12012025-ATR-01.qxd 1/11/2025 10:49 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune VIRSA VIHAR CELEBRATES LOHRI WITH THEATRE ARTISTES FEROZEPUR RLY DIVN EARNS ~2.72 CR VIA TICKET CHECKING The Ferozepur railway division earned a revenue of ~2.72 crore through ticket checking in December. P2 DENSE FOG MAX 14°C | MIN 8°C YESTERDAY MAX 15°C | MIN 9°C WHAT MAKES LOHRI SPECIAL IN AMRITSAR? Virsa Vihar Society, Amritsar, celebrated Lohri festival with local theatre artistes, writers, etc. P2 FORECAST Amritsar, a city full of culture and history, pulsates with a different energy during Lohri. P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 5.46 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 7.30 AM » SUNDAY | 12 JANUARY 2025 | AMRITSAR Blast outside police post: Police to intensify night domination op Five peddlers arrested with heroin, ~10K drug money Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 11 The Chheharta police have arrested five drug peddlers including a woman and confiscated 530 gram of heroin in addition to ~10,000 of drug money and an electronic weighing machine from their possession. Those arrested were identified as Jugraj Singh, Navraj Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Simranjit Kaur and Manjit Singh Bhola of Guru Ki Wadali area. Alam Vijay Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), said the Chheharta police got a tip-off that the accused were running a drug racket in the Chheharta and Guru Ki Wadali area. Following this, an operation was launched during which the police arrested the accused. Their interrogation led to the seizure of the contraband. The accused were produced in court and brought on police remand for further investigations. He said their backward and forward linkages were being looked into and the police was hoping for more recovery from them during the interrogation. The mangled remains of the bus in Tarn Taran on Saturday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI 25 injured as bus rams into tree near Doburji village in Tarn Taran Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, January 11 As many as 25 passengers were injured in a road accident as the driver of a private transport company, Shakari Bus Service, lost control of the bus ramming it into a roadside tree near Doburi village here on Saturday. All injured persons were rushed to the local Civil Hospital with the help of nearby residents and the city police. A team of medical officers led by Dr Sarabjit Singh, SMO, Civil Hospital, immediately provided medical treatment to the injured persons. The doctors said while seven passengers were admitted, the rest 18 were discharged after being administered first aid. Sources in the hospital said the injured admitted to the hospital have been identified as Kulwinder Kaur (30) of Jaura village, Nirmal Kaur (60) of Shahbazpur village, Baljit Kaur (50) of Sidhwan Sugar Mill (UP), Joginder Singh (53) of Patti, Opinderjit Kaur (21) of Amritsar, Baljit Kaur (45) of Delhi and Aarti (35) of Shahbazpur village. The doctors said all the seven persons admitted to the hospital were later discharged as they bore no serious injuries. ASI, Tarn Taran (city), Gurdeep Singh said no injured person has lodged a complaint with the police as yet and the police would take the next step only after getting a complaint from bus any of them. Amritsar, January 11 After the blast outside the Gumtala police chowki two days ago, the city police have intensified the night domination operation. On the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar along with other senior police officials inspected all the checkpoints, besides visiting police stations and police posts during the operation. The Police Commissioner supervised the security arrangements at all the police stations and police chowkis and interacted with police officials. He asked cops to remain vigilant at night. It has been learnt that he had also instructed senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), DCP (Investigations) Harpreet Singh Mander and DCP (City) Jagjit Singh Walia to supervise the night domination and search operations at different localities in the three zones of the city. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar inspects a check-point in Amritsar on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. He said the police have identified as 75 points in the city where all the police officials, including the Additional Deputy Commissioners of Police, the Assistant Commissioners of Police, the SHOs, the PCR teams would be conducting night domination operations. Under the operation, special checkpoints would be installed for checking of vehicles and night patrolling intensified. Last night, the police challaned 95 vehicles and 18 vehicles were impounded under the Motor Vehicles Act. Besides, several suspicious elements were rounded up and questioned. “The operation would continue in the future and no laxity would be tolerated. Any negligence would invite stern action,” said the Police Commissioner. He said cops in civvies would be keeping an eye on mis- creants. “Those