25102023-JTR-01.qxd 10/25/2023 12:36 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune 16 TEAMS TO VIE FOR TOP HONOURS IN 10-DAY CONTEST MEGAN THEE STALLION TO COME UP WITH A NEW TRACK ACTRESS REESE WITHERSPOON ON MOVIES SHE PREFERS DOING Stage is set for 40th Indian Oil Servo Surjit Hockey Tournament at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium. P2 Posts a video on Instagram, teasing a new track alongside what looks to be its potential new music video. P3 American actress Reese Witherspoon opens up about her obsession with comedy during panel discussion. P3 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 29°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 16°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5:41 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:32 AM WEDNESDAY | 25 OCTOBER 2023 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF TRIBUNE PHOTOS: MALKIAT SINGH MOBIKE STOLEN, CASE REGISTERED Phagwara: The Nakodar city police have booked an unidentified person on the charge of stealing a motorcycle. In his complaint to the police, Tirath Rattu, a resident of Ravidaspur Mohalla, Nakodar, said his motorcycle, bearing registration number PB-EH3218, was stolen from outside a bank on September 16. Investigating officer Rannjit Singh said a case under Section 379 of the IPC had been registered against the unidentified person. OC DRIVER BOOKED FOR RASH DRIVING Phagwara: The Nakodar Sadar police have booked an unidentified truck driver on the charge of causing death by negligence. Lakhwinder Sahni, a resident of Kulaar village, told the police that the truck, which was being driven in a negligent manner, hit his sister-in-law Soni Devi, who was on foot, at the Uggi bazaar on October 22. The victim, who suffered serious injuries in the mishap, breathed her last. She later succumbed to her injuries. Investigating officer Rajinder Singh said a case under Sections 304A (causing death by negligence) and 279 (rash driving on a public road) of the IPC had been registered against the unidentified truck driver. OC PASSERSBY NAB TWO SNATCHERS Addresses gathering during Dasehra celebrations in Hoshiarpur Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, October 24 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today gave a clarion call to people to take a solemn pledge to wipe out social maladies in the state on this Dasehra, the festival that marks the victory of good over evil. Addressing the gathering here during Dasehra celebrations organised by Shri Ram Leela Committee, the Chief Minister said it was a matter of pride and satisfaction that over 1.5 lakh people converged here to celebrate the festival. Mann asked the administration to make elaborate arrangements to ensure that the festival was celebrated on a much larger scale in the coming times. He said the venue, known as Dasehra ground, must be extended further in future for which required steps must be taken. The Chief Minister said the government was making concerted efforts to help Punjab emerge as the hub of medical education. He said under-construction medical college in Hoshiarpur would be operational from the coming year. More developmental projects would be initiated in Hoshiarpur, thus giving Demons go up in flames Effigies of Kumbhakarn, Meghnad and Ravana set on fire during the Dasehra celebrations in Jalandhar on Tuesday. The festival was celebrated at 20 venues across the city. An 80-ft tall effigy of Ravana was consigned to flames at the Sain Dass School ground. BIKER KILLED IN ROAD ACCIDENT Jalandhar, October 24 A minor girl was allegedly raped by a man at Tilak Nagar here on October 21. The victim’s mother, who works in a factory here, said she got worried after her younger daughter, a student of Class V did not return home , from school after 2 pm. She frantically searched for her daughter till 5.30 pm. Meanwhile, the victim returned home, visibly frightened. The stadium being inaugurated at Rurka Kalan village. TRIBUNE PHOTO Tribune News Service Phagwara: A man died on the spot after the motorcycle (bearing registration number PB-9N7685) he was riding was hit by a speeding vehicle from the rear near Rawalpindi village on the PhagwaraHoshiarpur road on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Bhabhiana village. The incident took place while he was coming to Phagwara. He was brought to the Civil Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The police have registered a case under Sections 279, 304-A and 427 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the unidentified vehicle driver. The body was handed over to the family members after the post-mortem examination. OC a facelift to the city. Recalling his younger days, the Chief Minister said he used to go to Sunam to celebrate the festival of Dasehra. The Chief Minister said: “The Dasehra festival inspires us to remain grounded, keep our anger under control and stay away from hate. Our nation has an age-old tradition of celebrating this festival, which plays a vanguard role in promoting goodwill, peace and communal harmony in society, besides showing us the way of ideal living to carve out an egalitarian and harmonious society”. “On this day, we should vow to make our state frontrunner in the country by getting rid of all social maladies. The true essence of Dasehra lies in fighting against injustice, evil and egos with love and secularism,” he said. Cabinet Minister Bram Shankar Jimpa, MLA Urmur Tanda Jasvir Singh Raja Gill, MLA Dasuya Karambir Singh Ghuman, MLA Sham Chaurasi Dr Ravjot Singh, Senior Additional Advocate General Inderpal Singh Dhanna, Mayor Surinder Kumar, and president of Shri Ram Leela Committee Gopi Chand Kapoor were present on the occasion. Members of the Ram Leela Committee honour Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann; and (below) an effigy of Ravana being burnt in Hoshiarpur on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS Rurka Kalan gram Father of 2 held for raping minor Man attacked with panchayat gets Khed, baseball bats, dies Dasehra stadium Tribune News Service Phagwara: Passersby nabbed two snatchers who were fleeing after snatching gold earrings from a woman, Gurbax Kaur, near the DSP office in Phillaur on Monday. The incident took place when the victim was returning home. The woman raised an alarm, following which passersby nabbed the snatchers. They were later handed over to the police. OC Pledge to wipe out social maladies from state: CM Jalandhar, October 24 Sarpanch Kulwinder Kaur Kauldhar’s visionary leadership has propelled the transformation of the Rurka Kalan gram panchayat into a remarkable cultural, sports and heritage