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P4 » FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET MONDAY 7:26 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:31 AM » MONDAY | 13 JULY 2026 | LUDHIANA Protest on national highway cripples traffic for four hours Sikhs demand arrest of influencer for hurting religious sentiments Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 12 Angry over the failure to arrest Chetan Sharma, a social media influencer who had been booked for hurting religious sentiments of the Sikh community, protesters led by Nihangs blocked one side of the Sutlej bridge on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar national highway. The protest caused inconvenience to commuters as they remained stuck in the massive traffic jam for four hours. The protest, which started around 11.40 am, ended at 3.30 pm after the police assured that the suspect would be arrested soon. The state’s most expensive toll barrier was also made free as the protesters did not let toll company employees to charge fee from the commuters. Hundreds of vehicles passed the barrier without paying a penny to the company. To maintain the law and order situation, senior police officials, led by ADCP Ramandeep Bhullar, ACP Rajesh Sharma and SHOs of various police stations, and the police force were present. The police officials tried to convince the protesters for a long time but Man held for impersonating cop, raping girl Ludhiana, July 12 A man impersonating a police official intimidated a girl and took her away by falsely accusing her of indulging in immoral activities in Rose Garden. He lured the victim on the pretext of presenting her before police officials and took her to a secluded spot and raped her. When the matter came to light, the police swung into action. They laid a trap and arrested the man. During investigation, it was found that the suspect was also involved in similar incidents in the past and already has two cases of rape registered against him. The police will produce him before a court to seek his remand for further interrogation. As per information, the victim studies in a nearby college. When she came to the Rose Garden for taking a walk, the suspect stopped her and claimed to be a police official. He threatened the girl, telling her that she was indulging in immoral activities in Rose Garden and that he was taking her along to present her before police officials. The suspect made the victim sit on his motorcycle and took her to a deserted place where he committed rape. Afterwards, he fled the scene. On receiving the complaint, the Police Division 8 registered a case of rape under of the BNS and the POCSO Act. The police arrested him on the basis of a tip-off.The suspect was identified as Balwinder Singh, a resident of of Mankowal, Ludhiana. During interrogation, it also came to light that the suspect was earlier involved in two similar incidents. cording to the police, in a case of rape of a minor girl in Rakh Bagh, he got bail in November last year. — TNS Vehicles stuck in a traffic jam on the national highway during the protest in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN the latter were not agreeing as they were demanding arrest of the suspect. Initially, the protesters had planned to block both sides of the bridge but with the intervention of the police, one side was kept open for commuters. Since it was the main highway, traffic movement had slowed down and nearly two-km-long traffic jam witnessed on the highway. The protesters alleged that a case had been registered against Chetan but due to lax police action, he could not be arrested even after 25 days. They said earlier they staged a protest at the District Mag- istrate’s office, demanding the suspect’s arrest, but even then no action was taken against him. A protest was also held outside the office of the Commissioner of Police in Ludhiana. “The suspect has made objectionable remarks which was not tolerable. Today, we are lifting the protest on the assurance of the police that he would be arrested in a few days. If the suspect was not arrested, they will block the national highway for an indefinite period,” a protester said. Meanwhile, the commuters who were stuck in the massive traffic jam expressed displeasure over the action of the protesters, causing inconvenience to the motorists by blocking the highway. Tejinder Singh, who came from Himachal Pradesh, said he came to Ludhiana to meet his sick relative. He has been stuck in traffic for over two hours while returning to HP . Protests are taking place in the area every day. The government should resolve such issues so that people should not face any inconvenience. Meanwhile, Raman Kumar from Ludhiana said he was going to Jalandhar and had been stuck in traffic for two hours. “I along with my daughter had to reach Chandigarh as she had to appear in some examination but due to the protest, we could not reach the place on time. The government should ensure that commuters do not suffer due to such protests,” said Narinder Arora, a city resident. Residents to block Rahon Road on July 15 over poor condition of stretch Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 12 Upset over the poor condition of Rahon Road, residents and farmer unions have announced a road blockade on