14042025-JTR-01.qxd 4/13/2025 11:03 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune PUNJAB TO PLAY MP IN SENIOR MEN’S HOCKEY AT JHANSI During the national senior men’s hockey championship Punjab entered the finals after defeating Uttar Pradesh 4-3.P2 » SAN DIEGO NAMES APRIL 13 AS AMJAD ALI KHAN DAY FILM KESARI 2 SONG O SHERA OUT Baisakhi celebrations turned joyous as the City of San Diego proclaimed April 13 as Amjad Ali Khan Day! P4 The lead star Akshay Kumar will play the legendary advocate C Sankaran Nair in the film Kesari 2. P4 » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 35°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 16°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.55 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:59 AM » MONDAY | 14 APRIL 2025 | JALANDHAR City police bust major cyber fraud racket, three arrested Man kills wife in Nawanshahr Jalandhar, April 13 In a shocking incident, a man allegedly killed his wife following an argument in Mukandpur, Nawanshahr, today. As per information, Gurvinder Singh met his wife Manpreet Kaur and tried to convince her to come back home. Manpreet was living at her parents’ home. As Manpreet was fed up with bad habits of Gurvinder, so she left him and was demanding divorce. “Gurvinder didn’t want to divorce his wife. He wanted to convince her to stay with him. When she refused to go with him, he allegedly shot her dead,” the police said. The police said the accused arrived on a bike at his in-laws home. He started fighting with Manpreet when she did not get convinced to go with him, the police said. The victim was adamant on her decision which infuriated the accused who was carrying a gun, the police said. “An FIR has registered against the accused in this connection,” the police said. — TNS 2 drug peddlers held Phagwara: The police have arrested two drug peddlers at two different places and recovered 105 intoxicating tablets from their possession last night. The arrested accused were identified as Dushyant, a resident of Ghurrka village near Goraya, and Mandur, a migrant from Maharashtra, presently residing near Miherru village. Dushyant was nabbed with 55 intoxicating tablets and Mandur was arrested with 50 tablets at two different check-points in Phagwara sub-division. Two different cases have been registered against both peddlers. — OC Two arrested for assaulting woman at Banga village Phagwara, April 13 A woman was allegedly assaulted with a sharp weapon at Majara Nau-Abad village under the Banga Sadar police station following a dispute over an anti-drug awareness poster displayed near the residence of the accused. Banga Sadar police station SHO Abhishek Kumar said Praveen Kaur, a resident of Majara Nau-Abad village, reported that she and her daughter Amandeep Kaur were at home on the evening of April 11 when they were called outside by a local man identified as Pradeep, alias Deepa. The complainant said Pradeep was allegedly holding a kirpan (a traditional sword). He was accompanied by a woman identified as Mamta, a resident of Gunachaur village. The duo reportedly confronted Praveen over pasting of anti-drug posters near their home. When Praveen tried to explain, the situation escalated, and she was “verbally abused” and slapped multiple times by Pradeep. The situation turned violent when Praveen attempted to retreat. The complainant said Pradeep hit kirpan on the back of her head and injured her. Praveen’s daughter Amandeep took her to the Banga Civil Hospital where medical staff documented her injuries. Acting on the medical and eyewitness reports, the police registered a case under Sections 109, 115(2), 118(1), and 3(5) of the BNS against Mamta and Pradeep and arrested them. — OC ~24 lakh, 14 mobile phones and 43 ATM cards seized Tribune News Service The commissionerate police hand over the child to his parents in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO Kidnapped toddler rescued, reunited safely with parents Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 13 In a swift and coordinated operation, the commissionerate police successfully rescued a kidnapped two-yearold boy and reunited him with his family. According to Commissioner of Police (CP) Dhanpreet Kaur, an FIR (No. 27 dated April 11) was registered at the Division No. 4 police station under Sections 137(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following a complaint lodged by Meena Kumari, originally hailing from Behkunth village in Uttar Pradesh and currently residing in Jalandhar. The complainant reported that on April 11, around 1.30 pm, a man and a woman arrived at her home in Preet Nagar, Ladhewali Road, on an Activa scooter. Posing as health workers, the duo claimed they were taking children for polio vaccination at the Civil Hospital. Trusting them, Meena Kumari accompanied the duo along with her child. Upon reaching the hospital, the accused tricked her and fled with the child. Following complaint, the police immediately launched Controversy erupts over appointment of Punjab SC Commission member Our Correspondent Phagwara, April 13 The recent appointment of Rohit Khokhar as a member of the Punjab Scheduled Castes Commission has sparked a major controversy, with a senior BJP leader Sucha Ram Ladhar (IAS officer, retd) alleging that the move was unconstitutional. In a formal communication