04022025-ATR-01.qxd 2/3/2025 11:12 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY ROAD BLOCKED TO PROTEST PETROL PUMP WORKER KILLING IF UNDER PRESSURE, GO FOR COUNSELLING LAMAR, BEYONCE AND CHARLI XCX WIN BIG AT GRAMMYS Fuel station owner on KapurthalaGoindwal road offers financial aid, family seeks arrest of accused. P2 As countdown begins, pressure to perform well and prove themselves is becoming overwhelming for many. P3 MAX 18°C | MIN 7°C YESTERDAY MAX 20°C | MIN 5°C Beyonce takes lead with 11 Grammy nominations, a career-high, for her country album Cowboy Carter. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 6.07 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7.20 AM » TUESDAY | 4 FEBRUARY 2025 | AMRITSAR Inter-state arms smuggling racket busted, three nabbed Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 3 The city police arrested three key members of an interstate arms smuggling module and seized three country-made pistols from their possession here on Monday. They were identified as Piyush of Lahori Gate, Kamal Singh, alias Kalu, of Indira Colony, Jhabal Road and Swayam, alias Bholu, of Khazana Gate here. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the police seized two pistols of .32 bore caliber and one pistol of .30 bore from their possession. The bike on which they were travelling was also seized. He said following specific information that the accused were involved in the interstate smuggling of firearms, a naka was put up near the goddess Bhadarkali temple near Katra Khazana where they were arrested. He said a continued on page 2 Blanket of fog engulfs city areas Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 3 City residents woke up to dense fog for the third day in a row here this morning. Dense fog reappeared on Saturday morning after a gap of over a week. It not only brought down the temperatures, but also revived cold wave conditions, especially at nights. Himani, homemaker and mother to two children who go to kindergarten, said it seemed that the shivering cold was back. A peep out of the window in Rani Ka Bagh locality showed that the entire area was covered in a thick blanket of fog. Parents were unwilling to send their wards to schools in the shivering cold. However, as the day progressed, the sun shone brightly, but its warmth was felt in the afternoon. The air monitoring system, installed by the PPCB at the Golden Temple, recorded different AQIs like 129, 115 and 106 in the last three days from Saturday to Monday. During the last weekend, the AQI recorded was 169, 212 and 150, Murder suspect nabbed with over 2 kg of heroin Tribune News Service Commuters drive down a road amid dense fog on the GT Road in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR respectively, comparatively high in comparison with the past three days. Ahead of a religious ceremony around the Golden Temple, an intensive cleaning campaign was carried out causing dust particles to gather in the surrounding atmosphere which was reflected in the high AQI level from January 25 to 27, said Environmental Engineer Sukhdev Singh. He said the variation in the temperatures has nothing to do with fluctuation in pollution level. Dense fog slowed down the movement of trains, buses and vehicles in the morning. Fog descended in the wee hours and reduced the visibility forcing drivers to switch on the headlights of their vehicles. Amritsar, February 3 With the arrest of a drug peddler, the Amritsar Police Commissionerate on Monday claimed to have busted a trans-border module and confiscated over 2-kg heroin from his possession. The suspect, Mantej Singh, (27) a resident of Burj village falling under Sarai Amanat Khan, also had a murder case registered against him and was declared a proclaimed offender in the case. Apart from recovering the heroin, the police also impounded a motorcycle from him. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the accused was in direct contact with Pakistan-based smugglers. The consignments were trafficked through drones. He said further investigations Two suspects and the seized contraband and pistols in custody of the police in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR were continued to establish backward and forward linkages, adding that more arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days. He said acting on a tip-off, the police conducted a targeted operation and apprehend- ed Mantej Singh in Ghanupur Kale area along with 2.124 kg of the contraband. Investigations revealed that Mantej already has a murder case registered against him at the Sarai Amanat Khan police station in July 2023. In this MC swings into action, razes illegal structures Eye on exams, District Library Amritsar, February 3 The estate wing of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation took action against unauthorised constructions, removing and sealing some illegally built shops and kiosks from different locations here on Monday. Officials of the estate wing claimed that on the directions of Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia and MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh, the authorities have taken a firm stance against encroachments to check obstructions on the public pathways. Estate Officer Dharminderjit Singh said an illegal encroachment was identified outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) office