03052025-JTR-01.qxd 5/2/2025 11:34 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune AAP LIED ON GIVING WATER TO HARYANA, ALLEGES BJP SPIELBERG TOLD ME HE LOVED 3 IDIOTS: KAREENA GURU NANAK JAHAZ OFFERS STORY OF SHARED STRUGGLE BJP led by its district president Nipun Sharma, burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and held a protest. P2 “Indian cinema is watched by everyone, including Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg,” says Kareena Kapoor. P4 Taking back on a ride through the rough times of 1914, Guru Nanak Jahazexplores the Komagata Maru incident. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 37°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 21°C SUNSET SATURDAY 7.08 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5:39 AM » SATURDAY | 3 MAY 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF FOUR 'DRUG PEDDLERS' HELD Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a 'drug peddler' on the charge of selling heroin. Seven gram of heroin was recovered from the possession of Sunni Kumar, a resident of Bopa Rai Kalan village. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. The police arrested 'drug peddler' Lakhwindar Singh of Mehatpur with 5 gram of heroin and 28 tablets. Two cases under the Mining Act and Travel Agents Act are pending against the accused. The police arrested two 'drug peddlers', Harjndar Singh and Des Raj, residents of Dharme Dian Chhana village, with 2 kg poppy husk. OC STUBBLE BURNT ON 10 FIELDS Phagwara: A major fire broke out at Pandwan village after dry wheat stubble caught fire, rapidly spreading across 10 fields. Swift action by a fire brigade and a team from Johal Farm brought the situation under control. Sarpanch Baljeet Singh stated that the land belongs to multiple individuals. Fortunately, no casualties or major damage were reported. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit. OC ANTI-DRUG DRIVE COORDINATOR Phagwara: Om Parkash Bittu has been appointed as the coordinator of the Drug-Free Front for the Phagwara constituency. The announcement was made by AAP's Phagwara in-charge Joginder Singh Mann and MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori, who congratulated Bittu and expressed confidence in his commitment to the cause. OC 3 ARRESTED UNDER NDPS ACT Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a 'drug peddler' on the charge of selling heroin. As much as 150 gram of heroin was recovered from the possession of the accused Gurwindar Singh, alias Golu, of Dhandowal village. A case has been registered against the accused and his motorcycle on which he was travelling with the contraband has been impounded. The police arrested two 'drug peddlers' Mandeep Singh of Bilga village and Jasveer Singh of Dharme Dian Chhana with 20 gram of heroin. oc MAN HELD FOR SELLING LIQUOR Phagwara: The police have arrested a villager on the charge of selling illicit countrymade liquor. The accused has been identified as Gurbhej Singh of Yakopur village and 49 bottles of hooch were recovered from his possession. A case has been registered against the accused. oc 3 ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The police have arrested three persons for assaulting a villager. The accused have been identified as Amanjot Singh, Babu Singh and Rajwant Singh of Mangatt village in Ludhiana. Hardeep Singh of Sangowal village complained to the police that the accused and their eight accomplices waylaid him on April 27 at the bus stand in Thamannwal village and assaulted him. oc Nawanshahr RTO’s bail plea dismissed Driving licence ‘scam’Officer absconding since April Deepkamal Kaur/ Ashok Kaura Tribune Reporters Nawanshahr, May 2 The court of Additional Sessions Judge Aprajita Joshi on Friday dismissed the bail application moved by absconding PCS officer and Nawanshahr RTO Ravinder Kumar Bansal in the alleged driving licence scam. A Vigilance Bureau team of Jalandhar had conducted a crackdown in his office on April 7 and booked the officer. Bansal has an FIR lodged against him under Sections 7, 7-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and Section 318 (4), 61 (2) of the BNS at Police Station, Vigilance Bureau, Jalandhar Range. The FIR had been registered against him on the complaint of Harmail Singh, a farmer, who along with his wife Ravinder Kaur (applicant for driving licence) approached Jangra Driving Training School run by Kewal Krishan Jangra and his nephew Kamal Kumar. He said they demanded Rs 1,400 from him even as the government fee for applying for learning driving licence was only Rs 520. The complainant said they told him that they had connection with the RTO, driving track officials, data entry operator Munish Kumar and junior assistant Jatinder Kumar. He even said while Rs 1,400 fee was only for learner’s licence, it was Rs 1,700 for permanent driving licence and Rs 5,000 if anyone wanted permanent licence without passing the driving test. He said a number of agents in the area had been giving the same offer. He even audio recorded his conversation with the agents and handed it over to the VB. The modus operandi used by the agents and staff was that while video recording the driving test, the cameras were fixed such that only the vehicle was visible and not the person driving it. Also those passing the test were asked to give tests twice or thrice and their extra videos were put as evidence against those who could not drive the vehicle but were ready to pay Rs 5,000. Accused Manish confessed before the ED that he used to take Rs 1,500 as bribe money, of which he used to keep Rs 500 and the remaining Rs 1,000 was paid to the RTO or ATO, Nawanshahr, who gave approval for such licences through e-parivahan app. He reportedly confessed having earned Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh per month and handed over the same amount to RTO Bansal and ATO Ramandeep Singh. He also pointed to 125 hidden files of such cases with him. Bansal’s lawyer contended in the court that he was working as SDM, Balachaur, and had got the charge of RTO on January 20 this year. He said at the time of his joining, there was no facility to conduct the driving test and it started just 15 days ahead of the lodging of the FIR. He said he had no direct role in conducting the tests and that he was only checking the documents. The court observed that the allegations in the case were serious and custodial interrogation of the officer was imperative for verification of the suspected files and getting his digital ID. The court, therefore, dismissed his bail application. The case assumes importance as Director, Vigilance, SPS Parmar, Jalandhar Vigilance SSP Harpreet Mander and AIG Swarandeep Singh had been placed under