15012025-LT-01.qxd 1/15/2025 12:57 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune DR SURJIT PATAR’S LEGACY CELEBRATED ON BIRTH ANNIV PAU commemorated birth anniversary of legendary poet Dr Surjit Patar with an event, ‘Lafzan Di Dargah’. P2 » SIDHANT CALLS HIS ROLE OF SOBHRAJ DEMANDING SOKHI SHOOTS FOR SECOND SEASON OF LAUGHTER CHEF Netflix recently treated the fans with another nail-biting thriller, Black Warrant. P4 The chef is not only an expert with varied cuisines, but also adds a dash of comedy to lives of people. P4 » » FORECAST DENSE FOG MAX 19°C | MIN 08°C YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 08°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.45 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 7:19 AM WEDNESDAY | 15 JANUARY 2025 | LUDHIANA Over 530 primary school students forced 3 city residents lost ~31L to cyber criminals in 24 hours to study in extreme weather conditions Tribune News Service There are only three rooms that are being used to accommodate pupils turn-wise Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 14 Over 530 students of Government Primary School, Dr Ambedkar Nagar, are forced to study under miserable conditions as the school’s complex does not have any proper building or even adequate classrooms for the children. In the absence of proper infrastructure, the students are made to sit in verandahs, be it in scorching summer, humid monsoon or biting cold. There are only three rooms in the school and the authorities try to accommodate students in these turn-wise. A visit to the school on Tuesday revealed how difficult it was for teachers and students attend school in such a situation. The school authorities have requested the Education Secretary to introduce the two-shift system for classes at the school so that even primary school students can be accommodated in classrooms during their classes. The head teacher of the Fight over ramp construction claims elderly man’s life Ludhiana, January 14 A fight between two families at Kehar Singh Nagar on Tuesday led to the death of a 65-year-old man. He was identified as Tarsem Singh. Police sources said the deceased’s family was building a ramp outside their house and their neighbours objected to the same on the plea that the long ramp would create hurdle in the street and children might suffer injuries while playing. On this, heated arguments started between both families and they started hurling bricks at each other. One of the bricks hit the elderly man who suffered a serious injury and breathed his last. The police on Tuesday registered a case against the victim’s neighbours and started raids to nab them. — TNS Students attend classes in a veranda at Government Primary School, Dr Ambedkar Nagar. ASHWANI DHIMAN school, Gurmeet Chauhan, said an application regarding the request to introduce dual shift for classes at the school had already been submitted to the Education Secretary. She said it was learnt that the application had been approved and sent to the DPI concerned but they did not have information about the reason for its delay. Gurmeet Chauhan joined the school as the head teacher in 2023. For the past over eight years, the primary students had been studying at the school in such conditions. It was noticed that the students were unable to focus on their studies due to distractions in surroundings, includ- ing the hustle and bustle in the ground and the verandah, where teachers and students from senior secondary school also sit. To make matters worse, loud music was being played in a building near the school for the Makar Sankranti celebrations. One of the teachers said: “Look at the situation. How we teach the students. There are so many distractions all around. Be it any season or extreme weather, the pupils are made to sit outside as there are not enough rooms in the building. We had two more rooms that were declared unsafe and demolished. We hope that the authorities concerned realise and do the needful as soon as possible. The three rooms in the school are also in a dilapidated condition.” Meanwhile, Government Senior Secondary School, also having a strength of over 500 students, in the same complex has nine rooms where primary students can attend their classes and focus on their studies. District Education Officer Ravinder Kaur said she was aware of the condition of the school. The file requesting to introduce two-shift system at the school had already been sent to the head office. The department was waiting approval from the higher authorities to improve the situation at the institute, she added. Ludhiana, January 14 Cyber criminals are on the prowl as they targeted three city residents and in a day, the police registered three separate FIRs against unidentified miscreants. The victims lost Rs 31 lakh to cyber fraudsters. In the first incident, Rajinder Singh, a resident of Urban Estate, Dugri, said on January 7, he got a call from an unidentified person who offered to make a health card. Believing him, he filled a form shared by the caller and later, he was shocked to know that Rs 14.93 lakh were fraudulently withdrawn by the suspect. The complainant said he lodged a police complaint, following which a case was registered against the