21052025-LT-01.qxd 5/21/2025 12:24 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CITY TEEN WINS SILVER AT NAT’L BADMINTON MEET Lakshay Sharma has secured a silver in a national badminton tournament in Hyderabad. P2 » FIRST LIFE-SAVING IUT PERFORMED IN PUNJAB Intrauterine Blood Transfusion (IUT) serves as a life-saving intervention for unborn babies. P3 » ONLY 1 EMERGENCY DOC FOR 7L SAHNEWAL RESIDENTS FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 44°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 43°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.56 PM CHC, Sahnewal, is in a critical condition, relying on a single emergency medical officer, and that too on deputation.P3 SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:44 AM » WEDNESDAY | 21 MAY 2025 | LUDHIANA Despite challaning, underage drivers refuse to mend their ways in city 123 challans for underage driving, 12,267 for riding without helmet issued this year so far Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 20 Despite the challaning drive against riding without helmet and underage driving violations, offenders continue to challenge traffic rules. During a survey outside several schools in the city, students were captured driving twowheelers to and from the school with impunity. Besides, the underage students were not even wearing helmets and triple riding as well. It is learnt that schools are not allowing students to park their vehicles on their premises, hence, students park their vehicles alongside the outer wall of the schools. Some even park their vehicles in streets near their schools. On Tuesday afternoon, during a survey outside the schools, many students were seen riding two- wheelers. Some were even riding in a rash manner. When one of them who was riding a scooter was asked why he is bringing a two-wheeler to school despite not having a driving licence, the student said: CHALLANS ISSUED Month Underage Without helmet Jan 39 2,957 Feb 32 3,003 March 18 2,418 April 23 2,397 May 11 1,492 Total 123 12,267 Underage drivers riding two-wheelers is a routine affair on roads in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN (From Jan 1 Till May 19 this year) “Though I am a minor and not having a licence but I have been bringing the scooter to the school for the past over two years now. My parents have no time to drop and pick me up from the school, hence, they bought me a scooter,” the student added. Students triple riding on a motorcycle outside a school in the city when asked if they are aware that driving a vehicle without licence may invite heavy penalty, they abruptly said: “We know we are wrong but we are aware about traffic police naka locations due to which we were never caught and challaned.” As per the data procured from the traffic police, as many as 123 challans of underage driving were issued since January 1 and of these, 39 were issued in January, 32 in February, 18 in March, 23 in April and 11 in May (till May 19). The traffic police issued huge challans for helmet-less driving this year. From January 1 till date, as many as 12,267 challans were issued and of these, 2,957 were issued in January, 3,003 in February, 2,418 in March, 2,397 in April and 1,492 in May. ACP (Traffic) Jatin Bansal said traffic policemen had already been issued standing instructions to issue challans for underage driving and triple riding in routine. Awareness drives were also being organised on a timely basis to make school students aware about traffic rules. “I urge parents to not allow their underage wards to drive vehicles to schools,” Bansal said. Three of the suspects in police custody at Jagraon. Two Army men among five arrested in two cases Our Correspondent Raikot, May 20 The Ludhiana (rural) police claimed to have nabbed five persons wanted in two cases, which were registered at the Jodhan and Raikot City police stations recently. Three of the suspects, arrested from different places, found to be accomplice of an Army man, Bikramjit Singh of Bhanohar village who was nabbed with 255 gm of heroin a week ago, were identified as Gurdev Singh, Baljin- Cheques given to 15 beneficiaries under DAY-NULM Tribune News Service der Singh Balli of Chand Bhan village in the Jaito area and Jaswinder Singh of Jhinger Kalan in Hoshiarpur district. Jaswinder and Baljinder are also serving in the Indian Army. The police have nominated three more suspects in the case but their identity has been kept secret. In the other case registered at the Raikot police station, Baghel Singh Raja and Kulwant Singh Sodhi from Dadhahur village, were arrested by the police, led by City SHO Amarjit 2 nabbed with 1.7 kg of heroin, ~2.90 lakh Tribune News Service Sukhbir’s attack on AAP: State in hands of Delhi trio, CM Mann nowhere MLA inspects MC’s Zone B office, tells officials to work with transparency Nikhil Bhardwaj Ludhiana, May 20 With an aim to improve grievance redressal mechanism, Ludhiana Central MLA Ashok Prashar Pappi conducted an inspection at the Zone B office of the Municipal Corporation (MC) near Shingar Cinema here. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 20 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal, while attacking the ruling party in the state, said: “Punjab is in the hands of a trio from Delhi who know they SAD chief questions under what capacity Sisodia, Jain holding meetings with Punjab bureaucrats have only one-and-a-half years left to rule the state, hence they have increased the pace of looting it. In fact, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are ruling the state and CM Bhagwant Mann is nowhere to be seen, reduced to being a puppet in the hands of the Delhi leaders.” Sukhbir questioned under what capacity Jain and Sisodia were holding meetings with Punjab bureaucrats. “I am proud of the Indian Army for the way it protected Punjab and the country as a whole during the recent war between India and Pakistan,” he said while addressing a press conference in Ludhiana. “Punjab is one state in the country that faced 60 per cent more attacks than other states but the armed forces and their advanced air defence system saved it.” He also thanked the Prime Minister. Regarding the Army’s Says he will conduct inspections in coming days too Sukhbir Singh Badal addresses mediapersons in Ludhiana on Tuesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN statement that Golden