04122025-ATR-01.qxd 12/3/2025 11:52 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune ‘CHANGEMAKER OF THE YEAR’ AWARD FOR GNDU VC ASHUTOSH RANA BRINGS PLAY HUMARE RAM TO TRICITY For Ashutosh Rana, its a lifelong journey steeped in theatre, introspection and artistic devotion. P4 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 20°C | MIN 6°C YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 5°C PRIYANKA CHOPRA ON BACKING BORN HUNGRY GNDU VC Prof Karamjeet Singh has been presented the “Changemaker of the Year 2025” award. P2 FORECAST Documentary, currently streaming on JioHotstar, traces the life of celebrity chef Sash Simpson. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 5.26 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7.15 AM » THURSDAY | 4 DECEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR Road mishap snuffs out two lives, 11 injured Nambardar gunned down over ‘land dispute’ Amritsar, December 3 Two persons, including a woman, were killed and over 10 reportedly injured, several of them critically, in a road accident near Gopalpura village on the Amritsar-Batala road this evening. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dharminder Kalyan said the mishap occurred when a private bus collided with a tipper truck that allegedly took a sudden U-turn near the village. The bus, which was travelling behind the truck, rammed into it, causing extensive damage to the front portion of the vehicle. Onlookers alerted the police, following which teams reached the spot along with ambulances to shift the injured to nearby hospitals. The DSP said police personnel have been deployed at the hospitals to gather details of those admitted. “The exact number of casualties and injured will be confirmed later. Rescue operations are currently underway,” the DSP added. — TNS Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 3 A long-running land dispute at Magan Sarai village falling under the Kathunangal police station turned fatal when a 50-year-old Nambardar was shot dead in his fields here on Tuesday. According to the statement given to the police by Manjit Singh, a resident of Magan Sarai, his elder brother Jaspal Singh, who had gone to irrigate the wheat crop around 10-11 am, was shot dead in the afternoon. Manjit said that around 4pm, he learnt that Mukhtiar Singh and Ranjit Singh, alias Fauji, along with several unidentified armed accomplices were roaming near their agricultural land. Manjit, accompanied by his nephew Gurjeet Singh, rushed towards the fields where they allegedly saw Ranjit Singh fire a shot from a handgun directly at Jaspal Singh. The bullet struck Jaspal in the abdomen. He collapsed on Makhan Singh murder case: Shooter injured in Verka bypass encounter Tribune News Service Nambardar Jaspal Singh who was shot dead in Amritsar. the spot and died before any help could reach him. The accused, including Mukhtiar Singh, reportedly fled while threatening to kill them. The police said a preliminary investigation indicates a simmering dispute over land between the two families, which may have led to the murder. Jaspal Singh’s body was found lying in a pool of blood when his relatives reached the scene. A case has been registered and the police have begun efforts to identify and arrest all individuals involved. The investigation is underway. Amritsar, December 3 Daler Singh, one of the shooters in the Makhan Singh murder case, was injured in a police encounter at the Verka bypass here on Wednesday. The incident took place when he was being taken to a place by a police party for weapon recovery. He opened fire at the police party members of which, in self-defence, fired at him, injuring him in the leg. The encounter led to the cracking of the November 18 bus stand murder case, with all six accused, including three shooters, now behind bars. According to the police, accused Daler Singh was taken by the A-Division team for the recovery of a .30 bore pistol near the drain at the Verka bypass. As soon as the police approached the spot, Daler allegedly pulled out the weapon from the bushes and fired directly at the team, attempting to escape. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and other officials at the encounter spot at the Verka bypass in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Amandeep Kaur, SHO, immediately took cover and fired a warning shot. However, the accused continued to fire gunshots. Acting in selfdefence, the SHO returned fire, injuring him in the right leg. The accused fell to the Amritsar, December 3 Congress MP from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Wednesday introduced an Adjournment Motion in the Lok Sabha, calling the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab “an extremely serious, emergency, and national security crisis”. He said the rising drug trade, gang wars, extortion and threats being received by NRI families in Punjab were alarming, adding that the situation had now become a matter of national security requiring immediate intervention by