19042025-TTC-01.qxd 4/19/2025 12:40 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 9 NO. 107 | 18 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 HERALD CASE ‘ANOTHER CHAPTER IN CONG GRAFT MODEL’: ANURAG NATION /thetribunechd ARMY ORDERS PROBE AFTER VARSITY PROF ALLEGES ASSAULT J&K UNFORGETTABLE CHAPTER, BUT NOT HERE REVIEW BENGAL GUV IGNORES CM’S ADVICE, MEETS RIOT VICTIMS BACK PAGE saturday | 19 april 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com ‘Still a threat’, Punjab PunjabterrorplotterPassianailedinUS extends MP Amritpal’s NSA detention by year Animesh Singh Tribune News Service Nine aides already back from Dibrugarh jail Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 18 Citing security concerns, the Punjab Government has extended by one year the detention of pro-Khalistan activist and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is lodged in the high-security Dibrugarh jail of Assam after his arrest in 2023, under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). The development has come as a surprise to many as the Punjab Police didn’t earlier extend the NSA detention of Amritpal’s nine co-accused, who have 12 FIRs lodged against them. Arrested in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station attack, the nine aides were brought back to Punjab in batches from the Dibrugarh jail after their NSA detention ended. Senior police officials said Amritpal’s case was an exception as they had “additional evidence hinting at the MP continuing to be a threat to the law and order situation in Punjab”. The one-year extension Amritpal Singh, Khadoor Sahib MP IN PRISON SINCE 2023 A radical preacher and the chief of the Waris Punjab De outfit, Amritpal was arrested from Rode village in Moga district on April 23, 2023, following over a month-long manhunt. He was recently booked under the UAPA for the murder of his old associate Gurpreet Hari Nau. was ordered by the Punjab Home Department on the recommendation of the Amritsar District Magistrate. The recommendation was based on inputs from the police and intelligence departments, said an official. Scantrain,HP&Punjab reservoirs low this year Bhartesh Singh Thakur Tribune News Service One of the new cases against Amritpal was registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Faridkot. It accuses Amritpal of joining hands with designated terrorist Arshdeep Dalla to plan murder of his old associate Gurpreet Hari Nau. A radical preacher and the chief of ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit, Amritpal had successfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha poll as an Independent candidate from Khadoor Sahib in Tarn Taran district. Dressing up like the late Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, he was arrested from Rode village in Moga district on April 23, 2023, following over a month-long manhunt. Amritpal and his aides were sent for two-year detention (extended periodically) for being a “threat to the nation’s security due to their provocative statements” and violent incidents between September 2022 and April 2023. All of them had mainly stirred up continued on page 6 New Delhi, April 18 Gangster Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, who reportedly plotted 17 terrorist attacks in Punjab, has been arrested by the FBI in the US. He is suspected to have collaborated with Pakistani’s ISI and Khalistani terror group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). “Passia, an alleged terrorist who had illegally entered the US, was arrested by the FBI and the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Sacramento. Agents from the FBI’s legal attaché office in New Delhi informed Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, after being arrested in the US. PTI CARRIED ~5 LAKH REWARD ■ Passia plotted 17 terror attacks in Punjab; evaded law agencies by using burner phones Sacramento that he was wanted in connection with multiple terror attacks across ■ NIA announced a ~5 lakh reward on him for role in Chandigarh grenade attack Punjab,” the US federal law enforcement agency said. “He had been evading cap- ture by using untraceable burner phones and encrypted applications. This case reinforces the importance of international cooperation in apprehending those who threaten global security,” the FBI said in a Facebook post. Earlier this year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a Rs 5 lakh reward on Passia for his alleged involvement in a grenade attack on a house in Chandigarh in September last year. Passia is a close associate of Pakistan-based gangsterturned-terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda. In the last few months, 17 continued on page 6 India, China abstain from vote on UN resolution on Ukraine; US opposes it New Delhi, April 18 India and China were among the 33 countries which abstained from voting on a UN resolution that referred to aggression by Russia against Ukraine. The UN General Assembly adopted a draft resolution called “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe” by vote of 105 in favour to nine against, a UN statement said. Among those who voted against were Belarus, North WILL ‘MOVE ON’ IF NO PROGRESS IN TALKS: RUBIO US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said his country might “move on” from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there was no progress in this regard in the coming days. Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Niger, Russia, Sudan and the US. India and China were among the 33 countries that abstained from the voting. The language of the resolution was disputed by many countries. It spoke about “unprecedented challenges now facing Europe following KEJRI’S DAUGHTER TIES THE KNOT MATTER OF CONCERN the aggression by Russia against Ukraine and against Georgia prior to that”. It sought to restore and maintain peace and security based on respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of any state. Luxembourg, which holds the current chair of the Council of Europe, said the biennial resolution, first adopted at the Assembly’s 55th session in 2000, has traditionally been adopted by consensus. The Russian delegation at the UNGA accused the Council of Europe of becoming a platform for promoting pseudo-legal, legally null and void initiatives. The US said the UN aimed for peaceful settlement of disputes yet the resolution repeated statements that were unhelpful to advance the pursuit of peace. — TNS Burning of toxic waste from R’sthan resumes in Aravallis, residents livid PM,Muskdiscuss collaborationin tech,innovation New Delhi, April 18 Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Elon Musk, the world’s richest person with a strong influence in the US administration, on Friday as they discussed the “immense potential” for collaboration in areas of technology and innovation. In a post on X, Modi said he spoke to Musk and they talked about various issues, including topics that were discussed when they had met in Washington DC in February this year. “We discussed the immense potential for collaboration in the areas of technology and innovation. India remains committed to advancing our partnerships with the US in these domains,” said Modi. Earlier this week, a team of Starlink, the space-based Internet service owned by Musk, was in India for meetings. Reliance Jio has entered into a partnership with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s continued on page 6 18 top bureaucrats get fresh posting in majorrejig by Centre NEW DELHI: Rajesh Agarwal, India's chief negotiator for the bilateral trade agreement with the US, will be the next Commerce Secretary once incumbent Sunil Barthwal retires on September 30 this year. Agarwal, a 1994-batch Manipur cadre IAS officer, was on Friday named Special Secretary, Commerce, in a major bureaucratic reshuffle that reassigned 18 top officers of the Narendra Modi government to different departments. BACK PAGE Chandigarh, April 18 Despite the recent rain, the water level in all four reservoirs in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab — Gobind Sagar, Pong Dam, Kol Dam and Thein Dam — is less than last year. According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), as of April 17, the storage level of Gobind Sagar, Pong Dam and Kol Dam in Himachal together is 41.46 per cent below normal, the average of the past 10 years, while the storage level of Thein Dam in Punjab is 47.28 per cent below normal. The current storage level of the Gobind Sagar reservoir on the Sutlej is 1.222 billion cubic metres (BCM) against the 6.229 BCM capacity at the full reservoir level (FRL). At present, it is 19.62 per cent of the FRL capacity, whereas last year, the figure was 25.36 per cent during the corresponding period. The normal storage level of the reservoir during the corresponding period is 28.98 per cent. The current storage level of Pong Dam on the Beas is 0.736 BCM against the 6.157 BCM FRL capacity. It implies that the current stor- age is a mere 11.95 per cent whereas last year, during the corresponding period, the storage level was 31.52 per cent. The normal storage level of Pong Dam is 26 per cent. The current storage level of Thein Dam on the Ravi is 0.545 BCM against the FRL capacity of 2.344 BCM. It implies that the current storage is 23.25 per cent, whereas last year, the storage was 42.15 per cent. The normal storage level here is 44.10 per cent. The storage level of Gobind Sagar, Pong Dam and Thein Dam is not only lower than last year, but also lower than normal. The current storage level of Kol Dam on the Sutlej is 0.069 BCM against the 0.089 BCM FRL capacity. It implies that the current storage is 77.53 per cent. It is less than last year, when the storage level was 89.89 per cent, but more than continued on page 6 Indiansetforspace travel next month Couples marrying of own will can’t claim protection as right: Allahabad HC NEW DELHI: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to travel to the International Space Station next month as part of an Axiom-4 mission, four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic spaceflight onboard Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday. “Group Captain Shukla’s journey is more than just a flight — it’s a signal that India is stepping boldly into a new era of space exploration,” the minister said. INSIDE Satya Prakash RESERVOIR %AGE OF LAST YEAR’S STORAGE THEIN DAM GOBIND SAGAR PONG DAM KOL DAM Sumedha Sharma Tribune news Service 55.16 77.34 37.92 86.25 Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 18 The Allahabad High Court has hit headlines for wrong reasons once again. After “mere grabbing