24042025-JTR-01.qxd 4/23/2025 11:29 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune TERROR ATTACK EVOKES WIDESPREAD CONDEMNATION HONEY SINGH ON WITH RAID 2 PROMOTIONAL SONG PRIYANKA SETIA MAKES A MARK IN WEB SERIES KHAUF BJP leaders and former ministers offer their condolences to the families of the Pahalgam terror victims. P2 Rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh has collaborated with Devgn for Raid 2 promotional song Money Money. P4 She says patriarchy and violence against women are the leitmotif in her latest web series Khauf. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 40°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 40°C | MIN 18°C SUNSET THURSDAY 7.02 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:48 AM » THURSDAY | 24 APRIL 2025 | JALANDHAR No court stay on auction of Kapurthala’s Jagatjit Club Phagwara SDM asked to appear on next hearing tomorrow INBRIEF DRUG ADDICT HELD FOR RAPE Phagwara: The Nurmahal police have arrested a drug addict criminal on the charge of raping a 4-year-old girl. The accused has been identified as Amrik Singh of Danduwal village. The father of the victim complained to the police that the accused kidnapped his four-year-old girl and raped her. Village residents caught the accused and handed him over to the police. A case under the BNS and POSCO Act has been registered against him. oc Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service MAN HELD FOR STEALING BIKE Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a miscreant on charge of stealing a motorcycle. The accused has been identified as Vishal, alias Sali, a resident of Kanganna village under Shahkot police station. Jaswindar Kumar of Mohalla Ravidaspura, Nakodar, complained to the police that the accused stole his motorcycle. A case under Section 303(2) (theft)of the BNS had been registered against the accused. OC YOUTH BOOKED FOR KIDNAPPING Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked a youth on charge of kidnapping a minor. The accused has been identified as Manidar Singh of Buddannwal under Shahkot police station. The father of the victim complained to the police that the accused kidnapped his minor daughter on the pretext of marriage on April 21. A case under Section 137(2) (kidnapping) of the BNS has been registered against the accused. OC 2 ARRESTED FOR DRUG PEDDLING Phagwara: The Nakodar Sadar police have arrested a person on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. As many as 22 intoxicant tablets were recovered from the possession of the accused Ajuba of Mehtabgarh , Kapurthala. A case under Sections 22/61/85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. The Bilga police arrested a 'drug peddler' Mangal Singh of Burk Kela village with 50 tablets. OC WOMAN HELD FOR LIQUOR SALE Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a woman on the charge of brewing and selling illicit liquor. As much as 60 litre of lahan were seized from the possession of the accused Bakhasho of Saanda village. A case under Sections 61/1/14 of the Punjab Excise Act has been registered against the accused. oc Congress MLA along with supporters blocks the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway at Bhogpur in Jalandhar protesting against the installation of bio-CNG plant on Wednesday. Cong MLA, supporters block Pathankot road at Bhogpur Protest was staged against bio-CNG plant installation Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 23 Just a day ahead of the hearing in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding objections being raised regarding the ongoing installation of a bio-CNG plant at Bhogpur, residents of the town staged a protest at the main Tpoint for about 2.5 hours. Owing to the protest, the highway leading to Pathankot and Jammu from Jalandhar was blocked and commuters had to use alternative routes to cross the passage. The protest was led by Congress MLA from Adampur Sukhwinder Singh Kotli even as leaders of all parties, farmers, market association, social and religious organisations joined him. The agitators put up mats on the road and dug up tents, blocking the highway completely at 10:30 am. Kotli said, “We are not fighting here for getting any political mileage. It is a fight for safeguarding the lives of our future generations. The government and the administration is bent on going ahead with the construction of the plant but we cannot let our air and groundwater get polluted.” The MLA said, “If this plant comes up, our crops will get contaminated. The clothes hung outside for drying will get covered with soot.” As the protest was on, SP , headquarters, Sarabjit Rai and SDM, Adampur, Vivek Modi reached the spot and tried to convince Kotli to wind up the dharna. At 1 pm, the leaders lifted the dharna. Kotli told everyone that he was leaving for Chandigarh as he had to meet the lawyer ahead of the hearing in the court tomorrow. Illegal structures of drug peddler razed Kidnapper held, 3 girls rescued Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 23 The Commissionerate Police, Jalandhar, has rescued three minor girls by arresting an accused from Kapurthala. Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur said an FIR was registered at Police Station Division No. 8, Jalandhar, following a complaint that a nine-year-old girl had been kidnapped by a man. Acting on the complaint, police teams had conducted various raids and finally on April 21, police officials apprehended the accused Rajesh Pandey, a resident of Para, Police Station Kherighat, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, from Kapurthala. The police team successfully recovered the kidnapped nine-year-old girl along with two other minor girls. The historic Jagatjit Club of Kapurthala. TRIBUNE PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH been ordered by the district court in an order issued on April 2. A notice for the club’s auction had already been put up as scheduled on April 18 and the ‘munadi’ is due on April 29 while the sale of the club is scheduled for May 9. During the proceedings today, on behalf of the Land Acquisition Collector-cumSDM, Phagwara, SDO Amrik Singh of the PWD appeared in the court. He asked the court for one-month time to repay the pending dues, with regard to which the club property had been attached. But the court refused to grant the time. The court of Harpal Singh, District and Sessions Judge, Kapurthala, set April 25 as the next date of hearing on the issue on which the SDM, Phagwara, has been asked to appear in the court to give his statement on the matter. Barring this, a civil writ petition filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the issue is also due for hearing on May 1. With the auction of the club barely a fortnight away, the hearings on April 25 (district court) and May 1 (HC) will be pivotal to determine the future of the historic building, which bears testimony to architectural vision and acumen of erstwhile Maharajas of Kapurthala, who fashioned Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 23 The Kapurthala district administration today removed eight encroachments on the land of the Municipal Corporation near Dhakka Colony. The illegal encroachments had been allegedly done by a woman drug smuggler, against whom five cases under the NDPS have been registered. SSP Gaurav Toora said the illegal structures were razed after the orders given by the Municipal Corporation. The SSP said five cases had been registered against Raj Kaur, alias Rani, who had encroached on the land. Toora said as per instructions of the government, the police are taking action Jalandhar, April 23 The hearing on the objections raised against the auction of the historic Jagatjit Club, Kapurthala, has been deferred to April 25 by the District and Sessions Court, Kapurthala. Responding to objection petitions, seeking a stay on the auction of the Jagatjit Club, the court on Wednesday rescheduled the matter for hearing on April 25. The court has not issued a stay on the auction proceedings for now. The Jagatjit Club’s 13 kanal 14 marla property had been attached in an ongoing case - an execution filed by a Phagwara resident Nirbhail Singh, seeking enhancement of compensation for his over 8 kanal property, which was acquired in 2002, for four-laning of the Ropar-BalachaurNawanshahr-Phagwara road. As per Nirbhail’s appeal, a payment of Rs 1,42,19,304 is due towards him and others as compensation. On April 17, applications had been moved by the district administration and secretary of Jagatjit Club, Kapurthala, Sanjeev Suri, against the auction of the club, seeking a stay on the auction proceedings, terming it a historic building. The auction of the club had against drug smugglers. He appealed to people to share information about drug smugglers with the police and strict action will be taken against the smugglers by keeping the identity of the informer confidential. Secretary of the Municipal Corporation Sushant Bhatia said eight encroachments had been removed. Sidak gets 157th rank in UPSC, Gurkanwal 353rd Walkathon against drug abuse tomorrow Tribune News Service Phagwara, April 23 As part of Punjab Government’s ongoing campaign against drug abuse, the district administration of Kapurthala is organising a large-scale walkathon on April 25 to raise awareness about the harmful effects of drug addiction. Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal reviewed the preparations for the event today. Over 1,000 students and NCC cadets are expected to participate in the walkathon, pledging to take a leading role in the fight against drug abuse and educating the public about its damaging impact. The walkathon will begin at 6 am from Guru Nanak Stadium and will pass through Sainik School, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk, Sat Narain Mandir and the bus stand before returning to the stadium. To ensure the smooth execution of the event, the Deputy Commissioner has directed the police to implement robust arrangements for traffic management, parking and overall security. Additionally, the Municipal Corporation has been instructed to ensure proper sanitation and drinking water facilities along the route. The Health Department will deploy medical teams to provide any necessary support. Calling upon the public to participate enthusiastically, DC Panchal urged citizens to contribute meaningfully to the administration’s efforts to curb drug abuse. ADC (General) Navneet Kaur Bal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development) Varinder Pal Singh Bajwa and other senior officials were also present during the preparatory meeting. — OC phagwara/Jalandhar, April 23 In a remarkable achievement that has brought laurels to Phagwara and Punjab, local youth Sidak Singh has secured the 157th rank in the UPSC Examination. Sidak Singh is the son of local businessman Charanjit Singh. His family