02092024-ATR-01.qxd 9/1/2024 11:09 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune MISCREANTS OPEN FIRE TO TAKE POSSESSION OF SHOP YOUTH’S BODY FOUND ON RLY TRACK, KIN HOLD PROTEST Kin of a youth, who was found dead on the railway track about a week ago, led a protest at a village in Abohar. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 27°C IC 814: THE KANDAHAR HIJACK CAUSES AN UPROAR A piquant situation arose in Bhikhiwind when nearly 30 armed persons opened fire to take possession of a shop.P2 FORECAST Recently released Netflix series gets into controversy over changing the religion of hijackers. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 6.53 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.07 AM » MONDAY | 2 SEPTEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR Ticket checking staff return bag to passenger Amritsar, September 1 Ticket checking staff returned the bag of a passenger who left it in the KatiharAmritsar Express (train number 15707) here last week. During ticket checking in the train, TTI Amarjit Singh Sandhu (headquarters, Amritsar) found a bag on seat number 37 in coach A2. The ticket checking staff showing the presence of mind promptly retrieved the mobile number of the passenger travelling on that seat through hand held terminal (HHT). Over the phone the passenger told them that he forgot to collect the bag when he alighted at his destination — Delhi. He gave the details of his essential items in the bag. Without delay, the ticket checking staff called the passenger at the Delhi railway station and handed over the bag to him. The passenger appreciated the ticket checking staff and thanked Indian Railways. — TNS Few takers for foot overbridge outside city railway station Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 1 The foot overbridge outside the city railway station has been lying unused with passengers preferring to jump dividers and risking their lives to cross the road. The bridge, intended for safe crossing, lies neglected, besides turning into a garbage dump. Despite the presence of a police check-post, thousands of commuters entering or exiting the station daily ignore the foot overbridge and cross the road by jumping dividers, causing traffic congestion and posing a risk to their own and others’ lives. The road divider, initially three feet high with an additional three feet of iron grill, has been vandalized with the grill removed and the concrete structure demolished. Now, commuters without caring for their safety cross the road. “It’s disheartening to see people ignoring the foot overbridge Jail inmate dies ‘mysteriously’, kin allege torture, hold protest Protesters lift dharna after cops assure of judicial probe Tribune News Service People jump over the divider instead of using the foot overbridge outside the railway station in Amritsar on Sunday. SUNIL KUMAR and risking their lives. They should be held accountable for damaging public property,” said Janak Raj, a local shopkeeper. Shopkeepers near the place complained that heavy traffic jams are witnessed outside the railway station as auto rickshaws and passengers crossing the road lead to slowing down of traffic. They demanded that passengers should be motivated to use the foot overbridge as it is safe and would help solve the problem of traffic congestion. Years have passed since the bridge was installed at the place. With few passengers using it, it has now become a shelter for beggars and homeless. The bridge can easily provide a safe entry and exit to and from the railway station premises. Residents also demand action against those responsible for damaging public property. Amritsar, September 1 An inmate, Rahul of Chhota Haripura area, died under mysterious circumstances at the Amritsar Central Jail here on Saturday night. The incident came to light when the family members of the victim staged a demonstration outside the jail, accusing a deputy superintendent of the jail of physically torturing the inmate leading to his death. The dharna was lifted only after police officials assured them of a judicial probe into the incident. The victim’s family members alleged that Rahul was picked by the police on frivolous charges and sent to judicial custody over a month ago. They alleged they got a phone call from Rahul who told them that a deputy A video grab showing family members of the victim and others during a protest outside the Central Jail in Amritsar on Sunday. superintendent had tortured him. A few days later, he also demanded ~7 lakh as he was being harassed and tortured. They said when his mother went to meet him in the jail, he was not allowed to do so. They said last evening he was allegedly tortured to death. He said nobody from jail informed the family about his deteriorating condition. Today morning, a cop came and said that your son had suffered injuries and he was admitted in the civil hospital. He said till afternoon they kept making rounds of the Civil Hospital and Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, but no one informed them about Rahul. Perturbed over this, they decided to hold a protest outside the jail and block the road. The protesters also stopped a bus coming out of the jail and indulged in sloganeering against the jail administration. The dharna continued for around two hours before police officials reached the spot and assured them of a judicial inquiry. