06092024-ATR-01.qxd 9/5/2024 11:29 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY COLLEGE TEACHERS WEAR BLACK BADGES, HOLD SIT-IN ACROSS DIST HERE’S HOW THESE STARS CELEBRATED TEACHER’S DAY... FOR SAPNA CHOUDHARY, IT HAS BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE Wearing black badges, teachers today marked the Teacher’s Day by venting their frustration towards govt in dharnas. P2 Actress Kajol shared that the two biggest teachers in her life were her mother Tanuja and daughter Nysa. P4 With a biopic titled Madam Sapna on her life in the making, Sapna Choudhary says it is the perfect title for a film on her. P4 » » » MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET FRIDAY 6.47 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:09 AM FRIDAY | 6 SEPTEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR Crime syndicate busted, two arrested Chandigarhondirectionspistols with four ofgangsterBrar Had shot a bouncer in ADA tightens noose around illegal colonies Amritsar, September 5 The Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) has swung into action against unauthorised colonies in various areas around the city. On the instructions of Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu, Chief Administrator, Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA), District Town Planner Gursevak Singh Aulakh along with the staff of the regulatory wing visited Kala Ghanupur village on Ram Tirath Road, Wadala Bhittevad village and Hair village on Ajnala Road. The illegal colonies developed by colonisers were demolished in these villages. Aulakh said as per instructions of the government to curb unauthorised colonies, colonisers were issued notices under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA), 1995, and the demolition of illegal structures carried out. As per law, a person who develops an unauthorised colony can be jailed for three to seven years and fined Rs 2 to Rs 5 lakh under the PAPRA Act. The ADA has written to the Police Department to register FIRs against nine illegal colonisers. Aulakh appealed to the general public to demand an NOC before purchasing plots in colonies not approved by PUDA so that their hard-earned money does not go waste. — TNS Tribune News Service JCB machines remove debris at Gurdwara Baba Darshan Das in Sangatpur village on Thursday. 15 injured in lintel collapse on Tarn Taran gurdwara premises Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, September 5 As many as 15 devotees and volunteers were injured when lintel of an under-construction langar hall of Gurdwara Baba Darshan Das collapsed at Sangatpur village on Thursday. Six of the injured were rushed to a private hospital and seven were admitted to the civil hospital. Some were discharged after giving first aid while three others were referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, owing to their serious condition. Gurdwara Baba Darshan Das is under the control of Baba Avtar Singh, head, Bidhi Chand sect, Sursingh. Gurwinder Singh, a follower of the sect, said the lintel work was started on the covered area of 100X80 feet around 11 am. He said the work was near completion when the lintel suddenly caved in around 4 pm. He said a large number of devotees present on the occasion started the rescue operation. People trapped under the debris were rescued and sent to nearby hospitals, he said. Most victims belonged to Doctors distribute pamphlets among patients to garner support, justify cause Sangatpur village. Ravisher Singh, DSP , Goindwal Sahib, said the injured were identified as Bhupinder Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Jugraj Singh, Kulwant Singh, Amritpal Singh, Satnam Singh, Bikram Singh, Khajan Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Balbir Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Harwinder Singh. The DSP said Bikram Singh, Khajan Singh and Gurpreet Singh were referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, as their condition was stated to be critical. Amritsar, September 5 The police claimed to have busted an organised crime syndicate by arresting two alleged shooters of Canadabased gangster-turned-terrorist Satinderjit Singh, aka Goldy Brar, here on Wednesday night. The police recovered four pistols from their possession. The arrested suspects were identified as Harshdeep Singh and Gursharanpreet Singh, both residents of Dhilwan Khurd village in Faridkot district. They were arrested from the Jahajgarh area here yesterday evening. The duo had shot at Gurjit Singh, alias Bhura, a bouncer and security firm owner in Dhanas in the Chandigarh area on Monday night on directions of Brar. They intended to kill him. They had fired at least eight gunshots at Bhura’s SUV. Ranjit Singh Dhillon, Police Commissioner (CP), Amritsar, said the suspects did a recce of a man in Mohali from whom Brar was demanding extortion. They were in con- Two associates of