beacon for the entire nation. Collaborative endeavours between the panchayat, Youth Football Club (YFC), Rurka Kalan, and various partners have infused over ~11 crore into a diverse range of infrastructure projects. In a move to preserve the region’s cultural and sports legacy, the panchayat unveiled the “Bhagwan Shri Ram Chander Khed and Dasehra Stadium” today. This state-of-the-art stadium boasts of an impressive seating capacity of 1,000 persons, changing rooms, modern restroom facilities, a rain gun irrigation system, and a meticulously manicured grass pitch, ensuring a seamless SEATING CAPACITY OF 1,000 PERSONS This state-of-the-art stadium boasts of an impressive seating capacity of 1,000 persons, changing rooms, modern restroom facilities, a rain gun irrigation system, and a meticulously manicured grass pitch, ensuring a seamless experience for athletes and spectators. experience for athletes and spectators. Additionally, the stadium stands as an architectural marvel, featuring exposed brickwork and a design that pays homage to the rich history of the region. Sarpanch Kulwinder Kaur officially dedicated the stadium to the public on the occasion of Dasehra. Kulwinder said: “It is destined to become a cherished space for the residents of Rurka Kalan and the neighbouring Raj Gomal village, ushering in a new era of tradition, sports and community unity”. On questioning, the victim told her mother that while returning home school, a man, who worked at a salon, forcibly took her to a deserted area in Tilak Nagar on his motorcycle, where he allegedly raped her. The victim’s mother went to the salon and asked the workers about his whereabouts. They told her about the suspect, who was identified as Veer Chandra, alias Vijay, a resident of Khurla Khingra. Family members took the girl to a hospital for medical examination. They sought severe punishment for the suspect. Hardev Singh, SHO of the Bhargava Camp police station, said a case had been registered against the suspect under Sections 376 and Section 4 of the POCSO Act. He said the suspect was arrested immediately after they received the complaint. Further investigations were on into the matter. The suspect was a father of two children. Smoke from stubble burning threat to motorists, leads to fatal mishaps 2 persons died last year; points to urgency for tackling situation Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 24 Stubble burning remains a matter of concern for government agencies like the agriculture department and Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) during the harvesting season every year. Several camps are organised and messages disseminated to convince farmers not to burn the paddy stubble. Apart from polluting the environment and posing health risks to residents, stubble burning can be more devastating as it results in fatal mishaps because of smoke emanating from the burning pile. Last year, lives of two families turned upside down when they lost their members in an accident that took place because of smoke from the burning stubble in the Shahkot area. The deceased were identi- c m y b fied as Hardev Singh (58) from Nimajipur village and Gurdev Singh (15) from Heran Bhoop Singh village. Both were reportedly coming from opposite sides and died on the spot due to a head-on collision as their view was blocked by the thick smoke cover caused by stubble burning in a village. The incident happened on October 15 last year. A year later, Baljit Kaur, mother of Gurdev Singh, who was heading home from tuition and died in the accident, said she was devastated. “I have nothing to say. I had planned a bright and great future for him, he was in Class 8 and suffered a tragic death,” she said. Now, Baljit Kaur lives with her father-in-law. She had lost her husband 10 years ago. “I am just numb with shock,” she said. As per the information, as many as 1,549 stubble burning incidents were reported in 2019. The tally increased in 2020 when the district witnessed 1,763 incidents. In 2021, more than 1,800 incidents were reported and in 2022, above 2,000 cases were recorded. The cases are on the rise every year. Avinash Kumar, Sarpanch of Bajra village in Jalandhar, has set a great example. For the last five years, no stubble burning cases have been reported in the village. “I witnessed two elderly people on the road who were feeling dizzy as a result of smoke emanating from a farm fire. I shared the incident with my family and then got to know that several people had even lost their lives because of severe burns. That was the time I decided not to burn stubble again,” he shared. Our Correspondent Phagwara, October 24 A man was allegedly murdered at Bilga village near Phillaur late last night. The deceased has been identified as Jagdeep, alias Jaggi. According to reports, armed youths came to Jagdeep’s house. They met his mother Mahinder Kaur and asked her about his whereabouts. They met Jaggi outside his house and attacked him with baseball bats. The assailants, however, managed to flee. Jaggi was brought to the Nurmahal hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The police registered a case under Sections 302, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC against FOUR HELD, 2 STILL AT LARGE: COPS The police on Tuesday arrested four persons - Sahil, Gurpreet, Sajan and Vikki, all residents of the same village, - on the charge of murdering Jaggi. Two other assailants were still at large, the police said. the suspects. The body of the deceased was handed over to the family after the post-mortem examination. The police today arrested four persons - Sahil, Gurpreet, Sajan and Vikki, all residents of the same village, - on the charge of murdering Jaggi. Two other assailants were still at large, the police said. Armed assailants open fire at villager, booked Our Correspondent Phagwara, October 24 Armed assailants shot at and wounded a man in Narangshahpur village near here today. The injured person, Manjit Singh (64), was brought to the Civil Hospital with gunshot and sharp weapon injuries. Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Lehmber Ram said owing to his serious condition, Manjit was referred to Jalandhar after administering first aid. Old enmity is said to be the reason behind the crime. The assailants man- aged to flee leaving the victim in a pool of blood. Surinder Singh of the same village, who brought Manjit to the Civil Hospital in a critical condition, said the assailants fired three gunshots. Some of them attacked Manjit with sharp weapons. The bullets hit him in the abdomen and the right leg. The police have registered a case against the suspect. No arrest has been made so far.