12082026-LT-01.qxd 8/12/2026 12:32 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune A FORGOTTEN SHRINE BLESSED BY 2 SIKH GURUS FIVE WOMEN AND A TOXIC TALE! ON INT’L YOUTH DAY, CELEBS SHARE LIFE LESSONS Gurdwara Gurusar Sahib at a village in Samrala holds in it the divine blessings of two Sikh Gurus. P3 Actor Yash says world is yet towitness full power of Nayanthara, Kiara, Huma and Rukmini’s performances. P4 Youth should focus on building skills, taking care of their mental well-being, says Chaitali Kohli. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 28°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7:07 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:49 AM WEDNESDAY | 12 AUGUST 2026 | LUDHIANA Fatal mishap on highway: Act against Two nabbed suspects got contractor, NHAI asks Khanna SSP arms from Pak smugglers HARJINDER SINGH MURDER CASE Nikhil Bhardwaj Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 11 Following a show-cause notice served by SDM (Khanna) Swati Tiwana and recommendation of an FIR registered against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) following the death of a resident due to a damaged road, the Project Director of the NHAI has written to the Khanna SSP to take legal action as per applicable provisions law against the contractor. The letter has been written by the Project Director, Priyanka Meena. In the letter, she has written that a fatal road accident occurred on August 6 in which a person, Amarjit Singh, of Ratanheri village, lost his life on a national highway stretch in Khanna. The accident occurred after the victim lost control over his two-wheeler due to a deep pothole on the carriageway, resulting in the vehicle falling on the road and subsequently the victim being run over by a truck coming from the rear. The Khanna SDM had also called upon the NHAI to explain the responsibility for the alleged negligence and A damaged stretch of a national highway in Khanna. ~75-LAKH PENALTY IMPOSED NHAI Project Director Priyanka Meena said in view of the deficiencies/lapses observed in discharge of the contractual maintenance obligations, the office had already imposed a penalty of ~75 lakh on the contractor in connection with the present incident. had directed that appropriate action be taken in the matter. The Project Director explained that the road was being maintained by the O&M contractor, AS Patel, in accordance with the applicable contractual provisions. “The contractor has been repeatedly instructed by the office from time to time to ensure proper and timely routine maintenance of the highway, rectification of pot- Upset over land dispute, man dies by suicide Ludhiana, August 11 Upset over an ongoing land dispute, a man died by suicide after consuming a poisonous substance. Acting on the statement of the deceased’s son, the Ludhiana police on Monday registered a case against three relatives of the victim and launched further investigation. In his statement to the police, Bhagwant Singh, a resident of Dehlon, said the family’s land was earlier in the name of his uncle, Hakam Singh. After the partition of the property, his father, Kesar Singh, received the land as his share. The complainant alleged that whenever his father visited the land, some relatives used to stop and harass him. Later, he went into depression due to the issue. Unable to bear tension, his father eventually consumed a poisonous substance. They rushed him to the Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, where doctors declared him brought dead. The Dehlon police have registered a case against Surjeet Kaur, Bikkar Singh and Charanjit Singh, residents of Mehal Kalan, Barnala, on the charges of abetment to suicide. After the registration of the case, the police launched an investigation to probe the role of the three named relatives and the land dispute. — TNS holes/road defects and maintenance of the carriageway in a safe and motorable condition. The contractor was also specifically and repeatedly directed to undertake intensified inspection, patrolling and prompt rectification of road defects during the monsoon season, keeping in view of the increased possibility of potholes and other pavement deficiencies during the period,” stated Meena in a com- munique to the SSP . She said despite the aforesaid repeated instructions and directions, the requisite maintenance and corrective measures were not carried out by the contractor with due diligence. The presence of the defective/potholed portion at the accident spot and the consequent fatal mishap indicate a serious lapse on the part of the agency entrusted with the operation and maintenance of the highway stretch, particularly in discharge of its routine maintenance, inspection and road safety obligations. The Project Director said in view of the deficiencies/lapses observed in discharge of the contractual maintenance obligations, the office had already imposed a penalty of Rs 75 lakh on AS Patel in connection with the present incident. Further, penalties have also been imposed on the contractor on earlier occasions for deficiencies/noncompliance with the stipulated maintenance and safety requirements. Hence, it was evident that the O&M contractor concerned had been adequately sensitised and repeatedly directed by the NHAI to ensure proper maintenance, regular inspection and immediate rectification of potholes/defects on the highway. However, failure