Temple was among prime targets set by the Pakistan army and that the air defence system installed there prevented the attack, Sukhbir replied that he was abroad and unaware of the SGPC’s statement in this regard. However, he knew that the Indian Army had bravely prevented the attack. Taking a jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the SAD chief said under the guise of land acquisition, the party was set to collect crores from businessmen, traders, farmers and others. Sukhbir also held a closed-door meeting with local party leadership. SAD West constituency candidate Parupkar Singh Ghuman was also present. When asked about the possibility of an alliance with the BJP or any other party in the future, he said the SAD was open to an alliance with any party that would stand for the rights of Punjab and Punjabis, without naming any specific party. Meanwhile, Sukhbir said on Tuesday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had initiated a multi-hundred crore scam by allowing land owners to secure change of land use (CLU) in back date to allow exemptions in land acquisition in villages in the vicinity of the city. “At a time when the government is not able to provide even basic facilities, it has decided to acquire 24,311 acres of land in villages adjacent to Ludhiana. Since the land owners will not be able to sell the land once the land acquisition notice is issued, a scam has been initiated to exempt all those who pay Rs 1 crore per acre in AAP coffers. The scam is ongoing in other cities also, including Mohali where the AAP government has issued acquisition notices despite its inability to develop 6,000 acres of land acquired earlier,” he said. Asserting that never before in the history of the state had such a thing happened, the SAD president said: “We will not allow this daylight robbery to succeed under any cost. We will not allow any land to be acquired without taking consent of farmers.” He announced that the party would stage a massive protest outside the office of the Chief Administrator, GLADA, on May 31. c m y b Accompanied by Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar, MC Zonal Commissioner (Zone B) Neeraj Jain among other officials, the MLA directed officials to work with efficiency and ensure that the public should not face any trouble while getting their works done at Municipal Corporation offices. He said a few residents had raised their concerns in the recent past, following which an inspection was conducted. The MLA and Senior Deputy Mayor also took feedback from residents. They visited the civic body suvidha kendra and directed staff to keep away agents, if any, and ensure that the people were served on ‘first come, first served’ basis. Ashok Prashar Pappi said he would be conducting inspections in coming days too as they were committed to serving the public at large. — TNS Ludhiana, May 20 Focusing on providing financial assistance, skill development and entrepreneurship support to urban poor individuals and groups, Mayor Inderjit Kaur handed over cheques to 15 beneficiaries under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAYNULM) at the MC Zone D office here on Tuesday. Cheques worth Rs 40,000 each were distributed among the 15 beneficiaries who are part of self-help groups and work in the field of food processing. NULM City Mission managers Jaspreet Kaur and Rajinder Kaur and other civic body officials were among those present. The financial assistance has been provided as seed capital. The Mayor motivated the beneficiaries to work hard for achieving their goals. She stated that strict directions had been issued to the staff concerned of the civic body to give maximum benefits to residents under government schemes. Singh, on Tuesday, a day after they had allegedly took away an SUV from Harmanjot Singh of Kangardeena, Bathinda district. Jajj Singh of Patiala and Golu of Moga, who were booked in the case, were yet to be nabbed. The police have also recovered the looted vehicle. Ludhiana (rural) SSP Ankur Gupta claimed that the five wanted suspects were identified and arrested on the basis of information collected through investigation. Ludhiana, May 20 The Ludhiana CIA team has achieved a significant breakthrough by seizing 1.710 kg of heroin and apprehending two persons. The suspects, identified as Ankit Bhoori and Dev Kumar, residents of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, were taken into custody following a tip-off. ADCP Amandeep Brar and CIA in-charge inspector Kulwant Singh issued a joint statement in this regard. Brar said during the operation, the CIA team recovered the substantial quantity of heroin from the possession of the suspects. Additionally, they also seized Rs 2,90,000 in cash, believed to be proceeds from drug trafficking. The police on Monday registered a case against the duo under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and initiated an investigation. “We have got some vital clues about other big smugglers involved in the smuggling racket. The police are already working to trace links of the nabbed smugglers. Police officials said properties, if any, made by the suspects with the proceeds of the drug money were also being checked and the same would be attached. The suspects who were arrested with heroin in Ludhiana. UP man held for impregnating girl on pretext of marriage Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 20 A UP-based man sexually exploited a girl on the pretext of marrying her. When she turned pregnant, the suspect fled to his native place. After registering a case, the police arrested the suspect, identified as Ashish Kumar, a resident of New Kundanpuri. The complainant, a resi- dent of Salem Tabri, told the police that she had met Ashish in 2022 and developed a friendship with him. Later, the friendship turned into a love affair as the suspect had proposed her for marriage. On the pretext of marriage, the suspect developed physical relationship with her many times. The complainant alleged that when she became preg- nant and informed the man about the same, the latter, instead of solemnising marriage with her, fled to his native place in UP Following . which, she lodged a police complaint against the suspect and a case of rape was registered by the police. ASI Balraj Singh said after registering a case, the police arrested the man and launched further investigation.