13062026-JTR-01.qxd 6/12/2026 10:48 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ACTIVIST FLAGS SEVERE POLLUTION IN BIST DOAB CANAL ARTIST PORTRAYS NATURE, TRIBAL LIFE IN MONOCHROMATIC ART Human figures emerge quietly from texture and shadow, telling their stories without words. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 21°C AKSHAY KUMAR SHARES HIS TAKE ON RETIREMENT Once a clean water channel where people used to bathe, the canal has now turned into an eyesore. P2 FORECAST Akshay Kumar believes that a person should take retirement only a few seconds before death. P4 » » SUNSET SATURDAY 7.32 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5:22 AM » SATURDAY | 13 JUNE 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. AAP top brass in city today for traders’ meet, bhajanevent Industry to flag issues |10K devotees likely to attend programme Tribune News Service INBRIEF ASSAULT : 3 OF FAMILY BOOKED Phagwara: The Nakodar police have booked three of family on the charge of assaulting a villager. The accused have been identified as Manni of Malarri village and his two brothers, Sunni and Mandeep. Jaspal of the same village complained to the police that the accused assaulted him and seriously injured and threatened him with dire consequences. OC FOUR 'DRUG PEDDLERS' HELD Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a man on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. Sixteen tablets were seized from the possession of the accused Balwindar Singh of Uggi village. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against him. The Shahkot police have arrested Dhiraj Kumar, alias Titu, of Pati Haveli, Malsian village, with 20 intoxicating tablets. The Bilga police have arrested Balwant Singh and Balkar Singh of Nawan Khehra Bet village in Ludhiana with 70 intoxicating tablets. OC COUPLE NABBED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have arrested a couple on the charge of assaulting a villager. The accused have been identified as Gian Singh of Jania Chahal village and his wife Gurjit Kaur. OC MC Commissioner Randeep Singh Heer being welcomed by Mayor Rampal Uppal. Heer takes charge as MC Commissioner Phagwara , June 12 Randeep Singh Heer took charge as Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, Phagwara, on Friday. He was welcomed by Mayor Rampal Uppal and officials of the Municipal Corporation during a reception held at the civic body’s office. Speaking to mediapersons, Heer said addressing the concerns and civic issues of Phagwara residents on a priority basis would be his foremost objective. He emphasized his commitment to ensuring efficient public services and prompt resolution of grievances related to the Municipal Corporation. He also appealed to city residents to approach him directly if they face any problems concerning municipal services or civic administration, assuring them of full cooperation and timely action. Several MC officials and councillors were present on the occasion. — OC Jalandhar, June 12 The Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia, AAP state president Aman Arora and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, will be in Jalandhar on Saturday to attend two events. In the afternoon, the leaders will participate in a programme at Apeejay College of Fine Arts being organised by the Punjab State Traders’ Commission. The commission will hear grievances of traders and attempt to address their concerns. Invitations have been sent to various trader bodies and around 25 industrialists, with a gathering of nearly 400 participants expected. Members of the Federation of Industry and Trade (FIT), led by its president Sunil Sharma, are also expected to attend the event and raise the demand for complete exemption for small induction furnace units up to two tonne per hour capacity from the mandatory installation of sec- All arrangements in place for bhajan sandhya in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH In the evening, all leaders will attend a bhajan event at the Sain Dass School grounds. Elaborate arrangements have been made at the venue which is being considered mainly as the show of AAP general secretary Deepak Bali, who has also been an aspirant for the Jalandhar Central Assembly seat. Bali said, “There will be 2530 Hindu saints from across the state, including from Pathankot, Talwara, Ludhiana SAD leader killed over land dispute Man dies of drug ‘overdose’ Hoshiarpur, June 12 An Akali leader was allegedly murdered with sharp-edged weapons following a land dispute at Mannan village on the Hoshiarpur-Una road. The deceased has been identified as Harpinder Singh, alias Sonu, son of Surjit Singh. According to family members, a land dispute had been going on in the village for some time. They said the court had given its decision in favour of Harpinder Singh, but the other party was unhappy and held a grudge against him. Family members alleged that the accused often tried to provoke and harass Harpinder Singh. On Wednesday evening, when he was returning home, seven persons allegedly waylaid him near his house and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons. He suffered serious injuries in the attack. Harpinder Singh was rushed to a private hospital in Hoshiarpur, where he later succumbed to his injuries. His wife Manpreet Kaur and other family members have demanded strict action against all those involved in the murder. They said Harpinder was having a dispute related to a piece of land in village and the other party was annoyed because the court order had come in his favour. They alleged that owing to this enmity, they killed Harpinder. SHO Baljinder Singh Mallhi of Sadar Police Station said two of the seven accused named in the case have been arrested. They will be produced before a court to seek police remand. Nawanshahr, June 12 A 32-year-old man from Rahon in Nawanshahr was found dead in a suspected drug overdose case, the police said today. A syringe was recovered from the spot, raising