03012023-ATR-01.qxd 1/3/2023 12:18 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar TRIBUNE F&CC NOD TO DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WORTH CRORES Development works estimated to cost crores were approved by the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC). FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY PAGE 2 RAPPER GANGSTA BOO FOUND DEAD ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON PAGE 3 ERICA FERNANDES MOVES BASE TO DUBAI FROM INDIA The cause of Gangsta Boo’s death has not been disclosed. She was a former member of Three 6 Mafia. MAX 18°C | MIN 3°C | YESTERDAY MAX 18°C | MIN 3°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5:39 PM PAGE 4 Actor Erica Fernandes is known for her spectacular performance in the TV show Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2. SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7:30 AM TUESDAY | 3 JANUARY 2023 | AMRITSAR After clear sky for four days, fog back Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Motorists switch on their vehicles’ headlights as low visibility due to thick fog made commuting difficult. Amritsar, January 2 After a brief respite from fog for the past four days, the city residents again woke up to a thick fog covering the sky on Tuesday morning. With the sun playing hide and seek, foggy and cloudy conditions persisted throughout the day. In the evening, intense fog started to grow again by 5 pm and within an hour, the city roads were completely covered by a thick fog blanket. With the visibility merely 50 metres during fog, vehicular traffic was greatly affected as drivers had to keep their speed low to avoid accidents. The administration too issued an advisory for com- A man rides a horse cart on a foggy morning in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR must wear warm clothes, especially caps ❝The residentstake extra precautions. Morning walks andand socks. Children and elderly must jogging should be avoided on a foggy day. ❞ Dr Charanjit Singh, CIVIL SURGEON muters as foggy conditions have been predicted to prevail for the next three days. While intense cold and fog is troubling a section of society, party-goers, especially youngsters, are making the most of their time by enjoying the weather. “This is the Car-auto-rickshaw collision: Driver turns out to be minor Three snatchers, vehicle lifter held Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 2 A day after a road accident which snuffed out four lives on the New Year’s Eve, the driver of the car involved in the accident has turned out to be a minor. The police are likely to add additional sections in the FIR, besides booking parents of the suspect in the case. The condition of the car driver is still serious and he is in the ICU of a private hospital. Attari DSP Parvesh Chopra said additional sections would be added in Additional sections would be added in the FIR, says Attari DSP the FIR. He said the matter was being discussed and an opinion of the district attorney was being sought in this regard. The car driver was a 17year-old boy, who was living with his relatives in Mehta. Rashpal Singh, investigating officer, said the bodies were handed over to the family members after the autopsy. He said the police had called for the docu- ments of the car to identify its owner. He said after a probe, the police could nominate the owner of the car and parents of the boy for the negligence that led to the death of four persons, while six others were seriously injured. On December 31, 2022, four persons were killed, while six were injured in a road accident which occurred on the Amritsar–Attari road. The incident occurred when a speeding car collided with an auto-rickshaw from behind. The deceased were identified as Kashmir Singh, Sawinder Singh, Malkeet Singh, and Harjinder Singh, all residents of Neshta and adjoining villages located near the international border. The victims travelling in the auto-rickshaw were labourers and were returning to their native villages from a rice sheller in Khasa. The police booked an unknown car driver in the case. Tribune News Service STOLEN BIKES, 3 MOBILE PHONES RECOVERED Amritsar, January 2 The Cantonment police arrested three snatchers and a vehicle lifter. Five bikes without number plates, a sharp-edged weapon and three mobile phones have been recovered from their possession. Cantonment police SHO Khushbu Sharma said Navraj Bhatt of the Rani Ka Bagh area told the police that three scooter-borne persons had snatched his mobile phone from near Saint Fransis School. She said following ■ Five bikes without number plates, a sharp-edged weapon and three mobile phones have been recovered from their possession ■ Cantonment police SHO Khushbu Sharma said Navraj Bhatt of the Rani Ka Bagh area told the police that three scooter-borne persons had snatched his mobile phone from near Saint Fransis School ■ She said following a