15092026-LT-01.qxd 9/15/2026 12:45 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune INDUSTRIALISTS SEE RED OVER POWER CUTS AT NIGHT STUDENTS BRING PEST KNOW-HOW TO SHEIKH QUTUB VILLAGE HANUMAN ANSH CROSSES OVER ~200 CR ON BOX OFFICE Sore over govt’s alleged apathetic attitude towards industry, industrialists block highway near Vardhman Chowk. P2 PAU students organised a training camp at Sheikh Qutub village to educate farmers about diseases & pests affecting paddy.P3 Hanuman Ansh, which has crossed over ~200 crore, has become a case study for the Indian film industry. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.32 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6.11 AM » TUESDAY | 15 SEPTEMBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Facial recognition error led to wrong identification of encounter victim: Cops Differences between Mayor, her deputy surface at MC’s F&CC meet Nikhil Bhardwaj Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 14 A facial recognition error led the Ludhiana police to initially misidentify one of the two alleged shooters killed in Sunday’s encounter as Sandeep, a criminal from Sultanwind in Amritsar. The police have now established that the deceased was actually Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, 18, of Jalandhar. Gurpreet was wanted by the Jalandhar police in connection with a firing case registered on June 20, 2026. The case also named Karanjot Singh, the other alleged shooter killed in the encounter. The error came to light after the Ludhiana police received information that Sandeep, who was out on bail, was alive. The police also found no evidence so far linking him to the alleged massshooting conspiracy involving overseas gangsters Doni Bal and Shaganpreet. A police team visited Sandeep’s residence in Amritsar to physically verify his identity. DCP (Crime) Harpal Singh said police had received inputs that two bikeborne men were planning to enter a blood donation camp near Atam Park and target members of a rival gang allegedly at the behest of Doni Bal and Shaganpreet. However, their identities were not known at the time. Photographs of the deceased were subsequently Ludhiana, September 14 The differences between Ludhiana Mayor Inderjit Kaur and Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar came out in the open once again during the Municipal Corporation’s Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) meeting here on Monday, with Prashar walking out of the meeting midway following a heated exchange with the Mayor over pending development works in his ward. Prashar raised the issue of four development works in his ward, stating that although the works had already been approved in the previous F&CC meeting, work orders had still not been issued. The issue led to an argument between the two office-bearers, following which the Senior Deputy Mayor left the meeting after agenda number 30 was taken up. The meeting continued in his absence, with the remaining members discussing the resolutions in detail. Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti later raised objections to several proposals, questioning their financial implications and demanding greater transparency and accountability in use of the MC funds. As many as 227 agendas were taken up during the meeting, including 40 table agendas. The proposed Integrated Solid Waste Man- Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma at the spot where two gangsters were gunned down by the police in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN GANGSTER DONI BAL ARRANGED WEAPONS Police sources said overseas gangster Shaganpreet, a former manager of slain singer Sidhu Moosewala, had allegedly tasked the two shooters with carrying out the mass shooting. Doni Bal allegedly arranged sophisticated automatic weapons for the shooters. The police said one of the recovered weapons was made in Pakistan. It is suspected that weapons were smuggled into the Amritsar border area from across the Pakistan border with the alleged assistance of Doni Bal. uploaded on the Punjab Artificial Intelligence System (PAIS), an AI-based facial recognition system used by with the mass-shooting conspiracy,” the DCP said. “After our probe detected the technical glitch and established that the second shooter was Gurpreet Singh of Dhina village in Jalandhar, we sought the assistance of the Jalandhar police. A police team visited the deceased’s residence for verification,” he added. ADCP (Crime) Rupinder Kaur Bhatti, who was present at the encounter site, said the police had information that some other associates of the shooters were also 10 booked for attacking family, creating ruckus Our Correspondent Sahnewal, September 14 The police have booked 10 people, including seven identified accused, for allegedly attacking a family in New Ambedkar Nagar, Giaspura, with kirpans (swords) and vandalising vehicles parked outside their house. A case has been registered under Sections 115(2), 126(2), 121, 191(3), 190, 351(2)(3)(5) and 324(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on the complaint of Baby Chaudhary, a resident of Gali No. 3, New Ambedkar Nagar, Giaspura. The accused have been identified as Dhiraj, Honey, Mani Mehra, Ravi Khachar, Mani Khachar, Gagan Rajput and Rahul, besides three Continued on Page 2 in the vicinity. “They fled when the police team cornered the duo and killed them,” she said. The police have summoned the organisers of the blood donation camp, held near Atam Park in memory of former Congress sarpanch Ravi Khwajke, for questioning. The police suspect that members of a rival gang allegedly linked to Doni Bal