25112025-LT-01.qxd 11/25/2025 12:20 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune SHAHI IMAM DEMANDS CASE AGAINST SONAM BAJWA IMPLEMENTING SAFE VAHAN POLICY PROVING UPHILL TASK DHARMENDRA: THE STAR WHO WILL SPARKLE FOREVER Accuses makers of Pit Siyapa of hurting religious sentiments by shooting inside a mosque. P2 Managers of educational institutes, contractors face hard time following guidelines in letter and in spirit. P3 Sprinkled with stardust and wrapped in tinsel, his was a career that spanned every kind of movie. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 24°C | MIN 7°C YESTERDAY MAX 24°C | MIN 8°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.23 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:57 AM » TUESDAY | 25 NOVEMBER 2025 | LUDHIANA Illegal drug de-addiction centre busted, 25 youths held captive in room rescued Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 24 The Dakha police, along with a team of health officials, raided an illegal drug deaddiction centre in Dakha and rescued 25 youths who were kept in a locked room in unhygienic conditions. The rescued youths were shifted to the Civil Hospital, Jagraon, for further treatment. Two owners booked by Dakha police, raids on to nab them The owners accused of running the illegal centre were identified as Hardeep Singh, alias Deepa, a resident of Chak Kalan, Dakha, and Jagminder Singh of Patti Jalal, Dakha. They are yet to be arrested by the police. Varinder Singh Khosa, DSP, Dakha, said a letter was received from the office of the Senior Super- 2 snatchers who targeted cop’s wife, daughter arrested Tribune News Service Police and health officials outside the illegal drug de-addiction centre in Dakha on Monday. intendent of Police (SSP), Ludhiana (Rural), Ankur Gupta, that an unauthorised drug de-addiction centre was running from an abandoned building of a school in Dakha. The SSP instructed that a raid should be conducted and necessary action should be taken as per law. The DSP revealed that taking further action, a medical team was formed in coordination with the Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana. The medical team included Dr Harkamal Kaur, medical officer (psychiatrist), Dr Vishal Kumar, medical officer, and Davinder Singh, pharmacy officer. The police team along with the health team raided the unauthorised rehab centre. “After the officials reached the centre, as many as 25 patients were found in a locked room, who were kept illegally captive. After being released from the room, they were taken to the Civil Hospital in 108 ambulance and admitted to the Jagraon hospital for treatment. The unauthorised centre was also sealed by the medical team. Khosa said on the basis of a report of the medical team, constituted by the Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, a case was registered against the owners of the illegal centre. The arrest of the suspects was pending and a police team was conducting raids to nab them. Meanwhile, the DSP appealed to the public that if any person had any information about such illegal activities, he or she could inform the police so that action can be taken against the guilty. The name and address of the informer would be kept confidential. If any person wants to quit drugs, he should be admitted to a government or governmentrecognised rehab centre. Scattered trash, rats keep visitors away from park near hospital Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 24 The City Jagraon police claimed to have nabbed two snatchers who had targeted the wife and daughter of an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Punjab Police on November 22. Ludhiana, November 24 A park located outside the premises of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) lies in a state of neglect. It fails to serve the very purpose it could have fulfilled — offering respite to attendants of patients coping with stress of hospital corridors. The suspects were identified as Gurvinder Singh and Lovepreet Singh Labbi, residents of Kaonke Kalan. The complainant, Karamjit Kaur, a resident of Kokri Kalan, Moga, told the police that on Saturday, they were returning home from Jagraon on a scooter after buying something for her daughter Navpreet Kaur. Her daughter was riding the scooter and she was sitting behind her. Around 4.45 pm when they reached near the Sherpur Railway Gate, Jagraon, two persons on a motorcycle, with their faces covered, came from the rear. They stopped their vehicle next to the scooter and the pillion rider snatched her purse that she was holding in her hand and sped away towards railway lines. The complainant said she and her daughter raised the alarm but the snatchers ran away from the scene. Her purse contained two mobile phones, Rs 15,000 in cash and some other documents. She managed to note down the registration number (PB 10 GM 1261) of the motorcycle, which she provided to the police. Dakha police officials said after identifying the suspects, they were arrested and the looted valuables were recovered. Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 24 The inferno at Baldev Electricals in Books Market in the city on Sunday night kept firefighters on their toes for the whole night. The firemen had to face a 14-hour-long ordeal to control the intense fire. Since the showroom was multi-storey and the fire had also engulfed the entire building, the firemen fought against all odds and managed to douse the flames. As per information, the fire broke out around 7pm on Sunday night and it was completely doused at 9 am on Monday. Some of the firefighters had even remained on their jobs despite the end of their duty hours. Most members of the team continued to tackle hurdles coming in their way during night hours and refused to give up till the flames were doused. The firefighters said over 90 rounds of firetenders from night till the morning finally controlled the raging fire. Though the area is perpetually jammed with crowds, no injuries were reported in the incident. Rajinder Kumar a leading fireman said the firefighters, battled the fierce blaze not only from the street level on both sides of the shop but also strategically from roofs and windows of adjacent buildings. The scene was one of the utter chaos: thick, blinding smoke and an intense heat wave severely hampered their efforts to bring the situation under control. Firefighters try to douse the flames at an electrical shop in Books Market, Ludhiana, on Sunday night. Fire broke out around 7 pm on Sunday night and was doused at 9 am on Monday “The five-story structure was packed to the brim with highly flammable stock, allowing the fire to rapidly consume every floor. We undertook the painstaking process of quelling the inferno floor by floor. The building itself suffered structural damage, developing noticeable cracks. The dense smoke reduced visibility to zero for hours, forcing the teams to remain on site till approximately 9 am, the following morning. “We were lucky that the traffic congestion was relatively low this Sunday evening and our main central fire station is close by. Otherwise, it would have been an even tougher assignment, especially with the constant risk of the fire spreading to the closely packed neighbouring structures. We managed to keep the flames from spreading in this severely congested locality. The entire staff remained on a high alert, working through the night to ensure the situation was fully contained, leaving them no chance for sleep," Rajinder said. The incident marks a worrying trend, as the city has seen a major fire almost every night recently. These included a truck that caught fire, tragically resulting in the driver being burnt and another significant blaze in Ghumar Mandi at a leather shop. Meanwhile, shopkeepers said the shop owner must have suffered losses worth lakhs of rupees due to the fire. Thieves decamp with garments worth lakhs from Hambran Road showroom Suspects had snatched purse containing It fails to offer respite to mobiles, cash; items patients’ attendants recovered coping with stress of hospital corridors Once envisioned as a green pocket in the heart of the city, the park today presents a grim picture. Overflowing garbage bins, scattered plastic waste, burnt trash and shallow pits dominate the landscape. A few metal bowls and pipes strewn across the ground only add to the sense of abandonment. Despite being situated in a bustling medical zone, the park remains poorly maintained, with no visible signs of regular cleaning or upkeep. Patients’ attendants, many Firemen face 14-hr ordeal to tackle inferno at electrical showroom Tribune News Service Garbage lies unattended at a park near the DMCH in Ludhiana. INDERJEET VERMA of whom spend long hours waiting outside the hospital, express disappointment over the condition of the park. “We thought the park would be a nice place to sit, breathe and gather ourselves. But it’s so dirty and unhygienic that we don’t even feel safe walking through it,” said Baldev Singh, an attendant. Another attendant said he had stepped into the park hoping to have his lunch away from the tense hospital atmos- phere. “I just wanted a quiet corner to eat. But there were rats running around the trash. I had to leave immediately,” he said, visibly disturbed. While the park is not officially within the DMCH’s jurisdiction, some visitors believe the hospital could take an initiative to maintain it. “The DMCH is a major institution with thousands of people from across North India visiting it daily. If it collaborates with the municipal authorities or adopt the park, it could become a clean, shaded space for attendants and even recovering patients,” suggested Mandeep Kaur, a resident from Kitchlu Nagar. Lack of maintenance not only affects