06062026-LT-01.qxd 6/6/2026 12:54 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune DIST ATHLETE HARPAL BAGS GOLD IN TRIPLE JUMP LASSI CHOWK: FROTHY CORNER OF TRADITION RAM CHARAN-STARRER PEDDI EARNS ~135 CRORE Harpal clinched gold with an effort of 14.87m during Punjab State Senior Athletics Championship. P2 Chowk got its name after legendary Bittu Lassi Wala, a shop that has been serving lassi for nearly 37 years. P3 Peddihas registered a blockbuster opening at worldwide box office on its first day,makers announced on Friday. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 40°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 23°C SUNSET SATURDAY 7:24 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5:19 AM SATURDAY | 6 JUNE 2026 | LUDHIANA 800 tenants, leaseholders get notices for defauting on dues worth ~20 crore Kin allege negligence after newborn’s death, protest outside pvt hospital MC warns of strict recovery proceedings against those failing to clear payments Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 5 The Municipal Corporation (MC) has issued notices to over 800 tenants and leaseholders who have failed to deposit rent and lease charges for civic properties across the city. The pending amount has crossed Rs 20 crore. The civic body has warned of strict recovery proceedings against defaulters who fail to clear their dues within the stipulated period. According to official records, a total of 830 shops and commercial properties operating on rent and lease under the MC fall in the recovery list. These include shops and booths in prominent municipal markets such as Scooter Market, The recovery drive assumes significance as the MC is looking for additional revenue sources to improve the civic infrastructure. FILE 830 PROPERTIES IN RECOVERY LIST According to official records, a total of 830 shops and commercial properties operating on rent and lease under the MC fall in the recovery list. These include shops and booths in prominent municipal markets such as Scooter Market, Sukhdev Market, Jawahar Nagar Market, Chat Market and other commercial complexes spread across the city. Sukhdev Market, Jawahar Nagar Market, Chat Market and other commercial com- plexes spread across the city. Officials said the outstanding amount, includ- ing interest and penalty, stood at over Rs 20 crore as of now. Despite repeated reminders, a large number of tenants have not deposited their dues, resulting in a huge financial burden on the civic body. Zone-wise data revealed that Zone D accounts for the highest outstanding amount. Of the 305 registered shops in the zone, dues worth around Rs 12 crore are pending. Zone B has 209 registered shops with arrears of about Rs 4 crore while Zone A has 208 shops with dues amounting to Rs 2 crore. Zone C, which has 108 registered shops, has pending dues of nearly Rs 25 lakh. The officials said notices had been served to all defaulters and they had been asked to clear their dues immediately. In case of non-payment, the MC might initiate legal and recovery proceedings, including cancellation of allotments and sealing of properties in accordance with rules. A senior MC official said the civic body was focusing on strengthening its revenue collection mechanism and reducing financial losses. “The notices have been issued to all defaulting tenants and leaseholders. Those who fail to deposit the pending amount within the given period will face strict action,” the official said. The recovery drive assumes significance as the corporation is looking for additional revenue sources to improve the civic infrastructure and undertake development works. 34 booked for attacking family, looting cash, gold Tribune News Service The caved-in portion of the road between Bharat Nagar Chowk and the Bus Stand. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Road cave-in near Bharat Nagar Chowk triggers traffic chaos Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 5 A major road cave-in outside Sita Nagar near Bharat Nagar Chowk caused severe traffic congestion on one of the city’s busiest stretches on Thursday, leaving commuters stranded for hours and raising fresh concerns over the condition of under- ground civic infrastructure. The cave-in occurred on the road leading from Bharat Nagar Chowk towards the bus stand. As a significant portion of the carriageway caved in, only half of the road remained available for traffic movement, resulting in long queues of vehicles throughout the day. Municipal Corporation officials rushed to the spot and cordoned off the affected area. Civic teams also began excavation work to ascertain the exact cause of the incident. SDO Arjun Sikka said preliminary investigation pointed towards damage to an underground water supply pipeline during a cable installation work carried out in the continued on page 2 Ludhiana, June 5 The Division Number 5 police have registered a case against 34 persons, including nine identified, for allegedly trespassing into a house in Manjit Nagar, assaulting members