01022025-ATR-01.qxd 1/31/2025 11:50 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY STATE FOOD COMMISSION CHIEF ORDERS SCHOOL WATER CHECK ANUPAMA SOLANKI TALKS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY AND MORE JAS WARAICH TO STAR IN FILM CHALE YAAR COACHELLA The Punjab State Food Commission has ordered officials to conduct sampling of water in government schools. P2 Anupama Solanki, who was last seen in Kuch Reet Jagat Ki Aisi Hai, talks about the industry and more. P4 Inspired by Diljit Dosanjh’s Coachella concert, actor Jas Waraich is set to star in Punjabi film Chale Yaar Coachella. P4 » » » MAX 22°C | MIN 8°C YESTERDAY MAX 22°C | MIN 8°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.04 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7.23 AM SATURDAY | 1 FEBRUARY 2025 | AMRITSAR Police remand of accused in Ambedkar statue vandalising case extended PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 31 A local court has extended the police remand of Akash Singh, arrested for vandalising the life-size statue of Dr BR Ambedkar located at Heritage Street here on January 26. He was produced in court on Friday after the expiry of his police remand. As per information received, the police also added more stringent sections of BNS in the FIR following the statements of several leaders of Dalit organisations who had met the investigating officer yesterday. The police added section 152 (acts of endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of BNS apart from section 2 of Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act and section 4 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act against him. Meanwhile, advocate Anil Kumar who appeared before the court on behalf of the community, claimed that the accused Akash Singh had a national flag which he had hidden in Bathinda. He wanted to set it on fire to disturb peace and harmony between differ- 2 members of Jeevan Fauji module among four nabbed PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Accused Akash Singh being brought out of the court after hearing in Amritsar on Friday. ent communities in the state. Earlier, the police had registered a case under section 333 (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restrain), 324-F (mischief), 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of BNS and section 3, 4 and 5 of the SC/ST Act following the incident. Meanwhile, the police have questioned around 10 per- sons, identified after scanning his mobile phone and other social media platforms where he was active. “The investigations are still in progress and it would be too early to conclude about his motive behind the desecration of Dr BR Ambedkar’s statue,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police, Jaspal Singh. The accused had returned from Dubai around three months back and did not visit his family. He had made frequent visits to Amritsar since then. He had gone to Dubai three years ago. On January 26, when the country was celebrating its 76th Republic Day, Akash Singh climbed on to the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at Heritage Street and started hammering away at it repeatedly before people asked him to come down. Before this, he had also set the stone-carved Constitution book on fire by throwing an inflammable material. Amritsar, January 31 In a significant breakthrough, the Amritsar Rural Police have arrested two members of foreign-based gangster-turned terrorist Jeevan Fauji among four persons and recovered five weapons from their possession. They were part of the module smuggling arms and ammunition from other parts of the country to criminal elements in Punjab. Charanjit Singh Sohal, SSP , Amritsar Rural Police, said those arrested were identified as Ranjit Singh, alias Gana, of Meerakot Chowk and Amandeep Singh, alias Prince, of Ghanupur Kale. The operation led to the seizure of a .30 bore pistol along with 10 live bullets and ~1.5 lakh of drug proceeds from their possession. “During interrogation, they admitted that they brought the weapons from different parts of the country through their network,” said the SSP while , adding that the police also confiscated the scooter (PB-02-EX- The four accused and the seized weapons in custody of the police in Amritsar on Friday. 2181) used in smuggling activities. A case under the Arms Act was registered against them at the Kamboh police station in this regard. He said the accused were produced in a court and brought on police remand for further interrogation to bust the entire nexus involved in smuggling weapons from other states. Similarly, in another case, the rural police recovered three pistols — two 9 mm caliber pistols and one .30 bore pistol — from Balbir Singh (of Muhawa village) along with a bike (PB-02-CF0619). Besides, two mobile phones and 20,000 cash were also recovered from his possession. As per a preliminary probe, the accused was in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers. The seized weapon consignment was part of a consignment smuggled from Pakistan. A