18022023-LT-01.qxd 2/18/2023 12:46 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune OFFICIAL ATTRIBUTES VIOLATION OF BUILDING BYLAWS TO ‘COVID’ He ignored fact that worst of the viral infection was over and all government offices were back to business. P2 » ADMN LAUNCHES VAX DRIVE FOR PROTECTION AGAINST LSD PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 29°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 10°C AMANDEEP TO ESSAY ROLE OF FIREFIGHTER IN CHASHNI Dairy farmers remain apprehensive about use of vaccine for bovines, officials say being used in whole country. P2 FORECAST Star Plus is set to present Chashni, based on a twisted bond between two sisters, who turn saas and bahu.P3 » SUNSET SATURDAY 6.16 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7.04 AM » SATURDAY | 18 FEBRUARY 2023 | LUDHIANA 2 arrested with 63 cases of illicit liquor Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 17 The crime wing of the Ludhiana police today arrested two persons and seized 63 cases of illicit liquor from them. The suspects have been identified as Harjit Singh, alias Jeeta, a resident of Partap Nagar, and Arun Kumar of Kharar. Arun is the brother-in-law of Harjit. Commissioner of Police (CP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu, ADCP Rupinder Sran and ACP Gurpreet Singh addressed a press conference regarding the matter on Friday. Sidhu said acting on a tipoff, Inspector Beant Juneja incharge, crime wing, along with his team, laid a naka near the Military Camp, Dholewal, where a Maruti Ertiga car (bearing registration no. PB10FV 2530), was stopped by a police party for checking. During the checking, 63 cases of illicit liquor were seized. During preliminary questioning, the suspects admitted that they had been bringing a consignment of illicit liquor from other states and were supplying the same to their clients in Ludhiana, the CP said, adding that now, the police would seek remand of the suspects so that in further interrogation, entire liquor smuggling supply network could be busted. After soil test report, C&D waste plant may get fresh lease of life Project in limbo as garbage found at site in Dhandari area Harshraj Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 17 The project for construction and demolition (C&D) waste management plant under the Smart City mission has been hanging fire as the project site contained garbage. The Municipal Corporation has now got the soil testing process done at the site so that the plan for civil works could be redesigned. Earlier, work order for the civil works at an estimated cost of Rs 2.69 crore was issued in December 2021 and it was supposed to be completed by the end of June 2022. But the work could not be carried out as a huge amount of waste was found beneath the site located in the Dhandari area as per the information. MC’s executive engineer, Balwinder Singh, who also looks after the projects of Ludhiana Smart City Limited (LSCL), said the soil testing report has come out and the LSCL will get the plan for civil works redesigned accordingly. The estimated cost may increase for the civil works that include the construction of Civic body officials get soil testing done at the site where the construction and demolition waste management plant is proposed to be constructed in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO DEBRIS DUMPED IN PLOTS ALONG BUDDHA NULLAH BANKS In the absence of any plant for the management of construction and demolition waste in the city, debris is commonly dumped in plots, along the banks of the Buddha Nullah or roads in the city. platforms for machines and other structures. It may be mentioned that the work order to purchase machines for the plant was issued to another contractor in June 2021 but these machines could not be installed as civil works at the plant site are yet to be Drenched in His love ASHWANI DHIMAN Children dressed as deities during a rath yatra on the eve of Mahashivratri in Ludhiana on Friday. completed. According to the official, the machines are ready and these would be delivered by the contractor concerned after the completion of civil works. In the absence of any plant for the management of construction and demolition waste in the city, debris is commonly dumped in plots, along the banks of Buddha Nullah or roads of the city. The residents of some areas had raised their voice against the dumping of such waste near their houses but the MC failed to ensure the management of construction waste. Notably, a committee formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in May 2021 directed the civic body to ensure the management of construction and demolition waste within three months. Police team attacked by drug peddler, aides Ludhiana, February 17 A police party that went to nab a drug peddler was attacked by him and his accomplices at Jawahar Nagar Camp here on Thursday night. Tension gripped the area after the incident. After identifying the accused, the police registered a case against the three accused, Gagandeep, alias HD, Laadi, Ritu Bala, and other unidentified miscreants. Some unidentified person had informed anti-narcotics cell officials that Gagandeep, who is a drug peddler, has been supplying heroin in Jawahar Camp for a long time. Later, the anti-narcotics cell in-charge along with ASI Roshan Lal and their team conducted a raid in the area to catch the smuggler. When narcotics cell officials reached the spot, Gagandeep and other accused started hurling stones and other objects at them. No police official suffered injury in the incident. Later, the officials called police force from the Police Division 5 to control the situation. ADCP (Crime) Rupinder Kaur Sran said three accused, including Gagandeep, were identified and they would be arrested soon. After nabbing them, unidentified miscreants who attacked the police would also be identified and held. — TNS Youth hit