11102026-ATR-01.qxd 10/10/2026 11:09 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY GOVT EMPLOYEES BURN EFFIGIES OVER DEMANDS HOW THE OLDER GENERATION REMEMBERS SHIMLA'S WINTER ACTORS FROM THE 90S WHO’RE STILL RULING HEARTS! Reiterating their demands, government employees burn effigies of CM and Central Government outside DC office. P2 Historic brick-and-stone masonry chimneys rise above roofs, guarding memories of what winters meant. P3 MAX 32°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 23°C Pan-Indian actors of the golden era, who aced their acting game back then and are going strong even today! P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 6.00 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:25AM » SUNDAY | 11 OCTOBER 2026 | AMRITSAR ASI attack: Cops tight-lipped as reports of first arrest do rounds Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Members of the Citizen Forum Amritsar take out a march from the Bhandari Bridge towards the Hall Gate Chowk in Amritsar Delhi stir spills over to city as farmers, workers demand Gyanesh’s ouster Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 10 Condemning the use of force against those protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi, the Citizen Forum Amritsar today took out a march from the Bhandari Bridge towards the Hall Gate Chowk and burnt an effigy of the Union Government. Forum members said action against peaceful protesters was uncalled for. Organisation’s leader Kamaljit Kaur demanded that the SIR exercise be stopped and voter deletion undone. In a statement, Ratan Singh Randhawa of the Jamhuri Kisan Sabha and Sumeet Singh, a state-level leader of the Tarksheel Soci- DEMOCRACY UNDER SIEGE, SAY LEADERS Seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Congress workers from Jandiala Guru, led by PPCC working president Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala, protested against the Central Government and the Election Commission over the SIR row.The protesters also burnt an effigy of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Bandala said democracy was under siege and that the BJP and the Election Commission were responsible for the irregularities. ety, said the large-scale deletion of voters was being carried out to serve the political interests of the BJP . They added that police personnel were preventing demonstrations, detaining journalists and leaders of various organisations at the behest of those in power. The leaders also flayed the Delhi Police over allegations of misconduct and harassment levelled by women protesters. Leaders of other organisa- tions said: “Delhi has been turned into a virtual cantonment, with heavy deployment of the police and paramilitary forces. Curbs have also been imposed on trains, domestic flights and metro stations, inconveniencing those travelling to the national capital.” Reacting to the prevailing situation in the national capital, farm leaders Dr Parvinder Singh Pandori and Balkar Singh Dudhala said the Union Government was undermining the autonomy of institutions and ignoring established rules and laws. They accused the government of attempting to suppress people’s right to protest against its policies and actions. The speakers appealed to democratic and pro-people organisations to extend support to those protesting against the alleged curbs on civil liberties. They added that public opposition to what they described as “undemocratic and unconstitutional actions” should be heard and respected. A large number of farmers, labourers and women participated in the protest, raising slogans against the Election Commission and the Union Government. Amritsar, October 10 The Amritsar rural police have reportedly made an arrest in connection with the attack on GRP ASI Sukhchain Singh posted in the Ajnala area earlier this week. The motorcycle and the pistol allegedly used in the crime have also been recovered. However, police officials are tight-lipped over any development in the case so far, maintaining that a probe is underway and that the accused would be nabbed soon. Sources claimed that the accused was arrested from a border village in the Gharinda area on Friday evening, while raids were on to arrest the second accused. As per preliminary investigation, both accused are drug addicts. “The one in police custody is being interrogated to establish the duo’s link with Pakistan-based handlers. However, the handler reportedly stopped communicating with them after the incident,” investigators stated. ASI Sukhchain Singh was shot at by motorcycle-borne assailants in Jagdev Khurd village, Ajnala, while returning home off duty on Monday night. He had suffered a bullet injury in the arm. He had initially suspected that the attack was the fallout of a family dispute as he was working on ASI Sukhchain Singh was shot at by bike-borne assailants at Jagdev Khurd village, Ajnala, on Monday night. SECOND ACCUSED YET TO BE TRACED, COPS COUNTING ON INTERROGATION Sources claimed that the accused was arrested from a border village in the Gharinda area on Friday evening, while raids were on to arrest the second accused. As per preliminary investigation, both accused are drug addicts. The police are interrogating the accused to establish the duo’s link with Pakistan-based handlers. However, the handler reportedly stopped communicating with them after the incident, the sources added. the case pertaining to his brother’s murder. In the past eight months, five such attacks have taken place. While four police officials succumbed to their injuries, two had survived the attacks. In the first attack, two police officials were shot in the Darangla area in Gurdaspur, while ASI Joga Singh was killed in Majitha. Later, ASI Jaswant Singh narrowly escaped while returning home in the Rajasansi area. Then ASI Harjit Singh was shot at the Bhagtanwala grain market. The police had cracked the cases of Gurdaspur attack and ASI Harjit Singh murder, apart from ASI Jaswant Singh’s. The murders of ASI Joga Singh remain unsolved. There’s more to what meets the eye, say police on four-fold rise in opium trade Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 10 Alarmed over the recovery of 15 kg of opium today, the