18042025-LT-01.qxd 4/18/2025 12:48 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CELEBRITY CHEF KUNAL KAPUR LAUNCHES HIS RESTAURANT GAURI’S RESTAURANT REFUTES ‘FAKE PANEER’ CHARGE ANURAG UPSET OVER CENSORSHIP ISSUES FACED BY PHULE Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur has launched his signature restaurant Pincode at a Tricity mall on Wednesday. P4 Gauri Khan’s upscale Mumbai restaurant Torii has addressed allegations of using adulterated paneer. P4 Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has expressed frustration over the censorship issues faced by the biographical drama Phule.P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 39°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 21°C SUNSET FRIDAY 6.51 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:53 AM FRIDAY | 18 APRIL 2025 | LUDHIANA Wheat procurement picks up pace, 90,771 MT arrives in dist mandis Manav Mander IN FIGURES Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 17 Wheat procurement is picking up pace in the district and till now, 90,771 metric tonnes of wheat has arrived in the district and 64,608 metric tonnes has been procured so far. The grain market located at Jalandhar Bypass is slowly buzzing with activity with the arrival of wheat. The process of loading, unloading and cleaning of wheat was on. One of the major demands of the farmers visiting the grain market was requirement of night shelters. “Many times produce kept lying in the grain market before it is being sold. Either farmers or their workers stay at night there to take care of the same. Left with no other option, they have to sleep in the open. Proper waiting rooms or night shelters should be built for the convenience of the growers,” said Jagar Singh, a farmer. Farmers rue that due to lack of staying arrangements for them, they are forced to sleep close to their paddy stocks in open areas. They have urged ARRIVAL OF WHEAT 90,771 MT PURCHASED BY GOVT 40,066 MT PRIVATE PURCHASE 24,542 MT TOTAL PURCHASE 64,608 MT Teachers put on poll duties unable to focus on students Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 17 Teachers in government schools are sore over daily directions issued by the authorities to perform poll duties, instead of focusing on teaching students. Highly placed sources in the Education Department (primary) revealed that about 1,200 government school teachers out of around 4,200 are put on election duties in Ludhiana by the district administration. “On Wednesday, five teach- ers from a particular school were suspended for a few hours as they refused to join the election duties. But the suspension orders were revoked by the evening when it was conveyed that the teachers will perform duties for the upcoming elections,” said one of the teachers at a government school here. Every time when the Chief Minister visits the schools, he always makes an announcement that teachers will not be asked to perform any other duty, except teaching and other related works. But in every elections, the teachers are the first ones to be called upon to assign duties. The Democratic Teachers Front have already condemned the Sikhiya Kranti campaign of the AAP government. The teachers maintained that they were asked to do all kinds of works, except regular teaching, due to which government schools were suffering. They said the district was bound to suffer in the enrolment process as 30-40 per cent of the teachers were put on the election duties. << Wheat being cleaned at a grain market in Ludhiana on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN the government to make small shelters to protect them from harsh weather during their stay at markets. Another farmer Balwinder Singh from Lalton Kalan village said, “Now the wheat arrival is picking up pace and in coming days, the space will be filled. We have to sleep near our produce during night as stray cattle and dogs roam around freely in the area. The government should improve facilities at grain markets,” he said. Farmers also demanded facility of drinking water and washrooms at the markets. “There should be proper facility of washrooms and clean drinking water. Making arrangement of drinking water on our own sometimes become a tedious task,” said another farmer. Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain on Thursday called for speedy wheat lifting from Ludhiana’s grain markets to ensure seamless operations during the ongoing Rabi season. Reviewing the wheat procurement process, he noted that the procurement was progressing smoothly across all mandis but stressed the urgency of expediting the lifting process to avoid delays. He directed procurement agencies to clear procured wheat stocks from the mandis within the stipulated time, deploying all necessary resources to streamline the process. The Deputy Commissioner said 70 per cent of the wheat arrived in the mandis had already procured and payments of Rs 45 crore disbursed to farmers. Additionally, Jain instructed district heads of procurement agencies to conduct daily visits to the mandis to monitor operations closely and address any issues on the ground. Teachers on way to polling centres to perform election duties. FILE 35 women arrested for drug 121 cases filed for crime against peddling in three months women in over three months Shivani Bhakoo Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 17 During a press conference held by Gurpreet Deo, Special DGP Community Affairs , Division and Women Affairs, Punjab, recently the official provided details about the ongoing campaign against drugs, ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’, in the state. It was stated that about 170 drug peddlers were arrested in March alone in Ludhiana. It is not that only male drug peddlers are operating here, the data available with the Police Commissionerate here states that 35 women were also arrested by the police for drug peddling since January 1 to March 31 from Ludhiana. The data shows that four women were nabbed in