10032025-JTR-01.qxd 3/9/2025 10:43 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MP: RESPECTING WOMEN IS RESPECTING MOTHER EARTH CAN SUPPORT RAISES FUNDS TO PROVIDE PALLIATIVE CARE Toprovidepalliativecaretopatients&generate awareness about disease, CanSupport raisesfunds through charity dinner. P4 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 29°C | MIN 12°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 9°C AMAR SINGH CHAMKILA EXCELS AT IIFA DIGITAL AWARDS 2025 International Women's Day was celebrated at Government Middle School, Seechewal. P2 FORECAST Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila and third season of web series Panchayat emerged as the top winners. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 6.32 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:42 AM » MONDAY | 10 MARCH 2025 | JALANDHAR In major crackdown, cops arrest 18 for drug peddling INBRIEF COUPLE ROBBED OF GOLD, CASH Phagwara: A couple returning home after buying vegetables fell victim to fraudsters who robbed them of gold jewellery and cash near Sugar Mill Chowk in Phagwara. Baba Kulwinder Singh of Bhagatpura stated that he and his wife Harvinder Kaur had gone to the market to purchase vegetables. As they were returning and approaching the Jalandhar bridge, a man and a woman stopped them by blocking their path with a motorcycle. The fraudsters claimed that a 'baba' was approaching, prompting the couple to stop. The suspects took out a cloth and made the couple to inhale it, allegedly rendering them unconscious or disoriented. The perpetrators removed the earrings from Kulwinder Singh, along with his wife's gold chain, earrings and purse. The couple suffered an estimated loss of ~4 lakh. OC Tribune News Service Commuters passing through Lamma Pind Chowk service lane, Jalandhar, face hassles. PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Service lane from Focal Point to Lamma Pind bane for motorists Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service THREE KILLED IN ACCIDENTS Hoshiarpur: Three persons died in various road accidents in the area. According to information, Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Nangal, told the Garhshankar police that his father Balveer was hit by a Bolero. He was admitted to a hospital in Garhshankar. But the doctors referred his father to Hoshiarpur, where he died during treatment. The police have registered a case against the accused driver Ravi, a resident of Katwara, district Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. Meanwhile, Happy, a resident of village Jhawan, told the Tanda police that his brother Deepak Kumar was hit by a biker near the village. His brother was admitted to Tanda Hospital from where he was referred to Amritsar where he died. The police have booked driver Mangal Singh, a resident of Chotala. On the other hand, Raman Kumar, a resident of Sandpur, said his father Pyara Singh was hit by a bus and died. The police have booked the accused bus driver Gurdeep Singh of Galowal. oc Jalandhar, March 9 The service lane connecting Focal Point to Lamma Pind Chowk has become a source of daily hardships for commuters, industrialists and small business owners due to its worsening condition. The road, which sees heavy traffic throughout the day, is riddled with potholes, causing frequent vehicle damage and increasing the risk of accidents. For daily commuters, navigating the broken road has become a costly and risky affair. Kamlesh Singh, who uses the route regularly, expressed his frustration. “Every time I drive on this road, my vehicle suffers damage. Repairs are expensive and with the number of potholes, it’s impossible to avoid these all. I constantly fear getting into an accident,” he said. He also pointed out the lack of streetlights, making the road dangerous for motorists and pedestrians alike. Local vendors, who run small businesses along the stretch, are equally affected. Munshi, who owns a roadside stall, described the relentless dust kicked up by passing vehicles. “The dust settles on everything, making it difficult to breathe and affecting my business. Customers avoid stopping here because of the filth and poor conditions. It’s not just a problem for commuters, but also for those trying to earn a living here,” he said. Industrialists operating in Focal Point, one of the region’s key manufacturing hubs with over 200 industrial units, have long been vocal about the crumbling infrastructure. They had written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, seeking urgent intervention. Their letter highlighted the severe waterlogging, a completely collapsed drainage system and the narrow underpass that serves as the only entry point into Focal Point in poor condition. Calling the underpass an accident-prone area, industrialists urged the authorities to conduct a survey and consider expanding the passage to facilitate the movement of heavy vehicles. “What was once a straightforward entry into Focal