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P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 7.00 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:58 AM » THURSDAY | 17 APRIL 2025 | AMRITSAR Third shooter, accomplice arrested from Gujarat The police get four-day custody of the two accused PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 16 The Amritsar (Rural) police have arrested the third shooter in the Varinder Singh, alias Vicky murder case, from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, over a month after the incident. He was identified as Bikramjit Singh, a resident of Sadarang in Batala. The police also nabbed his associate Bikramjit Singh, a resident of Rangarnangal, who had arranged his shelter in Gujarat. Varinder was gunned down by armed assailants at Chungh village in Mehta on March 9. A week after the police had arrested two shooters identified as Bishamberjit Singh and Sharanjit Singh, both residents of Rangar Nangal village in Batala. They Varinder murder case were arrested from a hotel in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. Two days later Bishamberjit Singh was killed in an encounter when he was taken for recovery of a weapon used in the crime which the accused had allegedly concealed at Sherobagha village in Beas. Maninder Singh, SSP Amrit, sar (Rural) police, said both accused, arrested from Gujarat, were produced in a local court which sent them to four-day police remand. He said further investigation was in progress to identify their accomplices. The accused were also involved in the firing incident on February 14 this year, during which Sukhdev Singh, alias Jhanda, sarpanch of Timmowal village, was injured. A case was registered at the Khilchian police station in this connection. Varinder Singh was alleged to be member of notorious Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang. After he was shot dead, a social media handle in the name of another gangster Gopi Ghanshampuria claimed that gangsters Balwinder Singh, alias Dony Bal, Prabh Dasuwal, Billa Manga and Kaushal Chaudhry takes responsibility of the murder. It also claimed that Varinder, alias Vicky, was gunned down by their accomplices Daddi Chohan and Afridi Toot. It further stated that Varinder was close to Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and he had given shelters to those who had killed their leader Rana Kandowalia. Share drug peddlers’ information on police helpline numbers: DGP Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 16 While exhorting the general public to share information regarding drug traffickers and anti-social elements in their respective areas, Shashi Prabha Dwivedi, Director General Police (DGP), Railways, Punjab, appealed to people to inform about them on helpline numbers 112 or 77101-04818. She assured that identities of informers would remain a secret. She was speaking during the police, public meeting held under Operation Sampark at Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Majitha road bypass, here on Wednesday. She was accompanied by Police Commissioner (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and other senior DGP Shashi Prabha Dwivedi along with Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar during a meeting at Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Majitha road bypass, Amritsar, on Wednesday. First statutory meeting of MC councillors at EO office today Punjab first state to provide reservation benefits in law officers’ appointment: ETO Amritsar, April 16 Punjab has become the first state in India to provide reservation benefits in the appointment of law officers, a significant step towards social equality. This policy of the government was revealed by Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, here today. He said the Punjab Government had reduced the income limit for Scheduled Castes in law officers’ appointment, paving the way for their representation in this field. He said, “This amendment ensures that seats reserved for Scheduled Castes will no longer remain vacant due to stringent income conditions.” The minister emphasised that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was committed to the welfare of Backward Classes, highlighting the appointment of six Cabinet Ministers from the Scheduled Caste category and the completion of backlog in government jobs for this category. “This move marks a significant step towards social equality, aligning with principles of Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution, who emphasised on the importance of education and representation for the upliftment of marginalised communities,” he said. He said, “The reservation policy in India aims to ensure adequate representation of backward classes in government services, educational institutions and legislatures.” The minister said, “The Aam Aadmi Party has been demanding since 2017 that the income limit for law officer appointments should be reduced for Scheduled Castes category. Now, we have amended the law and this category will get its due rights.” “We are doing whatever we can for this category and will continue to do so, following the footsteps of Dr Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh,” he said. — TNS officials on the occasion. “The police would take prompt action on the information shared by the people on helpline numbers. Nobody, who is harming society by trafficking drugs, will be spared,” she said. She said during the last three months, the Amritsar city police commissionerate had seized over 69 kg of heroin along with 6.5 kg of opium and Rs 42.44 lakh drug money. As many as 489 drug traffickers were arrested in 243 FIRs registered since January 1, the DGP said. She said, apart from this, the people should also motivate those who had fallen into the deadly trap of drug abuse and get them admitted to de-addiction and rehabilitation centres so that the peril of scourge could be eradicated from its roots. Our Correspondent A police team hands over recovered mobile phone to its owner in Pathankot. Pathankot police hand over 200 cellphones to owners Pathankot, April 16 The police played the ‘Good Samaritan’ much to the delight and joy of residents who had recently been claiming that cops were lax when it came to tracing lost mobile phones. The district police have recovered 200 such cellphones. The police returned these mobile phones to their original owners at —“Phone Wapsi Diwas” — an aptly termed function. The groundwork was done by the technical wing of the police headed by Sub- Inspector (SI) Dilpreet Kaur Bhangu. These cellphones were stolen or snatched by petty criminals from streets in the city. Later, these were sold to other people at cheaper price. Several cases of cellphone snatching had come to light following which SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon formed a special teams led by SI Dilpreet Bhangu to trace and nab accused. The teams, working on inputs provided by informers, were sent to different parts of the country. The police pegged the value of stolen cellphones at Rs 40 lakh. Missing reports were