06112026-LT-01.qxd 11/6/2026 12:10 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune LOVEPREET KAUR WINS KARATE GOLD IN BANGKOK Her triumph at global championship sparks celebrations at her native Mundian Kalan village. P2 » AUDIENCES HAIL RAMAYANA AS A ‘VISUAL MASTERPIECE’ THE LURE OF THE MARKET OR CONVENIENCE OF A CLICK Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious retelling of the Ramayana opened in cinemas worldwide on November 5. P3 From gold jewellery to festive wardrobes, here’s how celebs like to shop during Dhanteras. P3 » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 32°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 15°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5:32 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:41 AM » FRIDAY | 6 NOVEMBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 5 A vegetable vendor was killed after a speeding Hyundai Verna car rammed into his motorcycle from the rear at Issa Nagri Chowk here on Thursday morning. Three other persons were also injured after being hit by the vehicle. The car struck four persons, including the vegetable vendor. The car dragged the latter for a considerable distance before crushing him and driving away. The deceased has been identified as Jagtar Singh Gosha of Sasrali colony. The motorcycle rider was thrown onto the road due to the impact of the collision, follow- CCTV captures incident; driver nabbed; probe on A CCTV grab shows the speeding car hitting the bike in Issa Nagri. ing which the car ran over him, leaving him critically injured. He died at the scene. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the area. According to information, the deceased used to bring vegetables, mainly ‘saag’ from villages on the outskirts of the city and sell them in different localities of Ludhiana. He was on the way to sell vegetables in the Senior SAD leader Chandurayan, 60 others join BJP in Malerkotla Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 5 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received a significant political boost in Malerkotla district on Thursday as senior SAD leader, former State Information Commissioner and former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Ajit Singh Chandurayan joined the party along with a group of 60 supporters. At a function held at the Punjab BJP headquarters in Chandigarh, state BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon welcomed Chandurayan and his associates, into the party fold by handing over primary membership slips. Over 60 influential grassroots leaders from Malerkotla district, including serving and former sarpanches, nambardars and block-level representatives, joined the BJP . Welcoming the new entrants, Dhillon said Chandurayan’s extensive administrative and socio-religious experience would strengthen the party’s organisational network in Malerkotla and neighbouring areas. “The BJP’s footprint in the state is expanding with each passing day,” he said. “Prominent personalities, grassroots leaders and residents from all sections of society are reposing faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance model and development agenda. The growing support for the BJP reflects the changing political mood in the state.” Launching a sharp attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Dhillon alleged that the state government had failed to put Punjab on the path of progress during its four-and-a-half years in office. He claimed that Punjab had been pushed into a cycle of drug abuse, gang violence, extortion and administrative inefficiency, resulting in growing public dissatisfaction. Kidwai Nagar, Islam Ganj and Issa Nagri areas on his motorcycle when the accident occurred. As he reached Issa Nagri, a speeding car coming from the rear hit his motorcycle with force. He fell onto the road and was crushed under the car. Social activist Ramesh Bangar informed the police about the incident. Following the information, a team from the Police Division 3 reached the scene and took the body in its custody for sending the same for a post-mortem examination. SHO inspector Gurjit Singh said the car driver, Tamanjot, a resident of Field Ganj, was arrested by the police and further investigation was launched. — TNS Singer Kamal Grewal gets ~5-cr extortion threat Ludhiana, November 5 Punjabi singer Kamal Grewal has allegedly received an extortion threat demanding Rs 5 crore from a person claiming to be associated with the Rohit Godara gang. The caller allegedly threatened to disrupt the singer’s stage performances and end his singing career if he failed to comply with the demand. Following a complaint lodged by Grewal, the Ludhiana police registered an FIR against Gilli Rana and others, allegedly associated with the Rohit Godara gang. According to the complaint, Grewal, who runs a music continued on page 2 c m y b ‘2.90-cr excess payment in elevated road project’: Ex-official seeks probe Questions completion certificate despite ‘deficiencies, absence of crash barriers’ Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 5 Serious allegations of financial irregularities, incomplete construction and safety lapses have surfaced in the Rs 756.27crore elevated road project on Ferozepur Road. A former employee of Feedback Infra Private Limited, a competent authority to manage elevated roads under the NHAI, has alleged that the contractor was paid Rs 2.90 crore in excess for reinforced earth (RE) retaining walls, which were allegedly not constructed as per contractual specifications. In a detailed complaint addressed to the Regional Officer, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Chandigarh, Sanjay Kumar, former senior quantity surveyor with Feedback Infra, has alleged major discrepancies in the construction of retaining walls near the ISBT and railway station sides. He has also questioned the absence of crash barriers along the central median, the safety of barriers installed along carriageway edges and the issuance of a completion certificate despite alleged deficiencies. The complaint states that the contract agreement provided ASHWANI DHIMAN Vegetable vendor killed, 3 hurt as speeding car rams into bike The complainant has warned that any structural failure can endanger commuters using the elevated road. AS PER GUIDELINES, ALL RETAINING WALLS BUILT: NHAI PROJECT DIRECTOR Priyanka Meena, Project Director, NHAI, Ludhiana, said: “All safety audits and assessments have been conducted by the company before the completion certificate was issued. As per the Indian Roads Congress guidelines, all retaining walls have been constructed.” for 1,040 metres of RE retaining walls, including 508 metres (254 metres on each side) towards the ISBT and 532 metres (266 metres on each side) towards the railway station. However, the complainant has claimed that only 80 metres of walls were constructed on the ISBT side and 280 metres on the railway station side, taking the total length to 360 metres. He has alleged that Rs 4.40 crore was allocated and paid for the retaining walls while the actual cost of the work executed should have been around Rs 1.50 crore. On this basis, he has claimed an excess payment of Rs 2.90 crore and sought an investigation into the actual quantities executed and payments released. Fresh concerns have also been raised over the condition of the retaining walls. According to the complainant, several RE panels are out of alignment and cracks have appeared at multiple locations. These defects have reportedly been noticed soon after the issuance of the completion certificate. One such location is the ramp opposite Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), where cracks and misalignment of panels have allegedly been observed. The complainant has questioned how such defects could emerge shortly after the project received its completion certificate. The complaint also raised continued on page 2