01092024-JTR-01.qxd 8/31/2024 11:16 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune PALAK QUALIFIES FOR SINGLES QUARTERFINAL AT PARIS City-based shuttler Palak Kohli, a part of the paralympics squad, has qualified for the women’s singles category quarterfinals.P2 » DR AGASHE SAYS LIFE IS LIKE A RIVER THAT CHANGES COURSE SHRUTI HAASAN SHARES THE CHARACTER POSTER Agashe the actor or Agashe the psychiatrist? It’s difficult to say which persona of Dr Mohan Agashe is more endearing.P4 Shruti Haasan, who is playing Preethi in upcoming film Coolie, is seen with unkempt hair & a red bindi, holding a shovel. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.51 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6:04 AM SUNDAY | 1 SEPTEMBER 2024| JALANDHAR ONE HELD FOR ASSAULTING COP Phagwara: The Bilga police have arrested a suspect involved in a cop assault case. Investigating Officer (IO) Satpal said the suspect was identified as Manpreet Singh, alias Mamna, a resident of Kadian village. In his complaint to the police, ASI Gurdev Singh, a resident of Bhadma village falling under the Shahkot police station, had stated that a police party went to arrest Manpreet on March 8 in an assault case registered in 2020. The ASI said when the police party reached suspect's home, his brother Manjinder Singh, alias Ramna, attacked him with a sword and injured him. The ASI said suspects' mother Sarabjit Kaur helped Ramna flee from the spot. The IO said a case was registered against suspects. OC WOMEN BOOKED FOR SNATCHING Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have booked unidentified women on the charge of snatching cash from a woman. Jasbir Kaur, a resident of Aadramaan village, complained to the police that she went to Punjab National Bank branch in Mehatpur on August 27 and withdrew Rs 40,000. Jasbir said she kept money in her shopping bag. The victim said when she came out of the bank, a few unidentified women snatched her bag after injuring her with a sharp weapon and fled from the spot. Investigating Officer Jaspal Singh said a case under Section 304 (snatching) of the BNS was registered against unidentified suspects and further probe initiated into the matter. OC MISCREANTS BOOKED FOR FIRING Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked unidentified miscreants on the charges of firing and endangering life of other persons. Arun Kumar, a resident of Kanganna village, complained to the police that some unidentified suspects opened fire at the main gate of his uncle's house on Thursday night. Investigating Officer Gurnam Singh said a case under Sections 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the BNS and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against unidentified suspects in this connection. OC TWO NABBED ON CHARGE OF THEFT Phagwara: The Bilga police have arrested two persons on the charge of stealing a chaff cutter. Investigating officer (IO) Avtar Lal said the suspects were identified as Jaskaran Singh, alias Sharni, a resident of Sherpur village, and Rajinder Singh, alias Rishi, a resident of Gorsian Nihal village. Avtar Singh, a resident of Umarpur Kalan village, complained to the police that the suspects stole his 1.5 HP chaff cutter with motor and 70 metres 8 mm wire. The IO said a case under Sections 331(3), 305, 317((2) and 3(5) of the BNS was registered against suspects after recovering chaff cutter from them. OC PROCLAIMED OFFENDER HELD Phagwara: The Nakodar Sadar police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for the past few months. Investigating Officer Prem Lal said the suspect was identified as Jaspreet Singh, alias Jassu, a resident of Kotla Hairan village. He was wanted in a case of assault, the IO said. OC Man ends life by jumping from fourth floor, immigration firm owner booked Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 31 In a heart-wrenching incident that took place near bus stand here on Saturday morning, a young man, in his twenties, working at Om Visa Immigration Company allegedly died by suicide after jumping from the fourth floor of the firm’s office based at the AGI Building. The incident, captured on the CCTV camera footage, shows the deceased identified as Gaurav, a resident of Tilak Nagar, plummeting from the building, leaving everyone present on the ground floor in shock. He was immediately rushed to the PIMS hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The police were alerted about the incident and they quickly arrived on the spot, securing the area and launching an investigation into the case. As per information, Gaurav had been working at Kin of the deceased protest outside the immigration office in Jalandhar; and (Inset) Gaurav. Om Visa for the past three years. His family members, who reached the immigration company, held a protest against its owner Sahil Bhatia. Levelling serious allegations against Bhatia, kin of the deceased said Gaurav was Youth loses cellphone to three motorcycle-borne miscreants in Avtar Nagar Spurt in crime perturbs residents Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 31 Snatching and robbery incidents are on the rise in the city, leaving residents in a state of panic as daily crime continues to escalate. The latest incident occurred early on Saturday morning around 5 am when a young man was attacked and robbed by three youth in Avtar Nagar. According to reports, 22year-old Ronit was en route to KP Stadium for his daily run. He was cycling down Avtar Nagar Street No. 1 when three assailants on an Activa scooter intercepted him. Armed with sharp weapons, they threatened