26062025-LT-01.qxd 6/26/2025 12:50 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CIVIL HOSPITAL AIMS TO GET NQAS CERTIFICATION IN 3 MONTHS MAJITHIA FRAMED, SAYS GHUMAN; WARNS OF STATEWIDE PROTEST SAD leader Parupkar Singh Ghuman claimed that arrest of Bikram Majithia was an act of political vendetta. P2 GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 26°C DILJIT DOSANJH-HANIA AAMIR CONTROVERSY RAGES ON Administration has taken on challenge of making Civil Hospital NQAS certified within the next three months. P2 FORECAST As Diljit talks about Hania casting row in Sardaar Ji 3, here’a look at Bollywood films caught in cross-border tension.P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 7.28 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:24 AM » THURSDAY | 26 JUNE 2025 | LUDHIANA teams deployed to Civic body launches fresh survey Special MC wire joints on poles check open of unsafe buildings amid monsoon Tribune News Service A CORRECTIVE STEP Manav Mander The move comes as a corrective step after years of limited action, where only notices were served to occupants of dilapidated structures. It aims to prevent potential tragedies caused by structural collapses during downpours. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 25 Prompted by the arrival of the monsoon season, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) has begun conducting a fresh survey of unsafe buildings across the city, aiming to prevent potential tragedies caused by structural collapses during downpours. The move comes as a corrective step after years of limited action, where only notices were served to occupants of dilapidated structures. MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal has directed assistant town planners (ATPS) from all four zones to mobilise their teams and begin on-ground inspections. The compiled report will be submitted to the Commissioner for further action. Officials have acknowledged that many of these buildings, especially in older parts of the city, pose a serious threat to life and property. According to MC records, 156 buildings were flagged as unsafe An unsafe building located in an interior part of Ludhiana. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA in a 2021 survey. However, now, officials estimate that the actual number might exceed 400, particularly in high-risk areas such as Chaura Bazaar, Field Ganj, Shahi Mohalla, Subhani Building area and parts of old Ludhiana. Many of these structures are over a century old and continue to be occupied, despite repeated warnings. An MC official, while recall- ing the October 2024 building collapse at Bandian Mohalla, Ucchi Gali, near Chawal Bazaar, expressed concern over continued public apathy. “Despite repeated notices, people continue to occupy unsafe buildings, putting their lives and those of their neighbours at risk. The Bandian Mohalla collapse should have been a wake-up call but unfortunately, many still fail to take lessons from past tragedies,” the officials said, adding that the building involved in the 2024 incident had been declared unsafe and multiple warnings were given before it crumbled. The civic body hopes the fresh survey ordered this monsoon will finally prompt stricter enforcement and greater public cooperation. A resident of Field Ganj, Amit Jain, said: “We feel unsafe staying next to a building that could collapse any day. The authorities must act before it’s too late.” The MC’s renewed focus on monsoon preparedness also includes reviewing drainage systems and desilting operations. However, a recent spell of pre-monsoon rain exposed city’s vulnerabilities with waterlogging reported in areas such as Transport Nagar, Salem Tabri, Giaspura and Gaushala Road. As the rains intensify, the civic body was under pressure to not only identify high-risk structures but also implement timely interventions. The fresh survey was seen as a critical step towards safeguarding lives, said a senior MC official. Ludhiana, June 25 To ensure safety of residents from electrocution, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has deployed special teams for inspection and taping of bare/open wire joints on street light poles in the city. The initiative has been taken on the directions of Mayor Inderjit Kaur and MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal. MC Executive Engineer (light branch) Manjitinder Singh Johal said 10 teams had been deployed in the city which were conducting inspections and any bare wire joint found during the exercise was being taped properly. The inspections are also being conducted in parks/green belts. Civic body officials appealed to residents that they should also take precautions, especially during the rainy season, and stay away from street light and power poles. The residents can contact public representatives or local authorities in case they find any open wire joint on street light poles in their respective areas. They can also call toll free number 1800-121-484848 MONSOON PREPAREDNESS An MC worker checks an open wire joint in Ludhiana on Wednesday. and submit their complaints regarding street lights. The civic body teams will take corrective steps at the earliest. The officials said every step was being taken to ensure safety of residents. Over month after woman’s death, spouse