unidentified person on Monday. Investigating officer ASI Jasvir Singh said after registering a case, further investigation was launched to identify the suspect. Another resident Sahil Goyal of Sarabha Nagar said on March 24, 2024, he received a WhatsApp call from an unidentified person and the man posed himself as the CEO of Skyvera company. The suspect said vouchers of Amazon and Apple company would be given to him and in lieu of that the suspect made him to transfer Rs 1 lakh in the account. After transferring the money, he got to know that he had been duped. He had lodged a police complaint in the matter, and after investigation, the police registered a case against the man. ASI Paramjit Singh investigating officer of the case said a probe had already been launched to identify the suspect. In another case, Tararnjit Singh, a resident of Guru Nanak Nagar, Dugri, told the police that an unidentified person called him and offered to buy old coins. Later, the suspect posed himself as a police officer and by threatening him, took Rs 15.01 lakh from him. Investigating officer ASI Raj Kumar said further investigation was on in the case. Hit by bus, woman cyclist dies Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 14 A woman riding a bicycle was hit by a government bus near Samrala on Tuesday morning. She suffered serious injuries and died at the scene. The deceased was identified as Jasvir Kaur (45). As per the Samrala police, the woman was heading towards Samrala on a bicycle when she was hit by a rashly driven Punjab Roadways bus. After the incident, officials from the Samrala police station reached the scene and rounded up the driver. Later, a case on the charge of causing death by negligence was registered against the bus driver, identified as Jaswant Singh, and he was arrested. Shan-e-Punjab catches Two get 10-yr jail for snatching Farmer robbed of fire,major mishap averted car by 3 miscreants Legal Correspondent Ludhiana, January 14 A major accident was averted when a fire broke out in a train near the Ludhiana’s Chawa Pail station. Shan-ePunjab Express, travelling from Amritsar to Delhi, caught fire when it reached near the station. The fire started in train’s wheels and spread to a coach. One of the passengers, who was travelling in the train, said the incident occurred around 6 pm when after noticing fire in the last coach, someone pulled the chain and alerted train staff. They swung into action and doused the flames before it could spread to other coaches. Acting swiftly, the staff separated the burning coach from the rest of the train, preventing a poten- tially disastrous outcome. Railway teams rushed to the scene and began investigating the cause behind the fire. The train was taken back to the Payal railway station where it was stranded for over 60 minutes on the main line and then it left for Delhi. The rail traffic also got affected to some extent due to the mishap. Panic gripped passengers on board after the fire broke out in the train. However, no person suffered any injury in the incident. Though the cause of the fire remains unknown, it is clear that a major tragedy was narrowly averted. Railway officials were conducting a thorough probe into the incident. Sources said a short-circuit was being suspected the cause of the fire. — TNS Ludhiana January 14 The Court of Sessions Judge Harpreet Kaur Randhawa sentenced Ravi Gupta (26), a resident of Heera Nagar, Ludhiana, and Lakhan (36), a resident of Mani Majra, Chandigarh, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each in a snatching case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of the convicts. According to the prosecution, on November 11, 2022, the complainant, Parmila, was waiting for an auto-rickshaw at Cheema Chowk, here, around 6 pm when three men approached her on a motorcycle. One of them, identified as Ravi Gupta, threatened her with a datt (sharp weapon) and forcibly snatched her mobile phone. The trio also dragged and intimidated her before fleeing the scene. However, local residents chased the suspects and managed to stop their motorcycle They apprehended Ravi Gupta and Lakhan. The third accomplice fled the scene. The duo were handed over to the police by the public. A case was registered at the Moti Nagar police station, here. During the trial, the prosecution examined four witnesses, including the complainant, who provided critical testimony. She identified both suspects in court and con- firmed that the accused, Ravi Gupta, had threatened her and snatched her mobile phone while Lakhan was an accomplice in the crime. The court rejected the defence lawyer’s contention regarding improper identification of the accused, citing the complainant’s consistent and clear identification during both incidents and the trial. In delivering the sentence, the Sessions Judge observed the gravity of the offence, noting the trauma caused to the victim and the boldness of the crime committed in broad daylight. The case serves as a strong deterrent against criminal activities and highlights the critical role of public vigilance in aiding law enforcement. Ludhiana, January 14 Three miscreants dressed as Nihangs threatened a farmer with sharp weapons and took away his Maruti Suzuki