21102026-JTR-01.qxd 10/20/2026 10:52 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune RELIGIOUS ZEAL, GAIETY MARK DASEHRA CELEBRATIONS POTHOLES ON HAJIPUR-MUKERIAN ROAD POSE ACCIDENT RISK CELEBS SPEAK ABOUT THEIR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS Vijayadashami celebrations featured traditional effigy burning, symbolising Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana. P2 Residents have placed stones to warn drivers, but these pose additional hazards and obstruct traffic. P3 From vibrant cityscapes to serene mountain escapes, celebs reveal what makes their favourite holiday destinations special. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 31°C | MIN 16°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.49 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:35 AM WEDNESDAY | 21 OCTOBER 2026 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. INBRIEF MAN NABBED FOR EXTORTION BID Phagwara: The police have booked several persons for allegedly assaulting a tent house owner, damaging his shop and threatening to kill him after an alleged demand for money. Trilochan Singh of Chak Prema, Phagwara, said a youth Seepa of Begampur approached his tent house on October 18 and demanded Rs 5,000. When he refused to pay, the accused called five more youths who arrived at the shop with sharp-edged weapons. They assaulted the complainant, damaged the shop. The police have arrested Seepa, while others are yet to be arrested. OC FOUR BOOKED FOR BIKE THEFT Phagwara: The police have booked four persons for allegedly stealing a motorcycle from a resident of Ghummana village. Inderjit Kumar, a construction worker, said the incident took place when he was returning home from the Mansa Devi temple on his motorcycle. Three youths stopped him. One of them threatened him with a sharpedged weapon, while two others took away his motorcycle. The accused fled with the vehicle. The complainant later identified the four as Gagandeep Singh, Gurvinder Singh, Lovepreet Singh and Yuvrajveer Singh, all of Amritsar district. OC Dasehra festivities get political flavour Leaders use celebrations to connect with voters, Channi skips event in city Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 20 The effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad went up in flames as the Dasehra celebrations were held in around 50 locations across the city. The bigger celebrations held on the Sai Dass School ground, Ladowali Road and Adarsh Nagar. The Burlton Park ground, which has remained the venue for celebrations for 147 years, was not a venue this time owing to ongoing renovation. Organisers shifted the celebrations to grounds in the Industrial Area opposite the old venue. Various resident welfare societies too had taken permission to burn the effigies in open spaces, including grounds and market areas. Crackers were burst to celebrate the victory of good over the evil. Since this was the last Dasehra ahead of the 2027 Assembly poll, political leaders tried to visit every venue in their Assembly segments. Newly appointed AAP halqa in-charge of Jalandhar Cantt Deepak Bali said he tried to cover all venues in his constituency. He was welcomed by office-bearers and organisers of various Dasehra committees. PCC chief Pargat Singh said, “Dasehra is not merely a festival of burning the effigies. It’s a day to resolve to eliminate the arrogance, hatred, injustice and evils that exist within. The festivals are symbols of our cultural heritage and social unity. Such occasions bring people together, promote mutual affection and encourage positive thinking in society.” Jalandhar Lok Sabha MP Charanjit Singh Channi, however, chose to stay at Morinda and Chamkaur Sahib where he celebrated the festival with people there. Congress Jalandhar Central halqa in-charge Rajinder Beri also visited 8-10 venues in the area and so did AAP halqa incharge Nitin Kohli. BJP leaders celebrated the day as Vijay Dashmi. Jalandhar North ex-MLA KD Bhandari attended puja at Maha Kali Mandir in the Devi Talab Mandir compound. The temple committee had organised the 25th annual year and this was one day when the doors of the temple were open for women. The celebrations had started in the afternoon as shobha yatras were taken out around various venues. Men and children played the roles of Rama, Laxman, Hanuman, Ravana and Rama’s sena as they moved in elephant-driven chariots. There were melas at the venues where people had Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 20 A man allegedly entered a woman’s house in Anand Nagar in the Maqsudan area here on Tuesday and attacked her with a knife while also injuring her mother when she tried to intervene. The accused, identified as Om Preet Singh, a resident of Nandanpur, also died following the crime. Accused, suspected to have consumed poison, dies later gathered in large numbers to take swings and enjoy eatables from the stalls put up there. DC Varjeet Walia, Commissioner of Police Satinder Singh and other police and administrative officials visited multiple Dasehra venues today. Mayor Vaneet Dhir was also among the key invitees at melas in the city. (Top) Former