30062026-LT-01.qxd 6/30/2026 12:56 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune SCHOOL INNOVATORS EMBARK ON ISRO VISIT Students of BVM, Kitchlu Nagar, depart for an educational visit to ISRO, Ahmedabad. P3 » 10 VISUALLY IMPAIRED YOUTH EQUIPPED WITH COMPUTER SKILLS TEYANA TAYLOR WINS BIG AT THE 2026 BET AWARDS A 26-day skill development training programme for visually impaired youth was organised by NGO Saksham Punjab.P3 Teyana was a top winner at Black BET Awards, which honours Black actors, singers & sports stars. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 38°C | MIN 31°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 30°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7:28 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:24 AM TUESDAY | 30 JUNE 2026 | LUDHIANA 2 suspects barge into house, hack school owner to death Held victim, 15-year-old son hostage before committing crime Nikhil Bhardwaj GOT VITAL CLUES, THEY WILL BE HELD SOON: ACP Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 29 The owner and principal of a private school was found brutally killed at Jandiali village in Jamalpur here. A sharp injury mark was found on the throat of the deceased. The deceased has been identified as 50-year-old Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal, who runs a school adjoining his house. The incident occurred late on Sunday night. After getting information, officials from the Jamalpur police station and CIA staff rushed to the scene. As per the deceased’s son, Yuvi (15), two men entered their house late on Sunday night. The suspects held him and his father hostage and Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal, the deceased. ACP Inderjit Singh Boparai said a thorough probe was underway. The police have got some vital clues about the persons involved in the murder. Soon, the suspects will be arrested. Evidence was being collected from the scene and footage from nearby CCTV cameras is also being examined to determine the cause of the incident and identify the suspects. attacked them. Afterwards, they assaulted his father with a sharp weapon, resulting in his death. He said his father was a lawyer and ran a school, ‘Dhaliwal Senior Secondary School’, which provided education up to Class VIII. The boy claimed he raised the alarm after the incident, prompting nearby residents to reach the scene and inform the police. Police sources said it was a blind murder case and they were probing it from various angles. The deceased’s wife was not at home during the incident as she was in Bhopal to appear for some exam. The autopsy will be conducted after her arrival. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Inderjit Singh Boparai, who is leading the investigation, said a thorough probe was underway. Evidence was being collected from the scene and footage from nearby CCTV cameras is also being examined to determine the cause of the incident and identify the suspects. “The police have got some vital clues about the persons involved in the murder. Soon, the suspects will be arrested,” Boparai said. Admn apathy The bust of Mahatma Gandhi located near Mata Rani Chowk is in a state of neglect. Once meant to be a site of respect, the spot is used by homeless for shelter. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA Youth abducted as two groups clash Ludhiana, June 29 A clash reported between two rival groups in Sector 32 on Chandigarh road on Sunday night. Both groups also exchanged fire. Fortunately no one suffered any bullet injury. After the clash, Shivam, a member of one of the groups was bundled inside a Toyota Innova vehicle. The suspects thrashed him in the vehicle. After a few hours, the police managed to recover Shivam safely near the Chandigarh road. ACP (East) Raj Kumar said Shivam had an old rivalry with another group. On Sunday night, Shivam, along with his two friends, met his rival group members. They exchanged heated arguments. In no time, the arguments turned into a clash. “Shivam was possessing an illegal weapon. He opened fire with the gun. Even the opposite group members also opened fire. Nobody suffered any bullet injury. He was later cornered by his rival group members who bundled him into their vehicle and fled the scene. Acting on a tip-off, the police conducted a raid and rescued Shivam. Since he also opened fire from illegal weapon, he was arrested by the police along with the pistol,” the ACP said. — TNS Power cuts hit farmers, industry hard Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 29 The state’s twin engines of growth, agriculture and industry, are reeling under the strain of erratic electricity supply, leaving farmers stranded in the midst of paddy sowing and MSMEs struggling to meet production schedules. The prolonged and unscheduled power cuts have sparked anger in villages and anxiety in industrial clusters, exposing the fragility of the state’s energy management at a critical juncture. For cultivators, the disruption has stalled irrigation and left standing crops vulnerable to drying. “Against the promised eight hours, we are getting only four to six hours of power supply. Tube wells lying idle while the crop suffers,” said Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from Jagraon. Many farmers have resorted to running diesel generators but that has led to a sharp increase in input costs. If things continue in the same way, it will become difficult during the paddy season as water will be required in abundance and for that we need electricity to run tube well,” said HS Lakhowal, president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal). “Against the promise of eight hours, we are getting only four to six hours of power supply,” he said. Leaders of unions warned that the government’s failure to ensure uninterrupted supply was pushing cultivators into a crisis. “If the situa- Both farmers and industrialists have warned of intensifying protests if corrective steps not taken. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN KEY IMPACT ■ Irrigation stalled, crop cycle at risk ■ Small units already battling ■ Running diesel generators has led to a sharp increase in input costs ■ MSMEs face halt in production, delayed dispatches, machinery damages labour shortages, rising raw material costs ■ PSPCL struggles to meet demands of farmers and industry during peak summer load tion continues, the losses will be unbearable,” cautioned Dilbagh Singh of the Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union. Those who can afford diesel generators are facing spiralling costs while small farmers are left waiting end- lessly for power. “The cost of diesel is eating into our margins. How can we survive when the basic need of electricity is not met?” asked Balwinder Singh of Machhiwara. Farmers fear that delays in transplantation will dis- turb the entire crop cycle, affecting yields and harvest schedules. The industrial sector, meanwhile, is equally distressed. The Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) has raised the alarm over frequent cuts imposed on units under the 11 kV category, particularly MSMEs. “Small and medium industries work on strict delivery schedules and limited resources. Interruptions halt production, delay dispatches and damage machinery. It directly affects competitiveness and survival,” said JS Bhogal, senior vice-president of the CICU. CICU president Upkar Singh Ahuja noted that MSMEs were already battling labour shortages, weak global demand and rising raw material prices. Escalating logistics costs could not withstand the added burden of unscheduled power cuts. “Industries contribute significantly to the state’s economy and employment. Safeguarding them is essential for Punjab’s growth,” he said, urging the government to arrange additional electricity through alternative sources and power exchanges. Both farmers and industrialists have warned of intensifying protests if corrective measures were not taken. