09042025-ATR-01.qxd 4/8/2025 10:34 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY SKY MAX 36°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 22°C 'DEHI' SHOWCASES HUMAN EMOTIONS, AI AT RANG UTSAV LEADERS CONDEMN GRENADE ATTACK ON KALIA'S HOUSE CELEBS SHINE AT MADDOCK FILMS’ ANNIVERSARY BASH The state-level Rang Utsav is celebrated annually on the birth anniversary of the legendary Shri K L Saigal. P2 BJP leader Avinash Rai Khanna slams AAP-led state govt over law & order breakdown. P2 Maddock Films celebrated its 20th anniversary with a star-studded party attended by B-town celebrities. P4 » » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.43 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.00 AM WEDNESDAY | 9 APRIL 2025 | AMRITSAR Four of family booked for ~7 lakh fraud ‘Padyatra’ effect: Tourists heading to Golden Temple bear the brunt 310 gm heroin seized, two peddlers held Our Correspondent Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, April 8 The police have booked four members of a family (of Lalpura village here) for defrauding Rajinder Kaur, also a resident of the same village, of ~7 lakh. The incident happened about five years ago when the suspects promised the victim to send her son Gurwinder Singh to Italy. In her complaint to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Rajinder Kaur stated that the suspects — Jatinder Singh, his wife Sarabjit Kaur, sons Pawandeep Singh and Jagandep Singh — took ~7 lakh from her on the pretext of settling her son in Italy. The suspects failed to send victim Rajinder Kaur son abroad as he was given a fake visa. Even they refused to return her the token amount. The victim’s complaint was investigated by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Economics Offence (cyber crime), and on the facts of the report, the accused have been booked under Section 420 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The police have failed to arrest any of the accused so far. Amritsar, April 8 Tourists heading to the Golden Temple were a harassed lot as they had to walk with bag and baggage to the shrine after the police closed all the main roads, leading to the Jallianwala Bagh where Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria was present to conclude his six-day Padyatra for raising awareness against drugs. The historic Bagh is situated just a few yards away from the Golden Temple. Harbhajan Singh, a pilgrim from Ludhiana, said he along with his family arrived here in a vehicle to pay obeisance at the shrine. Their vehicle was stopped at the Sheran Wala Gate and was not allowed to move ahead. The next crossing is of Dharam Singh Market where both in and out gates to the parking lot was situated. Besides, the Jallianwala Bagh and the Golden Temple are situated at a walking distance from the market. In the scorching heat, they had to walk the distance on foot causing them immense trouble as they had to carry along the luggage. He said his family visits the holiest temple for Sikhs every month. This time the journey became arduous due to strict police bandobast. Tourists forced to walk to the Golden Temple with their luggage in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR The police had installed barricades all along major roads leading to the Golden Temple. These roads include Ghee Mandi Chowk, Shera Wala Gate and Ram Bagh where two routes through Katra Parja and Gol Hatti Chowk are situated. Unlike normal days when one struggles to find a place on the footpaths along the roads leading to the Golden Temple due to rampant encroachments, they wore a deserted look on Tuesday. Thanks to high security in place in the area, police per- sonnel got the encroachments removed. Shamsher Singh, another tourist who had come from Mukerian in Hoshiarpur, said those tourists who come from far-flung areas were in a shock after finding strict security arrangements in place. “My old parents who were frail due to long illness found it difficult to commute over the road in the blistering heat. After reaching the shrine, they found the battery-operated golf carts which helped them during their return journey,” he added. c m y b Amritsar, April 8 In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Amritsar police arrested two suspected drug peddlers in the Ghumtala area here on Monday night. The incident has raised serious concerns after it was discovered that the accused were using a Delhi-registered vehicle with a “Punjab Police” sticker affixed to it, apparently in an attempt to avoid being identified and bypass routine checks. The arrest occurred during heightened security deployment around Guru Nanak Dev University due to an anti-drug awareness march led by the Governor of Punjab. As part of the arrangements, police personnel were on alert in the vicinity when officers from the Chehharta police station received a tipoff regarding suspicious activity in the area. Acting swiftly on the information, the police tried to stop the suspected vehicle. However, instead of complying, the accused accelerated but were chased and arrested. Upon searching the vehicle, the police recovered 310 grams of heroin. The accused were taken into custody immediately and investigation is on. Protest over attack on BJP leader Kalia’s house BJ P leaders and workers burn an effigy of the Punjab Government during a protest at the Hall Gate in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 8 District BJP leaders and workers held a protest against the grenade attack on BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia here on Tuesday. Burning effigies of the Bhagwant Mann-led government outside the Hall Gate, district BJP president Harvinder Sandhu said the grenade attack on the residence of former BJP minister, former state president and national executive member Manoranjan Kalia is a matter of grave concern. They said the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated. Ever since the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in the state, the law and order situation in Punjab has gone from bad to worse. Grenade attacks are happening on police headquarters, police stations, temples, houses of eminent people in Punjab every day and the accused are still out of the reach of the police. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should accept his failure and immediately resign from his post on moral grounds,” said Sandhu, while attacking the Mann government. Sandhu said the Bhagwant Mann government has turned Punjab into Afghanistan instead of making it Rangla Punjab. “The grenade attack on Manoranjan Kalia’s house speaks volume about the deteriorated law and order situation in Punjab. If a grenade attack can be carried out at the house of a two-time Punjab minister, the common man is totally unsafe in Punjab.” He also mentioned the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri, international kabaddi player and other kabaddi players, incidents of open firing under the nose of the police in kabaddi matches, etc, while citing a law and order problem in Punjab.