of a family and fleeing with cash and gold jewellery. The case was registered following a complaint filed by Gagandeep Singh, a resident of the locality. The identified suspects include Sandeep Kaur, Sukhdev Singh, Sukhwinder Kaur, Balori, Aman Kaur, Inderjit Singh, Jot, Gurpreet Singh and Abhi. According to the complaint, the incident occurred on the evening of May 13. Gagandeep alleged that a group of people entered his house and attacked his grandmother, wife and younger sister. At the time of the incident, he was present at his shop. He rushed home after receiving information about the incident. The complainant claimed that he was also assaulted when he reached the scene. He alleged that the suspects ransacked the house and escaped with gold jewellery and Rs 8 lakh in cash kept inside the house. Police officials said an inquiry was conducted before registration of the FIR. Based on findings, a case was lodged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, mischief and unlawful assembly. Head Constable Bhupinder Singh, the investigating officer, said the police were examining all aspects of the case, including the motive behind the attack and the allegations of theft. Statements of the complainant and other witnesses were being recorded as part of the investigation. The police said efforts were underway to identify and trace all suspects named in the FIR. Further action would be taken based on evidence collected during the probe. Police officials during a probe at the private hospital in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 5 Tension prevailed outside a private hospital near Lohara Bridge on Thursday after family members of a woman staged a protest, alleging medical negligence, which they claimed led to the death of a newborn baby. The family has also submitted a written complaint to the Shimlapuri police, seeking an inquiry into the incident. Holding placards and raising slogans, the protesters demanded action against doctors and the hospital management. They alleged that delay in conducting the delivery procedure resulted in complications, leading to the death of the infant. Mohan Singh, a relative of the victim’s family, said the pregnant woman was admitted to the hospital on the night of May 30. According to him, doctors informed the family that a surgical procedure would be conducted the next day. He alleged that the woman was experiencing severe labour pain but the doctors arrived only around 7 am on May 31. “The patient was in intense pain for several hours. After the delivery was conducted, the doctors informed us that the baby was facing serious health complications and referred the newborn to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC),” he claimed. Mohan Singh further alleged that by the time the baby was taken to the DMCH, the condi- Tax evasion: 200 vehicles impounded, goods worth ~7 crore seized Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 5 In a major offensive against tax evaders, state’s Taxation Department has launched a massive crackdown in the iron and steel sector, impounding over 200 vehicles and seizing goods with an approximate market value of Rs 7 crore. Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said a special enforcement drive specifically targets bogus billing and the movement of goods without proper documentation, with expected penalties set to exceed Rs 3.5 crore for violators. He said: “The State Investigation & Preventive Unit (SIPU) of the Taxation Department successfully executed the strategic, large-scale enforcement drive on Friday. The operation was heavily concentrated on the state’s prominent iron and steel belt, encompassing Mandi Gobindgarh, Khanna and adjoining areas, with the primary objective to decisively curb tax evasion occurring through illegal practices.” The minister said over 200 vehicles transporting iron scrap and finished steel goods were impounded for verification during the the special action. Cheema said: “The total quantity of the intercepted goods is estimated to be over 2,400 metric tonnes.” World Environment Day: Forest Dept awaits return of over 200 acres Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 5 As World Environment Day is observed globally and efforts are being made to expand the green cover and protect the environment, over 200 acres of forest land in the district continue to remain out of the Forest Department’s possession, delaying plans for afforestation and maintain- Despite repeated requests, land across dist remains under encroachment or awaits formal transfer ing ecological balance. Despite repeated requests made to the authorities concerned, several chunks of land spread across different areas of the district remain either under encroachment Residents take part in Ploggers Drive 2.0 to mark World Environment Day in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN or await formal transfer to the Forest Department. Environmentalist Col Jasjit Singh Gill said the Forest Department had written to the district