08032025-ATR-01.qxd 3/7/2025 11:27 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 27°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 9°C SEVEN WOMEN FELICITATED AT IMA EVENT, JALANDHAR DR MALIK BELIEVES ONE’S FEET MUST BE FIRMLY ON THE GROUND AARUSHI ATTRIBUTES HER SUCCESS TO HER FAMILY The Women Doctor Wing of IMA celebrates Women's Day , honouring women for their contributions to society. P2 International Women’s Day for Dr Ranjana Malik is a day to acknowledge and celebrate women. P4 Aarushi Oswal, a make-up artist from Ludhiana is a leading name in the make-up industry today. P4 » » » SUNSET SATURDAY 6.25 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6.37 AM SATURDAY | 8 MARCH 2025 | AMRITSAR Nine held with drugs, illegal weapons Police clueless about miscreants who tried to loot house in Lopoke Our Correspondent A looter was shot dead while owner was injured in firing Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, March 7 Police teams from across the district arrested nine persons with drugs and illegal weapons on Thursday. SSP Abhimanyu Rana said on Friday that 236.04 gm of heroin, 176 intoxicating pills, 258 gm of opium, two countrymade pistols and seven cartridges were seized from them. He said the suspects have been identified as Jashanpreet Singh Giani of Naushehra Pannuan, Jobanpreet Singh Joban of Khalra, Manpreet Singh Manna of Chaudhriwala (Naushehra Pannuan), Gursewak Singh Sewak of Chuslewar (Patti), Jagdev Singh Jagga of Gaggobua, Sandeep Singh Seepa of Chohla Sahib, Arjun Singh of Naushehra Dhala, Gurinder Singh Ginder and Arjun Singh of Shahbazpur. Narinder Singh Goli of Valtoha is absconding and the police are conducting raids to nab his, the SSP said. Amritsar, March 7 The Amritsar rural police are still clueless about the incident in which around 10 armed miscreants attacked a house located in a field at Bhilowal Pakka village falling under the Lopoke police station here two days ago. The incident that occurred on the intervening night of March 4 and 5 had led to a critical gunshot injury to one of the family members of the house while an unidentified robber, apparently a migrant, lost his life in a retaliatory firing by two members of the family. This is a first-of-its-kind incident that led to panic among villagers, especially those living in houses located in fields. Jugraj Singh, the complainant in the case, told the Incident led to panic among those living in houses based in fields police that he along with his family members went to bed after dinner on February 4. He said at around 1 am, he heard a noise like someone was trying to break the wall of the house. Seconds later, the power of the house got disconnected. It took no time to Jugraj Singh to understand that unscrupulous elements were trying to break in. He said he woke up his brother Jaspal Singh and took out his licensed 12 bore double-barrel rifle. They opened the gate and tried to see with the help of a torch who were trying to break in. He said when he challenged, the unidentified miscreants started firing at them. One shot left Jaspal Singh injured ADA demolishes illegal colonies Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 7 Acting tough against illegal colonies, the Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) has taken strict action against unauthorised colonies in the district. A regulatory team, led by District Town Planner (Regulatory) Gursewak Singh Aulakh, along with Duty Magistrate Jagbir Singh, officials from the ADA and police personnel carried out demolition operations. The action targeted unauthorized colonies coming up along the Amritsar-Ram Tirath Road towards the villages of Gausapur and Dhaul Kalan. The authorities demolished these illegal colonies as their owners had ignored government regulations and continued with unauthorized constructions. Officials confirmed that notices were issued to illegal colonies under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA), 1995, ordering to immediately stop these constructions before taking action against them. The amendments to PAPRA (2024) now impose and he fell on the ground. He said in retaliation, he fired around four gunshots. He said hearing the sound of gunshots, people of the village also woke up and ran towards their house while the suspected robbers run away. He said he rushed his brother to a private hospital in the city. Later, during a search of their area, they found the body of a migrant man with name ‘Lachhman Das’ wrote on it. Satpal Singh, SHO, Lopoke police station, said the body of the unknown person was kept in mortuary for identification. A probe was on to identify the suspects. However, till now they don’t have any clues about the perpetrators. “The incident is alarming and we are living no stone unturned to identify and arrest the suspects,” said Satpal Singh. 