23042025-ATR-01.qxd 4/22/2025 11:09 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MERGER OF SMALL DEPTS A COST-EFFECTIVE STEP: FM A PAGE FROM ARTISTE NEELAM MANSINGH LIFE ON WORLD BOOK DAY, CELEBS REVEAL MOST-LOVED READS The merger of some small departments is one of the steps to be taken by the government, says FM Cheema. P2 Theatre thespian Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry speaks about the books that shaped her life's journey. P4 I don't read e-books because I just can't. I've tried reading them, but it felt very odd, says Rukhsar Rehman. P4 » » » MAX 36°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.51 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.46 AM WEDNESDAY | 23 APRIL 2025 | AMRITSAR Army fire tenders douse massive field fire in Kalanaur Two arms smugglers arrested after encounter with police Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, April 22 The district administration had to requisition fire engines from the Tibri Army Cantonment to douse the massive fire that engulfed nearly 400 acres of agricultural land in Kalanaur today. Apart from Armymen, jawans of the BSF and Punjab Police also joined in the damage-control exercise. The fire was first spotted around 9 am. Information about the fire outbreak reached the office of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dalwinderjit Singh immediately following which he dispatched half a dozen fire tenders. Later, when the fire could not be controlled and kept on spreading, the DC asked the Army to send two fire tenders. High-velocity winds only added to the damage. Sparks from electricity wires is said to be the reason behind the fire. The DC said the exact amount of loss would be known only in the morning. The entire wheat crop which was ready to be harvested was damaged. 3 Himachal youths die in mishap on elevated road Another accident claims life of man near Ibban Kalan village Tribune News Service A police party led by SP (Investigation) Ajayraj Singh at the encounter site in Tarn Taran. GURBAXPURI Tarn Taran, April 22 The police have busted a smuggling module of illegal weapons with the arrest of its two operatives after a brief exchange of fire near village Bhusse in Sarai Amanat Khan early in the morning today, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhimanyu Rana here on Tuesday. The SSP said that those arrested have been identified as Sukhdev Singh alias Dev, a resident of Rattan Kalan, Attari (Amritsar Rural), and Swarn Singh, a resident of Konewala in Ramdass area of the district. The police teams have also recovered two sophisticated pistols including one 9mm Glock and one .30 calibre Px5 along with seven live cartridges and three empty bullet shells from their possession. SSP Abhimanyu Rana said that acting on a tip-off about the bike-borne suspects, who were roaming in the Sarai Amanat Khan area, a team of the local CIA staff followed the trail and managed to locate them at a naka near village Bhusse. When police teams tried to apprehend them, the accused Sukhdev Singh Dev opened fire, said the SSP, while adding that the police retaliated in selfdefence resulting in injuries to Sukhdev. The latter was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The SSP said that preliminary investigations have revealed that both the accused were in direct touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and were receiving contraband through drones from Pakistan and were supplying arms and ammunition in border districts. Further investigations are on to unearth their network, the SSP added. — OC Amritsar, April 22 Three youths belonging to Himachal Pradesh died after their speeding motorcycle collided with a car driven by a cop on the elevated road, the lifeline of the holy city, at around 3 am on Monday night. The cop driving the car narrowly escaped because of the seat belt and the airbags while the three victims were killed on the spot. The deceased were identified as Vishesh Sharma, Abhishek and Vivek Sharma of Hamirpur area. Sukhbir Singh, SHO, Division B police station, said as per an initial probe, the motorcycle-borne victims were driving on the wrong side of the elevated road leading to the road accident. The car (PB-02-DD-7070) reportedly belonged to an excise and taxation officer and the head constable was The elevated road where the three youths lost their lives in a mishap in Amritsar on Tuesday. VISHAL KUMAR behind the wheel. He was coming from the Nexus Mall side. The police said the bikeborne youths took the wrong side of the elevated road from near the Ram Talai Chowk near Jahajgarh area. They later went towards the Nexus Mall side, on the wrong side of the road, and as a result, collided with the car. All the three victims sustained critical injuries and died on the spot. Passersby alerted the police about