29062024-JTR-01.qxd 6/29/2024 12:48 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune 3 FAKE COPS NABBED FOR DUPING MAN OF ~12K PEOPLE’S ~58L SAVED DAILY BY REMOVING 16 TOLL PLAZAS: ETO Govt daily providing a relief of ~58.77L to commuters by closing 16 toll plazas across the state, says minister. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 29°C YESTERDAY MAX 42°C | MIN 34°C ACTRESS HINA HAS BREAST CANCER, BEGINS TREATMENT Three persons who duped a man of ~12,000 by posing as CIA staff nabbed by Jalandhar rural police. P2 FORECAST Actress Hina Khan confirmed that she has been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. P4 » » SUNSET SATURDAY 7:28 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5:25 AM » SATURDAY | 29 JUNE 2024 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF MOBIKE STOLEN, CASE REGISTERED Phagwara: The Nakodar city police have booked an unidentified person on the charge of stealing a motorcycle. Jasvinder Singh, a resident of Abdula Pur Basti, Millar Ganj, Ludhiana, told the police that he had parked his motorcycle bearing registration number PB-10-EG-3115 outside Dera Murad Shah on June 23. He later found the motorcycle missing. Investigating officer Jagjit Singh said a case under Section 379 of the IPC had been registered. OC TWO BOOKED FOR ILLEGAL MINING Phagwara: The Nakodar Sadar police have booked two unidentified persons for illegal sand mining. Mining inspector Ajay Kumar told the police that MKS Ltd had issued a permit to the suspects for the excavation of earth, but they violated norms and excavated more than the permissible limit. Investigating officer Harjit Singh said a case under Section 21 of the Mining Act had been registered against the suspects. The police also seized three JCB machines. OC TWO ARRESTED WITH DRUGS Phagwara: The police arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 450 intoxicant tablets and 10 grams of heroin from their possession on Thursday night. Superintendent of Police Rupinder Kaur Bhatti said in the first case, the police nabbed a drug smuggler and recovered 10 grams of heroin and 115 intoxicant tablets from his possession. The suspect has been identified as Avinash Chander, a resident of Balmiki Mohalla, Hadiabad. The suspect was nabbed at a checkpoint while he was coming in a car. The police also impounded his vehicle. In another case, the police arrested a peddler identified as Bharat Bhushan, a resident of Tibbi, Phagwara, and recovered 315 intoxicant tablets from his possession on Thursday night. Two cases under the NDPS Act have been registered. OC MAN HELD FOR ABDUCTING GIRL Phagwara: The Satnampura police have arrested a man for abducting a minor girl. According to reports, a relative of the victim lodged a complaint with the police. The police identified the suspect as Manni Kumar, a resident of Miherru village near Phagwara, who allegedly abducted the 14year-old girl on the pretext of marriage. The police are investigating the matter. OC TWO HELD WITH ILLEGAL WEAPON Amritsar: Acting on a tip-off, the Mattewal police have arrested two persons for allegedly possessing an illegal weapon. They were identified as Gurbhinder Singh, alias Bhinda, of Suropadda village, and Arshdeep Singh of Bhoewali village. According to the police, the suspects were going from Mattewal village to Boparai village when they were intercepted. During search, the police seized a .32 bore pistol along with four rounds of ammunition from them. A case under the Arms Act was registered against suspects. TNS CM’s wife, sister go all out to woo voters in constituency Mann, along with wife and daughter, also visit Dera Sachkhand Ballan JALANDHAR WEST BYPOLL Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 28 “The bypoll would not have happened had your candidate been good and honest with the spirit of service. But there was something else in his heart, maybe some compulsion. Our candidate now is from a very honest and decent family. We have not heard one wrong word about him,” says Dr Gurpreet Kaur as she addresses a small meeting at a plush home in Jalandhar. While the CM is yet to hold a roadshow in the constituency since he shifted base to Jalandhar, the women of the house are already deep in campaign mode for the Jalandhar West bypoll. The CM’s wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur and sister Manpreet Kaur have been busy traversing the constituency for the past two days, undertaking a whirlwind tour to the homes of workers, industrialists and community leaders, in a hectic reaching out to the electorate and curious women voters, who awaited them with bouquets. They called on prominent citizens including AAP leader Mukesh Sethi, trader Rakesh Agarwal, Jain Sabha leader and industrialist Rajesh Jain among others in tours across Dilbagh Nagar, JP Nagar etc. MLA Raman Arora also accompanied them. Speaking on her future plans, her team retorts: “It will be like this until July 10.” While the CM has been handling workers’ meetings, inductions etc every Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur and sister Manpreet Kaur being greeted by residents in Jalandhar West constituency on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH ❝ ‘COME WHENEVER YOU WANT, OUR DOORS WILL ALWAYS BE OPEN’ If you make our candidate win, all pending works in the constituency will be completed in the coming two and a half years. Our family has shifted here, now we won’t go from here. We have made up our minds and we now just need your support. The CM’s house is just 20 minutes from here, come whenever you want, our doors will always be open. Thank God that we opened our eyes in time — the man who rejected people’s mandate, God will certainly bring him down. ❞ Dr Gurpreet Kaur, WIFE OF PUNJAB CM day, his wife has been reaching out to the electorate along