02032025-LT-01.qxd 3/2/2025 1:03 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune TRAFFIC CONGESTION BANE OF DORAHA, COMMUTERS HIT ROB: BITTU THREATENS STIR AGAINST DELAY IN NOC JOHN ABRAHAM TALKS ABOUT HIS CAREER TRAJECTORY Though traffic congestion in Doraha has become a matter of routine, cops have done little to ease situation. P2 He lambasted the AAP govt in state for “deliberate dilly-dallying” with crucial Sahnewal-Doraha RoB. P3 Actor-producer John Abraham says his audience has kept him going, something that he respects & wants to repay. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 21°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 11°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.21 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6:47 AM SUNDAY | 2 MARCH 2025 | LUDHIANA NHAI approves underpasses at two major black spots in city Three land in police net with illegal weapons, cartridges Nitin Jain Ludhiana, March 1 The Ludhiana rural police nabbed three persons and recovered illegal weapons and cartridges from their possession. After registering a case, the police launched further investigation to inquire about the purpose of possessing illegal weapons. In the first case, the Sidhwan Bet police arrested Rajwinder Singh, alias Veeru, a resident of Girsian Khan Mohammad. Investigating officer assistant sub-inspector Daljit Singh said during patrolling in the area, the police received a tip-off that the suspect was sitting at a cremation ground in Bhundri village and carrying an illegal weapon. The police conducted a raid and nabbed him. During frisking, they recovered a .315 bore countrymade pistol along with live cartridges from his possession. A case under the Arms Act was registered against the suspect and further investigation was launched. The police would also inquire about the illegal weapon supplier, who had supplied the firearm to the suspect . The ASI claimed that the Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 1 To decongest heavy flow of vehicular traffic on main arteries in the city, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has approved the proposal of constructing vehicular underpasses (VUPs) at two major accidentprone black spots in the city. ~44-cr project to decongest heavy traffic flow on GT Road connecting Delhi with Jammu via Ludhiana Commuters stuck in a traffic jam at Sherpur Chowk in Ludhiana. FILE Acceding to the proposal submitted by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav has given nod to the project costing Rs 44 crore for decongesting the heavy traffic flow on the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, connecting Delhi with Jammu via Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar in the city. The development assumes significance as the GT Road, passing through the main city areas, witnesses heavy flow of vehicular traffic leading to major congestion and frequent mishaps, mostly turning fatal, as well. Arora told The Tribune on Saturday that the NHAI has approved the VUPs at Kailash Nagar Chowk and the Jassian Road to Guruhar Rai Nagar crossing on the GT Road, for which the short-term tender would be floated on Monday. “Both these VUPs are proposed to ease the vehicular traffic as well as pedestrians to move/ cross busy junctions/spots from one side to another,” the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member from Punjab in the Upper House of Parliament said, adding that the VUPs would not only ease commuters but would also check road accidents causing due to high speed of traffic on this section of the NH-1. According to the scope of the work prepared by the NHAI, both VUPs will be built with a span of 15x2 meters and clear height of 5.5 meters at an estimated cost of Rs 21.67 crore each. “Our local MLAs Daljit Singh Grewal and Madan Lal Bagga had brought the matter to my notice following which I had taken it up with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and the NHAI Chairman during a meeting in New Delhi last September,” Arora recalled. He had demanded the construction of vehicular and light vehicle underpasses at five major strategic locations, which had been identified as black spots, — Subhash Nagar to Sunder Nagar Chowk, Kailash Nagar Chowk, Kakowal Chowk to Shekhewal, KaliBindra Colony to Pringle Ground and Jassian Road to Guruhar Rai Nagar crossing. “Accepting my proposal, the NHAI Chairman had instructed his staff that these should be taken care of by the Regional Officer (RO) since these are within his powers and should be taken care of immediately as these being accident-prone sites called as black spots,” Arora said. He said two of the five proposed VUPs had been approved following a proper study. Besides, Arora had also proposed the construction of an elevated road from Sherpur Chowk to Jalandhar Bypass to address the severe traffic congestion and reduce the high risk of road accidents. Earlier, the NHAI had approved the construction of a mini-flyover at Kailash Nagar Chowk here. It was proposed to come up at Kailash Nagar Chowk and planned to cover Shivpuri Chowk to Basti Jodhewal Chowk and further connect New Shakti Nagar/ Subhash Nagar between Basti Chowk and Tajpur Chowk. The NHAI had agreed to construct a mini flyover measuring 40-foot-wide and 12-foot height at Kailash Nagar Chowk between Shivpuri Chowk to Basti Jodhewal Chowk and further connecting it to New Shakti Nagar/ Subhash Nagar between Basti Chowk and Tajpur Chowk. “The timely implementation of these infrastructure projects will provide much-needed relief to the residents of Ludhiana,” the parliamentarian said, adding that he had urged the NHAI Chairman to ensure construction of VUPs and LVUPs on a priority basis. 