05092024-ATR-01.qxd 9/4/2024 11:29 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY STPS CAN’T TREAT DISCHARGE IN TUNG DHAB DRAIN, SAY EXPERTS KAREENA KAPOOR KHAN PLAYS A COP IN THE BUCKINGHAM MURDERS SHANTANU WILL NEXT BE SEEN IN FILMS LIKE LOVE IN VIETNAM Months after a minister announced proposal to clean the Tung Dhab drain, experts warn that the govt should not rely on the STPs.P2 Kareena, who is awaiting release of The Buckingham Murders, talked about what connected her to the cop’s role in film.P4 “I’m very happy & grateful that now I have this freedom of choice as far as projects are concerned,”saysShantanuMaheshwari.P4 » » » MAX 33°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.49 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:08 AM THURSDAY | 5 SEPTEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR Dry fruit worth ~2 crore looted from cold storage Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 4 At least 30 armed persons looted dry fruits worth Rs 2 crore from a cold storage facility at Ibban Kalan village after detaining the watchmen at gunpoint here on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. The suspects also took away the CCTV cameras and the digital video recorder (DVR) from the facility. The police are clueless about the perpetrators of the crime though role of some insider could not be ruled out. “Following a preliminary probe, the police have registered a case. Further investigation has been initiated to identify and arrest the suspects,” said Charanjit Singh, SSP Amritsar (Rural). , Owner Happy Arora said dry fruits of 100 grocery store owners was stocked in his cold storage facility. He said grocery and dry fruit traders of the Majith Mandi area in the walled city had stored their dry fruit in his facility. He said four watchmen were deployed to guard the storage. He said last night, over 30 persons came on two trucks and took the security men hostage. They bundled bags of dry fruits on trucks and fled from the spot in the wee hours. The SSP said role of some insider in such a big loot could not be ruled out. He said police teams were working on various theories to solve the case. He said footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the area was being scanned to find some clues about perpetrators of the crime. One dead, several injured as matrimonial dispute turns ugly Tribune News Service SUSPECTS DETAINED VICTIM’S SISTERS Amritsar, September 4 A matrimonial dispute turned ugly at Hashampura village when family members of a woman attacked her in-laws leaving one man dead and several others injured in the assault. The victim’s sisters were also detained, thrashed and injured by the suspects. Following complaint by Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Avan Wasau village, the police registered a case against 20 persons while no arrest had been made till now. Though the incident occurred on August 25, victim Rajbir Singh, who was admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital for treatment, succumbed to his injuries yesterday. Among others, who were injured, include Sukhwider Singh, Mukha Singh and Gobinda, all residents of Chhannghoga village. On August 25, Sukhdev along with his father Dhanna Singh and three sisters Rajwinder Kaur, Sumanpreet Kaur and Shinder Kaur, went to Hashampur village to bring his wife and daughter back from his in-laws house. The village is located just 1 km from the victim's village. Sukhdev said verbal arguments ensued between his family and his in-laws which soon turned ugly. The victim said he and his father somehow escaped from his in-law's house while the suspects detained his sisters. The police have booked Sukhdev’s father-in-law Wazir Singh, mother-in-law Mani Kaur, Shinda Singh, Judge Singh, Mota Singh, Piara Singh and Hardeep Singh, all residents of Hashampur village, and Satta Singh, Balwant Singh and Mangaldeep Singh, all residents of Gulgarh village, besides their at least 10 unidentified accomplices. Sukhdev Singh stated to the police that around a month ago his wife, along with her daughter, went to her parents’ house in Hashampur village, but did not return. On August 25, Sukhdev along with his father Dhanna Singh and three sisters Rajwinder Kaur, Sumanpreet Kaur and Shinder Kaur, went to Hashampur village to bring his wife and daughter back from his in-laws place. The village is located just 1 km from the victim’s village. Sukhdev said verbal arguments ensued between his family and his in-laws which soon turned ugly. The victim said he and his father somehow escaped from his inlaw’s house while the suspects detained his sisters. Sukhdev said they returned to their village and gathered his friend Sukhwinder Singh and Rajbir Singh, brother Mukha Singh and Gobinda. The victim along with others started for Hashampur village to bring his sisters back from his in-laws house. Sukhdev said on the way, the suspects, including his father-in-law and others who were carrying sharp weapons, surrounded and attacked them leaving them injured. The victim alleged that Hardeep Singh attacked his friend Sukhwinder Singh with sharp weapon due to which he suffered injuries on his legs and arms. During assault, Rajbir suffered injuries on legs, arms and chest. He was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition where he died yesterday. Investigating officer Satnam Singh said raids were on to arrest the suspects who were on the run after the incident. Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 4 The CIA staff of the Amritsar (Rural) police arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 506 gram heroin smuggled from Pakistan through drones from their possession. Those arrested were identified as Uttampal Singh, a resident of Cheecha village, and Navtej Singh, a resident of Gharindi village. The suspects were arrested by a police patrol party on Tuesday evening when they were going from the main highway to Gharindi village link road towards Muhawa village. Charanjit Singh, SSP, Amritsar (Rural), said a police team led by subinspector Tarlok Singh spotted two motorcycleborne persons. The police team signalled them to stop, but they tried to speed away. During chase, the suspects' bike slipped and they fell down. A pack- Suspects in custody of the Amritsar (Rural) police on Wednesday. et with yellow adhesive tape also fell from a polythene bag the suspects were carrying. Navtej Singh, who was riding pillion on the bike, picked up the packet and tried to slip away into the fields. However, he was chased and caught by the police. Uttampal Singh, who was driving the bike, was arrested earlier by the police party. The packet contained heroin weighing 506 gram, the SSP said. The police also recovered a mobile phone and impounded the bike which suspects were riding. They were produced a court and brought on police remand for further investigation, the SSP said. Five arrested on charge of extortion; country-made pistol, motorcycle, ~1.50L recovered Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 4 With the arrest of five persons, the Amritsar (Rural) police have busted a gang involved in extorting huge amount from traders, commission agents and others by posing as gangsters. The police recovered a country-made pistol along with a bike and an SUV, besides Rs 1.50 lakh extorted from a local registered medical practitioner (RMP). Among those arrested included Gurinder Singh, a resident of Nangal Guru village, and Manpreet Singh and Gupreet Singh, both residents of Jalalabad village in Tarn Taran, Sumandeep Singh, a resident of Khan Chhabri village in Tarn Taran, and Sharanpreet, a resident of Khela village in Tarn Taran. Their two accomplices identified as Simranjit Singh, a resident of Bodal village in Tarn Taran, and Ramandeep Singh, a resident of Chatiwind in Amritsar, were still on the run. Weapon and money seized from the gang of extortionists. High Court seeks affidavits from Punjab, Woman among 3 booked Haryana on SARFAESI Act compliance for duping two of ~41 lakh Charges framed against Amritsar District Magistrate Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 4 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana to submit affidavits detailing the number of applications pending before the District Magistrates under Section 14 of the SARFAESI Act. The direction came as Justice Harkesh Manuja framed charges against Amritsar District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira for wilful disobedience of a court order dated January 7, 2020. The directions to the District Magistrate to pass necessary orders under Section 14 of the SARFAESI Act within 30 days came during the hearing of a matter on January 7, 2020. But its compliance was made after nearly two years in January 18, 2022. Section 14 allows the secured creditor to sell or lease assets to recover the outstanding loan amount. The matter was brought to Justice Manuja’s notice after a contempt petition was filed against Khaira by Kotak Mahindra Bank through counsel Nitin Thatai, Monika Thatai and Brahmjeet Singh. Among other things, it was alleged that the delay constituted a clear violation of the 2 drug peddlers nabbed, 506gm heroin brought via drone seized RESPONDENT UNABLE TO EXPLAIN DELAY In such circumstances, the respondent having not been able to explain the inordinate delay in compliance of the order dated January 7, 2020, the charges are framed against him in terms of Sections 10 and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act having shown wilful disrespect towards the order passed by this court. ❝ ❞ Justice Harkesh Manuja, PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT court’s directive. Responding to the plea, Khaira cited disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and his involvement in