12092026-ATR-01.qxd 9/11/2026 10:40 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C BUDDING RAFTERS TRAIN IN UBD CANAL IN PUNJAB REMEMBERING HEROES OF SARAGARHI PRINCESS DIANA’S REVENGE DRESS TO BE AUCTIONED Khalsa College, Khalsa University athletes train in Amritsar ahead of the National Rafting Meetin Devprayag. P2 Over a century on, the battle remains a powerful symbol of courage, sacrifice, Sikh military tradition. P3 Princess Diana’s iconic ‘revenge dress’ is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in New York on December 9. P4 » » » SUNSET SATURDAY 6.38 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:13 AM SATURDAY | 12 SEPTEMBER 2026 | AMRITSAR Civic staff in overdrive ahead of Parkash Purb Tribune News Service A CCTV footage shows the suspects at a bank branch in Jandiala Guru. Robbery bid at bank has police on tenterhooks Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 11 The police have failed to track down suspects who tried to rob a Union Bank of India branch in Jandiala Guru on Thursday. Five masked youths had allegedly entered the bank in broad daylight and sprayed an irritant at the security guard before fleeing empty-handed. The incident took place around 11.27 am when the suspects entered the customer area. Their faces were covered and two of them were carrying bags, raising suspicion among the bank staff. According to the FIR registered under Sections 310(2) and 62 of the BNS, security LEFT BAG BEHIND Around 11.27 am on Thursday, the suspects entered the customer area. Their faces were covered and two of them were carrying bags, raising suspicion among the bank staff. While fleeing, the miscreants left a bag behind. guard Satpal Singh got suspicious of the movement of the five youth. He asked them to uncover their faces. One of them allegedly pulled out a bottle containing a spray and sprayed it at the guard. The guard managed to protect himself and raised the alarm. He even pulled out his weapon in order to confront the miscreants. Following this, the suspects fled towards a nearby lane. One of the bags was left behind inside the bank. The branch manager, Mukesh Kumar, told the police that the suspects had entered the bank with the apparent intention of committing a robbery. The police have registered a case and launched an investigation to identify and trace the accused. Harpal Singh, SHO Jandiala police station, said the police had been scanning the CCTV cameras in the area to track the movement of the suspects. Efforts were on to identify and arrest them. The footage of CCTV cameras of the bank had also been taken for probe, he added. Amritsar, September 11 The civic body has gone into an anti-encroachment overdrive ahead of the first Parkash Gurpurb of Guru Granth Sahib. A cleanliness drive along the traditional route of the Nagar Kirtan and Palki Sahib has also begun. The special drive aims at sprucing up public places and improving the appearance of roads. Repairs are also being carried out to ensure better civic infrastructure for devotees expected to participate in the religious celebrations. Civic officials said the focus was on removing temporary encroachments and obstructions from the route, besides carrying out necessary repairs and sanitation work. Also, efforts will be put in to ensure the traditional route remains accessible and presentable during the Gurpurb celebrations. The civic authorities have appealed to shopkeepers and residents along the route to voluntarily remove encroachments and material occupying public spaces. This would facilitate the smooth movement of the REMOVE ENCROACHMENTS, CLEAN ROADS, SPRUCE UP PUBLIC PLACES MC staff remove encroachments from a road leading to the Golden Temple. IN CELEBRATORY MODE n The civic body has accordingly The Golden Temple all decked up. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR Nagar Kirtan and Palki Sahib. The civic body has also urged residents and traders to avoid dumping waste along roads after the sanitation teams leave. The first Parkash Gurpurb of Guru Granth Sahib is an important religious occasion and draws devotees in large numbers to the holy city. The civic body has accord- Crackdown on drug hotspots; 700 cops fan out in four districts Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 11 As many as 700 police personnel fanned out across the four districts of the Border Range on Friday as the police launched a coordinated cordon-and-search operation, targeting drug suppliers, peddlers and vulnerable spots being used for drug-related activities. The operation, was conducted simultaneously in Amritsar Rural, Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot under the supervision of the respective SSPs. IG, Border Range, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the police 100 phones returned to owners Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, September 11 The Pathankot police returned a hundred mobile phones to their rightful owners. SSP Manpreet Singh said the police had worked overtime to trace the phones. “Getting a stolen item back restores faith