16052025-LT-01.qxd 5/15/2025 11:54 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune BYPOLL DATE LIKELY TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK CYCLISTS DEMAND ADVANCED TRAINING, EQUIPMENT IT’S TIME WE DISPEL MYTHS ABOUT PUNJABIS, SAYS SOBTI Post ceasefire, it is expected that the bypoll in Ludhiana West segment can be announced this week itself. P2 International cyclist Amarjit Singh said cycling equipment is very costly that is why not many pursue the game. P3 Punjabis are not butter chicken eating quamthat wears jewellery at weddings and talks loudly says the actor. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 42°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 41°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7.10 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:28 AM FRIDAY | 16 MAY 2025 | LUDHIANA Health Dept intensifies drive against food biz operators, 40 cases filed in 8 months Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 15 The District Health Department has tightened its noose around outlets selling food and dairies in Ludhiana. After an analysis, the department has filed 40 cases with the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) court based on the failed samples in the past eight months. “The department has intensified food safety operations across the district. From September 2024 to April 2025, its food safety team carried out a targeted sampling campaign aimed at curbing food adulteration and ensuring strict compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. During this period, 356 food samples were collected from various vendors, dairies and food processing units across the district,” said Civil Surgeon Ramandeep Kaur. Testing conducted at the State Food Laboratory revealed that 23 of these samples complied with safety standards while 69 were found to be non-compliant. Results of some samples are yet to be received. According to District Health Officer Amarjit Health officials collect samples of milk products. FILE MEASURES TAKEN BY AUTHORITIES In addition to legal action, the food safety team is actively conducting regular inspections of food establishments, including hotels, sweet shops and processing units. Challans are being issued for unhygienic conditions and improvement notices are served wherever required. Kaur, the sampling covered a wide range of commonly consumed dairy products. Of the 35 milk samples taken, 25 passed, seven failed the tests and three are awaiting results. For ghee, 33 samples were collected, with 16 passing the test, 10 failing and seven pending. In case of curd, nine samples were taken, resulting in two passing the test, five fail- ures and two pending reports. Paneer was sampled extensively with 67 samples taken; 36 passed, 25 failed, and six are pending. Lastly, 10 samples of khoya were tested, with eight passing and results for two still awaited. “Following the analysis, the Health Department has filed 40 legal cases with the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) court based on failed samples. Additional cases are currently being processed and will be filed upon the completion of investigation. All actions are being taken in accordance with legal provisions outlined in the Act,” added Dr Amarjit. In addition to legal action, the food safety team is actively conducting regular inspections of food establishments, including hotels, sweet shops and processing units. Challans are being issued for unhygienic conditions and improvement notices are served wherever required. The proactive measures were aimed at improving overall food safety standards, deterring non-compliance and protecting public health, she added. The main aim of the department was to ensure safe and hygienic food for all residents. Food business operators are also urged to strictly adhere to hygiene protocols and FSSAI guidelines. Citizens are also encouraged to promptly report any suspected cases of food adulteration so timely action can be taken, Dr Amarjit added. Man murdered with Minor alleges gang sharp weapons; wife, rape, two booked paramour booked Our Correspondent Payal, May 15 The Malaudh police have launched search operation for a woman of Sohian village in Ludhiana district and her alleged paramour. They have allegedly fled the scene after killing the woman’s husband on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. While the deceased was identified as Bahadur Singh (40) of Sohian village, the suspects have been identified as Jasvir Kaur and her paramour Sukhpreet Singh Sukha, a panch of Dhaler village in Malerkotla district. Payal DSP Hemant Malhotra said police officials, posted at the Malaudh police station, had launched a search operation for Jasvir Kaur and Sukha, who had been booked for the murder of Bahadur on the statement of the deceased’s daughter on Thursday. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim had shifted to Sohian village about 12 years ago from his native Badbar village in Sangrur district. Though the police are yet to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the murder, preliminary investigations revealed that Jasvir Kaur had opened the door for Sukha late on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. Following which, the victim was attacked with sharp weapons by them. Ludhiana, May 15 A 14-year-old girl has alleged rape by two persons near Jalandhar. The Tibba Road police have registered a case under Sections 64 and 351 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the two suspects, Rahul and Sunil, residents of Banga village in Nawanshahr. According to the complainant, a woman named Nisha stays in the street of the victim. She (the victim) developed a friendship with Nisha’s brother Rahul. The minor