11112023-JTR-01.qxd 11/11/2023 12:51 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune AZAD HOUSE GETS BEST HOUSE TROPHY FOR OVERALL PERFORMANCE The annual function of Sainik School, Kapurthala, concluded on Friday with a colourful programme. P2 » DWAYNE JOHNSON APPROACHED TO RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has been approached by political parties to run in the next US election. P3 JASON MOMOA’S ACCLAIMED FILM DEEP RISING TO PREMIERE IN INDIA Hollywood star Jason Momoa’s highly acclaimed film Deep Rising will be making its Indian premiere at ALT EFF. P3 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 26°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 20°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET SATURDAY 5.31 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:52 AM SATURDAY | 11 NOVEMBER 2023 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF THEFT ACCUSED PO ARRESTED Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for the last three years. Station House Officer Yadwinder Singh said the accused was identified as Malkit Singh, alias Nihala, a resident of Warra Budh Singh village. The accused is wanted in a case of theft registered in 2017. A stolen motorcycle was recovered from him. OC 2 HELD ON CHARGE OF SNATCHING 11K Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have arrested two miscreants on the charge of snatching cash and a smartphone. Investigating officer (IO) Bhajan Singh said the suspects had been identified as Harsh Kumar of Mulle Wal Bahmanna village and Kiranjit Singh, alias Billa, of Mulle Wal Khehra village. Balwinder Singh of Nawan Pind Akalian village had complained to the police that two bike-borne persons had snatched ~11,000 and a smartphone from him. The IO said a case was registered against the suspects and a smartphone and a sharp weapon was recovered from them. OC MAN ARRESTED UNDER NDPS ACT Phagwara: The Nakodar Sadar police have arrested a drug peddler on the charge of selling heroin. Station House Officer (SHO) GS Nagra said 10 gram of heroin was recovered from the possession of the suspect, identified as Makhann, a resident of Chak Kalan village. The SHO said a case under Sections 21-B, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act had been registered against the suspect. Sub-Inspector Som Nath was conducting further investigation into the matter, the SHO added. OC MOGA MAN HELD FOR STEALING BIKE Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a Moga district resident on the charge of stealing a motorcycle. Investigating Officer (IO) Balvir Singh said the suspect was identified as Pawan, a resident of Ket Esse Khan. The IO said a case under Sections 379 (Theft) and 411 (Dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the IPC had been registered against the suspect. The police recovered a stolen motorcycle without registration number from his possession, the IO said. OC SC/ST Morcha demands Bihar CM’s resignation Phagwara, November 10 Punjab SC/ST Morcha president Sucha Ram Ladhar has criticised the statement of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Condemning the Opposition leaders, Ladhar said the silence of top INDIA alliance leadership was dangerous to society. Ladhar alleged that Opposition leaders like the Bihar CM, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal MP Mahua Moitra were apparently setting wrong precedents for Indian youths to emulate. He said women in India cutting across party lines should unite and demand the resignation of Nitish Kumar. Notably, Nitish Kumar was in the news for his reported “anti-women” remarks. — TNS Father-son duo killed in Forced to live in leaking tents, people face harsh weather conditions in Lohian gas cylinder explosion Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 10 A 45-year-old man and his 17-year-old son died when a cooking gas cylinder exploded at their house in Satnam Nagar locality here around noon on Friday. Harpal Singh and his son Jashan died on the spot while Harpal’s wife suffered burn injuries. It is learnt that her condition is critical. Harpal’s sister Manjit said she was cooking food in the outer area of the house when she heard a blast inside. Manjit said she sounded an alert and their neighbours immediately came for help. Manjit and a three-year-old son of Harpal, who was in the house at the time of the incident, had a miraculous escape. Nirmal Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said he visited the house soon after the incident and saw an exploded LPG cylinder. Since the family was engaged in making rubber plates for weights used in gyms, these A neighbour tries to console a relative of the deceased near new grain market in Jalandhar on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO items too caught fire and there was a big explosion. Harpal and his son were rushed to the Civil Hospital where they were declared brought dead. Teams of forensic experts collected samples and evidence to find the exact cause behind explosion of the LPG cylinder. Initially, it was perceived that the incident was the outcome of blast of the