20062024-ATR-01.qxd 6/20/2024 12:51 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune GARBAGE HEAPS PILE UP AS MC, RESIDENTS LOOK OTHER WAY Lack of civic sense among residents coupled with faulty garbage disposal has resultedinpilingupofwasteheapsincity.P2 » SHRADDHA KAPOOR IS IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH RAHUL MODY Actress Shraddha Kapoor has confirmed her relationship with writer Rahul Mody & made it Instagram official with a picture. P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY CELINE DION RECEIVES STANDING OVATION AT DOCUMENTARY SCREENING Celine Dion was visibly moved to tears on Monday night at the New York screening of her documentary, I Am: Celine Dion. P4 » MAX 42°C | MIN 30°C YESTERDAY MAX 44°C | MIN 31°C SUNSET THURSDAY 7.38 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:25 AM THURSDAY | 20 JUNE 2024 | AMRITSAR Mass transfers in Police Dept routine affair: DIG 125 kg heroin seized in border range in six months: Senior cop PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Shopkeepers present a memorandum to DSP in Tarn Taran. Protestoverfrequent thefts in Tarn Taran Traders want cases resolved in 15 days Tarn Taran, June 19 Shopkeepers of Tarn Taran city today downed their shutters in protest against the frequent theft incidents and warned that in case the administration failed to check theft cases, they would have to shut their shops permanently. Addressing the gathering, Gurinder Singh Ladi, Sukhjinder Singh, Charanjit Singh and other leaders of the trading community said shopkeepers were facing frequent thefts since the last few days, but the police had remained a mute spectator. Shopkeepers also took out a march and held a rally at a dharamshala. The speakers alleged that the police and the administration had failed to do their job. They said there was no night patrolling in the town. DSP Tarsem Masih assured shopkeepers that all theft cases would be resolved within a fortnight. Shopkeepers warned that in case theft cases were not resolved within 15 days, they would close their shops and come out on roads to protest against the police and the administration. Shopkeepers also presented a memorandum to the DSP who assured them that night patrolling would be intensified in town. — OC Amritsar, June 19 Day after the Punjab Government shifted 10,000 police personnel from the rank of constables and onwards thereby giving a rise to speculations that it was done to “punish” cops following the disappointing performance of the AAP government in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, the DIG, Amritsar Border Range, today clarified and termed it as a routine affair. “A different picture is being painted among the general public about the recent transfers which is also impacting the police force. I want to clarify that these transfers are only routine affair and as per the policy framed by the Punjab Police which is duly approved by the Punjab Government,” said DIG Rakesh Kaushal during a media interaction here on Wednesday. “I want to dispel this impression and this has the approval of my seniors. I am speaking on behalf of my colleagues and senior officials,” DIG Rakesh Kaushal addresses the media in Amritsar. VISHAL KUMAR said Kaushal. He said as per the policy any inspector or sub-inspector cannot stay at a police station as the SHO for more than three years and he had to be shifted once to other place. Similarly, an ASI to inspector level police personnel cannot stay in a district for more than eight years, the DIG said. He said every force, including Army or paramilitary, makes certain changes with time for betterment of the organisation. In the border range, the Punjab Police shifted 1,500 cops from constable to inspector rank – maximum in Pathankot (579) followed by Batala (375), Amritsar Rural (256) and Gurdaspur (161). Out of these police personnel, 32 were shifted out of the district, but within the range while 87 were shifted from out of the border range, the DIG said. Yesterday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said these transfers would break the police and drug peddler nexus. Mann said during his campaigns, he got numerous complaints of cops being in cahoots with drug peddlers. Amritsar, June 19 The Amritsar (Rural) belt remains the hotspot as far as smuggling and seizure of heroin is concerned. The Amritsar border range comprises four police districts including Amritsar (Rural), Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot. The Punjab Police have recovered 125.50 kg of heroin from the Amritsar border range in the past six months out of which 17 kg drug was seized in Gurdaspur, 8.7 kg Pathankot and 4.9 kg in Batala. Rakesh Kaushal, DIG, Amritsar border range, said the Punjab Police had adopted zero tolerance approach towards drug trafficking and no one involved in the illegal trade would be spared. “The police have arrested 410 smugglers. As many as 304 FIRs have been registered in the past six months in connection with drug trafficking. We are carrying out cordon and search oper- ations on regular basis in the entire border belt to nail traffickers and curb drug smuggling,” he said. The police also seized 35 drones used for cross border drug smuggling. Besides contraband, the police have seized 80 kg of poppy husk, 6 kg of opium, 3 kg of charas and 15,000 intoxicants. During six month period, the police also froze properties worth Rs 12.63 crore belonging to 35 drug