who used to slip away on seeing the police in uniform would now be caught by cops in civvies,” he said. The district, including city as well as rural areas, has witnessed five instances of attack on police establishments. On Thursday night also, a ‘blast’ took place outside the Gumtala police chowki. Nonetheless, police officials maintained that it was a car radiator blast. Murder bid accused held with pistol Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 11 A local NGO has demanded amendment to the rules to punish the seller and the user of plastic string, seeking long imprisonment for violators. A petition would be sent to all MLAs of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The office-bearers of the local NGO, Voice of Amritsar (VOA), stated that they are preparing a written petition to be sent to all 117 MLAs in Punjab that anyone selling the Chinese string be charged with attempt to murder and sentenced to 7-year imprisonment and fined ~15 lakh. Whereas anyone flying kites with plastic string should be imprisoned for three months under nonbailable offence and fined ~25,000. We hope a bill will be passed in the next session of the Punjab assembly with all members irrespective of parties supporting it. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Ahead of Lohri festival, residents demand Farmer, who died at Shambhu, strict laws against sale, use of plastic string cremated in his native village Police city police spreading awareness against using Chinese kite string in Amritsar on Saturday. Sheenu Gupta, an office bearer, said, “We are holding awareness campaigns against the plastic string. Strong laws and their enforcement are necessary for the success of such drives. We need to set examples for violators. Strict laws and implementation would save many lives.” The activists claimed that monofilament yarn is being manufactured in Ludhiana for the fishing nets and sports nets. But most of the manufactured yarn is being used for kite flying. The government should also check the sale of monofilament yarn from the manufacturing units. “We have been promoting the traditional kite string as replacement of plastic string but people will not adopt the traditional string till the plastic string is available in the market. Despite frequent seizures, the banned string is still available in the market,” said Gurpreet Singh, a resident. Tarn Taran, January 11 The last rites of farmer Resham Singh (52), a resident of Pahuwind village in Tarn Taran district who died after consuming some poisonous substance on January 9 at Shambhu border, were performed in his native village on Saturday. The body reached his house on Friday night from a hospital in Patiala where he breathed his last. The body was wrapped in the flag of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), and local leaders of the Committee paid rich tributes to the departed soul. Harpreet Singh and Dlibag Singh Pahuwind were among the KMSC leaders who paid their last respects to farmer Resham Singh and warned the Union Government for not acceding to the genuine demands of the agitating farmers saying the contribution of Resham Singh will not go waste. The pyre was lit KMSC leaders pay tributes to the deceased farmer in Tarn Taran. by Inderjit Singh, the only son of the farmer. The administration was represented by the SDM, Bhikhiwind. KMSC leader Dilbag Singh flayed political leaders for not coming to express grief as neither any MLA nor any minister had come to express condolences to the family. — OC AAP mustering numbers in House Two shot at in Bhorsi Rajputa village over to upset Cong in mayoral election rivalry in panchayat election; case registered Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 11 Despite getting 24 seats in the MC elections, the AAP is getting closer to proving its majority in the General House. As per the latest figures, the AAP claims that 36 members are with it. A BJP councillor from Ward No.27 joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) yesterday. Earlier, four Independent councillors had joined AAP last week. Now, the AAP claims the support of 36 members, including seven MLAs of urban constituencies, four Independents and a BJP turncoat. The Congress has the support of one Independent out of eight with their total number now at 41. In case of voting in the General House, the Congress leaders fear that some councillors from the BJP and SAD may vote for AAP Howev. er, senior leadership of the Congress have been regularly meeting with party councillors to follow the high command’s decision on the Mayor unanimously. All the 41 elected councillors took a pledge to follow the high command’s decision in a meeting held with senior Congress leadership on Friday. There are two main factions in the Congress, one is led by former Deputy CM OP Soni and the other by Raj Kawal Preet Singh Lucky, former Leader of Opposition in the MC House and senior councillor. While AAP has intensified the exercise to get its Mayor, BJP councillor Preet Kaur from Ward No.27 has joined the AAP . It is a major setback for the BJP too. The