23102026-LT-01.qxd 10/23/2026 12:53 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune GOVT EMPLOYEES CONTINUE PROTEST ON DAY 2 WUSHU CHAMPION SANJNA BAGS TRIPLE GOLD Govt offices wore a deserted look on Thursday as government staff and teachers remained on mass leave.P2 LARA, KIRRON KHER HAVE WORN PALI WARAICH’S CLOTHES Kanya Maha Vidyalaya’s Sanjna achieves a feat by clinching 3 golds at Nat’l Wushu Championships. P3 » » Pali Waraich has dressed celebrities but is happiest empowering underprivileged women. P4 FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 31°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5:44 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:30 AM » FRIDAY | 23 OCTOBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Son of famous chole-kulche vendor shot dead during birthday party brawl One of victim’s friends opened fire, 9 booked; raids on to nab suspects: Cop Nikhil Bhardwaj SUSPECT GOES ONLINE, PLEADS INNOCENCE Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 22 A birthday party held in the Daad area here late on Wednesday night turned tragic after a dispute among friends escalated into firing. One person, identified as Rahul Sharma, was hit by a bullet and later he succumbed to his injuries at the DMCH, Ludhiana. Rahul (34), is the son of a famous vendor, known by his name ‘Pandit Chole Kulche’ in Ludhiana. His father has been running a vend on Cemetery Road for the past many years. According to the FIR registered by the police on the charge of murder and under the Arms Act, a birthday party was under way at Green World Homes, Talwar Colony in the Daad village, attended by many friends. An argument broke out Akhil Joshi, who hosted the birthday party, went online and posted a video on his Facebook account in which he stated: “Rahul was their friend, it was an accidental shot fired from the .32 bore revolver of Gagandeep Arora that hit the victim, resulting in his death. As the party was going on, Gagandeep had kept his loaded weapon on the table. It went off and the bullet pierced through the chest of the victim. We had not fled the place, instead we left the Wailing father of deceased Rahul Sharma hospital just to save ourselves from the wrath of the deceased’s family.” (inset) at Daad village. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN between the two sides over some issue and about nine suspects assaulted the victim. One of the suspects, Gagandeep Arora, opened fire from his revolver, which hit the chest of the victim, after which he fell unconscious. He was rushed to the DMCH in a critical condi- that Rahul was close to many bureaucrats. However, the motive behind the killing and other details will be clear only after the completion of the police investigation and arrest of the suspects. Meanwhile, the police are trying to ascertain the reason behind the dispute, the identity of the person who opened fire and the role of others present in the party in the brawl. DCP (City) Alam Vijay Singh said four teams were formed to nab the suspects and once they were arrested, the exact reason behind the killing would be known. About the video shared by a suspect, Akhil Joshi, pleading innocence, the DCP said police teams would first arrest the suspects and action would be taken as per law in the case. Raids were being conducted at their whereabouts. Neither life nor business safe in state: BJP leader Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 22 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab general secretary Anil Sarin and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has expressed grief over the murder of the son of city’s well-known vendor, raising serious questions about the law and order situation in the state. Condemning the incident, they demanded the immediate arrest of the suspects and strict action against them. Sarin said the continued occurrence of criminal incidents in Punjab was a matter of serious concern for the state’s security system. Hardly a day passes without reports of murders and deaths caused due to drug overdose, extortion threats issued by gangsters or a shooting incident somewhere in the state. Such incidents have created an atmosphere of fear among people. Sarin has urged the state government to take action against criminals, ensure accountability within the police administration and safeguard lives. 4 illegal colonies, 2 buildings razed in GLADA crackdown Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 22 The Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) on Thursday demolished four unauthorised colonies and two illegal buildings in parts of the district as part of its drive against unplanned development. The drives were carried out in Bhattian, Bahadurke, Kakowal, Noorwala and Sujatwal villages on the directions of GLADA Chief Administrator Vikas Hira. Officials said the drive aimed to curb illegal construction and prevent people from being cheated by developers selling plots in unauthorised colonies. The action followed notices served on the developers, who had failed to stop or remove the illegal constructions. GLADA officials said the drive passed off without opposition. The authority is planning more such operations in coming weeks to check unauthorised construction at an early stage. Chief Administrator Vikas Hira appealed to the public not to buy plots or buildings in unauthorised colonies. He said residents of such areas could face problems due to the lack of basic facilities, including water supply, sewerage, roads, electricity and other civic amenities. The official also advised prospective buyers to verify the status of colonies and projects against the approved and regularised