12012023-LT-01.qxd 1/12/2023 12:52 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune BUSINESSMEN MEET PSPCL CMD OVER DEMANDS SIMARAN KAUR IS SET TO HOST INDIA’S BEST RESORTS RRR WINS GOLDEN GLOBE FOR BEST SONG FOR NAATU NAATU Delegates of Association of Focal Point Industries meet Baldev Sran to discuss problems being faced by industry.P2 Artiste Simaran Kaur will be seen hosting a new travel show, titled India’s Best Resorts. P3 The song bagged the ‘best original songmotion picture’ trophy. It’s the first Indian production to win the award. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 15°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 14°C | MIN 9°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5:43 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:25 AM » THURSDAY | 12 JANUARY 2023 | LUDHIANA Four of ‘Thak Thak’ gang nabbed, Rahul Gandhi reaches Barmalipur Objectionable ~46.5L stolen from car recovered posters: Cong man Gets rousing welcome by Cong workers as he halts at village for overnight stay Lovleen Bains Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 11 The police arrested four persons for allegedly stealing bags from cars. The police said the suspects are members of the ‘Thak Thak’ gang that is involved in such crimes in Delhi. The police said the suspects had stolen a bag containing Rs 57.40 lakh from a car after breaking its windowpanes near Samrala Chowk around 12 days ago. After the incident, a special joint team comprising of Joint Commissioner Saumya Mishra, ADCP Rupinder Kaur Sra, and ACP Ramandeep Singh Bhullar was formed to catch the suspects. While addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Commissioner of Police (CP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said four suspects had been arrested and the police recovered Rs 46.50 lakh from them. A ‘gulel’, which was used in the crime, has also been recovered, he said. INBRIEF THREE ARRESTED FOR ‘SNATCHING’ Ludhiana: The police claimed to have arrested three persons allegedly involved in snatching incidents. According to the police, the Division Number 1 police arrested these persons, identified as Krishna, Sachin of Islam Ganj and Raju from an area near the local bus stand. The police also recovered Rs 500 and eight mobile phones from them. A case under Sections 379-B (2) and 34 of the IPC was registered against the suspects. TNS EATERY OWNER HELD FOR SERVING HOOKAH Ludhiana: The Division Number 1 police conducted a raid at a restaurant near Rekhi Cinema and arrested its owner for allegedly serving hookahs to visitors. The suspect has been identified as Vikas Kumar. The raid was conducted after receiving a tip-off that hookahs were being served to visitors at the restaurant. The police seized the hookahs and arrested the restaurant owner. TNS CP Mandeep Singh Sidhu addresses mediapersons in Ludhiana on Wednesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN CASH STOLEN NEAR SAMRALA CHOWK 12 DAYS AGO The police said the suspects had stolen a bag containing ~57.40 lakh from a car after breaking its windowpanes near Samrala Chowk around 12 days ago. They are members of the ‘Thak Thak’ gang that is involved in such crimes in Delhi. The suspects have been identified as Murgan of Tamil Nadu, Suresh of Uttar Pradesh, Suresh of New Delhi and Parkash. The Police Commissioner said the special police team made efforts using technology to trace the suspects. A team, led by ACP Ramandeep Singh Bhullar, Division Number 3 SHO Gagandeep Singh and CIA-3 staff, was sent to Delhi to arrest Murgan. Later, the other three suspects were arrested from Lohian. On December 29, a case under Sections 457 and 380 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the suspects at the Division No. 3 police station. Doraha, January 11 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was accorded a warm welcome by party leaders and workers when his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ reached Barmalipur village near here late this evening. However, his cavalcade went straight inside the tent, especially prepared for his stay, as soon as it arrived in the village. Former MLA and party incharge of Payal Lakhvir Singh Lakha, party coordinator Paramjit Singh Ghawaddi, Bant Singh Daburjee, Ramparkash, Mandeep Mangat, Ranjit Singh, Gurinder Singh Bajwa, Surinder Pal Sood, Rajveer Singh Rubal, Jaswinder Jassa and Naib Singh were excited to welcome their hero Rahul Gandhi, who, as per them, “is trying to unite the disunited nation into one whole”. The leaders and workers were waiting relentlessly to have a glance of their leader since early morning on both sides of the national highway amid the chill. Former MLA Lakhvir Singh Lakha said: “We are complains to CP Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service The tent prepared for Rahul Gandhi’s stay at Barmalipur near Doraha on Wednesday evening. TRIBUNE PHOTO blessed to have the flesh and blood of the party with us today. He will meet and interact with his supporters and admirers tomorrow morning. The party leaders and workers were so excited to meet him that they had been standing at the venue for hours together. The yatra has enthused a new vigour in the party workers. They feel that if Rahul Gandhi can undertake such a tedious journey for the sake of the party’s well-being, they too should contribute equally by being a part of the noble endeavour.” Party coordinator Paramjit Singh Ghawaddi and senior Congress leader Bant Singh Daburjee said since Rahul was supposed to resume his yatra from Doraha early tomorrow morning, we are leaving no stone unturned in making all arrangements. “We are glad to have our leader among us today and feel it is a historical moment for party leaders and workers of the town,” they added. Ludhiana, January 11 Ahead of Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi to be resumed from here tomorrow, posters related to the 84’ riots were put up outside the Congress Bhawan near Clock Tower today against which senior Congress leader Sanjay Talwar complained to the Commissioner of Police (CP). Talwar told The Tribune that he was looking after arrangements for tomorrow’s yatra when he was informed by somebody that some unidentified people had put up objectionable posters outside the bhawan. “Since I had no time to submit a written complaint, I called up the Commissioner of Police and requested him to get the posters removed and book the culprits as per law. The continued on page 2 Man held with 1.12-kg heroin Residents caught dumping waste into canal Warning issued to violators; people told to stop