28042025-LT-01.qxd 4/27/2025 11:10 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune PHASE OUT PUSA-44 VARIETY AMID WATER CRISIS: EXPERTS SCIENTISTS STRESS FOOD SAFETY AT AGRI VARSITY MEET RANJHANA CLINCHES MAIDEN NATIONAL TITLE To tackle Punjab’s water crisis, experts advocate the adoption of water-efficient alternatives . P2 370 delegates attend a national convention on food safety and quality assurance. P2 Ranjhana Sangram bagged her first U-18 national series singles title at the prestigious AITA National Series. P2 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 41°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 42°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.03 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:44 AM MONDAY | 28 APRIL 2025 | LUDHIANA Property freezing: After peddlers, now snatchers, robbers under lens Mundian’s gunman killed, family alleges foul play Police initiate proceedings to attach properties of 3 criminals Our Correspondent Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 27 Bad news for snatchers, robbers and other criminal elements. The Police Commissionerate of Ludhiana is all set to freeze the properties of such criminals as the police have already prepared three cases for freezing the properties. As per the earlier practice, only drug smugglers had been facing the action of property freezing, which are considered as ‘proceeds of crime’. Divulging more information on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, Swapan Sharma said that usually snatchers, robbers or other miscreants buy assets (moveable or immovable) with the proceeds of crime with a shrewd motive that police would not be able attach the same. But recently a provision in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) of 2023 introduced Section 107, which deals with “proceeds of crime,” he said. This new law gives courts broad powers to attach and forfeit property believed to be derived from criminal activities. Unlike previous laws, Section 107 allows for quicker action during the investigation phase, potentially leading to rapid disposal of seized property. A police officer conducting an investigation may apply for property attachment if they have reason to believe that the property has been derived from criminal activi- ty. This application must be filed with a court or magistrate having jurisdiction over the offence. The application requires approval from the Superintendent of Police or Commissioner of Police. After approval, assets of such criminals can be attached within two weeks. With court orders, the same can be distributed to the persons who have been affected by such crime. “Ludhiana police have already initiated proceedings to attach properties of three criminals, including a snatcher and two other accused facing different cases. A list of several other snatchers, robbers and other criminal elements has already been prepared. After verifying the Man posing as cop robs woman of ~15.5K, flees Tribune News Service ] Ludhiana, April 27 Many cases of fraud committed by persons while posing as a cop have come to light in Ludhiana. The latest case has been reported from the area of Model Town police station. In this case a person while posing as a policeman stopped an autorickshaw and on the pretext of checking the belongings of a woman travelling in it, took out Rs 15,500 from her purse and fled from the spot on a bike. Giving information to the police, the woman, Amanpreet Kaur, a resident of Shalimar Park, Dugri, said that she was going home in an autorickshaw for some work on April 24. When she reached in front of Jawaddi Bridge, suddenly a person riding a black Platina motorcycle stopped the autorickshaw for checking. The complainant added that the accused, who was posing as a policeman, took her purse on the pretext of checking it and fled after taking out Rs 15,500. She later lodged a police complaint and after recording her statement, the police registered a case against the unknown person. The Model Town police station after registering a case launched police investigation and CCTV cameras of the area were being scanned by the police to get any clue about the suspect. Man impersonating as DSP arrested A security guard/driver of a private firm in Ludhiana landed in trouble for posing as DSP on social media as he was arrested by the police on Sunday. A uniform of DSP with badges, belt and shoes were seized from his possession. The accused, Karanbir Singh, from Mohalla Shivaji Nagar, had posted a video of him wearing a police uniform in a vehicle while travelling with his family members. The police got hold of the video and began an investigation and arrested him. Additional ACP Harshpreet Singh said that the accused was only a matriculate and had no connection with the Police Department, and yet he was roaming around in full police uniform, raising serious security concerns. During preliminary interrogation, Karanbir claimed that he wore the uniform for a film shoot, but he could not provide any evidence to support his claim. He was produced in court and sent to one-day police remand for further interrogation. The police are also investigating how he acquired the uniform and if anyone helped him. details of the properties made by them from the proceeds of crime, the attachment process will be started,” added the Commissioner of Police. Giving an example, Sharma said suppose a robber bought a car in the name of his friend. If the police investigate and find evidence that the car was bought by the robber in the name of his friend, the same can be impounded after following