24042025-LT-01.qxd 4/24/2025 12:48 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune MAN ON GREEN MISSION PLANTS 1.6 LAKH TREES From roadsides to vacant places to cremation grounds, Gurpreet has left his ‘green’ mark everywhere. P3 » HONEY SINGH ON WITH RAID 2 PROMOTIONAL SONG PRIYANKA SETIA MAKES A MARK IN WEB SERIES KHAUF 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 SKY MAX 40°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 40°C | MIN 21°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.55 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:47 AM » THURSDAY | 24 APRIL 2025 | LUDHIANA from Clear encroachments or face FIR, Caller seeks ~5 cr extortionattack builder, threatens grenade traffic police warn shopkeepers Three notices will be served before filing case, says DCP Bhandal Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 23 The Ludhiana traffic police are set to take strict measures to tackle the issue of traffic hurdles being caused due to encroachments by shopkeepers and roadside vendors. Initially, the police would hold awareness meetings. After serving three notices, if encroachments are not removed, FIRs would be registered for non-compliance. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Parminder Singh Bhandal, ADCP (Traffic) Gurpreet Purewal, ACPs (Traffic) Jatin Bansal and Gurpreet Singh addressed a press conference in this regard on Wednesday. Bhandal said the issue of traffic problems at some markets and on roads were quite serious and the cause of traffic bottlenecks were shop- Police officials address mediapersons in Ludhiana on Wednesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN keepers who resort to encroachments by extending their shops on the roads and some vendors also encroach upon roads which affects the line of traffic. “Earlier, the traffic police had only 200 police personnel working in the field but now our strength has been increased to 500. From Thursday onwards, ACPs, Inspectors and even SHOs will start holding meetings with shopkeepers in different markets. During the first meeting, shopkeepers will be told to remove encroachments and then action will follow, he said. “The traffic police will serve first notice to shopkeepers for removing encroachments. If shopkeepers will not remove the same, the second notice will be served and then the final notice will be served, which will be followed by FIR against them. We have no intention to harass any shopkeeper but non-compliance will not be tolerated,” the DCP said. The traffic police would not take abrupt action against roadside vendors and rehriwalas, as the police would not hit their employment. “We will ask such vendors to place their makeshift vends on roads in such a way that traffic should not be affected. The police are also in touch with the Municipal Corporation to find a suitable place for makeshift vends to keep roads free of traffic,” the DCP said. Notably, a few years ago, the Ludhiana police became successful in removing encroachments from city roads and residents had then enjoyed smooth rides without any bottlenecks. Ludhiana, April 23 The Sarabha Nagar police on Tuesday registered a case against an unidentified person, who claimed to be a close associate of notorious gangster Lakhbir Singh Landa. He threatened a city builder that he would attack him with a hand grenade if he did not pay the extortion money of Rs 5 crore. According to the police, the builder, who developed colonies in Mullanpur and Badewal, received multiple calls and voice messages from an unknown international number between April 16 and 19. After initially ignoring the calls, the builder finally responded to a call in the evening, during which the caller identified himself as an associate of Landa and threatened him. The caller reportedly warned the builder that they had detailed information about his family, including the daily routine of his children, and demanded a ransom. When the builder did not respond, he received threatening voice messages on April 19, forcing him to approach the police. Acting on his complaint, the Sarabha Nagar police regis- tered an FIR against the unknown caller under Sections 308 (4) and 351 (2) of the IPC. In another case, on April 19, the Samrala police had registered an FIR after a real estate agent reported receiving an extortion call from a man claiming to be a member of the Bambiha gang. The suspect, Prince, a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib, allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh and threatened to shoot the real estate agent. The suspect allegedly introduced himself as ‘Prince Thikriwal’ and claimed to be facing several murder cases. — TNS Three city judges promoted as ADJ Legal Correspondent Ludhiana, April 23 The High Court of Punjab and Haryana has promoted three Judges posted in the city to the post of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) and posted them in the city itself. Preeti Sukhija, Civil Judge (Sr Division), Ludhiana, Harvinder Singh, CJM-cum-Secretary-District Legal Services Authority, Ludhiana, and Radhika Puri, CJM, Ludhiana, are promoted. The list of new officials in place of these officers is awaited. Meanwhile, Harpreet Kaur, Civil Judge, Senior Divison, Mohali, has been promoted as the ADJ and posted at Ludhiana. The OSD, Vigilance, Punjab, Ranjeev Vashisht, has been transferred to Ludhiana as the ADJ. Vocational subject students made to Shahi Imam flays Pahalgam terror attack walk on highway for ‘training’ at eatery Tribune News Service Teacher accompanying them left, students left to fend for themselves Mahesh Sharma Payal, April 23 While the AAP government in Punjab, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is boasting of the much acclaimed Sikhya Kranti in the state, authorities at Government Senior Secondary School for Women, Payal, are in the dock for risking the lives of vocational students by making them walk for miles on the national highway on the pretext of a ‘compulsory’ on-thejob training at some eatery. Having been deserted by the teacher accompanying them, a group of about 25 girl students who had already passed out from the school, had to call their parents to a roadside dhaba in the afternoon on Tuesday to reach their homes. Three students who tried the trip on a borrowed Scooty were injured as the twowheeler skidded on the way. A nodal officer listens to grievances of parents of students at Government Senior Secondary School for Women in Payal. Residents led by Municipal Council president Malkit Goga alleged that the authorities at Government Senior Secondary School for Women, Payal, had called about 25 vocational girl students, who had passed out, on the pretext of undertaking an essential ‘on-the-job’ training scheduled at some designated eatery on Tuesday. The parents lamented that not only were their wards stuffed like goods on the journey to an eatery near Doraha, the girls were asked to walk down to another dhaba situated on the national highway