traffickers. The DIG said properties worth Rs 6.48 crore were seized in Pathankot followed by Rs 3.67 crore in Amritsar, Rs 2.43 crore in Gurdaspur and Rs 46.92 lakh in Batala. “A proposal for freezing properties worth Rs 5 crore earned from ill-gotten money through drug peddling has been sent to the competent authorities,” he said. The police also seized 100 pistols, four revolvers, three rifles, 74 magazines and 470 cartridges during the past six months. ~5L fine recovered from 962 train passengers 4 booked for duping five youth of ~34L travelling sans tickets in Ferozepur division on pretext of arranging jobofin Police Dept Suspects posed as close confidants former Punjab CM Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 19 Northern Railway’s Ferozepur division penalised 962 passengers for travelling without tickets in trains during a week-long drive that ended on June 17. The Railways earned Rs 5 lakh as fine from ticketless passengers during the drive. Sanjay Sahu, Divisional Manager, Railways, said a special ticket checking campaign was held from June 11 to 17 to curb unauthorised travel in trains. Checking was carried out every day by various team in premium trains — Shatabdi Express, Vande Bharat Express and Rajdhani Express — to prevent overcrowding and unauthorised travelling. The checking campaign was led by Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Chief Regional Managers, Amritsar and Srinagar, Station Directors, Ludhiana and Jammu Tawi, and Assistant Commercial Managers. Paramdeep Singh Saini, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, said tickets of passengers were checked on main routes, including Jalandhar- An official checks tickets of passengers on a train at the Amritsar railway station. TRIBUNE PHOTO Amritsar, Ferozepur-Bathinda, Ludhiana-Pathankot Cantt, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi KatraPathankot Cantt, LudhianaJalandhar Cantt, SrinagarBanihal and others, falling under the Ferozepur Division. He said Rs 5 lakh fine was collected from 962 railway passengers travelling without tickets or irregularly. He said the staff of Jammu Tawi, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Ferozepur headquarters did a commendable work during the ticket checking campaign. He said the staff, which helped the Railways earn more revenue through ticket checking, would be rewarded. High level officials of the Railways are monitoring most crowded stations of Ferozepur Division like Amritsar, Jalandhar city, Jalandhar Cantt, Ludhiana and Jammu Tawi. At these stations, ticket checking staff and RPF jawans are taking special care of the comfort of passengers and trying to control extra crowd. Summer special trains are being operated to which extra coaches are added to clear the extra crowd. Also, officials are creating awareness through drives among passengers not to unnecessary pull alarm chains fitted in coaches. Often train passengers pull chain as per their convenience or just for fun. This delays trains and inconveniences passengers as they reach their destinations late. Under rules of the Railways, there is a provision of Rs 1,000 fine or one year imprisonment or both for pulling a chain without a valid reason. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) registered 519 cases under Section 141 of the Railways Act in cases of sounding an alarm by pulling chain from June 1 to June 15 and arrested 462 people and collected a fine of Rs 1 lakh from them in this connection. Amritsar, June 19 The Amritsar (Rural) police have booked four persons, including a woman, for allegedly duping five youth of Rs 34 lakh on pretext of getting them recruited in the Punjab Police. The suspects posed as close confidants of a former Punjab Chief Minister. They even provided a fake appointment letter, police uniform, pistol and identity card to one of the victims , identified as Gurdial Singh, a resident of Jethuwal village. The victim said he was given a joining letter of a police station in Jalandhar. The victim got suspicious when the suspects offered him a star of the ASI rank retired cop. Later, the suspects went underground. The suspects had promised around five youths a job in the Police Department. Those booked were identified as Ravinder Singh, his wife Kamaljit Kaur, Daljit Singh and their relative Shivam Rana. “The police have registered a case and raids are on to nab Fraud victim Gurdial Singh in the police uniform. them,” SSP Satinder Singh said. Gurdial Singh told the police that he met Ravinder Singh at a shrine a few years ago. Ravinder told the victim that he was close to former Punjab Chief Minister and had got many youths recruited in the Punjab Police. Ravinder told the victim to talk to his friends if they wanted a job in the Police Department. The victim said he along with his four friends agreed to give money to Ravinder for getting them recruited in the Punjab Police. The victim said he gave Ravinder and his accomplices Rs 17 lakh, his friends including Dharminder Rs 5 lakh, Bachitar Singh Rs 70,000, Jagdish Singh Rs 6 lakh and Navdeep Singh Rs 5 lakh. The victim said he and his friends made a video while handing over money to Ravinder and his accomplices. The victim said a few days ago, the four suspects had called him to Jalandhar and handed over an appointment letter with uniform and pistol besides an identity card to him. 2 held with 1.5 kg heroin, 500 gm opium MC to desilt sewer lines before arrival of monsoon