29102025-JTR-01.qxd 10/28/2025 10:39 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune BADAL APPOINTS YOUTH WING PRESIDENTS IN PHAGWARA BAUPUR FARMER DONATES LAND TO FIVE FLOOD-HIT FAMILIES EMRAAN HASHMI LEADS COURTROOM DRAMA HAQ The move is part of the party’s efforts to boost youth participation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. P2 Paramjit Singh has donated 10 marla land, each to five families from the adjoining Rampur Gaura village. P3 Emraan and Yami Gautam are set to bring Haq,which focuses on Mohd Ahmed Khan vs. Shah Bano Begum case.P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 28°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 18°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.41 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:41 AM WEDNESDAY | 29 OCTOBER 2025 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. INBRIEF 2 NEPALIS BOOKED FOR STEALING DIAMOND RINGS Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have booked two Nepali citizens on the charge of stealing diamond rings. The accused have been identified as Muhesh Sunar and Mohindar. Munish Kumar, a resident of Mohalla Sudan, Mehatpur, complained to the police that the accused barged into his office on October 26 and stole two diamond rings. A case under the BNS has been registered. OC 4 BOOKED FOR FARM FIRES Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have booked four farmers, including a woman, on the charge of burning paddy stubble. The accused have been identified as Jogindar Kaur, Kaljit Singh and his brother Jagdeep Singh, all residents of Gidarr Pindi village, and Gurcharan Singh of Mehraj Wala village. The officers had sent their reports to the police which were verified and examined at the place of occurrence. OC GANGSTER HELD FOR EXTORTION Phagwara: The Nakodar Sadar police have arrested a gangster on charges of extortion and criminal intimidation. The accused has been identified as Sukhdeep Singh, alias Sukh, a resident of Bhandal Dona village. A case was registered against the accused and his accomplice Manveer Singh Padda of Bhikhariwal village in Gurdaspur district and presently living in Canada. The accused had demanded Rs 1 crore ransom from a resident of Nakodar and threatened to kill him and his family in case of failure to pay the money. OC Jalandhar boy is International Master in chess, second in Punjab Jupinderjit Singh and Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 28 Namitbir Singh Walia from Jalandhar has become an International Master (IM) in chess, marking a major milestone for Punjab as the state’s second-ever IM. The first to reach this title was Dushyant Sharma, also from Jalandhar. Namitbir secured his final IM title at the 3rd Annemasse International Masters Tournament in France, where he delivered an impressive performance to finish fourth overall. His parents Arvinder Pal Singh and Satvinder Kaur Walia and elder brother are chartered accountants at Chhoti Baradari colony. Namit is pursuing a B.Com at Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi. His father reminisced about his own chess involvement in his school days, sharing how he would play chess with his sons at home. “Namit showed an early talent, emerging as the state under-7 chess champion and maintaining this record through subsequent under-17 championships. On the national stage, he initially faced stiff competition from players from south India, but persistent practice and professional coaching helped him overcome these challenges.” Despite just returning from France, his proud parents 3 criminals held after encounter; 8 pistols, cartridges seized haven’t met him yet, as he will be in Delhi for a few more days before coming home for the weekend. Namitbir studied at Cambridge International Co-Ed School, Jalandhar. Namitbir’s coach, Kanwarjit Singh, highlighted that his protégé began playing chess at six and started coaching with him at seven. By the completion of his schooling, Namitbir had surpassed his coach’s expertise, prompting a move to advanced coaching from Ukraine-based Alexander and Swayam Mishra of Assam. This early identification of talent and subsequent international training set Namitbir on his successful path. Namitbir Singh Walia’s chess record includes cham- Tribune News Service tion of the accused led to the recovery of six additional .32 bore pistols and three cartridges. Preliminary investigation had revealed that the accused are close associates of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang and had procured the consignment of arms through Madhya Pradesh. The operation is being conducted under the supervision of Manpreet Singh Dhillon (DCP/Investigation), Jayant Puri (ADCP/Investigation), Akarshi Jain (ADCPI), Amandeep Singh (ACP/Central), and Amarbir Singh (ACP/D). Chess champion Namitbir Singh Walia from Jalandhar, who has earned his final IM title in France. >> Farm fires dip sharply in Jalandhar; just 13 cases in 2025 vs 275 in ’21 Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 28 The Jalandhar Police Commissionerate has claimed to have recovered eight illegal pistols from three notorious criminals it had arrested last week. Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, Dhanpreet Kaur said a police team, led by Inspector Surinder Kumar (in-charge, CIAStaff, Jalandhar), laid a checkpoint on October 22 at Salempur Masandan village. During the operation, the police had intercepted a car (PB06-1-0736) carrying three accused who attempted to flee but were apprehended after an encounter. The police recovered two illegal pistols and three fired cartridges from their possession. An FIR under the Arms Act was registered against htem at Rama Mandi. She said further interroga- pionships such as the 65th Odisha Senior State FIDE Rating Open Chess Championship in 2025. His peak FIDE classical rating is around 2,408. He remains active at key international chess events and festivals, adding to his growing list of achievements. This accomplishment comes almost four years after Dushyant Sharma made history as Punjab’s first International Master in February 2022, when he crossed the 2,400 rating mark after defeating IM Artem Sadovsky of Russia. JALANDHAR, OCTOBER 28 Coming as an encouraging response, the district has witnessed 13 farm fire cases against 275 such incidents reported by this time in 2021. As per data available with the district administration, there has bee a fall in the number of stubble burning cases over the past few years with only 77 cases reported in 2023, 22 in 2024 and 13 reported between September 15 and October 26 this year. The district administration had appointed cluster officers to keep a tab on such cases, imposing environmental compensation, carrying out awareness activities, providing assistance for crop residue management and so on. Several measures have been taken by the administration to curtail the practice, including management of over 1.6 lakh 77 cases reported in 2023 and 22 last year by this time The administration holds an awarness drive for farmers against stubble burning in Jalandhar. tonne of paddy straw this year using ex-situ management techniques at boilers. Phagwara: A burglary was reported in the Mansa Devi Nagar locality of the Satnampura area in Phagwara, where thieves allegedly broke into a house and escaped with cash and gold ornaments. According to complainant Tamanna Mahant, the burglars targeted her residence and made away with Rs 30,000 and approximately two tolas of gold. Police officials arrived at the scene and conducted an initial investigation. They were reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area to trace the suspects. oc WOMAN KILLED IN HIT-&-RUN MISHAP Phagwara: An accident claimed the life of a 30-yearold woman near Chachoki village on Monday evening. The victim Nishu Ratan was fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing the road. Nishu, who was employed with a private company in Jalandhar, was returning home after work. As she attempted to cross the road, a speeding vehicle hit her and fled the scene. oc paddy cultivation this year. The authorities have issued about eight challans so far Chhath festivities over, J’khand e-rickshaw driver shot in Phagwara mess left in Phagwara Our Correspondent HOUSE BURGLED IN PHAGWARA Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Jaswinder Singh said 11,71,500 hectare land was placed under under which environmental compensation worth Rs 40,000 has also been imposed on violators, besides making red entry in the revenue records. The district administration has delivered over 7,000 such equipment at subsidised rates in Jalandhar. A series of awareness campaigns were carried out in the hotspot areas with focus on sensitising farmers against the menace. Over 113 awareness camps were held in the district. Appreciating farmers for their contribution in fighting the menace of stubble burning, Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal said more efforts would be made across the district to further reduce such incidents. Meanwhile, he also appealed to the peasantry to not to resort to the stubble burning practices as the smog from the fire can aggravate problems for the asthma patients. Phagwara, October 28 Panic gripped Phagwara on Chhath Puja late night on Monday when an e-rickshaw driver