25042025-JTR-01.qxd 4/24/2025 10:54 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune CANDLELIGHT MARCH FOR PAHALGAM VICTIMS AT 62, ACTRESS DEMI MOORE STILL LOOKS STUNNING PAK ACTOR’S ABIR GULAAL NOT TO RELEASE IN INDIA Participants lit candles and observed a moment of silence to honour the lives lost in the attack. P2 Actress Demi Moore,62, sets an example for many on how one can age gracefully and still looks stunning. P4 Hindi film featuring Fawad Khan in the lead role will not be released in India in the wake of terror attack. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 38°C | MIN 17.8°C YESTERDAY MAX 38°C | MIN 17.7°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7.03 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:47 AM » FRIDAY | 25 APRIL 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF 3 KILLED IN ROAD MISHAPS Hoshiarpur: Three persons died in various road accidents. According to information, Vinod Kumar of Kotla Gonspur village told the police that his brother Rakesh Kumar was returning to the village after dropping his friend. When his brother reached near the village temple, a bike rider hit his brother. He took his brother to the hospital, where the doctors declared him dead. Harijinder Kaur of Terkiyana village told the Dasuya police that when her husband was returning home, a harvester combine hit her husband. He died in the accident. The police have registered a case against the driver Satgur Singh of Sangrur. While Kulwinderjit Kaur of Mansar has lodged a complaint with the police of Mukerian. When her husband Ravinder Singh was returning home, a car hit him near Milmaan, leaving her husband died. Police have booked driver Surinder Kumar of Gaal Panjpeer, Jammu. OC DRUG PEDDLER ARRESTED Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a 'drug peddler' on the charge of selling heroin. Ten gram of heroin was recovered from the possession of the accused Manjit Kumar, alias Billa, of Boparai Kalan village. A case under Sections 21-B/61/85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. OC ASSAULT ACCUSED PO ARRESTED Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for the last two years. The accused has been identified as Harnek Singh, alias Neka, a resident of Rahimpur village. The accused is wanted in a case of assault registered in September 2018 and was declared a PO in 2023. Arhtiyas demand cancellation of mandi contract Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 24 Tension continued to simmer at Maqsudan Sabzi Mandi as, after protests and holding meetings, arhtiyas and vegetable vendors have now submitted a memorandum, demanding immediate cancellation of the mandi contract awarded to Narinder Singh, Paramjit Singh and Raman Kumar Pabby. Alleging extortion, illegal parking fee collection and blatant intimidation, arhtiyas said the situation has become untenable and warned of an indefinite strike, if the contract is not withdrawn. The memorandum was submitted to mandi president Gurpal Singh, district mandi officer Arvinder Singh Sahi and mandi secretary Rupinder Singh. The arhtiyas alleged that the contractor has been collecting money illegally from stall owners and hawkers, often by deploying musclemen. Arhtiyas Mahenderjit Shanti and Dimpy Sachdeva said the contractor is issuing unauthorised slips and charging arbitrary amounts — Rs 70 per round for threewheelers, even though the official rate is Rs 20 for 24 hours. Bolero vehicles, which earlier paid Rs 50 for 24 hours, are now charged Rs 130 for just 12 hours. Vendors are made to pay the same amount again for every reentry, even though multiple entries were earlier permitted due to the absence of a weighing point inside the mandi. For tempos, the charge has been increased from Rs 60 to Rs 130, while tractors are now being charged Rs 150 instead of Rs 60. Six-tyre trucks, previously billed Rs 75, are being forced to pay Rs 250 per round. Even the rent for stalls has been inflated — vendors who once paid Rs 100 per day or Rs 3,000 a month are now being charged Rs 400 a day and Rs 12,000 a month. The arhtiyas said such exploitative rates have left small traders struggling to survive. They said the situation has reached a point where open hooliganism is being done and officials concerned have turned a blind eye. “When we operated under the mandi committee, the rules were fair and charges reasonable. Now, vendors are being fleeced openly and repeatedly with no authority stepping in,” said Shunty. The traders have threatened to escalate the matter if the contract is not cancelled immediately. “If this continues, the entire mandi system will collapse and the blame will lie squarely on the administration,” warned vendor Mukesh Singh. Meanwhile, officials have assured them that the issue will be resolved soon and an action would be taken on their complaint. Candlelight march in city by Cong, AAP leaders over Pahalgam attack Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 24 A massive outpouring of grief and outrage was witnessed in Jalandhar on Thursday as people gathered to participate in a candlelight