Alto car near Sangowal village on Tuesday. After receiving information, the Morado police reached the scene and started investigation. Manmohan Singh of Sangowal said on Tuesday morning, when he was going to his fields in his car, three miscreants dressed as Nihangs signalled him to stop. Thinking that they would need some help, he stopped the car. Following which, the miscreants pointed a sharp weapon at his neck and asked him to give keys of the vehicle. On resisting their move, the suspects threatened to kill him. Afterwards, he gave them the keys. The suspects fled the scene with the car. Later, he informed the police and lodged a complaint. SI Tarsem Singh, in-charge of the Morado police post, said the police registered an FIR against the unidentified suspects and formed teams to search for them. The police in neighbouring districts were also alerted. Earlier this month, three miscreants on a bike looted a Brezza car at gunpoint from a resident on the Sahnewal-Dehlon road. The miscreants fired two shots in the air to threaten car occupants before fleeing. In December last year, two car snatching incidents occurred. In the first incident occurred near Rajguru Nagar Tpoint, miscreants had robbed a man of his car at gunpoint. In the other incident, a car was looted from a teacher. — TNS Elated parents welcome newborns on auspicious day Man posing as gangster In city’s major hospitals, nine babies — four boys, five girls — were born on Makar Sankranti Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 14 The joy of these parents was endless as they welcomed their new babies in their families on Tuesday on the occasion of Makar Sankranti as the day is considered one of the most auspicious days of the year. In city’s major hospitals, nine babies were born on Tuesday, which include four boys and five girls. At the Civil Hospital, three babies were born on the auspicious day. Pankaj, who became a father on Tuesday, said they welcomed their baby boy in the morning. Pankaj and his wife Sunidhi, who became parents for the first time, said they had not decided the name for their son. Newborn babies with their kin at the Civil Hospital in Ludhiana on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN “We will consult our kin and then select a beautiful name for our child. As he is born on the most auspicious day of the year, I am sure he will have a great future ahead. I pray for his good health,” said Pankaj, a resident of Sha- heed Baba Deep Singh Nagar and a native of Bihar. Sunidhi, who had a C-section delivery, said: “There was a lot of pain but after seeing the face of my son, all my pain has gone away. I am blessed that my son was born on the day when we celebrate Khichdi in our state, Bihar.” Sombati gave birth to a boy this afternoon. “This is my second baby. I have another son named Krishna. We have still not decided the name for our son but since our elder c m y b son is named Krishna, we plan to name him after some God,” she said. Sombati’s husband Kirpal was equally joyful over the birth of his son. “My happiness knows no bounds as our son was born on this auspicious day,” said Kirpal, a resident of Golden Colony. Lovepreet and his wife Lovely became parents to a beautiful baby girl on Tuesday. “We have been blessed with Goddess Lakshmi on the day of Makar Sankranti. We are happy and know she will bring good luck and fortune to our family. The name for our daughter is yet to be decided,” Lovepreet said. Tanya and Naveen were another couple who became proud parents of a baby boy on Tuesday. This is their first child. “We find ourselves so lucky that our son is born on this day. Makar Sankranti or Maghi, as we call in Punjab, is the most auspicious and pious day. We are considering naming him Aathrav, which means lucky or auspicious,” Tanya said. Goldy Brar demands extortion from bizman Ludhiana, January 14 A businessman in the city received a WhatsApp call and messages from an international number, with the caller claiming to be notorious gangster Goldy Brar. The caller demanded extortion money and threatened to harm him if he failed to fulfil his demand. The businessman, Ankit Kumar, a resident of Janta Nagar, reported the incident to the Police Division 6, stating that he received multiple WhatsApp calls and messages on Monday. The caller introduced himself as Goldy Brar and demanded money, threatening to kill the victim if he did not pay the money. The police registered a case against an unidentified person and initiated investigation in the matter on Monday. This incident raises concerns about increasing number of extortion calls and threat messages being received by businessmen and others in the region. The victim did not reveal about the exact extortion amount demanded by the miscreant. Meanwhile, police sources said some miscreants pretend to be Brar and demand extortion from people. They indulge in such acts as they were aware that Brar is a notorious gangster and on his name, people get frightened and pay extortion money. Earlier also, the police had nabbed some people who had demanded extortion by posing themselves as the gangster. But when they were nabbed their real identities were exposed and they were found to be petty criminals. `aea— TNS