booked for abetting suicide Man’s body found in drum in Giaspura Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 25 The Model Town police have registered a case against a man for abetting the suicide of his wife. The woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a rented accommodation last month as her body was found hanging in a room. After over a month-long investigation, the police found that it was a case of abetment to suicide. The suspect was identified as Rahul Kumar, a resident of Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. The complainant, Upender Prasad, deceased’s father and a resident of Bihar, in a statement given to the police, stated that on May 21, they were informed by the police that his daughter Ananya Sunaina had died by suicide by hanging herself in a room of her rented house, after which, on May 22, they came to Ludhiana and the police conducted the autopsy of his daughter at the Civil Hospital here. “From the investigation conducted by me and my family members on our own, it was found that Rahul, who is the husband of the victim, and his her inlaws’ family used to harass her often for dowry, due to which on May 21 my daughter ended her life. We then submitted a statement to the police and a case was registered against the suspect on Tuesday,” he said. Investigating officer ASI Ravinder Kumar said after registering a case, further investigation was launched by the police in the case. Cop held for stealing passenger’s purse Youth booked for raping minor Ludhiana, June 25 The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Wednesday arrested a police constable for stealing a woman’s purse. While passengers were sleeping in the train, he stole a woman’s purse. When the woman came to know that her purse was missing, she raised the alarm and the policeman was overpowered. The suspect is a resident of Bathinda. Government Railway Police DSP Tejpal Singh and SHO Palwinder Singh said the suspect was posted at the GRP Ludhiana. He has been , identified as senior constable Kulwinder Singh. He was a resident of Rampura Phul in Bathinda. The policeman had got his father’s job. Kulwinder was on duty on a platform from 8 pm on Tuesday night to 8 am on Wednesday but he disappeared from duty and boarded Shalimar Express. The train was going from Jammu to Rajasthan. ~988-CR BANK FRAUD CASE ED conducts searches at 10 locations in Delhi, Ludhiana Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 25 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches on 10 premises, including nine in Delhi-NCR and one in Ludhiana, in connection with the Shilpi Cables Technologies Ltd case. The ED case stems from a CBI FIR alleging bank fraud involving cheating and defrauding IDBI Bank Limited and other consortium banks to the tune of Rs 988 crore reportedly by promoters of M/s Shilpi Cables Technologies Ltd (SCTL) and their associates. According to ED sources, a large portion of the money availed from banks using LsC (Letters of Cred- it) was allegedly transferred abroad through fake transactions. The premises being searched belong to the entities and persons closely associated with the promoters of Shilpi Cables Technologies Ltd, they added. Some entities are being indirectly controlled and operated by Manish Goel, Managing Director of the SCTL, officials said. Several persons being covered in the searches have been office holders in the SCTL and have been involved in various activities like rotation of funds and cash infusion through various dummy entities into the entities beneficially owned and controlled by Goel, they informed. A man, Kamal Yadav, who was travelling in the train with his wife, complained to the police that Kulwinder, who was in police uniform, stole his wife’s purse. The suspect committed the crime when they were sleeping in the train. The suspect was caught with the help of people. RPF personnel arrested the policeman and handed him over to the Rajpura GRP police station, who sent him to Ludhiana on Wednesday. — TNS Ludhiana, June 25 The Meharban police have registered a case against a youth for sexually exploiting a 15year-old girl. The suspect took the girl to some hotel where he raped her and then threatened her of dire consequences if she dare to lodge a police complaint. The suspect was identified as Faizal, a resident of Model Colony Mohalla. A case has been registered against him. The complainant, the victim’s mother, told the police that on June 16 her daughter went to her friend’s house in Gujjar Colony Mohalla. When her daughter reached near her friend’s house, on the way, she was cornered by the youth, who came on a motorcycle (bearing registration no PB10GT 4996). The suspect convinced her daughter to accompany him for having food at a hotel in Moti Nagar. The complainant said when the suspect, along with her daughter, reached the hotel, he raped the girl in a room. He had also threatened the victim that if she dared to lodge a police complaint, he would kill her along with her family members. ASI Husan Lal said after registering a case, further investigation was launched by the police. — TNS No differences with party leaders: Ashu Says AAP won due to misuse of power, owns responsibility for bypoll defeat Ludhiana, June 25 Panic gripped the Giaspura area here when the