preliminary probe, the police nabbed the three suspects and confiscated three snatched phones a preliminary probe, the police nabbed the three suspects, who were identified as Akash Chohan, Shallu Gill and Mohit. The police confiscated three snatched mobile phones, besides a “dattar” used in the crime from their possession. Similarly, she said the police had laid a naka at Putlighar and nabbed Pargat Singh of Hoshiar Nagar with a stolen bike. His interrogation led to the seizure of four more stolen motorcycles. best part of the year for me. I do not want to idle away the time while sitting in a quilt especially as people are having fun in parties,” said Sumit Singh, a local student. As per weather forecast, temperature is also expected to drop further by at least 2 degree Celsius. Health experts have also warned residents against the cold wave as the number of patients with chest congestion, dry cough and mild fever has already increased. Civil Surgeon Dr Charanjit Singh said: “The residents must wear warm clothes, especially caps and socks. Children and elderly must take extra precaution.” He said morning walks and jogging should be avoided on a foggy day. One dies in road accident Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, January 2 A road accident that happened on the Harike-Khalra road, near Bhikhiwind town, on Sunday claimed the life of a person. The deceased has been identified as Lakhbir Singh (42), a resident of Dialpur village. The deceased was going to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh, Pahuwind, on his two-wheeler. When he reached near Kale village, a speeding car coming from continued on page 2 2 cops ‘consume’ drugs, nabbed 9 arrested with 386-gm heroin Chabal police nab 2 with 105-gm heroin Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 2 Two cops were allegedly found consuming drugs in the Dhingra Colony area here today. The incident came to light when the residents caught them red-handed and surrounded the car. They did not let them go and informed the police. The Chheharta police reached the spot and took them into custody. The cops were later Deposit passports by Jan 11, SGPC asks pilgrims Amritsar, January 2 The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has extended the document submission date for Sikh pilgrims who would be interested in visiting Gurdhams (Sikh shrines) in Pakistan on the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Diwas (Baisakhi). The pilgrims can now deposit their passports at the Yatra Department of the SGPC in Amritsar till January 11, 2023. Earlier, the last date for depositing the passports was December 31, 2022. This was confirmed by SGPC secretary Partap Singh. Notably, every year, to celebrate Khalsa Sajna Diwas at Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib in Pakistan, a jatha (group) of Sikh pilgrims is sent by the SGPC in the month of April. He said along with their passports, the pilgrims will have to submit the recommendation of their area SGPC member besides a copy of identity proof. He appealed to the sangat to deposit their passports and required documents in time. — TNS identified as Head Constable Kanwaljit Singh posted at Daburji police station and Head Constable Jang Bahadur deputed at Lopoke police station here. Chheharta police station SHO Gurwinder Singh said a case was being registered against them and further investigation was on to find out their source. Police Commissioner Jaskaran Singh said departmental action would be initi- ated against the two cops. A resident of Dhingra Colony alleged that the two cops used to come in a car and consume drugs at the spot on regular basis. People had objected to it and asked them to move somewhere else but the duo was not relenting. He said all residents gathered when they were allegedly consuming drugs on Monday. It is up to the police to take appropriate action against them. Bhagwanpuria sent to judicial custody Amritsar, January 2 Notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria was sent to judicial custody by a local court here on Monday. He was produced before the court by the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) after the expiry of his police remand. He was brought on production warrant from a Bathinda jail on December 22 by the SSOC in connection with allegedly preparing fake passports for sending notorious criminals abroad. The police claimed that he had sent his many accomplices out of the country by making passports on the basis of fake identities, while similar passports of more of his associates were being created for helping them flee to foreign shores. During investigation, the police had recovered several documents, including Aadhaar card copies of his associates. More persons were nominated in the FIR though the police did not reveal their names as it could hamper the probe. On December 17, the SSOC booked eight notorious criminals and gangsters, including