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishaljit Singh said the postmortem would be conducted by a medical board to ascertain the reason behind his death. Besides, a judicial probe has been marked into it. Housing Board colony residents face water crisis Miscreants target bank manager, Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 1 The residents of Housing Board colony in Ranjit Avenue area are irked at the Municipal Corporation (MC) for failing to provide potable water in houses. They complained that they have been receiving erratic water supply in the colony since November 2023 and accused the MC of tardy response. They also demanded prompt action in drilling a new bore to install a tubewell in the locality. The prevailing situation in the residential colony belies the claims of the government of providing drinking water to all residents of the state, said a local resident Harpreet Singh Kalra. Hundreds of residents living in about 1,500 houses in the Housing Board colony have three, two and single floor dwellings. Earlier, this colony had two tubewells to supply Residents of Ranjit Avenue Housing Board colony with empty buckets in Amritsar on Sunday. water but one of these developed a fault in November 2023. In the beginning, they used to receive contaminated water but gradually the supply of water stopped completely. After November 2023, they received potable water from a single tube-well which has erratic supply. In summer, the demand for water increased and so did their troubles, said Karanjeet Singh. Yesterday, the only submersible pump to supply water also stopped working. Now, the families whose houses do not have their personal submersible pumps are completely dependent upon those whose dwellings have it. GS Bedi, a local resident, said even after approaching the MC staff, including JEs and SDOs, the trouble remained unanswered. Following this, they shot off a communiqué to the MC Commissioner, area MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and CM Bhagwant Mann but no solution was in sight. He said for the first time during his 25 years stay in the colony, his family felt humiliated in borrowing water from their neighbours. How the AAP would come back to power when it is failing to provide even the basic needs to people in the state, he stated in a letter to the CM. Col (retd) BS Bhullar, another local resident, said the MC did not install the submersible pump at home because of apprehensions over the depleting water table. “Instead of rewarding us, the government was not even ensuring the supply of water for at least a few minimum hours a day,” he said. Sarbjit Singh, another resident, recalled that they approached the MC Commissioner who directed JE Sardul Singh to check the tubewell. The JE said the bore of the tubewell had run dry and a new bore was required to be drilled. tattoo artist, rob them of bikes Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 1 The audacity with which armed robbers are striking on a regular basis and easily escaping after committing crimes, prove that criminal elements have no fear of the police. Two such instances were reported in Ajnala and Majitha on Saturday in which looters snatched twowheelers, purse and other belongings from victims and fled the scene while brandishing pistols. Dilbagh Singh, a resident of Ward No.1 in Ajnala and posted as the senior head manager at the Loharka Road branch of State Bank of India, was robbed of his motorcycle by three armed looters here yesterday. As per his complaint, he along with Lawrence of Ajnala was returning home after finishing his duty and reached Mahir Bukhari village where there was a huge rush due to a fair. He said as he slowed down his bike, three youths stopped them. Two of them were having pistols. They pointed the pistols at his head and on Lawrence’s ribs and asked them to leave the motorcycle or they would shoot them. As soon as they alighted, the accused fled with his motorcycle pointing pistols towards them. The police had registered a case against unidentified persons in this connection. Meanwhile, a tattoo artist was robbed of his motorcycle by armed looters near Burj Nau-Abad village here on Friday night. Anil Kumar, a resident of Rasulpur Tapria village, said he runs a tattoo shop at the Amritsar bus stand. He said while returning home on that night, he was stopped by three motorcycle-borne youths at Burj Nau Abad village. Two of them were having pistols and snatched his mobile phone and purse. After snatching his motorcycle, they fled towards Majitha. A separate case under the BNS and Arms Act was registered against unidentified robbers. The police said investigation was in progress to identify the suspects. They were also probing whether both the incidents were the handiworks of the same gang or different robbers. BSF recovers drone, SGPC warns devotees against booking Wild growth of grass heroin from Naushera city-based sarais through fake websites in Company Bagh Dhalla in Tarn Taran disturbs residents GS Paul Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, September 1 Acting on specific information received by the intelligence wing of BSF personnel , of the paramilitary force recovered a small drone along with a packet of suspected heroin with gross weight of 536 grams from the premises of Radha Swami Satsang, adjacent to Naushera Dhalla village. The drug was wrapped with yellow adhesive tape and a plastic ring. An illuminating stick was also found attached to the packet. The recovered drone has been identified as China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic. Reliable information and swift action by BSF troops effectively thwarted yet another attempt at drone intrusion along with narcotics consignment in Punjab from across the border. In another report, the Patti Sadar police led by ASI Harwindpal Singh arrested two motorcycle-borne miscreants and recovered 245 grams of The drone and the seized narcotics being displayed by the BSF. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI. heroin from their possession from the T-point of Talwandi Mehar Singh Wali village on Saturday. The police said that the drug traders have been identified as Jaspal Singh and Gurbhej Singh, residents of Jhugian Kalu village. The police said that the accused riding a motorcycle were signalled to stop as they were moving in the area under suspicious circumstances. A case under Section 21-B, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. Amritsar, September 1 The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has lodged a complaint with the police against unknown persons who allegedly duped a devotee on the pretext of booking his accommodation prior to his visit to the Golden Temple. Bhagwant Singh, manager of the Golden Temple, said that a case under Section 420 and 66-D of IT Act has been lodged with the cyber crime cell of Amritsar police. “We came across a devotee who had come to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and approached the Saragarhi Sarai officials claiming his advance booking of the accommodation. He claimed to have booked the accommodation by paying through an online website, which was found to be fake,” he said. Earlier also, there have been instances when the devotees, especially those from outstation and over- seas, were defrauded by the swindlers. SGPC (Sarai) manager Gurpreet Singh said that fake web portals with pictures of the Golden Temple and sarais run by the SGPC have been active on the internet. The miscreants, through the bogus portal, ask for payment between Rs 850Rs 4,200 via online wallet/QR code in advance. As soon as the payment is made, their phone numbers become defunct. “This was not the only case. At least 8-10 cases have come to light in the past where the devotees were looted online through fake websites,” he said. The SGPC has posted a notice on its official website www.sgpcsarai.com alerting the devotees against the fraud sites. “The booking has to be done only through our official website. The payment is only between Rs 500-Rs 1,100 fixed for various sarais. We never ask for any payment through QR code c m y b or online transaction link from any other platform,” he said. He said that earlier also, another bogus website Bharatibiz.com and Saragarhisaraihotel.com operated which used to commit online frauds in the name of booking accommodation at Saragarhi Sarai. “We got them deactivated, yet the miscreants appeared to have created a fake website with another name. An investigation is on to nab the culprits,” he said. He said that these phishing sites are cleverly designed to mimic the official SGPC websites, complete with professional layouts, logos and even fake reviews to create an illusion of authenticity. “The victims are usually asked to make an advance payment ranging from Rs 850 to Rs 4,200 through online wallets or QR codes. Once the payment is made, the contact numbers provided by these scammers become non-reachable, leaving the victims with no booking and resulting in loss of money,” he said. The SGPC and local police authorities have been working to combat these fraudulent activities, yet public awareness is the first line of defence. The SGPC on its website has posted a note of caution which says: Upon Google search, room booking should be done only from www.sgpcsarai.com. www.sgpcsarai.com is official website for room booking at Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib, Sri Darbar Sahib. Room booking should be done from this website only. Payment should not be made through any mobile number/QR code or online transaction from any other platform. 50 per cent advance payment for room booking at Saragarhi Niwas or other Sarais (inn) is not demanded. Beware of online frauds; no separate payment is taken for room booking at Sri Darbar Sahib through any individual or online mode. Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 1 The Ram Bagh, popularly known as Company Bagh, a popular recreational spot in the city, has been overrun by wild growth of weeds and grass, leaving visitors irked and disappointed. The rainy season has exacerbated the issue, with pathways, parks and open grounds being surrounded by disorderly state of vegetation. Residents and frequent visitors to the park are demanding that the authorities take immediate action to remove the wild grass and maintain the parks. “It’s disheartening to see the park in such a state. I have never seen Company Bagh in such pitiable state during the last 40 years. The incumbent government is responsible for this,” said a local resident Rakeshwar Sharma. The neglect has not only affected the park’s aesthetic appeal but also poses a risk to visitors, particularly children and the elderly, who risk a fall due to the overgrowth of grass and weeds. The reptiles are also posing threat in such a jungle. Municipal Commissioner Harpreet Singh often conducts cleanliness drive in the garden but residents have been demanding permanent workers and machines for the upkeep of Company Bagh. “We need dedicated gardeners and sanitation staff to maintain the park’s beauty and cleanliness,” said Gurdial Singh, another visitor. Officials of the Horticulture wing of Municipal Corporation have assured that measures will be taken to address the issue. “The staff is regularly working on the parks, central verges, green belts and other public spaces as grass has grown everywhere after regular rain in the last week. Rainwater accumulated in the park. We will deploy additional staff and equipment to clear the weeds and grass on Monday,” said an official.