suspicion of substance abuse. According to the police, the deceased worked as a parcel delivery worker. Officials involved in the investigation stated that he had been struggling with drug addiction. “The family is financially weak and due to his addiction, family members often tried to prevent him from leaving the house,” an official familiar with the investigation said. The incident came to light after the railway authorities informed the police that a man was lying unconscious near the railway premises around 11 am. Upon receiving information, police teams reached the spot and initiated an investigation. — TNS Rajput scripts U-19 success story Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 12 Jalandhar’s young cricketer Arjun Rajput has been selected for the India U-19 squad for the upcoming one-day tour of Sri Lanka. Behind his achievement lies the story of his family’s perseverance. His father, Hoti Ram, who ran a chholekulche cart until a year ago, now operates a bakery where he prepares and delivers kulchas. Recalling the struggles the family faced, Hoti Ram said, “Life was full of challenges. I took loans to ensure good education for my children and to pay their fees, besides managing household expenses. Today, those burdens feel lighter.” Hoti Ram was speaking while on his way to deliv- Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 12 Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has suffered an estimated loss of Rs 1.25 crore in its North Zone after a severe storm lashed the region during the intervening night of June 11 and 12. Kapurthala circle the worst hit ondary air pollution control devices and secondary emission fume extraction systems. They are also seeking withdrawal of the requirement for ~50,000 bank guarantee and mandatory PSCST technical evaluation for such small units. The members had recently also met Secretary, Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Government of Punjab, KK Yadav, seeking waivers for the small scale industry. Our Correspondent Storm causes ~1.25 cr loss to PSPCL in Doaba er kulchas, a routine he still continues. Arjun’s cricketing journey began at the age of seven when he joined the Harbhajan Singh Institute of Cricket in Jalandhar. Even after the academy shut down, those associated with his development ensured that his talent did not go unnoticed. Vikram Sidhu, who was associated with the institute and trained Arjun, said he was determined to help the youngster continue his cricketing career. “When the academy closed, I made sure Arjun’s talent did not go waste. I helped him get admission to a prominent school and requested the management to waive his fee so that he could continue pursuing both his education and cricket,” he said. Arjun credited his family for being his biggest support. “They never let me feel their struggles. They only wanted me to focus on cricket and give my best,” he said. c m y b and Patiala, who will attend the event. All MLAs from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency will also be a part of it. I am expecting a gathering of 8,000-10,000 devotees. Arrangement for the parking of their vehicles and langar have been made in the adjoining grounds of the school.” Meanwhile, all shopkeepers around the area had been asked to keep their shutters down today and tomorrow in view of security arrangements. Officials said the high velocity winds wreaked havoc on the local power distribution network, knocking out 217 electricity feeders across four major circles. According to the damage assessment, Kapurthala circle was the worst hit, with losses estimated at Rs 70.32 lakh. The district reported damage to 550 power poles, 56 transformers and about 1 km of conductor wire. Hoshiarpur circle suffered losses of Rs 26.19 lakh, with 90 poles and 21 transformers damaged. In Jalandhar circle, losses were pegged at Rs 23.93 lakh, with damage to 16 poles and 10 transformers. Nawanshahr circle reported the least impact, with 38 poles damaged and losses estimated at Rs 4.83 lakh. Firing at garment outlet triggers panic in city Owners got ~50L ransom call Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 12 Panic gripped Santokhpura after two unidentified bikeborne youths opened fire at BMS Fashions showroom on Friday afternoon. The incident occurred around 3.30 pm when two shots were fired at the glass panes near the entrance, shattering them instantly. The attack came a day after the showroom owners allegedly received a ransom call. Subhash Chander, owner of the showroom, said his son received a call from an unknown number around 5 pm on Thursday, which went unanswered. He later received a WhatsApp call in which the caller allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh. The owner said, “We reported the matter with Rama Mandi Police Station and also brought it to the notice of the office of Police Commissioner, Jalandhar. Today, they fired gunshots. Within two hours of the incident, the caller again contacted my son, reiterating the demand and claiming that approaching senior police offi- YOUTH HURT IN FIRING n A second incident of firing was reported in Dashmesh Nagar here around 9.30 pm today. Saurav (22) was standing outside his house when bikeborne youths opened fire at him. He sustained gunshot injuries. n According to family members, a youth from the Basti Sheikh area, reportedly known to Saurav, was behind the attack. cials would not make a difference. The call was received in the presence of police teams inspecting the site.” He added that the security guard was inside the showroom having lunch at the time of the incident and escaped unhurt. The owner was not present on the premises when the incident occurred. ADCP , Investigation, Jayant Puri, said, “We have recovered one shell from the site. Our teams are still investigating the matter and taking statement of the showroom owners. Our team, including those from the PCR, SHOs and ACPs, had arrived immediately after receiving the information.”