31052025-JTR-01.qxd 30-05-2025 22:48 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune VIGILANCE SUB-INSPECTOR HELD IN GRAFT CASE CAN’T IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT BOOKS: WRITER PHUGLANA PRESERVE GURMAT SANGEET LEGACY: HERITAGE BODY The VB on Friday arrested SI Sukhraj Singh, posted at CIA, Jalandhar, while accepting a bribe of ~ 30K. P2 Mohinder Ram Phuglana has come a long way in life as he credits his success and knowledge to books. P3 INTACH has launched an initiative focussing on preservation of the original form of Sikh devotional music. P3 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 38°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 28°C SUNSET SATURDAY 7.26 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5:24 AM SATURDAY | 31 MAY 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF ONE BOOKED ON ABDUCTION CHARGE Phagwara: On a complaint lodged by a local resident Aarti Bedi, the police have registered a case under Sections 363 and 366-A of the IPC against Ludhiana resident Goori on the charges of abducting the minor daughter (11) of the complainant on the pretext of marrying her. The victim told the police that her daughter had gone to market to purchase some goods, but did not return. No arrest has been made in this case so far. TNS TWO ARRESTED WITH DRUGS Phagwara: The police have arrested two drugs peddlers and seized drugs from them in two cases on last night. One of the arrested has been identified as Sandeep Kumar of Hardaspur village with 275 gm of poppy husk, while the other youth, Bhupinder Kumar, of the same village was held with 10 gm heroin. In the third case, a liquor smuggler, Sohan Lal, of Phagwara was arrested with 18 bottles of illicit liquor. A case under the Punjab Excise Act has been registered. TNS WOMAN BOOKED FORENCROACHMENT Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked a woman on the charge of encroaching on another woman’s plot and threatening her. Investigating officer Sukhwindar Pal Singh said the accused had been identified as Manjit Kaur, wife of Jeeta Singh of Kakarr Kalan village. Amarjit Kaur, wife of Gurmail Singh of Kotla Surak Mal village, presently living in Steel Nagar, Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, complained to the police that the accused tried to encroach on her plot at Kotla village on April 19, and after this threatened to kill her. TNS TRUCK DRIVER BOOKED Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have booked an unidentified truck driver on the charge of causing death by negligence. Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Bute Dian Chhana village, complained to the police that his father Kuldeep Singh and his aunt Veer (50) were returning home on a motorcycle on May 28 when their bike was hit by a truck near Haripur road, killing his aunt on the spot and injuring his father. A case has been registered against the unidentified truck driver. TNS 3 DRUG ADDICTS ARRESTED Phagwara: The Bilga police have arrested three drug addicts on the charge of consuming heroin. Investigating officer Charanjit Singh said that the accused had been identified as Jaswindar, a resident of Talwann village,and Amarjit and Davinder of Billga village. The IO said a lighter, aluminium foil and a plastic pipe used for consuming contraband were seized from his possession. A case has been registered. TNS TWO HELD FOR STEALING WIRES Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested two thieves on the charge of stealing motor wires from farmers’ fields. Talwandi Sangherra police post in charge Jagdev Singh said Gurbaj Singh of Bhularra village in Kapurthala and Harpreet Singh of Talwandi Madho village have been arrested. Rannjit Singh of Talwandi Sangherra village had complained that the accused had stolen wires of his and others’ motors. TNS Vigilance Bureau arrests Arora’s In a repeat act, AAP replaces key aide Makhija in graft case ‘tainted’ Arora with Kohli Nabbed MC Inspector to remain in remand for two days Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 30 Continuing with its investigation into the corruption case lodged against Jalandhar Central MLA Raman Arora, the Vigilance Bureau today arrested Mahesh Makhija, one of the close aides of Arora. Yesterday, it had arrested Municipal Corporation Inspector Harpreet Kaur in this connection. Makhija works as an arhtiya in the main vegetable market of Jalandhar and resides at Charanjitpura. He had been named in the case two days ago, but had been on the run since Arora’s arrest on May 23. There have been allegations that Arora had purchased some properties from the ill-gotten money and had got these registered in the name of Makhija. It has also been alleged that Arora had got some bags moved from his place days ahead of his arrest, which he had been expecting since his security had been withdrawn on May 14. It is learnt that one of Building Inspector Harpreet Kaur of the MC being taken to court by the VB team in the MLA Raman Arora case on Friday. MALKIAT SINGH. these bags having documents related to ‘benami’ properties purchased by Arora had been shifted to Makhija’s place. The VB had been checking CCTV footages available from outside the houses of Arora, Makhija and others. Meanwhile on Thursday, MC Building Inspector