12072024-JTR-01.qxd 7/11/2024 10:09 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune FOUR SHUTTLERS EMERGE STATE CHAMPIONS The state sub-junior badminton ranking tournament concluded at Raizada Hansraj Badminton Stadium. P2 » CHENNAI GIRL TOOK THE STAGE OF AMERICA'S GOT TALENT BY STORM Chennai girl Maya Neelakantan took the stage of America's Got Talent by storm with her guitar rendition. P4 » KEWAL DHALIWAL BELIEVES IN CONSTANT FLOW OF WORK Theatre person Kewal Dhaliwal believes in constant flow of work. For him, it is all about ek muthi khuli, doosri tayar. P4 » FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 38°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 29°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7.34 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:32 AM FRIDAY | 12 JULY 2024 | JALANDHAR Phagwara, July 11 A Uganda citizen doing BSc (Honours) from Lovely Professional University (LPU) was found dead at a house (PG) in Miherru village here on Tuesday night. Gaurav Dhir, SHO, Satnampura, said deceased identified as Daniel Subhani Wana, told his close friend George Geri that he was suffering from a lung disease. The SHO said the police had informed Wana’s father Wani Isaac Rubaaga. The body of the deceased was kept at the Civil Hospital here after the post-mortem. A case had been registered by the police in this connection. — OC INBRIEF CYCLIST DIES IN ACCIDENT Phagwara: A cyclist died on the spot when a speeding car hit his cycle near Mannawali village on the Phagwara-Nakodar road on Thursday morning. The deceased was identified as Teja Singh, a resident of Salarpur village near Phagwara. Eyewitness said a speeding car rammed into a stationary truck after hitting the cyclist. The police registered a case against car driver and sent the body of the deceased to the Civil Hospital here for a post-mortem examination. OC Low voter turnout confuses poll pundits Highest votes polled in Avtar Nagar (75.14%) & lowest in New Deol Nagar (38.04%) JALANDHAR WEST BYPOLL Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 11 A fall in the poll percentage of the Jalandhar West by-election by 9.3 per cent as compared to the vote per cent in the same segment in Jalandhar Lok Sabha elections last month has put everyone in a quandary about the likely outcome. Counting for the votes is slated for July 13 at 8 am at Lyallpur Khalsa College for Women. Even psephologists are unable to decipher the likely outcome, especially since only 94,543 votes (54.98 per cent) have been cast in the election. There were 15 candidates, including three main from the Congress, AAP and the BJP in the poll fray. , A close perusal of the voting TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Uganda student at LPU found dead A BSF jawan deployed outside a strong room ahead of counting of votes of Jalandhar West bypoll. pattern indicates that certain pockets where from these candidates hailed had a good turnout. If the Bhagat community concentrated at Bhargo Camp (backing AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat) voted in large numbers in their area (63 to 73 per cent in eight polling booths), so was the turnout in the two booths THREE DRUG PEDDLERS HELD Phagwara: The Nakodar city police have arrested a drug peddler on the charge of selling intoxicant tablets. Station House Officer (SHO) Sanjiv Kapur said 70 intoxicant capsules and 91 tablets were recovered from the possession of the suspect identified as Harmanjit Singh, alias Happy, of Pati Gagarr, Jandiala. The SHO said a case under the NDPS Act was registered against the suspect. In another case, the Nakodar Sadar police arrested a drug peddler identified as Sandeep, alias Seepa, of Uggi village with 117 intoxicant tablets said investigating officer Balbir Singh. In the third case, the Nurmahal police arrested a drug peddler identified as Saabi, alas Tindi, a resident of Mohalla Sekhan, with 160 intoxicant tablets said investigating officer Jagjit Singh. OC HURTING RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS: 1 HELD Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a villager for hurting religious sentiments of a fellow villager. Investigating officer (IO) Gurnam Singh said the suspect was identified as Amrit Pal Singh, a resident of Baupur Khurd village near here. The IO said a case was registered against the suspect. OC Guru Ravidass Nagar polled just 48 to 51 per cent votes. The polling remained moderate even in Basti Danishmandan from where BJP candidate Sheetal Angural hails. There were 15 booths in this vast area, where vote per cent fluctuates between 50 per cent and 68.61 per cent. The four booths in Raseela Will AAP be able to win back its massively reduced vote share? Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service ONE BOOKED FOR EXTORTION Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have booked an unidentified man on the charges of extortion and criminal intimidation. Lovepreet Singh, a resident of Yusafpur Darewal village, complained to the police that an unidentified man made two WhatsApp calls from two different numbers on his cellphone and demanded Rs 50 lakh ransom. The complainant said the caller threatened him with dire consequences if he failed to pay the money and fired with a weapon at the main gate of his house. Investigating officer Sukhdev Singh said a case was registered against the unidentified suspect. OC of Jallowal Abadi from where Congress candidate Surinder Kaur hails. The vote per cent in these two booths was 60.11 and 69.53 per cent. Bootan Mandi booth, where the voters were expected to have favoured Surinder Kaur, too recorded a 70 per cent turnout. A low for her is the fact that the three booths in Nagar in the same area polled 60 to 69 per cent votes. The booths where the turnout remained dismally low was Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Nagar, New Dilbagh Nagar Extension, Basti Nau, Basti Sheikh and Basti Mithu where the BJP and SAD candidate Surjit