28052025-JTR-01.qxd 5/27/2025 10:35 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune TOPPERS GET INSPIRATION UNDER ‘ONE DAY WITH DC’ LOK ADALAT ISSUES NOTICES TO HEALTH, CIVIC AUTHORITIES SANDEEP REDDY VANGA STIRS SPECULATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA Hoshiarpur district students who secured first, second and third positions in class 10th had a motivating day with DC. P2 Lok Adalat has issued notices after taking cognisance of a plea alleging unsafe conditions at the Civil Hospital. P3 The filmmaker alleges ‘dirty’ PR games, breach of trust amid reports of Deepika Padukone's exit from Spirit. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.24 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:24 AM WEDNESDAY | 28 MAY 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF WOMAN TAKES POISON, DIES Phagwara: A married woman of a village died mysteriously on Saturday. SHO Krishan Gopal said the deceased has been identified as Lovleen Kaur of Bhula Rayee village in Phagwara. Jyoti, wife of Ravi Kumar, a resident of Sunnar Kalan village, told the police that the deceased came to meet her and consumed some poisonous substance and died. The police reached the spot and took the body to the Phillaur Civil Hospital for postmortem and registered a case under Section 194 of BSSN. OC GANGSTER HELD FOR EXTORTION Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have arrested a gangster on the charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy. The accused has been identified as Anmolpreet Singh, alias Mela, of Yusafpur Allewal village. The accused was demanding a huge amount of money from residents, threatening to kill them in case of failure. A case was registered against the accused. The police did not release any news in this regard and kept the FIR a secret. OC MAN NABBED FOR FLAUNTING ARMS Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have arrested a notorious criminal on the charge of brandishing arms on social media. The accused had been identified as Jagtar Singh, alias Kali, of Kakar Kalan village. The accused made a video viral on social media showing himself brandishing arms and violating an order issued by the Deputy Commissioner. A case had been registered against the accused. OC MAN HELD UNDER NDPS ACT Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a man on the charge of selling heroin. Eight gram of heroin was recovered from the possession of the accused Sagar of Bajuha Kalan village. A case under Sections 21-B/61/85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. oc TWO ‘DRUG ADDICTS’ HELD Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested two 'drug addicts'. The accused have been identified as Deepak of Mohalla Rajputan and Ajay of Mallri village. A lighter, a silver paper and a plastic pipe used for consuming contraband were recovered from his possession. oc MAN ARRESTED FOR GAMBLING Phagwara: The police have arrested Semiul Sidhu of Lambarri village for gambling. The accused was selling betting slips in Fatehpur village grain market and Rs 9,600 was recovered from him. A case under the Punjab Gabling Act has been registered against the accused. oc AGENT BOOKED FOR ~5.50L FRAUD Hoshiarpur: The police have booked an accused on the charge of cheating a person of Rs 5.50 lakh on the pretext of sending him to Canada. Rakesh Kumar of Dasuya told the police that Mahinder Singh Walia, alias Raju, has cheated him on the pretext of sending him to Canada. oc Sewage pain sparks anger in four Rly police official in ‘molests’ woman areas, residents threaten protest Phillaur, suspended Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Jalandhar, May 27 A severe sewage overflow crisis has gripped the neighbourhoods of Gazi Gulla, Gadaipur, Raja Garden and Parshuram Nagar, with residents alleging gross negligence by the MC and threatening to launch a protest if immediate action is not taken. For over a week, streets in these densely populated areas have been flooded with sewage, turning daily life into a nightmare. Residents say the foul smell, unsanitary conditions and stagnant waste water have made it nearly impossible to move around, with many forced to remain indoors. “The situation is absolutely intolerable. We’ve contacted the MC multiple times, filed complaints in person and through email, but no effective steps have been taken,” said Mahesh Sharma, a resident. He added that sewage from blocked drains in Gazi Gulla overflows into his area, Ram Nagar, spreading across roads and making commuting dangerous. Residents claim the core issue lies in the irregular and inadequate cleaning of sewers. “There’s no proper maintenance. The MC only sends Phagwara, May 27 A shocking incident of misconduct has come to light from the Phillaur Railway Police post, where the incharge officer, Sub-Inspector Didar Singh, allegedly molested a woman in an inebriated state. The incident sparked public outrage and raised serious concerns about the conduct and accountability of law enforcement officers. According to preliminary reports, the victim, identified as Parveen, a resident of Jagatpura Panj Dhera, was walking along the service road near the Phillaur Railway Station, while on a phone call to a relative. She was on her way to pick her children from school when the accused officer, reportedly not in uniform and wearing only