Harpreet Kaur was also Iran ‘kidnappings’: Police includes plaints of 2 more Raids on in Hoshiarpur and other districts to nab culprits Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, May 30 The police have included the complaints of two more youths who had been allegedly kidnapped along with Amritpal Singh in the FIR while continuing with the investigation of the case registered against certain travel agents on the statement of the family of Hoshiarpur youth Amritpal. He had been kidnapped in Iran while going to Australia through dunki route. The special investigation team (SIT) formed to investigate the case was continuously conducting raids to arrest the accused agents. It is worth mentioning that about two weeks ago, on the basis of a complaint given by Amritpal’s family, the Model Town police station had registered a case against three travel agents, including a woman. The said travel agents have been absconding since then after the case was registered. In this case, the complaints regarding two other kidnapped youths Jaspal Singh of Nawanshahr and Husanpreet Singh of Dhuri have also been included and the case was being investigated. The SIT formed by the district police chief was continuously conducting raids to investigate the case and arrest the culprits. Meanwhile, today raids were conducted by the teams in Hoshiarpur as well as other districts, including Jalandhar, to nab the culprits. In this regard, when SHO of Model Town police station Gursahib Singh was asked about it, he admitted that the complaints regarding two other kidnapped youths of Nawanshahr and Dhuri had also been included in the investigation. He said that continuous raids were being conducted at probable hideouts to arrest the culprits. The three abducted youths were dropped off in Iran by travel agents of Hoshiarpur on the pretext of sending them to Australia, from where they had been abducted. According to the victim families, the last call came from the youths on May 16 and the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore to release them. But when the families expressed their inability, they asked for Rs 54 lakh. On May 16, a case was registered against travel agents Dheeraj Atwal, Kamal Atwal and a woman by the Model Town police station on the complaint of Amritpal’s family members. arrested by the VB. She was produced in a local court today after which the VB got her remand for two days. There had been complaints against her of having received lakhs of rupees in the racket allegedly being run in the city by Jalandhar Central MLA Raman Arora and Assistant Town Planner Sukhdev Vashisht. The VB officials got conducted her medical examination late last evening from the Civil Hospital after formally arresting her. Arora too is in remand with the VB till Monday. Arora’s son Rajan Arora and his daughter’s father-inlaw Raju Madaan too have been booked in the case, but they are absconding since Arora’s arrest on May 23. The allegation against all six accused is that they used fake MC notices to pressurise owners of under-construction buildings to pay them money to cover up the cases of violations of building norms. The money thus collected was reportedly used later to invest in purchase of properties. Travel agent dupes villager of ~12L, booked Phagwara, May 30 The Nurmahal police have booked a travel agent for allegedly duping a resident of Nurmahal village of Rs 12 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. Investigating officer (IO) Amrik Lal said that the accused had been identified as Imran Khan, a resident of ward No. 6, Ahmedgarh in Malerkotla. The IO further said that Sandeep Singh, a resident of Bhardwajian village, had complained to Jalandhar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) that he paid Rs 12 lakh, to the accused for facilitating his migration abroad, but neither he was sent abroad, nor did he return the money, his passport and certificates. The IO said that a case under Sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 316 (criminal breach of trust cheating) of the BNS had been registered.— OC Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 30 Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) act of distancing itself from its legislators involved in corruption has been played for the second consecutive time as the party has brought in industrialist Nitin Kohli as Jalandhar Central halqa in charge amid the ongoing VB probe against the party sitting MLA from the constituency, Raman Arora. The fielding of Kohli and replacing Arora as halqa in charge reminds of a similar narrative played by the party when it last year brought in Mohinder Bhagat from Jalandhar West in place of then MLA Sheetal Angural, who was facing an alleged corruption case before joining the BJP . “As charges of corruption flew between AAP and Angural, the AAP swiftly got into damage control mode projecting Bhagat as AAP’s clean face for Jalandhar West bypoll. It has done the same by bringing in Kohli in Jalandhar Central this year,” said a party leader. After winning SBI employees distribute sweetened water (chhabeel ) to the public in Jalandhar to commemorate the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev on Friday. MALKIAT SINGH ‘Kidnapped’ youth’s brother also spent 2 months in Syria