Ronit before forcibly taking his mobile phone. After finding nothing else of value in his pockets, one of the robbers threatened him with a weapon and asked him to unlock the mobile phone before fleeing from the spot. Victim’s uncle, Chandrabhushan Yadav shared that Ronit was preparing to join the Army and had been going for his morning run at the stadium every day. A police complaint was lodged following robbery after which a probe was initiated into the matter. The police are reviewing footage of the CCTV cameras installed near the crime spot to identify the suspects. Meanwhile, in another such incident near Maqsudan Sabzi Mandi on Friday night, a man identified as Udham Singh, claimed that some snatchers opened fire at him. The police said the matter was under investigation. The police further said claims of the victim were yet to be verified. unbiased investigation must be conducted in the case, as he and his family believed that something happened with his brother at the immigration office today, which forced him to take the extreme step. Meanwhile, Sahil Chaudhary, SHO, Division No. 6, confirmed that based on the statement of the family of the deceased, an FIR under Section 103 of the BNS was registered against the company’s owner Sahil Bhatia. He said further investigation was underway in the case. The police said as no suicide note was recovered, so the exact reason behind why Gaurav took the extreme step couldn’t be ascertained. However, the case was being dealt with utmost seriousness, the SHO said, while adding that it was being investigated from all possible angles, including harassment and mental pressure, as alleged by family of the deceased in their statement. House help found dead at Shiv Vihar Jalandhar, August 31 A 22-year-old domestic help working in a Model Town locality allegedly died by suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in the house of former Congress councillor Rohan Sehgal’s mother at Shiv Vihar on Saturday morning. The deceased, identified as Nikita Verma, originally from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, was living with her aunt in Sodal Nagar. Nikita had been working at the house of Sehgal’s mother as domestic help for the past five years. Nikita’s aunt Krishna Verma received information about death of her niece early in the morning. Upon arriving at the scene, she expressed doubts over circumstances surrounding Nikita’s death. She claimed that no evidence at the spot suggested that her niece died by suicide. She suspected foul play was involved in death of her niece. Though Krishna did not accuse anyone directly, she urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation in the case. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that the police discovered a pregnancy test strip near Nikita’s body raising further questions over the circumstances leading to her death. Anu Palyal, SHO Division No. 7, said the body of the deceased was sent for a post-mortem examination. The SHO said the police were investigating the case from all possible angles. The SHO said Nikita’s parents lived in Bihar and they had been informed about the incident. “Once her parents arrive, further legal proceedings would be initiated as per their statement,” the SHO added. When asked if any foul play was suspected and if a pregnancy strip was found, Palyal said nothing could be revealed at this juncture as investigation was underway. Meanwhile, Rohan Sehgal’s lawyer, Harminder Singh Sandhu, in his statement to mediapersons stated that the family was fully cooperating with the police in the investigation. He said his client’s family had handed over footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the house to the police. — TNS under immense stress due to workplace harassment. They alleged that Gaurav couldn’t commit suicide and he could have met with a foul play. According to Karan, brother of the deceased, Gaurav was unhappy with his job for some time. He had even received threats from the company’s owner, said Karan. He said Gaurav wanted to leave the company, but his boss Sahil was not accepting his resignation. Karan demanded that an Two arrested with illegal liquor After assault by snatchers, 24-year-old youth loses hand, in critical condition Talwara, August 31 Illicit and smuggled liquor was recovered during checking at two different places on Saturday as part of the campaign launched against those involved in illegal trade in the Kandi area. Inspector Amarjit Kaur, incharge, Hajipur police station, said ASI Subhash Chandra, along with a police team, had set up a naka on the canal bridge of Bhavanal village. During checking, a scooter was stopped and searched and 1.5 lakh ml of illegal liquor was recovered. The scooter driver identified as Tarun Kumar of Ghasitpur was arrested. In the second incident, a police team led by ASI Harbhajan Singh set up a naka at Hajipur T-point. On receiving a tip-off, the police checked a person sitting under shed of Adda Dalowal. Eleven bottles (8,250 ml) of smuggled liquor was recovered from him. The suspect was identified as Jeet Singh of Dalowal village. The Hajipur police registered separate cases against two suspects and initiated probe. — OC Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 31 A youth (24) from Adda Hoshiarpur, who had gone to attend a server issue for Netplus firm at Maqsudan in the late hours on Wednesday, is in a critical condition after being assaulted by snatchers. An employee with a cable firm here, victim Sunny’s right hand had to be amputated. He was reportedly holding a mobile phone in