29082023-ATR-01.qxd 8/29/2023 12:26 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune RHETT-BUCKLER AWARD FOR RETINA SURGEON ARMAAN MALIK ENGAGED TO GIRLFRIEND AASHNA Bollywood singer Armaan Malik on Monday announced his engagement to girlfriend Aashna Shroff. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 21°C ANJUM GETS ELIMINATED FROM KKK 13 AGAIN Dr Veer Singh of SB Dr Sohan Singh Eye Hospital has been felicitated for best retina surgery video. P2 FORECAST Anjum Fakih, who had re-entered Khatron Ke Khiladi 13, was again eliminated from the show. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 6.59 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6.04 AM » TUESDAY | 29 AUGUST 2023 | AMRITSAR Property dealers’ stir enters 6th day Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, August 28 The property dealers and colonisers, holding a protest over the hike in the collector rates and other issues related to the sale and purchase of landed property, staged a dharna in front of the Tarn Taran SDM here on Monday. Today was the sixth day of their protest. The agitation is being held under the banner of Tarn Taran Property Dealers and Colonizers’ Association. Daler Singh Pannu, district president of the association, Darshan Singh Sukhija, Bhag Singh Bhaga and Karamjit Singh Kasel were among others who addressed a gathering on the occasion. The speakers alleged that the district administration had put a heavy burden on general public by increasing the collector rates up to 80 per cent, which was unbearable for both sellers and purchasers of landed property. Rising cases of dengue, chikungunya add to city residents’ worries Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 28 With over 235 dengue and 190 chikungunya cases reported so far from the district, residents are worried as the number of mosquito-borne diseases are constantly on the rise. Though dengue cases are reported every year during the monsoon season which subsides as soon as the winter season approaches and the temperatures start falling, chikungunya is a disease which most of the local residents have seldom heard of. With its usual prevalence in states like Uttar Pardesh and Bihar, the district seldom reported a case of chikungunya in the past. This year, however, it has surprised even the health experts. While they are attributing the arrival of the new mosquito-borne disease to waterlogging caused by flooding in different areas, residents say that cases have been reported from areas which never saw water-logging or were not affected by flood waters. A health official said, “What is worrisome is that while a large number of people with symptoms similar to chikungunya have complained of being sick, they have not specifically tested positive for the disease. Maybe a new strain of virus similar to chikungunya has infected them.” The monsoon season this year had been particularly hard for local residents as they had to battle with various infections, including dengue, chikungunya and conjunctivitis. While the Health Department and the government are claiming that there is a need to create awareness among the general public to check spread of these diseases, they themselves have failed to provide any relief to the patients most of whom are dependent on private hospitals for treatment. Notorious criminal Bori’s police remand extended Tribune News Service Drone sorties: Police register FIRs to nail drug smugglers PK Jaiswar Amritsar, August 28 A local court on Monday extended the police custody of notorious criminal Kamal Kumar Bori after he was produced following the expiry of his police remand. He was arrested by the police on Saturday in connection with a case of wrongful confinement and under the Arms Act lodged by pharma trader Vinod Kumar Samra. The incident occurred on August 9 while an FIR was registered against him on Friday. The police were investigating several complaints pending against him. He was arrested a day after his pictures with senior police officials present in a birthday bash went viral on social media. Following this, two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and five inspectors were transferred. Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 28 To nail smugglers in border areas involved in peddling of drugs, arms and ammunition from across the barbed wire fencing with the help of drones, the Punjab police have started filing FIRs in all drone-related cases whether there was any recovery or not. Earlier, the police used to register FIRs only in cases where there was some recovery of contraband, arms or drones. In a recent case, the police booked unknown persons after a drone sortie was noticed by alert Border Security Force jawans in the Ajnala area. The incident occurred on the intervening night of August 26-27. After observing a buzzing sound, apparently of drone, the BSF personnel fired at a suspicious flying object coming The police are already running a Drone Emergency Response system with the help of border area villagers. FILE PHOTO from the Pakistan side into the Indian territory. BSF officials, while lodging a complaint with the police, said that the suspected flying object may have been carrying contraband or arms and ammunition near Khanwal and Balarwal border villages and there was an apparent movement of smugglers in the area. The Ajnala police have registered a case under Sections 10, 11 and 12 of the Aircraft Act in this connection. Two similar cases were registered by the Ajnala police on August 20. In both the cases, the BSF jawans had fired after hearing a buzzing sound in the air. A senior official from the Amritsar rural police district said that the police were