with CM’s sister Manpreet Kaur – their speeches motivating workers and targeting BJP candidate Sheetal Angural. The CM along with wife and daughter Niyamat also visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan today where they stayed for two hours. Addressing a gathering at an industrialist’s home where women flocked to have a look, Dr Gurpreet Kaur says, “If you make our candidate win, then the pending works in the constituency will be completed in the coming two and a half years. Our family has shifted here, now we won’t go from here. We have made up our minds and we now just need your support. The CM’s house is just 20 minutes from here, come whenever you want, our doors will always be open. Thank God that we opened our eyes in time — the man who rejected people’s mandate, God will certainly bring him down.” Speaking to The Tribune during the campaign, Kaur said: “We are getting a lot of love from the people of Jalandhar West. They are extending a warm welcome to us. It doesn’t feel we have come here for the first time.” On how it feels after shifting to Jalandhar, she said: “Jalandhar is a nice city. I really liked this place and don’t feel like going back. I tell people that we have shifted to Jalandhar permanently. Our family will stay here 2-3 days in a week.” Speaking about BJP leaders Sushil Rinku and Sheetal Angural who earned AAP ire by turns in previous LS elections and now in bypoll, Kaur says: “It’s their misfortune. They got chance to serve people but left it for vested interests. They will face voters’ ire.” Encouraging workers, Kaur said: “I ask workers to remain positive and fight with firm resolve. The AAP will win the Jalandhar West bypoll”. Woman, son held on murder charge Phagwara, June 28 The Nakodar Sadar police have arrested a mother-son duo on the charge of murdering a woman. SHO Jai Pal said the suspects had been identified as Balwinder Kaur, alias Binder, a resident of Talwandi Salen village, and her son Jaskaran Singh, alias Jassa. The SHO said the suspects murdered Rajwinder Kaur (35), wife of Amrik Singh, a resident of the same village. The SHO said the husband of the deceased was also an accused in the case and had been absconding. Raj Kumar, a resident of Udho Wal village falling under the Mehat Pur police station, told the police that his sister-in-law Rajwinder Kaur’s marriage was solemnised with Amrik Singh nine years ago and the trio murdered his relative on June 22. The SHO said a case had been registered against the suspects and Amrik. — OC The suspects in custody of the Nawanshahr police. TRIBUNE PHOTO Robbery bid cracked, three land in police net Nawanshahr, June 28 With the arrest of three persons, the Nawanshahr police claimed to have solved a case of robbery attempt at a shop at gunpoint in Saloh village. The suspects have been identified as Gaganpreet Singh, alias Gaggu (24), Navjot Singh, alias Monu (21), and Dheeraj Kumar, alias Chetan (22). The police also recovered weapons from their possession. Nawanshahr SSP Mehtab Singh said three unidentified youths entered a shop, KK Enterprises Western Union, with an intention of robbery around 4 pm on June 25. The police registered cases against unidentified persons. During preliminary interrogation of the suspects, it came to fore that they were linked to jailed gangster Sandeep Kumar, alias Ravi Balachauria. The police recovered an air pistol from Dheeraj and a pistol from Navjot. The police also recovered a motorcycle used in the crime. “Raids are being conducted to nab other suspects involved in the incident,” the police said. — TNS Cop caught taking ~5,000 bribe Our Correspondent Phagwara, June 28 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) today apprehended a head constable red-handed while accepting a bribe of ~5,000. The suspect has been identified as Avtar Singh, who is posted at the Banga city police station, SBS Nagar. Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson for the state VB said the suspect was arrested on a complaint lodged by Rekha Devi, a resident of Banga town. In her complaint with the Vigilance Bureau, the complainant alleged that a case was registered against her son at the Banga city police station. She told the VB that Avtar Singh had been The suspect in custody of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. demanding a bribe of ~10,000 to favour her son in the chargesheet and get him free from the court in this case. The complainant further alleged that the cop had already taken ~5,500 as bribe from her in instalments for this purpose. The spokesperson said after preliminary investigation, the VB team laid a trap and arrested the suspect red-handed while accepting a bribe of ~5,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. A case had been registered against the suspect at the VB police station, Jalandhar range. He would be produced in the court tomorrow. Further investigations were on in the case, he said. Know your candidates: A peep into their past With less than two weeks to go for the Jalandhar West bypoll, The Tribune correspondents Deepkamal Kaur & Aparna Banerji take a look at the background and educational qualification of candidates fielded from the constituency. Cong’s Surinder most educated BSP’s Binder runs grocery store Rebel SAD leaders’ nominee a housewife Will Bhagat swing poll the AAP way? Homecoming for Sheetal Angural in BJP Having passed out premedical from KMV College in Jalandhar in 1981, Surinder Kaur (63), Congress nominee for the Jalandhar West bypoll, is the most educated candidate from among the main party candidates. While AAP BSP and BJP candidates are matric, ulates, the SAD nominee is illiterate. A resident of New Abadi Jallowal falling in Buta Mandi, she is a selfmade woman. Her husband, Ram Asra Chaudhary, who was a councillor in 1997, passed away