separate case under Section 25 of the Arms Act was registered at the Gharinda police station. Meanwhile, the Amritsar Rural Police also arrested Harwinder Singh, alias Chamkor, of Chiddan village who had stolen an SUV from Delhi last year. The police have recovered a .32 bore pistol from him. He had three criminal cases under the NDPS Act and the Arms Act registered against him. Classes disrupted as Cong councillors contest AAP Mayor’s election Roll back privatisation move: Powercom staff college teachers join protest in Mohali Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service The DAV College building in Amritsar. Amritsar, January 31 Classes in most colleges of the city remained suspended today with teachers joining the protest rally organised by the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) in Mohali. The PCCTU units of all colleges had been observing a dharna and protest against the government over its negligence in implementing the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations and accusing it of pursuing “anti-student and anti-teacher policies”. The PCCTU units in city have called the entire process regarding the implementation of the pay panel’s recommendations as ‘harassment’, and said that teachers were not being paid salaries according to the increased pay-scale. Units from DAV and other city colleges also lent support to the state-wide agitation and participated in the state-level protest organised by the PCCTU today in Mohali. — TNS Amritsar, January 31 Newly elected Congress councillors gathered at the Municipal Corporation office in Ranjit Avenue today, to show their strength and stake claim over the post of Mayor. The incumbent Aam Aadmi Party leadership and senior MC officials avoided them. Moreover, they were not welcomed at the MC office. The Congress councillors attempted to access the room meant for the elected councillors, but found it locked. When they asked the MC officials to unlock it, their request was denied, leading to an argument with the MC staff. One of the Congress councillors reportedly engaged in a heated argument with a corporation official. However, Robin Hans, SHO, Ranjit Avenue police station, intervened and pacified the protesters. Following this, the Congress councillors proceeded to the meeting hall of the Municipal Corporation, where the General House meetings are held. Congress councillors gathered outside the Mayor’s office at Ranjit Avenue in Amritsar on Friday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Speaking in the meeting hall, councillor and Congress candidate for the post of Mayor, Vikas Soni expressed frustration over the locked councillors’ room. He stated that despite their presence, the lock was not opened, forcing them to go to the general meeting hall. He warned that if the police used force against the elected councillors, protests would erupt across the city. Vikas Soni further claimed that the case regarding unfair elections is still pending in Punjab and Haryana High Court. He reaffirmed the Congress party’s trust in the judiciary, expressing confidence that the court’s decision would be in their favour. He alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Mayor was declared elected unconstitutionally at the Government Medical College on January 27, despite the Congress having a majority. Even if AAP councillors now attend this meeting, the Congress councillors would still outnumber them, claimed Soni. The Congress councillors later met with Additional Municipal Commissioner Surinder Singh to present their demands. They requested the release of videographic evidence of the oath-taking ceremony and election process held at the Government Medical College. Additionally, they urged the authorities to disclose the names of councillors accused in the FIR filed over the alleged breaking and theft of cameras in the auditorium. In response, Additional MC Commissioner Surinder Singh stated that any action would be taken in accordance with the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision. He clarified that releasing the videography was not under his jurisdiction and assured that legal procedures would be followed concerning all demands raised by the Congress councillors. The situation remains tense as Congress councillors claimed that they do not recognise Moti Bhatia as the Mayor of the city and AAP will fail to prove its majority in the General House meeting. Employees of the Powercom during a protest in Tarn Taran. Tarn Taran, January 31 Workers and employees of the Powercom in protest against the privatization of the management of the UT and that of the Uttar Pradesh power departments organized a rally in front of the Circle Office, Powercom, here on Friday. The women employees of the Powercom participated in the rally in a big number. A call in this regard was given by the national leadership of the National Coordination Committee Engineers and Employees. Gurpreet Singh Gandi- wind, state president of the Employees’ Federation (AITUC), was among others who condemned