was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Suvidha centre in the Baba Gadhiyan locality of Phagwara. The victim, identified as Kuldeep Dhanwar, 32, originally from district Gumla in Jharkhand and residing in Sukhchaina Nagar, Phagwara, sustained fatal bullet injuries while returning home after dropping a passenger. Ashok Kaura Phagwara, October 28 The festive spirit of Chhath Puja here turned into a scene of neglect and environmental concern as heaps of garbage, discarded offerings, and broken idols of clay were found scattered along the canal and adjoining roads after the conclusion of the four-day-long celebrations today. Even after the final rituals of offering ‘arghya’ to the rising sun early this morning, large quantities of waste, including polythene bags, food remnants, flowers, and religious materials, were seen floating in the canal waters and strewn across its embankments. The roads leading to the ghats also presented an unhygienic and unpleasant sight, with litter accumulating at every corner. When The Tribune team visited the canal area this afternoon, the aftermath of the celebrations was clearly visible. The banks that had echoed with devotional songs and rituals just hours earlier were now covered with piles of garbage, creating a stark contrast to the sanctity of the occasion. Neither the devotees, nor Three school buses challaned Discarded offerings were found scattered in and along the canal. welfare committee members appeared to have made any effort to clean the area after the conclusion of the puja. Shockingly, even idols of Chhath Maiya and other ritual materials were found discarded near the canal, adding to the environmental mess. Residents and passersby expressed concern over the lack of civic responsibility and the absence of municipal staff. Environmentalists have also urged devotees and organising committees to adopt ecofriendly practices, avoid plastic use, and ensure proper disposal of waste materials after religious functions. Meanwhile corporation Sanitary Officer Gurwinder Singh ensured to initiate for proper sanitation on Wednesday. c m y b Nawanshahr, October 28 A special checking drive of school vehicles was conducted in Nawanshahr today. During the inspection, school buses were checked. In total, 24 school buses from 11 schools were inspected. Three school buses were challaned for violating norms — one for the driver not wearing a seat belt, another for lacking a valid fitness certificate, and one for having expired medicines in the first-aid box. — TNS According to police sources, the incident occurred around after 12 midnight near the Suvidha Centre at Baba Gadhiyan. Preliminary investigations suggest that Kuldeep was attacked by unidentified assailants who opened fire from the close range. Two bullets reportedly struck him — one in the leg and another in the abdomen. Severely injured, he was initially rushed to the Civil Hospital here by his family but was later referred to the Civil Hospital in Jalandhar, where he succumbed to his injuries. Kuldeep’s wife Roopa Dhanwar told the police that she received a distress call from her husband shortly midnight, informing her that he had been shot. Acting promptly, she and her son reached the spot with the assistance of the police and shifted Kuldeep to the hospital. DSP Bharat Bhushan reached the crime scene soon after the incident was reported. SP Madhvi Sharma informed The Tribune that a case has been registered at the City Police Station, Phagwara, on the basis of the statement given by the victim’s wife. “The matter is under investigation. Teams have been formed to identify and trace the accused. CCTV footages from the nearby areas is being examined,” said SP Sharma. The body has been sent for the post-mortem examination and further proceedings are underway. SP Sharma stated that the motive behind the attack remains unclear, and all possible angles, including personal enmity and attempted robbery, are being explored. Rubber scrap warehouse gutted Jalandhar, October 28 A major fire broke out at a rubber scrap warehouse near Lamma Pind Chowk late last night, engulfing the entire premises. Firefighters battled the blaze for more than seven hours before finally bringing it under control. According to fire brigade officials, the fire was contained around 3:30 am after 12 fire tenders were pressed to the site. “The moment we received information about the fire, our teams immediately rushed to the spot and began working,” said an official from the fire department. The Chhath Puja celebration was also taking place nearby when the fire erupted, sparking concern among locals. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined. — TNS