by train, dies Cops meet bank, private Ludhiana, February 17 A youth was crushed by a train near the Model Gram railway station on Friday. The deceased was identified as Ravi Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar. Ravi was said to be in depression after the death of his mother. Today, he went to a gurdwara where after partaking langar, he was reportedly walking on train tracks. He didn’t move despite the horn being blown by the train driver repeatedly. Meanwhile, the train ran over him and he died on the spot. Initially, the deceased could not be identified. It was only when area residents started gathering at the spot, the deceased was identified and his family was informed. The residents said the victim was not mentally stable and he used to roam in the locality. The Government Railway Police have started inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC. — TNS People at the accident spot near the Model Gram railway station in Ludhiana on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN security agency officials Ask them to follow steps to avoid Amritsar dacoity-like incident Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 17 After a major dacoity of Rs 22 lakh from a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Amritsar, the Ludhiana police today held a meeting with representatives of various banks and security agencies. The police asked banks to follow security measures to prevent any such incident in the industrial hub. JCP Ravcharan Singh Brar and DCP Varinder Singh Brar conducted the meeting. “Purpose of the meeting was to sensitise the banks and security agencies managing security of banks and ATM kiosks to the issue. Instructions were issued to them to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding security and any lapse may also invite legal Police personnel and officials of banks and security agencies during a meeting in Ludhiana on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO action,” the DCP said. Brar told banks to keep CCTV cameras inside their premises up to date and enough backup should be kept. Even emergency alarm should remain active for day and night. Security guards deployed at banks should be given proper training to meet any kind of urgency. c m y b Banks were also told that whenever they transport cash, vehicles carrying the money should not be stopped on the way as they might become an easy targets of criminal elements. Guards working with the private security agencies need to be verified so that no criminal element get job in such agencies. 2 accomplices of notorious gangster Newton nabbed 6 weapons seized; Gangster struck deal of arms from Nabha jail Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 17 The Ludhiana police today arrested two accomplices of notorious gangster Sagar Newton, who is lodged in the Nabha jail, and seized six illegal weapons, 12 live cartridges and eight magazines from their possession. Interestingly, the deal of the weapons was struck by Newton with some Indorebased illegal weapon dealers while lodged in the high-security Nabha Jail. After the arrest of the duo, the Ludhiana police also conducted a raid in the Nabha jail and seized a mobile phone from Newton through which he struck the deal. The suspects have been identified as Munish, alias Lallu (21), and Aniket Chauhan (21), both residents of Jawahar Camp. Commissioner of Police (CP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu, DCP (Investigation) Harmeet Singh Hundal, ADCP (Investigation) Rupinder Kaur Sran, ACP Ashok Kumar and Inspector, anti-narcotics cell, Amritpal Singh, addressed a press conference regarding the matter today. Sidhu said the police had received a tip-off that a big consignment of illegal weapons was brought by the accomplices of Newton from some Indore-based weapon suppliers. After developing the lead, the police zeroed in on the suspects and arrested them. “Gangster Newton had struck the deal over phone from the Nabha jail. Later, he sent his men via bus to collect Police officials address medipersons in Ludhiana on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN NOT AN ISOLATED CASE It is not an isolated case when gangsters or smugglers were caught operating from jail. Earlier also, such cases have come to the fore. Strict measures are needed to prevent use of mobile phones in jails, which are the main source that help criminal elements to run their networks from prison. the weapons from Indore. Today, the suspects had reached Ludhiana along with the weapons and later, they were apprehended. The gangster, his men and even the Indore-based smuggler had communicated with each other through social networking app Instagram only,” the CP said. He said gangster Newton had a criminal past as he was already facing 10 criminal cases, including theft, attempt to murder, house trespassing, criminal conspiracy and robbery. When asked if it was the first weapon deal struck by the gangster from jail, Sidhu said only investigation would clear the same. The police would bring gangster Newton on production warrant from the Nabha jail and his questioning may expose a bigger network of weapon smuggling. About the purpose of arranging a big consignment of weapons, the top cop replied that Newton had told his accomplices to collect weapons and he would give them the task for using the same in coming days. ADCP Rupinder Sran said it was a big catch of the Ludhiana police. The nabbed suspects have no criminal past and it would be verified from how long they were working for gangster Newton and if this was the first consignment they handled for Newton. It is not an isolated case when gangsters or smugglers were caught operating from jail. Earlier also, such cases have come to the fore. Strict measures are needed to prevent use of mobile phones in jails, which are the main source that help criminal elements to run their networks from prison.