Supreet Singh, alias Harry Chatha, who managed to flee the country using fake passports. Others who were booked include Gurjant Singh, alias Bholu, of Havelian, Rachhpal Singh, alias Dana, of Bhuchar Kalan, Kinderbir Singh, alias Sunny Dayal, of Dial Rajputtan village, Manpreet Singh, alias Manna, of Chambal, Rao Barinder Singh of Kulla road in Patti, Gurdev Singh, alias Jassal, of Chambal and Pavitar Singh of Chaura Khurd in Gurdaspur. They were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. In the FIR, the police also hinted towards well-oiled interstate nexus involved in providing safe heavens to the notorious criminals. The racket was taking place not only in Punjab’s Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, but also in other states. It was also pointed out that their network was also present in passport offices, sewa kendras and other government departments. — TNS Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, January 2 Nine persons, including a mother-son duo, were arrested from different places in the distict by the police. As much as 386.5-gm heroin was recovered from their possession. The police said here on Monday that the mother-son duo, identified as Manjit Kaur and her son Amritpal Singh, residents of Mianwind, was arrested by the Verowal police with 10-gm heroin. The Goindwal Sahib police recovered 150-gm heroin from Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Ninn Wali Ghati, Goindwal Sahib. As much as 146-gm heroin was recovered from the possession of Jagjit Singh Jaggi of Chohla Sahib by the Chohla Sahib police. The Valtoha police recovered 16-gm heroin from Dharampreet Singh of Assal Uttar and the Kacha Pakka police recovered 10-gm heroin from Satnam Singh, Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, January 2 The Chabal police arrested two persons with 105-gm heroin on Monday from Lalu Ghuman corner on Tarn Taran road. Inspector Prabhjit Singh said the suspects had been identified as Sukhjit Singh Sukh of Bakipur and Shamsher Singh Shera of Lalu Ghuman village. The SHO said the suspects were coming from Tarn Taran when a police party signaled them to stop at the Lalu Ghuman corner. On searching of the car the police recovered 105-gm heroin. The suspects had been booked under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. An accused, Jagjit Singh Jaggi, booked under the NDPS Act, in the custody of Chohla Sahib police on Monday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI a resident of Patti. The Tarn Taran city police arrested Pargat Singh Pagga, a resident of Pandori Ran Singh, with 50-gm heroin. Baj Singh and Daler Singh, both resident of Khemkaran were arrested with 4.5-gm heroin by the Khemkaran police. Different cases under the relevant sections of the NDPS Act were registered against the suspects in the concerned police stations. The accused in the police custody in Tarn Taran on Monday. Defunct traffic lights GT road stretch need replacement Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 2 Commuters, including tourists and students, are a harried lot while commuting on the GT road — from Sadar chowk to Puttalighar chowk — these days, the reason being that traffic lights on the stretch have been lying defunct. Gurjeet Singh, a driver associated with an online tour and travel agency, said he regularly drives on the road to take visitors to Attari for the retreat ceremony near the internation- c m y b al border. He said the stretch was fraught with risks due to the high flow of light and heavy vehicles, that too without traffic lights. Many commuters, especially youngsters, tend to accelerate their vehicles at the intersections, resulting in a perilous situation. Notably, the 4-km stretch ahead of the Puttalighar chowk to India Gate houses a number of educational institutions, including Khalsa College for Women, the iconic Khalsa College (autonomous), Pose hazard to commuters Defunct traffic lights in Amritsar. Khalsa College of Law, Khalsa College of Veteri- nary and Animal Sciences affiliated to GADVASU, Khalsa College of Pharmacy (PTU), Khalsa College of Nursing, Agriculture College, Khalsa College of Education, Khalsa Collegiate School, Guru Nanak Dev University, Government Polytechnic, Indian Institute of Management’s temporary campus and the Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology (CIPET), being run by the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. Thus a large number of students and faculty use the road which is but natural. Balpreet Singh, who operates a store on GT road, said the traffic scene becomes chaotic in the evening at the intersections of Sadar, Bhagwan Valmiki and Puttalighar chowk. Unregulated traffic moving at its will accentuates the risk of accidents. When contacted, MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said the complaint has been forwarded to the department concerned to replace the faulty traffic signals.