in law,”said Abhinandan Saini, a banker. He was attending the event on behalf of his wife, Diksha Saini, who had lost her phone during a visit to a posh market in November last year. “The police took time, but returned my phone,” she said. The Department of Telecommunications introduced the Central Equipment Identity Register portal to block and track missing devices. When an owner registers the 15 digit International Mobile Equipment Identity number online, the authorities blacklist the device. If a new user inserts a SIM card, the network signals police trackers. had identified drug hotspots and other vulnerable locations before launching the searches. Teams checked abandoned buildings, overgrown areas and other secluded places where drug users and peddlers could find shelter. The exercise, however, was not restricted to making arrests. Police teams also identified locations that could facilitate drug consumption or trafficking and coordinated with the civil authorities to get such places cleared. The police were focusing on the entire drug chain — from cross-border smugglers and HIDEOUTS SEARCHED n IG, Border Range, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the police had identified drug hotspots and other vulnerable locations before launching the searches. n Teams checked abandoned buildings, overgrown areas and other secluded places where drug users and peddlers could find shelter. suppliers to local peddlers and points of sale, said Bhullar. “We are also focusing on getting drug-dependent persons admitted to de-addiction centres. The objective is not merely to arrest peddlers, but to reduce demand as well,” he said. The IG claimed the campaign had resulted in the arrest of major smugglers, seizure of large quantities of drugs, freezing of properties allegedly linked to drug traffickers and demolition of illegal properties. Asked whether the continued availability of drugs indicated shortcomings in the campaign, the official said there was no let-up in either enforcement or monitoring. He said the campaign was being reviewed at the SSP and DGP level. The police have also urged residents to share information about drug trafficking and consumption through the Safe Punjab helpline (97791- 00200). Officials said the identity of informants would be kept confidential. Bhullar said public participation was crucial in tackling the drug menace, particularly in identifying isolated locations and points of sale that might escape routine police surveillance. The police also maintained that treatment of addicts remained an important component of the campaign. Families were being encouraged to approach the police for assistance in getting drug-dependent persons admitted to deaddiction centres. ‘Mr Singh’ post targets Protesters chant ‘Satnam Waheguru’, seek justice for assault, suicide victims Sikh community, in bad taste, says SGPC Tribune News Service Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 11 A day after the US Department of Homeland Security took down an AI-generated poster asking “Mr Singh” to self-deport, SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami alleged that the post had unfairly targeted the Punjabi and Sikh community. Dhami has written to the US Embassy in New Delhi, objecting to the content of the poster. He has also urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up the matter with the US authorities through diplomatic channels. While welcoming the withdrawal of the poster, Dhami said such references could create a negative perception about an entire community by associating an individual’s alleged conduct with his religious or ethnic identity. He said Punjabis and Sikhs had made significant contributions to the economic and social development of the United States through their hard workand skills. He particularly referred to the community’s presence in the trucking sector and other fields. According to the SGPC statement, Dhami said mentioning “Mr Singh” in the poster and highlighting his identity in connection with a driving-related matter reflected bias against the Punjabi and Sikh community. “Targeting any community on the basis of its religious identity, name or attire is against the values of a civilised society,” he said. Dhami said the Sikh community was known globally for its contribution to society and humanitarian service. An issue involving an individual, he said, should not be continued on page 2 Amritsar, September 11 The Akali Dal Waris Punjab De on Friday protested outside the office of Punjab Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO in Jandiala Guru, demanding justice for assault victim Mohanjit Singh and Gulzar Singh, who died by suicide. The protest was held as part of the organisation’s statewide agitation under the slogan “Punjab Mangda Hai Insaaf” (Punjab seeks justice). Party workers carrying black flags raised slogans against the Punjab Government and marched through Jandiala Guru while reciting “Satnam Waheguru”. The protesters demanded strict action against police officials allegedly responsible for the two incidents. They said