25022025-JTR-01.qxd 2/24/2025 10:38 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune NRI'S EFFORTS BRING LIFE BACK ON SCHOOL CAMPUS INDIAN FILM FRATERNITY CONGRATULATES TEAM INDIA CONCLAVE TRIUMPHS WITH BEST CAST ENSEMBLE UK-based Shaminder Singh Garcha says that the government has also contributed about ~20 lakh. P3 It has come together to congratulate Team India on their impressive victory over Pak in Champions Trophy. P4 The 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards celebrated exceptional talent across both film and television. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 21°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 25°C | MIN 9°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.22 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:57 AM » TUESDAY | 25 FEBRUARY 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF UP MIGRANT DIES IN HIT-AND-RUN Phagwara: A pedestrian was killed on the spot when a speeding motorcycle hit him near Guru Nanak Nagri Chiherru on Sunday night. The deceased was identified as Gaurav Yadav, a UP migrant. The motorcyclist managed to flee after hitting the migrant, leaving him behind in a pool of blood. The police have registered a case against a motorcyclist and sent the body to the Civil Hospital for the post-mortem examination. OC LIQUOR TRADER ARRESTED Phagwara: The police have arrested a liquor trader and seized 18 bottles of illicit liquor from his possession on Sunday night. The accused was identified as Vikki of Khalwara Gate, Phagwara. A case under the Punjab Excise Act has been registered against the accused. OC TRAGEDY AVERTED IN HOSPITAL Phagwara: The alert fire tender staff averted a major mishap in the Civil Hospital, Phagwara, when a fire broke in the power control room in the hospital. The power broke down due to technical snag. Short circuit said to be the cause of fire which was controlled by the fire brigade staff. Surprisingly no regular electrician was posted in 140bedded hospital and the power lines could be repaired by hiring a private electrician. oc Shift FCI, Markfed godowns from heart of city: Residents Trucks transporting grains from these godowns create traffic chaos Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 24 Members of the Royal Club, representing residents of Ram Nagar and Gandhi Nagar, have urged the district administration and Municipal Corporation to take action and relocate Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Markfed godowns from the centre of the city to the outskirts. In a letter addressed to Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal and Mayor Vineet Dhir, club general secretary Suraj Birdi, have highlighted serious concerns regarding traffic congestion, frequent jams and the risk of accidents due to the movement of heavy trucks in residential and market areas. According to Birdi, unplanned urban expansion has made the presence of these godowns in densely populated areas unsustainable. “The movement of heavy trucks through Gandhi Nagar and Gurdev Nagar has led to constant traffic chaos. The situation is not only inconvenient but also dangerous for commuters, Heavy vehicles parked in the city area in Jalandhar. PHOTO SARABJIT SINGH schoolchildren and local residents,” he said. The letter stresses that despite restrictions, trucks transporting goods to and from these godowns continue to operate within the city, even during prohibited hours. Many of these vehicles can be seen parked along roadsides, further adding to MAN HELD FOR SNATCHING CASH Phagwara: The police have arrested a miscreant for snatching cash and smart phone from a woman. The accused has been identified as Lovpreet Singh of Nagal Ambian village. Sandeep Kaur of Dhandhowal had complained to the police that the accused and his accomplice on a bike on February 12 snatched Rs 10,000 and a smart phone from her. A case was registered and the accused’s accomplice is absconding. oc VILLAGER HELD FOR FIRING IN AIR Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a villager on the charge of firing in the air. The accused has been identified as Satwant Singh of Dhandowal village.The accused and his associates fired shots in the air during a marriage party in the house of Satwant Singh on December 30. TWO HELD FOR MOBILE THEFT Phagwara: The police have arrested two persons for mobile theft here on Sunday night. The arrested accused were identified as Deepak and Karan, who have confessed to their involvements in different thefts. OC take up the matter with the General Manager of the FCI and the Managing Director of Markfed in Chandigarh for swift relocation. “Shifting these godowns outside the city will not affect their operations but will significantly improve the traffic flow and safety,” they added. “We have raised this issue many times in the past and are now awaiting action from the authorities, hoping for a timely resolution to what we see as an urgent and longstanding issue”, they said, adding that the demand was not only about convenience, but also about ensuring safer roads and a better quality of life for city’s citizens. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 24 The police of Division Number 6 have registered a case of gang-rape against five persons, all residents of Garden Colony in Jalandhar. It is alleged that the five men gangraped the wife of a pastor from Fatehgarh Sahib. As of now, no arrests have been made. As per information, a complaint was given to the Amloh police in Fatehgarh Sahib on February 5, to which the police filed a zero FIR in the case and later on February 14, referred the case to the Commissionerate Police for further investigation in the case. After preliminary investigation, the Division Number 6 police finally lodged an FIR under Section 64 of the BNS against five men, identified as Faris Masih, Pargat Singh, Balkar Masih, Mahi Manchanda and Virbal. As per the statement of the victim in the FIR (the copy of which is in possession of The Tribune), she belongs to the Christian community and frequently travels to various districts of Punjab for religious preaching. She is often accompanied by her husband and other individuals. She said Faris Masih from Jalandhar was known to her and she had previously conducted preaching with him in Jalandhar. The victim stated in her testimony that she had come to Jalandhar to collect money from Faris as he owed her some amount. During this visit, the accused allegedly committed the crime along with four other men. According to the victim, she alleged that when she met Faris in Jalandhar, he placed his hand on her head as a blessing after which she lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, she felt pain in her body, leading her to suspect that something wrong had happened to her. As the matter escalated, she reported it to the police. Meanwhile, the police, including SHO Division Number 6 and ACP Model , Town, Sirivennela, didn’t take calls despite repeated attempts, while Joint Commissioner Sandeep Sharma said he was not aware of the case and would check with the police station. Arts graduate held with 150 gm heroin YOUTH BOOKED AS GIRL ABDUCTED Phagwara: On a complaint lodged by Thapar Colony resident Pintoo Mishra, the police have registered a case against youth Siraz of Lammapind on the charge of abducting his minor daughter on the pretext of marrying her. The girl has been missing since January 26. The complainant said the youth must have abducted his daughter who is studying in Class XII. The police are investigating it. oc congestion and making navigation difficult for other motorists. Members of the club further point out that this unrestricted movement not only disrupts the traffic flow, but also increases the risk of accidents in already overcrowded areas. The residents have urged the district administration to Five booked for ‘gangrape’ of pastor’s wife Tribune News Service Two students die in truck-bike collision Kapurthala, February 24 Two school students died in a fatal accident at Nawan Pind Gatewala on Goindwal Road here this morning. The accident occurred between a truck and a bike. The truck driver fled the accident site. The police reached the spot and began investigation. The bodies of the youths were shifted to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem. The victims were identified as Roopesh Kumar (16), a student of Class X, and Nitish Kumar (13), a student of Class VIII. Both of them were the residents of Bhawanipur and were reportedly going to take their board examination at 10 am this morning when they met with an accident. The bike of their neighbour (PB09-AF-1218) got damaged in the accident. Police teams are on a hunt to nab the truck owner. Since both riders were underage, the police were still to lodge a case. Statements of the families have been taken. — TNS Jalandhar, February 24 The CIA staff, Jalandhar Rural, arrested an arts graduateturned-drug peddler and seized 150 gram of heroin. The arrest, made near Talhan Gate, Parasrampur, comes as part of the special drive against drug trafficking. The accused has been identified as Suraj Sharma of village Alachour, who worked with a marriage band group while secretly operating a drug distribution network. SSP HPS Khakh revealed that the CIA staff received crucial input about the drug movement in Patara. Acting swiftly, a special team was constituted under the guidance of SP (Investigation) Jasroop Kaur and DSP Sarwanjit Singh. The police team intercepted the accused 100 metre behind the Talhan Sahib gate, leading to the recovery of 150 gram of high-grade Hoshiarpur SSP takes charge The CIA staff of the rural police with the arrested drug ‘peddler’ in Jalandhar. heroin concealed in a waxsealed envelope. During initial questioning, the accused revealed his network of supplying heroin from Nawanshahr to various areas in Jalandhar. SSP Khakh added that investigation