march held by Aam Aadmi Party and Congress MLAs. The march was organised to pay tributes to the innocent lives lost in the recent horrific terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 28 individuals. AAP’s march, started from Bhagwan Valmiki Ji Chowk, and Nakodar city, was led by MLAs Raman Arora and Inderjit Kaur Mann. Another march was held at Doaba Chowk led by chairman, Punjab Safai Karamchari Commission, Chandan Grewal, chairman, Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited, Mangal Singh Bassi, AAP district president and chairman, District Planning Committee, Amritpal Singh. The candlelight march saw the participation from people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life and it became a powerful display of unity and collective condemnation of terrorism. Holding candles, banners and placards denouncing terrorism, the participants walked to honour the memory of the victims, sending a strong message that such barbaric acts will not be tolerated in a civilised society. Addressing a gathering, the MLAs expressed profound People join Congress leaders, who hold a candlelight march against the Pahalgam terror attack, in Jalandhar on Thursday. MALKIAT SINGH sorrow over the incident, describing it as one of the most brutal and inhumane acts of terrorism in recent times. “This cowardly and despicable attack is not only a crime against the victims but an assault on the values of humanity itself,” they said. “Such heinous acts shake the conscience of every rightthinking individual and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” they said. The MLAs emphasised that the perpetrators of this act, who have displayed complete disregard for human life, have no place in any society. “The cult of violence that breeds such hatred and cruelty must be uprooted from our midst. It is the moral responsibility of every citizen, regardless of religion, region, or ideology, to stand united against such forces of destruction,” they added. The Congress leadership from the district also carried Scooterist slips, run over by vehicle Pastor produced in Kapurthala court Phagwara, April 24 A tragic road accident claimed the life of a 40-yearold man on the PhagwaraHoshiarpur road today after he came under a trailer after his scooter slipped. The deceased Manjeet Singh was a resident of Naru. Manjeet Singh, who worked at a local factory, was riding his scooter towards Phagwara when his vehicle reportedly slipped, causing him to fall onto the road. — OC OC YOUTH HELD FOR KIDNAPPING Phagwara: The Bilga police arrested Jasveer Singh Laddi of Kaleechpur Kalota village in Hoshiarpur for kidnapping a girl. A case under Sections 137(2) (kidnapping) and 87(kidnapping or abducting in order to murder or ransom) of the BNS was registered against the accused. oc Kapurthala, April 24 Self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh, who was last month convicted in a 2018 rape case at Zirakpur, has brought on production warrant by the Kapurthala police. He was brought from Mansa jail, produced in the local Kapurthala court and again sent to jail. An FIR had been lodged against the pastor on February 28 in connection with the out a candlelight march in the evening to show solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Congress leaders, including DCC (urban) chief Rajinder Beri, MLA Bawa Henry, halqa incharges Dr Navjot Dahiya and Surinder Kaur, councillors Paramjot S Sherry Chadha, Pawan Kumar, Balraj Thakur, Dr Jasleen Sethi and a large number of party workers joined the protest at Milap Chowk. charges of sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation by his disciple. She had alleged that she was being harassed since 2020. Hence, Sections of POCSO Act were also added against him as she was then a minor. SSP Gaurav Toora had formed a SIT into the matter. The pastor is facing life imprisonment till death in the Zirakpur rape case. — TNS The Congress leaders burnt the flag of Pakistan and raised slogans against it. They said the attack was done in the most barbaric manner. “They have left the families, who were on a holiday trip, badly bruised. The accused must be identified, booked and given the harshest punishment. PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah must act against the enemy nation and teach it a lesson”, the leaders said. Jarnail chief of Improvement Trust PHAGWARA, APRIL 24 The government has appointed labour leader Jarnail Nangal as the new Chairman of the Improvement Trust, Phagwara. The announcement was made through an official notification issued by the Department of Local Government on Wednesday evening. The appointment comes with immediate effect and will remain in force until further orders. This move also supersedes the earlier notification issued in September 2023.OC The wheat lifting under process at Dana Mandi in Jalandhar city. A TRIBUNE PHOGRAPH NIA conducts search at lawyer’s house To avoid tardy lifting, 23 Dumping site in Model Town to be special mandis set up Bhagat Singh Memorial soon Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 24 A team