gangster-turned-terrorist Goldy Brar in custody of the Amritsar police on Thursday. got a tip-off suspects, along ❝The policehad formed athat theafter procuring or with some other accomplices, gang smuggling weapons from other states and selling them to criminal elements. The duo was in a firecracker market in the Jahajgarh area and planning some crime when they were arrested. Ranjit Singh Dhillon, POLICE COMMISSIONER, AMRITSAR ❞ tact with Brar through social media applications. “The police got a tip-off that the suspects, along with some other accomplices, had formed a gang after procuring or smuggling weapons from other states and selling them to criminal elements. They were in a firecracker market in the Jahajgarh area and planning some crime,” the CP said. Following the information, teams of the CIA-1, CIA-2, Division A, Division B and the Cantonment police stations raided the area and nabbed the duo, the CP added. Gursharanpreet had a murder and an Arms Act case registered against him in Faridkot and had come out on bail in October last year. A case under Section 111 (3) of the BNS and Section 25 (7) of the Arms act was registered against the two suspects. Dry fruit robbery: Cops suspect insider role, traders meet senior officials, express concern over security Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service PK Jaiswar Amritsar, September 5 In a bid to garner public support before the complete shutdown of medical services from September 9, doctors at government hospitals distributed pamphlets among patients, who visited their Out Patient Departments (OPDs) here, on Thursday. The pamphlets listing problems and demands of doctors were pinned to the OPD slips of each patients by their doctors. Dr Sumitpal Singh, president, Punjab Civil Medical Services Association, Amritsar, said, “The general public is not aware of what doctors are facing. People might be thinking that doctors are on the wrong side.” Dr Sumitpal Singh said the informative pamphlet would educate masses about issues faced by doctors. “We are not against the public. We are not even against the government. Our fight is to get our rightful dues and to put pressure on the government to improve medical services in the state,” said Dr Madhur Poddar, general secretary, Punjab Civil Medical Services Association, Amritsar. Dr Poddar said the government had sanctioned a strength of 4,600 doctors in Punjab in 1991. “Though population has increased during the past 33 years, at least 2,800 posts of doctor are lying vacant. Ideally with increase in population, the number of posts should have increased,” he said. Dr Sumitpal Singh said, “At present, doctors too are overburdened with VIP duties, court cases, inquiries, camps and other assignments which do not have any connection with what a doctor has to Tribune News Service A doctor hands over pamphlet to a patient listing reasons for the scheduled strike from September 9 in Amritsar on Thursday. We ❝We are not against the public. is toare not even against the government. Our fight get our rightful dues and to put pressure on the government to improve medical services in the state. Though population has increased during the past 33 years, at least 2,800 posts of doctor are lying vacant. ❞ Dr Madhur Poddar, GENERAL SECRETARY, PCMSA, AMRITSAR do. A doctor should be treating patients and not waiting for VIPs.” Dr Sumitpal Singh said, “A large number of doctors prefer to work in private sector as they get a better salary and do not have to deal with unnecessary duties like in the government health facilities.” The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association has announced an indefinite strike from September 9 in the district over their pending demand of assured career progression, release of arrears of dearness allowance, recruitment for vacant posts and security at the workplace. The association stated that all their listed demands were justified and ideally the government should have fulfilled these without anyone asking about it. Amritsar, September 5 A day after sensational robbery in which around 30 persons looted dry fruit worth over Rs 2 crore from a cold storage, the police suspect the role an insider in the incident. “The robbers targeted only selected items from the storage facility. They knew its location which hints at the role of some insider in the robbery,” said Charanjit Singh, SSP Amritsar (Rural). It appears to be all planned as miscreants came fully prepared, he said. This is first of its kind incident in which armed looters targeted a cold storage facility. The incident has created panic among the trading community. There are around 12 cold storage facilities located in the holy city and majority of them are situated on Jhabal Road, Tarn Taran Road and Mehta Road. There are two cold storages at Ibban Kalan village on Jhabal Road. Happy Arora, owner of the AK Cold Storage, said out of 30 sus- Traders during a meeting