34 arrested by city police during search operation Miscreants snatch mobile, jewellery from woman, daughter Police officials during the cordon and search operation on Dugri Road in Model Town. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 1 The Ludhiana Police Commissionerate carried out Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in various city areas and drug spots. The police arrested 34 drug peddlers during the operation and made huge recovery of drugs. The recovered drugs include 804 gm of heroin, 1,850 intoxicating tablets, 50 injections, 21 gm of intoxicating powder, 700 gm of charas. They also seized a Ertiga vehicle during the drive. Commissioner of Police (CP), Ludhiana, Kuldeep Singh Chahal himself led the drive in which SHOs of all police stations, in-charges of various cells, DSPs, ADCPs and DCP took part. Chahal said on the call of the state government’s Yudh Nashya Virudh, the CASO was conducted at drug hotspots, houses of drug smugglers and other suspected places. Police teams in groups made huge efforts which led to the arrest of 34 smugglers and huge recovery of drugs was also made from them. “We have zero tolerance against drug smuggling activities. I give clear warning to drug smugglers to shun this profession and become the main part of society, otherwise, the police are not going to spare anyone. Strict instructions have also been given to heads of all police stations and cells to intensify drive against drugs and eradicate the menace from the ground completely,” he added. The CP asserted that the surprise checking would continue in coming days and the drug network, if any, running in the city would be eliminated. Meanwhile, Chahal said the police also started a campaign to demolish the illegal properties of smugglers. In the past few days three such continued on page 2 Scope of work Both VUPs will be built with a span of 15x2 meters and clear height of 5.5 meters at an estimated cost of Rs 21.67 crore each. Ludhiana, March 1 Snatchers targeted a motherdaughter duo at Mohalla Joshi Nagar and looted them of gold ornaments and a mobile phone. The complainant, Rajni Sethi, a resident of Durga Puri, Haibowal, told the police that on February 27 she along with her daughter Pragati was going to market. When they reached Joshi Nagar, two bikeborne persons cornered them. After pointing sharp weapons at them, the suspects snatched a mobile phone and two gold bracelets from them. Before fleeing, they also rammed their motorcycle into the victims’ scooter following which the latter fell down. The Haibowal police after registering a case on Friday launched an investigation to identify the suspects. In another incident reported at Bhamian Khurd, complainant Ranjit Sharma said he, along with his son-in-law, was going home from work on February 19, when they reached near Bhamian Khurd, three bike-borne miscreants attacked him with sharp weapons. They snatched a mobile phone from his son-in-law. They also took away his motorcycle. He said the suspect had also threatened to kill him if he informs the matter to the police. Later, he lodged a complaint and a case was registered by the Jamalpur police. — TNS c m y b Two teen girls nabbed with 12-gm heroin Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Two of the suspects in custody of the Jagraon City police. man also had a criminal past as five cases, including of snatching, drug smuggling and other crimes, was registered against him in the past at Lohian Khas in Jalandhar district and Sidhwan Bet police station. In another incident, the Jagraon City police arrested two suspects and recovered a countrymade pistol and two rounds from their possession. The suspects were identified as Arshdeep Singh Arsh and Sukhdeep Singh Deep, both residents of Akhara village, near Jagraon. The SHO, Jagraon City, SI Amarjit, said during a patrolling on the Raikot road, the police received information that the suspects were possessing an illegal weapon and they had planned to commit some major crime with the weapon. They were travelling towards Raikot from Jagraon in their Maruti Baleno car. Accordingly, the police laid a naka at a strategic point where the vehicle was stopped for checking and illegal weapons were recovered from the suspects. They failed to produce any arms licence, hence, arrested by the police. The SI said after registering a case, further investigation was launched to inquire about the crime the accused were planning to commit with the weapon. A case was registered against the suspects on Friday. Ludhiana, March 1 The Khanna police on Friday arrested two girls and recovered 12 gm of heroin from their possession. The suspects were identified as Ganga (18) and Kamini, (18), alias Chiri, both residents of the Meat Market area in Khanna. Investigating officer in the case assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Sukhwinder Singh said Bikramjit Singh had lodged a police complaint that he was a drug addict and he had been purchasing heroin from the two suspects for a long time. Acting on his complaint, the police conducted a raid and nabbed the girls. The police recovered six gm of heroin each from them. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered against the suspects and further investigation was launched. The ASI said the police would conduct further investigation in the case to bust the entire drug line so that big smugglers involved in the drug supply could be nabbed and more recovery be ensued.