26042026-JTR-01.qxd 4/25/2026 11:31 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune WALKATHON PROMOTES MESSAGE AGAINST DRUGS WHEAT LIFTING CRISIS HITS PHAGWARA GRAIN MARKET More than 600 students, faculty members & parents participated in walkathon organised in collaboration with DAV College. P2 Crop procurement hit a bottleneck at grain market, where sluggish lifting resulted in accumulation of wheat sacks.P2 » » MUSIC ICON RIHANNA AT FENTY BEAUTY LAUNCH FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 40°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 40°C | MIN 23°C SUNSET SUNDAY 7.03 PM Global music icon Rihanna attended the Fenty Beauty launch bash at Phoenix Palladium in Mumbai. P4 SUNRISE MONDAY 5.46 AM » SUNDAY | 26 APRIL 2026 | 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 ONE ARRESTED UNDER NDPS ACT Shahkot: The police have arrested an individual on the charge of selling intoxicating capsules and tablets. Investigating Officer (IO) Major Singh said 35 intoxicating tablets (loose) were recovered from possession of the accused, identified as Karan Deep Singh, a resident of Jaffarwal village. The IO said a case under sections 22/61/85 of the NDPS Act was registered against the accused. OC ONE ARRESTED ON CHARGE OF ASSAULT Nakodar: The Sadar police have arrested an individual on the charge of assaulting a Shahkot resident. Investigating officer (IO) Paramjit Singh said the accused was identified as Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Bajuha Khurd village. Sandip Singh, a resident of Bhullar village, had complained to the police that the accused and his family members attacked him with weapons and injured him and stole his shuttering material. The IO said a case under was registered against accused. OC WOMAN HELD FOR SELLING LIQUOR Nurmahal: The Bilga police have arrested a woman on charges of brewing and selling illicit liquor. Investigating Officer (IO) Bagicha Singh said 55 bottles of illicit liquor were recovered from possession of the accused, identified as Manjit Kaur, alias Ranno, a resident of Sangowal village. A case under the Punjab Excise Act was registered against the accused. In the second incident, the Mehatpur police booked Charanjit Kaur, a resident of Khurlapur village, for selling illicit liquor. The police recovered 38 bottles of hooch from possession of the accused who managed to flee from the spot, said IO Amrik Lal. OC ONE HELD FOR CONSUMING DRUG Lohian Khas: The police have arrested one person on the charge of consuming heroin. Investigating Officer (IO) Manjit Ranni said the accused was identified as Tajindar Kumar, alias Tanu, of Ward No. 5, Lohian Khas. The IO said a lighter, silver paper and plastic pipe used for consuming drug were recovered from accused. A case under the NDPS Act was registered against the accused, the IO said. OC ONE BOOKED FOR RAPING MINOR Shahkot: The police have booked an individual for raping a minor. Investigating Officer (IO) Inspector Seema said the accused was identified as Taran, a resident of Khanewal village, under the Kapurthala Sadar police station. The victim complained to the police that the accused raped her at an Amritsar hotel on April 19. The IO said a case under the BNS and POSCO Act was registered against accused. OC Unplanned power cuts leave city TeachersdecryCensuswork amid election-related tasks sleepless amid sweltering heat Tribune News Service Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 25 Despite Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) capping planned power outages at a maximum of four hours, the move has failed to provide any real relief to residents across Jalandhar. Residents continue to endure relentless and unplanned power cuts, particularly during night hours amid sweltering heat. Plunging residents into a sleepless night, large parts of the city faced unplanned power cuts on Friday, from 9 pm to 11 pm and again from 2.30 am to 5 am. Officials attributed the situation to a widening gap between power supply and demand, which has surged during the ongoing heatwave. According to data from the Punjab State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), state’s power generation stood at 4,565 MW against a demand of 9,187 MW by Saturday evening (5.50 pm), leading to a significant shortfall. Among these, the power demand in Jalandhar city stood at 630 MW on Friday which was slightly higher than 430 MW reported on April 1, officials said. While officials maintained that outages were more fre- Jalandhar plunges into darkness during a power cut imposed on Friday night. MALKIAT SINGH quent at night due to a spike in consumption during those hours, residents argue that the explanation offered little comfort when power supply remained unreliable and unpredictable. Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Preet Nagar said, “The PSPCL has been boasting of surplus power over the time. What has changed that they are now struggling to provide even basic and steady supply?” Rajan Gupta, president of the Federation of Resident Welfare Society, said the lack of prior intimation had worsened the situation. He said, “For the last week, we have been facing prolonged and unpredictable cuts, especial- ly at night. On Friday, power was cut from 9 pm to 11 pm and again from 2.30 am to 5 am. The department does not inform us in advance. We received a message at 9.20 pm after the supply had already been snapped. At least five to six hours prior notice should be there so that residents can be prepared.” Sunita Sharma, a resident of Model Town, said, “With children and elderly at home, these midnight power cuts are unbearable. There is no sleep, no