jail Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 30 Five women peddlers were arrested with intoxicant tablets by the Phillaur police on Thursday. Inspector Sanjeev Kapoor, Station House officer, Phillaur, said drug peddler Rekha, a resident of Ganna village, Phillaur; Manpreet Kaur, alias Jyoti, a resident of Jagatpur, Panjdheran, Phillaur; Neelam Rani, alias Nisha, a resident of Jagatpur, Panjdheran, Phillaur; Baljeet Kaur, alias Jogan, a resident of Jagatpur, Panjdheran; and Raman, a resident of Mohalla Ravidas Nagar, Goraya, were arrested and 120 tramadole capsules seized from their possession. A case was registered at the Phillaur police station. The The five accused women in the custody of Phillaur police. A TRIBUNE PHOTOGRAPH police said preliminary investigation revealed that the women peddlers had been selling intoxicants in their c m y b respective areas through different means for a long time. Singh and AAP RS MP Ashok Mittal, he had also backed the appointment of present Mayor of Jalandhar Vinit Dhir. Kohli is also said to have played a pivotal role in the AAP’s establishment of a majority in the Jalandhar MC house. Along with AAP’s anti-drug and anticorruption drives, the party aims to project a cleaner image in the state ahead of the 2027 poll. The party is installing more people friendly leaders and sources said more heads may roll in this regard. He is also among the few influential businessmen who enjoy a decent working relationships with all parties, is friends with many leaders, and are often relied on — even by political parties— as neutral middlemen in times of crisis, to broker peace and compromises. With Kohli choosing allegiance with the AAP - it will be interesting to see in the coming months whether he also emerges as the party’s chosen face for the much speculated Jalandhar Central bypoll/election, if and when it happens. Remembering Guru Aakanksha N Bhardwaj 5 women drug peddlers arrested with tablets the Jalandhar West byelection, Bhagat rose to become a Cabinet minister. Addressing questions on Kohli’s possible elevation in future, state president Aman Arora today said that, “AAP is known to take people to great heights. Our work is to provide a platform to people. Rest depends on their mettle and how much they can rise.” Kohli has background in fields of sports as he has served as president of Hockey Punjab. He is MD of Hike Shoe Pvt Ltd, founder of Tracer Shoes, owns his family brand Vijayanti (which manufactures hockey equipment) and is also an eminent educationist. AAP cadres had first heard whispers about Kohli and his sphere of influence (in the political arena) when the then Congress man, Sushil Rinku, joined the AAP in 2023, ahead of the Jalandhar bypoll. Close to Rinku, Kohli was present during Rinku’s joining the AAP and he also supported Rinku when he joined the BJP in 2024. Also close to Congress MLA Pargat Nawanshahr, May 30 The family of Nawanshahrbased Jaspal Singh, who has allegedly been kidnapped in Iran is losing hope with each passing day as the agent against whom the family had lodged a complaint is still at large. Also, there is no contact with Jaspal for the last 15 days. Elder brother of Jaspal Ashok Kumar had also got caught in Syria while he was trying to enter Greece through an illegal route. He returned in 2018. “I remained in jail for two months before I was released. I was working in Lebanon and wanted to go to Greece, but got arrested in Syria,” he shared. Now, the brother is trying hard to ensure that the agent who duped the family must be arrested. Today, the family mem- bers were in Hoshiarpur to take a follow-up in the case. “The agent was not there in his office today. The environment in the family is disturbed and my mother is also unwell,” said Balwinder, another brother of Jaspal. Jaspal is one of the three youths who were allegedly kidnapped in Iran. He wanted to go abroad for a better future and had approached a travel agent in Hoshiarpur, who promised to send him to Australia. With great difficulty, the family arranged Rs 18 lakh and gave it to the agent. Jaspal has two kids, one aged 3 years and the younger one just 3 months old. The family members shared that for about 15 days they kept receiving video calls, where they could see Jaspal being brutally beaten, asking for money, but then they lost contact with him. 16-yr-old hangs self to death Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, May 30 A 16-year-old girl died by suicide at Rahon, Nawanshahr, after she was allegedly being harassed by a 16-year-old boy for marrying him. The father of the deceased, who is a native of Bihar, in his complaint said that he had four daughters. He further added that the boy who was living in their neighbourhood had been threatening his daughter to either marry him or else she should die. “She was not in good spirits for quite some time. The boy used to come to our home often and would pursue her to marry him. On Thursday, I along with my family members had gone out, while my daughter was at home,” he mentioned in his complaint. As per the FIR, when he came back home, he found his daughter hanging. When he went to the Civil Hospital, the doctors declared her dead. A case under Section 107 of the BNS has been registered against the accused.