on Batala Road, where permanent shops and kiosks had been constructed on the footpath. The encroachment was causing significant inconvenience to pedestrians and disrupting the flow of traffic. Acting on the complaint of PSPCL Executive Engineer Gurpreet Singh, the estate department team demolished two perma- to now remain open till 6 pm Tribune News Service Officials of the estate wing of the municipal corporation remove illegal encroachments at various locations in Amritsar on Monday. nent shops and two kiosks using a ditch machine, restoring the footpath for public use. In another case, three kiosk holders on Majitha Road had expanded their kiosks beyond the permitted size and reconstructed them. These unauthorised modifications were not only illegal but also created congestion in the area. The estate department team took action and sealed all three kiosks to prevent further encroachments. Officials warned that any future viola- tions would result in permanent removal and strict legal action against the owners. An illegal shop was identified near the City Centre bus stand. This unauthorized construction was obstructing accessibility to the busy area, causing inconvenience to commuters. The estate wing team demolished this structure using a JCB machine. Furthermore, illegal stalls set up in City Centre area were also removed, and the goods were seized by the team. Officials stated that these stalls were causing unnecessary crowding and posed safety hazards, prompting immediate removal. “The municipal corporation is committed to keeping public spaces free from unauthorized constructions and ensuring compliance with rules and regulations. Senior MC officials warned that strict action will be taken against those violating the MC laws. Citizens are urged to refrain from encroaching on public spaces,” said Estate Officer Dharminderjit Singh. — TNS Amritsar, February 3 The District Library, located in the District Administrative Complex (DAC), will now remain open for the general public till 6 pm. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said this while addressing a meeting with officials. The decision was taken with the intention of providing library facilities to children to help prepare for the PCS and other competitive examinations. The DC clarified that a large number of children from the district take the PCS examination while they do not have access to study material. “As they are dependent on public libraries for study material, it has been decided that the District Library will remain open till evening,” she said. The DC added that it was necessary for the District Library to remain open till late in the evening so that those case, the deceased, Princepal Singh, also known as Prince, was found hanging from an iron girder in an old house, with his hands tied behind his back,” he said. A day before, the victim was brutally tortured and his left toe was forcibly pulled out with pliers before being sent home. The next day, the accused called him back, and three days later, his body was found hanging in the old house. He was declared a PO in this case in January last year. “Efforts are being made to uncover the entire network of suppliers, dealers and buyers as well as to ascertain the total quantity of drugs purchased by the arrested individuals so far,” said the Police Commissioner. A case under Sections 21, 23, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act was registered at Chheharta police station in this regard. Woman alleges harassment by in-laws, spouse for dowry Tribune News Service Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney addresses officials in Amritsar on Tuesday. who are interested can access it accordingly. “I invite them to now study till 6 pm while enjoying the facilities of this library and achieve success in the examination,” she said. The District Library is the only public library Amritsar has with the largest collection of books. Since its access is free of cost, and is meant for all, it evidently becomes the access point for many readers and students who are preparing for various competitive exams. Amritsar, February 3 A newly married woman has accused her husband and his sister of disrobing her. She alleged that they thrashed her after tearing her clothes. The matter has reached the Mohkampura police which have detained her husband and launched a probe after registering an FIR. Married seven months back, the victim alleged that she was repeatedly assaulted and harassed for bringing insufficient dowry. Sumit Singh, SHO, Mohkampura police station, said that a case has been registered and further probe in the case was on. The accused Rajan, a resident of Dharampura area near Jora Phatak here, has been arrested, he added. The FIR continued on page 2 Police case lodged against Attari ‘SAD membership Abhishek Sharma’s T20 century sarpanch after visit to BDPO drive picking up in in 37 balls delights cricket fans Khadoor Sahib area’ Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 3 The newly elected Sarpanch of Attari has been booked after he raised his voice seeking development of the village at the Block Development and Panchayat Office (BDPO). The farmer unions staged a protest today against the BDPO and demanded that the case be withdrawn. According to information received, Attari village Sarpanch Gurpreet Singh