to discharge the assigned maintenance obligations had resulted in a serious road safety incident culminating in the unfortunate loss of a human life, the NHAI official said. “The matter is, therefore, being brought to the notice of your office for initiation of such legal action as may be deemed appropriate under the applicable provisions of law against the contractor concerned responsible for the negligence/lapse. The NHAI is committed towards ensuring the safety and convenience of road users and takes matters concerning road safety and loss of human life with utmost seriousness. Any lapse or negligence on the part of the agency entrusted with operation and maintenance of the highway is viewed seriously and appropriate action is taken as per contractual provisions and applicable law,” said the Project Director in her letter to the SSP a copy of which is , with The Tribune. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 11 The arrest of two suspects in the murder case of Harjinder Singh, alias Harry Jhanda, led to major revelations that the miscreants were supplied weapons by their counterparts staying in Pakistan. One 9mm Glock Pistol was seized from the suspects and arrest of others may lead to the recovery of more sophisticated weapons. A statement issued by the Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, here on Tuesday, stated that the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Punjab, in a joint operation with the Ludhiana Commissionerate Police, apprehended two suspects wanted in the property dealer murder case and seized one 9MM Glock pistol along with one cartridge from their possession. Those arrested had been identified as Manjit Singh, alias Bobby, and Mohit Kumar, both residents of Chanderlok Colony here. As per information, several persons, who were armed with pistols and sharp weapons, attacked Harjinder in Swatantar Nagar of Ludhi- ana late on August 7, resulting in his death. The DGP said preliminary investigation had revealed that Manjit had a criminal history and had been involved in multiple criminal cases, including cases pertaining to attempt to murder and offences under the NDPS Act. ADGP AGTF Promod Ban, , , said police teams from the AGTF had received a credible human intelligence regarding whereabouts of two suspects wanted in the Harjinder Singh murder case, which was shared with the technical cell and movements of the suspects were traced successfully. Acting upon the technical inputs, AGTF teams led by Inspector Vikramjeet Singh launched a coordinated operation with the Police Commissionerate and arrested them from the Tibba area, he said. Commissioner of Police (CP), Ludhiana, Swapan Sharma, said other suspects involved in the crime had been identified and police teams were making efforts to nab them. A police official privy to the development said arrest of two suspects exposed the VB nabs patwari for accepting ~15K bribe Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 11 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing drive against corruption in the state has apprehended a patwari, Puneet Kumar Yadav, posted at Revenue Estate of Rurka, Dehlon, redhanded while accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000. An official spokesperson for the state VB said on Tuesday that the suspect had been arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by a resident of Dehlon tehsil in Ludhiana district. He said the patwari demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh in lieu of carrying out the division of the com- plainant’s land. In this regard, the suspect had already got a bribe of Rs 35,000 from the complainant. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the VB, Ludhiana. Acting on his complaint, the VB EOW team laid a trap during which the patwari was arrested red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. In this regard, a case under prevention of the Corruption Act has been registered against him at the VB EOW police station here and further investigation in the matter is under progress. Tribune News Service The suspect in custody of Vigilance Bureau sleuths in Ludhiana on Tuesday. Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 11 The Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) on Tuesday removed encroachments from around 3,000 square yards of its land in Block 2 of Maharishi Balmiki Nagar, where the property had allegedly remained occupied for nearly four decades. The land, which is part of the Trust’s 256-acre development scheme, is considered a valuable property and is expected to generate revenue for the civic body when put up for sale. Trust officials said the property would be considered for auction after completing the required formalities. In a separate action, the Trust also cleared two of its shops in Block D, Model Town Extension Part II, of encroachments. Officials said the shops would also be offered for sale through an upcoming auction. Ludhiana, August 11 The safety of young skaters practicing at the Municipal Corporation (MC) skating rink has come under question after complaints of unauthorised entry, alleged threats and damage to the sports facility were received by the authorities. A complaint submitted to the MC Commissioner has alleged that some unidentified persons have been entering the skating rink without permission for the past several days and troubling young players, including