had been started to uncover the entire drug supply chain. A case has been registered under Sections 21B-61-85, NDPS Act, at police station, Patara. The accused will be produced in a court for police remand to facilitate further investigation into his network and connections. SSP Khakh said the police were firmly committed to eradicating the drug menace, urging citizens to support police efforts by sharing information about drug trafficking activities. Hoshiarpur, February 24 Sandeep Kumar Malik, 2015 batch IPS officer, today assumed charge as SSP , Hoshiarpur, emphasising that crime prevention, drug eradication and stringent action against gangsters would be his top priority. Malik called upon residents of Hoshiarpur to extend cooperation to the police in making the district safe, secure and crime-free. He highlighted the crucial role of public participation in effective policing, assuring that all inputs and information provided by citizens would be kept confidential. Strict action would be taken against criminals. — OC Tourists enjoy off-roading on Kukanet trails After plaint, DCs, SDMs conduct Fourth day of Hoshiarpur Nature Fest surprise checks in tehsil offices Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, February 24 The fourth day of the Hoshiarpur Nature Fest was dedicated to the trekkers and off-roaders, who enjoyed it a lot. Forest Conservator, North Circle, Dr Sanjeev Tiwari flagged off the off-roading team for Kukanet and Dehrian from the Lajwanti Sports Stadium. During this, SDMTanda Pankaj Kumar was also present with him. While tourists and adventure lovers got a wonderful experience of trekking at Dehrian, they also enjoyed the enchanting views of the Thana Dam. The adventure sports enthusiasts, who participated in the programme, enjoyed the off-roading trails and saw the natural beauty. DC Komal Mittal said Hoshiarpur had unlimited potential for tourism. The natural resources, vast forest areas and historical heritage here could make it a major tourist centre. He said the district administration and the Forest Department were committed to developing it as a world-class tourist destination. The administration would make every possible effort to make Hoshiarpur a leading district in the field of tourism. He said the main objective of the Hoshiarpur Nature Fest was also to give the world-class recognition to the beauty of this area and give it an important place on the tourism map. Dr Tiwari said Hoshiarpur c m y b had the largest forest area in Punjab which makes it an ideal place for nature tourism. He said promoting local tourists would increase the income of rural areas and improve their standards of living. He said planned development of tourist places like Kukanet, Dehrian and Thana Dam would provide job opportunities to the local youth. He said various schemes were being prepared to promote tourism. This included plans to develop modern facilities for tourism, new options for adventure tourism and sustainable tourism infrastructure. He said the government and the district administration were making efforts to link the tourism industry with the economic development of the local. Tribune Reporters Jalandhar, February 24 Days after an alleged audio of a tehsildar misbehaving with an applicant went viral, Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal on Monday conducted a surprise inspection at the Sub Registrar offices to review the land registration process and ensure efficiency in service delivery. Laying emphasis on zerotolerance against corruption in tehsils, the DC directed the Sub Registrars to ensure utmost transparency in property registration-related matter. During his visit, Dr Aggarwal directed the Sub Registrars to facilitate a seam- less and hassle-free registration experience for property buyers. He emphasised that the entire registration process was now conducted through an online appointment-based system, significantly reducing waiting time for applicants. The DC also interacted with the public to gather feedback on the registration procedure, aiming for further improvements. He instructed officials to ensure proper seating arrangements, availability of potable drinking water and a comfortable waiting area for visitors. He urged people to promptly share their experiences and concerns regarding land registration with his office for timely redressal. Meanwhile, SDM-1 Randeep Singh Heer, SDM-2 Balbir Raj Singh, SDM Adampur Vivek Modi, SDM, Phillaur, Amanpal Singh, SDM, Shahkot, Shubhi Aangra and SDM Lal Bishwash Bains on the directives of the DC also conducted surprise checking in tehsils falling within their jurisdiction. Phagwara: DC Amit Kumar Panchal conducted an unannounced visit to the Kapurthala Tehsil office today to assess the ongoing operations and service delivery to the public. During the inspection, he interacted with citizens present at the office and gathered feedback regarding the efficiency of departmental procedures.