23102023-JTR-01.qxd 10/23/2023 12:51 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ‘FOCUS ON GOAL TO ACHIEVE TARGET OF JOINING NDA’ RASHMIKA MANDANNA’S NEXT FILM TITLED THE GIRLFRIEND SINGER RIHANNA PLANNING A ‘MASSIVE’ COMEBACK TOUR Minister exhorts students of Sainik School to focus on their goal to achieve target of joining NDA. P2 Rashmika Mandanna set to headline The Girlfriend, a film presented by veteran producer Allu Aravind. P3 Rihanna is planning a ‘massive’ comeback tour for 2024-25 after striking a deal with Live Nation. P3 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 29°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 15°C SUNSET MONDAY 5:44 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:30 AM MONDAY | 23 OCTOBER 2023 | JALANDHAR SCOOTER, MOBILE PHONE SNATCHED Phagwara: Four unidentified motorcycle-borne robbers snatched an Activa scooter and a mobile phone from a person near Chachoki village on Saturday night. The victim, identified as Willu, a resident of Gobindpura locality, was returning home when the incident took place. The police have registered a case. OC TWO BOOKED FOR STEALING JCB Phagwara: The Nakodar Sadar police have booked two persons on the charge of stealing a JCB machine. Investigating officer (IO) Som Nath said the suspects had been identified as Yokeen Masih, a resident of Mangian village in Gurdaspur, and his brother Eliyan Masih. Sanjay Sondhi, an employee of a firm based at Kang Sahibu village, complained to the police that the suspects stole the JCB machine from his company on the night of October 20. A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered against the suspects. OC 1 HELD FOR DEATH BY NEGLIGENCE Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a tractor driver on the charge of causing death by negligence. Investigating officer (IO) Nirmal Singh said the suspect had been identified as Joginder Singh, a resident of Killi village. Sukhjit Singh, a resident of Pato Kalan village, complained to the police that the tractor, which was being driven negligently, hit the motorcycle being driven by his father Karnail Singh near Pato Kalan village on October 20. His father, who suffered serious injuries in the mishap, died at a clinic. The IO said a case under Section 304-A, 279 and 427 of the IPC had been registered against the suspect. OC DRUG PEDDLER IN POLICE NET Phagwara: The Nurmahal police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO), who was absconding for the past three years. Investigating officer Surjit Singh said the accused had been identified as Surjan Singh, alias Sundi, a resident of Kul Gehanna village in Ludhiana. He was wanted in a case of drug peddling registered in 2020. OC Gang of women thieves busted Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 22 The Sadar police, under the guidance of Inspector Bharat Masih and ASI Victor Masih, busted a gang of women thieves and arrested one of its members. The gang was active in villages falling under the jurisdiction of the Cantonment and Sadar police. Police officials said a woman lodged a complaint stating that some women snatched her gold bangle and a watch. Acting on the complaint, the police arrested Lakshmi, alias Mehak, a resident of Patiala, from near Khambra Church. ASI Victor said during interrogation, Lakshmi revealed information about her accomplices - Reeta and Jailo. The police were conducting raids to arrest them. Athaula man shot at by bike-borne assailants 17 lives lost in wave of tragedies point to deeper social, economic malaise Victim undergoing treatment at hospital; suspects flee Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service COPS SCRUTINISING CCTV FOOTAGE TO GET CLUE Jalandhar, October 22 Unidentified men fired gunshots at a farmer near Athaula village here today. The victim, identified as Gurmeet Singh (35), alias Gosha, a resident of Athaula village, suffered serious injuries. The incident took place while he was travelling in his tractor near the village. According to the police, the bike-borne assailants fired at least five shots. Three bullets hit the victim. The police said the identity of the assailants was not While a property dispute is being suspected to be the cause behind the incident, the police said it could not be confirmed yet. Meanwhile, the police are scrutinising the CCTV footage of the area to identify the suspects. The police are yet to lodge an FIR in this regard. known yet. Gurmeet is undergoing treatment at a hospital and was not in a condition to record his statement. While a property dispute is being suspected to be the cause behind the incident, the police said it could not be confirmed yet. Meanwhile, the police are scrutinising the CCTV footage of the area to identify the suspects. Aman Saini, SHO of the Lambra police station, said: “The man was shot at several times. Three bullets hit him. He suffered bullet injuries in his shoulder and the abdomen. The identity of