girl said she used to talk to Rahul over the phone and in August 2024, he came to visit his sister Nisha. Rahul called the victim to nearby fields in night hours where he allegedly raped the girl. The victim alleged that on March 1, 2025, Rahul again called her and when the latter refused to meet him, he threatened her of dire consequences, she alleged. She said she got scared and went to meet the suspect at Basti Chowk. The victim said Rahul was on a motorcycle while his friend Sunil was riding another bike. The girl alleged that they took her to a hotel near Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, and raped her. She said she was again threatened by the suspects. The police are probing the matter. — TNS Kingpin nabbed in ~ 7-cr cyber fraud case Mahesh Sharma Ludhiana, May 15 The Ludhiana police claimed to have made the first arrest in the online fraud case in which an interstate gang of swindlers had duped the owner of Vardhman Group of Rs 7 crore on the pretext of ‘digital arrest’ over eight months ago. Identified as the kingpin of the gang, Atnu Chaudhary was arrested by a special police team, led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), from Assam on Saturday. Commissioner of Police (CP) Swapan Sharma said police officials, supervised by DCP Rupinder Singh, ADCP Vaibhav Sehgal and ACP Murad Jasbir Singh Gill, had succeeded in nabbing the kingpin of the gang booked in the case registered The suspect in Ludhiana police custody. at the cyber crime police station under the BNS and IT Act for allegedly duping SP Oswal of Rs 7 crore by threatening him to be under digital arrest of a CBI team. Though the police had identified almost all suspects from Assam, West Bengal and Delhi and recovered Rs 5,25,00,600 already, no arrest was reported earlier. The police claimed that the recovery made so far was considered the highest in the country so far in any online fraud case. ACP Gill, who led the team of police officials visiting Assam, said Atnu Chaudhary of Nibas Apartment, Guwahati, now a resident of anoth- er area in Guwahati, was arrested on the basis of investigation conducted under the supervision of senior officials. The police also claimed to have tightened the noose around other eight suspects, who are still at large. Six ATM cards and three mobiles were also seized from the possession of Chaudhary. SP Oswal, chairman and MD of Vardhman Group, was duped of Rs 7 crore in the last week of September 2024. Earlier, the cyber cell of Ludhiana had claimed to have solved the case within two days of receiving the information about the fraud and a major part of the duped amount was recovered during the probe. However, no arrest was made. The police are likely to arrest all suspects now as the kingpin has been arrested. c m y b 100 kg of adulterated khoya, 7 quintals of jaggery seized Check purity at home Milk: Mix equal parts of milk and water in a glass or test tube. Shake vigorously. Pure milk will form minimal or no lather. Adulterated milk (with detergents) will produce a persistent, stable froth. Ghee: Perform a simple burn test by heating a teaspoon of ghee in a pan. Pure ghee should melt quickly, without producing excessive smoke or a burnt smell. Impurities or added substances may create smoke or alter its natural scent. Curd: Add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to a small amount of curd. Stir and let it sit for a few minutes. If the curd doesn’t curdle properly or has a clumpy consistency, it may be adulterated. Paneer: Boil paneer, let it cool, and then add a few drops of iodine tincture. If paneer turns blue, it likely contains starch and is not pure. Khoya: Dissolve a small amount of khoya in hot water and then add a few drops of iodine. If the solution turns blue, it indicates the presence of starch, which is used as an adulterant. Jaggery being prepared under unhygienic conditions at a unit raided by health team in Tajpur. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 15 In a series of inspections in Tajpur and near Samrala Chowk on Thursday, a significant quantity of adulterated food items were seized and challans were issued for violations of food safety regulations. The Health Department team while acting on a tipoff inspected several establishments in the area. The major seizures included 100 kg of khoya from a sweet shop in Tajpur and seven quintals of jaggery and 350 kg of sugar being used for making jaggery at a manufacturing unit in Tajpur. The seized food items, sus- pected to be adulterated, have been sent for laboratory analysis to determine the extent of contamination. In addition to the food seizures, the team also focused on other potential health hazards. Six samples of soda bottles were collected for testing and a challan was issued to a vendor near Samrala Chowk. The authorities also issued a challan under Section 58 to a outlet selling an energy drink near a school in Tajpur, citing concerns about the health and safety of schoolchildren. Dr Ramandeep Kaur, Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, reiterated the Health Department’s stance, stating: “We are committed to safeguarding public health. Such surprise inspections will continue and strict action will be taken against those found violating the food safety norms.” Dr Amarjit Kaur emphasised the department’s commitment. “The District Health Department is working diligently to ensure that food products available to the public are safe and of high quality. These actions demonstrate our firm resolve to crack down on food adulteration and enforce stringent food safety standards,” she said. The Health Department has initiated further investigation and has warned that those found guilty of violating food safety laws will face severe penalties.