of National Investigation Agency on Thursday early morning conducted a search at the house of a lawyer in the Dakoha locality. The NIA team is also learnt to have questioned Parminder Singh Vig, who is also an activist and general secretary of the Jalandhar Literary Forum, in connection with some vital information. The team assisted by the Jalandhar City police checked every corner of his house and later took away his phone. The team left his house around 11 am. Vig is known to have had expertise in handling election petitions. He is also one of the lawyers appearing in a petition filed challenging the election of Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh. Jalandhar, April 24 The issue of tardy lifting is being reported from almost every district of the state. To avoid such problem in Jalandhar, special mandis have been made operational. There are 78 mandis in the district and 23 temporary yards have been made operational along with the existing regular mandis for this season to avoid glut and smooth procurement. While the purchase has been going on in normal pace, lifting generally takes a hit because of the peak season. While 2,89,979 MT of wheat has already arrived in mandis, the purchase of 2,88,929 MT has been reported in the district till today. District Mandi Officials said it was the time when the arrival of the crop was at its peak. Subeg Singh, farmer from Dhogri village, said that until yesterday, the lifting was being done at the normal pace. “The next few days will be tough as the lifting process will definitely be hit,” he said. Another farmer from Bhogpur said no such issue was being faced by farmers yet. “But there is definitely a glut at this point, harvesting is going on at full speed,” he further added. Farmers seek relief for burnt wheat crop On the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a memorandum was submitted by farmers to the Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, to be forwarded to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to seek compensation for the burnt wheat of farmers, caused by fire. Leaders of various farmer organisations said the govern- ment should compensate the affected farmers for the burnt wheat instead of making excuses. They said Mann used to say that the government will compensate for any loss to the farmers, but the government has failed in this matter. The effigies of the US VicePresident and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were burnt in protest. The leaders said thousands of acres of land have been burnt in Punjab. CM Bhagwant Mann used to say that he would compensate the farmers before conducting the girdawari, but this never happened. They said Modi government wants to completely destroy the farmers through free trade. Farmer leaders demanded immediate payment to farmers for losses. They said free trade agreement should not be made with America, New Zealand and the European Union. c m y b Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 24 A site once infamous for its stench and filth will soon stand as a symbol of pride and patriotism. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Model Town has commenced construction of the Bhagat Singh Memorial at the location where a longstanding garbage dump was recently cleared following sustained public pressure and intervention by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). For years, residents of Model Town and Keval Vihar had protested against the garbage dumping near the cremation ground, citing serious health risks and environmental degradation. Despite the NGT’s directive to stop the dumping in September last year, the municipal authorities continued the practice until January. The JAC, led by Varinder Malik and Jaswinder Singh Sahni and other members, mounted a relentless campaign that finally forced the Municipal Corporation to shut the site just two months ago. “We fought every step — held public meetings, moved legal petitions and engaged with officials. Now, to ensure this place is never turned into a dump again, we’ve decided to give it a new identity,” said JAC president Varinder Malik. “The construction of the Bhagat Singh Memorial has begun. It will cost around Rs 10 lakh and we aim to complete it within two months.” On the decision to dedicate the memorial to Bhagat Singh, Malik said, “This isn’t just about beautification. It’s about instilling a sense of pride and awareness among the younger generation about the sacrifices made for this country.” “The transformation wasn’t easy”, said Jaswinder Singh, adding that the Municipal Corporation initially asked them to withdraw their case from the NGT and declare in writing that the dumping issue was resolved. “Only after we complied, we were permitted to begin work,” he said. Now, they have asked the civic body to include the memorial site in the Smart City Jalandhar beautification project. “We want proper maintenance of the surrounding areas, including the cremation ground wall and public washrooms. This site should reflect the dignity of the memorial we are building,” Singh added.