30032025-JTR-01.qxd 3/29/2025 10:48 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune WASTE BURNING ALONG ROADS CONTINUES UNABATED INTUC THANKS CONG MLA FOR TAKING UP JCT WORKERS' ISSUE NIRMALA SANT MANDAL TO BOYCOTT CONGRESS The practice not only harms environment but also poses a health risk to residents. P2 The union officials emphasised that this is the first time that their concerns have been raised in the House. P2 Seeks Partap Singh Bajwa's public apology over remarks against AAP MP Seechewal. P2 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 28°C | MIN 12°C YESTERDAY MAX 26°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.45 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6:17 AM » SUNDAY | 30 MARCH 2025 | JALANDHAR Adampur-Mumbai flight from June 5 Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 29 Jalandhar residents will get a new facility as Indigo is set to connect Adampur airport with the country's business capital. The first flight shall take off from June 5. The flight will reach Adampur airport at 4:25 pm and shall take off for Mumbai International Airport at 5 pm after a 35 minute halt. Airbus A 320 Neo with a capacity of 186 seats shall be deployed by the company for the purpose. The civil airport services had been started at Adampur in 2018. INBRIEF TWO DRUG SMUGGLERS HELD Phagwara: The Phagwara police have arrested two 'drug smugglers' and recovered 10 gram of heroin and drug money of Rs 10,100 from their possession on Friday night. The arrested accused were identified as Vipin Kumar of village Bhanoki and Tej Pal of Hadiabad. Both accused were nabbed at a check point, the police said. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against both peddlers. OC Biker dies in accident Phagwara, March 29 A car and a motorcycle collided last night on the Sugar Mill Bridge in Phagwara, resulting in the death of 45-year-old Omkar Singh Bajwa, a resident of Rawalpindi. His body has been sent for the postmortem at the Civil Hospital. According to his wife Baljit Kaur, Omkar had gone to the market for some work on his bike. She spoke to him around 7 pm when he informed her that he would be back soon. However, around 9 pm, she received the devastating news of the accident. When the family reached the Civil Hospital, doctors declared him dead. Omkar Singh Bajwa had been actively serving the Baba Maan Singh group at Baba Bakala for the past year. Baba Maan Singh expressed deep sorrow over his demise. The grieving family is inconsolable and a pall of gloom has descended on the area. — OC Drug net 14 nabbed with heroin, intoxicants in search operations Tribune Reporters Jalandhar, March 29 The Jalandhar Commissionerate Police conducted an extensive search operation across 13 identified drug hotspots within the city today. The cordon and search operation (CASO) was conducted as part of the Yudh Nashian Virudh initiative. The police arrested 14 individuals with a seizure of 60 g of heroin, 289 intoxicated tablets, 300 pregabalin capsules, 198 SPAS tablets, Rs 11,000 in drug money and seven boxes of liquor. Over 250 police officers were deployed for the search operation, which targeted 13 strategic hotspots of Jalandhar. Each key hotspot was supervised by officers of the ADCP/ACP rank to ensure the effectiveness of the operation. The operation took place across Commissionerate Jalandhar, with a thorough inspection of the residences of suspected individuals. Police teams checked homes, vehicles and surrounding areas to ensure no illegal activities were taking place. In addition, locals were interrogated to gather information about nearby drug peddlers and any suspicious activities in the region. Multiple checkpoints were set up to identify key suspects and locations linked to drug trafficking. Woman among 2 held with heroin at Shahkot The Shahkot police during the ongoing search operation at Shahkot and Mehatpur today arrested a man and a woman with drugs. Police officials during a search operation at Phagwara on Saturday. TRIBUNE PHOTO At operations launched under the “War Against Drugs” campaign of the police under SSP Gurmeet Singh in Mehatpur and Shahkot, the police seized 57 gm heroin, 107 intoxicated tablets, a motorbike, Rs 9,200 drug money and an electronic weighing machine from the two accused. DSP Shahkot, Onkar Singh , Brar said during a CASO (cordon and search operation) operation, led by a team headed by SI Lakhbir Singh, the police apprehended a man on a motorbike from whom heroin and drug money were seized. The seizures were made during the operation near Hanuman Temple, Shahkot. The accused has been identified as Deepak Sharma of Mohalla Ramgarhia, Shahkot. The police said he had been arrested with 57 gm heroin and Rs 9,200 drug money. Officials said the peddler was arrested near the