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P4 » » » SUNSET MONDAY 5.27 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7.19 AM MONDAY | 9 DECEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR MC elections: Aspirants to file their nominations from today Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 8 Nominations for the elections to the Amritsar Municipal Corporation, Rajasansi and Baba Bakala nagar panchayats and by-elections at Majitha, Ajnala and Rayya will be filed by the aspirants from December 9 to 12. The elections will be held on December 21. Giving this information, the Nodal Officer of the elections, Additional Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Kaur said the time for filing nomination papers will be from 11 am to 3 pm. The Secretary, RTA, Amritsar, will collect nomination papers from his office near Valmiki Chowk, Ram Tirth Road, Amritsar. The candidates from Ward Nos.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 61 and 62 will submit their files there. The candidates from Ward Nos.18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 2, 8, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 will file their nominations at the office of Sub-Divisional Magistrate Amritsar-2, Ground Floor, District Administrative Complex (DAC), Amritsar. The nomination papers of Ward Nos.36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 and 54 will be filed at Sub-Divisional Magistrate Amritsar-1 at DAC, Amritsar. The candidates for Ward Nos.51, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 63, 67, 68, 69 and 73 will file their nominations at District Revenue Officer, 1st Floor, DAC, Amritsar. The candidates for Ward Nos.1, 2, 64, 65, 66, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85 will file their nomination papers at District Development and Panchayat Officer at Principal Office, Government Polytechnic College near GNDU, Amritsar. Additional Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Kaur said apart from this, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Baba Bakala Sahib, will receive the nomination papers for the Baba Bakala and Rayya nagar panchayats. Similarly, the SDM, Lopoke, will get papers for the Rajasansi nagar panchayat; the SDM, Ajnala, and the SDM, Majitha, will receive the nomination papers from their respective nagar panchayats. Attacks on police establishments hint at terrorists’ hand; cops in denial mode Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Aulakh along with other officials addresses mediamen; and (right) the Gurbaxnagar police post which was targeted in Amritsar. (FILE PHOTOS) 2 cops hurt in Tarn Taran attack Our Correspondent Had gone to arrest a person involved in drug trade were Kalo, wife of Balwinder Singh, Manpreet Kaur, wife of Gopal Singh, Manjit Singh Afreedi, Baljit Singh Gharuka, Jaswinder Kaur, Sonu, Sukha and Balwinder Singh’s sister-in-law (wife’s sister). The ASI said there were 12 more unidentified persons involved in the attack who are yet to be recognised. A case under Sections 109, 132, 221, 191 (3) and 190 of the BNS has been registered. The accused fled the spot soon after committing the crime, added ASI Jatinder Singh. PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 8 Even as the Punjab Police remained in denial mode about the nature of recent explosions in police establishments, including the one at Gurbaxnagar police post and the other at Majitha police station, yesterday’s busting of a crossborder terror module has hinted at foreign-based terrorists and gangsters behind these attacks. On November 25, an IED attached with RDX was found planted outside the wall of Ajnala police station and five days later, the blast in the deserted Gurbaxnagar police post building rocked the holy city. Four days back, a mysterious blast occurred at Majitha police station in Amritsar rural belt though the police authorities said it was a ‘tyre burst’. The city as well as the rural police officials maintained that the forensic reports of Ajnala and Gurbaxnagar police post’’s building were yet to arrive. USA-based gangsterturned-terrorist Harpreet Singh aka Happy Pashia along with Gopi Nawan Shehria and Jeevan Fauji had claimed responsibility for carrying out these blasts in social media posts. Police officials said that investigations were in progress to verify the claims on social media which cannot be authenticated without a probe. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar on Friday claimed to have arrested 10 individuals including four operatives backed by Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda, USbased Happy Pashia, Fauji and another gangster Jashanpreet Singh. The police seized a hand grenade, two .30 bore pistols, one .32 bore pistol and a drone. The arrested operatives of the Pakistan-based terrorist Rinda-Pashia group were Arjanpreet Singh of Awan village, Lovepreet Singh of Perhewal village and Basant Singh and Amanpreet Singh, both residents of Baba Bakala area. Their other accomplices who used to provide logistical support were Barinderpal Singh alias Mani, Rajbir Singh alias Raju, both residents of Katle village, along with Vishvas Masih alias Bhabbo of Bhaganpura, Dilpreet Singh alias Manna, Harjot Kumar alias Mithu and Joyal Masih alias Rohan. Police Commissioner Bhullar had claimed that they were targeting the police establishment and cops in Batala. Police sources wishing anonymity said that Amanpreet was in contact with Pashia for nearly a year. Apart from him, Arjanpreet, Basant Singh and Lovepreet were his other main operatives who were targeting the police establishment through their unknown accomplices, including the one at Gurbaxnagar and Ajnala though they were yet to be identified and arrested. They have several criminal cases against them. As they belonged to the areas located in Dera Baba Nanak belt, they came in contact with Harwinder Rinda and Pashia group through social media, he said. Tarn Taran, December 8 Two members of the Chabal police party were injured in an attack in Pakka Qilha locality of Chabal here on Saturday night. The incident happened when the cops had gone to arrest a person involved in drug trade. ASI Jatinder Singh, who was heading the police party, said the injured, identified as head constable Manbir Singh and Punjab Home Guards jawan Gurwinder Singh, were admitted to the local Civil Hospi- tal where their condition was said to be stable. The ASI said the police team had gone to arrest Balwinder Singh Doni and his brother Gopal Singh Gopala, who were booked in a case of drug trade four months ago. The accused along with others attacked the police party by pelting them with stones and sticks. ASI said the other accused Two held with country-made .315 bore pistol Batala police attach properties of KLF activists 1.92 lakh children immunised with polio drops on Day 1 Amritsar, December 8 The Ajnala police have arrested two persons, Naftali alias Kalu of Talwandi Rama village and Captain Singh of Malewal village in Dera Baba Nanak, for allegedly possessing a countrymade .315 bore pistol (Desi Katta) along with a live bullet. Riding a bike, both were intercepted by a police patrolling party. They could not give a satisfactory answer to the police queries regarding the weapon. A case under the Arms Act was registered against them and further probe was on to ascertain the source of the weapon. The police said they were produced in a court and brought on police remand for further interrogation. — TNS Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Batala, December 8 Sending a clear signal that the Batala district police is going all out in its fight against terror, the cops have attached properties owned by activists of the banned Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) who were responsible for the infamous Batala shootout case in which a Shiv Sena leader Rajiv Mahajan along with some of his relatives was attacked. The shootout had taken place on June 24 last year, sparking widespread condemnation from peace -loving residents. After investigations, it became clear that Inderjit Singh Bajwa had planned and executed the attack in collaboration with one Ranjodh Singh alias Baba who is based in Canada and Jashanpreet Singh, both of whom are KLF operatives. The incident had occurred at Neelam TV Centre in the heart of the city. Rajiv Mahajan, his uncle and his cousin were seriously injured. SSP Suhail Qasim Mir said the police had invoked Section 25 (1) of the UAPA [Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967] to attach the properties. He added that whenever this section of UAPA is invoked, the orders to confiscate properties are given by the DGP . The SSP said that Inderjit Singh Bajwa, a key member of KLF and a habitual offender, was identified as the prime conspirator. Bajwa had planned the crime in conjunction with Ranjodh Singh Baba and Jashanpreet Singh. “The three had orchestrated the crime to avenge the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. A .32-bore pistol, magazines, ammunition and communication devices were recovered from the accused, along with evidence of monetary transactions for facilitating the operation,” he added. An officer said a 32-marla house located in the Red Line area of Raishiana village, Tarn Taran, belonging to Inderjit Singh and his father Kulwant Singh, was found to have been used for terrorist activities. “This property has now been attached under UAPA provisions,” he said. SSP Qasim Mir added that some agricultural land registered in the name of Jashanpreet Singh, too, was attached. Sources say the police investigation had unearthed a broader network of accused individuals, including Dalbir Singh alias Jassa, Lakhwinder Singh, Dev Singh, Jagdish Singh and Amit. These operatives were part of a transnational syndicate with connections in Canada and were instrumental in