04052025-JTR-01.qxd 5/3/2025 10:48 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune PUNJAB’S YOUTH WILL BECOME TORCHBEARERS OF CHANGE: CM CELEBS ATTEND FUNERAL OF ACTOR ANIL KAPOOR’S MOTHER PRIYA BAPAT ESSAYS ROLE OF MARIA IN FILM COSTAO Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann presided over the Youth Club leadership programme held in Garhshankar. P2 Rani Mukerji, Farhan Akhtar and Harshvardhan Kapoor reached funeral of Nirmal Kapoor to pay last respects. P4 “I crave to be put in a situation where I need to work on the character,” says Priya Bapat. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 22°C SUNSET SUNDAY 7.09 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5.39 AM » SUNDAY | 4 MAY 2025 | JALANDHAR Phagwara, May 3 The police arrested a drug peddler and recovered 7 grams of heroin from his possession on Friday night. The arrested accused was identified as Harsh Thapar, a resident of Balmiki Mohalla, Hadiabad. He was arrested at a check point. A case under the NDPS Act was registered against the accused. In another case, a drug peddler, identified as Sanjeev, alias, Sanju, a resident of Palahai Gate was arrested after recovery of 68 intoxicating tablets from his possession on Friday night. In the third incident, a youth identified as Sukhwant Singh, a resident of Tibbi, was arrested by the police after recovery of 30 intoxicating tablets from his possession on Friday night. Two separate cases were registered under the NDPS Act against the peddlers in this connection. — OC Municipal Corporation launches night sweeping mission in Phagwara Our Correspondent Phagwara, May 3 In a major push for improved urban hygiene, the Municipal Corporation (MC), Phagwara, has launched a dedicated night sweeping mission to bolster sanitation efforts across the city. The initiative, inaugurated by Mayor Ram Pal Uppal and MC Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta, focuses on maintaining cleanliness in high-footfall areas such as markets, roads and public spaces during night hours. By operating at night, the mission aims to complement daytime cleaning while reducing disruption to daily Man held for smuggling liquor Phagwara, May 3 The Shahkot police have arrested a villager on the charge of smuggling liquor. Investigating Officer (IO) Sarwann Singh said eight bottles of country-made liquor were seized from the possession of the accused, identified as Sikandar Singh, a resident of Killi village. The IO said the accused purchased liquor from a vendor at Shahkot and was going to his village. A case under Sections 61/1/14 of the Punjab Excise Act was registered against the accused, the IO added. — OC 4 booked for murder bid Phagwara, May 3 The Nakodar city police have booked four miscreants on the charge of attempt to murder. Investigating Officer (IO) Davindar Singh said the accused were identified as Ankur Mahajan and Laadi Mahajan, residents of Ashok Vihar Colony, Miki Mahajan, a resident of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, and his brother Riki Mahajan. Rohit Khana of Dera Baba Murad Shah Road, complained to the police that the accused barged into his shop, assaulted him, intending to murder and ransacked his business premises. The IO said a case under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 115(2), 118(1) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 332 (house trespass), 324(4) (mischief) and 3(5) (committing a crime with common intention) of the BNS was registered against accused. — OC MC Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta inaugurates the night sweeping mission in Phagwara. activities. “This mission is a collective step towards a cleaner and healthier Phagwara,” said Mayor, calling on residents to support sanitation teams in their work. Jalandhar, May 3 Three days after the brutal murder and robbery of Vinod Duggal, a 69-year-old woman and relative of BJP leader Ashok Sarin Hikki, the police have yet to identify assailants who committed the crime. The incident, which took place in broad daylight in Mota Singh Nagar locality, has sent shockwaves across the city and raised serious concerns over public safety and law-and-order situation. Vinod Duggal was found murdered inside her home on Thursday afternoon. Her husband, Bhimsen Duggal, had left the house around 12.30 pm to purchase items for a religious ceremony planned for their grandson’s birthday. When he returned around 2 pm, he found the main door latched from The police investigate at the murder spot in Mota Singh Nagar, Jalandhar. inside. After his repeated knocks went unanswered, a neighbour’s son jumped over the wall to unlock the door. Inside, they found Vinod’s body in a room. At first, they believed she had suffered a heart attack. However, it soon became clear that it was a case of robbery and mur- der. Her gold bangles, three rings and mobile phone were missing and the house had been ransacked. The victim’s mobile phone was later found switched off inside the house. Forensic teams were called to the spot, and the victim’s body was sent for a post-mortem before being Congress delegation meets MC