16072026-LT-01.qxd 7/15/2026 11:53 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ACTIVIST SEEKS STEPS TO CURB CANAL POLLUTION 20 MORE AAM AADMI CLINICS TO BE INAUGURATED SOON TRAILER OF MASSEY-STARRER MUSAFIR CAFE FINALLY OUT Environmentalist writes to CM, urges him to ensure sewage discharge into the water body is stopped. P2 The opening of new clinics will increase the total number of such facilities in the district to 131. P3 The trailer offers a glimpse into a story where love, ambition and companionship play a lead role. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 37°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 28°C SUNSET THURSDAY 7.25 PM » SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:32 AM THURSDAY | 16 JULY 2026 | LUDHIANA 3-yr-old crushed to death by school bus; driver detained 19 minors rescued from 2 factories, case against owners Tribune News Service Accompanied by mother, boy had come to see off sister to school Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 15 A three-year-old child was crushed to death by a private school bus at Bhaini Shalu village near Kohara in Ludhiana on Wednesday morning. The boy, accompanied by his mother, had come to see his elder sister off to school. After the accident, the driver tried to flee with the bus, but villagers nabbed him after a chase and handed him over to the police. The villagers alleged that the driver did not have a valid driving licence and was still allowed to ferry school children. As per information, around 7 am Amandeep Kaur went out of the house to drop her daughter Ramandeep Kaur. Her son Samardeep was also with her. As Amandeep was helping her daughter onto the bus, Samardeep walked to the front of the bus. As soon as Ramandeep boarded the bus, the driver accelerated without noticing the child in front of the vehicle. According to the child’s mother, both front and rear tyres passed over him, killing him on the spot. Alert locals foil snatching bid, catch suspect Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 15 Alert locals foiled a chainsnatching attempt and caught one of the suspects. Two men on a bike attempted to snatch a woman’s chain while she was buying medicine. However, the woman who was accompanied by her daughter fought back. Hearing the noise, people rushed to the spot. They caught the accused and thrashed him. Confessing to the snatching bid, the suspect pleaded with the people to let him go, saying he has four daughters. The incident was captured on a CCTV camera installed nearby. Upon receiving the information, personnel from Police Division 6 reached the spot and detained the accused. Deceased Samardeep Bus driver Navdeep Singh After the accident, the villagers alleged, instead of stopping the bus the driver tried to flee but villagers and passers-by followed him in their vehicles. He was apprehended a short distance away and handed over to the police. According to eyewitnesses, the driver said it was not his fault, which further fuelled public anger. The police reached the spot and took the driver into custody. The deceased boy’s uncle, Rashpinder Singh, said there was no attendant to help children board and disembark from the school bus. The bus driver was about 19 years old. When asked to show his licence, he failed to produce one and said he had a photo of the document in his mobile phone. However, he couldn’t show the photo because his phone was broken. Singh further alleged that condition of the school bus was poor. It was without a valid number plate. He demanded that all school buses be inspected to ensure safety regulations are followed and strict action be taken against those responsible for negligence. The child’s uncle demanded an impartial investigation into the matter, besides seeking strict action against the culprit. It should also be investigated on what basis the driver was appointed and whether he possessed the necessary documents, he added. The villagers said the school bus bore a Haryana registration plate. According to regulations, the bus should not have been operating here, they claimed, adding that it also lacked a rear registration number plate. Head Constable Jagtar Singh of the Koom Kalan police station said the driver was taken into custody and action was being taken in the case as per the law. Koom Kalan SHO Madhu Bala said the accused driver, Navdeep Singh Garcha, was taken into custody. After investigating every aspect of the case, the police placed the child's body in the Civil Hospital mortuary. A case was registered against the accused driver and the management of BITS International Convent School violating the norms. The police would add the other names in the case as the probe progresses, the SHO added. The police try to stop a march by MGNREGA workers in Khanna on Wednesday. Police use tear gas, lathicharge to stop MGNREGA workers’ march Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 15 A protest by MGNREGA workers demanding regularisation of services and release of pending wages turned violent in Khanna on Wednesday after the police used tear gas shells and resorted to lathicharge to stop the demonstrators from marching towards the residence of Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond. Hundreds of MGNREGA employees and workers from 23 districts and nearly 250 blocks of Punjab had gathered at Prem Bhandari Park to press for their long-pending demands. They sought regularisation of employees who have been working in the department for several years, release of pending salaries and