the due procedure. He further said people could also give information to the police about the moveable and immovable assets of such criminals other than smugglers and the police would initiate the process to freeze such properties. Three students arrested with 110 gm heroin Ludhiana, April 27 The police arrested three college students smuggling heroin in Jagraon, Ludhiana district, on Sunday and seized 110 gram of heroin from the accused. The three were waiting for customers in a car when they were nabbed. The police team led by ASI Sukhdev Singh of CIA staff was conducting checking at Sherpur Chowk. Based on a tip-off, the police arrested the three youths from the Sugar Mill Colony. The accused have been identified as Anmol Singh, alias Abhi, and Arshdeep, alias Arsh of Talwandi Bhai), and Aditya, alias Kaka, of Ghummar Mandi, Ferozepur Cantonment. The accused were waiting for customers in Jagraon in a car. When the police searched the car, 110 gram of heroin was seized from them. The accused said that they were studying in a college and got involved in drug smuggling due to greed of money. The police obtained their one-day remand. — TNS Doraha, April 27 The gunman of Cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Mundian got allegedly killed by a bullet from his own gun, which hit him in the chest while he was at his neighbours’ house at Rampur village this evening. The investigation is going on and the police is in the process of registering the statements of the kin of the deceased. Gurkirat Singh Goldi (30), the gunman of Cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Mundian and a resident of Rampur village, got shot from his own gun this evening. Gurkirat was at the house of a neighbour named Jaspal Singh when this incident took place. While the neighbours say that Gurkirat committed suicide with his own gun, the mother of the deceased allege that he was killed by the neighbours. Payal DSP Hemant Malhotra, along with Doraha SHO Akash Dutt, who reached the spot, shared that the deceased had an affair with the daughter of Jaspal Singh four years back. The girl got married but Gurkirat was still single. They also confirmed that he had attempted suicide twice earlier too. “The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination and the statements of the family of the deceased are being recorded. The registration of the case shall depend on the statement of the kin and the report of the postmortem examination,” the DSP added. Police officials with the two accused, including a smuggler held with 1.20 kg heroin and illegal weapons, in Ludhiana on Sunday. Murder case accused held with 1.20 kg heroin, weapon Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 27 The Ludhiana Crime Branch today arrested a man wanted in a murder case and seized 1.20 kg heroin from his possession. The accused has been identified as Gagan Grover, alias Himashu Lohara, a resident of Lohara road. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime, Harpal Singh, Additional DCP Crime, Aman, deep Singh Brar, and in charge, Crime Branch, inspector Beant Juneja issued a joint statement in this regard. DCP Harpal Singh stated that under the special campaign launched by the police, the police party was present at Eastern Park Colony, Chandigarh Road, yesterday to keep a tab on suspicious persons and suspicious-looking vehicles. During this excercise, ASI Raj Kumar received information that Gagan Grover was reportedly involved in the business of selling heroin and was also hav- ing some previous cases of fighting, murder and possession of illegal weapons and heroin registered against him in the past. The accused was also wanted in a murder and some heroin smuggling cases. He had been at large in the case registered against him at Daba police station in 2024. The DCP said as per the police information, the accused was having some illegal weapons in his possession. He was on his way to deliver the consignment to his clients in his car. The accused had been waiting for his customer after parking his car in front of some uninhabited empty flats of Eastern Park Colony at Jhabewal village near Ludhiana. A police party immediately conducted a raid and nabbed the accused. During search of the car, 230 gram of heroin and an illegal .32-bore pistol with a cartridge was seized. Later on, after the disclosure of the accused, 790 gram more heroin was seized from his possession. Police start rehabilitation of addicts, shift 18 to de-addiction centres Every police zone to shift 2 addicts to these centres daily Tribune News Service Set up at cost of ~19.5 crore, MC slaughter house stares at closure Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 27 The Municipal Corporation slaughter house located on Hambran Road is meeting the same fate as the carcass plant. Set up at a cost of Rs 19.50 crore, the plant has the capacity to slaughter around 16,000 birds and 1,000 goats, sheep or pigs. Despite several efforts, it is not being utilised to its full capacity and illegal slaughtering continues unabated in the city. As a result, the municipal corporation’s slaughter house is on the brink of closure since meat selling shops shy away from using the services of the slaughter house, citing various reasons. The MC has now decided to take strict action against the illegal meat slaughter shops in the city and has served notices to nearly 100 shops in this regard and plan to seal those which fail to abide by the rules. Charges of Rs 10 for poultry birds, Rs 100 for pigs, Rs 150 for goat and sheep is keeping the shopkeepers away from The MC modern slaughter