suspension. WAR ON DRUGS A grand marathon was organised by the Nawanshahr district administration as part of the ‘War on Drugs’ campaign to make people aware about the ill-effects of drugs on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTOGRAPH Grand marathon against drugs in Nawanshahr Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, May 2 A grand marathon was organised by the administration as part of the ‘War on Drugs’ campaign to make people aware about the illeffects of drugs. In this marathon organised from ITI Ground, Nawanshahr, officers of various departments, employees, students, teachers, players, village panchs, sarpanchs, members of youth clubs, vol- Nihangs protest outside SSP office Demand cancellation of FIR against jathedar | Police say probe is on Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 2 A group of Nihang Sikhs, angered over the alleged targeting of one of the elderly Nihang by a village sarpanch, headed for the Jalandhar SSP office, on their horses and staged a protest outside the office of SSP Harvinder Singh Virk today. Adamant to get an FIR against a jathedar cancelled, a large number of Nihangs gathered outside the SSP office, the gates of which were closed by the police. The atmosphere outside the SSP office grew tense as the protesting Nihangs sought cancellation of FIR in half an hour. Later, they also met the SSP . They alleged that a village sarpanch had got a false FIR registered against Jathedar Baba Hari Singh because the jathedar had supported a poor family, whose son, they alleged, had been murdered. They said on February 8, a child Saurav from Lambra had been taken away by acquaintance Honey on the pretext of eating out, but did not return home. The family later found the child had died. Tirth Kaur, Saurav’s moth- unteers, and district residents participated in large numbers and took the pledge to play a leading role in the fight against drugs and also did their duty to create awareness about the ill-effects of drugs. The marathon, which started at 6.30 am, passed through Raja Hospital, Baradari Bagh, Government Rehabilitation Centre and Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar Chowk and ended back at ITI Ground. Throughout the marathon route, a specially prepared vehicle with audio system and awareness banners gave a message to make the district drug-free. MLA Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi said the government is connecting the youth with sports and other constructive activities for a healthy and prosperous Punjab and employment opportunities are being created on a large scale. Deputy Commissioner Ankurjit Singh said the main purpose of this marathon is to make the youth aware about the ill-effects of drugs and also to increase the participation of society in the war against drugs. He called upon all of them to join hands and fight against drugs. SSP Dr Mehtab Singh said the police have launched a major campaign under the ‘ War on Drugs’ which will be completed soon. The winners of the marathon were honoured with gifts. Apart from this, saplings were distributed to all participants. Minor youth drowns in river, two rescued Garhshankar, May 2 Sulakhan Singh, 17-year-old youth of village Khuralgarh Sahib, who had died of drowning while bathing in the Swan river near village Bhalan of Nangal of in district Ropar last evening, was cremated at his native village today. Yesterday, three youths fell into the river and two were rescued by the people while the third one died. Three minor youths of village Sulakhan Singh, Nishan Singh and Harsh had gone to bathe in the river. Due to water filled in deep pits in the Swan, all three youths started drowning. When the people saw them, they saved two youths. — OC THE GREAT INDIAN PROPERTY SHOW Nihangs hold a protest against the rural police at the SSP office in Jalandhar on Friday. er, alleged that Honey took her son away on February 8 and at 12 midnight they were informed that her son met with an accident. Upon reaching the spot, the family found the son had died. The family alleged, in the incident, neither Honey was injured, nor any road markings were seen on the bike. They alleged that their son was murdered. A com- plaint was made to the police. While police released two youths after interrogation, the name of Sarpanch Iqbal Singh (Kalyanpur village) also came up in the incident. The family alleged that the sarpanch along with others, got the son murdered and threatened the family members. A counter FIR was registered against the Nihang Baba Hari Singh by the sarpanch over another dispute. Virk, said, “The sarpanch and the jathedar’s parties have long standing disputes and both parties have FIRs against each other. The death of Saurav is under investigation and an FIR was registered but so far it seems an accident, there is no proof that it was a murder.” Punjab with max increase in monthly per capita expenditure is one of the highest spender for premium real estate with a major surge in NRI investments Ramada Jalandhar City Centre by Wyndham One dead , another hurt in Phillaur accident Phagwara, May 2 A fatal road accident on the Jalandhar-Ludhiana National Highway near Phillaur claimed the life of one person and left another seriously injured. The deceased has been identified as Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Bachhowal village, who was working roadside, assisting in the installation of FASTags on vehicles. According to the police and witnesses, a Tata 407 E-Turbo (PB29 G 9067) collided with a stationary vehicle parked along the roadside. The collision caused serious injuries to Bolero driver, who was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Phillaur for treatment. His condition remains critical, according to the hospital authorities. Police officials responding via the emergency helpline 112 arrived promptly at the scene. Preliminary investiga- tions suggest that the Tata 407 driver, identified as Lovepreet, may have been using a mobile phone while driving. This reportedly led to the loss of control of the vehicle, resulting in the death of Rakesh, engaged in his work at the time. Assistant Sub-Inspector Sarabjit Singh, who was present at the scene, confirmed Kumar’s death on the spot. He noted that safety con- cerns had been raised in the past about operating roadside stalls in that area. The accused driver has been taken into custody and the vehicle has been impounded. The Phillaur police have registered a case under relevant sections and further legal action will be based on the statements of witnesses and the family of the deceased, who have been informed of the incident. — OC Channel Partners - Retail Indian Solutions : 9266777282/9810800869 c m y b