24062025-JTR-01.qxd 6/23/2025 10:35 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune CITY DUO WINS SILVER AT NATIONAL BADMINTON EVENT AI, HEALTHCARE DOMINATE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS IN STATE DILJIT FACES BACKLASH OVER SARDAAR JI 3 WITH HANIA Shuttlers Inayat Gulati and Zorawar Singh have brought laurels to state by winning a silver medal. P2 Shift from traditional courses: Hotel management and journalism have seen a decline in Punjab. P3 The singer-actor has been receiving backlash ahead of its release, which features Pakistani actor Hania. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7.35 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:25 AM TUESDAY | 24 JUNE 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF 13 BOOKED FOR MURDER BID Phagwara: The police have booked 13 miscreants on the charges of attempt to murder and firing. The accused have been identified as Gurpreet Singh, Jindar Singh, Gurmit, Gaddu, Premi, Shindu Buta and Raju, all resident of Ismailpur village and their five accomplices. Jogindar Singh complained to the police that he along with five members of the Excise Department and a gunman were returning from the Sutlej near after destroying lahan when the accused attacked them and one accused opened fire in the air from his gun and again fired at one of them who escaped. When we raised the alarm, they fled. OC 'DRUG PEDDLER’ ARRESTED Phagwara: The police have arrested a 'drug peddler' and recovered 105 intoxicating tablets from him on sunday night. The accused, identified as Sunny Ghai, resident of the Baba Gadhia locality in Phagwara was nabbed at a check-point. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. OC STRAY CATTLE CLAIMS LIFE Phagwara: A youth died after his two-wheeler collided with a stray cattle. The deceased has been identified as Hairri, a resident of Ismailpur village. The father of deceased told the police that his son was returning home when his twowheeler collided with a stray cattle on the road. The police handed over the body to the family after post-mortem. OC 2 NABBED FOR EXTORTION Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested two 'gangsters' on the charge of extortion and criminal conspiracy. The accused have been identified as Aditya Rai of Purewal Colony and Siyam (juvenile ) of Mohalla Sundar Nagar. The accused had demanded Rs 1 crore ransom from a resident, threatening to kill him if he failed to pay. The SHO said a motorcycle and three mobile phones have been recovered from them. oc 3 HELD UNDER NDPS ACT Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a woman on the charge of selling heroin. Six gram of heroin was recovered from the possession of the accused Asha Rani of Shankar village. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against her. The police arrested 'drug peddler' Kewal of Mohalla Kamalpura, with 45 intoxicating tablets. The Nurmahal police arrested 'drug peddler' Sanju Takiar of Mohalla Takiaran, Nurmahal, with 19 tablets. oc MUKHERJEE'S REMEMBERED Hoshiarpur: Former BJP MP Avinash Rai Khanna paid tribute to Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee remembering his sacrifice on his death anniversary. Khanna said Dr Mukherjee was dedicated to the unity and integrity of the country. In 1952, Mukherjee resolved that "either there will be one constitution and one emblem in the entire country or I will sacrifice my life to fulfil this objective". PM Modi has fulfilled the dream. OC Bhajji, Basra hit the screen: Cricket, couples, confessions Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 23 Cricketer-turned-commentator-turned-politician Harbhajan Singh has delved into a new career. Bhajji is now a cohost along with his actress wife Geeta Basra for their new show - Who’s the boss. The first episode of the show was screened on YouTube two days ago. The show, which had Indian ODI skipper Rohit Sharma and his wife Ritika Sajdeh, already has 8.11 lakh views. As per the format of the show, Bhajji and Basra shall interview cricket legends and their wives, chit-chat about their private lives and then ask them as to who of the two is the boss at home. Post the telecast of the first episode, the most commonly discussed anecdote from it has been how both Bhajji and accounts to popularise the show. Bhajji has also made a smartphone gift offer in lieu of a scheme rolled out by him. The couple had announced the launch of the show about a month ago. Basra had then said she had been planning to get on with it a few years ago but Covid made their plans go haywire. Bhajji too had said he was excited about the concept of the show. “I had always wanted that the real strength of the cricketers - their wives - be brought to the fore. I hope viewers shall enjoy the funny narrations and unknown facts from their lives that our show shall bring forth”, he said. DEBUT WITH ROHIT & RITIKA The show, which had Indian ODI skipper Rohit Sharma and his wife Ritika Sajdeh, already has 8.11 lakh views. As per the format of the show, Bhajji and Basra shall interview cricket legends and their wives, chitchat about their private lives and then ask them as to who of the