Commissioner, raises concern over stalled development projects Former CM Channi’s remarks on surgical strikes draw flak Accuses AAP leaders of ignoring public issues & prioritising party campaigning Our Correspondent Phagwara, May 3 A delegation comprising Congress councillors and party officials, led by MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, met Municipal Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta today to raise concerns over stalled development projects and worsening civic issues in the city. The delegation submitted a memorandum, urging immediate action to address long-pending infrastructure and sanitation problems in the city. MLA Dhaliwal pointed out that despite passing of several months since the municipal elections, development works in Phagwara were stalled. He cited the prolonged digging and neglect of the road near Bhua Dhamdri cremation ground on Hoshiarpur Road, which was causing significant inconvenience to residents. He also highlighted the poor condition of roads near the Urban Estate entrance, where potholes had become a serious hazard and even basic patchwork repairs were being ignored. Additionally, concerns were raised about functional Phagwara MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal gives a memorandum to MC Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta. streetlights with yellow bulbs being unnecessarily removed, the growing menace of stray animals leading to accidents and an alarming increase in stray dogs that had left residents fearful of stepping out of their homes. With the monsoon season approaching in two months, Dhaliwal warned that not cleaning of sewer could lead to major public health risks. He also noted the unmanaged garbage dumps in densely populated areas, due to which residents and commuters were forced to inhale toxic air MC Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta emphasised that maintaining cleanliness was a continuous process and the initiative would ensure residents wake up to cleaner streets, particularly in densely populated areas. Health branch officials, including sanitary inspectors Hitesh Sharma, Namdev, Sewak Ram, Deepak Kumar, Jatinder Vij and supervisors Jograj and Sunny were present during launch of the mission. The corporation has also invited public feedback and sought residents’ cooperation to improve civic services and sustain the cleanliness drive in the city. Police yet to identify accused in Mota Singh Nagar robbery-cum-murder case, insider angle under probe FILE PHOTO Three drug peddlers held emanating from waste that remained uncollected over several days. A broken slab near the starch mill on Sarai Road was also flagged as a potential accident site. During the meeting, councillor and former block president Sanjeev Bugga sharply criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleging that its leaders had turned their backs on public concerns and were instead preoccupied with early campaigning for the next Assembly elections. “It is unfortunate for Phagwara residents that not only is the AAP government in Punjab inefficient, but now the city’s Municipal Corporation too is under the grip of their autocratic approach,” Bugga said. “Development work has come to a complete standstill,” he said. He further warned that if the AAP-led administration does not change its approach and continues to neglect the city’s development, the Congress would be compelled to launch a large-scale protest. All Congress councillors and party officials were present during the meeting. c m y b Phagwara, May 3 The BJP SC Morcha president and former IAS, SR Ladhar, has strongly condemned former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for questioning the authenticity of India’s surgical strikes against Pakistan. Ladhar called Channi’s comments “deeply unfortunate and shameful,” particularly in light of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in which several tourists lost their lives. In a sharply worded statement, Ladhar said, “At a time when our brave soldiers are combating terrorism and making the ultimate sacrifice, casting doubt on a critical military operations is nothing short of betrayal of the nation.” The 2016 surgical strikes, conducted by Indian armed forces across the Line of Control, were widely seen as a bold response to cross-border terrorism. Ladhar said the strikes represented a “proud moment” for the country and questioned the intent behind undermining their legitimacy. “By questioning the integrity of our national security operations, Channi has insulted not only our jawans, but also emboldened India’s enemies,” Ladhar added. The BJP leader also accused Channi of attempting to backtrack under political pressure, stating that the damage to public trust and morale had already been done. — OC handed over to the family yesterday evening. The police confirmed that a case under charges of murder and robbery was registered at the Division No. 6 police station. Investigators have been working on multiple leads, including the possibility of an insider being involved in the crime. The police are also looking into the