03032026-LT-01.qxd 3/3/2026 12:50 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune MALERKOTLA RESIDENTS WORRIED FOR KIN IN W ASIA BUREAUCRAT MENTORS INSPIRING SCHOOLCHILDREN DIVAS SET THE MOOD FOR A DREAMY HOLI Many are settled in the nations currently on the receiving end of US-Israel hostilities. P2 Last year, state government launched programme urging officials to adopt schools, interact with students. P3 One Holi ritual that never goes out of style: Stepping out in stunning all-white glam before the colours take over.P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 30°C | MIN 12°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 13°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.22 PM » SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:45 AM TUESDAY | 3 MARCH 2026 | LUDHIANA Suspect who harboured shooters in showroom firing case surrenders Earlier, he was named in case and manhunt was launched to nab him Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 2 One of the suspects in the shooting incident at a luxury car rental showroom in Baddowal near Mullanpur Dakha has surrendered before the police. He had given shelter to the two shooters while they were on the run. The man was identified as Manpreet Singh, a resident of Sangrur district. According to reports, his family presented him to the Dakha police. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Dakha, Varinder Singh Khosa, confirmed to The Tribune that Manpreet was accused of harbouring shooters who opened fire at the showroom. The police had also named him in the case and a manhunt had already been launched to arrest the man after his name cropped up in the firing incident for sheltering the suspects. The incident occurred at a Cops inspect the crime scene at Baddowal in Ludhiana. FILE SHOOTERS DIDN’T ORCHESTRATE CRIME FOR MONEY Police officials said both shooters Narinder Dhir and Jaanu had not opened fire at showroom for money. They orchestrated firing just to bring fame to their gang. rental showroom, Royal Limos, located at Baddowal village on the LudhianaFerozepur national highway, on the morning of January 10. Two unidentified motorcycle riders had fired several rounds at the showroom. After the shooting, the suspects fled the scene after throwing two slips, bearing the names of gangsters Pawan Shokeen and Mohabbat Randhawa, out- side the showroom. The showroom rents luxury cars for weddings. A few hours after the incident, one of the showroom owners had also received an extortion call of Rs 2 crore from a caller posing as a gangster. For the safety of the victim, the police had also provided security to him. The Ludhiana rural police had recently brought a gangster-cum-sharp shooter Narinder Dhir, alias Akash, of Garhi Ajit Singh village, Nawanshahr, on production warrant in connection with the firing incident. Dhir, along with his accomplice Jaanu of Mullanpur near Chandigarh, had opened fire at the showroom at the behest of their bosses. Both shooters are connected with gangs of Kaushal Chaudhary and the Bambiha group. Notably, the police had already brought notorious gangster Kaushal Chaud- hary on a production warrant for questioning after the firing incident as the police probe suspected that he was the mastermind behind the shooting. During interrogation, Kaushal tried to escape from the police station and suffered fractures in his both legs. The police had, however, failed to clear the exact role of the gangster in the firing. Even gangster Amit Dagar was also earlier brought to the city on a production warrant from a Jhajjar jail in Haryana jail for questioning. Dagar is also said to be close aide of Kaushal. Coincidentally, while transporting Dagar to Ludhiana, the police vehicle had overturned, causing fractures in his legs. Police officials said both shooters Narinder Dhir and Jaanu had not opened fire at showroom for money. They orchestrated firing just to bring fame to their gang. Speeding car crashes into power Man hurt in firing pole, narrow escape for four youths at Fauji Colony The car that crashed into the power pole on the Kakowal road in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 2 An accident occurred on the Kakowal road here when a speeding car crashed into an electricity pole late on Sunday evening. Its impact was so severe that the cement pole, along with its heavy wiring, collapsed directly onto the vehicle, leaving it crushed and trapped beneath the debris. As per information, the speeding car hit the pole with such force that nearby poles were also damaged. Power supply of the area was also severed. Despite the massive damage, vehicle’s airbags deployed, which played a crucial role in saving the lives of four youths travelling in the car. CCTV footage captured the moment when the occupants managed to scramble out of the wreckage and left the scene. Eyewitnesses said the youths initially attempted to pull the car out from tangled wires and the broken pole but to no avail. The incident caused