already running a Drone Emergency Response system with the help of border villagers. The village defence committees formed under the system would try to cordon off the area where drones are suspected of having dropped the consignments so that smugglers could not recover the same. He said senior police officials were keeping a tab on all such incidents being reported in the border villages in order to nail the drug traffickers. City needs more facilities to hone sporting talent Leadership should be open to ideas, NATIONAL SPORTS DAY Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service acre multipurpose indoor and outdoor sports complex in the Ranjit Avenue area in 2010. A dream project of cricketerturned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, the site was the subject of a protracted legal battle for nine long years. Once complete, the multipurpose site will have a cricket ground, athletics track, football and lawn tennis area to promote sports in the city. Over the years, the government has been running a game centre in some schools which paid off dividends. But no effort was made to extend these centres to more schools. Last year, the present government started “Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan” which was a good move but before this, good sports infrastructure, kits and coaches must be ensured to nurture the youngsters who toil unguided on playgrounds. says poet-scientist Gauhar Raza Tribune News Service was groomed among the best of minds. “Whether it was Nehru or Sardar Patel or their contemporaries, the leadership was open and perceptive to ideas novel to them,” he said, adding through examples that this is what the current leaders lack in the country. He also touched upon the topic of migration of the young Indians that has seen three-fold increase in the past few years. “A lot of young Indians, irrespective of their religion, are leaving India as they do not see future for them or their kids here. It is a cause of concern.” Towards the conclusion of the session, he also read out his famous poems, sharing how he was labelled antinational due to the anti-establishment tone and critique of his poetry. Amritsar, August 28 Even as National Sports Day, a tribute to the enduring legacy of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, is being observed on Tuesday, sports lovers are of the view that barring individual efforts, no sincere measures have been initiated by successive governments to develop nurseries of players to catch them young. A dearth of playgrounds is visible in the holy city. Young players are discouraged from joining their favourite games as neither properly trained coaches nor playgrounds are available here. The District Sports Office has 20 coaches to train youngsters. The strength of coaches is insufficient as they do not cater to all sports disciplines. There are several games like gymnastics, swimming, athletics and others which require several coaches to reach out to each budding player. Balbir Singh, a keen sports lover, said the city grew manifold following urbanisation, but there has been no serious attempt on the part of the government to set up enough STF Jalandhar raids peddler’s hide-out Minor girl ends life, Kar Sewa sect head honoured Three snatching three kin booked for providing help to flood-hit incidents reported Amritsar, August 28 A team of STF Jalandhar, , today raided the residence of a drug peddler and recovered 350 grams of heroin besides a .32 bore pistol with six rounds from his possession in Daniyal village near Rayya on Monday. During the raid, the police came under fire from the accused, identified as Partap Singh. In retaliation, he was injured as a bullet hit him in the knee. He was taken to Baba Bakala hospital from where he was referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. The STF have registered a case under Section 307, IPC, Sections 27, 54 and 59, Arms Act, and Section 21-C, NDPS Act, against him in Mohali. The STF got a tip-off that Partap Singh of Daniyal village was involved in drug trafficking. Following this, a cop posing as customer was sent for procuring drugs. As he handed over the money, he signalled to the police team that surrounded Partap Singh’s house. However, he shot at the police party with his pistol. In the retaliatory firing, he suffered a bullet injury. — TNS TAP THEM YOUNG: A dearth of playgrounds and players are visible in the holy city. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 28 A 14-year-old girl committed suicide by hanging herself in her house at Bhakna Khurd village falling under the Gharinda police station here on Sunday. She was perturbed after some of her relatives raised a finger at her and her mother’s character. Her father works as a driver. The deceased was identified as Palakpreet Kaur (14). The police have booked three women relatives on the charge of abetment to suicide. They were identified as Jasmine Kaur of Bhakna Khurd, Pammi of Mehta and Sukhwinder Kaur of Kolowal village. No arrest has been made so far. Victim’s mother Baljinder Kaur told the police that her husband Gurjinder Singh worked as a truck driver. She said accused Jasmine Kaur was her relative. She alleged she used to taunt her and her daughter while raising a finger at their character. Yesterday Jasmine along with her mother Pammi and her playgrounds to nurture sports persons at a young age. He said this gap may cost the region dear as the number of sports persons in the national pool might decline in the coming years. Citing the example of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Academy, he said the efforts of veteran hockey players and a maternal aunt Sukhwinder