the accident. The police said investigation was on and appropriate action would be taken. They said the bodies were kept in the mortuary and the family members of the victims have been informed about the tragedy. The postmortem of the bodies would be conducted after the arrival of the family members. The three youths worked as waiters at a restaurant here on 100 feet road. They used to return to their rented continued on page 2 Dalit boy beaten up: Panchayat, Man duped of ~50L State Food Commission officials review mid-day meal quality residents want probe into FIR on pretext of settling in Canada, case filed Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 22 The residents and panchayat of Nizampur village here have demanded from senior civil and police officials to investigate into an FIR registered against a villager under the SC/ST Act for allegedly beating up a 14-year-old boy from the Dalit community. The panchayat members, three associated with Scheduled Castes (SC) and three with OBCs, said in a press conference here today that the 14-year-old boy had entered the house of one Gurinder Singh on the night of April 16 at around 11:30 pm to commit theft. They stated that the accused was earlier nabbed by the villagers for theft on two occasions. ‘BOY EARLIER ALSO COMMITTED THEFT’ ■ The panchayat members, three associated with Scheduled Castes (SC) and three with OBCs, said in a press conference here today that the 14year-old boy had entered the house of one Gurinder Singh on the night of April 16 at around 11:30 pm to commit theft. They stated that the accused was earlier nabbed by the villagers for theft on two occasions. Sarpanch Rajwinder Kaur said that Gurinder Singh had brought the matter to the notice of the panchayat immediately and the 14year-old along with his parents had apologised for the act and promised not to repeat it in future. She said that some local organisations which claim to work for the cause of Scheduled Castes had put pressure on the police to register the case. The residents of the village stated that some unscrupulous elements were misusing the law to divide people on communal lines. Lakhbir Singh Nizampura of the village said, “In this case, the person who had stopped another from committing theft at his home has been sent to jail and the alleged thief has been left to roam free.” He said that incidents of petty thefts are increasing and common residents are vulnerable. “We demand that the case be seen in the light of the facts. A petty criminal when caught should not be allowed to play the victim card,” he said. Wife, in-laws booked; further probe on Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 22 Paras Vohra, a local resident, was allegedly duped by his in-laws of Rs 50 lakh on the pretext of settling in Canada. Apart from his in-laws, the police have also booked his wife following nearly a yearlong investigation. Those arrested were identified as Rajinder Parsad Khatri, his wife Asha Khatri, son Danish Khatri and the complainant’s wife Neha Vohra. No arrests have been made till now and police said that a probe was underway in this regard. Vohra alleged that his wife Neha, Danish and Asha were living in Canada. He said the accused claimed that Asha’s sister was a political figure in Canada and she would help in arranging permanent residency (PR) for him but it did not happen. He said he gave around Rs 50 lakh on different dates and even had to sell his house to pay the money. He lodged a complaint with the police in May last year. A probe was carried out by an ACP rank official and after taking the opinion of the district legal attorney, the police registered an FIR on Sunday under section 420 and 120-B of IPC. Police said further investigations were in progress and efforts were on to arrest the suspects. Amritsar, April 22 To ensure compliance with the National Food Security Act, officials of the Punjab State Food Commission conducted surprise visits to government schools, Anganwadi centres and government ration depots to maintain transparency in the quality and quantity of food provided under the midday meal scheme. Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty of negligence in implementing these welfare schemes, warned Vijay Dutt, a member of the Commission, during surprise inspections in Amritsar. Having recently taken charge of Amritsar, Vijay Dutt mentioned that he would conduct four to five surprise visits initially and hold a review meeting based on ground realities. He inspected government schools and Anganwadi cen- An official checks the meal at a government school in Amritsar. tres in villages like Meera Kot Khurd, Heer Colony, Sachandar and the airport area. During the visits, he reviewed the quality of mid-day meals, sanitation and maintenance of food registers. He also interacted with the students and had meals with them. Dutt asked the departments concerned to ensure regular testing of water quality and hold health check-ups for students and mid-day meal workers. All schools and Anganwadi centres have been directed to display the Punjab State Food Commission’s helpline number 9876764545, so that beneficiaries can register their grievances directly. — TNS Christians mourn Pope’s demise Four arms smugglers arrested Amritsar, April 22 Reaching out to its Catholic brothers and sisters worldwide, the Diocese of Amritsar, Church of North India, under the aegis of its Bishop, Right Reverend Manoj Charan, extended heartfelt condolences to the community upon the passing of Pope Francis. In a missive to the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop Manoj Charan described Pope Francis, who inspired countless individuals worldwide, as a beacon of hope, compassion and unity. “I had the extraordinary honour of meeting him in person — a moment that was not merely a meeting, but a spiritual encounter. His eyes reflected compassion, his smile radiated warmth and his words carried the peace and love of Christ. He was not only the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church but a true shepherd to all humanity. He built bridges, not walls. His life was a powerful GNDU student with five sophisticated pistols secures 157th rank in civil services exam Tribune News Service Paper artist Gurpreet Singh displays his creation to pay tribute to Pope Francis in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR testimony of humility, mercy and justice. Through his unwavering care for the poor, outcast and creation, he became a beacon of Christ’s love in a fractured world,” Bishop Manoj Charan said in his message. The Diocese also remembered Pope Francis’ enduring dedication to social justice, interfaith dialogue and mercy, stating that his contributions to these causes will always be remembered. “May his legacy continue to guide us towards love, peace and deeper understanding,” Bishop Charan stated. — TNS Amritsar, April 22 With the arrest of four persons, the city police on Tuesday claimed to have busted an organized racket involved in interstate arms smuggling and recovered five sophisticated pistols from their possession. Those arrested were identified as Navdeep Singh, alias Nav (25), a resident of Gopal Nagar located on Majitha Road, Ujjwal Hans (24) of PWD Complex on Batala Road, Jasandeep Singh, alias Jassa (21), of Dhoopsari village located along the Verka bypass, and Shivam Singh, alias Babblu (24), of Uttarakhand, currently residing at 88 Feet Road, Lakshmi Vihar, on Majitha Road. Addressing mediapersons, Police Commissioner Gur- c m y b The four suspects in custody of the Amritsar police. preet Singh Bhullar said the accused have around 12 criminal cases, including attempt to murder, under the Arms Act, and robbery, against them. Three of them — Navdeep Nav, Jasandeep Jassa, and Shivam Babblu — have been evading arrest in six cases of attempt to murder. These accused were also involved in five recent such instances in the city. Sharing operational details, he said acting on a specific input regarding illegal arms smuggling from Uttar Pradesh which were further being supplied to criminal elements in Punjab, the police arrested the suspects from the PWD complex falling under the Ranjit Avenue police station here. A firing incident was also reported when the police teams had continued on page 2 Amritsar, April 22 Despite belonging to a business family, Sidaq Singh wanted to make a name for himself. He did not want it easy in life and therefore pushed himself to clear one of India’s most fiercely contested exams – the civil services exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). He secured 157th All India rank in the results which were announced today. Originally hailing from Urban Avenue, Phagwara, he is an alumnus of Guru Nanak Dev University here. “Perseverance, dedication and hard work is the key to success and this is true in my case also. Of course, support from family and friends are another vital ingredient in it,” said Sidaq Singh. He is the first in the family to become an IAS officer, he added. The entire family is elated over his achievement. His success is testament to the years of dedication and discipline. This was his sixth attempt and third interview. He studied for around 12 hours a day apart from taking coaching from an institute in Delhi. Sidaq Singh was a student of the school of Social Sciences at Guru Nanak Dev University. Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University Dr Karamjeet Singh expressed his appreciation and happiness by congratulating the School of Social Sciences for Sidaq’s success. He also congratulated the faculty members and family who have been part of his journey to success. — TNS