house, which is on the brink of closure. Photo: Ashwani Dhiman the MC’s slaughter house. As claimed by the meat shop owners, customers’ demand for freshly slaughtered meat and not stale butchered meat is another reason for the nonusage of the services at the slaughter house. Rajesh, a meat seller from the city, said, “The cost of slaughtering is too high and small shopkeepers don’t have storage facilities to keep the slaughtered meat, so they don’t prefer getting it done in advance. Also, they said that there was no guarantee that the slaughtered meat would be sold in one day as it does not have long shelf life.” Officials of the MC said that they had served the notices to shopkeepers and would start sealing the shops indulging in illegal slaughtering. The civic body has also appealed to the residents to ask for certified meat from the shopkeepers. The meat is properly. The city has around 1,000 meat retailers and 30 to 35 wholesale poultry sellers. At least 50,000 chickens are slaughtered in the city on a daily basis. c m y b Ludhiana, April 27 The Ludhiana police have started the process of rehabilitation of drug addicts by shifting them to drug deaddiction centres. Every police zone has been directed by the Commissioner of Police to shift at least two drug addicts to these centres so that they are able to shun drugs and get a new lease of life. This action is being taken by the police under Section 64-A of the NDPS Act. Talking to The Tribune here on Saturday, Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said that apart from the ongoing campaign against the drug smugglers, the Ludhiana police has also taken an initiative to help the drug addicts in shunning drugs. “In the past few days, the Police Commissionerate has shifted 18 drug addicts to drug de-addiction centres. As the commissionerate has four police zones, every police zone in charge (ADCP rank) has been told to shift one drug addict to a de-addiction centre daily. Before shifting them, cops will interact with the family of the addict and even the addict will be motivated for his proposed treatment at the centre,” claimed Sharma. The top cop revealed that Police commissioner Swapan Sharma at Police Lines to review meeting on drugs in Ludhiana on Sunday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN the police now does not register FIRs against the drug addicts if they are caught taking drugs, but if a drug addict is also a drug peddler, then the police has no option but to register an FIR and send the accused to jail. “In the present scenario, a considerable number of drug addicts are also drug peddlers. Circumstances make them peddler when they are unable to bear the expenses of drugs. So they start selling drugs to fund their drug expenses,” the Commissioner claimed. What Section 64-A of the NDPS Act says Any addict, who is charged with an offence punishable under Section 27 or with offences involving small quantity of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, who voluntarily seeks to undergo medical treatment for de-addiction from a hospital or an institution maintained or recognised by the government or a local authority and undergoes such treatment shall not be liable to prosecution under Section 27 or under any other section for offences involving small quantity of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, provided that the said immunity from prosecution may be withdrawn if the addict does not undergo the complete treatment for de-addiction. DCP Singh added that now the police remand of the accused would be sought for further questioning, so that the big suppliers involved in the drug chain could be identified and arrested. Accused held with illegal weapon in another case In another case, the police party of Crime Branch, Ludhiana, was patrolling at Lohara Bridge near Simran Palace, Ludhiana, when ASI Visakha Singh received information that Jatinder Singh, alias Shonki, of Mohalla Sahibzada, Fateh Singh Nagar, Daba Lohara Road, was possessing a weapon and was standing under a tree near the Morgin Crossing mall, Lohara. A police party immediately conducted a raid and nabbed the accused with a weapon. A case was registered against the accused and further investigation was launched to inquire if the accused had committed any crime with the weapon. Gang of thieves busted, 2 held Ludhiana, April 27 The Ludhiana police have busted a gang of thieves and arrested two of its members. The police also recovered one motorcycle, a scooter and nine mobile phones from them. Those arrested were involved in 11 incidents of thefts and snatchings in the police subdivision, north. Those arrested have been identified as Jhony, a resident of Kasabad, and Harpreet Singh Kaddi of Noorwala road. Additional DCP-1 Sameer Verma while addressing a press conference here today stated that the police had received a tip-off that the abovesaid persons were running a gang of thieves and they had committed thefts of vehicles and mobile phones. The Basti Jodhewal police station SHO, Inspector Jasvir Singh, after identifying and verifying the location of the suspects conducted a raid and nabbed the accused. After their arrest and questioning, the accused confessed that they had committed nine mobile snatchings and two vehicles thefts in the area. After stealing vehicles, they would use the same vehicles to commit mobile snatchings, added ADCP Verma. Now, the police would seek their remand for further questioning to get details about their other gang members. Even some mobile shop owners who might have bought these stolen mobile phones would face action. — TNS