Point has now become a daily ordeal. Trucks and transport vehicles struggle to pass through, leading to traffic jams and delays,” they said. “The poor condition of the road has also caused embarrassment for local business owners when hosting clients and investors”, said Rajan Sharda, an industrialist, adding that it’s humiliating to escort business delegations through this area. Pothole-ridden roads, non-functional streetlights, scattered garbage and stray animals create a terrible first impression. “It’s shocking that such an important industrial zone has been neglected for so long,” he said. Industrialists say that despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken to improve the service lane. Jalandhar, March 9 In a sweeping crackdown on drug trafficking, the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police conducted an extensive search operation across 13 identified hotspots in the city, resulting in multiple arrests and seizures of narcotics and illegal arms. The operation, led by ADGP Technical Services, , Ram Singh and Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, Dhanpreet Kaur, was carried out as part of the government’s intensified campaign against drug abuse and illegal trade. Over 400 police personnel, including senior officers, were deployed for the largescale operation, which targeted areas identified through intelligence inputs and public complaints related to drug-related activities. As a result of the operation, the police registered 15 FIRs across various police stations in the city and arrested 18 persons found to be involved in drug peddling. In addition, the authorities took three preventive actions, while five persons struggling with drug addiction were sent to rehabilitation centres for treatment and recovery. During the raids, police officials seized 96.7 gram of heroin, 746 intoxicated tablets, 24 bottles of liquor, one illegal pistol, two magazines and two cartridges, marking a significant success in disrupting the local drug trade. ADGP Ram Singh emphasised that the primary objective of the operation was to dismantle drug supply networks operating in the city and put an end to street-level Awaiting the golden harvest Nakodar: The police have arrested a 'drug peddler' on the charge of selling heroin. Four gram of heroin was recovered from the possession of the accused Sukhdeep Singh, alias Goldi, a resident of Mohalla Sherpur, Nakodar. The Mehatpur police arrested 'drug peddlers' Chandan Sharma of Mohalla Guru Nanakpura, Nakodar, and Sahil Kumar, alias Sanju, of Balachaur in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar with 4 gram of heroin and impounded a car in which they were travelling with the contraband. oc Jalandhar, March 9 A drug peddler was arrested and 350 gm heroin seized from him in a special operation in Jalandhar. SSP Jalandhar Rural, , Gurmeet Singh said the operation was carried out on an information received by the CIA staff, Jalandhar, that a big drug deal was to be made in Maqsudan. A special team was formed under the leadership of SI Nirmal Singh and deployed in Maqsudan. The police party caught a suspicious person standing at the bus stop near Biddhipur railway gate. When his side bag was searched, 350 gm heroin was recovered from it. The arrested person has been identified as Savinder Singh, resident of village Var- GOLD EARRINGS SNATCHED Youngsters inspect their crop in a mustard field in a Jalandhar village. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Nakodar: A Kapurthala villager was killed in a road accident when his two-wheeler slipped and collided with a tractor trolly on Shahkot-Lohian link road on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Raunki Ram (45) of Dadwindi village. The police handed over the body to the family after post-mortem. OC RAIDS IN PHAGWARA ■ In order to nail drug peddlers and miscreants creating law and order problems, the Phagwara police, headed by SP Rupinder Kaur Bhatti, carried out a cordon and search operation (CASO) in various areas of Phagwara on Sunday. ■ Among the areas where CASO was carried out included Chajj Colony, Bus Stand, Railway Station, village Wajidowal, Kirpalpur, Law Gate Maherru and village Lakhpur. ■ All these areas are infamous for rampant drug abuse, peddling and crime. During the operation, the police checked houses and vehicles, questioned suspicious elements apart from investigating activities of drug peddlers, snatchers and miscreants who had come out on bail. ■ The police teams visited their homes and inquired from family members and people in the area. by reporting any suspicious activities related to narcotics. He assured the public that all information provided would be kept strictly confidential to encourage more people to come forward. ian, police station Bhindian Maida, district Amritsar. The SSP said a case under the NDPS Act was registered against the accused on March 7 at Maqsudan. The accused was being produced in a court and police remand