a total blackout in the locality. Three electricity poles were damaged. Local residents said while the incident occurred in late hours, the power supply remains shut down as of now. Later, officials from the power board reached the scene. At present, maintenance teams are working to clear broken poles and tangled wires from the road and restore electricity to affected residents. “It seems that the youths travelling in the car might be under the influence of some drugs but it needs to be verified,” said a local shopkeeper. Ludhiana, March 2 Panic gripped the Fauji Colony near Sherpur Chowk here on Monday evening when a group of assailants opened fire at a man walking outside his house. Fortunately, the bullet grazed the body of the victim and he was said to be out of danger. The entire incident was captured on a CCTV camera installed near the scene. As per sources, the incident occurred around 7:30 pm. The injured man, Shakti (26), was walking in the street outside his house when around four unidentified men approached him from the other side. According to the CCTV footage, the attackers, including the key suspect Naveen, initially stopped and spoke with him. After a brief argument, Naveen pulled out a pistol and opened fire at him. Family members and locals rushed the man to a hospital. The police had also reached the scene and started a probe. ACP Inderjit Singh Boparai said Naveen, who was accused of firing, had a criminal background as he had come out on bail two days ago from jail in an Arms Act case. Raids were on to nab the suspects. — TNS Kin of the victim outside a hospital in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Migrants wait for their trains in a special holding area at the Ludhiana railway station. ASHWANI DHIMAN Special facilities at rly station for migrantsheaded home for Holi Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 2 The Indian Railways has made adequate arrangements for migrants heading to their native places to celebrate the Holi festival. From the setting up of a special holding area and day and night help desk, the railways is trying to provide all possible convenience to the migrants, most of whom are industrial workers in the city. The Ludhiana railway station, which is among the busiest stations of the state, manages a daily footfall of approximately 50,000 travellers. During major festivals such as Holi, Diwali and Chhath, the number of visitors surges to 70,000 or 80,000, forcing officials to implement advanced strategic measures. Without these steps, the situation at the station would go beyond control of railway staff. The Ferozepur Division has also been operating nine pairs of festival special trains in addition to the regular scheduled trains. Rail passengers are requested to take full advantage of the Holi special services. As The Tribune team visited the railway station to take stock of the festive rush and arrangements, a special holding area was seen where a tent was pitched and migrants waiting for their trains were seen sitting there. In the waiting area, mats were laid and fans were installed for the passengers. A day and night ‘May I help you’ desk was also been set up adjoining the tent where railway employees are available 24x7 to answer queries of the passengers. A railway official sitting there said special tents were set up due to the Holi festive rush as footfall of migrants usually increases these days. Purpose of creating the holding area is to ensure that migrants do not gather at the railway platform, causing chaos, and they should enter the platform only during arrival of of their trains. Even a food van has also been stationed at the railway station, where any passenger can buy eatables at reasonable rates. A medical aid counter was also set up to offer first aid to passengers during any emergency. Even a fire tender has also been stationed at the railway station to tackle any kind of emergency. “Fire tenders are stationed here 24x7 due to the festive rush,” said a fire station employee. A migrant, Sonu Prasad, who was sitting with his wife and children in the waiting area, said: “I work at a factory in Ludhiana. Since Holi is approaching, we are going to Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, to celebrate the festival with our kin. Railways have done adequate arrangements for Holi. We are not facing any inconvenience at the station. We will move to catch our train as per its schedule.” Another passenger, Ratan Yadav from Bihar, said even during Chhath festival, the railways had done similar arrangements for migrants. Besides Ludhiana, railway stations at other places in the state were also offering similar services to the migrants. “If we talk about past years, migrants used to face issues such as shortage of trains heading to UP Bihar, Jharkhand, , etc, but now for the past few years, the railways are running special trains and also increased the halt time so that migrants can board trains without any difficulty,” said Ajay Yadav, a migrant from Bihar. Man suffers injuries while trying to deboard moving train A man suffered injuries in his arm while trying to deboard a moving train at the Ludhiana railway station. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued him and gave him first aid at the special medical aid counter set up at the station. “The passenger might have suffered fractures in his arm. After giving him first aid, he was suggested to visit a hospital for further treatment,” said a railway official overseeing the medical counter. 40% of migrant population going for celebrations Ludhiana, being an industrial hub, has a significant migrant population, many of whom hail from states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Migrant workers are engaged in almost every section of the industry here and they celebrate festivals with zeal. To celebrate the Holi festival with their families back home in UP and Bihar, about 40 per cent of the migrant population is going to their native places. It has emerged as a matter of concern for the industry. Badish Jindal, president, World MSME Forum, said every year during Holi, a huge number of labourers go to their home states. “The only concern is that they take a lot of time to return to the city, due to which the work at factories suffer,” he said. (With inputs from Shivani Bhakoo) Couple cancel Dubai wedding amid war 105-kg ganja seized, smuggler nabbed Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 2 Escalating conflicts between Iran and Israel is no longer restricted to the two nations, with its visible effects now being felt across neighbouring countries. Growing tensions have triggered uncertainty and panic among travellers, particularly those planning to visit the West Asia. Dubai has long been a preferred destination for residents of Ludhiana and nearby areas to host grand weddings. However, a wedding scheduled to take place in Dubai this month has been called off amid prevailing uncertainty in the region. The family has now shifted PREFERRED VENUE FOR FUNCTIONS Dubai has long been a preferred destination for residents of Ludhiana and nearby areas to host grand weddings. However, escalating conflicts between Iran and Israel have triggered uncertainty and panic among travellers. wedding functions to Chandigarh and is exploring other viable options, including Delhi and Jaipur. An invitee said pre-wedding functions commenced in Chandigarh on Sunday while the wedding is scheduled for the second week of March. “We had already booked flight tickets and the hosts had arranged a two-day stay package for guests at a hotel. We have even planned to extend our stay by another two days. However, given the present situation, we were told that the Dubai wedding has been cancelled. Both families are now considering alternatives in Chandigarh or other cities such as Delhi or Jaipur,” the invitee said. Pawan Bhatia of Oneness Air Travels here said several flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi scheduled for the coming week had been cancelled. He said travellers returning to Ludhiana from destinations such as Birmingham and the Netherlands are seeking to reroute their journeys to avoid stopovers in Doha, Dubai and other West Asian cities. “There is panic among travellers due to the escalating tensions between Iran, the US and Israel,” he said. Meanwhile, another family planning their daughter’s wedding in Dubai in the end of the month said preparations had been finalised and the guest list was being prepared. “There is tension and uncertainty. We are hoping the situation improves in coming days so that the wedding can be conducted peacefully. However, we are unsure whether guests will be willing to travel given the prevailing circumstances. For now, we are adopting a wait-andwatch approach,” said a close relative of the bride-to-be. c m y b Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 2 The Crime Branch, Ludhiana, has successfully apprehended a drug smuggler and recovered 105 kg of ganja from his possession. ADCP (Crime) Amandeep Singh Brar in a statement issued stated that on March 1, acting on a tip-off, the Crime Branch registered an FIR under Sections 20C, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act at the Haibowal police station. A checkpoint was set up at Rajpura Pulli, Haibowal. During the checking, the police intercepted a Honda Activa scooter, without registration number, driven by Santosh Sahni, a native of Samastipur, Bihar, at present residing The suspect in police custody in Ludhiana on Monday. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA as a tenant in Kulwant Singh’s Vehra, Amrit Colony, here. Brar said initially, the police recovered 25 kg of ganja from the suspect at the spot. Dur- ing interrogation, based on information provided by the suspect, an additional 80 kg of ganja was recovered. Further questioning of the smuggler was on to bust the entire drug supply line and the police would also nab big suppliers involved in the network.