girls. According to complainants, the miscreants also allegedly misbehaved with players and their parents and threatened to damage the rink when questioned about their presence. The situation has reportedly become more serious with allegations that motor- LIT Chairman Tarsem Singh Bhinder said the action was part of an ongoing drive to reclaim Trust properties that had been under unauthorised occupation. He warned other encroachers to vacate LIT properties voluntarily, failing which it would take action as per law. “The drive against unauthorised occupation of Trust properties will continue. We will take possession of our properties and deal with illegal occupants as per law,” he said. Executive Engineer Vikram Kumar, assistant engineer Balbir Singh, Narinder Singla, Jaskaranbir Singh, other junior engineers and field staff were present during the operation. The LIT said similar action would continue against unauthorised occupation of its properties across the city. c m y b LPG cylinder stolen from judge’s house Nikhil Bhardwaj Encroachments removed from LIT Illegal entry at MC skating land in Maharishi Balmiki Nagar rink raises safety concerns A drive against encroachments in progress at Maharishi Balmiki Nagar. cross border link of the gang. Glock Pistol recovered from them was sent from Pakistan and the same was collected by their gang from Amritsar. Clearly, there might be more weapons sent to the gang by Pakistan-based suppliers related to the ISI. Key suspect Ravi Kumar had been into crime from long and facing several cases of drug smuggling and Arms Act. The suspects also had a link with a gang which had shot dead Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu at his residence-cum-school in Bhikhiwind of Tarn Taran district on October 16, 2020. The suspects who killed Balwinder were in touch with the ISI. Ravi was also nabbed in the murder case for harbouring the killers of Balwinder and spent a considerable time in jail. “Harjinder also has a criminal background and faced cases of Arms Act and NDPS Act in the past. The groups of Harjinder and Ravi had also come face to face three to four times earlier and on the unfortunate day, Harjinder was cornered by Ravi and his aides,” a police official said. MOTORCYCLE BEING DRIVEN ON SKATING TRACK The situation has reportedly become more serious with allegations that motorcycles are being driven on the skating track. Parents of some players said such movement not only poses a risk to children practicing on the track but could also damage the skating surface. cycles are being driven on the skating track. The parents of the players said such movement not only poses a risk to children practicing on the track but could also damage the skating surface. The complainants have also pointed to the damaged entrance gate of the rink, saying it has made it easier for outsiders to enter the premises. They have urged the civic body to repair the gate at the earliest and strengthen security at the facility. The complaint has sought verification of CCTV footage installed at the rink to identify those allegedly entering the premises and creating a nuisance. If CCTV cameras are not available at all vulnerable points, the complainants have demanded their installation. They have also sought deployment of security personnel at the rink and a strict ban on the entry of unauthorised persons and motor vehicles into the skating area. The skating rink is used by children and young players preparing for district, state and national-level competitions. The parents said the facility should provide a safe environment for practice and repeated incidents of alleged intimidation could discourage children from using the sports facility. The complainants have urged the corporation to treat the matter as a safety concern and take immediate steps to secure the premises, prevent unauthorised entry and protect the civic property. Ludhiana, August 11 A thief targeted a judge’s house. The incident occurred in Sarabha Nagar, one of the posh areas in the city, where a LPG cylinder was stolen from a judge’s house in broad daylight. According to reports, the incident occurred at the home of JMIC Gaurav Gupta. In the complaint, Shankar Singh, a resident of CRPF Colony, Dugri, who worked as a cook at the judge’s home, stated that on August 7, around 4 pm, when he went to make tea for the tuition teacher, the gas stove was not working. When he went outside to check, the LPG cylinder was missing. When the CCTV camera footage of the house was checked, it showed an unidentified man entering the house through the main gate around 3:22 pm. He picked up the cylinder placed it on his white Honda Activa and fled the scene. Based on the statement of the cook, the Police Division 5 registered a case against the unidentified suspect. Past incident Earlier in the last week of June, a theft was reported at the residence of Judicial Magistrate Amit Bakshi in BRS Nagar’s C Block. The complaint was lodged at the Sarabha Nagar police station by his gunman, ASI Jaswinder Pal. The judge was out of station when the theft occurred. After receiving a call from the judge, Jaswinder Pal visited the residence in BRS Nagar’s CBlock and found the house ransacked. Suspecting a theft, he reported the matter to the Sarabha Nagar police. A bicycle worth around Rs 40,000, silver articles and cash were stolen from the house. The case was yet to be cracked by the police.