temple at Shahkot when police were involved in checking of vehicles during the ongoing operation. Deepak Sharma, who was riding his motorbike was arrested on suspicion. The bike, 57gm heroin, drug money and an electronic weighing machine were seized from his posession. A case has been registered against Deepak Sharma on March 29 at the Shahkot police station. Meanwhile, DSP Shahkot, , Onkar Singh Brar said during the Mehatpur leg of CASO, led by SI Gurnam Singh, the police apprehended a woman Asha Rani, alias Pinki, of Mamdewala in Fazilka, and living in village Umrewal Bille at Mehatpur. The woman was arrested with 107 intoxicated tablets. A case has been registered against the woman under Sections 22 (B), 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act at Mehatpur in Jalandhar. Preliminary investigation has been launched in the case. Similarly, a search operation is also being conducted at other various places. CASO in Phagwara To nail drug peddlers, the district police, headed by SSP , Kapurthala, Gaurav Toora carried out CASO at Phag- Astrologer held for blackmail, rape of woman Our Correspondent PHAGWARA, MARCH 29 A shocking and shameful case has been reported in Phagwara where a well-known astrologer Abhishek Rawal has been accused of blackmailing and repeatedly raping a married woman, who is also a mother of three children. The police have registered a case under Sections 376, 384, 506, IPC, against Rawal, a res- ident of Friends Colony, Phagwara, under serious charges of rape and blackmail. In her complaint to the police, the victim Sheela (name changed ) revealed that she was a close friend of the astrologer’s wife and often met him at family gatherings. She stated that the accused used a voicechanging software to impersonate his wife and communicated with her through phone calls and chats. Using this trick, he allegedly lured her to his shop on the pretext of shopping, where he drugged her and sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious. The accused also recorded an obscene video of the crime. When the victim regained consciousness, Rawal allegedly threatened her, claiming to have the compromising footage. He later forced her into multiple sexual encounters at different locations by blackmailing her and threatening to harm her children. The victim further alleged that even on Holi, despite her strong refusal, the accused assaulted her again. When she finally resisted his blackmailing, he reportedly leaked her obscene video on social media. The victim also claimed that Rawal, under the guise of 100 metre in 10.2 sec, Gurindervir is ‘Flying Sikh-2’ Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 29 Hailing from a non-descript Patial village of Bhogpur town, 24-year-old Gurindervir Singh has become the fastest runner that the country has produced so far. His feat of making a new national record by completing 100m race in 10.20 seconds during the Indian Grand Prix 1 at Bengaluru has overnight turned him to be ‘Flying SIkh-2’. Gurindervir ran with a white cloth covering his hair bun in a style akin to ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh, the erstwhile 400 m sprinter. His proud father ASI Kamaljit Singh, posted at Bhunga Hariana in Hoshiarpur, shared about the early years of Gurindervir. “He was a very active child. Since I too was a sportsperson and played volleyball at the national level, I could identify the wara and village Maherru, Law Gate, Hardasspur, Chhajj Colony on Saturday. Police teams comprising five gazetted officers, six SHOs and more than 100 personnel were part of the operation. During the operation, the police checked houses and paying guests, questioned suspicious elements. “The main aim of CASO is instil a sense of fear among criminals and drug traffickers,” said Toora. Meanwhile SSP told the media that 1.5 kg of ganja was recovered from Mohammad Azaz Ahmed who has been arrested, while the cops nabbed a Satnampura resident Sandeep and recovered one .32 bore pistol from his possession. IMPROVING SPEED 2017 2018 2019 2021 2024 2025 10.69 s 10.45 s 10.35 s 10.27 s 10.32 s 10.20 s sportsman qualities in him from a very young age.” Kamaljit said, “ I got him admitted to Guru Nanak Mission School at Dalla in Class VI, which was over 13 km away from our village. The only reason for choosing the school was that it had a huge playground and coaching facilities. His coach Sarwan Singh groomed him quite well for five years”. In Class X, Gurindervir was moved to Cambridge School in Jalandhar. He started training under renowned coach Sarabjit Singh Happy. After this, there was no looking back for him. The athlete’s list of achievements included a gold at the 2017 Youth Asia Championships, a silver medal at South Asian Games 2019, a bronze at Junior Asia Championships 2018 in the