lodged with Saanjh Kendras spread across the district. As cellphones contained important data and vital information pertaining to victims, they were facing a lot of difficulty. A resident, Vikas Kumar said, “I was travelling in a bus around three months ago when a person snatched my mobile phone. I thought that informing the police was an exercise in futility, but they proved me wrong when I received a call today to collect my mobile phone.” — TNS Tarn Taran, April 16 On the instruction of the state Election Commission to conduct the poll for the officebearers of the Tarn Taran Municipal Council, Convener-cum-SDM has called the first special statutory meeting of elected members of the civic body on Thursday at the Executive Officer (EO) office. The SDM in the letters issued to all councillors of the Municipal Council (MC) asked them to attend meeting at 10 am at the EO office. Previously, after the completion of the election process of the 25 councillors on March 4, the first meeting of the MC House called on April 4 was cancelled due to some unavoidable circumstances. The situation had arisen as no side has succeeded to come up with a clear cut majority for getting its candidate elected to the post of MC president and vice president. Out of 25 councillors in the The office of the Municipal Council in Tarn Taran. MC House, 14 are independents, eight belong to the AAP and three owe allegiance to the Congress. The ruling AAP is not a united house as controversy between Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal, Tarn Taran MLA, and Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar has come to the fore many a times regarding the election of councillors and the president and vice president of the MC. District Election Officercum- Deputy Commissioner Rahul said at the first meeting called on Thursday only elected candidates would be administered oath of the councillor’s post. Rahul said as no side had a clear-cut majority so it was not possible to conduct election for the MC president and other office-bearers post till the situation was clear. VB nabs 2 officials for taking bribe Promotion quota of principals hiked from 50% to 75%: Dhaliwal Amritsar, April 16 The Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested district manager, Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation (PSCFC), Tarn Taran, red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 10,000. In another incident, the VB nabbed Rashpal Singh, mandi supervisor, posted at Kahnuwan Market Committee in Gurdaspur district for accepting a bribe of Rs 7,000. Sharing details, Lakhbir Singh, SSP Vigilance, said Chi, man Lal was arrested following a complaint lodged by a resident of Gidhri Baghihari village in Tarn Taran. The complainant approached the VB, while stating that his physically challenged sister had availed a loan of Rs 1,00,000 from the corporation in 2009. Afterwards, the government announced a waiver of such loans under a relevant scheme. He said the district manager demanded a bribe Rs 10,000 from his sister to process and settle the loan waived off by the government. He said following preliminary probe, a Tribune News Service District manager of the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation in custody of the Vigilance Bureau in Amritsar. vigilance team laid a trap and arrested the accused while he was accepting bribe from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. Meanwhile, mandi supervisor Rashpal Singh was held after a commission agent at the Kahnuwan grain market lodged a complaint. The complainant told the VB that the Kahnuwan Market Committee had wrongly imposed a penalty of Rs 18,610 on his firm in December 2024. Despite repeated attempts to resolve the matter, committee officials refused to withdraw the penalty. As the wheat procurement season was approaching, the complainant needed to renew the expired licence of his another firm, registered in his mother’s name. The complainant alleged that he approached Rashpal Singh to settle both the issues, but he demanded bribe of Rs 8,000. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to Rs 7,000, he said. After preliminary verification, the VB laid a trap during which Rashpal Singh was caught red-handed, while he was accepting a bribe from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. Separate cases were registered against both the accused. — TNS Amritsar, April 16 Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, while inaugurating school buildings at Chak Sikander and Nawan villages in his Ajnala constituency, said the Punjab Government had increased the promotion quota of principals from 50 per cent to 75 per cent yesterday through a notification. He said this had paved the way for the appointment of at least 500 principals. He said, “Our government has left no stone unturned to provide funds to schools. Grants worth crores of rupees have been given to schools. Due to mistakes of the previous governments, the posts of principals were lying vacant in schools, which created a major hurdle in school management and education.” He said, “Now, we have increased the quota for the promotion of principals from 50 per cent to 75 per cent. Schools will get five hundred principals. This develop- c m y b Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal inaugurates development works at a government school in the Majitha area; and (right) AAP MLA Inderbir Singh Nijjar addresses mediapersons in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR ment comes after it was recently highlighted in a survey carried out by the Democratic Teachers’ Front that over 40 per cent posts of principal in government senior secondary schools of the state are lying vacant.” Meanwhile, several AAP leaders today inaugurated development works across schools in the district. AAP leader Jagwinderpal Singh Majitha inaugurated Rs 33 lakh development works at the Government High School, Abdal, Government Primary School, Pakharpura, and Government High School, Pakharpura. Amritsar South MLA Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar while addressing a press conference here today said to connect children with education as well as sports in government schools, the AAP government had organised Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan. Earlier, Nijjarinaugurated a new room at the Government Ele- mentary School, Bhagtanwala, constructed at a cost of Rs 9.55 lakh. Attari MLA Jaswinder Singh Ramdas today inaugurated Rs 17 lakh development works completed in two government schools in his constituency. Speaking on the occasion, he said buildings at the Government High School, Sohian Khurd, and Government Primary School, Sohian Khurd, had been renovated. He said people would prefer sending their children to government schools instead of private institutions. MLA Dalbir Singh Tog too inaugurated Rs 46.50 lakh development works at the Government Senior Secondary School, Pheruman, Government Primary School, Bulenangal, Government Middle School, Bulenangal, and Government High School, Kot Mehtab, in his Baba Bakala constituency.