nature of injuries and launched an inquiry to find whether a sharp object was used to attack the victim. Roopdeep Kaur, ACP Model , Town, said, “Police teams are working on the case round the clock. Various angles are being thoroughly investigated. The family has ruled out any personal enmity, but we are confident that the truth will be uncovered and the culprits will be arrested soon.” — TNS The office of the Municipal Corporation in Phagwara. Civic body facing acute staff shortage 58 out of 68 posts lying vacant Our Correspondent Phagwara, May 3 Punjab Local Bodies Minister Dr Ravjot Singh had to face tough time when mediapersons raised a bundle of problems being faced by residents of Phagwara, which include encroachments, non-functional streetlights in several localities, broken roads and open violation of rules. The minister was on a visit to Phagwara recently to attend induction ceremony of Jarnail Nangal, the newly appointed Chairman of the Phagwara Improvement Trust. Though the minister assured to redress problems soon, without sufficient staff of the Municipal Corporation (MC) how could it be possible? opined journalists. When contacted, Phagwara MC Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta, who also holds the charge of the ADC (General), told The Tribunetoday that the post of Joint Commissioner and MC Secretary were lying vacant. Dr Gupta said out of two posts of Superintendent Engineer, one was lying vacant. “Four out of five sanctioned posts of Assistant Engineer are lying vacant. Six out of eight posts of junior engineer, five building inspectors, all four posts of superintendent and two of accountants have been lying vacant for a long time,” Dr Gupta said. “Moreover, 35 out of 40 Bodies ❝The Localwill soon be Department fully computerised to facilitate the people. Encroachments will be removed and broken roads in Phagwara will be repaired. Impartial action will be taken against violators of the civic body rules. ❞ Dr Ravjot Singh, LOCAL BODIES MINISTER sanctioned posts of clerk are lying vacant for the last several months,” Dr Gupta added. Interestingly, the MC Commissioner has written to Director, Local Bodies, several times, but nothing has been done to fill vacant posts of the civic body. Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Dr Ravjot Singh told The Tribune that the Local Bodies Department would soon be fully computerised to facilitate the people. He was replying to a question related with problems faced by the people to deposit different MC taxes online. Dr Ravjot also assured to remove encroachments and to repair broken roads in Phagwara. Answering a question regarding increasing political interference in the MC working, the minister assured for impartial action against violators of the civic body rules. 9 proclaimed offenders arrested in month-long crackdown on fugitives Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 3 In a decisive drive against fugitives, the Jalandhar commissionerate police have arrested nine proclaimed offenders (POs) over the last one month. The crackdown, spearheaded by Commissioner of Police (CP) Dhanpreet Kaur, is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to bring long-absconding criminals to justice and reinforce public safety. The CP said the arrests were result of meticulous planning and execution by the dedicated PO staff of the Jalandhar Police. The operations involved the use of advanced surveillance technology, intelligence networks and coordinated field raids. Officials worked systematically to locate and apprehend persons who had been declared POs in various cases, ranging from theft to robbery and other serious criminal offences, the CP said. Among the notable arrests was that of a wanted woman PO, Parveen Kumari, originally a resident of Alwalpur village under the Adampur police station in Jalandhar (Rural). She was living at Garden Colony, Lamba Pind Chowk, Jalandhar, at the time of her arrest. Parveen A woman proclaimed offender in custody of the police in Jalandhar. Kumari was wanted in two separate FIRs involving charges of theft and robbery. Her apprehension is being seen as a key success in the department’s campaign, as she had been evading arrest for a considerable period. The CP highlighted that such operations underscore the police force’s resolve to act against persons who attempt to escape the legal process. “The arrest of nine POs within just 30 days reflects the relentless and targeted efforts of our team. We are determined to ensure that justice catches up with those who try to stay beyond its reach,” she said. She further said the Jalandhar Police would continue its proactive approach and take strict measures against all such offenders. “The message is loud and clear — no one who has broken the law and is evading the justice system will be spared. We are committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring peace and security in the city,” the CP affirmed. She said the recent arrests was yet another effort in the commissionerate’s campaign against crime. Officials indicated that similar efforts would continue in the coming months.