the aesthetic but also raises concerns about public health and safety. With open waste and rodent activity, the area poses risks of infection — ironic, given its proximity to a healthcare facility. Ludhiana, November 24 Thieves have again challenged the police by targeting a well-known branded clothing showroom located in a posh area of the city. They struck at the showroom on Hambran Road at night and stole garments worth lakhs of rupees. Besides, the miscreants also took away the DVR installed in the showroom. The recent spate in clothing thefts in the city has raised the suspicion of a gang being active. Showroom owner Gagan Jain told the police in his complaint that his shop was locat- ed on Hambran Road near Pratap Singh Wala. On the intervening night of November 20 and 21, the thieves broke into his showroom by breaking the lock on the upper gate. They stole branded clothing worth lakhs of rupees from the showroom. They also stole the DVR containing the CCTV footage. Based on a complaint from Jain, a case was registered at the PAU police station against the unidentified suspects and the police also started examining the nearby CCTV footage to get any clue. The major theft has created a panic among shopkeepers. This is the third major clothing theft in Ludhiana in the past few weeks. It appears that an organised gang has become active in the city, and methods used in the thefts are similar. Thieves are targeting branded showrooms and wholesale shops and taking DVRs to destroy evidence. Recently, thieves broke into Supreme Kashmir Arts at Mochpura Bazaar, a wholesale shawl store, and stole shawls and other merchandise worth approximately Rs 5 lakh. Another major theft occurred on the Bindraban road recently in which they took away clothing stock worth lakhs.. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed outside the shop. Dharmendra carried Ludhiana in his heart, recall city residents Manav Mander The actor’s departure leaves behind a void but memories of his humility, charm and enduring bond with the city will continue to inspire generations Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 24 Ludhiana, the industrial town that nurtured dreams of countless youngsters, is mourning the death of veteran actor Dharmendra, fondly remembered as the ‘HeMan’ of the Indian Cinema. For the city, his demise is not only the loss of a film icon but also the departure of a son who carried Ludhiana in his heart wherever he went. Dr Onkar S Parmar, who retired as the Director of Extension Education at GADVASU, recalled a chance encounter that revealed Dharmendra’s humility. “My friend, senior architect Harbans Sehgal, once asked me to meet a person in Mumbai who wanted to open a dairy Actor Dharmendra with ex-Director, Extension Education, GADVASU, Onkar S Parmar and family. FILE farm. I initially refused but later agreed when I was visiting my daughter. To my surprise, the person was Dharmendra and he himself came to meet me. He was keen to start a dairy farm. Despite his stardom, he was simple, grounded c m y b and spoke with warmth. We even shared the same barber at one time,” Parmar reminisced. Dharmendra’s connection with Ludhiana was deeply personal. He often expressed nostalgia for Raikhy Cinema, one of the city’s oldest theatres, established in 1933. In a heartfelt post on Twitter, he remembered watching films there as a young boy. Fans responded eagerly, asking him about the last movie he had seen at the hall. For many, this memory symbolised how the actor never forgot his roots. Rakesh Kumar, an old-timer, recalled how Dharmendra’s visits to the cinema hall created excitement. “He had a friend, Raj, a barber near the Clock Tower. The actor would often get his haircut from him. Whenever he came to Ludhiana, there was a buzz, sometimes even a special screening arranged in his honour,” he said. The craze for Dharmendra was unmatched in 1960s. Dr R Vatsyayan vividly remembered the frenzy when Phool Aur Patthar released in 1966. “I was in Class VIII then. At least 10 of my classmates bunked tuition to watch the film. He was the ultimate hero, the most handsome man we had ever seen. His charisma was magnetic,” he said. Stories of his affection for Ludhiana abound. Dr Vatsyayan recalls how a friend from the city visited Dharmendra’s Mumbai home unannounced. The gatekeeper informed him that someone from Ludhiana had come. Dharmendra, with shaving foam still on his face and a towel in hand, rushed out to greet the visitor. Such gestures reinforced his image as a star who never let fame overshadow his humanity. From Raikhy Cinema to the Clock Tower barber, from dairy farm dreams to heartfelt reunions, Ludhiana cherishes the actor not only as a film legend but also one of its own. His passing leaves behind a void, but the memories of his humility, charm and enduring bond with the city will continue to inspire generations.