underclothes, allegedly confronted her in a drunken state and began misbehaving with her. The woman alleged that the officer attempted to forcibly drag her into a room at the police post. Her cries for help attracted the attention of bystanders and soon a crowd gathered at the scene. Her family members also arrived Sewage floods streets in Gadaipur, causing a nuisance for residents and commuters in Jalandhar. A TRIBUNE PHOTOGRAPH workers for superficial de-silting, which doesn’t solve the problem. What we need is a thorough inspection and permanent repair of the drainage system,” said another resident. Kavita, a resident of Parshuram Nagar, said the stench has become unbearable inside homes. “Even sitting inside with closed doors doesn’t help. On top of that, there have been several accidents — twowheelers often skid on the slip- Patwari’s assistant caught taking bribe pery, sewage-covered roads. It’s hazardous,” she said. Residents of Gadaipur echoed similar concerns, highlighting the health risks caused by prolonged exposure to stagnant sewage. “There’s a growing fear of water-borne diseases. With monsoon approaching, this could turn into a full-blown public health emergency,” a resident warned. Local families, including elderly citizens and children, are particularly affected by the conditions and many say they feel abandoned by elected representatives who had promised better civic infrastructure before elections. “The politicians came asking for votes and made tall promises. Now, when we are struggling with such a basic issue, no one is answering our calls,” Paramjit Singh, another resident added. With no resolution in sight, residents have now issued an ultimatum. “If the problem is not addressed immediately, we will be forced to protest. This is not just an inconvenience — it’s a serious threat to our health and safety,” they said, adding that they demand a long-term and sustainable solution that includes regular sewer maintenance, comprehensive inspection of pipelines and urgent repairs in the affected areas. shortly thereafter and contacted the local media to report the incident. The matter was immediately brought to the attention of SHO Palwinder Singh of Ludhiana Railway Police Station, who rushed to Phillaur and recorded the victim’s statement. Following initial inquiry, the SHO confirmed that SubInspector Didar Singh would be removed from his post and placed under suspension, pending further investigation. In a dramatic turn of events, the woman reportedly slapped the accused officer in front of onlookers, expressing her anger and seeking justice for the alleged assault. “This kind of behaviour by a police officer is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We are taking strict disciplinary action,” SHO Palwinder Singh stated. Notice to Mayor over illegal colonies No penalty on property tax arrears till July 31 Jalandhar, May 27 The office of Lokpal has issued notice to Mayor Vaneet Dhir and eight others, including MC Commissioner and MTP A complaint against the . mushrooming of illegal colonies was filed by Karanpreet Singh. He had alleged corruption in the corporation. The Mayor and others have been asked to appear on August 21. In his complaint, he said there were clear instructions from the government that no illegal colony will come up after 2018 and that also shall be regularised under regularisation policy. In his complaint, he mentioned that nothing was being done by MC officials to curb the mushrooming of illegal colonies. — TNS Phagwara, May 27 In a major relief to property tax defaulters, the government has announced a onetime waiver on interest and penalties for pending property tax dues. Citizens can now clear their arrears without any additional financial burden, provided payments are made by July 31. Dr Akshita Gupta, Additional DC and Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Phagwara, urged residents to take advantage of this limited-time opportunity. “This initiative aims to ease the financial pressure on taxpayers and enhance municipal revenue collection. Taxpayers, who settle their outstanding property tax by the deadline, will not be charged any interest or penalty,” she said. — OC Phagwara, May 27 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) today arrested Sukha, an assistant to Patwari Ranjit Singh, while accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 for processing a land record correction. Disclosing this here, an official spokesperson said the arrest was made following a complaint filed by a resident of Kapurthala. He added that he had applied for a Rs 10 lakh housing loan from a bank. During verification, a discrepancy was found between the khasra and fard numbers in his property documents and he had submitted an application for correction at the Tehsil office, where the Tehsildar marked it to Patwari Ran- jit Singh for action. He further added that when the complainant approached Patwari’s assistant, Sukha had demanded Rs 1,000 bribe, promising completion in 4-5 days. However, three days later, the accused demanded an additional Rs 6,000. The complainant approached the Patwari on May 26, who directed him back to Sukha. This time, his assistant raised his demand to Rs 8,000. After negotiations, the bribe was settled at Rs 4,000. The complainant recorded the entire conversation and reported the matter to the VB. The spokesperson said after preliminary verification of this complaint, the VB team laid a trap and Sukha was caught red-handed accepting the bribe. 