administration, seeking demarcation of the land that legally belongs to it. “The department has already won cases against village panchayats and individual encroachers. The only pending step is demarcation and handing over possession of the land to it. Once it’s done, the department can further develop forest areas and expand the green cover, which would greatly benefit the environment,” he said. As per information, land c m y b parcels awaiting transfer were located in Khera Bet-I, Khera Bet-II, Kot Umra and Gorsian Khan Mohammad villages. In Kot Umra, the Forest Department won 22 cases and around 50 acres are yet to be returned to it. In Gorsian Khan Mohammad, the department succeeded in winning 45 cases, involving nearly 167 acres, which are to be returned. Besides, about 79 acres in Khera Bet-I and 154 acres in Khera Bet-II are also awaiting transfer. A substantial portion of the land is allegedly under illegal occupation. Forest officials maintain that once these parcels were demarcated and formally handed over, the department would be able to undertake plantation drives and significantly increase the district’s green cover. Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain said he had directed the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jagraon, to examine the matter on a priority basis. “The paddy sowing season is going on and field activity is at its peak. The demarcation process will be carried out soon so that the land can be handed back to the Forest Department,” he said. Over 1,300 take part in Ploggers Drive 2.0 On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Philanthropy Club, in collaboration with the district administration, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, and City Needs, organised Ploggers Drive 2.0, bringing residents together against plastic pollution and promoting the vision of a clean and green Ludhiana. DC Himanshu Jain, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Neeru Katyal Gupta, ADC (General) Payal Goyal, MC Assistant Commissioner Jasdev Singh Sekhon and other administrative officials were among those present. Over 1,300 citizens enthusiastically participated in the initiative. Starting at 5:30 am, participants covered over 25 routes across the city, jogging while collecting plastic waste. The collected waste was deposited at the designated MC collection point outside Rose Garden. Around 35 NGOs, schools, colleges, corporate organisations and educational institutions joined the drive. Philanthropy Club founder Lakhminder Kaur said 35 teams collected plastic waste from Sarabha Nagar, Malhar Road, Ghumar Mandi, Model Town, Shimlapuri, South City Road, Dugri, PAU Road, Mall Road, Preet Palace, Bharat Nagar Chowk and other areas. The DC flagged off one of the teams from Sutlej Club and emphasized the importance of community participation in environmental conservation. tion had deteriorated significantly. “When we reached the hospital, doctors declared the baby dead. We believe there was negligence in handling the delivery, which caused the tragedy,” he said. The grieving family staged a protest outside the hospital and demanded a fair probe into the matter. They urged the authorities to examine treatment records and fix responsibility, if any lapse was found. Inspector Japinder Kumar, SHO, Shimlapuri police station, said: “We have taken the complaint from the victim’s family and the issue has also been raised with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and the authorities are forming a special investigation team (SIT).” NRI booked for using forged documents to get Aadhaar card Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 5 The Sarabha Nagar police have registered a case on charges of fraud and forgery against a non-resident Indian (NRI) based in Australia for allegedly getting an Aadhaar card using forged documents, said officials. The suspect, Jaspreet Kaur, a native of Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly got the card using fabricated documents linked to her deceased husband. The case was registered on the complaint by her motherin-law, Balwinder Kaur, a resident of New BRS Nagar. According to the complainant, Jaspreet married her son, Amarbeer Singh, in 2023. Following Amarbeer’s death, the suspect obtained a duplicate cremation slip from the cremation ground at Sunet and used the document to support her Aadhaar application. Balwinder alleged the suspect concealed material facts and furnished incorrect information to the authorities to secure the document. She further claimed official records were manipulated through misrepresentation, causing financial and legal concerns for the family. Police officials said the allegations were examined during a preliminary inquiry. Investigating officer ASI Ajit Pal Singh said the police were verifying the documents and circumstances under which the Aadhaar card was obtained. As the suspect currently resides abroad, the police are also looking into legal procedures required for further action in the case.