11042024-ATR-01.qxd 4/11/2024 12:44 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY SUKHMANI SAHIB ‘PATH’ FOR BJP OFFICE INAUGURATION ZEENAT AMAN: LIVE TOGETHER BEFORE GETTING MARRIED JANHVI KAPOOR CONFIRMS RELATIONSHIP WITH SHIKHAR BJP leaders held Sukhmani Sahib ‘path’ on the premises of the new state office for the LS polls. P2 Actor Zeenat Aman has advised her fans to choose a live-in relationship before getting married. P4 MAX 35°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 18°C The actress was seen wearing a custom-made neckpiece with the inscription ‘Shikhu’ on it. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 6.57 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.05 AM » THURSDAY | 11 APRIL 2024 | AMRITSAR NTA refutes rumours on polls and exam eligibility Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 10 The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued a clarification over rumours circulating in social media claiming that individuals who vote during the General Election and have their fingers inked would not be allowed entry into examination centres/halls in competitive exams conducted by NEET like CUET. The notice issued on April 9, on behalf of Dr Sadhana Parasher, Senior Director, NTA, states that there will be no impact on examination eligibility for voters during General Elections. Refuting the rumours, the notice states that the “above messages are completely baseless and NTA has not issued any such instruction/guideline. It further states that students are requested not to pay heed to such rumours and exercise continued on page 2 Littering by visitors at GNDH an open invite to disease outbreak Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 10 If you happen to visit patients’ wards at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, you will be welcomed by ugly sights of heaps of garbage, especially plastic bags, dropped by attendants of patients and visitors to the hospital. Safai sevaks of the hospital complain that instead of putting plastic bags and other waste into dustbins, which are placed inside every ward and in the corridors, most visitors find it convenient to throw waste out of the window in the open space near their wards. It not only causes accumulation of garbage but also poses a threat of the outbreak of an epidemic. While garbage from the dustbins is regularly shifted to the garbage collection points from where it is lifted by workers of the waste management company, garbage heaps in the open spaces adjacent to the wards continue to pile up. “People must use the dustbins. The hospital has a huge Police nab another accused in honey-trap, robbery case PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Garbage lies strewn outside a ward in Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR campus but staff is not sufficient to sweep the entire area daily, more so when the focus is on keeping the inside part of the building clean,” said a safai worker. Hospital employees stated that it is not possible to keep an eye on everyone inside the wards. “Moreover they might feel offended if somebody asks them to not throw waste out of the window,” said a nursing staff member. She said most of the patients coming to the hospital do not take it as their responsibility to keep their surroundings clean. Hospital officials stated that slogans written on walls asking people to use dustbins and to not throw waste here and there have been painted at various places in all the buildings. Every visitor must not throw waste as it is not possible for the sanitation workers to collect it from the open spaces, stated a doctor, adding that each ward has dustbins to segregate waste so that medical waste does not get mixed with other waste. Amritsar, April 10 City police have made a third arrest in the case in which a youth and his friend were honey-trapped and robbed of their bike and mobile phones last month. The accused arrested was identified as Jugraj Singh alias Shooter (20) of Patti Road, Bhikhiwind, in Tarn Taran. The police had already nabbed a girl Tajpreet Kaur of Maqboolpura area and Rashpal Singh aka Rishi of Sugga village in Bhikhiwind (Tarn Taran). The incident occurred when the girl called the victims to Ramgarhia gate near Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh on March 15. The victim was shot at by the accused leaving him injured. Following this, a case of attempt to murder and robbery was registered with Islamabad police against The accused in custody of the Amritsar police on Wednesday. three unknown armed persons in this connection. Dr Darpan Ahluwalia, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, said the accused along with his accomplices Sajan Patti, Gurdas Valtoha and Karandeep Singh of Algo Khurd village had shot at victim Gurjant Singh of Sanghna village, a social worker. Giving details, she said that Tajpreet Kaur sent a friendship request on Instagram to Gurjant and they became friends. She said Tajpreet Kaur called Gurjant on March 14 to meet her near Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh. He said the next day, he borrowed his friend Parminder Singh’s Bullet motorbike and reached near Ramgarhia gate. Later, Tajpreet told her to accompany her for Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Centre at Chabal road for taking her certificate. He said he took her and went to the centre. He was standing outside while the girl went inside the centre. She said three unknown bike-borne youth who were also standing