carrying out acts of terror in Punjab. At that time, Ranjodh Singh had claimed responsibility on social media platforms. “The attachment of properties sends a strong message to individuals and organisations involved in anti-national activities. We remain committed to dismantling terror networks and ensuring peace in the state,” said the SSP . Amritsar, December 8 Teams of the Health Department administered polio drops to 1.92 lakh children on the first day of the pulse polio immunisation drive here on Sunday. The department had set up 1,474 booths at various places in the district during which children below five years of age were immunised. The health teams would run a door-to-door campaign to identify and immunize children who were not administered drops today. Civil Surgeon Dr Kirandeep Kaur said India has been declared a polio free nation by World Health Organisation, but as neighbouring countries are yet to achieve the milestone, the government is continuing with its A child being administered polio drops at a booth in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR immunisation drives. The Civil Surgeon said volunteers and students of nursing colleges are also helping the department in managing the extensive campaign which requires immunising 2.72 lakh children and visiting all 5.49 lakh households in the district. The district Health Department has constituted 2,856 teams to run the campaign. — TNS Repair BRTS’s Batala road stretch: Residents Night patrolling begins in dist rural areas Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 8 The Batala road stretch, part of the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) corridor, has been left unpaved for over a year, forcing residents to endure a bumpy ride. The area, dug up for laying a gas pipeline, was filled with loose soil, which has sunk by three to six feet after several spells of rain. Shopkeepers on the stretch reported that two-wheelers often skid on the road, while battery-operated e-rickshaws turn turtle due to the uneven surface. “People have sustained injuries and the dust roused by vehicles causes air pollution and trouble to nearby residents,” said Rajat The bad condition of the stretch nearby the elevated BRTS corridor on the Batala road in Amritsar. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Aggarwal, a shopkeeper. “Things get worse, particularly during peak hours, when the road becomes congested. The lack of proper maintenance has turned this stretch into a nightmare for commuters,” added Aggarwal. With the 1.5-km stretch in a state of disrepair, commuters are forced to use the elevated BRTS corridor. However, with the revival of public bus service on the horizon, residents fear that the corridor will no longer be available for private vehicles. The route from Naraingarh to the Golden Gate has already been started and it is only a matter of time before buses start plying on the Verka route. “As soon as buses start plying on this route, the elevated BRTS corridor will not be available for private vehicles. This will not only cause inconvenience to commuters but also lead to increased traffic congestion on the surrounding roads,” said Balram Singh, a resident. c m y b Amritsar, December 8 With the spurt in cases of targeting of police establishments and creating a law and order problem by foreign based handlers with the help of their operatives, the Amritsar rural police have launched night domination operation, besides enhancing the security around religious places in the rural belt here. On Saturday, the Amritsar rural police under Deputy Inspector General (Border Range) Satinder Singh held a meeting with all the Station House Officers and gazetted officers to discuss strategies for the crime prevention, detection and maintaining peace. Nevertheless, Harwinder Singh Gill, SP (Investigations), who was also present Cops check a vehicle during night domination operation in Amritsar. in the meeting termed it a routine affair. Recently, an IED was found near the Ajnala police station and two mysterious blasts had rocked the Gurbaxnagar police chowki in the holy city and Majitha police station in rural belt. Though the police were still in denial mode that the blasts were caused by some kind of explosive material, Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda, US-based gangsters Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Pashia, Gopi Nawansheria and Jeevan Fauji were behind these attacks, claimed a social media post of Babbar Khalsa International. The police said they were verifying the claims besides working on different theories. During the meeting, senior police officials asked the SHOs to keep a strict vigil, especially at nights, in and around the police establishments and start intensified patrolling in rural areas to check the rising crime. DIG Satinder Singh said the police were dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of every individual. — TNS