09062025-JTR-01.qxd 6/8/2025 10:31 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MAJOR PLANS ON AGENDA AT PHAGWARA MC MEETING STRENGTHEN VIGILANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS SONALI BENDRE ON HER LATEST LITERARY OFFERING The meeting will be held on June 10, where several crucial civic proposals are expected to be presented. P2 Improve citizen grievance platforms and promote Right to Information to ensure community oversight. P3 Sonali Bendre, known for her grace on screen and resilience off it, is also making waves in literary space. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 41°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.31 PM » SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:22 AM MONDAY | 9 JUNE 2025 | JALANDHAR 2 youths killed in road accident near Goraya Our Correspondent Governor Gulab Chand Kataria interacts with patients at a de-addiction centre in Hoshiarpur. Guv visits rehab centre, meets patients, takes stock of facilities Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, June 8 Governor Gulab Chand Kataria today visited a rehabilitation centre at Fatehgarh during his visit to Hoshiarpur. He was given the guard of honour by a contingent of the Punjab Police. The Governor met patients undergoing treatment at the centre and enquired about their well-being and motivated them to quit drugs. The Governor interacted with the patients who had quit drugs and motivated them to start their lives afresh. Some youths, who had quit drugs, shared their 86g narcotics seized from jail inmate experiences. The Governor visited the centre and took stock of the facilities available there. He also got information about the vocational training courses being conducted there. Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain informed the Governor that the district administration is conducting vocational training courses like multi-cuisine cooking, hair dresser and salon artiste at the centre. Governor Gulab Chand Kataria inaugurated the canteen set up under the important initiative “Wings Project” being run by the Red Cross Society at Topchi CSD Canteen. The initiative aims to provide employment opportunities to intellectually challenged children. The Governor later met prominent citizens of the city at the Services Club. Addressing the members of the Village/Ward Defence Committees during a function organised at DAV College of Education, Hoshiarpur, Kataria said the role of these committees is important in the anti-drug campaign. He appealed to the administration to make these committees more powerful, so that they can play a decisive role in identifying and stopping drug smugglers. Phagwara, June 8 In a tragic road accident near Goraya , two youth lost their lives on late last night after a vehicle hit their motorcycle. The deceased have been identified as Simarjeet Singh, a resident of Goraya, and Lucky (16), a resident of Ghurka village. Both were reportedly heading towards Sang Dhesian on a motorcycle when the fatal collision occurred. The incident took place near a petrol pump close to a bridge on the Goraya-Sang Dhesian road around 8:15 pm. Witnesses claim that the motorcycle did not sustain significant damage, suggesting that the youths might have been hit from the side and then run over by a heavy vehicle. Both suffered fatal head injuries. Upon receiving information, members of the Road Safety Force and personnel from the Goraya Police Station, led by Station House Officer (SHO) Sikandar Singh Virk, reached the scene. The bodies were taken into custody and sent for post-mortem examination at Service to man... The police record the statement of a witness at the accident site near Goraya on Sunday. the Civil Hospital, Phillaur. SHO Virk confirmed the deaths and stated that both victims appeared to be young. He added that an FIR has been registered and the police are working to identify the vehicle responsible for the collision. Local resident Shubh, who arrived at the scene shortly eral years of prayers. Simarjeet Singh was working as a mason and is survived by his two sisters. The police have recorded statements from family members and witnesses. Efforts are underway to obtain CCTV footage from the nearby area to assist in identifying the vehicle. Jalandhar, June 8 The Punjab Pensioners Welfare Association on Sunday declared that a protest and flag march will be held by all pensioners at Ludhiana West on June 14 ahead of the bypoll in the constituency to demand the payment of their pending dues from the state government. They said the march will be held under the banner of the Punjab Employees’ Vote Pensioners Joint Front. The decision was announced during their monthly meeting at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of district president of the association Som Lal Thopiya. Leaders condemned the state government for not resolving the demands of the employees and pensioners. They demanded payment of their remaining dues in one go. A two-minute silence was observed to pay tribute to a leader’s mother. Jeet Lal Gohalon, Ashok Kumar, Karnail Singh Rahon, Hari Bilas, Joga Singh, Sokhi Ram Bajjon, Ram Pal, Sucha Ram, Didar Singh, Beant Singh, Harmesh Lal Ranewal, HS Bhawra, Ram Lal, Resham Lal, Dharam Pal, Surjit Ram, Harvinder Singh, Harbans Singh, Gurdial Singh, Tarsem Singh, among others were present. — TNS Key accused in Phagwara bank robbery case arrested, ~13.4 lakh recovered Our Correspondent Our Correspondent Phagwara, June 8 In a major security breach at Kapurthala Modern Jail, 86 gram of suspected narcotic substance was recovered from an undertrial during a routine search operation. The contraband was concealed in the pocket of the inmate’s trouser, wrapped in a wax-coated packet. According to a complaint filed by Assistant Superintendent Baldev Singh with Kotwali Police Station, Kapurthala, the incident took place on June 6 during a routine inspection of Ward No. 7. Suspicion arose during the search of inmate Bhupinder Singh, alias Binda, a resident of Model Town, Jalandhar. Upon frisking, the prison authorities found a blackcoloured substance wrapped in a wax paper packet in his possession. Phagwara, June 8 In a major breakthrough, the Kapurthala police have arrested the prime suspect for the sensational HDFC Bank robbery that took place in Rawalpindi on May 30. Acting on technical and field intelligence, the police recovered Rs 13.10 lakh cash and a country-made pistol allegedly used in the crime. Deputy Inspector of Police Naveen Singla said here on Sunday that the accused, identified as Gurminder The recovered substance was weighed on an electronic