there came near and started thrashing him. They shot at him and the bullet hit him in the leg. The accused then snatched the bike and his mobile mobile phone besides around Rs 8,000 in cash from him and fled. The ADCP said investigations revealed that Tajpreet and her accomplice Rashpal Singh alias Rishi had hatched the conspiracy to honey trap and rob Gurjant Singh. The police had recovered the bike from them. Rashpal was a notorious criminal with a history. He has nine criminal cases of dacoity, robbery, murder bid and under provisions of Arms Act and NDPS Act against him at various police stations in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and State Special Operation Cell here. PensionerscondemnAAPgovt, Advances spurned, Youth’s murder over kite flying: fourth suspect lands in cop net accuse it of ignoring demands man shoots at woman’s spouse Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, April 10 The Government Pensioners’ Union, Tarn Taran, in its meeting held at the local Gandhi Municipal Park on Wednesday condemned the state government for its indifferent attitude towards the current demands of the retired employees of the state government. They said the union must oppose the state government by voting against the AAP candidates in the coming LS election. The meeting was presided over by Karam Singh Lalpura, district president of the union. Dr Ajmer Singh, Jaswinder Singh Manochahal, Bakhshish Singh and Kulwant Singh Gill were among others who addressed the gathering. Condemning the state government, they said it had total- Tribune News Service Members of the pensioners’ union during a meeting in Tarn Taran on Wednesday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI ly forgotten its promise, made in the run-up to the Assembly election, to accept their demands. The leaders said the union has decided to oppose the AAP in the LS poll. They also condemned the Union Government for its pro-corporate sector policies and the repressive attitude towards the opposition lead- ers and called upon the masses to ensure the defeat of the BJP in the LS election. They demanded the removal of the anomalies of the Sixth Pay Commission, 66-month’s arrears, revival of the old pension scheme and the cashless health scheme and other demands of the pensioners. — OC Amritsar, April 10 Over a month after a youth was shot at by an estranged lover in Islamabad area, the police have arrested the prime accused, identified as Navpreet Singh (31), of Kot Khalsa area here on Tuesday. He had shot at Gaganpreet Singh when he was going to TB hospital to give lunch to a relative on February 29. The police have recovered a .32 bore licensed pistol and bike used in the crime from his possession, said Dr Darpan Ahluwalia, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) here on Wednesday. He was arrested from Kabir Park chowk. Gaganpreet Singh had stated to the police that he was a taxi driver and was married in September last year. He said the accused was in a relationship with his wife before marriage. However, he continued to harass her even after marriage putting pressure on her to continue the relationship though he was asked to refrain from it. He said on February 29, he along with his wife was going to TB hospital to deliver lunch when the accused came on a bike and entered into an argument with him. He said the accused took out a pistol and shot at him. He fled from the spot while threatening to kill him. Amritsar, April 10 The Division B police have arrested fourth suspect wanted in the murder case in which a youth, identified as Haramandeep Singh (23), was shot dead over a minor dispute over kite flying in Azad Nagar, Sultanwind Road, here on February 5. He was identified as Deepak Singh, alias Deepu, of Friends Colony, Sultanwind road. The police have recovered a .32 bore pistol along with five rounds from his possession. Earlier, the police had arrested Jugraj Singh, alias Lal, Aditya Bedi, alias Andy, and Shamsher Singh, alias Shera, from Ludhiana within 12 hours of the incident. As per information, during PASSING COMMENT TRIGGERS CLASH During kite flying on February 5, Harmandeep and his friends, including Robin and Amritpal, had snapped the kite of the other group led by Parminder Bedi. They had allegedly passed some comments. This enraged the Parminder Bedi group who also threatened them on WhatsApp. Before the clash in the evening, both groups had a verbal duel twice kite flying on February 5, Harmandeep and his friends, including Robin and Amritpal, had snapped the kite of the other group led by Parminder Bedi. They had allegedly passed some comments. This enraged the Parminder Bedi group who also threatened them on WhatsApp. Before the clash in the evening, both groups had a verbal duel twice. In the evening, both groups came face to face and a verbal exchange soon turned into heated arguments and clash. A member of one of the groups allegedly fired a gunshot that hit Harmandeep in the back. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital from where he was referred to a private hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Law & Order, Amritsar, Alam Vijay Singh said though the police nabbed three suspects from Ludhiana within 12 hours of the incident, their accomplices were still absconding. Aditya Bedi’s brother Parminder Bedi was yet to be arrested. The accused used to work as bouncers. 