MLA Rajinder Beri touches the feet of PCC chief Pargat Singh at a Dasehra celebration venue; and (right) effigies of Meghnad and Kumbhakarna in flames in Jalandhar on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: MALKIAT SINGH Burlton Park to have statue of Olympian Surjit TWO ARRESTED FOR BURGLARY Phagwara: The police have arrested two persons in connection with a house theft. Ranjit Kaur of Ucha Pind said she had gone to attend a function. When she returned home, she noticed that the mesh of the kitchen window had been cut. On entering the house, she found that the lock of the cupboard in her room was broken and several items were missing. The police registered a case against Sandeep Kumar and Pawan Kumar of Ucha Pind. oc MAN NABBED WITH 15 GRAM HEROIN Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested Gurvinder Singh, resident of Malri village near Nakodar, and seized 15.80 gram of heroin from his possession. A case was registered against the accused in connection with the recovery. oc Woman dies in mishap Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Hoshiarpur, October 20 A 26-year-old woman was killed and a man was seriously injured when an SUV collided with a scooty near Kalra Mor on the Hoshiarpur-Dasuya road near Garhdiwala. The SUV was travelling from Hoshiarpur towards Gurdaspur, while the scooty was coming from the Dasuya side when the vehicles collided. Tribune News Service 40 INTOXICATING TABLETS SEIZED Phagwara: The Kapurthala police have arrested a man and seized 40 intoxicating tablets from him. A police team was patrolling from Nawapind Bhatthe towards Kajli village when it spotted Jita of Nawapind Bhatthe, standing on a road. On seeing the police vehicle, he allegedly threw a packet from his trouser pocket. The police intercepted him and searched the packet, recovering 40 tablets. A case has been registered under the NDPS Act. OC Passengers stranded at Jalandhar bus stand after the gates of the terminus were shut over timetable dispute on Tuesday.TRIBUNE PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH Bus stand closure leaves festive travellers stranded Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 20 Passengers heading home to celebrate Dasehra with their families were left stranded at the Jalandhar bus stand on Tuesday after a dispute over the timetable allotted to a private bus operator led to the closure of both entry and exit gates of the terminus for nearly two hours. The closure, which lasted from 3:40 pm to 5:30 pm, brought bus operations to a standstill and disrupted the movement of more than 50 buses during the festive rush. The disruption also spilled over onto the roads outside the bus stand where private bus operators began picking up passengers from the roadside, adding to traffic congestion. With buses queueing up at the gates and vehicles stopping to pick up commuters, traffic movement around the bus stand was thrown into disarray. Chanan Singh, press secretary of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers Union, said the bus stand was closed following a dispute over the allotment of stoppage time to a private bus operator on the Jalandhar-Batala route, which was earlier not authorised to operate on the route. Amid these, passengers were left bearing the brunt of the protest. Commuters, including the elderly people carrying luggage, waited for the gates to reopen while many were forced to look for alternative transport to reach their destinations. Kanika, a commuter travelling to Banga, said she had left work early to reach home in time to celebrate the festival with her family but got caught in the chaos. The disruption also affected the schedules of stranded buses with many of them missing their scheduled departure times. Man barges into house, stabs woman, mother Adil, a conductor with the Jammu and Kashmir Roadways, whose bus was bound for Delhi, said the vehicle remained stuck at the bus stand for more than an hour, affecting its schedule on other routes. Adding to passengers woes, contractual workers of the Punjab Roadways and PRTC have announced to suspend their services from Tuesday night, followed by a complete strike on Wednesday. The strike has been called under the banner of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers Union, which is demanding the regularisation of contractual employees under service rules, the engagement of all outsourced workers on a contractual basis with the department, and the withdrawal of FIRs registered against workers following violence during a protest in Sangrur, last year over the kilometre scheme. c m y b Jalandhar, October 20 A 6-ft statue of hockey Olympian Surjit Singh will be installed at Burlton Park ahead of the Asian Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to begin on October 27. The matches will be played at the iconic Olympian Surjit Singh Stadium, which has undergone a major overhaul in preparation for the international hockey event. The statue is being prepared in Chandigarh, with officials of the Sports Department overseeing the work to ensure it is ready for installation before the tournament. District Sports Officer