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) faces mounting pressure to balance the competing demands of agriculture and industry during the peak summer load. Suspect in theft case nabbed from Delhi, stolen gold necklace set recovered Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 29 The Ludhiana police solved a theft case with the arrest of the suspect. He had stolen a gold necklace set from a shop by posing as a client. ACP (Central) Anil Kumar Bhanot, SHO, Kotwali, inspector Paramvir Singh shared details of the case with the media on Monday. The 22-year-old suspect was a professional stock market trader. He suffered significant losses in the share market trading recently. He allegedly resorted to shortcuts to recoup the losses and debts. The incident occurred on June 9, around 11:35 am. Atma Prakash, a resident of Salem Tabri, owned a jewellery shop. The suspect entered his shop, posing as a regular customer and asked to see a gold set. When the shopkeeper took a gold necklace and earrings from his locker and showed to him, he began to examine them closely. When the shopkeeper’s attention was diverted, he took the entire gold set and fled the spot. Following the incident, the Kotwali police registered a case against the suspect and an investigation was initiated. The police examined the CCTV camera footage. Based on details received from informers, the police arrested the suspect in Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin West area on June 25. During interrogation, he confessed to his crime and revealed that he had sold the stolen gold in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The court granted the suspect a three-day police remand and, without further delay, launched a raid in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. On June 27, the police successfully recovered the entire stolen gold (weighing 27.97 gm). The Ludhiana police are now interrogating the accused to find out whether he has committed similar crimes at other places to compensate for the losses incurred in the stock market. Daily wager found AAP MLAs’ two sons to attend first F&CC meeting Their inclusion triggered row as Oppn had murdered in village termed nominations ‘illegal’ Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 29 The body of a daily wager was found in Kular village, Jagraon town, here on Monday morning. The body was lying in the fields near a tube well room. After receiving information, officials from the Chowkiman police station rushed to the spot and began a probe. Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was murdered after a dispute over the sale of a bicycle. The deceased has been identified as Baijnath Yadav (50), a resident of Lakshmipur Bilahi village in Bihar. For the past 22 years, he had been working as a labourer on Pradeep Singh’s farm in Kular village. According to police, the suspect, Chaklesh Yadav, is also a native of the Bilahi village in Bihar. Some time ago, Chaklesh sold Baijnath’s bicycle, leading to a dispute between the two. Late on Sunday night, the dispute escalated and the suspect attacked Baijnath with a sharp weapon, killing him on the spot. The incident came to light on Monday morning when the farm owner found the body and informed the police. As per residents, the suspect and the victim were working as labourers in Kular village for a long time. They suspected that Chaklesh was an alcoholic and he committed the crime under the influence of alcohol. The police sent the body for autopsy. Police officials said a thorough investigation was on in the murder case. — TNS Ludhiana, June 29 The upcoming meeting of the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) of the Municipal Corporation, scheduled in this week where 70 development agendas will be discussed, is set to attract political attention as newly inducted committee members Aman Bagga and Yuvraj Sidhu, sons of two sitting AAP MLAs, will attend the meeting for the first time. However, their inclusion in the influential committee has triggered a political row, with Congress and BJP councillors alleging that the Mayor violated provisions of the Municipal Corporation Act by nominating the two councillors instead of getting them elected through the House. According to the law, the committee will comprise the Mayor, the two Deputy Mayors, two councillors elected by the councillors from among themselves and the Municipal Commissioner. The Act further states that the committee is empowered to exercise all powers of the corporation in relation to contracts entered into on its behalf and purchases made by it. The opposition has alleged that the nomination of two councillors by the Mayor, instead of their election by elected councillors as prescribed under the Act, is contrary to the statutory provisions and has sought withdrawal of the appointments. The opposition has already submitted a written representation to the Mayor, demanding that their coun- c m y b The MC officials during F&CC meeting in Ludhiana. FILE cilors should be considered in the F&CC committee. They claimed that the procedure adopted by the civic body was “totally illegal” and undermined democratic norms. Congress councillor Shyam Sunder Malhotra said the F&CC was one of the most important committees of the corporation as it decides the fate of major development works, tenders and financial proposals. He said transparency in such decisions could only be ensured if opposition councillors were also represented on the committee. “There are several shortcomings in clearing development project files only through the F&CC. There should be one or two opposition councillors in the committee to maintain transparency. The law clearly provides that councillor members should be elected, not nominated. Moreover, the consent of the House was never taken before including the two members,” Malhotra alleged. BJP councillor Poonam Rattra accused the ruling AAP of trying to tighten its control over the decisionmaking process. “Already, the committee comprises the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the Municipal Com- missioner. Now, by adding two AAP councillors through nomination, the ruling party will have complete control over approvals and rejection of development projects and tenders. Its is against democratic principles and completely illegal,” she alleged. The opposition maintained that the F&CC should not function without adequate representation from opposition councillors if transparency and accountability in civic administration are to be ensured. It also alleged that the ruling party was attempting to centralise decision-making in the committee by bypassing the election process prescribed under the Municipal Corporation Act. Despite repeated attempts Mayor Inderjit Kaur was not available for comments.