05022023-LT-01.qxd 2/5/2023 12:43 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune GURU RAVIDAS JAYANTI: TOP COP LEADS SHOBHA YATRA VIEWERS CAN ENJOY YOUNG ROCK ON COMEDY CENTRAL SIDHARTH, KIARA ALL SET TO TIE THE KNOT AT JAISALMER Leading Shobha Yatra on Saturday, CP offered tributes to Guru Ravidas on behalf of the police force. P2 Young Rock, based on Dwayne Johnson’s life, is all set to premiere for the first time in India. P3 Siddharth Malhotra’s bride-to-be Kiara Advani reached Jaisalmer on Saturday afternoon. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 24°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 26°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.05 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 7.15 AM » SUNDAY | 5 FEBRUARY 2023 | LUDHIANA Immigration firm owner shot at by assailants in bid to loot SUV Riding high Victim suffers injury in the stomach, fires shots from licenced weapon Tribune News Service A Nihang tries to ride two horses on the second day of the 83rd Rural Sports Festival at Kila Raipur village in Ludhiana on Saturday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN REPORT ON P2 Senior citizen forced to do rounds of power corporation office Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 4 Despite depositing the electricity pole shifting charges, a senior citizen is forced to do the rounds of the PSPCL office as the department has failed to get the electricity pole shifted from outside his home at Durgapuri in Haibowal Kalan, here. The elderly man alleged that the power pole caused inconvenience to him and his family. Vijay Kumar Verma of the Durgapuri area said he had been visiting offices of the PSPCL repeatedly since November 2021 but his request to shift the pole was still being ignored. He also said to have already deposited around Rs 15,000 to the PSPCL as pole shifting charges. He said: “The PSPCL had installed an electricity pole near the middle portion of our house wall years ago when I was working in Chandigarh. After retirement, I requested the PSPCL to shift the pole to a safer place to avoid inconvenience to us. The department first took too much time to make an estimated cost of shifting the same. I was asked to deposit Rs 15,195 as shifting cost. When I went to deposit the fee in March 2022, I was told to come after September 15, 2022. PSPCL officials said the period between April and September remains their prime time when they don’t do any other work, The electricity pole erected outside a house in Durgapuri. Despite collecting pole shifting charges, staff fail to shift it except maintaining power supply. I then deposited the pole shifting cost to the PSPCL on September 16, 2022.” Verma said the SDE concerned had asked a contractor to carry out the work in October 2022. However, the contractor along with a junior engineer had visited the site but nothing had been done to get the pole shifted to date. “This is sheer harassment to me. Now, I have sent a complaint to the Chief Minister and the PSPCL’s higher authorities as I am being forced to make repeated rounds to the office even after depositing the pole shifting charges,” he added. An Executive Engineer of the PSPCL said he would look into the matter. However, he said there was also a shortage of staff. Two smugglers nabbed with 33-gm heroin Ludhiana, February 4 In a bid to loot a Toyota Fortuner from an immigration firm owner, three armed assailants shot him in the stomach. To save his life, the victim also fired shots from his licenced weapon which made the robbers to flee the spot. Complainant Gagandeep Singh, a resident of Bajra village, told the police that on the night of February 2 after finishing his work at the immigration office, he was going to his village in his Toyota For- DRIVES BY HIMSELF TO HOSPITAL Complainant Gagandeep Singh said he himself drove his SUV to a hospital and got himself admitted there after the attack by the assailants. Later, the hospital management informed the police about the incident. tuner. When he stopped the vehicle near Tiger Safari to answer the nature’s call, a man came and pointed weapon at him. “Before I could understand anything, two more persons came and asked me to handover the keys of Fortuner. When I refused to give the same and tried to start the SUV, the suspects fired three shots at me. One hit my stomach. Afterwards, I fired shots from my licenced weapon following which they fled the spot on the motorcycle,” the complainant alleged. The complainant said he himself drove his SUV to the hospital and got himself admitted. Later, the hospital management informed the police about the incident. Salem Tabri police station SHO SI Harjit Singh said a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act was registered against the suspects. CCTV cameras of the area were being checked to get any clue about the robbers. Soon, they would be nabbed. The SHO said the suspects could be some notorious criminals and they seemed to have targeted the victim randomly. CIA inspector, police post in-charge suspended Tribune News Service Both allegedly failed to take action against ongoing flesh trade in hotels near bus stand Ludhiana, February 4 The Ludhiana police nabbed two smugglers and seized 33 gm of heroin from them in separate cases. In the first case, the CIA wing nabbed a smuggler and seized 20 gm of heroin from him.He was identified as Jot Kumar of