Kaur could have expected some gains. New Deol Nagar also had a dismally low turnout between 38 per cent and a maximum of 58 per cent in its five booths. Going by the fact that just 94,000 votes were cast, the general opinion of bigwigs of all parties is that almost all three main parties would have touched the 25,000 mark and thus polled 75,000 votes. “The key point is as to how the remaining 19,000 votes would have split among these three parties and the rest of 12 candidates,” said Ravinder Dhir, a BJP leader. The suspects in custody of the Kapurthala police. TRIBUNE PHOTO Three bike thieves held 10 vehicles recovered from gang Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 11 A gang of motorcycle thieves was busted by the Kapurthala police today with the arrest of its three members. Vatsala Gupta, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kapurthala, said during patrolling, the police and nabbed three bike thieves near Rajpur. The trio were identified as Navjot Singh, alias Nav, a resident of Noorpur Rajputan in Subhanpur; Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, a resident of Nadala in Subhanpur, and Vikas Hans, a resident of Raipur Araiyan in Dhilwan. The trio was arrested with three stolen Splendour motorcy- cles, the SSP said. A case was registered against the trio yesterday under Sections 303 (2) and 317 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Kapurthala Sadar police station, the SSP said. Upon further investigation the police recovered more bikes from the trio. Five Splendour, one Platina and an Activa scoter were recovered from the trio. In all, 10 bikes were recovered from the gang by the police. Various cases of theft were already registered against the trio. While Navjot had four cases registered against him at Jalandhar, Gurpreet had one case against him at Subhanpur in Kapurthala. Jalandhar, July 11 Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s mohalla meetings remained the most attended gatherings of all politicians during the Jalandhar West bypoll. The AAPclearly threw most of its weight in the Jalandhar West constituency in a run-up to the by-election which was held on Wednesday. The AAP’s yellow posters were strewn on every street, crossings and pillars. However, with the CM shifting base to Jalandhar and the Opposition directing barbs that his chair relies on the outcome of the bypoll, the Aam Aadmi party (AAP) has most to gain or lose from the by-election result. During the campaign in Jalandhar West, the CM’s family and the AAP’s entire state cadre left no stone unturned to ensure party’s win. All MLAs, ministers and functionaries of the party descended on Jalandhar. What remains to be seen is whether AAP would be able to win back its massively reduced vote share in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections amidst anti-incumbency factor. The AAP was reduced to third spot in the Jalandhar West constituency which it won in 2022 Assembly polls. In 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress won Jalandhar West with 44,394 votes, the BJP came in at close second with An AAP polling booth in Jalandhar West segment. FILE PHOTO 42,837 votes and the AAP received mere 15,629 votes. The Jalandhar West bypoll results would be crucial for the AAP if it aims to re-establish its dwindling hegemony in the state as it won only three seats in the recently concluded General Elections. Of these three seats, just one was in Doaba — Sangrur (Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer), Anandpur Sahib (Malwinder Singh Kang) and Hoshiarpur (Raj Kumar Chabbewal). In its victory run in the 2022 Assembly polls, the AAP had won 10 Assembly seats in Doaba — four in Jalandhar (Nakodar, Kartarpur, Jalandhar West and Jalandhar Central), five in Hoshiarpur (Dasuya, Urmar, Sham Chaurasi, Hoshiarpur and Garhshankar) and one in Nawanshahr (Balachaur). Amidst “chair in danger” barbs from the Opposition and the defiant exit by party’s 2022 candidate Sheetal Angural this year, the Jaland- har West bypoll is critical both in terms of the party’s existential crisis in the state and the prestige issue in West segment. The bypoll outcome would impact AAP’s status in Doaba and also cast a shadow on the 2027 elections. One of the things the CM had been repeating in his campaign meets and addresses was, asking people not to “waste” their vote for other parties as the AAP would run the state government. The CM had expressed his resolve to continue to remain in Doaba for two to three days a week, as promised, after the conclusion of the bypoll. After the bypoll on Wednesday, the CM took to X to thank voters. He wrote: “Heartfelt thanks to all voters of Jalandhar West. You fulfilled your responsibility by stepping out of your house and casting vote in a peaceful and disciplined manner and proved a responsible citizen, for which I am grateful to you.” Thrashedabroad,womanreturnstraumatised,empty-handed from Muscat Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 11 “It was my dream to give a comfortable and happy life to my mother. But now that dream has been shattered, and on top of it, my stay there has affected my mother’s mental peace,” said a traumatized 24year-old woman from Nakodar who was recently brought back from Muscat by Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal. Hers is not the only case. Women from poor families are often duped by travel agents and made to suffer. These women, who have come back from foreign shores, say that it’s better to earn less than to suffer there. Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, along with the woman, who was brought back from Muscat recently. TRIBUNE PHOTO The woman alleged that she suffered physical and mental torture in Muscat. The woman wanted to go to Dubai for “work” in someone’s home just like the way she and her mother were earning here as house helps. “I remained in Dubai for a week and then I was taken to Muscat where I worked as a maid for someone. My four c m y b months stay there has left me tormented. I was beaten, didn’t get my clothes, was not given food sometimes and what not,” the woman shared while she was taking rest and having medicines to recover from the trauma and sufferings. A similar story was shared by a 26-year-old woman from Jalandhar city. She left her three-year-old child here just to earn for family’s better future. She couldn’t complete her education after death of her father. She has a brother who is mentally unstable. “I have completed my first year in graduation in nursing. I really wanted to study, but after the death of my father, I dropped out as there was no money for my studies. I knew that if I wanted to earn, I would have to go out. But, I have seen the struggle and pain abroad,” she said. Last year, a mother of a 14year-old daughter, Rajni (name changed) from Kapurthala had gone abroad in April to earn money for her daughter’s operation (she had a lump in her throat). She also returned empty-handed and traumatised. Now, she is working in a Ludhiana factory and earning Rs 10,000. Until now, she has not been able to pay for her daughter’s operation. “I am working really hard away from my family. But, at least I am sure that I will go back to my family,” she said. Kin of former BJP councillor’s wife protest outside the Civil Hospital in Jalandhar Cantt on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO Wife dies by suicide, ex-councillor booked Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 11 A 29-year-old woman, identified as Sunaina, allegedly hanged herself from a ceiling fan at her home in Jalandhar Cantt on Wednesday. Sunaina was the wife of former BJP councillor Bhagat Atwal, alias Jolly. The incident has sparked serious allegations as Vandana, Sunaina’s mother from Malerkotla, accused Jolly and his family of driving her daughter to suicide. She claimed that Sunaina was deeply distressed due to her husband’s alleged extramarital affair. Vandana said Sunaina and Jolly got married only eight months ago. “Just two months after their marriage, my daughter started suspecting that her husband is involved with another woman, which led to frequent quarrels between them,” she alleged. According to Vandana, Sunaina had confided in her family about her suspicions and the subsequent strain on her marriage. “When she came to stay with us a week ago, she told us everything. We were planning to discuss the matter with Jolly and his family,” Vandana said. The situation escalated on Tuesday night when Sunaina called her parents in distress, asking them to take her back. She reportedly warned them that her husband and in-laws might harm her. “We told her that we would come in the morning to talk to her in-laws family,” Vandana said. However, the family’s worst fears were realised the next morning when Jolly called Sunaina’s brother, Sumit Gill, at 10.30 am, informing him that Sunaina had attempted suicide and was in the ICU. “We rushed to Jalandhar immediately. On our way, locals told us she had already died, but her husband was claiming she was still alive. We went straight to the hospital and then the Cantt police station to file a complaint,” Sunaina’s family members said. In the wake of Sunaina’s death, her family held a protest outside the Jalandhar Civil Hospital today, demanding the arrest of Jolly. They refused to accept her body for cremation, insisting Jolly be taken into custody first. The protest ended only after the police assured Sunaina’s kin of action against Jolly. Gagandeep Singh, SHO, Cantt, confirmed that based on Vandana’s statement, a case had been registered against Jolly under relevant sections of the BNS. “We are conducting raids to apprehend him,” the SHO said. Jalandhar West breathes easy as bypoll frenzy ends Residents hope promises are fulfilled Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 11 The by-election in Jalandhar West concluded yesterday, bringing an end to the frenetic activity that gripped the area for the past several days. With men and machinery deployed for the election now withdrawn, residents are looking forward to bypoll result with a relief and anticipation. For many residents, the end of the campaign signifies a return to normal life after days of disruption caused by the movement of VIPs and protests by various unions. “Since July 1, when the campaigning reached its peak we saw regular visits of the Chief Minister, MPs, and MLAs, accompanied by roadshows and the heavy police presence,” said Kabir, a resident of Dilbag Nagar. “We hope that the best candidate wins and all promises made with us are fulfilled,” he said. The Jalandhar Tribune reported in these columns about the significant presence of machinery, including sweeper trucks, suction trucks, and JCBs in the Jalandhar West segment. These resources were brought into West not only from the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation, but also from Ludhiana and Amritsar civic bodies as well as the Nakodar Municipal Council and other towns. All this machinery was on standby to address any civic issues that might arise during the campaign. Now, these machines have been sent back to their respective locations. Residents expressed hope that their issues that caught the attention of the authorities concerned during the campaigning would continue to be resolved in the future too. “We want the kind of work that was done during the campaign to continue. We expect CM Mann to keep his promises, whether his party’s candidate wins or loses,” said, Mahesh, a resident of Basti Danishmanda. Manju Sharma, another resident, highlighted the critical issues of poor roads and choked sewers in Jalandhar West constituency. “We want these problems resolved on priority,” she said. “If political parties and their leaders gave even half of their attention and time that they did during the campaigning, many issues could be solved without having to woo voters with false promises,” she said.
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