refrigerator compressor, but it had Surpriseinspectionofsweet shops, samples collected Officials inspect a sweet shop in Nakodar. TRIBUNE PHOTO Phagwara, November 10 During the launch of a campaign to check the sale of adulterated sweets and milk products in the ongoing festive season, Jai Inder Singh and Dr Irwin Kaur, both SDMs, carried out a surprise checking at sweet shops in Phagwara and Nakodar, respectively, on Thursday. The SDMs and food safety teams inspected sweet shops and their manufacturing units. They also checked the place where sweets were prepared. The SDMs said the checking of shops would continue till Diwali. Later, the teams headed by Food Safety Officers issued notices for unhygienic conditions in shops and took samples of various products. — OC been completely ruled out, said Kuldeep Chahal, Commissioner of Police (CP). “Our experts are on the job to find how the cylinder exploded or if there was any malafide attempt to cause an explosion,” the CP said. This is the second explosion in a house in the city. Earlier, a refrigerator blast killed six members of a family at Anand Nagar near here on October 8. No stubble burning case in two dists Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 10 After days of raging farm fires in Jalandhar and Kapurthala, not a single case of stubble burning was reported in the two districts today. The average air quality index (AQI) witnessed a low of 180 for the day today as the Jalandhar received fresh showers. The day’s maximum AQI, however, was 348. Until yesterday, 908 farm fires were reported in Jalandhar. In Kapurthala, 903 stubble burning cases were reported till Thursday. The teams of the Police Department are carrying out regular drives to educate farmers about the harmful effects of farm fires. The teams are also visiting villages to check farm fire incidents. Decorationlightscatchresidents’fancy Jalandhar, November 10 Leaking tents, chill in the air, water everywhere and no proper clothes to wear. This is the condition of people, who have been living in tents, after floods hit several villages of Lohian block. They feel distressed because of not being able to enjoy the festival season after losing shelter in the deluge. The rain today further aggravated their problems. People from Dhakka Basti village have installed tents and spending days and nights in tough weather conditions. “No one can imagine our plight. It’s a tough time for us. Everything seems gloomy. Darkness has surrounded us,” said Gurbachan Singh, who has been living in a tent for the last four months after he lost his house in Women from Dhakka Basti village, who lost their houses in deluge, sit in a tent in Lohian, Jalandhar. MALKIAT SINGH floods. He said they needed immediate help. Another daily wager Buta Singh said it was a hell-like situation for them. He said, “We lost everything in floods. We are struggling to live each day. Today, the rain has worsened our situation.” Earlier, these villagers were living in tents under scorching heat amid tough conditions at Nahl Mandi in Lohian. During the harvesting season, they were asked to move from the mandi after which they installed their tents at various place in a hope that the government would provide shelter for them soon. “There is no rest for us. People are staying in their homes and celebrating Dhanteras. They would be celebrating Diwali in coming days. We are living here without shelter and feel unpleasant,” said another tent dweller. 20-kg poppy husk seized, 29 liquor boxes recovered from house in special operation Drive to curb drug menace launched Jalandhar, November 10 During a special operation carried out by the Jalandhar (Rural) police against antisocial elements, a drug smuggler was nabbed and 20 kg of poppy husk was recovered from his possession yesterday. Mukhvinder Singh, SSP Jalandhar (Rur, al) headed the drive. The police said a CIA staff team during patrolling from Dhandor village to Jandu Singha village on Thursday spotted a man driving a motorcycle with a sack tied on his two-wheeler. The police stopped the man for checking. On being questioned, the man identified himself as Kuldip Singh, alias Gogi, a resident of Dhaliana in Haripur. When the police searched the sack tied to his motorcycle, 20 kg of poppy husk was found in it. A case under Sections 15B, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act was registered against Kuldip at the Patara police station. The suspect told the police he pursued farming. The police Phagwara, November 10 During the launch of the campaign against drug menace, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vatsla Gupta checked various places in Phagwara and Kapurthala. Dressed in the civvies, the SSP visited Phagwara in a private car and checked sensitive places, including Eastwood village near the LPU and some eating joints on Thursday night. The SSP said the police had intensified its operations against anti-social elements in the district. The SSP said people won’t be allowed drink liquor at public places. Besides holding a flag march in different areas, the SSP said nakas had been laid across the