01122025-JTR-01.qxd 11/30/2025 11:28 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune 1 DIES, FOUR HURT IN BIST DOAB CANAL BRIDGE CRASH A tipper and a car collided on the Bist Doab Canal bridge near Kotfatuhi station on the Mahilpur-Phagwara road. P2 » AIR HOLDS AKASHVANI SANGEET SAMMELAN-2025 The sammelan featured melodious spiritual and musical performances by eminent artists. P2 » FORECAST FOG IN MORNING MAX 21°C | MIN 7°C YESTERDAY MAX 22°C | MIN 8°C SERIOUS SIDE OF PUNJABI COMEDIAN COMIC SINGH SUNSET MONDAY 5.22 PM Comic Singh, aka Manpreet Singh, carries a blend of everyday Punjabi humour and sharp social satire. P4 SUNRISE TUESDAY 7:02 AM » MONDAY | 1 DECEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF THREE BOOKED FOR CHEATING Phagwara: Mehatpur police booked three persons for cheating, breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy. The accused has been identified as Gurpreet Singh Marok of Mehatpur, his brother Satnam Singh, and Swaran Singh, son of Najar Singh, of Lohgarh village. Paramjeet Singh of Angakirri village complained to Senior Superintendent of Police Jalandhar (Rural) that the accused conspired to sell land, took Rs 15 lakh advance, showed Punjab government land adjoining his plot, but registered a sale deed for different land on 10 April 2024 without handing over possession. A case was registered.OC 1 ARRESTED FOR SNATCHING PURSE Phagwara: Shahkot police arrested a village miscreant for snatching a woman’s purse. The accused has been identified as Malkit Singh, alias Meetu, son of Balwinder Singh, of Baupur village. Tarmeh Kaur, wife of Jiwan Ram of Dhandowal village, reported that on November 27, the accused snatched her purse containing Rs 4,000 and important documents while she returned home. OC 1 BOOKED FOR BURNING STUBBLE Phagwara: Nakodar Sadar police booked a farmer for burning paddy stubble. The accused has been identified as Baljinder Singh of Ballnau village. The nodal officer’s report, verified at the site, confirmed the accused set fire to his fields, violating government orders and polluting the air. A case under Section 223 (disobedience to public servant’s order) of the BNS was registered. OC 2 HELD WITH ILLICIT LIQUOR Phagwara: Mehatpur police arrested Subash Singh of Raipur Arain village for selling illicit country-made liquor, recovering 65 bottles of hooch. A case was registered under Section 61/1/14 of the Excise Act. Nakodar Sadar police arrested Harwinder Singh of Sarihn village for brewing illicit liquor, seizing one bottle of hooch, 40 kg lahan (raw liquor) and brewing utensils. OC COPS ADD RAPE CHARGES Phagwara: Legal troubles for Punjabi singer Hassan Manak deepened this week after Kapurthala police added charges of rape to an existing case of fraud and bigamy filed by a UK-based NRI woman. The singer was arrested on November 13 and remanded to 14-day judicial custody on Thursday by a local court. The case, originally registered on May 30, 2025, at the Phagwara City police station, alleges that Manak concealed his marital status, gained the trust of the woman by portraying himself as a celebrity, and extracted substantial financial assistance from her family under false pretence of marriage. OC Cong-BSP finalise seat-sharing SAD (Amritsar) eyes big win for Nakodar local body elections Ashok Kaura Phagwara, November 30 SAD (Amritsar) announced it would contest the upcoming Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections across Punjab with full organisational strength following a major Doaba Zone leadership meeting. The gathering, chaired by chief spokesperson Dr Harjinder Singh Jakhu, saw special attendance by senior leader Jathedar Rajinder Singh Fauji. Political activity accelerated statewide after the Punjab Election Commission declared the local body polls. SAD (A) convened district jathedars, constituency in-charges, and circle in-charges from Phagwara, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Bhulath, Hoshiarpur and near- Aparna Banerji tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 30 Congress and BSP declared they would jointly contest the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections in Nakodar on a seat-sharing basis, continuing an arrangement followed for the past 3-4 years. The announcement came on Saturday following a meeting at Nurmahal attended by party workers. Congress Nakodar halka incharge Dr Navjot Dahiya, alongside BSP district rural president Jagdish Sherpuri and other senior leaders, confirmed the alliance. Of 34 Block Samiti seats in Nakodar, Congress will contest 24 and BSP 10; out of four Zila Parishad seats, Congress will field three candidates and BSP one. Brainstorming sessions continued to finalise candidates, with lists expected soon. Dr Dahiya said for the past four times, the Congress Congress and BSP leaders hold a meeting at Nakodar to discuss seat-sharing arrangement. and BSP have been contesting these local elections jointly in Nakodar. The partnership served both parties’ interests given