to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Ladhar urged an immediate halt to the appointment, citing that Khokhar belongs to the Christian community and not the Scheduled Caste category — a mandatory qualification for membership in the commission. Talking to newsmen here, Ladhar claimed that the Punjab Government was “deliberately engineering a social divide among communities,” especially on the eve of Dr BR Ambedkar’s Jayanti, a time considered highly significant by Dalit communities across the country. “This move appears to be part of a wider agenda,” said Ladhar, while linking the appointment to recent incidents of vandalism targeting Dr Ambedkar’s statues in the state. He also raised concerns over the alleged procurement of bogus SC certificates and misuse of quotas and benefits earmarked for Scheduled Castes. Ladhar accused the government of turning a blind eye to these “blatant malpractices” and offering patronage to individuals securing public posts under false pretences. He called upon the Governor to “intervene immediately” to protect the sanctity and constitutional mandate of the Punjab SC Commission. an intensive investigation. Technical surveillance teams were deployed and CCTV footage from multiple locations was analysed. The coordinated efforts and pressure from the police forced the abductors to abandon the child near complainant’s home. The child was located safely by the police and was unharmed. After completing all legal formalities, the child was handed over to his parents. The CP assured that arrests in the case would be made soon and investigation was ongoing into the matter. “Public safety and well-being remain our top priority,” she said. Jalandhar, April 13 In a breakthrough against cybercrime, the commissionerate police have busted a major cyber fraud racket and arrested three persons allegedly involved in largescale illegal online activities. Acting on specific intelligence, a team from Navi Baradari police station conducted a swift raid at Hotel M-1 in Jalandhar, where accused were reportedly operating their network. During the operation, police recovered Rs 24 lakh in cash, 14 mobile phones, a laptop, 19 bank passbooks in different names and 43 ATM cards believed to be used for fraudulent transactions. The arrested persons have been identified as Varun Anchal, a resident of Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Nagar, Anil, a resident of Madhuban Colony, and Dudhagara Rimpal, a resident of Morbi Road, Rajkot, Gujarat. All three were taken into custody from the hotel and are believed to be key members of the cybercrime operation. The three accused in custody of the police in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO Commissioner of Police (CP) Dhanpreet Kaur said the arrests were the result of diligent surveillance and timely action by police teams. She said the recovery of such a large amount of cash, along with multiple electronic devices and financial documents, points to a well-organised network engaged in digital fraud. “The seized ATM cards and passbooks were likely being used to route and withdraw money from various bank accounts created using fake or stolen identities,” she said. She further said the accused were produced in a court and their three-day police remand obtained for further interrogation. “Investigators are now working to uncover the full extent of the fraud, which is suspected to have links beyond Punjab. The police are examining the digital evidence gathered from the seized laptop and 48-yr-old man mauled to death Youth duped of ~5.5L, by stray dogs at Nakodar village 2 travel agents booked Phagwara, April 13 A 48-year-old man was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs on Friday when he was irrigating fields at Kang Sahibu village falling under the Nakodar Sadar police station. Investigating officer (IO) Janak Raj said Jagtar Ram, a resident of Hamiri Kherra village falling under the Jamsher Sadar police station, was irrigating fields of the maize crop at Kang Sahibu village on Friday morning when a pack of stray dogs from a nearby “hadda rori” (dumping site for animal carcass) mauled him to death. Soni, wife of the deceased, told the police that her husband had been working for a farmer Amarjit Singh, a resident of Meerapur village, for the past four years. She said Amarjit Singh took her husband to Kang Sahibu village to irrigate his maize crop fields. Soni said a pack of stray dogs from a nearby “hadda rori” attacked and mauled her husband to death. The IO said the police recorded statement of Soni and sent body of the deceased for autopsy to the Nakodar Civil Hospital. — OC NRI booked for firing, endangering life Our Correspondent Phagwara, April 13 The Nakodar Sadar police have booked a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) on the charges of firing, endangering life and criminal conspiracy. Deputy Superintendent of police (DSP) Sukhpal Singh said the accused was identified as Lovpreet Singh, a resi- dent of Nangal village in Batala tehsil of Gurdaspur district. Presently, he was settled in Canada, the DSP said. Amarjit Singh, a resident of Kullar village, complained to the police that the accused hired some gangsters who fired at his house on Saturday. Bullets pierced main gate and damaged a vehicle parked inside complainant’s house. The DSP said a case under Sections 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS and Sections 25 of the Arms Act was registered against the accused. Uggi police post incharge ASI Jaspal Singh was conducting investigation into the matter, the DSP said. Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, April 13 Despite stories of several youths suffering after getting duped by travel agents on the pretext of sending them abroad are all over newspapers and Internet, this still isn’t stopping youngsters from taking the risk. Today, the Nawanshahr police booked two travel agents for duping a youngster of Rs 5.5 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. One Jasvir Singh from Ludhiana approached two travel agents identified as Gurbachan Singh and Jasbir Kaur from Balachaur, Nawanshahr, and paid them over Rs 5 lakh. As per information, the accused neither sent him abroad nor returned his money. A case was registered against the two accused in this connection. Recently, two persons were booked by the Nawan- Potholed Urban Estate, Phase I, road leaves commuters in distress Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 13 The main road of the Urban Estate, Phase I, near gurdwara is in a state of utter neglect, causing daily hardship to commuters and local residents. With deep potholes and broken patches stretching across the length of the road, navigating on the stretch has become a safety hazard — particularly for two-wheeler riders, who are most at risk during the night hours. This stretch serves as a vital artery for Phase I, connecting various residential pockets to the area’s main commercial hub. A hospital, the local gurdwara and numerous shops and outlets are located along the road, making it one of the The potholed road near gurdwara at Urban Estate, Phase I, Jalandhar. most frequently used routes in the locality. Despite this, the condition of the road paints a dismal picture of the mobile phones. Efforts are underway to trace the source from which the money originated and identify possible victims,” she said. The CP reiterated the department’s commitment to crack down on cybercrime and bring all those involved to justice. She said the police were determined to follow every lead. No one connected to the racket would be spared, she added. Further arrests were likely as the investigation progresses, she said. civic body’s priorities. “The road is so badly damaged that it feels like one is driving on a battlefield. c m y b PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Every day, we risk falling or getting injured. At night, it’s even worse as you can’t see potholes,” said Harneet Kaur, a resident who uses the road daily to drop her children at school and go to her workplace. Locals allege that despite repeated complaints, no substantial action has been taken by the authorities concerned. Temporary patchwork, when done, barely lasts through the next rainfall. Sukhdev Singh, owner of the shop along the stretch, shared, “My customers often complain about the road. Delivery vehicles get stuck on the road. Bike riders often fall right outside my shop. How are we expected to do business in such conditions?” Another commuter, Amit Aggarwal, who uses the road daily to reach his office, called it a serious public safety issue. “This road is vital link. There is a hospital here. Elderly people come to the gurdwara here. School vans and daily commuters use this route daily. It’s a lifeline. How can the authorities concerned neglect it like this?” “Good roads are a basic requirement and should be a top priority for the local administration. However, despite lofty promises during election campaigns and civic meetings, the ground reality remains unchanged,” residents said, while demanding immediate action from the Municipal Corporation (MC). Meanwhile, officials of the MC claimed that road repair works were going on in the city. Officials said they were aware about the condition of this road and it would be repaired soon. shahr police for duping a man on the pretext of sending his son to the US. Raghuvir Singh from Nawanshahr Sadar, in his complaint to the police had alleged that Satinder Pal and Harbans Singh from Nawanshahr took Rs 24 lakh from him and promised that they would send his son to the US. The police have registered an FIR against the two accused in this connection who were on the run. Notably, there are three youngsters from Nawanshahr, who are among the hundreds of US deportees. Ramandeep Singh (35) of Ibrahimpur village in Nawanshahr is the one on whose complaint, the police registered a case against two Rajpura-based travel agents. He spent Rs 40 lakh to go to the US after taking loan. Ramandeep said he wanted to go to Canada for which he approached two travel agents in Rajpura. PO arrested after two years Phagwara, April 13 The Mehatpur police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for the past two years. Station House Officer (SHO) Lakhveer Singh said the accused was identified as Amrit Pal Singh, a resident of Mallewal village falling under the Dera Baba Nanak police station in Gurdaspur. The SHO said the accused had murdered Jarnail Singh, alias Nannu, a resident of Tandaura village, in June 2020. A case under murder and firing charges was registered against the accused who was declared PO in 2022, he said. The SHO said the accused was a notorious criminal and many cases were pending against him. — OC