Kaur came to her house. She said she was talking to her husband Gurjinder Singh over the phone at that time. She said immediately after arriving her house, they manhandled her while accusing them of insulting in society. They used abusive language against her and her daughter, she alleged. She said perturbed over this, she along with her son went to the Gharinda police station for lodging a complaint and her daughter Palakpreet was alone at home. She said when they returned after filing a complaint, she found her hanging from the hooks of the swing. She alleged Palak died by due to being harassed by Jasmine and her relatives. The police have registered a case under Sections 306 and 34 of the IPC against the trio while raids were on to nab them, the police said. Investigating officer Sub-Inspector Jasbir Singh said the accused were absconding. He said the body of the deceased was handed over to the family after a postmortem. school helped in nurturing the young hockey players. This was the reason why at least five local hockey players have been representing the country at international championships. Michael, a sports lover, said the only prominent addition in the sports infrastructure was the unveiling of eight- Amritsar, August 28 Noted Indian scientist and celebrated Urdu poet Gauhar Raza addressed a session on the theme of ‘Rationality in the times of irrationality’ at Majha House on Sunday evening. During almost an hour-long session, Raza, who has been vocal about the gradual shift from a scientific bent of mind towards religious polarisation over the last few years, stressed on the fact that only scientific revolution is the way to future. “Although we have landed on the moon, yet when it comes to building a scientific temperament or application of conclusions drawn on the basis of science in our life, we have only gone worse. Scientific revolution has not come Gauhar Raza addresses a session at Majha House. in this part of the world and with the kind of atmosphere in the country, the weakness of Hindu-Muslim narrative can only be enlarged through science,” he said. Talking about several things including the early years of an independent India and its attempt to stand on its feet through scientific and industrial revolution, Raza said that leadership during the time Our Correspondent Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, August 28 Baba Sukha Singh, head of Kar Sewa sect, Sarhali, who helped plug the breach that took place in the embankment on Sutlej river at Ghadum village 10 days ago was honoured at a function at the breach site on Monday, hours after the work to plug the gap was completed. The other personalities who assisted the administration in plugging the breach were also honoured on the occasion. Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar who was the chief guest on the occasion, while honouring Baba Sukha Singh, said that the breach could be plugged within a short period of 10 days only because of roundthe-clock efforts made by Baba Sukha Singh and his thousands of followers. DC Sandeep Kumar also appreciated the services of religious and social organisations besides individuals for their service to the cause. Dilbag Singh, Chair- Amritsar, August 28 Three snatching incidents were reported from rural areas of the district on Sunday. In the first incident, two armed persons robbed a couple in Rayya area here. The victim was identified as Ramdeep Singh of Mithu Nagar in Jalandhar. He along with his wife was going to Amritsar from Jalandhar and when they reached near the Rayya bridge, two bike-borne persons stopped before them. He said the accused took out a pistol and pointed at them. Then they snatched a gold chain, a mobile phone and his purse containing valuables. The incident occurred on Saturday. He said he himself was trying to locate the robbers. Following a preliminary probe, the police have registered a case against Jaswinder Singh and Sagar of Rayya. A case under Section 379-B (2) of the IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was regis- c m y b Baba Sukha Singh (3rd from right), head of the Kar Sewa sect, being honoured by DC Sandeep Kumar in Tarn Taran. GURBAXPURI man, Market Committee, Harike, honoured Baba Sukha Singh on behalf of Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar The Deputy Commissioner said that the strengthening of the bundh is to be carried out for some more days at the breach site. The work is to be done by the Drainage Department and instructions have been issued to the officials in this regard. Baba Sukha Singh, while addressing the Sangat on the occasion, said it was a tough work but the sect took it up as a challenge. It was made possible only because of the efforts of his followers, he said. It may be mentioned that the breach had affected life in 19 villages in the area. tered against them. The police said raids were on to nab them. In another incident, six armed car-borne persons tried to rob an employee of Reliance Jio company. However, the victim, Kashmir Singh of Mustafabad in Amritsar, managed to escape. In his complaint lodged with the police, he said on the intervening night of August 23 and 24, he along with his cleaner Rahul of Amarkot was returning to Amritsar from Mehta in a goods carrier and when they reached near Fatehgarh Rajputa village, an i20 car stopped them. He said six occupants of the car came out with a datar and swords and hit their vehicle and asked them to hand over cash and valuables they were having. Sensing trouble, Kashmir Singh immediately reversed the vehicle and rushed to the Amritsar side. The accused could not chase them. On their complaint, Jandiala Guru police continued on page 2