July 15, alleging that repeated complaints over the past four years have failed to bring any relief. They said the road continues to be plagued by overflowing sewer water, large potholes and traffic congestion, making commuting difficult and unsafe. The decision to hold the protest was taken after heavy rain on Friday night left long stretches of the road submerged on Saturday morning. Commuters were seen negotiating waterlogged sections while potholes hidden beneath the accumulated water posed a risk to motorists. Several two-wheeler riders reportedly suffered minor injuries after losing balance on the damaged road. The protest is being organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Union and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni). BKU (Chaduni) president Dilbag Singh said the protesters would gather at Dana Mandi at 9 am on July 15 before taking out a march to Basti Jodhewal Chowk, where they plan to block the highway. He said the protest was aimed at highlighting hardships faced by residents and commuters due to the deteri- Say repeated complaints over past four years have failed to bring any relief The Rahon Road in a pathetic state in Ludhiana. FILE orating condition of the road. The organisations have also appealed to local shopkeepers to support the agitation by keeping their establishments closed during the protest. The unions alleged that despite spending large amounts on repair works over the years, the condition of the road had not improved. They also demanded action against illegal roadside encroachments and unauthorised vendors, claiming these contribute to frequent traffic congestion along the stretch. Rahon Road is one of the city’s important arterial roads, connecting Ludhiana with Nawanshahr and further to Himachal Pradesh. It also serves as a key link for nearly 100 villages, witnessing heavy traffic throughout the day. Residents of Baldev Nagar, Krishna Colony, Janata Colony, Vardhman Colony, Gautam Colony and several villages in the Meharban area said they had been facing trouble due to damaged roads, overflowing sewer water and traffic problems for the past four years. They alleged that despite repeated assurances, no permanent solution had been provided. The protesters have demanded immediate repair of the road, proper drainage arrangements, removal of encroachments and accountability of officials responsible for the prolonged delay in resolving the issue. Jagraon jeweller gets ~5L Despite canal water project, MC extortion call, 2 nabbed continues to approve new tubewells Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 12 A Jagraon-based jeweller received an extortion call from an unknown WhatsApp caller who demanded Rs 5 lakh extortion. The caller also threatened to kill the jeweller if the money was not given. However, two persons were arrested by the police after they received Rs 1,000 in their bank account by sharing QR code with the victim. The jeweller owns ‘Goldy Jewellers’ near Nalkiya Wala Chowk in Jagraon. Sources said by acting swiftly, the police arrested two suspects linked to the extortion ring. However, the main suspect, who made threats from a foreign phone number, remains at large. Chirag Katyal, the owner of Goldy Jewellers, stated in his police complaint that on June 25, he received a WhatsApp call and message from a number beginning with +973 (foreign code). The caller directly demanded an extortion of Rs 5 lakh. The suspect vehemently threatened to kill his entire family, if he failed to pay the money. Katyal said he was scared after receiving the threat. On July 4, the suspect sent him a QR code. Out of fear, he scanned the QR code, transferred Rs 1,000 and sent the screenshot to the suspect via WhatsApp. But the suspect remained unsatisfied and continued to pressure him to send the remaining amount. Afterwards, he mustered courage to contact the police. ASI Sukhwinder Singh, Jagraon City police station, told the media that the police began a technical investigation when the complaint was received. The police first traced the bank account into which the money was transferred. Based on the account details, the police conducted raids and arrested the two suspects. They have been identified as Manpreet Singh and Bitta Brar, both residents of Moga. The police produced both suspects before court and took them on remand. The police claimed that the key suspect would also be arrested soon. Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 12 Even as the Municipal Corporation is implementing the ambitious World Bank-supported canal-based 24x7 water supply project to reduce the city’s dependence on groundwater, it has continued to approve new tubewells across Ludhiana, raising questions over the consistency of its long-term water management policy. In the past two months alone, around 400 agendas were placed before the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC), of which nearly 310 were discussed. Most of the proposals received approval, including around 15 to 20 agendas related to the installation of new tubewells in different parts of the city, according to records. The approvals come despite the civic body’s earlier stand that no additional tubewells should be installed due to the fast-depleting groundwater table. Around three years ago, MC officials