23082026-ATR-01.qxd 8/22/2026 10:25 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C CAMPAIGN ENVISAGING CLEAN, SAFE CLASSROOMS LAUNCHED NEW ARTISTES RECLAIM WARMTH OF HARYANVI MUSIC ACTORS DRAW INSPIRATION FROM GREEN ETHNIC WEAR The School Education Department, Punjab, launches a ‘School Cleanliness and Readiness Campaign’. P2 This shift also highlights a broader truth: the Haryanvi dialect has always been flirty and humorous. P3 Traditionally associated with growth, the colour perfectly captures the lush and vibrant feel of monsoon. P4 » » » SUNSET SUNDAY 6.56 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5:54 AM SUNDAY | 23 AUGUST 2026 | AMRITSAR Jail inmate flees hospital, rearrested Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 22 A jail inmate undergoing treatment at a government TB hospital allegedly escaped after smashing the window of a bathroom. He, however, was nabbed by the police in Gurdaspur on Friday. The accused, identified as Deepak, a resident of Kiri Afgana village in Sri Hargobindpur and at present residing in Kandiala, Batala, was lodged in the Central Jail, Gurdaspur. He was admitted to the hospital on August 8. The hospital authorities said the accused was admitted with severe lung problem. On Wednesday, when the hospital staff went to check on him, he was found missing. According to the complaint filed by ASI Avtar Singh, Deepak had been undergoing treatment at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital since August 8. On August 20, warder Akashdeep Singh, posted at the jail control room, informed the authorities that the inmate had been taken to the toilet around 7.30 am. The inmate allegedly smashed the window of the bathroom and fled. The police during a search operation that followed failed continued on page 2 50-yr-old daily wager shot by two cousins No breakthrough in three targeted attacks, police probe under question Pawan K Jaiswar Amritsar, August 22 Questions are being raised over the progress of investigations into a series of targeted attacks and suspected terror strikes in the Amritsar border belt, with the police yet to make a major breakthrough in three significant cases — the IED ( improvised explosive device) blast outside the Khasa Army Cantonment on May 6, the broad daylight killing of Assistant SubInspector (ASI) Joga Singh in Majitha on May 24, and the recent recovery of an IED near Gaggomahal police post. The incidents, involving a military establishment, a police personnel and suspected explosives, have kept security agencies on alert in the strategically sensitive border district. Punjab, particularly the Amritsar-Gurdaspur border belt, has witnessed several incidents in recent months involving attempts to target police establishments and security personnel. The cases have assumed significance amid continued crossborder smuggling of drugs and weapons. The killing of ASI Joga Singh remains one of the most serious cases. Joga Singh, a Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 22 A 50-year-old man suffered serious injuries after two of his cousins allegedly entered his house and opened fire at him in the Mir Shah area under the Sadar police jurisdiction on Saturday. The victim, Ajay Pal Singh, was rushed to a private hospital by his family members and neighbours. He suffered three bullet injuries in his abdomen and was reportedly in a serious condition. The incident took place shortly after 2.30 pm. According to the family, Ajay Pal was home when the two accused, who are reportedly his maternal cousins, arrived. He took them into his room, where an argument broke out between them over an old dispute. The argument soon escalated, with the accused allegedly abusing Ajay Pal before firing three rounds at him. The bullets hit him in the abdomen, leaving him critically injured. The assailants fled the spot with their pistol after the shooting. Surinder Singh, said he and his family lived Cops record statements of the victim’s family. ASSAILANTS ON RUN ■ According to the family, Ajay Pal was home when the two accused, who are reportedly his maternal cousins, arrived. ■ An argument broke out between them over an old dispute. ■ It soon escalated, with the together in the Mir Shah area. He said Ajay Pal worked as a daily wager. Gurpreet Singh, SHO, Sadar police station, reached the spot soon after receiving information about the incident. He said statements of the family mem- Ball set rolling for infra upgrade Tribune News Service accused allegedly abusing Ajay Pal before firing three rounds at him. The bullets hit him in the abdomen, leaving him critically injured. ■ The assailants fled the spot with their pistol after the shooting. bers were being recorded and an attempt-to-murder case was being registered against the accused. Meanwhile, police have launched a hunt to track the suspects and are investigating the circumstances leading to the shooting. Four arrested for bike theft Our Correspondent Amritsar, August 22 Development works worth Rs 84 crore are set to be carried out by the Amritsar Improvement Trust in various parts of the city, with the focus being on roads, parking areas, stormwater drainage and public infrastructure. Among the key works is the laying of interlocking tiles at the 97-acre District Shopping Centre. The AIT will also develop and reorganise 17 parking areas under its schemes, where vehicles will be parked in a planned manner. Green belts and rainwater harvesting facilities will also be developed in these parking areas. A sum of Rs 3 crore of the total project cost will be spent on stormwater drainage and rainwater harvesting. The Trust plans to lay stormwater drainage over nearly 8 km. The Works worth ~84 crore will be carried out in Amritsar. work will cover 14 parking areas in the District Shopping Centre. As part of the rainwater harvesting initiative, 22 recharge chambers will be constructed in the parking areas. These chambers will be connected with the parking spaces so that rainwater can percolate into the ground instead of flowing into the sewerage system. The initiative is expected to help reduce waterlogging. In Ranjit Avenue, roads in C, D and E blocks will be recarpeted. The Trust will undertake maintenance of high-mast and streetlights in these blocks as well as in the 97-acre market. Several other areas under the Improvement Trust’’s