relay event and another gold in the EuroAsian Championships. Deployed with the Navy, Gurindervir had got a shot in the arm when he was picked by Reliance for special training about six months back in Mumbai under English coach James Hiller. “We are middle class people. My brother had been stretching out completely to support Gurindervir in his sports career. There was a huge cost involved in his training, including his shoes, diet and travel for tournaments. After Reliance backed him, he was feeling so relieved”, said Gurindervir’s paternal uncle and sarpanch of Patial village Balwinder Singh. Kamaljit shared how he got to know about Gurindervir’s new record yesterday, “I was returning home from work last evening when I got a call from Gurindervir. He told me to apply brakes and first see his message. He had sent me a news link. It was about him making a national record in 100 m. This was one big success that he had achieved and it meant that his selection for Asian Games was almost final. He has to show his performance again in the Federation Cup next month and we are confident that he shall make it there too”. c m y b On the new popularlity of Gurindervir as Flying Sikh-2, Kamaljit said his son was spiritual. “Despite his friends coercing him to cut his hair for a better performance, he has never paid a heed. He does not even trim his beard. In fact, he inspired me to stop trimming my beard. In his adolescence days, he told me that he would keep his full beard. I responded saying that if he had such plans, he too would follow his style,” he said. Gurindervir’s coach Happy has said, “It, certainly, was a big day for the athletes in India. Now, they all look upon Gurindervir as the new star. It was a well-planned training strategy that we followed on him and it has resulted in his success. We hope that he will do well in all big events ahead, including the Asian Games, Commonwealth and Olympics”. astrology, used to collect explicit photos of innocent women. She urged the police to conduct a high-level investigation into his activities, alleging that he possessed multiple mobile phones containing objectionable material. Meanwhile, the Phagwara police have arrested the accused and produced him before the local judicial magistrate, who sent him in police custody for two days. PUDA Complex traders raise a stink over sewage overflow Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 29 The PUDA Complex in Urban Estate, Phase-II, has become a nightmare for traders and visitors as an overflowing sewer has turned the main road into a pool of stagnant, foul-smelling water. The persistent waterlogging has worsened the road’s condition, creating deep potholes and posing serious risks to commuters, especially two-wheeler riders. Local business owners, frustrated by the deteriorating infrastructure, say they have been dealing with the issue for months. “The road remains submerged in sewage and the stench is unbearable. It’s driving away customers and severely affecting our businesses,” said Mahesh, a trader from the complex. Traders blame a faulty sewer line that frequently gets clogged, causing water to overflow onto the road. Despite multiple complaints to the municipal authorities, no permanent solution has been implemented. “Even yesterday, the Municipal Corporation (MC) team and the area councillor visited after we raised the issue again, but nothing has changed,” Mahesh added. Businessmen expressed concerns over their investments, stating that the com- plex, a thriving commercial hub, is losing its appeal due to poor maintenance. “We have spent a lot on setting up our businesses here, but now the area is an eyesore. The road is filled with potholes and stagnant water makes it look even worse,” a café owner complained. Traders also reported a significant decline in foot traffic as customers avoid the unhygienic conditions. “People don’t want to wade through filthy water or endure the stench just to eat or shop. It’s embarrassing to invite customers here,” another shop owner lamented. Beyond business losses, safety concerns are also mounting. “The waterlogged road is a serious hazard. Elderly people and children struggle to walk through it and the potholes hidden under the water make it even more dangerous,” traders pointed out. They said they have submitted a complaint to the MC Commissioner, demanding immediate repairs and regular sewer maintenance. “Sales have dropped drastically and if this continues, shops will be forced to shut down,” a local ice-cream shop owner warned. Meanwhile, the MC authorities claim they are aware of the issue. “Our officials have inspected the site and necessary action will be taken soon”, they said. Divine radiance On the eve of the Navratris, Devi Talab Mandir in Jalandhar is decked up on Saturday. MALKIAT SINGH