local voter preferences. She had written to the Election Commission of India and Jalandhar DC seeking free and fair polls, citing past nomination cancellations. Voting for the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections was scheduled for December 14, with results on December 17 using ballot papers statewide. A total of 1.36 crore voters qualified for the rural polls, where 50 per cent of seats were reserved for women. AAP BJP’S B-TEAM: FAUJI ■ Jathedar Rajinder Singh Fauji described SAD (Amritsar) as the true voice of common people, labelling Aam Aadmi Party the “B-team of BJP” for harming Punjab’s youth and agriculture. He criticised AAP’s failure to make Punjab drug-free after nearly four years as “deeply shameful” for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. by areas for a strategy session. Dr Jakhu told media that the entire party cadre, led by president Simranjit Singh Mann, stood united and determined to fight vigorously, expressing confidence in winning significant seats. He accused the state government of high-handedness in prior panchayat polls, including violence, firing, and false cases against workers, and warned against repeats seen in the recent Tarn Taran Sahib by-election. Dr Jakhu called the EC’s ballot paper decision over EVMs a “government drama” to mislead people, vowing firm response to any manipulation. He announced the full SAD (A) candidate list for the elections would release on November 30. Jathedar Rajinder Singh Fauji described SAD (Amritsar) as the true voice of common people, labelling Aam Aadmi Party the “B-team of BJP” for harming Punjab’s youth and agriculture. He criticised AAP’s failure to make Punjab drug-free after nearly four years as “deeply shameful” for CM Bhagwant Mann. Car bursts into flames on Phagwara flyover, family escapes unhurt Assets of drug peddlers seized Garhi condemns attack on AAP leader Raju, vows strict action against criminals Phagwara, November 30 Punjab Scheduled Caste Commission Chairman Jasveer Singh Garhi on Sunday issued a stern warning to criminal elements in Punjab, asserting that the AAP-led state government would not yield to intimidation by drug smugglers or gangster networks targeting leaders of anti-drug campaigns. Speaking to the media after visiting the residence of Daljit Raju, the coordinator of Yudh Nasheya Virudh in Phagwara, Garhi said that the entire AAP leadership stands firmly behind Raju and remains committed to intensifying the ongoing battle against drugs. He stated that the government’s aggressive crackdown has severely crippled the drug mafia, provoking desperate retaliatory Punjab SC Commission Chairman Jasveer Singh Garhi at Phagwara. moves from those who have suffered major setbacks due to the campaign. Garhi recalled how criminal elements, allegedly guided by gangsters operating from within jails, attempted to terrorise Raju in the early hours of November 27. On the intervening night of November 26 and 27, two unidentified assailants arrived at Raju’s residence and unleashed 23 to 24 rounds of gunfire, before fleeing into the darkness. The incident shocked the local community, especially because Raju has been leading a vigorous anti-drug movement that has disrupted the networks of both drug peddlers and gangster operatives in the region. According to Garhi, the attack was a direct consequence of the substantial damage inflicted by Raju and his team on illegal drug activities in Phagwara, prompting criminal elements to resort to violent intimidation. He informed the media that the Phagwara Police, under the supervision of SP Madhvi Sharma, had already arrested three suspects connected to the case and were actively pursuing further leads that could soon result in the arrest of the shooters themselves. He added that the state apparatus was fully prepared to respond strongly to any attempt by the mafia to obstruct the progress being made. — OC A car up in flames on Phagwara–Jalandhar GT Road. Our correspondent Phagwara, November 30 Panic gripped Phagwara–Jalandhar GT Road on Sunday when a moving car suddenly caught fire on the flyover, turning into a ball of flames within minutes. The vehicle was completely gutted before the fire brigade brought the blaze under control. Fire Officer Nitin Shingari said the department received an alert about a car fire on the Phagwara flyover, after which a team was dis- patched immediately. Initial information indicated that a family travelling from Khanna to Jalandhar noticed smoke from the vehicle while crossing the flyover. Moments later, the car burst into flames. The occupants jumped out in time, narrowly escaping a major tragedy, with all family members safe, officials confirmed. Firefighters extinguished the blaze shortly after arriving, though the car had already been destroyed. The cause remained under investigation. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 30 In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police, led by Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur, seized movable and immovable assets worth Rs 36,05,427 belonging to three notorious drug traffickers. The Commissioner of Police stated that FIR No. 180 dated 20 May 2025, registered under Sections 22/61 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Division No. 1, Jalandhar, followed the recovery of 2,23,000 narcotic tablets of Tramadol Hydrochloride USP 100mg (Panadole) from the accused: Nitin Sharma, Ajay Kumar and Amit Verma, alias Sunny. She added that enquiries revealed the accused had purchased property and vehicles using proceeds from drug smuggling. Subsequently, police initiated confiscation proceedings, with orders to seize the properties and vehicles received from the competent authority. She stated that strict action would be taken against all individuals involved in the drug trade, and any property or vehicles acquired through illicit means would continue to be confiscated under the law. Lt Gen DP Singh graces Sainik School alumni Saharanpur family offers succour reunion, urges students to inculcate discipline to flood-hit Kapurthala villagers Ashok Kaura Phagwara,November 30 A momentous alumni meet took place at Sainik School, Kapurthala, graced by Lt Gen DP Singh, AVSM, SM, as chief guest. Lt Gen Singh served as Commandant of the Military Intelligence Training School and Depot, Pune. Addressing present and former students, Lt Gen Singh remarked: “It was my privilege and honour to stand before you in this capacity. I came from a rural background and attributed the success of my life’s journey to Sainik School Kapurthala. My days as a cadet here were full of challenges.” He highlighted the value of hostel life, which instilled leadership, resilience, and the spirit to confront adversity. “Commitment to a task and ensuring its timely completion were lessons I learnt here. These lessons continued to enrich my life even today. The school motto Vidya, Vinay, and Anushasan Dignitaries at Sainik School, Kapurthala. - was not just a phrase but a true way of life.” Lt Gen Singh urged students to maintain discipline, strengthen academic excellence, take up sports, and learn to overcome challenges. “Cadets from diverse regions of the country come here. Make discipline and patriotism your guiding spirit. The road may be tough, but it wins you honour. NDA should be your goal,” he added. On the occasion, the chief guest inaugurated the ‘MS Bajwa SSB Bay Unit,’ dedicated by the Old Boys’ Association in memory of Late MS Bajwa. He also inaugurated the newly constructed English Language Lab, developed at a cost of five lakh rupees with high-end modern technology and advanced facilities. Earlier, the chief guest paid floral tributes at the Saikap c m y b Memorial, honouring the martyrs. He received a ceremonial Guard of Honour from NCC cadets, followed by an impressive performance by the school band. Principal Group Captain Madhu Sengar welcomed the alumni in the school auditorium. She presented the academic report, appraised the gathering of institutional challenges and achievements, and expressed gratitude to the OBA for its sustained support. The event featured distinguished alumni including Lt Gen (Retd) Gurdeep Singh, DIG Rajpal Singh Sandhu, Air Marshal (Retd) PS Gill, Air Marshal (Retd) SS Hothi, Maj Gen (Retd) Rajiv Sachdev, Air Commodore (Retd) Manmohan Sood, Commander Sandeep Singh Virk, and Lt Col Umesh Mole, along with eminent personalities from various fields. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by OBA president DIG Rajpal Singh Sandhu. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 30 A family from Saharanpur, UP who own a garment show, room, came forward to help people in the flood-affected areas of Kapurthala. Even four months after the devastating floods, relief continued to pour in. The family donated new clothes, blankets, quilts, and also extended monetary assistance. Their visit brought joy to the villagers, especially those still rebuilding their lives. Many expressed heartfelt gratitude for receiving essential items. The family visited Ahli Kalan village, where a major breach in August had destroyed thousands of acres of paddy crops, leaving farmers in deep distress and depriving many of their only source of income. Support had been steadily arriving from across the country. Recently, a group of good Samaritans from Haryana donated Rs 5 lakh to the pan- Clothes being distributed among the needy. chayat of Ahli Kalan. According to Rashpal Singh, a farmer leader from the village, the contribution was used to purchase diesel and DAP fertiliser required for wheat sowing. “For a few days, donations had slowed down, but they started coming in again,” villagers said, expressing gratitude for the continued support. Shaminder Singh, the village sarpanch, thanked the visiting family for their generosity. “People are so generous, our hearts are full,” he said. Farmer leader Rashpal Singh added that the family had asked several people for directions and made a sincere effort to reach the village.