14062024-ATR-01.qxd 6/14/2024 12:41 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY EXPERTS CALL FOR EFFICIENT MGMT OF CROP RESIDUE JUNAID KHAN’S DEBUT MOVIE MAHARAJ SET FOR OTT RELEASE A LOOK AT ACTORS WHO ARE SET FOR DEBUT ACTION FILMS Agriculture experts gave a clarion call for efficacious management of paddy straw and crop residues. P2 Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and produced by Aditya Chopra, the movie also stars Jaideep Ahlawat. P4 MAX 45°C | MIN 29°C YESTERDAY MAX 45°C | MIN 29°C As the action genre continues to captivate audiences worldwide, actors gear up to leave a mark. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 7.36 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5.25 AM » FRIDAY | 14 JUNE 2024 | AMRITSAR Miscreants assault watchman in Tarn Taran Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, June 13 Three armed miscreants roaming in Bibo Shah Market, Tehsil Bazaar here, attacked a watchman when he questioned them as to why they were standing here. The incident came to light following a CCTV grab of the incident went viral on social media. Initially, it was assumed that the accused had assaulted a cop before fleeing the spot. The police were yet to register an FIR or initiate any action in this connection. According to information, the miscreants were roaming in the market and the watchman from Uttar Pradesh stopped and questioned them. He asked them to stand in a queue and started clicking their pics when one continued on page 2 6 kiosks of migrants burnt, case registered; Aujla flays incident Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 Some unidentified persons burnt six kiosks near Meerankot Chowk on the Ajnala road here late on Wednesday night. The police were yet to find any clues about the perpetrators behind the incident. All the kiosks belonged to migrants. The police said an FIR was registered and further investigations were in progress. Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla has condemned the incident and asked the cops to take stern action against the perpetrators in this connection. He met with shopkeepers and those whose kiosks were burnt in the fire. Deepak Kumar, who runs a kiosk of cigarettes and tobacco, said he closed his shop at around 10pm. He said at around 2am, he got a call that his kiosk had been set on fire. He said he reached the spot PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service A victim stands by her burnt kiosk in the Meerankot Chowk area in Amritsar on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO within half an hour and by that time, it was completely gutted. Mohammad Hussain, another migrant, told the police that he runs a tea stall and closed his kiosk at 10pm. He came to know about the incident at around 1.30am. “These kiosks were our only source of earning and now it would be difficult for us to get the kiosks constructed again,” he said. Shamsher Singh, SHO, Kamboh police station, said the kiosks located along the main Amritsar-Ajnala road were burnt by unidentified miscreants last night. He said CCTV cameras were being analysed to find clues about the perpetrators. “An FIR has been lodged and the accused would be arrested soon,” he said. Two continued on page 2 Hope for Ferozepur-Patti rail link revives after Bittu’s elevation as MoS Railways Tribune News Service ‘CITY-MUMBAI TRAVEL TIME TO BE SHORTER’ ■ Harminder Singh, a resident of Amritsar, said, “I travel to Mumbai and if Amritsar, June 13 The elevation of Ravneet Singh Bittu as Union Minister of State for Railways in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has sparked a debate over the fate of 25.7 km Ferozepur-Patti rail link again. A long awaited railway link between Majha and Malwa region of Punjab, it will open another route to connect the northern region with western states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. The commencement of the rail link will have a positive impact on commercial activities. In the year 2013, the then Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had approved the Ferozepur-Patti rail link but the project remains a distant dream. With the Railway MoS hailing from Punjab, the belief is that Bittu will pay attention toward this pending railway project. Naveen Kumar, a resident of Amritsar, said there is no direct railway route between Majha and Malwa region of Punjab and people only have the option of travelling by government and private buses and pay hefty fares. “Private transport firms have a monopoly on this route,” he added. Harminder Singh, another resident of Amritsar, said, “I travel to Mumbai and if this Teenage girl abducted, three booked Farmers protest, want transformers replaced Our Correspondent Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, June 13 A teenage girl was abducted from Thatha village about 10 days back. Three persons have been booked by the Patti Sadar police on Wednesday in this regard. Amritsar, June 13 Farmers under the banner of Jamhoori Kisan Sabha staged a protest outside the Power Corporation office on Fatehgarh Churrian road demanding that all defunct transformers be replaced immediately. The farmer union leaders also accused PSPCL employees of corrupt practices in lieu of providing even the basic services. Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala of the union said that residents are forced to pay for services which are the responsibility of the corporation. He said that they have also demanded from the PSPCL to supply eight hours of pow- Accused Nishan Singh abducted the girl on the night of June 4-5 The accused include Kuldeep Kaur and her son Jatinder Singh of the same Thatha village and Nishan Singh alias Lovpreet Singh, a resident of Sidhwan Burj (Muktsar), who is the son of the accused Kuldeep Kaur’s sister. The father of the victim, in his statement to the Patti Sadar police, said that the accused Nishan Singh abducted the girl on the night of June 4-5 with the connivance of other accused. ASI Jatinderpal Singh of Sadar Police, Patti, said that the accused have been booked under Section 363, 366- A and 120-B of IPC on Wednesday. Gang of snatchers led by ‘US-return’ man busted this rail route starts in future, it will surely shorten the distance between Punjab and Mumbai. Being a Punjabi, Minister Bittu also knows the importance of this railway link and I believe that if he makes this project a reality, then it would be a path-breaking effort by him.” ■ Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Jaipur, said, “The start of Ferozepur-Patti link will cut short the distance between Amritsar and Jaipur.“Whenever I go to my native place by train, then instead of direct connectivity, the train goes to Ludhiana first, then reaches Ferozepur via Jagraon and Moga and it consumes a lot of time.” rail route starts in future, it will surely shorten the distance between Punjab and Mumbai.” “Being a Punjabi, Minister Bittu also knows the importance of this railway link and I believe that if he makes this project a reality, then it would be a path-breaking effort by him,” he said. Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Jaipur, said, “The start of Ferozepur-Patti link will cut short the distance between Amritsar and er during the daytime in paddy season. He said that they also brought the issue of loose electricity wires to notice as these are a cause of fire every year. The farmers stated that power supply to the residential areas in villages is also erratic and they are forced to face long power cuts. Ajnala said that officials have assured them that all pending repair works in the rural areas would be completed on a priority basis. With the paddy season at hand, the farmers also demanded that eight-hour power supply should be given in one go so that they can run their tube-wells. Members of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha during a demonstration at PSPCL office at Ajnala on Thursday. Jaipur.” “Whenever I go to my native place by train, then instead of direct connectivity, the train goes to Ludhiana first, then reaches Ferozepur via Jagraon and Moga and it consumes a lot of time.” “I am surprised that Punjab is not well connected through railway link even 75 years after Independence,” he added. Ravi Mahajan, a trader from Amritsar, said, “Everyone knows the importance of the Ferozepur-Patti railway link but the Union government is not taking this project seriously. It was reported that previous Punjab governments had failed to acquire land for the railway link,” he said. “If this project starts, then traders of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and even Rajasthan will prefer this route for trade purposes,” Mahajan said. Teenage girl gangraped in Majitha; cops book seven Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 A 16-year-old girl was gangraped by three youths in Majitha town here recently. Though the incident occurred on May 29, a complaint was lodged with the police here on Wednesday. In the complaint lodged with the police, the victim also complained against her father, grandmother and an aunt for conspiring in the crime. Besides three youths, the police have registered a case against her two kin also. Investigating officer Kirandeep Kaur said raids were on to nab the suspects. Those booked were identified as Manga Singh of Nag Kalan village, his two friends Rohit and Kalu, Manga’s sister, the victim’s father Rajdeep Singh, grandmother Joginder Kaur of Nag Kalan and aunt Bevi of Vallah. A case under Sections 376-D and 120-B of the IPC and continued on page 2 c m y b Amritsar, June 13 The city police today claimed to have busted a gang of robbers headed by a man who had returned from the US. With their arrests, the police managed to crack a total of seven snatching incidents that occurred in the city as well as in rural areas here. Those arrested were identified as Baljinder Singh who had returned from the US, Bobby, Vishal and Judge of Fatehgarh Churian in Gurdaspur. The police have recovered a dummy pistol, snatched gold ornaments and a scooter used in the crime from their possession. Varinder Singh Khosa, Assistant Commissioner of Police (North), said that Kimti Lal, a local resident, told the police Father-son duo receive extortion calls for ~50 lakh Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, June 13 Gangsters have demanded a ransom of ~50 lakh from Bhikhiwind residents fathers-son duo. Both have also been threatened to be killed in case they denied to oblige the extortionists. The victim, identified as Jaskaran Singh Sandhu, in his statement recorded with the Bhikhwind police stated that he and his father Gurmej Singh Sandhu have been receiving threat calls from miscreants on the WhatsApp for ~50 lakh and were being threatened to be killed in case they failed to oblige them. The Bhikhiwind police have registered a case under Sections 387 and 506 of the ndian Penal Code (IPC) in this regard here on Wednesday. The accused in the custody of the city police in Amritsar on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO that he was returning home from a temple on the evening of May 22 when two scooterborne miscreants intercepted them and snatched Rs 7,000 in cash, a gold chain and gold ring from him. He said during the investigations, it was found that the scooter used in the