in the afternoon. The school authorities could not give a satisfactory answer about chances of students suffering from heatstroke due to the scorching heat. Accusing the authorities at the school and the District Education Office of showing a casual attitude towards the teacher who took the students without caring for their comfort and safety, the residents have demanded strict action against the erring personnel. “Most unfortunate part of the incident is that the students have all passed out and all exercises and courses should have been completed before the conduct of the annual examination. The teacher concerned has exhibited the highest level of negligence by leaving girl students at the mercy of nature and switching off her phone,” said MC president Goga, adding that written complaints had been filed at the offices of District Education Officer, Ludhiana, and SDM, Payal. Unruly scenes were observed shortly after the opening of the school in the morning as the staff could not foresee repercussions of the alleged negligence of the vocational teacher concerned on Tuesday. However, a nodal officer from Government Senior Secondary School, Maksudra, Varinder Singh succeeded in pacifying the residents, including parents of students, who suffered the inconvenience and left only after being assured of action after consulting seniors in the department. DEO (Secondary) Dimple Madan said an inquiry had been marked in the matter. However, SDM, Payal, Pardeep Singh Bains, said necessary action would be taken after verifying allegations levelled against the personnel at the school concerned. Ludhiana, April 23 An effigy of “terrorism” was burnt on Wednesday under the leadership of Shahi Imam, Punjab, Maulana Mohammad Usman Ludhianvi, in the presence of several members of the Muslim community. They condemned the brutal attack and raised anti-Pakistan slogans for disturbing peace in the country. Maulana Usman Ludhianvi said the attack was highly condemnable. He said anyone killing innocents on the basis of religion, could not be a true Muslim as Islam does not teach this ideology. Shahi Imam said terrorism should be dealt with strictly so that no such incident was repeated in the future in which innocent persons lost their lives. The attack was targeted to divide Hindus and Muslims in the country. He said the terrorists should be dealt with an iron hand to send a loud and clear message to them. He demanded cor- Muslims burn an effigy of terrorism during a protest in Ludhiana on Wednesday. poral punishment for those responsible for the coward attack. At the same time, Maulana had asked the countrymen to maintain calm and peace in the country as the sole motive of the attack was to divide people in the name of cast and religion. He demanded compensation for families of the deceased. Shahi Imam said it the atmosphere was peaceful in J&K and the attack had disturbed everything. Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal had issued a statement in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which had left 26 persons feared dead, including ASHWANI DHIMAN foreign nationals, and others critically injured. Grewal condemned the attack, calling it “a barbaric assault not only on innocent civilians but on the soul and sovereignty of the country.” He expressed anguish over reports that tourists were asked about their names and religion before they were killed. City doc couple shares experience of recent J&K visit Man shot dead Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 23 After the brutal attack and killing of innocent tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday, a local doctor couple, who returned after spending four days in J&K on April 21, shared their experience that how the valley had attracted swarm of tourists. At the same time, the family maintained that there were negligible security arrangements for tourists. Talking to The Tribune, Dr GS Grewal, a physician, said he along with his wife, daughter and another friend had left Chandigarh for Srinagar in a plane on April 18. The 180-seater plane was packed to its capacity. “No tourist spot was empty. The Tulip Garden is outsourced Says there were negligible security arrangements for tourists to some private player and the ticket was Rs 150 per person. The local guide told us that recently on one of Sundays, there was a footfall of 88,000 tourists. Had there been no such barbaric incident, we would not have shared anything but following the unfortunate incident, we want the government to wake up to the safety of tourists, who visit the place for enjoyment and relaxation, risking their lives,” he said. Dr Grewal said during a road trip to Pahalgam, there was no security force on roads. He said on hilltops, which remain attractive tourist des- tinations, one had to pass through narrow stretches either by trekking or riding ponies and here too on entire stretches, they could not find any security personnel, which certainly gave an impression that conditions in the state were really improved. On way to Sonamarg, the family spent a night at ‘Gaganvir’, a small resort run by a French woman, Odele, her Kashmiri husband Rashid and daughter Farah. At the same time, a few local residents said they did not like people coming from other states to invest here in Kashmir. A guide told that “cultural invasion” was not liked by local residents. “The state is of Kashmiris and we want to take care of it. Tourists can come, enjoy and go,” one of the guides said. Dr GS Grewal with a family from Kashmir in Sonamarg. c m y b Ludhiana, April 23 Early on Wednesday morning, chaos erupted in the Ishar Nagar area when an person on an electric scooter shot dead a man. The victim was identified as Sonu Singh, who ran a fast food stall at a local fair in the area. According to Sonu’s father, Guddu Singh, the attack occurred when Sonu was returning home. According to sources, during the fair in the Ishar Nagar area, qawwalis were being performed. Sonu had set up a stall selling pani puris at the fair. When Sonu finished his work and started walking home, his father heard the sound of a gunshot. When Guddu ran towards the direction of the sound, he saw Sonu lying on the ground. The attacker fled the scene on an electric scooter. Sonu’s father Guddu said his son was badly injured. They informed the emergency services and waited for an ambulance. Despite waiting for 30 minutes, when the ambulance did not arrive, they took Sonu to the Civil Hospital themselves but his son died on the way. Guddu said Sonu’s in-laws seem to be involved in the murder case and the police should probe their role. As per information, Sonu had married Neebha Kumari against her parents’ wishes about 18 months ago. He had police protection for five months due to their threats. Despite having a child, Sonu’s in-laws did not accept their marriage. SHO, Sadar police station, Avtar Singh, said the attacker shot Sonu in the rear. The bullet passed through his chest. A case has been registered. — TNS