16012024-LT-01.qxd 1/16/2024 1:01 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune GIRL DOES CITY PROUD IN NATIONAL SCHOOL GAMES ACTRESS NEHA DHUPIA TO MAKE A COMEBACK SAGAR PAREKH IMPRESSES ONE & ALL WITH HIS MOVES City judoka Ridhima bagged bronze in the below 40kg category of National School Games recently. P2 Neha Dhupia set to captivate audience once again as she unveils sixth season of her podcast, No Filter Neha.P3 Sagar is one of the wildcard contenders, who got an entry into Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa through his performance last week.P3 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 13°C | MIN 3°C YESTERDAY MAX 13.2°C | MIN 2.8°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.47 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7:25 AM TUESDAY | 16 JANUARY 2024 | LUDHIANA Rajasthan man booked on abduction charge ‘MURDER’ CASE OF FORMER AKAL TAKHT ACTING JATHEDAR GURDEV SINGH KAUNKE Three decades on, spouse seeks action against 21 cops Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Doraha, January 15 A minor girl went missing from Dugri village in Doraha three days ago. A case has been registered on the complaint of her father at the Doraha police station against the suspect of the same village under Sections 363 and 366 of the IPC. She was last seen on January 12. Her family tried to contact relatives and search her at all possible places from where she can be traced but to no avail. Hussain, the father of the girl, alleged that he suspects that Devi Lal, who was in touch with her daughter, had taken her away and kept her in his illegal custody. “My daughter was in touch with him. On January 12, she failed to reach the school and did not return home as well. On searching, we came to know that Devi Lal of the same village had tried to lure her and has now kept her hidden somewhere with an evil intention,” the father said. A case has been registered against the suspect at the Doraha police station. Investigating officer Sikander Raj said the whereabouts of the suspect were being ascertained. “Devi Lal, a resident of Anoopgarh in Rajasthan, was working as a labourer near Dugri village. Since he is also missing since the day of the incident, he is under suspicion. The father of the girl also lodged a complaint against him. Since we have managed to procure the suspect’s contact details, we are trying to track his whereabouts. Though his identity proof is still not with the police, the person is an adult as per information, he said. Ludhiana, January 15 Demanding the registration of a criminal case against 21 police personnel, including two former DGPs, in connection with the alleged murder of former Akal Takht acting Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke, his wife Gurmail Kaur of Kaunke Kalan village has submitted a complaint to the Jagraon police. She alleged that her husband was unlawfully taken into custody on December 25, 1992, and subsequently, killed by the Jagraon police. After 31 years since the alleged murder of her husband, Gurmail Kaur submitted a complaint to the police to register an FIR under Sections 302, 364, 365, 217, 218, 219, 201, 193, 196, 506 and 120-B of the TAKEN IN ILLEGAL CUSTODY, KILLED: WIFE In a complaint to the police, Gurmail Kaur alleges that her husband former Akal Takht acting Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke was taken in illegal custody in December 1992 and killed by the Jagraon police. After 31 years since the alleged murder of her husband, Gurmail Kaur submitted a complaint to the police to register an FIR under Sections 302, 364, 365, 217, 218, 219, 201, 193, 196, 506 and 120-B of the IPC against the suspects. IPC against the suspects. In her complaint, Gurmail Kaur stated that her husband, an ‘Amritdhari’ Sikh, who used to preach Gurbani to Sikh masses, was taken into police custody on December 20, 1992, by the then SHO Inspector Gurmeet Singh of Jagraon police station (now Sadar Jagraon police station). However, he was released due to the death of their daughter’s son (‘dohta’) after the intervention of respected individuals. Gurmail Kaur further alleged that on December 25, 1992, while Gurdev Singh was performing ‘katha’ in the village gurdwara, the police party, led by Inspector Gurmeet Singh, surrounded the gurdwara and attempted to forcibly take him away. The ‘sangat,’ about 200 in number, objected to the same. When Gurdev came to his house, he was taken away in a police Gypsy forcibly, in the presence of the inhabitants of Kaunke Kalan village, she alleged. Rivals fire shots at brothers after scuffle in Jain Colony Both victims have been admitted to pvt hospital Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 15 Following a confrontation, two brothers were shot by rivals in Jain Colony of Daba here on Monday. The injured brothers were rushed to a private hospital. A scuffle broke out in Jain Colony when two groups gathered to seek resolution regarding an assault incident. During the altercation, members of one group fired shots at members of the opposite group. As a result of the gunfire, two siblings, Maninder Singh, alias Baba (26), and Ranbir Singh, alias Laddu (24), from Kabir Nagar sus- tained injuries. Maninder was hit by two bullets on his leg and arm while Ranbir suffered a gunshot wound on his arm. According to information, another person also suffered injuries after he tried to intervene in the matter. Afterwards, the suspects managed to escape from the scene. Maninder and his brother were accompanied by another person, Inderjit Singh. Both brothers had a dispute with a young man residing in the Jain Colony area. Both parties had gathered there to settle the matter today. But the situation turned tense and a scuffle arose between the groups. Inderjit alleged that as soon as they arrived for negotiation, the