suspension of the officials was not enough and demanded their dismissal from service. c m y b Members of Waris Punjab De stage a sit-in outside the office of Punjab Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO in Jandiala Guru. Shamsher Singh Padhri, leader of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, alleged that Mohanjit Singh was subjected to assault and that Gulzar Singh was forced to take the extreme step after questioning the government over the drug menace. Referring to Gulzar Singh’s alleged statement before his death, Padhri demanded that a case also be registered against Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. He alleged that Gulzar Singh was compelled to die by suicide after raising questions over the government’s handling of the drug issue. Party leaders said the agitation would continue until justice was delivered to the families of Mohanjit Singh and Gulzar Singh. stepped up its preparations to improve civic amenities and the overall appearance of the areas through which the traditional procession will pass. n The first Parkash Gurpurb of Guru Granth Sahib is an important religious occasion and draws huge crowds. ingly stepped up its preparations to improve civic amenities and the overall appearance of the areas through which the traditional procession will pass. BSF seizes over 1 kg heroin Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 11 The use of drones to push heroin from Pakistan into Punjab continues to pose a challenge along the Amritsar border, with BSF personnel recovering over 1 kg of heroin in two separate seizures on Thursday. In the first instance at Bhindi Saida, personnel of the 45 Battalion BSF recovered 1.06 kg of heroin packed in two packets, each weighing 530 gram. A DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone and packaging material were also recovered near Fatehpur Border outpost. The BSF suspects that the heroin had been sent from Pakistan using the drone and that the unidentified smugglers were operating in coordination with handlers across the border. A case under the NDPS Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, has been registered. In another operation, BSF personnel recovered 530 gram of opium and packaging material from a packet near BOP Pul Mora in the Lopoke area. A case under the NDPS Act was subsequently registered at the Lopoke police station. The seizures came amid intensified patrolling along the border following repeated attempts by smugglers to use drones for delivering narcotics and weapons into Punjab. Meanwhile, the Lopoke continued on page 2 How contradictory statements blew lid off staged shooting Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 11 At first, it looked like an attack — a charred motorcycle, a man trying to do an alleged gunshot wound dressing followed by a hurried call to the police. But when investigators started connecting dots, the story began to unravel. The Lopoke police have arrested Karandeep Singh of Kohali village for allegedly setting an old motorcycle on fire even as the investigations were in progress to ascertain the nature of injury though the accused was terming it to be an alleged illegal weapon. He was charged for giving false information about the incident to the police. The police were initially told that a motorcycle had been set ablaze near Ballagan village and that a person had been injured in firing. A police team rushed to the spot, where Karandeep Singh was found injured. His statement was recorded and the incident appeared to point towards a possible attack. There was, however, a problem — the statements did not match. During verification, the police found discrepancies between Karandeep Singh’s account and the versions given by the persons accompanying him. The motorcycle also raised questions. The investigators found that the vehicle on which Karandeep and his associates had allegedly travelled to a party at Kotla Doom village did not belong to him. It was reportedly an old motorcycle without a regis- WHAT WENT WRONG n The police were initially told that a motorcycle had been set ablaze near Ballagan village and that a person had been injured in firing. n During verification, the police found discrepancies between the accused’s account and the versions given by the persons accompanying him. tration number and headlights. More importantly, the route allegedly taken by the group at night was considered suspicious. As the investigators dug deep, the alleged attack increasingly began to look like a carefully staged incident. The police concluded that Karandeep had himself set the motorcycle on fire and fired from an illegal weapon before reporting a fabricated incident to the police. What began as an apparent case of gunfire and arson turned out to be a case against the alleged victim himself. The police have registered a case under Section 217 of the BNS and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway to establish why the incident was allegedly staged and whether others accompanying Karandeep were aware of the plan, the police added.