the assailants is not known yet. The victim is being operated upon at the hospital.” The police are yet to lodge an FIR in this regard. Further investigations were on in the case. Fire breaks out at 3-storey building No casualties; sparks from welding works likely cause Jalandhar, October 22 A massive fire broke out at a three-storey building in Model Town here this afternoon. No loss of life was reported in the incident. After receiving information, fire tenders reached the spot and controlled the blaze after an hour. The building houses a bank and a restaurant, Being Sunday, the bank was closed today. However, persons who were inside the building, particularly those in the restaurant on the top floor, were rescued swiftly. Officials from the Division No. 6 police station reached the spot. Eyewitnesses raised the alarm after noticing flames emanating from the first floor of the building and the restaurant area. Fire brigade officials said they got information about the fire around 12:40 pm. They reached the spot within 10 minutes and brought the blaze under control within an hour. They suspect that sparks from welding work within the building might Smoke emanates from the building in Model Town, Jalandhar, on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO have caused the fire. Police officials said timely response from the fire brigade team prevented the blaze from spreading further. Prelimi- nary investigations revealed welding sparks as the likely cause of the fire. However, other potential factors were also being examined. — TNS Crime also a reflection of maladjustment, poverty-related issues Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 22 In recent days, the district has been plagued by a series of several crime incidents. These include a tragic incident in which a youth shot his parents and sibling due to a property dispute, a heartbreaking case of parents fatally poisoning their three minor daughters, a mother and daughter being gunned down in broad daylight and a particularly distressing incident in which six family members, including three children, lost their lives due to an explosion in a refrigerator. A total of 17 fatalities have been reported in the region, with 14 occurring within the district and three in Phagwara. In Phagwara, a woman and her two children tragically lost their lives by jumping in front of a train on October 17. The incident that unfolded just two days ago, where the youth shot his parents and brother over property dispute, stands out as the most heinous and reprehensible crime in the district. It highlights how in these times, familial bonds seem to hold no significance and individuals can go to extreme lengths to achieve their desires. Meanwhile, the daytime murder of a woman and her daughter in Bhujbal village near Patara underscores the deteriorating law and order situation in the district, with criminals acting brazenly, unafraid of the police. The two motorcycle-borne individuals who committed the crime and attempted to set the house on fire remain at large, while the police continue to gather evidence and clues to apprehend them. FILE PHOTOS INBRIEF Cops inspect the triple murder spot at Tower Enclave, Phase 3, Jalandhar; and (below) a forensic team collects evidence from a house where a woman and her daughter were shot dead at Bhujwal village. RECENT INCIDENTS ■ A woman and her two children lost their lives by jumping in front of a train in Phagwara on October 17. ■ A youth shot his parents and brother over property dispute on October 19. ■ A woman and her daughter were murdered at their home by two motorcycle-borne persons in Bhujbal village near Patara on October 17. ■ Three girls, aged four, seven and nine, were served poisoned milk by their own parents in Kahanpur village on October 2. ■ Six family members, including three children, died in a fire at a house due to an explosion in a refrigerator in Avtar Nagar on the night of October 8. The tragic deaths of three girls, aged four, seven and nine, who were served poisoned milk by their own parents in Kahanpur village on October 2, reveal a distressing aspect of poverty, a pressing issue that often goes unaddressed. While some argue that blaming parents is unfair, given their dire circumstances and lack of financial resources, others believe that there are alternative ways to deal with poverty such as placing children in an orphan- age. Taking their lives was deemed unjustifiable. The debate continues, but it raises the crucial question of why poverty remains unaddressed, leading to such tragic incidents. Social activists in the city argue that the system bears responsibility for the deaths of these impoverished children as it fails to prioritise the lives of the poor in the country. They contend that the plight of those sleeping on streets or struggling to afford their daily meals goes largely unnoticed, while politicians focus on securing votes. Another incident that shook