backup and no clarity on when electricity will return. It feels like we are being left to manage on our own.” Meanwhile, PSPCL Officials in Jalandhar admitted their limited control over the situation. “These unplanned power cuts are imposed by the PSPCL control room in Patiala. We receive instructions to cut supply through WhatsApp messages from the control room,” officials said. When contacted, Gulshan Chutani, Deputy Chief Engineer, Jalandhar Circle, said, “We have suspended the schedule of ongoing maintenance works for next three to four days to manage the situation. Additionally, unplanned cuts across the city are not imposed by the local authorities. These cuts are imposed on directions received from the PSPCL control room in Patiala.” Jalandhar, April 25 Despite clear directions issued by the Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer, Jalandhar, instructing the local authorities not to deploy supervisors, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and support staff engaged in Special Intensive Revision (SIR) work for the Census duties, government teachers across the district have raised serious concerns over being saddled with dual responsibilities, terming the situation both overwhelming and impractical. Educators said even after the April 22 communication, they continue to receive duty messages assigning them to Census-related work. The development has triggered confusion and resentment among teachers already engaged in electionrelated responsibilities. Kulwinder Singh, district president, Democratic Teachers Front, alleged that around 22 educators, including five from Lohian block, working as BLOs and SIR supervisors were assigned Census duties and asked to attend training sessions scheduled from April 27 to April 29 at the Government Polytechnic College (Girls) on Ladowali Road. Highlighting logistical challenges, Singh said the distance between Lohian block Members of the Democratic Teachers Front with a memorandum at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO and the training venue was nearly 60 km, making daily commuting extremely difficult. “The authorities are asking us to carry out Census work after school hours, but it is unclear how this will be managed alongside regular teaching duties and long travel distances,” he said. “We have submitted a memorandum at the Deputy Commissioner’s office, seeking revocation of these additional duties. Otherwise, attending training sessions will not be feasible,” he added. He further noted that while officials had verbally assured that additional duties would be withdrawn, no revised list had been issued so far, leaving teachers in a state of uncertainty. Similar concerns have emerged from Phillaur tehsil, where an educator claimed that nearly 40 teachers working as BLOs and SIR Residents lock liquor shop near One arrested with 500 gm opium school in Hoshiarpur village Our Correspondent Kapurthala, April 25 In the ongoing anti-drug campaign, the police have arrested one person after recovering 500 grams of opium from his possession during a special operation. The accused was identified as Jagjot Singh, alias Jagga, a resident of Mushkved village, under the Kapurthala Kotwali police station. Residents protest opening of the liquor shop at Kalewal Beet village on Saturday. Garhshankar, April 25 Residents of Kalewal Beet village locked a newly opened liquor shop and raised slogans against the government today. The protest was led by five panchayat members along with villagers. A large number of women also participated in the protest. Villagers said the liquor shop was located close to a school and the ancient Mata Mansa Devi temple, making its presence inappropriate. They demanded that the adminis- tration should shutdown liquor shop within 24 hours. They warned of an agitation if their demand was not met. On April 21, another liquor shop operating since long was shutdown following strong opposition from the Khuralgarh Sahib religious committee. Subsequently, on April 6, the shop was reopened outside Kalewal Beet, but villagers again forced officials to lock it. Several villagers, including Manoj Rana (Panch), Kulwant Singh (Panch), Sandeep Rana, Manohar Lal (Numberdar) and Bhupinder Singh (Panch), participated in the protest. Village sarpanch Praveen Kumari visited the spot, but left without joining the protest. When contacted by mediapersons, sarpanch said she supported closure of the liquor shop, but disagreed with the method adopted by some villagers to do so. The sarpanch said she had earlier asked village residents to hold a meeting and submit an application for the closure of liquor shop. — OC The recovery was made when a police team on routine patrolling near Kanjli picnic spot, intercepted accused and conducted his search, leading to the seizure of the contraband from him. SSP Gaurav Toora said ASI Keval Singh of the Kapurthala CIA, along with a police party, was on patrol duty in the Kanjli area when they spotted accused moving under suspicious circum- stances. The police team detained and searched him, during which 500 grams of opium was recovered from his possession. The police said Jagjot Singh had a criminal background and several cases were already registered against him. A case under Section 18 of the NDPS Act was registered against the accused at the Kapurthala Kotwali police station in this connection. One held with illegal pistol, 6 live cartridges Our Correspondent Phagwara, April 25 The police have arrested one Harjinder Singh, alias Gori, a resident of Siddhwan Dona village, during a patrol and search operation after recovering one illegal pistol from his possession on Friday night. Giving