the Central Government. Aujla said cases of open sale of drugs in villages, continuous arrests of gangsters, firing at wedding functions and extortion demands targeting NRI families were being reported MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla raises the issue in Parliament. daily. He added that many serious crimes were being orchestrated from inside jails. In his appeal, the MP demanded that the Union Home Minister take two immediate steps: first, declare the situation in Punjab a national security issue, and second, form a joint Centre-state task force to disrupt the drug and arms supply chain and protect NRI families facing threats. He also sought an investigation into gangs, activities inside jails, unemployment and related issues under the supervision of a high court judge. “The youth of Punjab is living in fear and unrest, and many families are being forced to go abroad due to Four-day inter-university youth festival concludes at GNDU Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 3 A milkman was robbed of his motorcycle at gunpoint creating panic among residents of the Bhaini Gillan-Muradpura belt here on Tuesday. The victim, Gurdev Singh (43), a resident of Bhaini Gillan, reported the matter to the police soon after the incident. The victim said one of the miscreants was armed with a sharp-edged weapon, while the other pointed a pistol at him, threatening him with dire consequences. Before he could react, the duo forcibly snatched his motorcycle and sped away towards Pandori Warich. Shocked and frightened, the victim immediately informed the police. The police have registered a case against unidentified persons and initiated a probe. extortion and threats. Graffiti has surfaced alleging open drug sales in villages; arrests continue in extortion cases involving crores of rupees; and NRI families are openly facing threats. This clearly indicates that law and order is rapidly collapsing in Punjab and organised crime is being operated from within jails,” he said. “It is time for immediate intervention by the Central Government. The Punjab issue is no longer limited to law and order, it has become a direct threat to the country’s internal security,” he added. Aujla reiterated his demand for an inquiry headed by a high court judge into the growing network of gangsters in Punjab, criminal activities being run from jails, rising unemployment and the possibility of alleged political patronage. ground and the weapon was recovered. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Amritsar, for treatment and a fresh case has been registered at the Verka police station here. While detailing about the incident, Police Commis- Man robbed of motorcycle at gunpoint Drug trade, gang wars prompt MP Aujla to seek Centre’s intervention in Lok Sabha Tribune News Service involving CCTV analysis, intelligence inputs and technical surveillance, he said. The first breakthrough came with the arrest of John on November 23, who had waited outside the bus stand with a motorcycle to facilitate the shooters’ escape. His questioning led the police to shooter Karanbir Singh, alias Karan, and subsequently to Bikramjit Singh, alias Bikka, who had provided shelter to the shooters after the crime. Parallel investigations resulted in the arrest of Dharmveer Singh, aka Joban, who had posted a WhatsApp story glorifying the murder and claiming that the incident was committed by a gangster. Lovepreet Singh, alias Love, another shooter, was traced to Jamnagar, Gujarat, and arrested with the assistance of the Gujarat police. The sixth shooter, Daler Singh, was arrested on December 1. Amritsar, December 3 The four-day Inter-University Youth Festival, organised by the Department of Youth Services, Government of Punjab, at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, concluded today, reaching its peak with vibrant giddha performances and the melodious sounds of traditional Punjabi folk instruments. Around 2,500 students from 21 universities participated in 54 different art forms. Based on the total score obtained across all competitions, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, won the overall trophy of the festival. The first runnerup position went to Punjabi University, Patiala, while Panjab University secured the second runner-up spot. On the final day of the festi- sioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said Makhan Singh was gunned down at the Amritsar bus stand on November 18, when three assailants opened fire at him and fled. A multi-pronged investigation was launched Students perform an item on the concluding day of the four-day Inter-University Youth Festival at GNDU in Amritsar on Wednesday. val, Parminder Goldy, Chairman of the Youth Development Board, Punjab, congratulated the winners and encouraged all participating students for their spirited involvement. Vice-Chancellor Prof Karamjit Singh expressed gratitude to the Youth Ser- vices Department for the initiative and thanked all participating universities during the closing