district and checking of suspicious persons intensified. Gurpreet Singh, Superintendent of Police, Phagwara, and Jaspreet Singh, DSP were also pres, ent on the occasion. A drug peddler in custody of the Jalandhar (Rural) police. said cases of selling poppy husk were already registered against him. The suspect was presented in a court, which sent him to police custody. In another incident, a police party on patrol duty at Nahal Gate received a tip-off that an unidentified man had stored English and country-made liquor in a haveli (House). A raid was conducted and 19 boxes of Blenders Pride whisky and 10 boxes of Inspector (sic) whisky were recovered from a room in the house. The police said during investigation, it came to the fore that Harpal Singh, a resident of Nahal village, from whose house the liquor was recovered, had rented his property to Anil Kumar, alias Sony Cylinderan Wala, a resident of Leather Complex Road, Kamal Vihar, Basti Peerdaad. Anil had been preparing illicit liquor at the house. A case under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act was registered at the Lambra police station against the suspect in this connection. The police said Anil was absconding and raids were on to nab him. — TNS Our Correspondent Two fake Andhra travel agents held Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 10 With most markets abuzz in the ongoing festival season, it is the electrical goods market at Phagwara Gate which is learnt to be doing a roaring business these days. The number of shoppers is especially surging owing to Diwali-related purchase. Shopkeepers here said that there were many buyers going in for purchase of home and kitchen appliances with a demand for mixers, juicers, toasters, heaters, geysers, electric and fancy lamps, irons and other items. The items which are attracting buyers more this time are the warm fairy lights in different lighting patterns and colours. “The most in-thing this time are the waterfall lights, curtain lights, butterfly tree lights, still pixel lights and double pixel lights which tend to brighten up homes for Diwali. The best part in these new lights is that they are all LED with wattage as low as 9 against the usual 40 People buy designer lights at a market in Jalandhar. SARABJIT SINGH watt lights that were available till the last few years. Water diyas which remain lit for five days once water has been poured in them are also in demand,” said Amit Sehgal, who has a showroom in Phagwara Gate Market. Parminder Singh, who too deals in lights, said string lights in the shape of stars, flowers and golden leaves were in popular demand. “Most light strings being sold here are China-made. The traders in Delhi send us pictures of the latest items which we order from here. The prices of these lights are so attractive that people do not mind purchasing and disposing them of after a month. A 40feet length of string of designer lights is available for as low as Rs 80. Water diyas come for just Rs 30,” he said as he also displayed neon lights with wordings like ‘Shubh Deepawali’ or religious symbols. c m y b Amritsar, November 10 The CIA staff have arrested two fake travel agents of Andhra Pradesh for allegedly duping people and sending them to Arabian nations on tourist visa illegally after tampering their documents. They were identified as Illa Satya Narain Murty and Chilu Kuri Balaji of Godawary in Andhra Pradesh. Dilbagh Singh, in-charge, CIA Staff II, said a police team was standing at Mirakot Chow on Airport Road when they got a tip-off that two persons of some other state were standing near a hotel near the railway station. They were putting up here for the past three days and were involved in sending people to Arab countries on tourist visa after tampering with their documents. Dilbagh Singh said the police team arrested the two Andhra Pradesh men and recovered four passports with visa, two rubber stamps, pen and six mobile phones from them. They were produced in a court, which remanded them in police custody. — TNS Women purchase brass and steel utensils on the occasion of Dhanteras in Jalandhar. MALKIAT SINGH Rain fails to dampen Dhanteras spirit Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 10 As it poured heavily in Jalandhar for at least five hours this morning, it affected Dhanteras sales in the city during the morning. Since it rained continuously from 7 am onwards till noon, a lot of water accumulated on the city roads making it difficult for any- one to enter the old city market areas for buying utensils, jewellery, coins and other items. As the rainfall subsided, people started coming out of their houses and roads were completely packed to capacity. There was bumper to bumper traffic on all roads leading to Model Town, Rainak Bazaar and other markets. Brass uten- sils remained more in demand. Even as the rate of gold remained Rs 62,010 per 10 gram today, it did not deter buyers from purchasing jewellery. Even automobile companies got a good response from buyers. Amit Mittal, a car dealer, said the sales of the latest models of Swift, Brezza, Fronx and Baleno remained all-time high.