violation or face action Tribune News Service The suspect arrested with heroin in Ludhiana police custody. TRIBUNE PHOTO Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 11 Ludhiana Range STF have arrested a man and recovered 1.12 kg of heroin from his possession. The suspect has been identified as Akash Kumar, alias Sudi (21), of Ghoda Colony, Ludhiana. Inspector Habrans Singh, the in-charge of Ludhiana Range STF said the suspect , was arrested after receiving a tip-off. Another suspect, identified as Manjeet Kumar, alias Mannu (33), was absconding. The seized heroin is worth over Rs 5 crore in the international market. A case under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the suspect at the STF police station, Mohali. The suspect was arrested from a stretch linking Vardhman traffic lights and the Tajpur road in Ludhiana. When the scooter he was riding was examined, 1.12 kg of heroin was recovered from its dicky, along with an electronic weighing scale and 70 transparent pouches, the Ludhiana Range STF in-charge said. He said Aadhaar and PAN card belonging to another suspect, Manjeet Kumar, were also recovered from the dicky of the scooter. During interrogation, Akash told the police that he was involved in drug peddling trade and was also addicted to heroin. Harbans Singh said Manjeet had earlier been arrested in a drug peddling case and he had come out of prison on bail around six months ago. Probe into the case is under way, he added. Efforts are on to arrest Manjeet at the earliest. Ludhiana, January 11 MC officials caught a few residents allegedly dumping waste into the Sidhwan Canal and warned them of strict action. Zonal Commissioner Jasdev Sekhon said at a time when the Municipal Corporation (MC) was cleaning the Sidhwan Canal, a few residents were caught dumping waste into it near the Bhai Randhir Singh (BRS) Nagar canal bridge on Wednesday. A resident, who was caught dumping waste into the canal, was asked to collect the refuse from the water body, he said. Issuing a warning to the violators, the officials appealed to the public to stop dumping waste into the canal, otherwise strict action would be taken against them, which will include hefty challans. The civic body officials along with members of Waste lies scattered in the recently cleaned area of the Sidhwan Canal in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO MINISTER BEGAN CLEANING WORK ON JAN 4 Local Bodies Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjar had kick-started the work to clean the Sidhwan Canal from the BRS Nagar canal bridge on January 4. MC officials, members of NGOs and students of the GNPS also organised an awareness drive at the site to stop residents from dumping waste into the canal. NGOs, including SB Pandhi and Maneet Diwan, and students of Guru Nanak Public School (GNPS) also organised an awareness drive at the site to stop residents from dumping waste into the canal. Notably, Local Bodies Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjar had kick-started the work to clean the canal from the BRS Nagar canal bridge on January 4. Head-on collision, hit from rear caused most accidents PCS officers, DC office Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January11 The head-on collision and hit from the rear were the main causes that had caused most of the road accidents in the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate during 2021, a latest government report has revealed. As many as 478 road mishaps had claimed 380 lives and had left 169 injured, including 135 seriously, within the limits of the Police Commissionerate in 2021, the official figures have shown. The figures were released in the report on Punjab Road Accidents and Traffic-2021, which was released by Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav recently. According to the report prepared by a team, led by ADGP (Traffic) AS Rai, a copy of which is available with The Tribune, the maximum of 96 persons had died in the road accidents 478 road mishaps claimed 380 lives, left 169 injured in 2021 in Police Commissionerate MONTH-WISE TALLY Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Total DEADLY FIGURES Collision type Deaths Injured Head-on 96 33 Hit from rear 59 30 Hit-and-run 37 12 Hit from side 28 19 Hit with 23 22 parked vehicle Collision type Deaths Injured Vehicle overturn 15 11 Hit with fixed 2 3 object Run off road 1 2 Others 119 37 Total 380 169 caused due to head-on collision while 59 casualties had been caused due to hit from the rear. Among other reasons, 37 lives had been claimed in the road accidents due to hit-and-run Mishaps 36 48 35 25 33 38 47 31 47 50 39 49 478 Deaths 30 43 34 12 27 27 41 28 36 35 28 39 380 Tribune News Service Injured 15 12 12 14 9 12 14 7 15 15 19 25 169 ❝ Causes of road accidents discovered in the study will help take requisite steps to check them in future. Special efforts against overspeeding and improper stopping are also conducted to enhance road safety in the state. AS Rai, ADGP (TRAFFIC). cases, 28 due to hit from side, 23 by hit with parked vehicle, 15 due to vehicle overturn, two by c m y b ❞ hitting some fixed object, one due to running off the road while 119 fatalities had been staff resume work caused in the accidents due to other reasons, which had not been specified in the report. Ludhiana, January 11 After the PCS Officers’ Association on Wednesday withdrew its protest and resumed work, the employees of the DC and RTA offices also got back to their work in the afternoon. Earlier in the morning, CM Bhagwant Mann had asked PCS officers to resume work by 2 pm on Wednesday or face action. The PCS officers at district administration offices and MC officers resumed work in their offices in the afternoon. Sukhpal Singh, a member of the DC Office Employees Union, said they had also ended their strike and resumed duty today. The staff of the RTA office had also resumed work, he added. The Punjab Civil Services Officers’ Association had gone on mass leave on Monday to mark their protest against the arrest of Ludhiana RTA Narinder Singh Dhaliwal by the Vigilance Department. Extending support to the association, Revenue officials and clerical staff of the DC office and RTA offices had also gone on mass casual leave. Residents appreciate Chief Minister’s stand Members of the Public Action Committee have appreciated the stand taken by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann against the ‘unlawful’ strike of officers and employees. GS Chawla, a retired bank manager, said: “The decision taken by PCS officers to go on continued on page 2