schemes will also see development works. These include continued on page 2 Tarn Taran, August 22 A police party led by ASI Rajpal Singh arrested four persons for motorcycle theft during a naka near Rasulpur Nehran village on Friday. The police said the accused, Mukhtar Singh, alias Tara, and Yadvinder Singh Yada, residents of Nathu Chak, and Sukhdev Singh Sukh and Kabal Singh, residents of Billianwala (Sarhali) village, failed to show the documents of the motorcycles they were on. Since the answers they gave did not add up, a case under Sections 303 (2) and 317 (2) of the BNS was registered against them. The police said the accused confessed to have stolen the motorcycles. The ASI said that the four were produced in a local court today. Dhaliwal: Cong MP’s remark describing Sajjan Kumar as ‘role model’ hurtful Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 22 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Saturday criticised Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda for his alleged remarks, describing former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar as a “role model”. The former asked the Congress high command to clear its stand over the issue. At a press conference here today, Dhaliwal said the wounds of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were still afresh and that such a remark was deeply hurtful to the Sikh community. He urged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge to take action against Hooda. Dhaliwal also questioned the silence of Punjab Congress lead- Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal Deepender Singh Hooda ers, including Partap Singh Bajwa, Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. He demanded that they publicly clarify whether they endorsed Hooda’s statement and, if not, seek action against him. Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s proposed visit to Punjab and Amritsar, Dhaliwal said the Congress leadership should first clarify whether it stood with the families of the riot victims or with leaders making such statements. He said the Sikh community could not forget Operation Blue Star and the violence reported in Delhi, Kanpur and other parts of the country in 1984. Such statements, he added, amounted to “rubbing salt into old wounds”. Dhaliwal also questioned the proposed BJP-SAD alliance, asking the Shiromani Akali Dal to explain the basis for any tie-up with the BJP after having accused national parties of weakening Punjab’s interests. He referred to BJP leader LK Advani’s book -- "My Country, My Life" -- and its references to Operation Blue Star, asking the Akali leadership how it would explain its political position to Punjab. He also questioned the SAD’s position on farmers’ issues, recalling Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers during the farm agitation. Dhaliwal asked what stand the Akali Dal would take before farmers if it again aligned with the BJP . Claiming that a BJP-SAD alliance would not affect the AAP , Dhaliwal said people of Punjab understood “old political alliances and politics of power”. c m y b Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service WORKING ON LEADS: POLICE ■ The killing of ASI Joga Singh remains one of the most serious cases. Joga Singh, a resident of Ghanie Ke Bangar village in Gurdaspur district, was posted with the traffic wing of the Amritsar Police Commissionerate. He was on his way to work on a two-wheeler around 6 am on May 24 when two unidentified motorcycleborne assailants intercepted him about a km before Majitha on the Fatehgarh Churian-Majitha road. ■ The May 6 blast outside the Khasa Army Cantonment is another major case still under investigation. The late-night explosion on the Amritsar-Attari bypass triggered panic along a strategically important route leading towards the AttariWagah Joint Check Post, visited by thousands of tourists for the daily Beating Retreat ceremony. ■ Security concerns resurfaced on August 16 when the Amritsar Rural Police claimed to have foiled a suspected terror plot with the recovery of a 690 gm of IED near the Gaggomahal police post. resident of Ghanie Ke Bangar village in Gurdaspur district, was posted with the traffic wing of the Amritsar Police Commissionerate. He was on his way to work on a twowheeler around 6 am on May 24 when two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted him about a km before Majitha on the Fatehgarh Churian-Majitha road. The attackers fired at close range, hitting him twice in the chest and waist. Three days later, a purported video of the attack surfaced on the social media, along with a poster, claiming responsibility in the name of the little-known Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH), which also issued threats against security personnel and government officials. The outfit had earlier claimed responsibility for the killing of two policemen in the Dorangla area of Gurdaspur. However, the police have not publicly established the authenticity of the video or the claim, and have been investigating the case from multiple angles. The May 6 blast outside the Khasa Army Cantonment is another major case still under investigation. The late-night explosion on the Amritsar- Attari bypass triggered panic along a strategically important route leading towards the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post, visited by thousands of tourists for the daily Beating Retreat ceremony. The incident came amid a series of grenade and IEDrelated incidents in Punjab, including twin grenade attacks targeting the Bhindi Saidan police station on March 30. Security concerns resurfaced on August 16 when the Amritsar Rural Police claimed to have foiled a suspected terror plot with the recovery of a 690 gm of IED near the Gaggomahal police post. During night patrolling, ASI Kulbir Singh spotted a suspicious packet containing an IED, electronic detonator, battery, timer and an iron box. Earlier on February 22, the police had also claimed to have averted a major terror incident after recovering an IED from behind the Rayya police post under Beas police station. The device was subsequently defused by a bomb disposal squad. SSP, Amritsar Rural, Kanwalpreet Singh said investigations into all the cases were underway. “We have certain leads and are hopeful of cracking the cases,” he added.