his hand which snatchers wanted to take away. Since he resisted, snatchers hit a sharp weapon on his hand, inflicting a grievous wound. The victim was rushed from the spot to the civil hospital from where doctors referred him to Johal Hospital near Rama Mandi. Dr Baljit S Johal, Johal Hospital owner, said, “Sunny’s condition is still critical. He is opening eyes and folding his legs, but not responding. He will be kept under observa- The victim under treatment at a hospital near Rama Mandi in Jalandhar on Saturday. tion till tomorrow after which we will go for an MRI scan.” Sunny is married and is a father of two toddlers. BJP leader KD Bhandari said, “Snatchers have become so fearless that they have started attacking those who resist them. Complete lawlessness pre- vails in the city. Maqsudan has become a crime-prone area. Residents are scared of moving out in the dark. This incident occurred very close to a police station, but the cops still remain clueless about it.” Harinder Singh, SHO, Division No. 1, said, “The victim is not in a condition to give any statement or share any details. We hope he recovers soon and is able to give us clues.” The police remains clueless about suspects as they could not be identified even after checking footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the area. Two teachers booked 137 challaned in crackdown on underage driving in teen’s suicide case Avneet Kaur Jalandhar, August 31 The police have booked two teachers of Police DAV Public School in a case of alleged abetment to suicide of a Class XII girl student. Seventeenyear-old Niharika ended her life by hanging herself from a fan at her house in Kot Bahadur Khan here on Thursday evening. The girl’s parents had been alleging that schoolteachers had been pestering her to pay her fee, fearing which she did not attend the school after August 14. On Thursday evening, two teachers called Niharika after which she chatted about it with her friend. Soon after, she took the extreme step. A team of doctors at the civil hospital performed the post-mortem of the deceased after which her last rites were conducted. The girl’s family had been demanding that an FIR be registered against teachers. The girl’s family agreed for her cremation only after teachers were booked. Hardev Singh, SHO, Division No. 4, said teachers had not been arrested yet as investigation into the matter was still underway. Vipin Kumar said his daughter was scared of attending school for the last few days, but she did not share her problem with anyone at home. Meanwhile, Dr Rashmi Vij, Principal, Police DAV Public School, outrightly denied allegations of girl’s parents. She maintained that the girl was getting full fee concession. She said teachers had been calling her to ask her to resume her classes as her mid-term examination were approaching. — TNS Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 31 Since the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 has come into force, the traffic wing of the commissionerate police intensified their crackdown on underage driving and issued 137 challans from August 22 to 30. Of these, 39 challans were issued to school vehicles, including buses, vans and auto-rickshaws for various traffic violations, while 100 challans were issued to underage drivers caught driving twowheelers and four-wheelers. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, which is in force across the state since August 21, has introduced stringent penalties to enhance road safety, especially concerning underage driving. The law stipulates hefty fines and even imprisonment for c m y b TRIBUNE PHOTOS: MALKIAT SINGH/SARABJIT SINGH INBRIEF A traffic cop issues challan to a youth at BMC Chowk; and (right) students drive a scooter in Jalandhar. violations, with penalties up to Rs 25,000 and potential imprisonment for serious offences. This has raised the stakes for parents and guardians who are now legally responsible for the actions of their wards on roads. In an effort to curb the rising cases of underage driving, the traffic police since the last two months increased vigilance on students. Special nakas have been strategically laid across the city, particularly near schools. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to enforce the law in letter and spirit and promote road safety among young drivers. While emphasising on the importance of these measures, Pritpal Singh, ACP (Traffic), said, “All efforts are being made to curb underage driving in the city. Special nakas near schools are playing a crucial role in catching students violating the norms. We urge parents to make their wards aware of dangers and consequences associated with underage driving. It’s not just about following the law, it’s about protecting lives.” He said over the past two months, the police had been actively engaging with schools and NGOs through seminars and workshops aimed at educating parents about dangers of underage driving. Amandeep Kaur, ADCP (Traffic), said, “Though the police have been issuing challans, rigorous fines outlined in the new law are yet to be enforced.” She said, “Currently, we are issuing warnings and challans to violators. The RTO would determine the final amount of the fine, which is usually upto Rs 5,000. However, we want to make it clear that this leniency is temporary. Soon, there would be no tolerance for underage driving. Parents would be held accountable for the violation of underage driving rules by their wards. Not only they would have to pay Rs 25,000 as fine, but also an FIR could also be registered against them,” said Kaur.