had visited the BPDO office on January 9 to get record registers to execute development works. He alleged in a live video that on the directions of local MLA, the panchayat officials deliberately did not issue him the records. In the absence of registers, he had no authority to pay the daily wage workers and panchayat employees. Sarpanch Gurpreet Singh had alleged that the MLA of the Attari constituency and panchayat officials were deliberately obstructing works relating to the village’s development. In an attempt to expose the matter, Gurpreet Singh uploaded the video on social media site Facebook in which he stated that the public had elected him to ensure progress in the village, but the department, under the influence of the MLA, was preventing any development initiatives. Recently, the video went viral and social media users reportedly abused the MLA and panchayat officials. Following this, officials of the Panchayat Department lodged a complaint against Gurpreet Singh, claiming that he used inappropriate language inside a government office. They also alleged that making the video was an unlawful act. The Gharinda police station registered a case against the Sarpanch. Vikramjit Singh, Block Development and Panchayat Officer, said, “The Sarpanch had created nuisance at a government office and uploaded the video on Facebook. The video is still online and people are blaming the panchayat department in their comments. So, the panchayat secretaries have given a written application to take action. Following this, we filed a police complaint and the police booked him.” After a case was registered, farmer organisations and local villagers staged a protest outside the BDPO office. The demonstrators argued that Gurpreet Singh had stood up for the development of the village and was unfairly targeted. They demanded that the case against the Sarpanch be withdrawn immediately. Nirmal Singh Modhe, farmer union leader, said, “We have protested as the Sarpanch had only demanded records from the continued on page 2 Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, February 3 Former MLA and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Ravinder Singh Brahmpura claimed that the party membership drive was gaining people’s support in the Khadoor Sahib area. Addressing party workers in Kang Kalan village on Monday, Ravinder Singh Brahampura reinforced the party’s importance to Shiromani Akali Dalworkers saying that is leaders had contributed much for the state and to protect the dignity of the Sikh Panth. He distributed membership slips to party workers and leaders to recruit Shiromani Akali Dal members. Brahmpura highlighted the unfulfilled promises made by AAP government in Punjab, led by Chief Min- c m y b ister Bhagwant Mann, particularly regarding pledges for financial aid to women. He condemned Kejriwal’s recent assurance of Rs 2,100 to Delhi’s women as yet another deceptive tactic, branding the Aam Aadmi Party as profoundly corrupt. Brahmpura lamented the lack of quality education, healthcare and essential services provided to the people of Punjab under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration, holding it accountable for mismanagement. Shiromani Akali Dal vicepresident Dalbir Singh Jahangeer, Tejinder Singh Khalsa, Amrik Singh, Nirmal Singh and other leaders also addressed the gathering, condemning the state government for its unfulfilled promises to the people of the state. Amritsar, February 3 A wave of happiness descended on local cricket fans and family members of 24-year-old Abhishek Sharma when he scored his highest individual knock of 135 runs, which included a quick century off 37 balls, in T20 matches for India. He has been relentless in his performance since last year after being selected as an opener in the T20 team for the Bangladesh series after making his international debut in a T20 cricket match in Zimbabwe. Trained by his childhood idol Yuvraj Singh whom he saw batting on screen while growing up and adored his style, Abhishek was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad at a record price of Rs 6.50 crore in 2022. A retired Punjab government coach, Inderjit Singh Bajwa, secretary of the Abhishek Sharma Amritsar Games Association, said he had seen Abhishek growing up, so it was a treat to watch him play in prestigious tournaments, smash old records and create new ones. Congratulating Abhishek and his parents on the achievement, he said he wished Abhishek scales new heights and reaches the pinnacle of his chosen career. Considered a hard-hitting lower-order batsman who also chips in as a left-arm spinner, Abhishek guided India to victory in the U-19 Asia Cup in 2016 and had a World Cup to his name as U-19 cricketer. As a young cricket star, he was part of the Indian squad for the ICC World Cup. He came to limelight with a century while making his U-19 debut for Punjab in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. He had already shared his dream with the media — to make it to the senior squad — for which he has been making giant strides. His neighbour Vijay Kumar said Abhishek’s elevation had not only made the city proud but also the whole country which had taken notice of him. He said when youth from the city of Golden Temple shine in the country and abroad, not only their parents are happy, other youths from the city also get inspiration.