in 2001. Ever since, she had been taking care of her house, her two sons, family business of manufacturing leather goods while doing her duties as an MC councillor. Surinder has remained four-time councillor and was posted as the Senior Deputy Mayor in the last MC House led by the Congress. A Ravidassia, she was picked over other ticket aspirants from the same community. She has been the choice of Jalandhar MP Charanjit S Channi and other Congress leaders, including Partap Bajwa, who wanted to pick a rooted party worker for the contest. Surinder Kaur’s rivals have been attacking her for not having been able to do much for Jalandhar West even while remaining on the post of the Senior Deputy Mayor, but Channi and Bajwa are out to defend her at every step. Forty-nine-year-old Binder Kumar Lakha, who is the BSP nominee for the Jalandhar West bypoll, is a resident of Abadpura locality. Associated with the party for the past over two decades, he runs a grocery store, while his wife owns a boutique. Having assets to the tune of ~51 lakh, he is getting a good backing from party’s state chief Jasvir Garhi and Jalandhar leader Balwinder Kumar. After Shiromani Akali Dal’s main group led by Sukhbir Badal announced support for him instead of their own party candidate, he and other BSP leaders are feeling much at ease. Though Jalandhar West is a reserved seat, the BSP had polled just 1,958 votes in the Lok Sabha elections held this month in this segment. The SAD was slightly better at 2,623 votes. Combining votes from both sides, the BSP candidate is expecting a better performance in the bypoll. He has been promising his voters cleaner governance, end of ‘goondaraj’ and check on drug and liquor menace. He has also been saying that illegal betting and gambling, which have destroyed many houses, will also be brought to an end. Surjit Kaur (59), official nominee of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the Jalandhar West bypoll, is a two-time Municipal Corporation councillor and a housewife by profession. Even as her affidavit mentions her as an illiterate, it does not show in her confident speeches. Hailing from Mithu Basti locality in Jalandhar West, her family is known for social works that she and her deceased husband Pritam Singh have been undertaking in the area. Even as Akalis had not been expecting a good show as the party could get only 2,623 votes in this segment in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha elections held four weeks ago, a bigger setback came for her this Wednesday when the party withdrew support for her. Since she was the choice of former minister Jagir Kaur and exMLA Gurpartap Wadala, both of whom had opened revolt against Sukhbir Badal, the party chose to disown her. The SAD, however, could not withdraw her candidature or the symbol ‘scales’ given to her on time. Hence, she remains to be officially an Akali candidate. Though Jagir Kaur and Wadala stand by her, the Sukhbir Badalled group has announced not to support the candidate contesting on the party symbol and has instead announced support for the BSP candidate. After spending a long time with the BJP veteran , leader Mohinder Bhagat, son of former Punjab minister Chunni Lal Bhagat, joined the AAP ahead of the 2023 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll. For the high-stakes Jalandhar West Assembly bypoll now, the AAP has hedged its bets on the former BJP veteran to steer the party to a win. The party has been banking on Mohinder Bhagat’s clean image, experience as a politician and his resonance with the Jalandhar West’s robust Bhagat community. Bhagat, incidentally, has remained the halqa incharge of AAP from the constituency. Last year, Bhagat quitting the BJP came as a surprise. He dined with BJP colleagues one day and the next day, he was with AAP Emotional scenes were wit. nessed as his former BJP colleagues were in grief with his father Chunni Lal Bhagat, who swore allegiance to the saffron party, expressing surprise. Mohinder Bhagat was considered one of the three pillars of the BJP’s urban strongholds (Jalandhar West, North and Central). The 65-year-old had been with the BJP since he was young, worked with the Jan Sangh and remained on several high posts within the party. While his father Chunni Lal Bhagat’s successful stints (1997, 2007 and 2012) wrested the (former Congress stronghold) seat from the Kaypees to the BJP’s kitty, Mohinder Bhagat’s own twin outings for the seat remained unsuccessful. Former BJP leader Sheetal Angural, who was elected as an AAP MLA in 2022, has come a long way in politics in his relatively short career. Having quit the BJP to join AAP in 2022, his first-ever electoral outing was as an AAP candidate for Jalandhar West in the 2022 Assembly elections, which he won. Back to the BJP fold this year, it will be Angural’s first experience contesting any poll as a BJP candidate. Formerly a BJP functionary, it was his short, tumultuous yet successful stint in AAP which , accorded him a heightened political stature. What AAP terms as betrayal, the BJP calls homecoming. The Jalandhar West bypoll was necessitated by Angural’s resignation as an AAP MLA earlier this year, when he joined the BJP in March. A slew of criminal cases against Angural and his being outspoken, earned him the tag of ‘controversy’s child’ even as an AAP MLA. Now in the BJP earlier cases , against him and the threat of new FIRs hang like the sword of Damocles over him. Another highlight of his return, and one of the strengths of the BJP campaign, is his newfound bonhomie with former foe Sushil Rinku, as both vie to give credit to each other and acknowledge each other during the campaign. They have made gains in Jalandhar West in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. c m y b
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