23092026-ATR-01.qxd 9/22/2026 11:00 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY SANGHNA PLANT TO SUPPLY CLEAN WATER TO 32 VILLAGES CORRIDOR THAT BRIDGES A PARTITIONED LAND YAMI GAUTAM, MAMMOOTTY & KARTIK WIN TOP HONOURS MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla reviews the progress on the water treatment plant project at Bohru-Ibban. P2 Requirement of carrying a passport and a USD 20 fee kept Kartarpur pilgrim numbers low. P3 Yami Gautam, Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty were honoured with Best Actress and Best Actor awards. P4 » » MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 22°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.28 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.20 AM » WEDNESDAY | 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 | AMRITSAR INBRIEF NCW CHIEF TO VISIT TARN TARAN TODAY Tarn Taran: The chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Vijaya K Rahatkar, will hold a “Mahila Jan-Sunwai” in Tarn Taran on Wednesday. The registration for the public hearing will begin at 10 am at Pendu Vikas Bhawan. The visit is part of the commission’s efforts to strengthen grassroots outreach and address women’s grievances . OC TWO ARRESTED WITH WEAPONS Tarn Taran: The Khalra police have arrested two persons for allegedly possessing illegal weapons. The arrests were made on Monday. ASI Gurnam Singh said the accused were identified as Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Kamal Wala Khurd, and Lakhwinder Singh, a resident of Jaimal Wala Khurd. The police launched a search operation following a tip-off that a consignment had been dropped by a drone in the area. The accused were allegedly found in possession of two pistols, two magazines, and a live cartridge when the police party reached the specified location. OC Unpaid electricity dues touch ~285 crore in Tarn Taran circle Police bust six arms supply networks with eight arrests Gurbaxpuri Amritsar, September 22 The Amritsar police on Tuesday claimed to have busted six illegal arms supply networks with the arrest of eight persons and the recovery of 13 pistols and 23 live cartridges in separate operations. Those arrested have been identified as Gurdeep Singh and Dharminder Singh, both residents of Rangarh village; Amit of Guru Ki Wadali; Harpreet Singh Niana of Naraingarh; Chamkaur Singh of Waan Tara Singh in Tarn Taran; Karanpreet Singh of Noordi village in Tarn Taran; Gaurav of Katra Karam Singh; and Varun Kumar of Bhai Manj Singh Road. The recovered weapons included two .30-bore pistols made in Turkey, two .30bore pistols made in China, one 9-mm pistol, and eight other .30-bore pistols. A scooter allegedly used for transporting the weapons was also impounded. Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said Tarn Taran, September 22 The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in the Tarn Taran circle is facing a massive dues crisis, with a total of Rs 285 crore pending with customers, according to official data. Despite persistent recovery efforts, local officials have managed to recover only Rs 20 crore over the past two months. Out of the total pending amount, Rs 54 crore is to be paid by various government departments, according to PSPCL (Powercom) officials. The problem is compounded as these departments will be able to clear their dues only after receiving funds from the government. According to officials, the Water Supply and Sanitation Department owes the highest amount at Rs 25 crore, closely followed by the Rural Development Govt departments, domestic consumers collectively top defaulters’ list THE BIG PICTURE I Government departments owe ~54 cr, led by the Water Supply and Sanitation Department (~25 cr) and the Rural Development and Panchayats Department (~23 cr). I industrial units (~6 cr). I Domestic consumers account for the bulk of private dues at ~183 cr, followed by commercial (~41 cr) and The PSPCL has recovered ~20 cr from defaulters under a special campaign in the past two months Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill and other officers during a press conference in Amritsar on Tuesday. VISHAL KUMAR preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in contact with foreign-based smugglers and were procuring weapons for further distribution and use in criminal activities. Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said the arrests were made in six separate cases registered at the Chheharta, Gate Hakima, Sultanwind, and DDivision police stations. Gurdeep and Dharminder were arrested with two pistols and seven cartridges. Amit, Harpreet, and Chamkaur were held in three separate operations, with a pistol and cartridges recovered from each of them. “Karanpreet was arrested with a pistol and six cartridges at a checkpost, while Varun and Gaurav were apprehended with a pistol and four cartridges,” Gill said. Six FIRs have been registered under the Arms Act. The police said further investigations were underway to trace other members of the networks. Randhawa slams Centre, AAP govt Victim’s kin seek arrest of ex-minister’s father, aide over drug trafficking, drone activity AAP MLAs kick off door-to-door poll campaign and Panchayats Department with Rs 23 crore. The Health Department owes Rs 1.60 crore, followed by the Education Department with Rs 1 crore and the Jails Department with Rs 56 lakh. Meanwhile, municipal councils, nagar