had maintained that the focus should be on reducing groundwater extraction, instead of increasing the number of borewells. Over the past two years, the MC has approved and installed more than 100 new tubewells to meet the growing demand for water in localities, particularly where residents have been facing low pressure or inadequate supply. The move has triggered debate as the civic body is simultaneously spending nearly Rs 1,200 crore on the canalbased bulk water supply proj- ect, funded by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The project aims to shift the city’s drinking water supply from groundwater to treated canal water through a centralised water treatment plant, transmission network and overhead reservoirs, with completion targeted for 2028. According to civic records, a significant number of tubewell proposals have figured regularly in recent F&CC meetings. While many were sanctioned to address immediate shortages in various wards, the approvals have raised concerns over whether the city is moving in two different directions at the same time — continuing to increase groundwater extraction while investing in a project designed to reduce reliance on it. Officials maintained that the new tubewells were being installed only where there was an urgent need to ensure uninterrupted water supply till the canal-based project becomes operational. They said the project would be implemented in phases and several areas would continue to depend on the existing groundwater network during the transition period. Water experts say Ludhiana had relied on hundreds of deep tubewells for decades and excessive groundwater extraction has been one of the reasons for the declining water table. The World Bank-backed project itself identifies groundwater depletion and contamination as major challenges and proposes shifting the city to surface water sourced from canals. Year on, Building Branch yet to submit report in plan approval case Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 12 Over a year after a complaint alleging serious irregularities in the approval of a building plan in Ludhiana reached the Punjab Local Government Department’s Chief Vigilance Office (CVO), the Municipal Corporation has still not submitted its report. Four reminders given by Chief Vigilance Office; MC chief told to submit report by July 16 The building against which a complaint alleging irregularities in the approval of plan was filed, in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Despite at least four reminders over the past year, the Building Branch has failed to furnish the required comments. In its latest communication issued on July 9, the CVO has again directed the MC Commissioner to obtain comments from the c m y b Municipal Town Planner (MTP) and Building Branch officials concerned and submit the report by July 16. The latest letter refers to earlier communications issued on June 23, 2025; November 26, 2025; February 9, 2026; and February 25, 2026; stating that no report has been received so far. The repeated reminders indicate that the Vigilance inquiry has remained pending only because the Municipal Corporation has not furnished its response. The complaint pertains to a commercial building comprising six shops, where the complainant alleged that the Building Branch approved and later revised the building plan despite several viola- tions. According to the complaint, the original building plan was sanctioned in 2023, after which construction allegedly exceeded the approved plan. It was alleged that instead of taking action against the violations, the Building Branch allowed the owner to submit a revised plan through the e-Naksha portal in June 2024. The complainant further alleged that while processing the revised plan, officials ignored several shortcomings, including the absence of mandatory setbacks, discrepancies in sale deeds, incorrect dimensions and other deviations from building norms. The complaint also questioned whether the revised plan was accepted to regularise unauthorised construction, instead of initiating action under the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act. Besides seeking an inquiry into the role of the Building Branch officials, the complaint demanded verification of the approved and revised plans, examination of all records related to the property, and action against officials, if any irregularity was found. It also sought registration of a criminal case if fraud or forgery was established during the inquiry. The complaint states that representations regarding the matter had been submitted to the corporation and senior officials several times between 2023 and 2024 but no effective action was taken. Instead, the complainant alleged that the unauthorised construction continued while repeated complaints remained pending. With the MC yet to submit even its preliminary report after over a year, the case has raised questions over the functioning of the Building Branch and its response to vigilance inquiries. The latest CVO communication makes it clear that the department is still awaiting the corporation’s comments before proceeding further in the matter. MC Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar said: “I have directed officials to submit a report regarding the building as soon as possible.”