body of a man, who seemed to be around 40 years old, was recovered from a blue drum near Doaba Motor. The suspect(s) had tied the victim’s feet before killing him. After receiving information, officials from Police Division 6 reached the scene. They took the body in custody and sent it for a post-mortem examination at the Civil Hospital. The police said the reason behind the crime would be known after arrival of the autopsy report and identification of the deceased. Inspector Kulwant Kaur said on Wednesday morning, some passers-by informed the police that the body of a man was lying in a blue drum near Doaba Motor in the Giaspura area. The police team reached the scene and Veteran journalist KS Chawla passes away Tribune News Service Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 25 Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu lost the Ludhiana West bypoll to AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora with a margin of 10,637 votes. He took responsibility for the defeat. At the same time, he said he does not have any differences with any of the party leaders. The Tribune team visited him at his office on Wednesday, where he was surrounded by workers and supporters, as usual. On being asked about his defeat, Ashu said: “Every election, whether you win or lose, teaches you a lesson. It was an important contest. It also taught me a lot. I could identify my weakness, which I need to work upon, and also my strength that I can improve further. “We are still examining. If Bharat Bhushan Ashu you win, you have responsibility. Even after loss, you have a responsibility in a healthy democracy by performing the role of a constructive opposition,” he said. At the same time, he said, there was no infighting in the Congress camp and said it was the creation of media. “Did you ever saw any infighting during the campaign, before or after? I am saying honestly there were no issues in this election. We tried to raise the issue of incompetence of the govern- c m y b ment, development of Ludhiana, which has come to a standstill. The city did not get what it deserved. Even the late AAP MLA had broken their own foundation stone as he was not happy with the treatment meted out to Ludhiana. In every way, the government was a failure. They couldn’t even list their achievements. They only won due to misuse of power,” he said. Ashu denied to have written anything to the party high command, objecting to a few leaders coming for his campaigning. He said the only thing he wrote to the high command was his resignation, after the defeat. “It was my election and defeat and I should not run away from my responsibility. My conscience told me that when you failed, you have no right to lead the party. As a worker, I will keep on serving the party and the constituency and also the city. My congratulations to Sanjeev Arora and if he needs my help to improve Ludhiana, I will be there,” the Congress leader said. On being asked about party’s stand for the 2027 elections, Ashu said the party stood united with him. The state president might also have done his bit. Party leadership was more than united ever. May be there were some differences of opinion within. But in any battle for the party, everyone remains united. When asked if he had asked the Vigilance SSP to send him summons to get sympathy votes, he said had it been the case, the SSP would have been dismissed by now. “Mark my words, in next few days, the suspended SSP will be reinstated and get a better posting,” claimed Ashu. found that the man’s body was badly decomposed. The unidentified killers had tied the man’s feet, murdered him and put his body in the drum, before leaving it in a deserted place. The suspects had also covered the drum with a piece of cloth. Inspector Kulwant Kaur said no document was found on the deceased. The police kept the body in the mortuary for identification. The police are also trying to gather evidence by checking the footage of CCTV cameras. She said local residents were also being questioned to get any clue about the suspects and the case would be solved soon. — TNS Ludhiana, June 25 Veteran journalist Kashmir Singh Chawla passed away on Wednesday evening after a brief illness. Hailing from a prominent family of journalists, he covered the Punjab politics since 1960s. He served as a correspondent of The Tribune for about 40 years and covered the inauguration of Punjab Agricultural University in 1963 and the entire terrorism era in the state. An upright veteran journalist, he covered seven districts of the state during militancy. Following his retirement as a staff correspondent, he continued making contributions to political issues facing Punjab. KS Chawla penned three books on state politics, namely ‘Resurrecting Punjab: A Journo’s Journey (2018)’, ‘Punjab: Victim of Factional Power Politics’ and ‘ Leaderless KS Chawla Punjab (2025)’. He also contributed immensely to his brother’s monthly journalist ‘The Barricade’ after retirement. He is survived by two brothers – GS Chawla and Tarnjit Singh Chawla, who were also veteran journalists. His latest achievement was the establishment of a senior citizen bhawan at Rajguru Nagar, here, with the help of government funds. His cremation will take place at 11.30 am on June 26 at Model Town Extension, Ludhiana.