scale and found to be 86 gram. The nature of the substance is believed to be narcotic and samples are likely to be sent for forensic examination. Following the discovery, an FIR was lodged under relevant sections of the Prisons Act at Kotwali Police Station. While the contraband has been seized and a case registered, no arrest has been made in connection with the recovery as yet. Cops have launched an investigation to ascertain how the narcotic substance was smuggled into the highsecurity facility and whether any internal collusion was involved. after the accident, recounted, “Both were riding safely, but it appeared that a vehicle hit them from the side and ran over them. By the time we reached, both had already succumbed to their injuries.” Lucky, who was just 16year-old, was the only brother of six sisters. His parents reportedly had him after sev- Pensioners to hold protest on June 14 A volunteer serves cool water to a passenger of a train at Jalandhar Cantt. SARABJIT SINGH Pistol used in crime also seized Singh, a resident of Kahlwan village in Jalandhar district, was apprehended during a raid on June 7. His arrest follows an intensive investigation spanning multiple districts, led by a dedicated police team under the supervision of SSP Gaurav Toora. According to SSP Toora, Gurminder Singh confessed to his role in the robbery during interrogation. He also provided information that led to the recovery of stolen money. The police have also identified his two accomplices and efforts are ongoing to locate and apprehend them. The broad daylight robbery occurred around 3 pm on May 30, when three masked men entered the HDFC Bank branch in Rawalpindi and fled with a large sum of cash in a white car with altered number plates. The FIR was filed at Rawalpindi under Section 309(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Special investigation teams were immediately formed, including officers from the CIA, Phagwara Police, and Kapurthala Detective Wing. DIG Singla commended the police team’s coordinated efforts and highlighted the role of modern surveillance and inter-agency cooperation. “The swift arrest and recovery reflect the dedication and capability of our force,” he said, urging continued public cooperation in ensuring community safety. Dilapidated roads leave commuters peeved CIA office shut since May 23 Months on, dug-up stretch of Nakodar Road, Mahavir Marg yet to be repaired All police personnel were arrested in corruption case Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Jalandhar, June 8 Commuters and residents have raised concerns over the dilapidated condition of two of city’s busiest roads — Nakodar Road (Ravidas Chowk to Nakodar Chowk) and Mahavir Marg (Nakodar Chowk to Kapurthala Chowk) — which remain damaged and dust-ridden months after being dug up for the surface water project. Despite underground pipelines having been laid on some stretches, the roads have not been repaired, resulting in daily inconvenience, safety risks and business losses. “These roads are a nightmare to travel on,” said Amandeep Kaur, a college student who takes Nakodar Road daily. “Scooters and autos keep skidding. It’s an accident waiting to happen,” she said. The dug-up stretches — lined with potholes, loose gravel and mounds of sand — are making life difficult especially for ambulances and Phagwara, June 8 More than 15 days after the local CIA office was locked as all personnel were suspended on corruption charges, no new CIA inspector has been posted yet. The arrested officers included CIA in-charge subinspector Bisman Singh, ASIs Nirmal Kumar and Jaswinder Singh and Head Constable Jagroop Singh. They were arrested on May 23 after an internal investigation indicated that they had accepted a Rs 2.5 lakh bribe to facilitate the release of Sukhwinder Singh, alias Hani, a resident of Kaanshi Nagar, who had been held on suspicion of drug trafficking and sent to judicial custody. The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) office in Phagwara was locked and nonoperational last morning too. The CIA office appeared abandoned, with its gates locked and no staff present. Sources confirmed that a sin- Commuters bear the brunt at Ravidas Chowk in Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH emergency vehicles. “A patient was delayed reaching our hospital just yesterday because the ambulance got stuck in traffic near Nakodar Road,” said a senior staff member of a private hospital. Local shopkeepers say customer footfall has sharply declined as people avoid the stretch. “It’s hard to even stand outside the shop for long due to dust and vibrations from the passing vehicles,” said Jarnail Singh, who runs a shop on Mahavir Marg. Frustrated commuters and residents say there has been no clarity from the administration on when repairs will be done. “The pipes were laid weeks ago. Now we’re just left with this mess,” said Sushil Sharma, a resident of the area. When asked about the delay, Mayor Vaneet Dhir explained that the work is still in progress. “In the last two and a half months, pipelines have been laid on a 14-km stretch along these roads. Another 14-km stretch c m y b is pending and will be completed within two months. Once that’s done, we’ll allow the sand to settle before starting road repairs,” he said. Meanwhile, with the monsoon approaching, commuters fear worsening conditions, including waterlogging and further traffic snarls. “Everyday the condition is deteriorating,” said Harjit Singh, a daily commuter. “If things don’t improve soon, we may be forced to take to the streets in protest.” gle woman cop remaining in the CIA office had been posted in another branch pending investigation and no new appointments had yet been made. This marks a highly unusual situation, raising questions about continuity in local crime control efforts. SSP Kapurthala, Gaurav , Toora reaffirmed the department’s commitment to a zerotolerance policy on corruption. “We are taking swift and strict action to ensure accountability. The CIA office will soon be staffed with a new team so that the public does not face any disruption in crime response services,” he stated. The temporary closure of the CIA office has led to concern among residents and civic groups, particularly given the state’s ongoing efforts to combat organised crime and drug trafficking. Many have called for stronger internal oversight mechanisms and greater transparency within law enforcement agencies. SSP Toora has assured that the legal proceedings against the arrested officers will follow due process and the wider inquiry will determine if more individuals were involved.