members of the opposite party stood firm with weapons and refused to engage in any conversation. The suspects began hurling abuses and opened fire, leaving both brothers injured, Inderjit alleged. After the suspects opened fire, panic gripped the people in the vicinity, creating an atmosphere of fear. Before the arrival of the police, the suspects had already fled the scene. The injured were admitted to a hospital. According to the police, CCTV cameras are being checked and a probe into the case is underway. Gurmail Kaur alleged that her husband was neither formally arrested in any case nor produced in any court but was kept in illegal custody and tortured using thirddegree methods. She alleged that her husband was kidnapped from his house by the police on December 25, 1992, and he was never seen alive after December 28, 1992, adding that her husband was killed by the Jagraon police. In her complaint, she raised questions about the role of several senior police officials, accusing them of attempting to save and shelter responsible police officers from facing trial and conviction for the murder of Kaunke after torturing him to death in illegal custody. The SHO of the Sadar police station, Jagraon, could not be reached for comments regarding the complaint. Passengers face trouble as fog hits train services Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 15 Amid the foggy weather conditions, several trains are experiencing delays, causing inconvenience for passengers. Many have been stranded for hours due to prolonged train delays. As per information, Subedarganj SF Express was running late by around 12 hours. Scheduled to arrive at the Ludhiana railway station around 9:15 pm on Sunday, it reached the station this morning instead. Sachkhand Express also got delayed by around 6 hours, arriving in the afternoon instead of the scheduled time. Pooja Express, initially expected to reach the Ludhiana railway station by 10:45 pm on Sunday, arrived on Monday afternoon, facing a delay of around 14 hours. Jhelum Express, scheduled for Monday, faced a delay of about three hours. Besides, Jammu Tawi Express, Begampura Express, Chattisgarh Express, Howrah Amritsar Mail and some other trains were also running late. Narinderjit Singh, a passenger, expressed that he intended to travel to Delhi but the train he was scheduled to board was significantly delayed. He was waiting at the Ludhiana railway station for several hours with other passengers. Another person, who Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 15 In what appears to be another dubious distinction, Ludhiana has figured among 20 most polluted cities in the country, a latest study has revealed. Amritsar and Mandi Gobindgarh in the state were also listed among the 20 most polluted cities in India with maximum pollution levels, the national-level National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) study has said. While Ludhiana has been the worst among three most polluted Punjab cities with respect to PM10 pollution level, Mandi Gobindgarh has the maximum PM2.5 pollutants in the state. The NCAP study, which was released recently, was conducted by Climate Trends and Respirer Living Sciences. It examined the annual concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in non-attainment cities from 2019 to 2023 from the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) data. “An uptime filter of 50 per cent was applied to the data from all monitoring stations Amritsar, Mandi Gobindgarh also figure with maximum pollution levels Rising pollution levels resulted in dense smog cover in Ludhiana on Monday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN LUDHIANA WORST IN STATE Ranked 14th most polluted city in the country, Ludhiana has emerged as the worst polluted city in the state when it comes to the PM10 pollution level. However, Mandi Gobindgarh, which has ranked 10th (PM2.5) and 15th (PM10) most polluted city in India, has the maximum PM2.5 pollutants in Punjab. Amritsar has ranked 16th most polluted city in India with respect to PM2.5 pollution level. for 2023. Only those monitors with pollution data available for at least half of the year, or six months, were considered in this analysis,” Climate Trends Director Aarti Khosla said. She said the 50 per cent uptime filter was applied to the 2023 data so that comparisons could be made between cities as monitoring stations across the country record data for varying periods of time. The uptime filter also ensures that the data has a common variable – uptime – and as such, the data was more representative of the period of a year than if no filter was applied to the data. “After applying the 50 per cent uptime filter, data from all monitoring stations in a city was averaged to get the annual average city levels,” Khosla added. The NCAP study, a copy of which is with The Tribune, showed that Ludhiana has c m y b Cancellations According to a railway official at the enquiry counter, Sachkhand Express (down) is set to face cancellations from January 23 to February 6 while Sachkhand Express (up) will be cancelled from January 21 to February 4. Two held, 10 mobiles, bike recovered Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 15 Two persons have been arrested by the police for snatching and stealing vehicles. The police claimed to have recovered 10 snatched mobile phones and a stolen motorcycle allegedly from their possession. The suspects have been identified as Gaurav Kumar of Mohalla Bhandora of Phillaur and Ranjit of Mata Kalsi Nagar of Jalandhar. A case under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC has been lodged against them at the Salem Tabri police station. Investigating officer Shingara Singh said the duo were arrested when they were on the way to sell the snatched mobile phones. Passengers wait for their trains at the railway station in Ludhiana. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN City shivers at 2.8°C, no relief in sight Ludhiana, January 15 Ludhiana today shivered at a minimum temperature of 2.8°C and bone-chilling cold wave continued along with foggy conditions. The maximum temperature recorded today was 13.2°C. A thick layer of fog continued to engulf the city during morning and evening hours and disrupted the daily life of commuters and residents as well. Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, professor and head, Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology, PAU, said the weather was expected to remain dry with the possibility of dense fog during morning hours over Ludhiana and its adjoining areas during the next 24 hours. Red warning for dense to very dense fog, cold to very severe cold day and cold wave had been issued. To combat the bone-chilling temperature, people were seen siting around bonfires to keep themselves warm. “The temperature is going really down and there seems to be no respite from the same in coming days. The best way to beat the cold during the evening is sit around a bonfire Ludhiana among 20 most polluted cities in country, reveals study Nitin Jain had to travel via Sachkhand Express, said the expected arrival of the train at the Ludhiana railway station was around 7:35 am but it arrived in the afternoon on Monday. Numerous passengers were seen waiting for their trains on various platforms at the city’s railway station. A notable rush was also seen near the enquiry office. ranked 14th most polluted city in the country with respect to both PM2.5 (60.09) and PM10 (131.8) pollution levels. While Mandi Gobindgarh has figured 10th most polluted with respect to PM2.5 (67.9) pollutants and 15th with respect to PM10 (131.4) pollution level, Amritsar has ranked 16th most polluted city in India with respect to PM2.5 (59.3) pollutants. While Delhi has been ranked the top most polluted city in the country with maximum PM2.5 (102) pollution level, the national capital has been put on second most polluted city with respect to PM10 (208.4) pollutants. In PM10 pollution levels, Patna has emerged as the most polluted city in India with highest pollution level of 212.1, followed by Faridabad 196.4, Noda 194, Ghaziabad 184.3, Muzaffarpur 180.1, Meerut 169.7, Nalbari in Assam 153.9, Visakhapatnam 135.9, Surat 134.8, Baddi in Himachal Pradesh 134.7, Rourkela in Odisha 132.3, Gwalior 132.3, Jaipur 129.7, Asansol in West Bengal 128.5, Thane 126.7, Guwahati 126.5, and Badlapur in Maharashtra has been ranked 20th most polluted city in India with PM10 pollution level of 125.4. When it comes to PM2.5 pollutants, Patna has ranked second most polluted city in the country with pollution level of 89.5, followed by Faridabad 87.9, Muzaffarpur 83.6, Noida 83.6, Meerut 81.2m Ghaziabad 78, Nalbari 70.4, Dhanbad in Jharkhand 70.3, Gwalior 65.2, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh 64, Asansol 61.3, Baddi 60.2, Chandigarh 59.3, Rourkela 59.1, Guwahati 59, and Gaya in Bihar has emerged as 20th most polluted city in India with PM2.5 pollution level of 58.8. Of 131, 99 cities have monitoring system Of the 131 non-attainment cities, only 99 cities are equipped with continuous ambient air quality monitoring system (CAAQMS). The remaining 32 cities have manual monitors, which are part of the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). Of the 99 cities under the CAAQMS network, the 2023 data for all 99 NACs was available on the CPCB por- tal. Of these 99 cities, 92 had PM2.5 data with an uptime of 50 per cent, and 93 cities had PM10 data with an uptime of 50 per cent. The data till December 31, 2023, has been used in the analysis of the study. About the study The NCAP launched in 2019 , by the Union Government to combat air pollution in 131 non-attainment cities, has reached its initial five-year deadline. It has made air quality an important issue with good, consistent efforts but challenges remain in achieving targets that have been set. The programme’s initial target was to reduce PM10 and PM2.5 (ultra-fine particulate matter) by 20-30 per cent by 2024. The programme has received a substantial financial commitment of Rs 9,631.23 crore from the government to support its objectives. A positive development is the revision of the programme’s initial target to a 40 per cent reduction in particulate matter concentration by 2026, which demonstrates a commitment to more ambitious environmental goals. with friends. It seems like we are having an extended Lohri festival this year. Every day we are lighting a bonfire and enjoying some hot snacks,” said Preeti, a city resident. While for some it is an enjoyment, others are siting around bonfires to survive in the intense cold conditions. “Early mornings and nights have become so cold that we light a bonfire till keep ourselves warm. After coming back from work, I sit around the bonfire and have my dinner,” said Parkash, a daily wager. — TNS Man booked on charge of raping minor Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 15 A man has been booked for allegedly raping an eightyear-old girl at Bir Kishan Singh village near Khanna. The victim is the daughter of the suspect’s friend. The suspect has been identified as Bagu Buiya, who hails from Jharkhand and at present residing in a room at a poultry farm, where the incident occurred on January 4. The victim’s family had come to meet the man at the poultry farm. Following a complaint filed by the father of the minor victim, a first information report (FIR) under Sections 376, Indian Penal Code (IPC), and 6 of the POCSO Act was registered against the suspect at the Sadar Khanna police station. The police investigation is on and the suspect is yet to be arrested.
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