with SSP Charanjit Singh at the Majith Mandi in Amritsar. SUNIL KUMAR pects seven were carrying firearms. They gained entry into the storage facility by jumping over the boundary wall. He said the suspects took labourers and two watchmen hostage. They had brought two trucks with them and loaded “small items” from the cold storage premises on the vehicles. They left around 4 am. Labourers came out of the cold storage facility after breaking a window and called Arora on his cellphone. “The suspects broke a table and drawers and took away the DVR with them,” Arora said. Anil Mehra, an importer and president of the Federation of Karyana and Dry Fruit Association, said unscrupulous elements had decamped with cashew nut, fig, resins and black pepper. Fig was imported from Afghanistan while the remaining items were from different parts of the country, he said. “Traders have lost goods worth several crores in the incident. Many traders in the Majith Mandi had stored their goods at the AK Cold Storage,” he said. Members of the Federation of Karyana and Dry Fruit Association along with Indo-Foreign Chamber of Commerce held a meeting in Majith Mandi area for expressing concern over yesterday’s incident. “It is an unprecedented incident. The police should arrest the suspects immediately,” said BK Bajaj, president, Indo-Foreign Chamber of Commerce. Traders also met SSP Charanjit Singh and raised their security concerns. The SSP pointed out lapses on part the cold storage owners that led to the incident. He asked them to hire adequate number of security personnel for safety, besides raising boundary walls of the cold storage facilities. “There were only two private guards and that too without any firearms. The boundary wall is also of small height which made it easy for miscreants to scale it,” the SSP said. There were also no CCTV cameras on the way leading to the storage facility, he added. He advised traders to create deterrence and obstructions such as boom barriers on way to the facility. He also assured them to arrest the suspects and crack the case. He said a police post could be st up in the area. It was a challenge to secure such a vast area near the crime spot, the SSP added. Meanwhile, the police claim to have found some clues about the suspects after scanning footage of the CCTV cameras installed within an 8 km radius of the crime spot. Spotlight back on docs’ safety after 3 held with 2.7kg heroin misconduct with junior resident Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 5 A recent incident of misconduct with a junior resident doctor while she was returning to her hostel after finishing her late evening shift at the hospital on the premises of the Government Medical College here has once again put spotlight on the lack of safety at the workplace. It’s more astonishing as the incident occurred when the whole country is in shock after the rape and murder of a c m y b resident doctor in a Kolkata hospital. There have been growing concerns over the safety of women medical practitioners. The incident occurred on late Monday evening around 10 pm when the woman doctor was going to her hostel just 200 metre away from the hospital building when unknown persons on a bike stopped her and misbehaved with her. The victim had complained of inappropriate touch by the suspects to the police after which a case against was reg- istered. However, it has not helped instil a sense of security among women doctors as many of them have to shuttle between hostel and the hospital during the night shift and to attend emergency calls. Resident doctors at the college stated that during their weeklong protest after the Kolkata incident many politicians from the ruling party had visited the hospital and promised to ensure their safety. “Obviously, they have failed to keep their promise. Continued on Page 2 Amritsar, September 5 With the arrest of three drug peddlers, the Amritsar (Rural) police today confiscated 2.7kg of heroin from their possession. They were identified a Lovepreet Singh and Jasbir Singh, both residents of Dhariwal village and Jaskaran Singh, a resident of Lahiyan village. Charanjit Singh, SSP , Amritsar (Rural), said it was believed that the contraband was smuggled through drones. He said the suspects were going to deliver the drug to someone when the police intercepted them. “There has been an increase in drone movement along the Amritsar border with Pakistan since August 17. We have been keeping a close watch along with the Border Security Force at the international border,” the SSP said. He said the Punjab Police had been laying shifting nakas on the basis of intelligence inputs which had led to huge recoveries in the past. He said the police was working as second line of defence. The suspects were produced before a court and brought on police remand for interrogation, the SSP added. He said properties of the suspects would also be identified and frozen. — TNS