Indira colony. ASI Randhir Singh said on Friday, he along with a police party was deputed at Subash Nagar for routine checking where on the basis of suspicion a scooter-borne person was signalled by him to stop for checking. The scooterist tried to flee, but was chased down by the police. Later during his frisking, the police recovered the contraband from him. After registering a case under the NDPS Act, a probe was launched to identify other links of the smuggler involved in the drug chain. In another case, the Shimlapuri police nabbed Jashandeep Singh of Chimni Road, Shimlapuri, and seized 13-gm heroin from his possession. ASI Kuldeep Singh said a police party, deployed to conduct a routine checking on the Ishar Nagar bridge, on the basis of suspicion signalled a bike-borne person to stop for checking. During frisking, the contraband was recovered from his pockets. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered. The ASI said now, the police remand of the suspect would be sought from court. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 4 The Police Commissioner, Ludhiana, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, on Saturday suspended CIA-1 in-charge inspector Rajesh Kumar and Kochar Market police post in-charge ASI Bheesham Dev. Both officials had failed to take action against the flesh trade going on in hotels near the bus stand, which falls in areas under their jurisdiction. The development came a day after the Ludhiana police raided three hotels — Hotel Palm Inn, Hotel Regal Classic and Hotel Park Blu — near the bus stand and busted a racket of flesh trade. The police had nabbed 13 women and five men from the hotels, Cops during a raid at a hotel near the bus stand in Ludhiana on Thursday night. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN including the agents supplying prostitutes to the hotel. The Police Commissioner said he had been appreciating the policemen performing their duty with utmost honesty and dedication. In fact, rewards, including cash, appreciation certificates and DGP Commendation Disc, were accorded to the cops who had MC continues drive to clean Sidhwan Canal Ludhiana, February 4 Continuing its drive to clean the Sidhwan Canal that flows through the city, the MC has started cleaning a canal stretch between the BRS Nagar bridge and the Barewal bridge. MC officials had earlier planned to carry out the cleanliness work in the canal till January 31 as the Irrigation Department was supposed to release water into the canal by Febru- c m y b ary 2. But the plan to release water into the canal was later changed, and after that the MC continued its cleanliness drive. MC Zonal Commissioner Jasdev Sekhon said they were hopeful that the work to clean a canal stretch from BRS Nagar to Barewal bridge will be completed by Sunday evening. Irrigation Department was likely to release water into the canal soon. — TNS busted gangs, caught criminals and solved crime cases. “I had also given a warning to the cops that if I am giving rewards I may also give punishment. I have been scanning the role of some cops who were not performing their duties. Accordingly, CIA inspector Rajesh Kumar and Kochar Market police post in- charge Bheesham Dev failed to take action to check the flesh trade in their areas hence they had been placed under suspension. Now, JCP Saumya Mishra would initiate departmental action against the erring cops and would submit a report within one month,” added CP Sidhu. Meanwhile, sources said the top cop and other senior officials had received complaints that the police were aware about the ongoing flesh trade in city hotels and some police officials were hand in glove with hotel owners due to which the illegal trade was going on with impunity. The sources said now some SHOs were also on the radar of the top cop who were neck deep in corruption. Man attacked with hammer over money dispute Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 4 Two persons attacked a man over a money dispute of Rs 7 lakh at Koom Kalan on Thursday. The Koom Kalan police on Friday registered a case of attempt to murder against the assailants, Mohan Singh of Takhra village and an unidentified person. Complainant Kamaljit Singh of Takhra village told the police that the suspect, Mohan, owed Rs 7 lakh to him for a long time and he was not repaying the money. Despite repeated requests, the suspect only made promises to repay the amount, but never repaid it. “On January 31, when I again requested him to return my money, he asked me to meet him at Sherian village in Koom Kalan. When he reached there and asked the suspect to hand over the money, one of his aides suddenly came to him and repeatedly hit on the head with a hammer. “Then the duo attacked me with the hammer. They snatched a mobile phone and Rs 20,000 from my pocket. As I collapsed, they considered me dead and fled the spot,” revealed the complainant. Later, villagers finding him lying in a pool of blood, called an ambulance and shifted him to a hospital. His family informed the police about the incident, added the complainant. He alleged that the suspects seemed to have hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him and the police should put them behind bars soon. ASI Somnath said after registering a case, raids were being conducted to nab the suspects. “Once the main açcused is arrested, his aide would be identified,” the ASI said.