3 arrested for assault on doc Sainik School set to get infrastructure boost Man electrocuted in Kapurthala Retired employees will now be eligible for pension benefits: Minister Mohinder Bhagat Phagwara, May 27 A 22-year-old man died after being electrocuted while installing a signboard at a grocery shop near Aujla Gate on Circular Road in Kapurthala. The deceased Ghanshyam Mishra was a native of Lucknow and was residing in Bidhipur, Jalandhar. According to witnesses, a group of workers from Jalandhar was installing a company’s signboard at a shop when a metal angle they were using came in contact with an 11,000 KV high-voltage power line running above the building. His co-workers rushed him to the Civil Hospital, Kapurthala, where doctors in the emergency ward declared him brought dead. Ashish, a colleague of the deceased, confirmed that the body has been placed in the hospital mortuary. — OC Our Correspondent Jalandhar, May 27 In a swift response to an attack on a doctor at Patel Hospital, the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police has apprehended three persons on May 24. The doctor, who had just treated a patient suffering from chronic renal disease, was reportedly assaulted by a group of miscreants in the hospital’s parking area. Following the incident, an FIR was registered. Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed the arrests and said legal proceedings are in progress. “Any act of violence against healthcare professionals or damage to hospital property is a serious offence,” she said, stressing that the law would take its due course in ensuring justice. — TNS SSP Gaurav Toora inspects the site of cross-firing between cops and criminals near Dhilwan. 2 criminals hurt in cross-firing Our Correspondent Phagwara, May 27 In a shocking incident, two hardcore criminals sustained injuries in cross firing with a police team near Dhilwan in Kapurthla. Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora told this Our Correspondent PHAGWARA,MAY 27 In a significant development for defence education, Sainik School, Kapurthala, will be modernised. The state government has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Sainik School, fulfilling a longpending demand that dates back to 2006. The announcement was made today by Minister for Horticulture, Freedom Fighters and Defence Services Welfare Mohinder Bhagat, during his visit to the school. Addressing the media, the minister reiterated the government’s commitment to the holistic development and modernisation of the prestigious institution. He emphasised that under the leader- ship of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the state is actively addressing the longstanding needs of the school. Bhagat released the signed MoA under which the government will provide regular grants to the school. He also highlighted that the retired staff from Sainik School will now be eligible for pension benefits under the NPS or oth- c m y b er applicable schemes, securing their financial future. In a boost to infrastructure, the minister revealed that funds have already been sanctioned for the renovation of the school. The Public Works Department has been instructed to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to initiate the modernisation work. He added that unlike correspondent here today that on a tip off, the police searched and saw two motorcyclists coming. When the cops signalled them to stop, they opened fire on the cops and, in reply, the police also fired on him who got bullet injuries. SSP Toora said the accused were identified as Labh Singh previous administrations, the government under the Aam Aadmi Party has allocated significant resources, including multiple grants of Rs 3 crore each, to improve the school’s infrastructure. “Sainik School has played a vital role in shaping disciplined and patriotic citizens, many of whom have gone on to serve the country in highranking defence positions,” said Bhagat. He commended the school for instilling national values and leadership qualities in its approximately 600 students. The minister also mentioned that the state government is providing scholarships to students from time to time to support their education. Bhagat said, “If a soldier is and Joga Singh of village Lattiawala. The police have recovered two countrymade pistols, three cartridges and one bike from their possession. The accused have been admitted to the Civil Hospital. Toora said the accused were facing six criminal cases already registered against them. martyred in the line of duty, the Punjab Government ensures that his family receives financial assistance of Rs 1 crore.” During the visit, the minister also inaugurated a newly constructed stable on the campus, built at a cost of ?26 lakh. He paid floral tributes at the Shaheedi Smarak and was presented a Guard of Honour by the district police earlier at the rest house. Prominent dignitaries present on the occasion included Major General Atul Bhadoria, Chief of Staff, 11 Corps; Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal; SSP Gaurav Toora; Sainik School Principal Group Captain Madhu Sengar; Lieutenant General Gurdeep Singh, and other senior officials.