Congress now fears that if a few more BJP council- lors join AAP in the next few days, then they would not be able to prove their majority. There are three Independent candidates, who haven’t revealed their cards yet. If these Independents join AAP then , the ruling party would reach a tally of 39. After this, the AAP will be close to getting a majority and will be just two votes behind the Congress. “Senior leaders in the Congress are trying to keep their camp safe so that no party councillor votes against the party. However, there is factionalism in AAP too but when the party is in power, then it is easier to snub the rebels. Interestingly, after getting only 24 seats out of 85, AAP is now close to capturing the post of Mayor,” said advocate Kuljeet Singh, a political expert. PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 11 A rivalry over panchayat elections turned ugly when a group of armed persons barged into a house and shot at two persons in Bhorsi Rajputa village here on Friday evening. The injured were rushed to a hospital where there condition is stated to be serious. The Khalchian police have rounded up around 10 persons on charges of attempt to murder and under the Arms Act while no arrest has been made till now. The victims were identified as Lakhwinder Singh and his son Gurjant Singh, both residents of Khakh village. Among those booked were Manpreet Singh Manu and Mehakpreet Singh, both c m y b VICTIMS HAD COMPLAINED OF BOGUS VOTING ■ Jaskaranpreet Singh of Khakh village, now residing in Bhorsi Rajputa village, told the police that his uncle Lakhwinder Singh (one of the injured) had contested the panchayat elections from Khakh village. However, he lost by only four votes. He filed a complaint with the authorities while alleging bogus voting during the polls, said Jaskaranpreet, adding that the opposite group led by Manpreet Singh harboured a grudge against him. sons of present Sarpanch Sarabjit Singh, Nishan Singh, Jugraj Singh, Jagmit Singh, all residents of Khakh village falling under Vairowal police station in Tarn Taran district, Gurpreet Singh of Sarli Kalan, Baju of Goindwal and three other unknown persons. Jaskaranpreet Singh of Khakh village, now residing in Bhorsi Rajputa village, told the police that his uncle Lakhwinder Singh had contested the panchay- at elections from Khakh village. However, he lost by only four votes. He filed a complaint with the authorities while alleging bogus voting during the polls, said Jaskaranpreet, adding that the opposite group led by Manpreet Singh harboured a grudge against him. He said that late on Thursday evening, the accused came in an SUV which entered their house while two cars remained stationed outside. Before they could com- prehend, the accused including Sarpanch Sarabjit Singh and his son Manpreet Singh started firing, leaving Lakhwinder Singh injured. As he fell down, his son Gurjant came to save him, but the duo shot at him. Both the victims suffered bullet injuries in their stomach. After this, they fled from the scene. The family rushed the injured Lakhwinder and Gurjant to a private hospital where their condition is stated to be serious, though stable. The police have registered a case of attempt to murder and invoked other relevant sections of BNS and Arms Act against them. Police said raids were on to arrest the suspects who were absconding ever since the incident took place. Amritsar, January 11 Ranjit Avenue police have arrested an attempt to murder case suspect and recovered an illegal pistol from his possession which was used in the crime that took place on December 25, 2024. The accused was identified as Pushum Tindi of Lahori Gate area. Sharing details here today, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagjit Singh Walia said that Akashdep Singh of Navi Abadi was shot at by two armed assailants near Beant Park located in the posh Ranjit Avenue area here on December 25 last year. The youth was critically injured and rushed to hospital. The police have booked Sam of Theke Wali Gali, Navi Abadi and Pushum Tiddi on charges of attempt to murder and under provisions of the Arms Act on the basis of the statement of victim’s father Bhupinder Singh. Bhupinder Singh told the police that he was talking to his son Akashdeep Singh when he got a call from his friend Sam on the day of the incident. Sam shared the contact number of Pushum Tiddi with his son. He said he was out of station and asked him to bring his belonging from Tiddi. He said when his son was leaving he accompanied him and reached the designated place. When they reached there, two scooter-borne persons came and shot at his son who suffered a bullet injury in the chest, he said. The accused fled the scene. Walia said that the accused has been evading arrest since then. He was the prime suspect in the case. The police recovered a .32 bore pistol used in the crime from his possession. Investigations have revealed that Akashdeep had a dispute with Piyanshu alias Chiku of Khai Mohalla, Pusham Tiddi and Sukh of Lahori Gate. Tiddi already had two criminal cases including that of murder against him.