Amritsar, June 19 The CIA staff of Amritsar (Rural) police today arrested two drug peddlers identified as Malkeet Singh, alias Gora, and Kuldeep Singh, alias Seepa, of Dhanoe Kalan village, and recovered 1.5 kg heroin and 500 gm of opium from their possession. SSP Satinder Singh said the duo were nabbed by the CIA staff following a tip-off and opium recovered from them. During interrogation, they confessed to have 1.5 kg of heroin which was recovered from Malkeet’s house, the SSP said. He said during probe, it was found that Malkeet had links with a Pakistani smuggler with The suspects in custody of the Amritsar (Rural) police on Wednesday. the pseudonym of Jatt. He smuggled contraband which was retrieved by Malkeet. The SSP said on instructions of Jatt, Malkeet was to deliver the drug to an unknown trafficker. He said a case under the NDPS Act was registered against Malkeet at the Gharinda police station and further probe was initiated. The suspects were produced in a court and brought on police remand for further investigation. Besides contraband, the police also seized a bike, a mobile phone and Rs 20,000 drug money from the suspects, the SSP added. — TNS Amritsar, June 19 In order to avoid problems in the upcoming monsoon season, the municipal corporation (MC) has ordered desilting of all sewer lines in the city. At a meeting with civic body officials, MC Commissioner Harpreet Singh discussed various issues regarding desilting of sewer lines in the city today. The meeting was attended by Surinder Singh, Additional Commissioner, Surjit Singh, Superintending Engineer (SE), Operations and Maintenance, Sandeep Singh, SE, Civil, Gurjinder Singh, XEN and others. Harpreet Singh said all sewer lines must be desilted. At present, the MC has its own c m y b Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (2nd to right) during the inauguration of desilting work of Tung Dhab Drain on Majitha Road bypass in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR sewer bucket and super sucker machines, which have been deployed in almost all segments, to desilt sewer lines. The MC Commissioner said a schedule should be prepared for all parts of the city to carry out the desilting work in a phased manner. He said the MC and Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board would work together to desilt sewer lines. The MC also started desilting of Tung Dhab Drain on Majitha Road bypass in the evening today. The Commissioner appealed to residents not to throw plastic bags or other material in sewer lines which lead to blockage in sewerage. — TNS 28-year-old youth dies of drug overdose Tarn Taran, June 19 A resident of Kot Siwian village falling under the Chabal police station died of drug overdose. His body was found on Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) bank near Dode village on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Harjit Singh (28). Kewal Singh father and Amarjit Kaur mother of the deceased said Harjit had gone somewhere from home yesterday, but did not come back the whole night. Someone informed the family today that Harjit’s body was lying on the canal bank near Dode village. The parents of the deceased said their elder son had died of cancer a few years ago. They said Harjit had been taking drugs for the last three years. He was married five years ago, but did not have any children. His parents said they informed the police about locations where Harjit used to buy drugs. They said the police failed to take action against peddlers, who supplied drugs to addicts, even at their homes. Tarsem Masih, DSP Tran Taran, said a , case would be registered on basis of the statement of the family of the deceased. — OC One arrested with 128 grams of heroin Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, June 19 A team from the Sarai Amanat Khan police station led by ASI Harpal Singh arrested a person and recovered 128 grams of heroin from his possession in the Bhuse village area. ASI Harpal Singh said the police was on patrol duty when a person on suspicion was signalled to stop. On his search, 128 grams of heroin was recovered from his possession. The cycle of the suspect was also impounded by the police. The suspect was identified as Chand Deep Singh, a resident of Daoke village falling under the Gharinda police station. A case was registered against the suspects under Sections 21-B, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. Truck, JCB machine used in illegal mining seized in Mand area Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, June 19 Following instructions given by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to check illegal mining, the police and the Mining Department impounded a JCB machine and a tipper truck during a joint operation in the Mand area of the Beas River in Bhalojla village on Wednesday. The tipper truck and the JCB machine were being used for illegal mining. The Verowal police led by ASI Balkar Singh and Mining Officer Ranjodh Singh seized the truck and the JCB machine Ranjodh Singh said on the basis of information received by the department, a raid was conducted and the equipment used in illegal mining was taken into police custody. The drivers of the truck and the JCB machine managed to escape from the spot. A case under Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals Act, 1957, was registered by the Verowal police on Tuesday in this connection.
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