settlement of other issues. WORKER DIES IN MISHAP In a separate incident, one MGNREGA worker was killed and at least 12 were injured while a vehicle carrying them overturned after being hit by another vehicle. The workers were returning from the protest when the goods carrier was hit by another vehicle near Bija. The deceased was identified as Sukhdev Singh. The police are investigating the matter. After holding a rally, the protesters started marching towards the minister’s residence on Amloh Road. A heavy police force had already been deployed outside Sond’s residence. As the protesters attempted to cross the barricades, a confrontation broke out between them and the police. The police tried to stop the crowd before firing tear gas shells and carrying out a lath- Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 15 Mahesh Sharma, a cherished member of The Tribune family, passed away around 9 am today after battling cancer. He was 71. Sharma is survived by his son, Venu Gopal, who was by his side when he breathed his last at Oswal Cancer Hospital in Ludhiana, and his daughter, Jasmine, who lives in Australia. Sharma was diagnosed with cancer barely six to seven weeks ago after he began experiencing persistent stomach pain and indigestion. Yet, the illness never diminished his spirit and his unwavering commitment to writing for The Tribune. His passion for reporting All kids sent to Child Welfare Committee The team also conducted a raid at another unit and rescued two more minors. All 19 children were taken to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) office for further legal proceedings and care. Based on the complaint, a case under Sections 3 and 14 of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and Sections 75 and 79 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, was registered against the owners of both units at the Jodhewal police station. The police are investigating the matter and further legal action will be taken based on the investigation. ~1.26 cr recovered from ticketless travellers in Ludhiana NH-44 blockade over Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 15 With over Rs 1.26 crore collected as fines from ticketless travellers in June, the Ludhiana junction topped all railway stations under the Ferozepur Division. Amritsar station stood second with a collection of Rs 61 lakh. As per the details supplied by the Indian Railways, 40,244 ticketless travellers were caught last month. Of these, most were caught at Ludhiana railway station during the ticket checking drive. A senior railway official said Ferozepur Division’s ticket checking teams are continuously checking trains to curb the tendency of ticketless travel. In June, the division’s ticket checking staff and Chief Ticket Inspectors detected 40,244 passengers travelling without tickets. They recovered approximately Rs 3.16 crore in fines from them. To keep railway stations clean and prevent littering, regular checks are being conducted at major stations of the division, besides organising awareness campaigns. In June, 375 passengers were booked for littering railway stations under the Anti-Littering Act and over Rs 69,000 was recovered from them. Divisional Railway Manager Sanjeev Kumar said that ticket checking drives will continue in Ferozepur Division. The main objective of the checks is to provide safe and comfortable travel facilities to passengers who hold valid tickets. Ticket checking ensures that unauthorised or ticketless travellers do not cause inconvenience to bona fide passengers, he added. A railway official said ticketless travel causes loss to the Railways, besides inconveniencing other passengers. Amritsar station second in Ferozepur Division with ~61L collected in fines in June remained undeterred until the very end. He would often reassure me with all his support, “Madam, main stories karda ravanga, fikar na kareo” (Madam, I will keep filing stories. Don’t worry). I would always respond, “Your health comes first, Mahesh ji. Don’t worry about work.” True to his commitment, he filed two stories even after undergoing his first chemotherapy session. The last story he filed for the Ludhiana edition’s sports page on July 9 highlighted the growing concern over sports injuries, noting that increasing participation in sporting activities without proper guidance has led to a rise in such cases. For The Tribune family, the loss is irreparable. During periods of staff shortage or Mahesh Sharma demanding assignments, Sharma was someone everyone could depend upon. Even while on leave, he would make sure that the work did not suffer. One memory of his kindness remains etched in my mind. Around six-seven years ago while he was working with the State Bank of India, civic problems leaves commuters stranded Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service A ticket examiner checks a passenger at the Ludhiana railway station. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN A journalist committed to his craft till the last breath Shivani Bhakoo icharge to disperse the protesters. Several protesters, including women employees, were injured during the police action. Union leaders said MGNREGA employees had been serving the Rural Development Department for nearly 18 years, but had not been regularised. They alleged that salaries had remained pending for months, pushing many workers into financial hardship. The incident also triggered political reactions. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring criticised the state government and alleged that workers demanding their legitimate dues were met with force instead of dialogue. In a post on social media, he claimed that the protesters were peacefully chanting “Satnam Waheguru” when teargas shells were fired at them. Ludhiana, July 15 The police have registered a case against two factory owners, who allegedly employed minors as workers. Nineteen children were also rescued from the two factories situated on Rahon road. Ritu, a Bathinda resident and a project officer at Bachpan Bachao organisation, was the complainant in the case. On July 12, she and her team raided a factory and rescued 17 minor children who were employed as labourers. he happened to visit the SBI Treasury Branch in Ludhiana, located next to my residence. Carrying a stainless-steel can filled with freshly prepared ‘sarson saag, he rang my doorbell. When I asked why he had done all this, he smiled and said, “Tuhanu saag da shauk hai, pind da saag khawana si” (You are fond of sarson ka saag, so I wanted you to taste the authentic village preparation). Sharma’s association with The Tribune started in 2001 and it continued until his last breath. Alongside his journalistic career, he served as a cashier with the State Bank of India before retiring in 2017. “My father never lost hope. Even when he was put on a ventilator yesterday, he fought with all his strength. His blood c m y b pressure suddenly dropped and he passed away this morning,” said his son, Venu Gopal. Even in his final hours, Sharma asked his son to hand him a pen and paper because he wanted to write something. But his trembling hands could no longer support him enough to put his thoughts into words. The family is awaiting the arrival of his daughter from Australia before performing the last rites at Mandi Ahmedgarh. Beyond his professionalism, Sharma will always be remembered for his warmth and thoughtful nature. He never came to The Tribune office empty-handed. On one occasion, he brought packets of the famous Mandi Ahmedgarh milk cake especially for our Editor-in-Chief Jyoti Malhotra and other colleagues, a simple yet heartfelt gesture that reflected the kind of person he was. SCD alumni pay tributes The SCD Government College Ludhiana Alumni Association mourned the passing away of Mahesh Sharma. “The SCD Government College Ludhiana Alumni Association deeply mourns the untimely demise of our illustrious journalist alumnus, Mahesh Sharma. His passing has created a great void in society. Through his ground-level developmental reporting from the Malwa region, he consistently highlighted issues of long-term public importance,” said Brij Bhushan Goyal, organising secretary of the Alumni Association. Ludhiana, July 15 Traffic on the Amritsar-Delhi National Highway (NH-44) came to a standstill for nearly an hour on Wednesday after residents of Rahon Road held a blockade at Basti Jodhewal Chowk to press for their longpending civic demands. The protest caused long queues of vehicles on both sides, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded amid humid weather. Office-goers, school children, transporters and other travellers remained stuck as vehicles moved at a snail’s pace. Several motorists expressed frustration, saying they were forced to wait despite having no connection with the issues being raised by the protesters. The agitation was organised by residents of Rahon Road with the support of the Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union and the Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union (Chaduni). The protesters marched from Mattewara forest before assembling at Basti Jodhewal Chowk, where they blocked the highway. The protesters demanded immediate reconstruction of Rahon Road, improved sewerage and removal of illegal roadside vendors, alleging that repeated complaints to the authorities had failed to produce any results. They said Rahon Road had remained in a poor condition for a long time despite government claims of undertaking largescale road development across Punjab. The residents alleged that deep potholes had made commuting hazardous, while an inadequate sewerage system resulted in waterlogging even after short spells of rain. They said rainwater filled the potholes, making it difficult for motorists to navigate and increasing the chances of accidents. With the monsoon season set to intensify, they feared the situation would deteriorate in the coming weeks. They alleged that no concrete action was taken and that the authorities deployed JCB machines only a day before the protest to give the impression that work had begun. Protest lifted after SDM’s assurance The blockade was lifted only after officials from the district administration, MC and the Public Works Department reached the site and held discussions with the protesters. SDM Jasleen Kaur assured the protesters that the road project would be taken up within the next few days. She added that the MC would address the sewerage issue, while officials maintained that drives against illegal vendors were being conducted regularly. Following the assurance that the issues would be resolved by July 27, the protesters dispersed. Meanwhile, commuters questioned the decision to block the NH. Hardeep Singh, who was caught in the traffic jam, said people were justified in raising their demands but public inconvenience should also be considered. “Thousands of commuters were delayed because of the blockade. The protest could have been held outside the offices of the department concerned instead of stopping traffic on such an important highway,” he said.