panchayats, and other local government bodies collectively owe Rs 3 crore to the PSPCL. Among private consumers, Rs 183 crore is pending with domestic connections, Rs 41 crore with commercial establishments, and Rs 6 crore with industrial units. Mohtam Singh, Deputy Chief Engineer of the local PSPCL circle, said they had realised Rs 20 crore in the past two months under a special campaign. He added that the campaign would continue and was expected to yield good results in the future. SUICIDE BY WAREHOUSING CORP OFFICIAL Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 22 The family of the deceased Punjab State Warehousing Corporation official, who died by suicide, has demanded the immediate arrest of former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar’s father, Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and his aide, Dilbagh Singh, after the Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected their anticipatory bail pleas in the case. Gagandeep Randhawa, 45, a district manager with the corporation, had died by suicide at his residence here on March 21. Before his death, Ex-Improvement Trust chief’s son booked for ~50-lakh fraud Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 22 The Civil Lines police here have booked Vansh Bassi, son of former Improvement Trust Chairman and Congress leader Dinesh Bassi, and his associate, Amit Bajaj, for allegedly duping a city resident of Rs 50 lakh in a property deal. The case was registered on the complaint of Kanwardeep Singh, a resident of Canal Colony. The complainant alleged that he had entered into an agreement to buy a property with the accused in June 2023 and had paid Rs 50 lakh against the deal. According to the complaint, the agreement was never cancelled, and its validity was verbally extended several times. However, the complainant alleged that Bajaj, without his consent, executed the sale document in favour of Vansh Bassi in October last year. He also alleged that the money he paid was not returned. The complainant further alleged that in November last year, he came to know that continued on page 2 he had recorded a 12-second video, in which he allegedly named the then minister, triggering a political controversy. “It has been six months since Gagandeep died by suicide. Despite the registration of an FIR against them, the police have made no effort to arrest Sukhdev Singh Bhullar and Dilbagh Singh,” said Upinder Kaur, wife of the deceased. She alleged that the police arrested Laljit Bhullar only after pressure from the media and opposition parties. While dismissing the anticipatory bail pleas, the High Court observed that, considering the gravity of the allegations, allowing the petitioners to join the investigation under the protection of prearrest bail could impede a thorough and effective probe. The court also noted that the recovery of a DVR, which was allegedly removed, besides a pistol and mobile phones, was still pending. It observed that apprehensions had been raised about the accused influencing witnesses and tampering with evidence, making their custodial interrogation imperative. She alleged that the failure to arrest Sukhdev Singh Bhullar and Dilbagh Singh raised questions about the conduct of the police investigation. “It clearly shows that the police were working under influence or pressure,” she alleged. Human rights lawyer Sarabjit Singh Verka said the police had even failed to initiate the process of issuing an arrest warrant against the two accused, which, he said, was necessary for initiating proceedings to declare them proclaimed offenders. Police authorities denied the allegations of any influence. continued on page 2 3 PSPCL employees booked after man dies of fall from transformer Tarn Taran, September 22 A case has been registered by the Patti Sadar police against three employees of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited for negligence resulting in the death of a person in an incident that took place about two weeks ago. The accused have been identified as lineman Lakhbir Singh and grid operators Gurjant Singh and Jaswinder Singh. Bhidha Singh, a resident of Sabhra, was killed in this incident. According to information, Lakhbir Singh had taken Bhinda Singh with him on September 8 to help carry out maintenance work on a transformer. Lakhbir Singh left Bhinda Singh near the transformer alongside assistant lineman Harjit Singh. When Harjit Singh asked Lakhbir Singh whether the power supply to continued on page 2 Accuses Centre of ‘defaming’ state instead of stopping smuggling Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 22 Amritsar AAP MLAs on Tuesday went door-to-door, two days after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the party’s election campaign, “Mann De Munafe,” from Dhuri. They highlighted the AAP government’s achievements in its tenure. Explaining the campaign, they said the drive focused on “positive” elements and showcased the work carried out during the party’s tenure. They added that the party would reach out to every household, sharing details of the initiatives implemented since 2022. Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO went door-to-door in Rasulpur Kalan village, which falls under his Jandiala Guru Assembly constituency. He also distributed health cards under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana to 454 beneficiary families. He noted that due to the provision of 300 units of free electricity per month, more continued on page 2 Amritsar, September 22 Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Tuesday slammed the BJPled Centre and the state’s AAP government over the alleged rise in drug trafficking, cross-border drone activity, and gangster violence. He accused the Centre of defaming Punjab over the issue of drugs instead of stopping the sneaking of narcotics into the state. Addressing reporters, Randhawa said he had written a number of letters to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding drugs, gangster activity, and Punjabrelated security issues. “However, no concrete steps have been taken so far,” he alleged. Speaking on the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra, which was launched from Pathankot, Randhawa said the focus should not be limited to heroin, as synthetic drugs had emerged as a major challenge. Targeting BJP leader Tarun Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa addresses mediapersons in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Chugh, Randhawa said he should convey the ground situation in Punjab to his party leadership instead of “misleading” people on the drug issue. He said the continued movement of drones carrying drugs and weapons across the border was a national security issue. Randhawa alleged that jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria continued to operate his network from inside prison. He said Bhagwanpuria had 128 cases registered against him and that his network comprised more than 1,000 members in Punjab and abroad, including around 100 in the US. Randhawa questioned a recent advisory that reportedly asked police personnel to report to police stations in plain clothes in view of targeted attacks. He described the alleged advisory as a matter of concern and said the situation had deteriorated to a point where police personnel were apprehensive about moving openly. The Punjab Government and the DGP have termed the advisory “fake”. He alleged that some senior continued on page 2 Amritsar quartet to lead India’s charge in bid to defend Asian hockey gold Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 22 Four prominent players from Amritsar have been named in the Indian men’s hockey squad for the 20th Asian Games in Japan as the team gears up to defend its continental crown. These are defenders Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, and Jugraj Singh, alongside forward Dilpreet Singh. Harmanpreet Singh will continue to lead the Indian team. India had clinched the men’s hockey gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023. At that time too, Harmanpreet was leading the team. Harmanpreet Singh hails from Timmowal village, which is situated about 12 km from the city on the AmritsarJalandhar road. Praying to the Almighty for the team’s success, his father, Sarbjit Singh, said Harmanpreet had earned a name as an ace drag-flicker and defender, and everyone in their village lauded his control over the hockey stick. Sarbjit recalled that Harmanpreet was inspired to take up hockey by his maternal uncle, Hardev Singh Chahal, who had played at the national level. His dedication and hard work eventually took him to the highest level of the sport. Forward Dilpreet Singh HARMANPREET SINGH DILPREET SINGH hails from Butala village, near the historic Baba Bakala Sahib shrine, about 50 km from Amritsar. His family and fellow villagers are hoping that his attacking skills will once again help India in the tournament. Dilpreet, along with Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep c m y b JARMANPREET SINGH Singh, and Abhishek, has been drafted to lead the attacking line in the Asian Games. A product of the Baba Pallaha Sports Club (BPSC) in his village, Dilpreet has been playing hockey there since childhood. He has often credited the club and his family JUGRAJ SINGH for helping shape his career. He also represented India in the U-21 category at the Commonwealth Games held in Australia earlier this year. In an earlier interaction with The Tribune, Dilpreet said his father, a hockey coach, had introduced him to the sport and supported him throughout his journey. “He used to take me early in the morning even to far-off hockey academies for practice,” Dilpreet had recalled, adding that his father came to his mind while watching the film Dangal because of the sacrifices he had made for his career. Jarmanpreet Singh, who hails from the Baba Bakala Sahib area, began his hockey journey at the Khalsa Hockey Academy at Mehta village before moving to the Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar. He made his Olympics debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where India won the bronze. He has represented the Railway Sports Promotion Board and subse- quently joined the Income Tax Department for domestic tournaments. Jugraj Singh is a defender and drag-flicker who belongs to Amritsar’s Attari village. He achieved the milestone of 100 international caps during India’s FIH Pro League match against Germany in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in June. He made his international debut in 2022 during the FIH Pro League matches in South Africa and quickly established himself as an integral part of the Indian team. He is highly regarded across hockey circuits for his power-packed dragflicks and robust defensive capabilities.