ceremony. He said such youth festivals instil self-confidence in students by giving them platforms to showcase and refine their talent. SAD (Waris Punjab De) holds 5-day Punjab International Trade Expo kicks off today protest, seeks Amritpal’s release Legendary actress Helen and actor Rajat Bedi will grace Punjab Heritage show on Dec 6 Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 3 Tied in chains and wearing black ribbons on their turbans, members of the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) on Wednesday held a massive protest march and sit-in here, opposing the Punjab Government’s decision to deny parole to NSA detainee and Khandoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who has been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam for over two years. Various Sikh organisations marched from Ranjit Avenue to the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner’s office, where they staged a demonstration. The protest was led by Tarsem Singh, father of MP Amritpal Singh, who accused the state government of suppressing democratic rights. A memorandum addressed to the President of India, the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Governor of Punjab was submitted, seeking immediate intervention to uphold con- Members of the SAD (Waris Punjab de), led by Tarsem Singh, hold a demonstration in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR stitutional norms. The protesters said despite being elected with a heavy mandate, the MP was neither being released nor allowed to fulfil his parliamentary duties. They alleged that the repeated extension of the NSA by the state government amounted to “political vendetta” and an attempt to silence a democratically elected representative. Speaking during the protest, Tarsem Singh said it was not “Loktantar” but “Rajtantar”. Referring to arguments presented in court by state counsels, who claimed that Amritpal Singh’s release or even his speech in Parliament could “disturb Punjab’s atmosphere”, the protesters termed the remarks an insult to parliamentary dignity and constitutional rights. Amritsar, December 3 The five-day Punjab International Trade Expo (PITEX), organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry with support from the Punjab Government, will begin here tomorrow (Thursday). The formal inauguration, to be carried out by former President of India Ram Nath Kovind, is scheduled for December 5. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema will attend the ceremony as a special guest. The details were shared by Karan Gilhotra, Chair of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Punjab chapter), during a press interaction at the PITEX grounds on Wednesday. MC Commissioner Vikramjeet Singh Shergill said special arrangements for electricity, water and sanitation have been made at the venue. Teams of officials and staff have been deployed to ensure smooth management of the event. Additional Deputy Commis- c m y b PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Karan Gilhotra, Chair, PHDCCI (2nd from right), addresses mediapersons in Amritsar on Wednesday. sioner Rohit Gupta, who was also present, said PITEX has given a new identity to the city. Over the next five days, traders from various states and neighbouring countries will display their products. “The expo will help strengthen brotherhood and bring economic benefits to Punjab,” he said. Various departments of the Punjab Government are also participating, and instructions have been issued to district departments to extend full support, he added. Sharing the schedule, Gilhotra said that on December 4, a seminar titled Strength, Wellness and Enterprise: Women Shaping the Future will be held, with National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar as the chief guest. On December 5, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian will attend the morning session on Agri, Nutrition and Wellness Synergy Summit. In the evening, former President Kovind will formally inaugurate the 19th edition of PITEX. Giving details of the December 6 events, Himani Arora, Chair of the PHDCCI Fashion Tex-Tech Forum, said a Punjab Heritage Show will be organised at Hotel Taj, with Bollywood actor Rajat Bedi as the special guest. The main attraction will be legendary actress Helen, who will attend as the chief guest. Later that night, the second Punjab Tourism Awards will be presented by Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Tarunpreet Sond. On December 7, Haryana Governor Prof Aseem Ghosh will be the chief guest at a session on Inclusive Growth and Equal Opportunity. Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur and BJP national spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla will also attend. Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Bhullar is scheduled to visit the expo the same day. The expo will conclude on December 8, with Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Education Minister Harjot Bains present at the closing ceremony.