31-yr-old shot dead FLO Amritsar chapter to hold round Independents add colour and spice to at village near Beas table as platform for social causes electoral battles Amritsar, April 10 Pritpal Singh (31), a resident of Hasanpur village at Beas here, was shot dead by three unidentified persons in Tarsikka area here on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. The police were yet to find any breakthrough in the case so far. Baljit Singh, a resident of Hasanpur village in Beas, said Pritpal was his younger son and used to work as a truck driver. He said on Monday he went out of the house for some work and did not return till late in the evening. He said when the family members called him, he said he would come late and not to cook his dinner. He said at around 2am on Wednesday, he got a call from unidentified who told that Pritpal was shot near Muchhal village and they were taking him to a private hospital. They immediately rushed to hospital where his dead body was lying outside. Hospital authorities said three unidentified had accompanied him who later flee the spot. He had a bullet injury on his head. The police have registered a case and started investigation. — TNS Patient booked for molesting doc Tarn Taran, April 10 A patient, admitted to the local Civil Hospital, reportedly molested a woman doctor who was on duty on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. ASI, Tarn Taran (city), Surjit Singh, investigating officer in the case, said the accused has been identified as Anansh- meet Singh of Tarn Taran. The ASI said the accused managed to escape from the hospital after committing the crime. He said the accused was under the influence of drugs at the time of committing the crime. The police have registered a case against the accused. — OC Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 10 The Amritsar chapter of FLO (FICCI Ladies Organisation) commenced its seventh year under the chairmanship of Dr Simarpreet Sandhu with the inaugural event titled ‘Agaaz...Ek Nayee Subah Ka’. The event saw actor Neha Dhupia bringing in the glam quotient as she participated as guest of honour, while sharing her idea of women empowerment and community development. Known for her versatility as an actor, model and television personality, Neha shared her experience as an actor, as a mother and as a professional while trying to find balance. Beyond her entertainment career, she is a vocal advocate of social causes, using her platform to promote awareness about issues such as women’s rights and body positivity. Earlier in the day, Dhupia also paid obei- Actor Neha Dhupia (C) along with FICCI FLO president Simarpreet Kaur Sandhu ( second from left) and other core members during an event in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR sance at Golden Temple. Dr Simarpreet V Sandhu, the newly inducted chairperson of FLO Amritsar chapter, was honoured by past chairs Gowri Bansal, Arushi Verma, Meeta Mehra, Manjot Dhillon and Himani Arora. The event c m y b also featured the unveiling of the Rural Livelihood Initiative by Neha Dhupia, aimed at improving the economic and social well-being of rural women and women at grassroots level. “This year, we are starting with the FLO Round Table 24-25, featuring a lighthearted conversation where our FLO ladies will engage in interactive discussions with our guests,” said Dr Simarpreet V Sandhu. As part of the event, FLO Amritsar honoured five women for their outstanding dedication and contribution to empowering women in terms of rural livelihood. Navshant Chinna, Prabhjot Wadala, Gurvinder Kaur, Sawinder Kaur and Khushwinder Kaur were recognised for their constant commitment to uplifting women in rural areas, making a significant impact on their lives and enabling them to become self-reliant, resilient and active participants in their communities. “Their leadership, compassion and tireless efforts have not only transformed individual lives but have also contributed to the sustainable development of rural economies,” remarked Dr Simarpreet V Sandhu. Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 10 Independents enter the fray each time elections are announced. Big parties vie for star candidates to draw the attention of voters. Here are some independent candidates who have been contesting elections for long. Hence, they have become easily recognisable yet their popularity does not get translated into votes. BK Sharma and Sham Lal Gandhi have been contesting nearly all elections for the past two decades. This time too, they are raring to jump into the poll arena. BK Sharma, who runs a successful eating joint, said he would contest for the ninth time this year. He has already fought three Lok Sabha and an equal number of assembly elections besides the MC elections twice. He had garnered over 3,000 votes in the assembly election held over two and half years ago. He is a famous social worker as he cremated over 800 unclaimed dead bodies and distributing free of cost vegetables every Saturday and Tuesday. He also contributed money in over 700 marriages. Leaders from established parties never come in public after winning an election, he said while expressing his anger against leaders who he said were full of arrogance. Big parties and their star candidates have failed to understand the problems of common man. Accessibility always remains a big concern for voters. Voters who mostly are from an ordinary background cannot even easily meet a first generation leader, leave aside senior and star leaders, Sharma asked. Sham Lal Gandhi is likely to contest for the seventh time as he had first contested continued on page 2