two is the boss at home Rohit share that their friend Shikhar Dhawan attended their weddings, ate and drank but did not present any customary shagun to the couples. Bhajji recalled his wedding time in Jalandhar in 2015. Rohit too had got wedded the same year. Bhajji and Basra have lent their voices for the anthem of the show. They have also posted ‘Behind The Scenes’ reel on their social media Cricketer Bhajji and his actress wife Geeta Basra launch their new show on YouTube ‘Who’s the boss’. Buzz over possibility of Jalandhar Central bypoll Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 23 Buoyed by AAP’s win in the Ludhiana West bypoll, party circles are agog with buzz about the party going for the bypoll in the Jalandhar Central too. Party sitting MLA from Jalandhar Central Raman Arora has been behind bars since May 23 in an alleged case of corruption lodged by the Vigilance Bureau. “To set its narrative right on the issue of corruption, Arora has already been sidelined and industrialist Nitin Kohli has been made Jalandhar Central halqa incharge”, said a party leader. After the Ludhiana bypoll results, party sources do not rule out the possibility of Arora being asked to put in his papers so that the bypoll could be held to sustain the narrative of its popularity graph. AAP’s local leadership already seems to be on a preparatory mode for the election. Within days of Arora being arrested, the party’s state incharge Manish Sisodia had visited Jalandhar and declared Kohli as Jalandhar Central halqa in-charge. Ever since, he has already opened his office and even been convening meetings with officials of the Municipal Corpo- AAP minister Mohinder Bhagat along with party leaders celebrates the AAP’s victory in Ludhiana West, in Jalandhar on Monday. ration, seeking more allocation of funds for pending works in the Jalandhar Central Assembly segment. Jalandhar has already seen two bypolls since the AAP rule in the state. Both had gone in favour of the party. In 2023, the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll had been conducted which was won by then AAP candidate Sushil Rinku (who switched to BJP within 10 months). In June 2024, AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat had won the Jaland- har West bypoll after resignation of MLA Sheetal Angural. AAP has also been able to elect its Mayor in the Municipal Corporation election in December last. In the 2022 Assembly poll, Arora had won with a slender margin of 247 votes against ex-MLA of Congress Rajinder Beri. From the BJP ex-minis, ter Manoranjan Kalia was contesting from the seat. In the VB case, MLA Arora’s son Rajan Arora and relative Raju Madaan too have been booked but are yet to be arrested. Most of the local leaders are of the opinion that the party could now go in for the Jalandhar Central byelection but no one came on record to say that. General Secretary of AAP Deepak Bali said, “We are now heading towards Mission 2027. People of Ludhiana have voted for our new industrial policy and our proposed land pooling scheme.” He, however, chose not to comment on the possibility of the Jalandhar Central bypoll. Protest against ‘biased’ police action Phagwara, June 23 A protest was staged outside the SP office in Phagwara today in response to the alleged police high-handedness in handling an assault case involving a local youth from Beedpuad village. The demonstrators accused the police of wrongly registering a case against the victim, instead of taking action against those who attacked him. The incident occurred on June 15 when Rakesh Kumar was returning home after closing his shop. He was reportedly intercepted and beaten by a group of young men. Rather than taking action against the attackers, the police registered a countercase against Kumar, which the protesters termed unjustified. They demanded an impartial reinvestigation and cancellation of the FIR against Kumar. Following DSP assurance, the protest was peacefully called off. — OC Fire broke out in a sanitary shop at Phagwara Gate, Jalandhar, on late Sunday night. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Sanitaryware shop gutted in major fire Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 23 A massive fire broke out at Khurana Enterprises, a sanitaryware shop located near Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk late Sunday night. The blaze, which erupted around 1:15am, continued to rage into Monday morning, keeping fire brigade teams engaged in a prolonged firefighting operation. The shop, housed in a three-storey building, contained large quantities of plastic and other flammable materials, which made the fire difficult to control. According to officials, the flames had not been fully extinguished even by 8am. The sudden outbreak of the fire caused panic in the surrounding area. Police teams quickly reached the spot, sealed off the vicinity, and worked alongside fire officials to contain the situation and prevent the fire from Building has large quantity of plastic; goods worth lakhs damaged spreading to nearby buildings. Goods worth lakhs have been reportedly damaged in the incident, though the exact value of the losses is