19-yr-old shot, cousin among three booked for murder Tribune News Service An illegal colony being demolished by workers and officials of the ADA along Ram Tirath Road in Amritsar on Friday. strict penalties, including imprisonment of five to 10 years and fines ranging from ~25 lakh to R~5 crore for individuals involved in unauthorized colony development. So far, 15 cases have been referred to the police for registering cases against developers and builders violating the regulations. PUDA’s regulatory wing continues to monitor illegal constructions across Amritsar, issuing notices and stopping unauthorised works while directing the police for further legal proceedings. The District Town Planner (Regulatory) has urged the public to verify PUDA approvals before purchasing plots in any colony to avoid financial loss and legal complications. Additionally, individuals planning to construct a house in the district must obtain the necessary approvals from PUDA before commencing any building work. These strict measures aim to regulate urban development and prevent unplanned expansion that could lead to future infrastructural and civic challenges. Amritsar, March 7 A newly married youth (19year-old) was shot dead by three persons in Jandiala Guru area here on Thursday. The deceased was identified as Manpreet Singh. Those nominated for his murder were identified as Shivpreet Singh, Amarjit Singh of Sheikhupura Mohalla and Sajan alias Sapp of Jandiala Guru. No arrest has been made till now though a case under Sections 103 and 3 (5) of the BNS and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against them. Shivpreet Singh is a cousin of the deceased. Lakhwinder Kaur, mother of the victim, told the police that yesterday his son had gone along with his cousin Shivpreet Singh and his friends Amarjit Singh and Sajan Sapp on a motorcycle and a scooter. They said they were going to Gunewal village for some work. She said continued on page 2 Centuries-old trees in Ram Bagh drying up for lack of upkeep, many axed by civic body Charanjit Singh Teja Amritsar, March 7 A number of centuries-old trees have died due to the negligence of authorities and are now lying inside the historic Ram Bagh. Activists allege that the trees are being deliberately dried out to vacate space for commercial purposes, including clubs, illegal sports wings and also for private use within the garden. Large wooden logs from the centuries-old trees can be seen scattered inside the premises. Additionally, several large trees have dried up over the past year and remain standing in the garden. Activists claim that drill holes have been found in several old trees, indicating that chemicals may have been used to dry them out before being cut. The sight of dozens PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service A dead tree at the historic Ram Bagh in Amritsar on Friday. of chopped trees lying within the garden raises serious questions about the upkeep of this historic green space. Environmentalists and citizens concerned are now demanding a thorough investigation and strict measures to prevent further damage to one of the city’s most valuable green spaces. Even though the historic Ram Bagh is a protected site under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), no concrete efforts have been made to preserve its heritage trees. A large number of fully grown old trees are also falling prey to termites and rodents, which have dug up burrows under their roots. A visit to the Bagh reveals that rats have dug burrows under nearly every tree. Some of these trees are over 200 years old. Kuljeet Singh, president of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Virasat Manch, said, “Rats have dug burrows under nearly every tree. Some superstitious people also put grains into these burrows, continued on page 2 c m y b Vehicle lifter nabbed after exchange of fire with police Tried to escape during weapon recovery; XUV, arms seized PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 7 A vehicle lifter was injured in a brief exchange of fire when he tried to escape from police custody near Tung Dhab drain adjacent to Holy City Colony here last night. Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi of Sadhra village falling under Patti tehsil in Tarn Taran district was taken to the spot for the recovery of a weapon which he had hidden there. However, after taking out a loaded pistol from the spot, he fired at the police team led by ASI Ashwani Kumar, in-charge Gumtala police post here, said Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar while adding that he was injured in the leg after the police team fired in self-defence. Sharing details, Bhullar said that Gopi was arrested by the police yesterday and a stolen XUV was recovered from him. During preliminary interrogation, he revealed that he had hidden a .32 bore pistol near the drain outside Holy City Colony. Following his disclosure, the police took him to the spot where the incident Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar (2nd from left) and other officers visit the encounter site outside Holy City Colony in Amritsar on Friday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR took place. An injured Gurpreet was admitted to the hospital for treatment, he added. A fresh case of attempt to murder for firing at a police team was registered against him at the Cantonment police station here. He said the kingpin of the gang Ranjodh Singh alias Yudhvir Singh of Sandhra village was yet to be arrested. A man- hunt was launched to arrest him. He was arrested by the Bhikhiwind police in a case registered under the Arms Act in July 2020. He had come out on bail in August 2020. Earlier, the police had arrested their two accomplices, Sikanderbir Singh alias Sikander of Sandhra village and Armandeep Singh of Loharka Kalan, three days ago. The police had confiscated 285 grams of heroin along with one Glock pistol (9mm) and a pistol of .32 bore along with 25 rounds of ammunition and an SUV from their possession. Armandeep was earlier arrested by the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) in an Arms Act case registered in October 2023. He was released on bail in May 2024.