28092024-LT-01.qxd 9/28/2024 12:32 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 31-YEAR-OLD’S BODY FOUND ON ROAD IN ABOHAR PANCHAYAT POLL PROCESS KICKS OFF IN MALERKOTLA ACTOR SOHUM CELEBRATES FILM TUMBBAD’S SUCCESS The body of a 31-year-old youth was found on a road behind Jammu Basti in Abohar. P3 The electioneering process for the election of panches and sarpanches of villages in Malerkotla kicked off. P3 Actor Sohum celebrated the success of horror film Tumbbad by unveiling The Tumbbad Anthem track. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.11 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:15 AM SATURDAY | 28 SEPTEMBER 2024 | LUDHIANA 2 pedestrian underpasses prove to be white elephants for MC These are generally not used by people due to safety reasons, insanitary conditions Manav Mander Tribune News Service The pedestrian underpass outside the Mini-Secretariat; and (left) the underpass at Aggar Nagar. NO TAKERS FOR SHOPS TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Ludhiana, September 27 Two pedestrian underpasses on Ferozepur road, one outside the Mini-Secretariat and the other near Aggar Nagar, which were built with much fanfare, are proving to be white elephants. Shops at both underpasses were never rented out. The underpasses are generally not being used by the public due to safety reasons as well as insanitary conditions. The pedestrian underpass near the Mini-Secretariat was inaugurated in 2010 and built at the cost of Rs 7 lakh. It is lying closed for the past several months due to improper lighting and pedestrians usually avoid it due to security reasons. There are nine vacant shops in the underpass but these were never rented out despite multiple auctions conducted by the Municipal Corporation. The Aggar Nagar underpass was constructed especially on the request of residents of the area to connect blocks A and B. Built with a cost of Rs 3.5 crore, the underpass was thrown open to the public in 2014. There are 13 shops at the 50-m-long underpass between the two blocks but these were never given on rent. At one time, the MC was also planning to open an office dealing in birth and death certificates at one of the underpasses. But the plan failed to kick-start. A shop owner in Aggar Nagar The underpass near the Mini-Secretariat was lying closed for the past several months due to improper lighting. There are nine vacant shops but these were never rented out despite multiple auctions conducted by the MC. The Aggar Nagar subway was thrown open to the public in 2014. There are 13 shops at the underpass but these were never given on rent. said when the underpass was opened, residents had thought something else but it turned out exactly the opposite. “The underpass is hardly used by the residents and none of shops were rented out due to the lack of basic facilities. Water gets stagnant during rainfall and how can one run a shop in the absence of proper drainage system, lack of washrooms and water facility,” he said. A city resident, Swarn Singh, said a few years ago, he used the underpass near the MiniSecretariat to reach the Deputy Commissioner’s office. It was in a pitiable condition, looked abandoned and garbage was lying here and there. He said the main problem was that the government built the infrastructure but it failed to maintain the same. “If the authorities taken keen interest in both underpasses after their inauguration, these would be successful projects,” he said. The government should lower the reserve price of shops and also provide better facilities to attract customers, he said. MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, who recently assumed the charge, said he would definitely plan something about both underpasses and rejuvenate the projects and give a fresh lease of life to them. Vehicle rams into tree, 12 hurt 470-gm heroin seized, 2 nabbed Ludhiana, September 27 At Khanna’s Garhi Tarkhana village a Mahindra Pik-up vehicle hit a tree. Twelve migrants, including women and children, were injured. They were admitted to the Civil Hospital, Samrala. Seven persons with serious injuries were referred to a Ludhiana hospital. Rahul and Dinesh, who were injured, said when about 16 persons, all migrant labourers, were going to work in the fields in a Mahindra vehicle, the driver lost control over the vehicle and it collided with a tree. It was suspected that the driver was drunk due to which he was driving carelessly. — TNS Ludhiana, September 27 The CIA-1 of the Police Commissionerate claimed to have nabbed a drug peddler and seized 320 gm of heroin from his possession. The suspect has been identified as Pardeep Singh, alias Rajvir (22), a resident of Guru Arjan Dev Nagar here. DCP (Crime) Shubham Aggarwal, ADCP (Crime) Amandeep Singh Brar and ACP (Crime) Gurpreet Singh issued a joint statement in this regard. Aggarwal said on September 25, CIA in-charge Rajesh Kumar had received a tip-off, following which the police team conducted a raid and nabbed the smuggler with 255 gm of heroin. Later during questioning of the suspect, 65 gm more heroin was seized from the man, which he had concealed in the electricity meter box at his house. The suspect was sent to two-day police remand and his further questioning was on to bust the entire drug supply line. The DCP said the police would also probe about properties made by the suspect with the proceeds of the drug money and the same would also be attached. In another incident, the CIA-2 of the Police Commissionarate today arrested a smuggler and seized 150 gm of heroin. He has been identified as Harmandeep Singh (24), a resident of Chamkaur Sahib. DCP (Crime) Shubham Aggarwal said when CIA incharge inspector Rajesh Sharma, along with a police team, was conducting a routine patrolling on the KoharaMachhiwara road, he got a tip-off regarding Harmandeep, who was on the way to deliver heroin to his clients. He said the police conducted a raid and nabbed the smuggler with 150 gm of heroin. The car which was being used by him to deliver heroin was also confiscated. A case has been registered against the suspect. — TNS Ladhowal toll barrier made free for over one hour by firm employees Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 27 The state’s most expensive Ladhowal toll plaza was shut by company employees for over one hour against nonfulfillment of their longpending demands. Vehicles were allowed to pass from the barrier without paying fee as all staff members staged a sitin at the toll barrier. Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union had also joined the protest to support the company employees. Workers and members of the farmer union raised slogans against the company managing affairs of the toll barrier. Before the starting of the Ladhowal toll plaza firm workers protest in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN protest, toll firm and police officials tried to convince the workers to avoid the protest as their demands would be fulfilled but the employees did not budge and shut the operation of the toll barrier and giv- ing vehicles a free pass. The protest started around 11 am and after over one hour, the company officials agreed to fulfil all demands of the workers. Following which, the protest was lifted and the toll barrier was made operational. Station House Officer, Ladhowal police station, Inspector Harpreet Singh Dehal, played an important role in holding a talk between the protesting workers and company officials. “The toll barrier remained close for over an hour. After the company agreed to fulfill demands of the protesting workers, toll barrier was made operational and workers returned to work,” he said. Inspector Dehal said during the protest, law and order was maintained at the toll barrier and sufficient force was deployed to manage the situation. continued on page 2 c m y b Man loses ~3.96 lakh to phishing scam Tribune News Service VB arrests two MC clerks for missing policy records Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 27 A Ludhiana businessman, Atul Gupta, lost Rs 3.96 lakh to a phishing scam after clicking on a suspicious link sent by an unknown number. The caller claimed to be an American Express credit card company official and asked the victim to click on the link to apply for a credit card. The Cyber Crime police station on Thursday registered a case against unidentified miscreant on Gupta’s complaint. The victim received a call from an unknown number and the suspect introduced himself as an American Express official. He asked Gupta to click on a link sent via an app to apply for a credit card. As soon as the man clicked the link, Rs 3.96 lakh was transferred from his account to another. The suspect switched off his phone after committing the crime. The police registered a case and are investigating the matter. Earlier also, many city residents have lost their hard-earned money to cyber criminals but the police had failed to recover money in recent cases. Ludhiana, September 27 The Vigilance Bureau (VB), Ludhiana, has arrested two clerks of the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, Ajay Kumar, posted at the law branch, Zone A, and Lakhvir Singh, posted at the tehbazaari wing, Zone C, after finding them guilty in a case of missing policy records of the corporation. Stating this here today, a spokesperson for the state VB said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had recently passed an order to shift the temporary scooter market, situated on Gill Road, here, a khokha market in-front of the ITI and the car bazaar from the Feroze Gandhi Market, here. In this regard, a policy was framed by the then Mayor of the MC, Ludhiana, and he had passed a resolution in the General House meeting in 2010 and sought a report in this regard after constituting a committee. In 2010, the then Commissioner of the MC and the committee had made some suggestions regarding shifting of the scooter market, khokha market and the car bazaar. The spokesperson said as per the orders of the high court, an inquiry was conduct- The suspects in custody of Vigilance Bureau sleuths in Ludhiana. ed by the VB, Ludhiana range. As the original records pertaining to the policy were not provided by officials of the MC, Ludhiana, to the VB, Ludhiana range, on August 28, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had passed the order that “since serious issues as regard to the use of authority are reflected in the present case, the VB is directed to register an FIR in the incident, if documents are not handed over within seven days and thereafter to investigate the matter in accordance with law”. He said a report from the MC Commissioner in this regard was received on September 3, stating that the original file was not traceable. During inquiry, clerk Lakhvir Singh had stated that the original file was given to Roni, another clerk, on November 24, 2019, at 7 pm at the camp office of the MC Commissioner and the clerk had died. During a probe, it was transpired that the file was received back by MC branch concerned. The spokesperson said since the file was returned to the tehbazaari wing in December 2019, therefore, as per inquiry, clerks Lakhvir Singh and Ajay Kumar had been found guilty in the matter and a case had been registered against the duo. He added that the role of other officials and employees of the MC would also be examined during further investigation.