and Shaganpreet were present at the camp. Senior Congress leader Ishwarjot Cheema questioned the administration’s decision to permit the camp, alleging that the person in whose memory it was organised had links with gangsters. Officials and members of the Finance and Contract Committee of the Municipal Corporation at a meeting in Ludhiana on Monday. agement (ISWM) project, estimated at around Rs 1,198 crore, was kept pending along with 26 others. Bhatti questions duplicate estimate Councillor Gaurav Bhatti objected to a proposal concerning the laying of tiles in HIG Colony near Lovely Sweets in Ward No. 26. He said Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) had already sent a proposal for administrative approval for tiles worth around Rs 19 lakh at the site, while the MC had prepared another estimate of around Rs 21 lakh for the same work. He sought fixing of responsibility on officials concerned, including SE Parveen Singla, and called for an inquiry into the preparation of the duplicate estimate. Objection to single tender for CCTV work Bhatti also questioned the proposal to award CCTV camera work worth around Rs 5.76 lakh to contractor Manmohan Singh through a single tender. He demanded that the provisions of the Punjab Transparency In Public Procurement Act be followed fully in the matter. Fogging project under scrutiny On the fogging project, Bhatti questioned the claim of a saving of around Rs 6.91 crore. He said the expenditure on permanent MC employees and machinery already available with the civic body would continue and therefore the actual financial impact of the project should be reassessed. He said the MC should not approve a project that could result in a loss of more than Rs 1 crore. Questions raised over revised estimates Bhatti opposed a proposal seeking an additional expenditure of around Rs 15 lakh for replacing P1 pipes with NP3 pipes, saying the nonavailability of the specified pipe in the market was a contractor-related issue and the additional burden should not be put on the MC. The agenda was kept pending. He also questioned a 2023 work whose estimate had first been revised by around 9.8 per cent and was now proposed to be hiked by another 14.2 per cent, taking the cost from around Rs 31 lakh to Rs 46 lakh. He demanded a site inspection and a detailed report explaining the repeated revisions. A similar objection was raised over the Saggu Chowk road work, where the original estimate was prepared for a 15-foot-wide road but the width was later shown as 25 feet, leading to a proposed 24.99 per cent revision. Bhatti demanded that responsibility be fixed on officials who had initially measured the site. The agenda was kept pending. LED street light payment opposed Bhatti strongly objected to a proposal seeking additional payment to Tata company for LED smart street lights for an additional 3,650 hours. He said the Centralised Control and Monitoring System (CCMS) record should first be checked to establish how long street lights Continued on Page 2 Four-month power bills trigger confusion among city consumers Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 14 Several consumers of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in Ludhiana have reportedly received electricity bills covering four months, despite claiming that they had already paid their May-June bills. Consumers allege that they are now being charged again through consolidated bills covering May, June, July and August, with some claiming that the bills have also resulted in the loss of their free power entitlement. Former president of the District Congress Committee, Ludhiana (Urban), and former chairman of Punjab Pawan Dewan, has raised the issue, alleging that consumers are being subjected to undue hardship because of the delayed billing. Citing a specific case, Dewan said a consumer had initially received a July bill covering 69 days, with recorded consumption of 681 units. Since the consumption was below the 700-unit threshold for 70 days under the PSPCL’s stated norms, the bill was marked zero. However, Dewan alleged that the same consumer had now received a fresh bill covering 120 days, with the earli- er zero-billed period clubbed with subsequent consumption. The combined consumption was shown as 1,204 units, he said, resulting in the consumer losing the benefit of 600 free units. Dewan claimed that thousands of consumers in Ludhiana were facing similar confusion and uncertainty, with many left worried about disconnection if the disputed Continued on Page 2 Industrialists protest against the government over long power cuts in Ludhiana on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Gambling den at hotel busted, nine arrested 4 members of inter-state gang held, stolen truck recovered KisanMazdoorMorchaprotests Ludhiana, September 14 The Moti Nagar police conducted a raid at the Yellow Chilli Hotel on RK Road and arrested nine persons, including the manager, for allegedly running a gambling den. Cash amounting to Rs 2.40 lakh and playing cards were recovered from the spot. According to information, a police party of the Moti Nagar police station received a tip-off that manager Robin Budhachetri allowed gambling for money in the hotel. Hookah and tobacco products were being used in the hotel premises. The police raided the hotel and nabbed Robin along with Surinder Kumar, Mohit Kumar, Gurmeet Singh, Simran Singh, Deepak, Pradeep Singh, Sahil Arora and Gurleen Singh. From the spot, the police recovered cash and 52 playing cards. Besides these, one hookah, coal, a cigarette packet, two pipes, two chillums and a lighter were also seized. A case was registered