21092023-JTR-01.qxd 9/21/2023 12:38 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune AKASHVANI HOLDS FEST TO CELEBRATE G20 SUCCESS RAPPER SHUBH’S STILL ROLLIN INDIA TOUR CANCELLED HINA KHAN ON HER DEBUT SINGLE BARSAAT AA GAYI Celebrating the success of the G20 summit, Akashvani, Jalandhar, organised ‘Natak Utsav’. P2 Ticket booking app took to Twitter to announce that the rapper’s Still Rollin India Tour has been cancelled.P3 Hina Khan is set to make her singing debut with Barsaat Aa Gayi, and called it a “surreal” experience. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6:22 PM » SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:11 AM THURSDAY | 21 SEPTEMBER 2023 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF Trader’s murder case cracked in 24 hrs, 2 in police dragnet ATTARI-WAGAH, HUSSAINIWALA CORRIDORS TWO HELD WITH ILLICIT LIQUOR Kin hold dharna, block traffic on highway, seek arrest of woman Phagwara: The Bilga police have arrested two persons, including a woman, on the charges of selling illicit country-made liquor. The suspects have been identified as Navjot Kaur, a resident of Sango Wal village, and Gurwinder Singh, a resident of Poadharra village. Station House Officer (SHO) Mohinder Pal said 16 bottles of hooch were recovered from their possession. The SHO said cases under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act had been registered against the suspects. OC MAN ARRESTED WITH POPPY HUSK Phagwara: The Bilga police have arrested a drug peddler on the charge of selling poppy husk. The suspect has been identified as Sukhchain Singh, alias Raghu (56), a resident of Vehran village falling under the Mehat Pur police station. Station House Officer (SHO) Mohinder Pal said 10 kg of poppy husk was recovered from their possession. The Station House Officer said a case under Sections 15(B), 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act had been registered against the suspects. OC Ashok Kaura Phagwara, September 20 Though the police claimed to have solved the blind murder case of a trader within 24 hours by arresting two persons, family members of the deceased staged a dharna and blocked traffic on the national highway near the Sugar Mill Chowk here demanding the arrest of a woman involved in the crime. The police also recovered two cars and two weapons from the possession of the suspects. The trader, Pankaj Duggal, who had a business of confectionary items in Himachal Pradesh, was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside his house in New Mansa Devi Nagar here on Monday night. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajpal Singh Sandhu, while addressing a press conference here this afternoon, said the police had arrested Harmanpreet Singh, a neighbour of Pankaj, and his friend Naresh Handa, a resident of Surya Enclave, Jalandhar. SSP Sandhu termed the murder as outcome of personal enmity. The police recovered a .32 bore revolver, three live cartridges, three empty cartridges, which were used in the crime, a double barrel gun and 10 live cartridges. They also recovered two cars bearing registration numbers PB-30AC-9000 and PB-8EY- Members of the Kirti Kisan Union hold a protest in Jalandhar on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Farmers protest, demand opening of India-Pakistan road trade route Say it will provide employment to thousands of youth Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 20 Members of the Kirti Kisan Union today held a meeting at the Desh Bhagat Memorial Hall in the city demanding the opening of India-Pakistan trade route through the AttariWagah and Hussainiwala road corridors. A protest was also held in the city over the issue. The farmers demanded that they should be allowed to conduct business directly through their passports by abolishing the visa requirements for their produce, among other categories. Calling the Central Government’s disallowing of export of basmati rice below 1200 dollars per tonne as antifarmer, they also demanded that the condition be withdrawn immediately. State vice-president of the Kirti Kisan Union Jatinder Singh Chhina and state leader Santokh Singh Sandhu said the country should move towards building friendly relations instead of fuelling the fire of enmity with its neighbours. India-Pakistan trade is an important link in building this relationship, they averred. They said in 2019, the Indian government removed Pakistan from the list of trade-friendly countries and imposed 200 per cent regulatory duty on non-essential commodities, which not only destroyed the trade with Pakistan through the road corridor but also severely affected the interests of Punjab. They said there was a trade of 1.35 billion dollars between India and Pakistan but most of it was being done through the sea route via Adani’s Mundra port (Gujarat). The farmers alleged that step-motherly treatment was being meted out to Punjab to uphold the interests of corporate like Adani. The farmers also said the opening of India-Pakistan road corridors would provide employment to thousands of youth. Hardeep Kaur Kotla, state convener of the women’s wing, said currently 80 per cent of the trade between the two countries was being done through sea routes or indirectly through Dubai, which was expensive. Leaders of the Truck Union Phillaur, Goraya, Nurmahal leaders Ranjit Singh, Jaswant Singh, Surjit Singh, Satinder Singh Dhanju, Chamkaur Singh, Gurkanwal Singh, Tarpreet Singh Uppal, Doaba Sangharsh Committee’s Balwinder Malli Nangal, were among those who addressed the gathering. Family members of the deceased block the highway near the Sugar Mill Chowk; and (below) cops address a press conference regarding the arrest of the suspects in Phagwara on Wednesday. COPS RECOVER 2 CARS, WEAPONS FROM THEM Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajpal Singh Sandhu termed the murder as outcome of personal enmity. The police recovered a .32 bore revolver, three live cartridges, three empty cartridges, which were used in the crime, a double barrel gun and 10 live cartridges. They also recovered two cars bearing registration numbers PB-30AC-9000 and PB-8EY4828 from their possession. 