and well-wishers were overwhelmed with joy. Meanwhile, having graduated in Civil Engineering from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, and got selected as the Assistant Commandant in the BSF life has tak, en a fresh turn for Gurkanwal Singh (27) as he has cleared the civil services examination conducted by the Union Public Services Commission. Gurkanwal got 353rd rank in his fourth attempt. Last Sidak Singh (centre) with his parents; and (right) Gurkanwal Singh with his mother and father. time too, he had cleared his prelims and mains but could not qualify in the interview. But, this time, he is lucky. Gurkanwal’s father Satpal Singh Multani, retired Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, is optimistic, “Though things will be clear sometime later, we are expecting him to make it to the IAS through the OBC quota.” A resident of Urban Estate, Phase-2, Gurkanwal passed Plus Two from MGN School in the same locality. “Our son was among the toppers throughout. He had scored 10 CGPA in Class X. Even in his B.Tech, he remained among the top 10 students of the college. He did not try placement after the college as he had already set his goal. He moved to Delhi for his coaching and maintained his focus on his aim for four consecutive years”, he said. Day after child’s death, speeding vehicle leaves 2 hurt Call for Hoshiarpur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 23 Barely a day after a threeyear-old child lost his life in a tragic road accident, the city witnessed another horrific crash late Tuesday night, intensifying concerns about reckless driving and lax enforcement of road safety measures in the city. Two young men returning home from a wedding were critically injured after a speeding SUV rammed into their motorcycle near Jhandiya Wale Peer Chowk in Basti Nau, close to Gopal Nagar. The victims identified as Kulwinder Singh of Himachal Pradesh and Sandeep Kumar of Model Town were thrown nearly 10 metres away due to the impact. Kulwinder suffered a serious leg fracture while Sandeep was rendered unconscious with a severe head injury. According to their friend Indrajit, who was riding ahead of them, the trio had just left the wedding venue and were en route home when the high-speed Innova, came hurtling toward them. Instead of stopping after the collision, the driver fled the scene, but the car’s number Driver flees, but car's number plate falls off, recovered from spot plate fell off and was recovered at the spot. Local resident and witness Suresh Kumar, who was present at the chowk, said, “It wasn’t the bikers’ fault at all. The Innova came at a terrifying speed and hit them so hard that they flew into the air before landing far away. It was sheer negligence.” The police reached the scene soon after being alerted and rushed the injured youths to the Civil Hospital via ambulance. Officials confirmed that the car’s number plate has been seized and said the driver would be identified and apprehended soon with the help of the registration details. The back-to-back accidents, meanwhile, have triggered an outcry among residents, many of whom are demanding stricter action against over-speeding vehicles, particularly at night. Locals allege that despite repeated complaints, speeding in various parts of the city continue unchecked and that there is little visible police c m y b the town after Paris. The application filed on April 17 in the district court by the Land Acquisition Collector-cum-SDM, Phagwara, had argued that the club is a historical building, representing the community, history, identity and cultural value of the town. And that the principle of preservation of historical buildings should take precedence over private debts and alternative remedy should be explored. It had also argued that the sale value of the attached property (the club) is much more than the amount of the debt owed, which the club’s auction is aimed to satisfy. monitoring. “This has become a daily horror. Yesterday, it was a child. Today, two more lives are on the edge. When will the authorities act?” questioned a local shopkeeper near the accident spot. The incident has reignited debate over the enforcement of speed limits and the urgent need for road safety reforms in Jalandhar’s densely populated areas. Besides, immediate installation of speed cameras, better lighting and regular night patrolling to prevent such tragedies must be ensured, they added. bandh today Hoshiarpur, April 23 A call for Hoshiarpur bandh has been given for April 24 to protest against the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam and to pay tribute to the tourists who fell victim to it. The call has been given jointly by a group of Hindu and social organisations. In a meeting organised in this regard, workers of various organisations said that the Centre should take strict action and those who support the terrorists should be answered in their own language. They appealed to everyone to cooperate in making the call for bandh on April 24 successful. He appealed to the business community and school and college managers to cooperate in the bandh to pay tribute to the unarmed people who were victims of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Along with this, he also appealed to all political organisations to support this bandh. He said that on April 24, the workers of all the organisations will gather in the Committee Bazaar at 8:30 am and take out a rally. — OC