05052025-ATR-01.qxd 5/4/2025 10:39 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY SHOWERS DRENCH UNLIFTED WHEAT AT DISTRICT GRAIN MARKETS WATER CRISIS SPARKS OUTRAGE AMONG FARMERS DILJIT CONFIRMS MET GALA 2025 RED CARPET DEBUT The sudden rain caused inconvenience to workers, who were seen trying to cover wheat stocks with tarpaulin sheets. P2 Farmers staged protests under the Kirti Kisan Union banner against the BBMB decision to allocate more water to Haryana. P2 MAX 35°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 23°C Diljit Dosanjh has confirmed his much-anticipated attendance at the fashion industry’s biggest night. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 7.13 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5.40 AM » MONDAY | 5 MAY 2025 | AMRITSAR Girl injured as armed persons open fire at garment shop in extortion bid Dubai-based gangster demanded ~50 lakh from trader and threatened him Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 4 Three unknown persons fired several gunshots outside a garment shop in the Jandiala Guru area in an extortion bid. A girl working at the shop sustained a bullet injury on her leg, while others present there had a narrow escape. The shop owner, Sunil Kumar (45), a resident of Darshani Bazaar, Jandiala Guru, said he had received several calls from Billa Mangewala, a Dubai-based notorious gangster, who demanded Rs 50 lakh extortion from him. Billa Mangewala originally hails from Arjanmanga village falling under the Mehta police station here. In his complaint to the police, Sunil Kumar stated that his brother Shiv Kumar got a WhatsApp call from Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO enquires about girl’s health at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. unknown virtual number. Sunil said as his brother was busy at the shop, he did not respond to the call. He said after sometime, he (Sunil) got another call from a foreign number. He said as Shiv answered the phone call, the accused on the other end said he was Billa Mangewala speaking. He demanded Rs 50 lakh extortion and threat- 2 held for theft at ex-serviceman’s house ~4 lakh in cash, gold and silver ornaments recovered Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 4 The Mohkampura police have arrested two burglars who had stolen cash and valuables from a residence four days ago. The owner of the house, Davinder Kumar, an ex-serviceman, who is a cancer patient, along with his wife Sunita, had gone to a hospital for check-up and treatment when the theft took place. The police recovered Rs 4 lakh in cash, gold and silver ornaments worth lakhs, some idols and a scooter (bearing registration number PB-02-DK-9395) used in the crime from the possession of accused. Jasroop Kaur, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), City-III, said those arrested were identified as Aman Datt, alias Lucky, a resident of Shiv Avenue on the Batala road, and Vicky, a resident of the New Pawan Nagar area. ened of dire consequences if they failed to pay money. The accused later sent two threatening voice messages on Shiv’s mobile phone. The complainant said they thought the call was made by some mischievous person and did not bother. Sunil said on Saturday around 3 pm, three persons came on a bike at his shop of which two persons riding pillion started indiscriminate firing on his business premises. One bullet hit Komal on her thigh who was working at the shop. She was rushed to a hospital from where doctors referred her to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar. The police recovered three live rounds and six empty shells from the spot. The police said a case was registered in this connection and further probe initiated to identify the shooters and arrest them. Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO met the victim girl at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and inquired about her health today. ~7 cr hydroponic ganja seized from passenger at airport Accused arrived on Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 4 Officials of the Customs Department at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport have seized 7 kilograms of hydroponic weed (Ganja) from a passenger who arrived from Malaysia. The estimated market value of the narcotics is around Rs 7 crore. According to the Customs authorities, the passenger had arrived in Amritsar on a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur. His suspicious behaviour at the airport drew attention of officials. During the baggage scanning process, officials grew more doubtful and initiated a detailed inspection. Subsequently, a thorough examination of the luggage and a personal search of the passenger led to the discovery of the high-grade cannabis. The entire consignment was confiscated on the spot. The accused has been Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar. arrested under Section 43 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Further investigation is currently underway to trace the source and potential links of the drug trafficking network. Earlier on April 29, Customs officials apprehended three passengers for attempting to smuggle hydroponic weed (ganja) weighing 22.312 kilograms, valued at approximately Rs 22 Pathankot battles illegal mining trucks entering state from Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal borders Development has hit financial interests of Punjab miners | Government incurring revenue losses Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service The two accused in custody of the police in Amritsar on Sunday. Aman was an employee of the cable operator in the area. Giving details the ADCP said Davinder Kumar and his wife Sunita Rani had gone for treatment at a hospital for five days on April 24. The accused Aman Datt knew that the couple lived alone and they were not present in their house. Taking advantage of this, he along with Vicky planned the burglary. The ADCP said when the owner came back home, he found cash and valuables missing from the wardrobe. “While scrutinising footage of the CCTV cameras, the police identified the accused and arrested them. They do not have any previous criminal record. The duo are in police remand. Further probe has been initiated into the matter,” the ADCP said. Pathankot, May 4 The borders of Punjab adjoining Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Himachal Pradesh (HP) are teeming with activity every night. Scores of trucks carrying illegal mining material from these two states enter Punjab, a development which not only causes a revenue loss to the state government, but also hits the financial interests of Punjab miners. Punjab miners find themselves in a soup because they are forced to compete with illegal truckers who sell their mining material at much lower prices. The Pathankot administration regularly wields the stick by impounding unauthorised vehicles, but these miners find new ways and means to deceive the authorities concerned. This activity has been Trucks carrying mining material enter Punjab from neighbouring states of Himachal and J&K. FILE going on for the last few weeks. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Aditya Uppal said he was apprised of the development. “I have asked Mining Department officials to come down heavily on such vehicles. We regularly impound such vehicles and always keep an eye on the borders,” he said. Despite best efforts of the administration, trucks still enter Punjab in a large numbers. SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon said it was the job of the Mining Department to act against such vehicles. “The police act only when the department asks for its assistance,” he said. Sources say without the involvement of political bigwigs, movement of such trucks could not go on. “Everyone knows that the mining business involves a lot of money. It is obvious that politicians are involved in a big way,” said a businessman engaged in mining. Scores of trucks enter Punjab from strategic points near the border at the dead of the night. A majority of them, after hoodwinking officials, proceed to other cities of Punjab where truckers sell their mining material at comparatively much lower prices than their Punjab counterparts. The most popular points are Majra, Tibri Rain floods city roads, exposes poor drainage 2 drug peddlers, weapon supplier held Potholes, hidden beneath pools of water, make driving hazardous Amritsar, May 4 Heavy rain on Sunday afternoon led to widespread waterlogging across the city, causing major inconvenience to commuters. The rainfall began around 1.30 pm and intensified into a heavy downpour by 2.30 pm, continuing until 3.30 pm. Though the intensity decreased later in the day, overcast skies persisted, and isolated showers were reported in the evening. Several roads were submerged during the peak of the two-hour-long rainfall. Potholes, now hidden beneath pools of water, made driving hazardous. Low-lying areas bore the brunt, with several two-wheeler riders stranded in a knee-deep water. Key roads, including Batala Road, Lawrence Road, Mall Road and GT Road, witnessed severe waterlogging. Even the BRTS lane is filled with rainwater. The situation was partic- crore. Similarly, on April 24 the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Amritsar, and Customs officials intercepted a passenger arriving from Bangkok with 6.36 kilograms of hydroponic ganja. On March 17, a passenger, who landed at the Amritsar airport, was arrested with 5 kilograms of ganja. On March 2, during an inspection, 8.17 kilograms of ganja was recovered from the luggage of a passenger at the airport. Waterlogging on the Lawrence road after rain in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR ularly grim on Majitha Road, where an ongoing gas pipeline project left long stretches dug up, worsening the waterlogging situation. Long traffic jams were witnessed at Vallah Chowk, where rainwater had accumulated in service lanes near an under-construction overbridge, further stalling vehicular movement. Residents say the rain has once again exposed the inefficiency of the city’s stormwater drainage system. Narinder Sandhu, a resident of Partap Avenue said, “The drainage system just can’t handle even two hours of rain. By the time it stopped raining, many roads were already submerged.” Another resident, Mohit Kumar said, “We expect better civic planning. This happens every time, nothing changes.” In contrast, the rural areas experienced less disruption. However, rain provided relief from the hot weather conditions as city witnessed a significant dip in the temperature. Weather experts are predicting rain and cloudy conditions to continue for the next 24 hours. — TNS c m y b Amritsar, May 4 The Amritsar (Rural) police have arrested two drug peddlers and a weapon supplier in two separate incidents leading to the recovery of 1.4 kg of heroin and two pistols apart from two bikes from their possession. Those arrested were identified as Nitin Bhaskar, a resident of Chheharta, Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Barar village in Lopoke, and Lovepreet Singh, a resident of Muhawa border village. Giving details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Maninder Singh said police teams were present at Khurmania village when they got intelligence input about Nitin and Sukhdev being involved in drug trafficking. The information further revealed that duo were going to supply huge quantity of contraband in the Khasa and Attari areas. Following the tip-off, a special checkpoint was laid on the Amrit- The accused held with drug in custody of the Amritsar (Rural) police. sar-Attari road and the two accused were intercepted. During search, the police seized 1.413 kg of heroin and a bike (bearing registration number PB-02-EZ-8378) on which the two accused were travelling. The police also seized Rs 5,000 of drug money from them. A case under the NDPS Act was registered against the accused at the Gharinda police station her. In the second incident, the Gharinda police arrested Lovepreet Singh with two pistols which were smuggled from Pakistan via drones. The police recovered a 9 mm Glock pistol and a .30 bore pistol along with magazines from the accused. His bike was also impounded by the police. A case was registered under the Arms Act against the accused and further probe initiated into the matter. — TNS Badi Khad, Kandwal and Kandori villages. All these areas are located alongside the mining material rich Chakki river. Chief Engineer (Mining) Dr Harinderpal Singh Bedi said his department was imposing a fine of Rs 2 lakh on each illegal truck entering Punjab. “If trucks registered in JK and HP carry valid documents like the ‘A’ form and ‘X’ form respectively, we simply cannot stop them from entering Punjab. However, if they do not have these papers, fine is imposed on trucks and these vehicles are impounded,” he said. Aggrieved Punjab miners say they want a permanent solution. “The mining industry in Pathankot will be totally finished if truckers from the two states continue with their nefarious business,” said Laxman Nayyar, president, Pathankot Stone Crushers Association. BSF recovers pistol parts, narcotics from border area Amritsar, May 4 The Border Security Force (BSF) today recovered pistol parts, packets of heroin and a drone in three separate incidents from the Punjab border. Based on the information, the BSF launched a search operation in a suspected area and recovered a packet suspected to be heroin (gross weight 550 gram) from a field adjacent to Mahawa village in the district. In second incident, a joint search operation by the BSF in collaboration with the Punjab Police was conducted today culminating with the recovery of a DJI Air 3S drone from a field adjacent to Mehdipur village in Tarn Taran district. Similarly, a search operation by the BSF in the morning today, led to the recovery of a packet containing parts of a pistol with two magazines from a field adjacent to Lakha Singh Wala village in Ferozepur district. — TNS