the Union Government for privatization of the power department. The leaders alleged that it would ruin the public sector. Besides, the rates of electricity would be increased and there would be less jobs for educated youngsters. The leaders stressed for the withdrawal of the decision, which would benefit the corporate sector. They demanded to fill the vacant posts in the power sector. — OC Contract to company ends, work Three snatchers held HC order helps woman get on issuing driving licences hit with13lootedmobiles arrears after husband’s death Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, January 31 The process of making new driving licences and printing these has come to a stop for nearly a month at the local Regional Transport Office (RTO). It has become a bone of contention for officials of the department besides resulting in harassment to hundreds of people daily. Hera Singh Kandianwala and Baldev Singh Pandori, social workers, informed here today that with the work of making new driving licences and printing having stopped, more than 2,000 people who appeared for test at the driving track in the Regional Transport Office, are still The RTO building in Tarn Taran. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI waiting for their licences. Gurdev Singh, Junior Assistant at RTO, said the contract awarded to the company concerned had expired on December 31. The contract has not been renewed or awarded to any other company. As a result, the work had stopped. The social activists said that people who had applied for new driving licences were facing legal problems. They said that other related works too were getting affected as the payment of loan by people who had purchased vehicles on its basis was not being entered in the official record. Social workers Heera Singh Kandianwala and Baldev Singh Pandori demanded that the state government must sort out the problems to restore normal working. People who wanted to get a new driving licence after depositing the due fees at the proper centre and appearing for test at the driving track had to return home without getting their work done. Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 31 The city police have arrested three snatchers including a juvenile, allegedly involved in robbing people by pointing sharp-edged weapons at them. They were identified as Rishabh Lumba alias Sonu of Nawa Kot and Suraj Kumar of Chhota Haripura. The police recovered 13 snatched mobile phones along with a scooter from their possession. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Vishaljit Singh said that on January 25, the accused had looted c m y b Honey Sharma of Boria Wala Bazaar. He told the police that along with his father Pawan Kumar, he was on a morning walk as part of their daily routine when three persons attacked and snatched cash from them before fleeing the scene. The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police said the police arrested the three suspects. During interrogation, the police confiscated 13 mobile phones of different brands along with the scooter used in the crime. He said the accused was produced in court and brought on police remand for further investigations. Tarn Taran, January 31 Sixty five-year-old widow Surinder Kaur, a resident of Tarn Taran, forced the officials of the local Punjab National Bank (PNB) to pay her ~5 lakh as interest on her principal amount of ~3 lakh. The money was the labour of 11 years of hard work and she had to run from pillar to post to get the amount. Sharing her troubles here today, an elderly Surinder Kaur said that her husband Raghbir Singh, who was a driver with the Punjab Roadways, Patti, was to get an arrear of ~3 lakh for the period 2004 to 2014. He died suddenly in 2014. She applied to the Accountant General (AG), Punjab, for fam- ily pension of her husband which was allowed with the local Punjab National Bank, Chaunk Char Khanbha. After the death of her husband, she requested the bank to pay her the ~3 lakh due but the bank authorities paid no heed to her appeals. She then approached the district administration and the senior bank officials but failed to get justice. At last, in 2023, she served a legal notice to the bank authorities to settle her claim but the bank officials overlooked it. She then filed a civil writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court through her lawyer. After a year-long ordeal, the court ordered to give her the dues with 18 per cent interest within eight weeks but the bank authorities even then refused to release the principal amount. Surinder Kaur, through her lawyer, served a notice of contempt of court, and was then given the amount of over ~8 lakh. Surinder Kaur has expressed her satisfaction over the development with justice being rendered to her by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Jatin Gambhir, manager of the PNB, confirmed here on Friday that besides the arrear of ~3 lakh, the principal amount and interest worth more than Rs 5 lakh has been sent into the account of Surinder Kaur. — OC