yet to be officially assessed. As of now, the cause of the fire remains unknown. The authorities have launched an investigation to determine what sparked the incident. Meanwhile, incidents of large-scale fires have raised concerns in the city in recent months. Just last month, a major fire at a tyre factory in the city had similarly triggered emergency response efforts. Fire officials have advised industrialists and shop owners to ensure maintenance of electrical system and follow fire safety norms. Drain cleaning in Phagwara on Phagwara, June 23 With the onset of the monsoon, the MC, Phagwara, has stepped up its sanitation and drainage preparedness efforts. Under the leadership of Mayor Rampal Uppal and Municipal Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta, the MC today initiated the cleaning of a long-neglected drain near Jain Model School on Hoshiarpur Road — a site that has repeatedly contributed to severe waterlogging during previous rainy seasons. The neglected condition of the drain had long been a source of distress for local residents, leading to repeated flooding and disruption during heavy rains. Acknowledging the issue, Akshita Gupta stated that the cleaning drive is a crucial step toward ensuring the smooth drainage of rainwater and preventing seasonal flooding. — OC Overloaded trucks defy ban, endanger life in city Worker falls in rice Large trucks, tractor-trailers, tippers seen on key roads during prohibited daytime hours Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 23 The unchecked movement of overloaded and heavy vehicles during restricted hours has turned city roads into death traps, with the traffic police widely accused of ignoring the escalating danger. Despite repeated accidents in recent months — many of them fatal — enforcement remains either weak or deliberately absent. Large trucks, tractor-trailers and tippers are frequently seen on key city roads during the prohibited daytime hours, openly flouting traffic rules. Residents say these overloaded vehicles not only cause massive traffic jams, but also pose a constant threat to life, especially to two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. Just a few weeks back, a 25year-old man was killed near PAP Chowk when a speeding dumper truck struck him from behind and fled the scene. Earlier this month, a schoolchild riding a bicycle was crushed by a truck near Rama Mandi, reigniting public anger over the unchecked menace. “These overloaded trucks zip past us every morning and evening as if the city belongs to them. We have made numerous complaints, but the traffic police are nowhere to be seen when these vehicles openly violate the law,” c m y b said Amanpreet Singh, a resident of Model Town. Residents point out that despite multiple accidents, including the death of a 12year-old girl near Pathankot Chowk a few months back, no serious action has been taken to curb the problem. Dangerous zones such as Nakodar Road, Kapurthala Road, Lamba Pind Chowk and Workshop Chowk remain hotspots for accidents involving heavy vehicles. Industrialists say the situation is deteriorating as many transporters have shifted their loading points and offices away from the designated Transport Nagar to busy urban pockets like the Industrial Area and Patel Chowk, severely increasing congestion on city roads. “Transport Nagar was developed to decongest the city, but it’s now almost abandoned. Illegal parking and unregulated truck movement are choking our roads,” said a businessman from the Industrial Area. Social activist Mohit Sharma criticised the police for its hollow claims. “The police announced no-tolerance zones, but they have failed to enforce them. Heavy trucks move fearlessly on the road,” he said. Meanwhile, traffic police maintained that special drives to crack down on overloaded and illegally operating heavy vehicles are underway. “We are regularly issuing challans and impounding vehicles,” said a senior official. mill tank, dies Phagwara, June 23 A tragic incident occurred at Pasi Rice Mill in Bholath when a worker, attempting to retrieve his mobile phone from a water tank, lost consciousness. The victim, identified as Lakshman Mahto, was declared dead upon arrival at the Bholath Civil Hospital. The police have initiated an investigation into the matter. According to preliminary reports, Mahto, originally from Singhwada village in Darbhanga district of Bihar, had been residing in Kamarawan village near Bholath and was working at the rice mill. The incident unfolded when Mahto accidentally dropped his mobile phone into the tank. In an attempt to retrieve it, he entered the tank but soon became unconscious, allegedly due to the presence of toxic fumes or lack of oxygen. In a desperate rescue attempt, Mahto’s brother-inlaw, who also works at the same mill, jumped into the tank to save him. However, he too began feeling dizzy and was on the verge of fainting. Hearing his cries for help, other workers rushed to the scene and managed to pull both men out of the tank. Lakshman was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His brother-in-law received treatment and is reported to be out of danger. — OC