colony list available on the official website of the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority before investing their hard-earned money. tion, where doctors declared him brought dead. Panic gripped the area following the incident. The booked suspects include Akhil Joshi of Talwar Colony, Gagandeep Arora of Moga, Amritpal, Gaurav, Gautam, Sagar, Karan, Saksham and Paramraj. As per the deceased’s father, Kuldeep Kumar, his son was attacked by nine suspects during the birthday party and later he breathed his last. The miscreants also came to the hospital but later fled the spot, fearing their arrest. It has also come to light 20-yr-old college girlfound hanging in police quarters Woman dies after delivery; kin allege negligence Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 22 A woman died under suspicious circumstances after delivering a baby at a private hospital here. The deceased has been identified as Khushboo. Her family has accused the hospital management, doctors and a nurse of negligence in treatment. According to the woman’s husband, Vishal, he had brought his pregnant wife to the hospital for treatment. Around 3 pm, Khushboo gave birth to a baby girl. The family was celebrating the arrival of the child when her condition deteriorated. He called the nurse on duty for help. Instead of assisting her, the nurse allegedly slapped Khushboo four to five times in anger. Shortly afterwards, as her condition worsened, the hospital administration referred her to the Civil Hospital. Doctors there declared her dead on arrival. The police said the cause of death will be known after the arrival of the autopsy report. — TNS Shooter held; foreign-based gangster Godara linked to ~1 crore extortion bid, finds probe Ludhiana, October 22 A 20-year-old college student was found hanging from a ceiling fan in the Police Lines quarters on Thursday afternoon. The deceased has been identified as Muskan Kapoor, an undergraduate student at Government College for Girls (GCG). She stayed with her family on the third floor of the Police Lines quarters. Her father, Kishori Lal, works as a Class IV employee in the Police Lines. According to family members, Muskan had been unwell for the past two days. On Thursday afternoon, her mother called her regarding some work but the calls went unanswered despite repeated attempts. Sensing something amiss, the woman asked her husband to go home and check Kin refuse to pursue case, say she was not under any stress on their daughter. When Kishori Lal reached the quarters, he found the girl’s body hanging from the ceiling fan with a dupatta in her room. He raised the alarm, drawing neighbours and other family members to the spot. Muskan was one of four sisters. The family hails from Himachal Pradesh. Family members described her as a bright student who was performing well in her studies. They said she was not under any mental stress or tension and no one had been troubling her. The investigating officer, Rajesh Kumar, said the family had refused to pursue the case. Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 22 The Ludhiana police have arrested one of the two suspects accused of firing at a visa consultant’s office in Model Town Extension here. The suspect was identified as Deepak Kumar of Salem Tabri, Ludhiana. The investigation of the police into the high-profile case found that Deepak was a member of a gang operated by the most wanted foreignbased gangster Rohit Godara. Deepak, along with another gang member, identified as Gagandeep Singh of Delhi, had opened fire at the office in Model Town Extension after receiving directions from another key members of the Rohit Godara gang, namely Varinder Charan of Rajasthan and Jagjit The shooter in Ludhiana police custody on Thursday. Singh Gandhi of Ludhiana, who also stay abroad. As per police, Charan look after the work of Godara in India and he often makes extortion calls and recruit shooters for the gang. Charan even have links with illegal weapon suppliers and arranges weapons for the shooters. In the latest case, Charan made an extortion call to the owner of the visa consultant’s office and demanded Rs 1 crore. When the extortion was not paid, he sent two shooters, Deepak and Gagandeep, who opened fire at the office of the Brightway Immigration to intimidate the owner on the night of October 10-11. DCP (Crime) Harpal Singh, Additional DCP (Crime) Rupinder Bhatti and ACP (Crime) Harshpreet Singh issued a joint statement in the matter. Police officials said a police team, led by CIA in-charge inspector Avtar Singh arrested Deepak. Bhatti told The Tribune that through technical investigation, the police zeroed in on Deepak, arrested him and recovered the black Hero Splendor motorcycle (without number plate) used in the crime from his possession. He was produced before a court, which remanded him in police custody. Raids are continuing at hideouts of his absconding accomplice Gagandeep. The illegal weapon used in firing was also supplied by Godara’s man. Deepak has studied up to Class X and he has no previous criminal record. The police suspect that he was recruited into the gang recently as a shooter. Meanwhile, the police said Charan was also wanted by the Rajasthan Police in extor- C&D waste plant turns white elephant as debris piles up across city records and official reports. The plant was finally commissioned in 2025 after years of delays. It was intended to provide a permanent solution to the problem of construction debris being dumped in green belts, vacant sites and along roads. Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 22 The Municipal Corporation’s ambitious construction and demolition (C&D) waste processing plant at Dhandhari here appears to be struggling to serve the purpose for which it was established, with heaps of building debris continuing to be dumped on vacant plots, roadsides and open spaces across the city. The situation has raised questions over the utilisation of the facility, which was established to provide a scientific solution to the city’s growing C&D waste problem. Spread over around 2.5 acres, the plant has been designed to process up to 100 tonnes of C&D waste a day and convert it into reusable products such as concrete blocks, bricks, tiles and other construction material. However, residents and those familiar with the functioning of the facility claimed that its utilisation remains quantities of debris. A CAG audit had earlier highlighted shortcomings in the city’s management of C&D waste and noted that Ludhiana had failed to manage such waste scientifically despite the passage of years. Residents seek probe Debris still dumped in open areas Construction waste dumped along a road in the Civil Lines area in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN extremely low, with the plant operating at only a fraction of its intended capacity. They alleged that even recoverable material was not being produced in quantities expected. They said the plant had the potential to generate processed material such as ‘bajri’ and other construction material but the actual output remained negligible. They alleged that while several trolleys of processed material could be produced, only a fraction was coming out, raising questions over the utilisation of the facility and the expenditure incurred on it. Project cost rose several times The project has had a long and costly journey. It was initially conceived at an estimated cost of around Rs 2.69 crore under the Smart City Mission. The project faced delays after the selected site at Dhandhari was found to be an old dumping ground, necessitating additional structural work and removal of accumulated waste. The cost subsequently increased substantially. The work was later allotted for Rs 7.39 crore while machinery and other components took the overall expenditure to around Rs 9.59 crore, according to MC c m y b Despite the commissioning of the facility, residents said the situation on the ground had changed little. Construction debris and broken concrete continue to be dumped on vacant plots and other open spaces, they alleged. The continued dumping has also undermined the environmental objective of the project, as waste that should ideally reach the processing facility remains scattered across the city. The issue assumes significance as Ludhiana has witnessed extensive construction and redevelopment activity, generating large Residents have demanded a detailed probe into the expenditure incurred on the project and its present functioning. Some have even sought a CBI inquiry, alleging that public money had been spent without producing the expected results. “The public money has been spent, but the city is still witnessing heaps of construction waste. There should be an independent inquiry into the project and its utilisation,” a city resident, Nishant Sharma, said. MC says efforts on to improve utilisation Superintending Engineer Sham Lal Gupta said the project had been operational since 2025 and the department was exploring ways to improve its performance. “The project was operational in 2025 and the department is exploring every possible way to get better results from the plant so that more construction and demolition waste can be processed,” he said. The MC has also been looking at ways to ensure that C&D waste generated at construction sites reaches the Dhandhari facility. The civic body had earlier proposed a dedicated system for lifting and transporting debris from different parts of the city after finding that contractors and residents were not adequately sending waste to the plant. The challenge before the civic body now is to bridge the gap between the plant’s 100tonne daily processing capacity and its actual utilisation, while ensuring that construction debris generated across the city reaches the facility. tion, murder and Arms Act cases and even a Rs 1 lakh cash reward has also been announced by the Rajasthan Police for sharing information about his whereabouts. About gangster Rohit Godara Rohit Godara, a native of Kapurisar village in Bikaner, Rajasthan, is a key operative of the Goldy Brar syndicate and a rival of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. He has emerged as one of the most active handlers of the syndicate from abroad, playing a crucial role in coordinating targeted killings, extortion operations, interstate gang rivalries and financing criminal activities across NCR, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. He is involved in case of murder, firing, extortion threats and attacks on rival gangs. At present, he is hiding in Europe and continues to direct operations remotely. MLA Bhola removed from Vidhan Sabha committee Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 22 The Punjab Vidhan Sabha has removed MLA Daljit Singh Grewal (Bhola) from the Special Privileges Committee for the 2026-27 financial year. According to an official communication issued by the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat on October 21, his membership has been terminated with effect from October 16. The order refers to Rule 183 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The communication was issued by Ram Lok Bhatia, Secretary, Punjab Vidhan Sabha. MLA Bhola said: “I am busy in my constituency due to which I won’t able to attend meetings and asked the party to appoint someone else.”