the city was the loss of six family members, including three children, in Avtar Nagar on the night of October 8. The family was watching a cricket match when a fire broke out due to an explosion in a refrigerator, reducing their world to ashes. An elderly woman, Balbir Kaur, who is grandmother of three children, is the sole survivor of the incident. She still remains inconsolable. After months, Doaba’s last breach plugged 3 housing scheme allottees Volunteers burst into celebrations; work on 2.5-km bundh faced hiccups Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 22 Loud cheers and victory slogans such as “Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal” and “Satnam Waheguru” from hundreds of volunteers wrung the air as the last bundh of Doaba at Ahli Kalan village in Sultanpur Lodhi was plugged on the intervening night of October 20 and 21. The 2.5-km (2,400 metre) bundh was the last of all Doaba bundhs to be plugged after the July floods, which damaged crops on thousands of acres in villages across Doaba this year. Hundreds of volunteers worked day and night for months to plug the breach. Due to the damaged banks of the Beas near Ahli Kalan, crops and houses of several villages were submerged for the past three months. The Ahli Kalan breach had affected Ahli Kalan, Ahli Khurd, Dhun Mand, Ahli Mand, Jamewal, Gamewal, Baakarke, Alluwal, Sarupwal, Sheikh Manga, Bharoana, Tibbi, Mand Inderpur, Qutabpur, Shahwala Andrisa, Mand Singhpur, Gudde, Fattewal and Singeki villages meet minister, submit memo Demand release of ~14-cr dues from Improvement Trust Tribune News Service Baba Sukha Singh, Balbir Singh Seechewal, Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Rana Inder Partap, along with villagers, celebrate after plugging the breach. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH among others. The Beas water was continuously flowing towards houses and crops for the past three months. The bundh also received at least two setbacks in August and September when water again flooded the region. Sand destroyed fields, burying crops under a fat layer. Amidst recurrent floodwater coming in, work to repair the bundh had to be suspended for a month. It again began on September 12. Death of two children during the plugging of Baupur bundh also led to the suspension of work for several days in solidarity with the family. After these setbacks, Baba Tara Singh, head of Sarhali Sahib, along with Baba Sukha Singh, offered ardaas (prayers) at the bundh on the completion of plugging work at 11 pm on October 20. Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Rana Inder Partap, who has also been a steadfast ally of flood-affected farmers in Sultanpur Lodhi, along with RS MP and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal, who also worked tirelessly for c m y b flood-hit farmers, also joined the celebrations. Gurjeet Singh, associate of Baba Sukha Singh, said: “Around 300 to 400 volunteers worked for months to plug this breach. This was the last and longest breach in Doaba. Now, Baba Sukha Singh will be plugging the final breach of the state at Munda village in Majha.” With wheat sowing work to start in the coming days, plugging of the breach will allow hundreds of families to prepare agricultural land for re-cultivation. Jalandhar, October 22 Allottees of three housing schemes - Indra Puram Master Gurbanta Singh Enclave, Bibi Bhani Complex and Surya Enclave Extension - met Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh at his residence today. They also handed over a memorandum to him demanding the release of their dues amounting to ~14 crore from the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT). The allottees told the minister about JIT’s persistent non-compliance of the directives issued by the district, state and national consumer commissions regarding the refund of their investments. They said the total sum stands at ~14 crore, which includes principal amount along with interest and compensation. Manohar Lal Sehgal, an allottee of Surya Enclave Allottees give a memorandum to Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh in Jalandhar on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO Extension, while requesting the intervention of the minister, informed him that they were struggling from last over a decade to get justice. He said the land allotted for the development scheme Surya Enclave Extension has been converted into a dumping zone due to negligence of JIT. “The past governments too failed to address the issue of corruption and failed housing schemes of the JIT. They didn’t take action against guilty officials. We hoped that the AAP government will order an inquiry, but it also failed to do anything so far,” Sehgal said, adding that they urged the minister to intervene and get their pending dues cleared. Meanwhile, the allottees also wrote to the Punjab Chief Minister a few days ago and sought his intervention in the matter.