January, eight in February and 23 peddlers were nabbed in March with drugs from several areas. Ludhiana, April 17 The police may have swung into action these days to bring improvement in the deteriorating law and order conditions but the fact remains that the crime against women, continues unabated in the industrial city. At least it is shown in the data available with the Police Department. In the past about three-and-a-half months, 121 cases have been registered by the police for crime against women. Since January 1 to April 14, a total of 121 cases of various nature of crime against women were registered at different police stations under the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate. As many as 23 cases were registered under Section 376 of the IPC, now Sections 64- A woman nabbed with heroin in Ludhiana. FILE A retired official in the AntiNarcotics Department of the police wishing not to be quoted said several women were actively involved in drug peddling. The major reason for the same was easy and quick money. Citing an example, he said if the husband was arrested by the police, the work was taken over by his wife with the support of the spouse for easy money and to make ends meet. A senior official said the department had interrogated many women peddlers. Rarely there were cases in which they joined the illegal trade due to family circumstances, the greed to get easy and quick money was the lone major reason for them to indulge in the trade. The official said most of the women were married and having families. Sweet labour A rape suspect being taken to a court in Ludhiana. FILE 71 of the BNS (sexual assault on women). Maximum cases against women/girls/minor girls, around 54 cases, were registered under various sections of the IPC for kidnapping, procreation of minor girls at different police stations in the city. Besides, 23 cases are registered under Sections 498 (A), now Section 85 of the BNS (cruelty by husband/in-laws) in the past three-and-a-half months. Nineteen other cases of assault, criminal force were registered under Section 354, IPC, (74/75 BNS) by the police and one case under POCSO Act was also registered. One of the officials working with the Police Department said these were the cases, which were reported to the police while there were several others which go unnoticed due to social pressure and other reasons. “Women are moving much ahead of their male counterparts in many fields, still the mentality of many people has still not witnessed any change and they continue to see women as an object,”rued the official. Many times, women avoid talking to even male members of their families in case any atrocities were committed against them due to various reasons. Meanwhile talking to The Tribune, Swapan Sharma, Commissioner of Police, said women and girls need to come forward with their complaints. “We will make sure that the police cooperate fully in cases of crime against women. Still, if women feel reluctant to talk to officials at police stations, we are planning to depute lady staff in stations so that such victims can speak openly about their issues and culprits are booked under law,” he said. Man concocts own kidnapping story, nabbed Tribune News Service A man weighs sugarcane on a scale in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Ludhiana, April 17 The police claimed to have solved a ‘kidnapping’ case, the story of which was concocted by the ‘victim’ himself. Briefing mediapersons here on Thursday, Rupinder Singh, DCP (Rural), said the Moti Nagar police had registered a case under Section 127 (6) of the BNS on the basis of a complaint filed by Arvind Upadhyay. The complainant in the case informed the police that his brother Shubham Upadhyay, working with ICICI Health Insurance Company, Delhi, had come to meet his in-laws with his wife here on April 13. Shubham said after meeting them, he had returned to Delhi. But he c m y b Bypoll: AERO holds meeting with political parties Ludhiana, April 17 A meeting was convened on Thursday under the chairmanship of Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) for Ludhiana West, Navraj Batish, who also serves as the General Manager, Punjab Roadways. Representatives from all recognised political parties attended the meeting. The AERO welcomed attendees and briefed them on directives issued by the Election Commission. The meeting focused on the draft publication of the electoral roll for the Ludhiana West constituency, which was completed on April 9. The AERO shared details of claims and objections received post-publication and urged representatives to review the lists on the website of the CEO, Punjab. Copies of Forms 9, 10, 11, 11A, and 11B were distributed among all attendees for reference. — OC Moga resident lands in police net with heroin Tribune News Service Police officials address mediapersons in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN allegedly did not reach his home there. The police swung into action and came to know that Shubham had to pay huge debts and he was calling both his brother and sister and telling them about his “kidnapping” and was demanding Rs 10 lakh from them. The police, through its technical and human intelligence cell, got to know about his fake story of kidnapping. They got information about the whereabouts of Shubham and arrested him. Now, he has been booked under Sections 308 (2) and 62 of the BNS by the police. Further investigation is on in the matter. Ludhiana, April 17 The crime branch has arrested Sunil Baba, a resident of Preet Nagar, Moga, for drug trafficking and seized 270 gm of heroin from his possession. As per ADCP (Investigation) Amandeep Singh Brar, a case was registered against the suspect. The ADCP said the police received a tip-off that Sunil was involved in selling heroin and he would be supplying the same on his motorcycle. Following which, inspector Bikramjit Singh Ghuman with his police team laid a naka near Jalandhar Bypass and apprehended the suspect with the drug.