of a girl’s breasts and pulling her ‘pyjama’ string did not amount to attempt to rape” and “complainant herself invited trouble” remarks, it has now said that couples who marry as per their own free will against the wishes of their parents can’t claim police protection as a matter of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann with AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal at the wedding of the former Delhi CM’s daughter Harshita with Sambhav Jain at Kapurthala House in New Delhi. BACK PAGE right, unless there’s a real threat to their life and liberty. While deciding an application filed by a couple seeking protection earlier this week, Justice Saurabh Srivastava said, “There is no requirement of passing any order for providing police protection to them in the light of judgment rendered by the Supreme Court in the case of Lata Singh vs State of UP and another, wherein it has been held that the courts are not meant to provide protec- THIRD CONTROVERSIAL ORDER IN RECENT PAST ■ In March, the Allahabad High Court had invited widespread criti- cism for its ruling that ‘grabbing breasts’ and ‘snapping pyjama string’ weren’t enough to charge an accused with attempt to rape ■ On April 15, the SC again took strong exception to the Allahabad HC’s ‘complainant herself invited trouble’ remarks in a rape case ■ The top court questioned the need for the high court to make such comments while deciding a bail application CLEAR CASE OF HONOUR KILLING, RULES SC INSIDE tion to such youths who have simply fled to marry according to their own wishes.” Justice Srivastava said, “There is not even an iota of evi- dence to evince that private respondents (relatives of either of the petitioners) are likely to cause physical or mental assault to the petitioners.” How- c m y b Gurugram, April 18 After a lull, burning of industrial waste has resumed at Khori Khurd village in the Aravallis. Last year also, drums of chemical waste were brought from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan and burnt in the Aravallis, falling under Haryana’s Nuh district. The Haryana Government had initiated action then and even the NGT had taken notice. The Tribune had also highlighted the problem. The burning of chemical waste has been reported from the village again. Residents have complained to the police and the pollution authorities in this regard. They highlighted how drums of chemical were being brought at night and set on fire in the area. “After staying away from our village for almost a year, the ‘waste mafia’ is back and has started burning chemicals. For the past two days, waste is being illegally burnt on farms and forest land,” said Usman, a local resident. Sources claimed the ‘mafia ever, noting that the petitioners had already submitted a representation to the Chitrakoot SP , the HC said, “In case the police find a real threat perception, they will do the needful in accordance with law.” In March this year, the Allahabad High Court had invited widespread criticism for its ruling that “grabbing breasts” and “snapping pyjama string” wasn’t enough to charge an accused with attempt to rape. An outraged Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of Toxic chemical waste being burnt at Khori Khurd village in Aravallis. ❝ FUMES IN AIR For the past two days, chemicals are being illegally burnt on agricultural and forest land and the air is filled with fumes. Usman, A LOCAL RESIDENT members’ had rented fields from locals in the forest to set up illegal kilns to burn waste. Villagers have filed a complaint with the DC who has marked an inquiry. Speaking to The Tribune, Regional Pollution Officer Vipin Kumar said they had received complaints and were taking action on it. “Our teams and the police visited the spot but couldn’t get any major corroborative evidence. We will conduct raids at night. No culprit will be spared,” he said. the order passed by Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra. Terming it as “totally insensitive” and “inhuman”, a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai on March 26 stayed the controversial remarks. “We are pains to state that some of the observations made in the impugned order depict a total lack of sensitivity on part of the author of the judgment. The perusal of the judgment would reveal that it was not as if the judgment was dictated at the spur of the Technician held for ‘raping’ air hostess in G’gram hospital GURUGRAM: The Haryana Police on Friday arrested a technician accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a 46year-old air hostess at Medanta Hospital. The accused had been working in the hospital for the past five months. He has been identified as 25-yearold Deepak, a native of Badhauli village in Muzaffarpur in Bihar, and presently living in Gurugram. Probe revealed he was addicted to porn. The air hostess was allegedly assaulted while in ICU. INSIDE moment in the court. The matter was reserved on November 13, 2024, and after almost a period of more than four months the judgment was pronounced. It’s thus clear that the judge has authored the judgment after application of mind,” the Bench had said. “In normal circumstances we are slow in granting stay at this stage. But since observations are totally unknown to cannons of law and depict a totally insensitive and continued on page 6