However, by the time polling took place, the political equation had shifted dramatically in AAP’s favour. Rana Gurjit Singh, who has also been engaged in the Congress’ internal factional contest between supporters of Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, questioned the legality of the election process. Following the polls, the MLA claimed he still enjoyed the backing of 26 councillors and, along with his own vote, commanded a strength of 27. He alleged that the rival torious despite having the support of only 24 councillors. Displaying his supporters before the media, Rana said he would challenge the outcome in court. “I always had the numbers and continue to have them. But when officials are clearly working to support a certain side, they resort to any measures. Our councillors were threatened, the historic Ahuja Sweets was closed, for which we obtained a stay. We are working on legal proceedings to extricate others from false charges. In the formal mayoral proceedings, only the Mayor’s name was called out, circumventing the law. This is a continuing battle which we will fight to the end,” Rana told The Tribune. Meanwhile, newly elected Mayor Narinder Singh Mansu thanked AAP and other opposition councillors for their support and said accelerating the development of Kapurthala city would be his foremost priority. Firm owner held for ~55.35 cr fake billing racket Tribune News Service Gilzian demands NIA probe into Tanda SHO case Jalandhar, July 9 Finance, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday said the State Taxation Department had arrested the proprietor of a Jalandhar firm for allegedly running a fake billing racket worth ~55.35 crore. Cheema said, “This significant enforcement action halted the fraudulent passage of Input Tax Credit (ITC) of approximately ~8.35 crore, which was causing substantial losses to the state exchequer through wrongful Integrated GST (IGST) refund claims”. Giving the details of the operation in a press communique issued here, Cheema said, “The State GST Department has arrested Bhupinder Sharma, the proprietor of Ramsons Corporation in Jalandhar. Our preliminary investigation revealed that this firm was engaged in a large-scale fake invoicing and fraudulent Input Tax Credit racket by issuing GST invoices without any actual supply of goods.” Shedding light on the fraud, Cheema said, “The firm carried out bogus billing of approximately ~55.35 crore, which directly resulted in the wrongful availment and passing of fake ITC amounting to nearly ~8.35 crore. This fraudulently passed ITC was ultimately utilised by certain manufacturing firms for claiming refunds of Integrated GST paid on exports, causing a substantial and direct loss to the government exchequer.” OC Our Correspondent Kapurthala, July 9 New Ahuja Sweets & Restaurant owner Vishal Ahuja has got a major relief after the Kapurthala Municipal Corporation (MC) withdrew its notices and removed the seal from his outlet following court proceedings. The development was confirmed by Vishal Ahuja. The restaurant was sealed by the Municipal Corporation, a day before the mayoral election, over alleged building-related violations. The establishment is owned by Vishal Ahuja, husband of Congress councillor Neha Ahuja. The sealing drive triggered heated exchanges, following which the Municipal Corporation team, led by the Assistant Town Planner (ATP), sealed the premises after several hours of action. Challenging the action, Vishal Ahuja approached the court. Our Correspondent Tanda, July 9 Former Cabinet Minister Sangat Singh Gilzian has demanded that the investigation into allegations against Tanda SHO Gurinderjit Singh Nagra should be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), saying the matter is too serious to be investigated only by the Punjab Police. Addressing a press conference at Tanda on Wednesday, Gilzian said if a police officer responsible for maintaining law and order is named in such a serious case, an independent and high-level probe is necessary. Referring to media reports, he said the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under its ongoing Operation Hard Ball, has filed a case in a US court alleging that the SHO was involved in the extortion of nearly $400,000. Gilzian said it was unlikely that a police station incharge alone could have amassed such a large amount. He urged investigators to probe the role of any senior officials or political leaders who may have provided support or protection. He said merely transferring the SHO to the Police Lines and ordering a fact-finding inquiry was not enough, especially when the allegations had drawn international attention. Ex-minister Sangat Singh Gilzian The former minister further claimed that several allegations had earlier been made against the SHO during his more than two-year posting at Tanda. He also alleged that an innocent youth had been falsely booked and sent to jail in a case related to the alleged disrespect of the Aam Aadmi Party’s broom symbol. Gilzian also demanded investigation into the alleged illegal mining activities in the Beas and the people allegedly protecting those involved. He said any link between police officials and gangsters was a matter of grave concern. He further alleged that during the Municipal Council and Block Samiti elections, Congress candidates had complained of threats from gangsters, but the police failed to provide justice. He claimed that a nexus of police, politicians, the mining mafia and gangsters was operating in the Tanda area. Phagwara Municipal Library, civic offices without power, visitors suffer Ashok Kaura Phagwara, July 9 Residents visiting the Municipal Library to read books or those approaching the Water Supply and Sewerage Board office to deposit their water and sewerage bills have been facing inconvenience after electricity supply to several offices, including the library, was reportedly disconnected over the non-payment of electricity dues. The affected premises include the Municipal Library, the billing section of the Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the Engineering Branch offices of the Municipal Corporation here. The absence of electricity has disrupted routine public services, leaving visitors inconvenienced and affect- ing the normal functioning of the offices. The citizens, who visited the Municipal Library, said the lack of power had adversely affected the reading environment, while consumers arriving to pay water and sewerage bills encountered difficulties due to the disruption in office operations. The power outage has also impacted day-to-day administrative work in the engineering wing of the Municipal Corporation. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) Executive Engineer (XEN) Hardeep Kumar said he was not aware of the reported disconnections. Speaking to The Tribune on Thursday, he stated that the PSPCL had installed pre-paid smart meters in govern- c m y b ment offices, indicating that the matter would need to be verified. The reported power disconnections have sparked concern among residents, who have urged the authorities to resolve the issue without delay to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of essential civic services. They said public institutions such as libraries and utility billing centres provide important services to citizens and should not remain affected by administrative or financial issues, particularly when members of the public depend on them for daily needs. The power supply to the library was disconnected over the non-payment of electricity dues. >>