Amritsar rural police believe that there’s more to what meets the eye. The police said the drug trade had witnessed a four-fold this year, with a total of over 60 kg of opium recovered so far. In 2025, the Border Security Force had seized 12 kg of opium and in 2024, 16 kg. Two accused arrested in connection with a 15-kg seizure — Malkit Singh, alias Meeta, of Manj village and his brother-in-law Gurjit Singh of Sarangra village used to receive heroin from Pakistani smugglers at the behest of their foreign-based han- dlers. The contraband along with an M16 assault rifle was airdropped in the Lopoke area. To get a better understanding and know what exactly the police were doing to prevent the border from turning porous, The Tribune reached out to IG, Border Range, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, who said the surge in opium trafficking had pointed towards a changing narcotics and weapon smuggling landscape along the International Border. When asked the reason behind the sharp rise in opium trade, Bhullar said: “A: The drug is cheaper. B: Regular and intensified drives left Pakistan-based smugglers with no choice, but to experiment with oth- er drugs, including opium and synthetic drug ICE (crystal methamphetamine). The Punjab Police and other sister agencies have already tightened the noose around smuggling networks, leading to huge recoveries in the past couple of years,” he said. The BSF had recently made a series of opium recoveries in the border belt. On September 20, the BSF recovered opium airdropped in the Kahangarh border outpost area. Similarly, the force confiscated 672 gm of opium in the Ajnala border area. On September 29, it recovered over 3 kg of opium, along with 2 kg of heroin, in a large packet smuggled with the help of a drone. FIFTH SUCH ATTACK IN EIGHT MONTHS In the past eight months, five such attacks have taken place. While four police officials succumbed to their injuries, two had survived the attacks. In the first attack, two police officials were shot in the Darangla area in Gurdaspur, while ASI Joga Singh was killed in Majitha. Later, ASI Jaswant Singh narrowly escaped while returning home in the Rajasansi area. Then ASI Harjit Singh was shot at the Bhagtanwala grain market. Extortion, firing accused hurt in crossfire Our Correspondent The police and the administration have organised a special anti-drug campaign at Basarke Gillan village, a drug hotspot. The drive aims at understanding local concerns and strengthening community participation in Amritsar villages. STORY ON PAGE 2 Tarn Taran, October 10 Two persons wanted in extortion and firing cases were injured in a crossfire in the Valtoha area today. The police said the accused had been identified as Joban Singh, a resident of Asal Uttar, and Arjun Singh, a resident of Valtoha.The two opened fire at a police party when asked to stop. In retaliation, the latter shot at the duo. They were apprehended and admitted to hospital. “The pistols used by the accused have been taken into possession,” the police said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were habitual offenders and associated with a gang operating from abroad. Burning issue: Measures to manage crop residue listed Illegal occupation of land thwarted Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 10 With paddy harvesting, comes stubble burning. Before it gets too late and the pollution levels reach alarming proportions, a team of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) visited Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts to review measures put in place by the authorities. The team visited various villages on October 9 and 10 before holding a review meeting with Deputy Commissioners and other district officials in Amritsar on Saturday. Officials checked whether the A team of the Commission for Air Quality Management in Amritsar. crop residue management (CRM) machinery, field monitoring, farmer awareness and arrangements for in-situ and exsitu management of paddy straw, were in place. In Amritsar, officials told the team that balers from the district and neighbouring areas were being used to collect paddy straw. “A supply chain has been established with industries equipped with boilers to utilise straw bales as fuel, linking farmers and aggregators with these units,” they added. A control room and a help desk have also been set up at the District Administrative Complex to help farmers access the CRM machinery. There’s a district-level helpline to report field fires and stubble burning incidents for prompt action. In Tarn Taran, the team learnt that balers from the district and neighbouring areas were being deployed for straw management. The c m y b district had substantially achieved its targets for making the CRM machinery available to the farmers. Nodal and cluster officials, along with the field staff, were conducting regular patrolling and monitoring, besides carrying out awareness and enforcement activities. The commission directed district officials to intensify surveillance in stubble burning hotspots, use monitoring systems, including low-cost sensors, and take action against violations. It also called for better coordination to ensure the effective utilisation of machinery and strengthen the supply chain for straw-based fuel. Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 10 Acting promptly, the civic body on Friday foiled illegal occupation of around 150 sq yards of its land near the Rego Bridge. The Estate Department received information that some unidentified persons were trying to take illegal possession of municipal land. A team was immediately sent to the spot to do the needful. Secretary-cum-Estate Officer Sushant Bhatia and Estate Officer Dharminderjit Singh supervised the operation. Bhatia warned that attempts to illegally occupy municipal Civic officials stop illegal occupation of land near the Rego Bridge in Amritsar on Saturday. properties would not be tolerated and that those found violating the law would face legal action. Civic officials said police assistance could be sought, if required, to prevent encroachments and protect its properties. They added the Estate Department would take prompt action in case of such violations.