information, SSP Gaurav Toora said a police party on patrol duty in an official vehicle was proceeding towards Siddhwan Dona vil- lage via Rajapur turn to check suspicious persons. When the police party reached near Siddhwan Dona village stadium, they noticed a young man coming on foot from the opposite direction. On seeing the police party, he suddenly tried to turn back, which raised suspicion. The police stopped him and asked for his identity. During search, the police recovered one pistol along with a magazine from left side pocket of his trousers. The magazine was unloaded and found containing six live cartridges. When asked to produce a valid arms licence for the recovered weapon and ammunition, the accused failed to do so. The police said the recovered weapon was an Austria-made Glock pistol along with a magazine and six live cartridges. A case was registered against the accused and further probe initiated into the matter. supervisors were assigned Census duties, allegedly in violation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) norms. “There is no clarity on how these lists are being prepared. Even after approaching the tehsildar’s office in Phillaur, we have only received verbal assurances with no concrete action on the ground,” the teacher said. When contacted, Sandeep Rishi, Principal Census Officercum-Municipal Corporation Commissioner, acknowledged receiving the Deputy Commissioner’s directions. “We have asked returning officers to submit complete details. In the meantime, if any educator approaches us, we will rectify his/her duties,” he said. Deputy Commissioner Varjeet Walia said, “We will look into the matter and wherever such case arises, it will be taken care of.” 30-yr-old youth succumbs to drug overdose Jalandhar, April 25 A 30-year-old youth died due to drug overdose near Sheikhan Bazaar locality of the Jalandhar Central constituency in the wee hours of Saturday. Victim Sanjay used to sell footwear at Rainak Bazaar till year ago. His mother Kanchan said he fell into a bad company and started consuming drugs. “He used to take intoxicating tablets as well as injectable. He took Rs 400 last evening to buy wheat flour, but instead misused that amount and returned drugged,” she said with tears rolling down her eyes. “My husband is no more. I was dependent on Sanjay’s income, but he too stopped earning. With little savings, I tried my best to get him treated. Twice I took him to a government centre for de-addiction treatment. The treatment did not help him keep a control and he remained hooked to drugs,” she said. Kanchan said, “I have no source of income left. I really do not know how I will be able to make both ends meet.” — TNS Woman among two PO Ferozepur man found murdered in Villager charged with stalking, travel agents arrested Lohian Khas fields; police register case outraging woman’s modesty Lohian Khas, April 25 The police have arrested a woman travel agent for duping another woman of Rs 18 lakh on the pretext of sending her abroad. Station House Officer (SHO) Gopal Krishan said the accused was identified as Deeksha Thakur, a resident of Hargobind Nagar, Jalandhar. Harpreet Kaur, a resident of Gidarpindi village, complained to Jalandhar (Rural) SSP that she paid Rs 18 lakh to the accused for facilitating her migration to Canada, but neither she was sent abroad nor her money was returned. The SHO said a case was registered against accused on February 23, 2024, and she was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) on April 15, 2025. The SHO said the police arrested another travel agent Dilbag Singh of Jang village in Ferozepur district, who was booked on February 12, 2019, and declared a PO on February 2, 2026. — OC Lohian Khas, April 25 The police have booked unidentified miscreants on the charge of murdering a Ferozepur resident in Lohian Khas. Station House Officer (SHO) Kewal Krishan said the deceased was identified as Banta, a resident of Lale village under the Makhu police station in Ferozepur district. His body was recovered from fields at Yusafpur Darewal village, the SHO said. Jogindar Singh, a resident of Chak Tybe Tibbi village under c m y b the Makhu police station, complained to the police that on April 23 morning, when he went to Yusafpur Darewal village, he saw body of a person (55) lying in his fields. Jogindar said his neighbour Harjindar Singh also reached there and identified the body as that of Banta, a resident of Lale village. The victim often visited Rajbir Singh, alias Raju, a resident of Talli village under the Makhu police station, who worked as labour- er in Harjindar’s fields. The complainant said some unidentified accused strangulated the victim and threw his body in fields. The SHO said the police reached the spot and took body into custody. Farmers told the police that unidentified accused had murdered the victim near banks of the Sutlej river. The SHO said a case under Section 103(1) (murder) of the BNS was registered against unidentified accused and further probe initiated into the incident. — OC Our Correspondent Nurmahal, April 25 The police have booked one person on the charges of outraging woman’s modesty and criminal intimidation. Investigating officer (IO) Amandeep Singh said the accused was identified as, Janak Raj alias Baba, a resident of Bundala village near Nurmahal in Jalandhar district. The victim complained to the police that the accused stalked her for some time and sexually harassed and threatened her. The IO said a case under Sections 75(2) (sexual harassment), 78(2) (stalking), 79 (words, gestures or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against the accused in this connection.