Gurpreet Singh Bajwa said the statue would soon be brought to the city and installed at Burlton Park. The Olympian is remembered for his contribution to hockey and his enduring legacy as the king of penalty corner. Born on October 10, 1951, Surjit Singh began his illustrious hockey journey at the State College of Sports, Jalandhar, representing Guru Nanak Dev University and later playing for the Combined Indian Universities team as a deep defender. He made his international debut at the 2nd World Cup Hockey Tournament in Amsterdam in 1973. Surjit was a member of the Indian team that clinched the historic title at the 3rd World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 1975 — India’s first and only World Cup gold medal victory to date — under the captaincy of Ajit Pal Singh. Our Correspondent The scooty riders, Amandeep Singh, a resident of Bahla village in Garhdiwala, and Sarabjit Kaur (26), a native of Jandor village and residing in Garhdiwala, sustained serious injuries. Sarabjit Kaur succumbed to her injuries, while Amandeep Singh is undergoing treatment at a hospital. The Garhdiwala police reached the spot, took custody of the woman's body and initiated further proceedings. The injured woman, Manpreet Kaur, and her mother were taken to hospital. Both of them had suffered injuries on hands and arms. According to preliminary information, the incident took place in Street No. 3 of Anand Nagar. The accused allegedly entered the house when its main door was open and attacked Manpreet. When her mother rushed to her daughter’s rescue, he allegedly attacked her as well. Neighbours were alerted by the women’s cries and rushed to help. Police teams that reached the spot said it appeared that accused Om Preet had already consumed poison before reaching Manpreet’s house. However, the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. The incident triggered panic in the residential locality. The police took the accused’s body into custody for legal proceedings. His family also reached the spot. They said Om Preet Singh had returned from Dubai around six months ago. Both of them had studied in the same college and were hence known to each other. Assistant Commissioner of Police Karnail Singh said the accused had attacked Manpreet and her mother. The police were investigating all aspects of the incident, including the circumstances leading to the man’s death. The police are yet to establish the complete sequence of events and the motive behind the attack. JIT asked to refund ~14 lakh to 3 flat buyers with interest Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 20 In one more setback to the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT), the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Jalandhar, has directed it to refund Rs 14.88 lakh to three flat allottees along with 9 per cent annual interest, after finding deficiencies in service for failing to provide habitable flats even after 15 years of allotment. In three separate orders, the commission also directed the trust to pay each complainant Rs 30,000 as compensation and Rs 10,000 towards litigation expenses. The trust has been given 45 days from the receipt of the orders to comply. In case of default, it will have to pay an additional 3 per cent annual interest on the deposited amount. Two complaints pertained to flats in Indra Puram, also known as Master Gurbanta Singh Enclave, while the third case concerned a flat in Bibi Bhani Complex, Guru Amar Dass Nagar. The cases involved allegations of incomplete possession and the absence of basic facilities including electricity, water supply, sewerage and proper approach roads in these housing schemes. In a complaint filed by Radhey Shyam, he noted that he was allotted an LIG flat in Block A of Indra Puram housing scheme. The flat had been allotted to him in 2006 for Rs 4.2 lakh, including enhancement amount and cess. The complainant alleged that the property suffered from deficiencies and that essential amenities had not been properly provided. In another complaint, Inder Mohan had deposited Rs 4,76,612 for an LIG flat in the same scheme. Although a possession memo had been signed in 2009, he alleged that the flat was not fit for occupation and that basic facilities remained inadequate. The commission examined a technical valuer’s report, photographs, news reports and correspondence. It concluded that the trust had failed to effectively rebut the evidence. The third case involved Gaurav Kumar Dhuria who had deposited Rs 6,51,482 for an LIG flat in the Bibi Bhani Complex. The commission found that the trust had failed to prove that complete and valid possession had been offered within the stipulated period. It also noted that the trust had not produced a completion certificate under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995. However, the JIT contested these complaints, arguing that possession had been offered and raising objections over limitation and the terms of allotment. However, the commission held that merely offering possession did not absolve the trust of its responsibility to provide essential facilities and fulfil its obligations to the allottees.