06102026-ATR-01.qxd 10/5/2026 10:58 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune DRONE SHOW MARKS 650TH PARKASH PURB OF GURU RAVIDAS UNIONS PLAN RALLY OVER STAFF CRUNCH IN SCHOOLS Punjab’s teacher shortage has become a fresh flashpoint between the government and employee organisations. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 24°C ACTOR TRIPTII DIMRI GETS NOSTALGIC A spectacular drone show marks the 650th Parkash Purb of Guru Ravidas at Baba Bakala Sahib. P2 FORECAST Triptii Dimri recollects her childhood Diwali memories at an event in Delhi. P4 » SUNSET TUESDAY 6.06 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:23 AM » » TUESDAY | 6 OCTOBER 2026 | AMRITSAR Same old story — Project started, stalled, forgotten; locals vent ire Aimed at easing congestion, unfinished flyover becomes a headache Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 5 Making it to the long list of the city’s woes is Valla bypass flyover. In 2022, the project was started to ease congestion. In 2026, the project is adding to congestion. Every day, thousands of residents, commuters, traders and farmers are inconvenienced due to the unfinished work. It is learnt that the contractor concerned stopped the work in October 2025 and the project has since become a headache. As the work is incomplete, commuters are forced to take diversion routes, most of which are in bad shape. Area residents said nearly 7,000 to 8,000 families were affected by the situation on a daily basis. “Long traffic jams are witnessed at the site during peak hours. The condition of the other routes too is bad, with most filled with potholes and slush,” they added. During the rainy season, Two held with pistols, live cartridges Commuters are forced to take diversion routes, most of which are in bad shape. VISHAL KUMAR it becomes difficult for motorists to navigate through the stretches, raising the risk of accidents and causing further traffic disruption. A resident said despite accidents, the authorities failed to do the needful. Another local, Sukhwinder Singh, said it was difficult for ambulances and other emergency vehicles to pass through the damaged routes. CHOKED AND SLUSHY ■ Long traffic jams are witnessed on the Valla bypass during peak hours. The condition of the other routes too is bad. Residents say several stretches are potholed and covered with slush. ■ During the rainy season, it becomes difficult for motorists to navigate through stretches along the bypass, raising the risk of accidents. A few said reaching the cremation ground too was such a task in the area. The Valla vegetable market is one of the major wholesale markets in North India and it is sad that it too is suffering because of the incomplete flyover. The market attracts farmers, traders and transporters from several parts of the region. A trader said damaged roads, dust and prolonged Court sends duo to police custody A police team was patrolling the highway when they spotted the two suspects on a black Splendor motorcycle (PB-02-A-7386) near Muchhal village. On seeing the police, the two allegedly tried to flee. But the police managed to nab them. During search, a .30-bore pistol with a magazine and two live cartridges were allegedly recovered from Ravinder Singh. The weapon bore the marking “Khair Special Modified Cal30 Bore Pistol”. Similarly, a 9-mm Ruger pistol, along with a magazine containing two live cartridges, was allegedly recovered from Arshdeep Singh. The pistol carried markings indicating that it was made in Turkey. A case under Sections 25(8), 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered and further investigation is underway to ascertain the source of the weapons and their intended use. The accused were produced in a local court, which sent them to police remand for further investigation. based gangsters Goldy Dhillon Tribune News Service and Lucky Johal had separately Amritsar, October 5 claimed the responsibility of his Even though the city police murder,thoughthepoliceofficials claimed to have achieved maintained that veracity of their vital clues in the sensation claims were yet to be verified. broad daylight killing of A murder case, along with makeup artist and social charges under the Arms Act, media influencer Mad Sand- was registered against unidenhu (officially named Mad- tified motorcycle-borne husudan), they are yet to assailants at the Cantonment achieve any signifipolice station. cant breakthrough Sandhu had in the case. allegedly been Prabhjot Singh under threat and the Virk, Deputy Comassailants had folmissioner of Police, lowed him before said the probe was the attack. He had underway and gone to Starbucks efforts on to nab the with his friends on perpetrators. Saturday evening. Mad Sandhu Mad Sandhu was However, heavy shot dead on the Loharaka security and barricading in road by bike-borne armed view of Chief Minister Bhagassailants on Saturday. He want Mann’s visit allegedly had gone there to get his SUV prevented the attackers from washed. The police scanned striking there. CCTV camera grabs in the Sandhu worked as a makeup area to track the movement of artist and ran a salon near the assailants. It also recovered Lawrence Road. Investigators are the footage of CCTV cameras examining his social media activifrom the car wash centre. ty and the threats allegedly His mobile phone details and received by him. The police said other digital evidence are some of Sandhu’s videos being examined to establish uploaded on social media had his movements before the drawn criticism from the attack and identify possible gangsters and certain Nihang links with the assailants. groups, who allegedly threatAfter his brutal death, foreign- ened him to mendways. Pawan K Jaiswar Congress councillor defects to AAP Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 5 Congress’ Mandeep Singh Happy today joined the Aam Aadmi Party. The former represents ward 5 of the Jandiala Guru assembly constituency. Happy said he decided to join the party after seeing development works carried out by the AAP and that the party’s people-friendly policies too were behind his switch. Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO hon- Mandeep Singh Happy says party’s people-friendly policies behind switch oured Mandeep Happy with a siropa.He said youngsters’ inclination towards the party proved the fact that the people were happy with development-oriented and peoplefriendly policies of the Punjab Government. Satinder Singh, president, Municipal Council, councillor Avtar Singh Kala, Vipandeep Singh and Amarinder Singh KD said the support and trust of the people was strengthening the party’s hold in the Jandiala Guru constituency. Over 22,000 fined for ticketless travel Former AIT chief held in ~50-lakh property in Sept; rly revenue runs into crores fraud; Cong terms move politically motivated Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 5 The Amritsar rural police arrested two youths and recovered two foreignmade pistols and four live cartridges from their possession near Muchhal village falling under Tarsikka police jurisdiction yesterday. The accused have been identified as Ravinder Singh, alias Happy, and Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh, both residents of Guru Nanak Colony near Sharma Dairy, Ghanupur Kale area. traffic jams were affecting the movement of vehicles carrying farm produce to and from the market. He added that vehicles carrying vegetables were often caught in traffic, while poor roads added to the travel time. The Valla bypass is also an important link connecting the surrounding areas with other parts of the city. The prolonged disruption has, therefore, affected not only residents living close to the project site, but also those using the route for commercial and inter-city movement. The residents and traders have questioned the traffic management arrangements around the flyover, saying the administration needed to take immediate measures rather than wait for the construction to resume. They demanded that the agencies concerned repair the diversion routes on priority, improve traffic management and provide a clear publicly announced timeline for restarting and completing the flyover work. Mad Sandhu’s killing: Police scan CCTV grabs, tower dump Pawan K Jaiswar Amritsar, October 5 In September, the number of those travelling without a train ticket rose to 22,855. A checking drive was carried out by the Firozpur division to check illegal travellers. Basant Kumar, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Northern Railway, said a revenue of more than Rs 2 crore was recovered from these passengers as penalty. Regular checks are also being conducted at major railway stations of the division to maintain cleanliness and prevent passengers from littering platforms. In September, Around 202 passengers were penalised for littering and the division collected more than Rs 81,000 as fine. Tribune News Service A railway official checks a passenger’s ticket in Amritsar. Amritsar, October 5 Days after the Civil Lines police booked Vansh Bassi, son of former Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) chairman Dinesh Bassi, in an alleged Rs 50-lakh property fraud, the police today arrested the latter for questioning. The arrest did not go down well with Congress councillors and leaders, who protested outside the Civil Lines police station. Amritsar MP Gurjeet Aujla also reached the spot and termed the action politically motivated. Aujla alleged that the Punjab Police were working under political influence and that Bassi was being targeted as part of a conspiracy. Congress councillors raised Congress workers protest outside the Civil Lines police station in Amritsar. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR slogans against the police, saying they were pushed out of the police station. Congress leader Sanjiv Tangri said the party would launch a massive agitation if Bassi was not released. “Even as he was not involved in the case, he has been deliberately targeted,” he alleged. The Civil Lines police had earlier booked Vansh Bassi and his alleged associate, Amit Bajaj, for allegedly duping a city resident of Rs 50 lakh in a property deal. The Farmers lay siege to DC office, say won’t give up until demands met Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 5 Members of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) on Monday gheraoed the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Amritsar as part of their statewide protest. They demanded withdrawal of the India-US free trade negotiations and the land pooling policy, payment of pending compensation to flood-affected people, implementation of a new agricultural policy, adequate availability of DAP fertiliser and a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). A large number of farmers, workers and women reached the DC office and gheraoed both gates of the complex. The protesters raised slogans. In the evening, the protesters took out a march and reached the Kacheri Chowk, 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 from the accused in June 2023 and paid Rs 50 lakh for the deal. According to the complainant, the agreement was never cancelled and its validity was verbally extended several times. He alleged that Bajaj, without his consent, executed a sale deed in favour of Vansh Bassi in October last year and that his money was never returned. “In November last year, I came to know that the accused had entered into an agreement for the same property with a third party too,” the complainant added. Illegal goods seized from outside college Tribune News Service As part of their statewide protest, members of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) gherao the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Amritsar on Monday. where they burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Women protesters also staged a “pitt siyapa” against the Chief Minister. Union leaders Kashmir Singh Dhangai and Baghel Singh Kotmughal demanded that compensation c m y b meant for flood victims be released immediately. They also called for implementation of a new agriculture policy to address problems being faced by the farmers. Farm leader Dr Parminder Singh Pandori said the organi- sation would continue its agitation until the demands of farmers and farm workers were addressed. Amritsar, October 5 The civic body on Monday removed unauthorised structures and confiscated goods kept along roads near Khalsa College. The action followed repeated complaints from residents and commuters regarding occupation of public areas by rehris and other vendors. During the drive, the civic body cleared encroachments obstructing traffic and public movement. Material kept on public land was also confiscated. Vendors and other encroachers were warned against reoccupying the area, with officials stating that stern action would follow in case of Continued on page 2