4828 from their possession. When family members of the deceased came to know about the arrest of only two persons, they, along with other residents, came out on road demanding immediate arrest of Surinder Kaur, mother of the accused Harmanpreet, and blocked the highway. The protesters alleged that the woman was main conspirator. Phagwara SP Gurpreet Singh Gill rushed to the dharna site to pacify the protesters. After SP Gill assured the protesters of nominating Surinder Kaur in the FIR, they lifted the dharna. Meanwhile, SP Gill said both the suspects were produced before the local judicial magistrate who sent them to two-day police remand for further interrogation. Fresh rains add to woes of deluge-hit Lohian farmers Varsity VC expresses worry over Though water pumps have been installed to remove water from fields, it is receding at a slow pace,” he said. A visit to Mundi Shehrian, Mundi Cholian, Mandala Channa, and Dhakka Basti presented two different pictures of the agricultural land. In some villages, fields are inundated while in other places, it feels like one has entered a desert because of sand deposited all over. In some fields, even cracks have developed. Farmer Daler Singh from Gatta Mundi Kasu said sand was deposited in the field. “It will be a painstaking task for us to maintain our fields again and make them fertile,” he said. Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Maize crop damaged due to floodwaters in Lohian village, Shahkot, in Jalandhar. MALKIAT SINGH Jalandhar, September 20 Farmers from flood-hit Lohian were already fearful of what would happen if the water level didn’t recede in the coming days. Fresh rains on Tuesday have worried them as the chances of water receding from fields have become bleak. Already 700 acres of fields in Lohian and 500 acres of agricultural land in Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala, are still waterlogged. Farmers fear if they will be able to sow anything or not. Kashmir Singh from Mundi Shehrian village said he visited his fields daily to check how much water had receded. “It is a constant battle with nature. ‘golden chances’ given to students Says four-year BTech course in eight years is not justified Tribune News Service Kapurthala, September 20 Emphasising that students must be encouraged to complete their degrees within the stipulated time instead of being given repeated golden chances, Dr Susheel Mittal, Vice-Chancellor, IK Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKG-PTU) on Wednesday gave suitable directions to the colleges. The V-C was addressing the principals and directors of all affiliated colleges during the 54th Academic Council meet held on its main campus here. The V-C addressed the council as its chairman. Registrar Dr SK Misra initiated the meeting as the council secretary. Dean Academics Vikas Chawla presented the 45 items on the agenda before the council. The V-C said that BTech students were at liberty to clear their four-year degree in eight years, after which they were also being given golden chances. Dr Mittal suggested that more strictness was required in the matter instead of allowing the students to make a mockery of their degrees and avail all kinds of undue opportunities. He said that he was not in favour of any such relaxation in studies which reduces seriousness. A demand had been made by the colleges that the fees for various courses of the university had not been increased in the last 15 years, whereas during this period, the scale of teachers and campus expenses had increased immensely. Continued on page 2 City lecturer appointed umpire Singer booked for ‘hurting religious sentiments’ manager for 19th Asian Games Event to be held in China from September 23 to Oct 8 Jalandhar, September 20 Gurinder Singh Sangha from Jalandhar, who was recently appointed as course conductor of the AHF Hong Kong Umpires Intermediate Course that was held from May 19 to 21, has been appointed as umpire manager for the 19th Asian Games. These games will be held in China from September 23 to October 8. Jalandhar-based lecturer and international umpire Gurinder Singh Sangha (51) will be leaving tomorrow to represent the country as the umpire manager. “I have been practising since last year. It was a great learning experience,” said Sangha. ACHIEVEMENTS Gurinder Singh Sangha was recently declared the umpire manager of the year for which he received the Hockey India President Award during the fifth annual Hockey India Awards held on March 17. He was recently declared the umpire manager of the year for which he received the Hockey India President Award during the fifth annual Hockey India Awards held on March 17. Gurinder Singh Sangha is a physical education lecturer at Olympian Manpreet Singh Government Senior Secondary School, Mithapur. Sangha remained an international hockey umpire for 16 years. In 2018, the International Hockey Federation appointed him as the international hockey umpire manager so that he could guide and train new umpires. He is serving as a member of the Hockey India’s Technical and Umpiring Committee for the past eight years. As an umpire, he took part in around 80 international matches. He said: “I am thankful to my family, especially my wife. It wouldn’t have been possible without her support.” His son is also a hockey player. — TNS Jalandhar, September 20 Punjabi singer Master Saleem has been booked for ‘hurting religious sentiments’. A case under Section 295-A of the IPC was registered against him at the Goraya police station here today. Rajinder Kumar Billa (60), senior vice-president of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Punjab, lodged a complaint in this regard. Rajinder Kumar is a resident of Mansoorpur village in Goraya. The complaint states: “We saw a video of singer Master Saleem on the social media in which he allegedly made derogatory remarks against Mata Chintpurni Darbar. It has hurt our religious sentiments and he has tried to dis- c m y b TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Tribune News Service Shiv Sena leaders show a copy of the complaint against singer Master Saleem in Jalandhar on Wednesday. turb communal harmony.” Complaints were also filed against the singer in Himachal Pradesh, Patiala, among other places. Before the complaint at the Goraya police station, a complaint was also made to the Jalandhar Cantt police. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) also held a press conference on the issue today demanding the arrest of the singer who has belted out numbers such as “dhol jageero da”, “maa da ladla”, “zor ka jhatka” among others. Also known for his devotional songs and jagrata outings, Master Saleem has a slew of chart-topping devotional hits such “Jai Kali”, “Teri Jai ho Ganesh”, among others. Notably, amidst the controversy raging since long, Master Saleem had visited Mata Chintpurni shrine in the first week of September, to tender an apology for his statements and pay obeisance at the shrine. He also tendered an apology on the issue at a temple and also took to the social media to apologise to those whose sentiments have been hurt. Surinder Kumar, SHO of the Goraya police station, said: “The FIR has been lodged on the complaint stating that the singer hurt religious sentiments. The place or time at which the statement has been made is not listed in the complaint. Further action is being taken as per law.”