the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly elections. But Justice Manuja found the explanation to be “neither reasonable nor plausible”. The Bench noted there was no mention of whether similar powers under Section 14 of the SARFAESI Act were exercised during the intervening period in any other case by him or even his subordinate – Additional District Magistrate “In such circumstances, the respondent having not been able to explain the inordinate delay in compliance of the order dated January 7, 2020, the charges are framed against him in terms of Sections 10 and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act having shown wilful disrespect towards the order passed by this court. The respondent may file his explanation by filing any additional affidavit/additional document and shall remain present in the court for further orders,” Justice Manuja observed. Before parting with the case, Justice Manuja asserted that the directions to the Chief Secretaries were necessitated by the repeated failure of district magistrates in both states to perform their statutory duties under the SARFAESI Act, forcing financial institutions to approach the court unnecessarily. The Chief Secretaries were asked to join the proceedings via videoconferencing if the required affidavits were not filed by the next hearing. Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 4 In the lure of green pastures, a Batala resident was among the two, who fell in the trap of fake travel agents and lost their hard earned money. The Amritsar (Rural) police have booked three persons, including a woman, in this regard while no arrest was made in both the cases so far. The Kathunangal police booked Surpreet Kaur for duping Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Bajjuman village, in Batala (Gurdaspur) of Rs 27.81 lakh for sending his son Bikramjit Singh to Canada on a work visa. In another incident an FIR was registered against Nawanshahr resident Gurinderjit Singh for defrauding a local resident of Rs 13.21 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Bajjuman village, in Batala (Gurdaspur), in his complaint to the police alleged that Surpreet Kaur duped him of Rs 27.81 lakh for sending his son Bikramjit Singh to Canada on a work visa. She neither returned his money nor sent his son to Canada. Nevertheless, it took five months for the police to register an FIR in on the basis of complaint lodged by Sukhdev. The complainant alleged that Surpreet runs an education centre near Khalsa Continued on page 2 Doctors to stop work for 2 hrs today in Tarn Taran Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, September 4 A senior member of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr Ramandeep Singh (57), died here on Wednesday. He along with his wife started their medical practice three decades ago and gained popularity with their magnanimity. Dr Dinesh Gupta, Dr Gurkirat Singh Aulakh, Dr Baljit Kaur, Dr Sukhbir Kaur, Dr Surinder Singh Kainth, Civil Surgeon Dr Gurpreet Singh c m y b Rai and other members of the IMA expressed grief over the untimely demise of Dr Ramandeep Singh. Dr Dinesh Gupta, president, Tarn Taran chapter of the IMA, appealed to members to observe two hours shutdown at health facilities on Thursday, sparing the emergency services, as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Dr GS Aulakh, association honorary secretary, expressed concern over the rising number of premature death of doctors. Giving details, Charanjit Singh, SSP Amritsar (Rural) , said Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Taragarh Talawan village, was an RMP doctor by profession at Nangal Guru village. Yesterday, he approached the police and lodged a complaint that he was being threatened by unknown persons for money. The victim said he received a call on August 20 from foreign numbers, but did not respond. Similarly, again on August 22 he received a call from a foreign number, but he did not attend the call. He said last night when he was closing his shop, two bike-borne persons stopped and threatened to kill him and his son if he failed to pay Rs 5 lakh to them. The victim said as he was afraid, he gave Rs 3 lakh to the suspects at Bhinder village. As he had yet to give Rs 2 lakh to the suspects, he lodged a complaint with the police. On the basis of the victim’s complaint, the police registered a case against suspects. During probe, the police identified the suspects and arrested them. The SSP said raids were on to nab the remaining two suspects. Gurinder Singh was the prime suspect in the case as he lived in Nangal Guru village. He was nephew of the owner of the shop from where Dr Sukhdev Singh runs his clinic. He hatched the entire conspiracy to extort money from Sukhdev. He involved Gurpreet Singh in his plan. Gurpreet further hired Manpreet and Simranjit for threat ening the doctor in order to extort money from him.