crime belonged to Paramjit Singh of Rajasansi area. When the police caught the owner, he said that his scooter had been snatched in Kamboh police station area around 15 days back. The police then scanned footage from the CCTV cameras which revealed that four persons who were car-borne had robbed the scooter from Paramjit Singh. The ACP said further investigations led the police to the car owner, Baljinder Singh, who had returned from the US a couple of months ago. He was a drug addict. In custody, he confessed to the crime and spilled the names of his accomplices. The police then arrested the remaining three members of the gang. Baljinder was handed over to Kamboh police while the remaining three accused were arrested by Sadar police here. They had earlier robbed a couple on Majitha road and a man in Ranjit Avenue area. The police cracked six snatching cases in the city. Hold MC elections, clean up civic mess, BJP tells CM Mann Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 The local unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by former Member of Parliament Shwait Malik and district president Harwinder Sandhu today urged the Punjab government to hold Municipal Corporation elections which have been pending for nearly a year and half. They pointed out that garbage littered every nook and cranny of the city due to improper lifting while the people were struggling to get even safe drinking water. Speaking at the BJP district office Shaheed Harbans Lal Khanna Memorial, Malik, a former Rajya Sabha Member, lashed out at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state for ignoring the city. He said that heaps of garbage are lying everywhere in Guru Ki Nagri, which is a centre of BJP leader Shwait Malik during a press conference in Amritsar. attraction for devotees and tourists from all over the world. Malik said that the Bhagwant Mann government is responsible for turning a holy and religious city into a heap of garbage and filth. The garbage and choked sewerage have made the lives of people difficult as they have to deal with sewerage blockage and contaminated drinking water every day. The condition of the roads in the city is also very poor. Malik said that not only Amritsar but also other cities of the state where the MC House was dissolved are facing a similar situation. “The main reason behind this mess is to make it clear to all that municipal elections have not been held in the five corporation cities till now. The AAP and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann have lost the Lok Sabha elections in all the five municipal corporations of Punjab and the CM knows that his party will face defeat in the municipal elections as well. That is why the Aam Aadmi Party and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are running away from holding municipal elections,” said Malik. “If Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann does not provide relief to the residents of Amritsar from these civic problems, then the BJP will not hesitate to take to the streets,” said party district president Harvinder Singh Sandhu. Book fair a literary feast for readers in city Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 Turning a shopping mall into a bustling reading place, Kitablovers, a bookselling platform in collaboration with publishing house Rajpal & Sons, has organised the first ever morning-to-night book fair in Amritsar at the VR Ambarsar Mall. Amritsar has a strong history and tradition of reading and writing but there are not many book cafes, libraries and shops to meet that demand. The fair has set up an engaging library, with books in English and Hindi. The readers have a choice to pick some of the bestselling authors from India and abroad, ranging from JK Rowling to Harivansh Rai Bachchan, as well as books on themes of drama, history and mythology. An interesting aspect of the exhibition is that a special “Load The Box” segment has been created for book lovers, to come and pick a bunch of books packed in a box at affordable prices. “The customers, who visit the fair, can make a one-time payment and fill the box with as many books as the box can hold. The boxes are available in three sizes, ranging from Rs A book fair underway at VR Ambarsar Mall in Amritsar. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR ❝ IT AIMS TO CULTIVATE A VIBRANT READING COMMUNITY We are proud to host one of the city’s largest book fair in partnership with Bookforest and Rajpal & Sons. The event aims to cultivate a vibrant reading community and inspire literary enthusiasm among the residents of Amritsar. — Shobhit Raj Srivastava, VR AMBARSAR MALL. 1,200 to Rs 3,000,” said Subhash Jediya, representative from Rajpal and Sons. There is also a separate segment of literature from the region and poetry, a genre that has always managed to woo Amritsar readers. The line-up includes Rumi, Ghalib, Sahir Ludhianvi, Momin, Allama Iqbal, Majrooh Sultanpuri, ❞ Firaq Gorakhpuri and others. If that’s not tempting enough, then there is an entire shelf dedicated to Kalajeyi Kavi series, with literature by Kabir, Surdas, Tulsidas, Baba Nanak, Bulleh Shah, Meera, Amir Khusro and Rahim. “We have been getting a great response for our Hindi poetry books and it’s an encouragement from a non-Hindi belt. With book reading habit witnessing a decline in the digital age, our attempt is to promote vernacular literature while also considering that we get books that are not easily available. So far, the experience shows that there is a strong reading culture in Amritsar and readers are happy to find a good selection of books,” said Jediya.
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