was obtained. The arrested accused confessed that he used to work as a manual labourer earlier, but due to the lure of getting rich, he started drug smuggling. He was bringing heroin from the border area at cheap prices and supplying it to Jalandhar and nearby areas. The SSP said the police are investigating the past contacts of the accused to know from whom he was taking drugs and whom he was supplying them. — TNS Probe to look into PF irregularities at JCT Bodies of youth, girl found Our Correspondent VILLAGER KILLED IN ROAD MISHAP drug peddling. He reiterated that the police force remains committed to ensuring that those involved in drug trafficking face the strictest legal action. Stressing the government’s firm stance on eliminating the drug menace, he said similar operations would continue with even greater intensity in the coming days. He also issued a stern warning to individuals engaged in drug-related activities, making it clear that there would be no leniency for those fuelling addiction and crime in the region. In an appeal for public cooperation, ADGP Ram Singh urged citizens to actively support the government’s campaign “Yudh Nashian Virudh” Amritsar man held with 350 gm heroin THREE DRUG PEDDLERS HELD Phagwara: An unidentified motorcyclist snatched gold earrings from a pedestrian Kulwinder Kaur near City Police Station, Phagwara, on Saturday afternoon. The snatcher managed to flee. The police have registered a case. OC The police during a search operation in Phagwara on Sunday. Phagwara, March 9 The Regional Commissioner of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Pankaj Kumar, stated that the EPF office has received complaints from employees of JCT Limited regarding delays in the settlement of their claims. He clarified that EPF contributions were managed by JCT Mills Ltd, not the EPFO. How- ever, the EPS (Pension Fund) contributions of the employees of JCT Ltd were managed by the regional office, Jalandhar, and no complaints had been received so far regarding pension settlement. In a press release issued here today, he said during the compliance audit for the financial year 2022-23, it was found that JCT Ltd, Phagwara and Hoshiarpur, had deducted EPF contributions from employees but default- ed by not depositing these into the JCT Trust account, which constitutes an offence under the IPC. In view of this, an inquiry had been initiated by this office to assess the outstanding dues. Pankaj Kumar said regarding legal action, multiple applications were submitted to the police to register an FIR against the establishment. As the FIR was not getting lodged, the regional office approached the court. c m y b After continuous follow-up, FIRs were finally registered against Samir Thapar, MD, and Mukulika Sinha, Executive Director. Banks associated with JCT Mills have been directed not to sell any bonds or securities held under the trust without the approval of the Regional PF Commissioner. This measure aims to ensure the security of the provident fund amount currently held under the trust. at Sultanpur Lodhi Jalandhar, March 9 Mystery shrouds the death of a youth and a girl whose bodies were found in the Kali Bein at Sultanpur Lodhi on Friday morning. The duo hail from the Adalat Chakk village in Sultanpur Lodhi and were relatives. While the deceased youth was 24-year old, the girl was 19. They had been missing for two days before their bodies were found. The bodies were found in the Kali Bein behind Gurdwara Santh Ghat at Sultanpur Lodhi. The police said as per the post mortem report, their death was due to drowning. The police said while the deceased were in a relationship, there was reportedly no opposition from their families. — TNS Reaffirming the police’s commitment to making the city safer, CP Kaur said every effort would be made to eradicate the drug menace and ensure a secure, drug-free society for future generations. One killed, another hurt in Hoshiarpur accident Our Correspondent Talwara, March 9 One person died while one more was seriously injured in a collision between a trolley and a pick-up near village Khatigarh on the Talwara-Hajipur road this morning. According to information, on Saturday around 6 am, a tractor-trailer loaded with straw was going from Hajipur to Talwara. When it reached near village Khatigarh, it collided with a pickup coming from Talwara, which was returning after dropping devotees at Baba Badbhag Singh in Himachal Pradesh. The collision was so severe that the pick-up was shattered. The pick-up driver and the person aboard it were stuck in the vehicle. They were taken out of the pick-up by people with difficulty and with the help of 108 ambulance, the injured were taken to a government hospital in Mukerian for first-aid. The driver Randhir Singh, a resident of village Bhoewal, Amritsar, died during the treatment and Rinku of Mehta Road, Amritsar, who was sitting next to the driver, was seriously injured. The Hajipur police reached the spot and started action.