in this connection. — TNS Ludhiana, September 14 The Khanna police claimed to have arrested four persons for allegedly robbing a truck after assaulting its driver and abandoning him at an isolated location on the night of August 29. The police also recovered the stolen truck and scrap worth Rs 1.10 lakh, which the accused allegedly removed from the vehicle and sold. Khanna SSP Dr Darpan Ahluwalia said at a press conference that a case was registered at the Khanna Sadar police station on the complaint of Sumit Sehgal, a resident of Rajpura. The truck belonged to Sehgal’s company and had been driven by Bachan Singh for the past 12 to 13 years. According to the complaint, around 9.15 pm on August 29, two unidentified persons entered the truck, assaulted Bachan Singh and allegedly confined him inside the vehicle. They then drove the truck to an isolated location, abandoned the driver there Tribune News Service SSP Darpan Ahluwalia addresses the media in connection with the arrest of four robbers in Khanna on Monday. and fled with the vehicle. Following the complaint, the police launched an investigation using human intelligence, technical surveillance and CCTV footage. The investigation led to the identification and arrest of Chetan Kumar and his father, Prem Prakash, both residents of the Tajpur Road area of Ludhiana, the SSP said. During questioning, the duo allegedly confessed to committing the robbery with their associate Tarun Kumar, 36, alias Tarun Singh, a resident of Faridabad, Haryana. A police team, with the assistance of the Railway Protection Force, traced Tarun Kumar to Jalpaiguri railway station in West Bengal, around 1,700-1,800 km from Khanna, the SSP said. He was arrested and Rs 1,10,170 was allegedly recovered from his possession. According to the police, the money was earned from the sale of scrap removed from the stolen truck. Tarun had travelled to West Bengal by train and was later brought to Delhi from Bagdogra airport, the SSP added. The police also recovered the stolen truck from an unorgan- c m y b ised market in Chika, Haryana. The accused allegedly removed the iron scrap loaded in the truck and sold it to Ganesh Kumar and Vikas Rai, both residents of Faridabad. Vikas Rai was arrested by the Khanna police in Delhi on September 12, the police said. All four accused are currently in police remand and are being questioned. The police said further disclosures and recoveries were expected. A case was initially registered under Section 303(2) (theft) of the BNS. Sections 309(4) (robbery), 309(6) (robbery in which hurt is caused) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) were subsequently added. Section 317(2), relating to dishonestly receiving stolen property, was also added after the investigation allegedly revealed that the stolen scrap had been sold to persons named in the case. According to SSP Ahluwalia, Tarun Kumar, originally from Kulgarhi in Ferozepur, allegedly admitted to his involvement in 25 to 30 incidents. Police from other states were already looking for him, but he had allegedly evaded arrest by repeatedly changing his physical appearance. The SSP said Tarun sometimes wore a turban and kept a long beard, while on other occasions he remained cleanshaven. He also allegedly used fake identity cards and Aadhaar cards. The police said 13 to 15 FIRs relating to murder and truck snatching/theft had been registered against Tarun. Of these, five were registered under the jurisdiction of the Commissionerate of Police, Ludhiana, two in Khanna, five in Haryana and one in Fatehgarh Sahib. Chetan Kumar had eight to 10 FIRs registered against him in connection with battery theft and truck snatching, the police said. These included three cases in Faridabad, three under the Commissionerate of Police, Ludhiana, one in Fatehgarh Sahib and one in Khanna. The police also invoked relevant provisions against Tarun Kumar for allegedly using forged identity documents and changing his physical appearance. outside Mundian’s residence Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 14 The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), Punjab chapter, today launched protests outside residences of nine Punjab ministers. In Ludhiana protest was held outside residence of Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian, Minister for Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management, Water Supply and Sanitation, and Housing and Urban Development. Dilbagh Singh from KMM said the Punjab Government must take their demands seriously and fulfil them immediately. He said at present, there was a crisis of electricity and fertilisers for the paddy crop, which must be resolved without delay. Farmer leaders said the Punjab Government should immediately hold talks on their demands and find a solution. If the government fails to provide an appropriate resolution to demands, a decision on the next phase of intensified MAIN DEMANDS ■ Government procurement of crops at MSP ■ Complete debt waiver for farmers and workers ■ Crisis of floods, groundwater and pollution ■ Resolution against the India-US trade agreement ■ Return of materials taken from the Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites ■ Withdrawal of cases registered during agitations ■ Control over drugs and employment ■ Stop drone mapping of villages ■ Open a trade corridor with Pakistan agitation would be taken at the meeting scheduled for September 16, they said. “One of our main demands is that the Punjab Government should ensure that basmati, maize, moong, mustard and potato crops are not purchased below the minimum support price (MSP),” said Dilbagh Singh.