11072025-ATR-01.qxd 10-07-2025 22:49 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune KT: KALA CELEBRATES 15TH FOUNDATION DAY ANNU KAPOOR ANSWERS ANY QUESTION POSED TO HIM HAPPILY The museum celebrated its 15th Foundation Day by opening an exhibition of vintage books and prints. P2 Though Annu Kapoor admits he sees no films, reads no newspapers, he answers any question posed to him happily. P4 » FORECAST SPELLS OF RAIN MAX 33°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 23°C CHITRANGDA SINGH JOINS THE CAST OF BATTLE OF GALWAN SUNSET FRIDAY 7.37 PM Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, the film is based on the 2020 conflict between Indian and Chinese armed forces. P4 » SUNRISE SATURDAY 5.33 AM » FRIDAY | 11 JULY 2025 | AMRITSAR Car, bike collision leaves one dead, another injured Tarn Taran, July 10 In a road accident on Wednesday evening, one person died on the spot, while his cousin riding on the rear seat of his bike received serious injuries. The accident occurred when a car collided head on with the motor cycle on which the victims were riding. The duo were coming back to their village from Tarn Taran when accident happened on the Tarn Taran-Jandiala Guru road near Kadgill village. The deceased has been identified as Vishaldeep Singh (18) of Kadgill village and his cousin Abhinoor, who was seriously injured in the collision. Vishaldeep was driving bike, while Abhinoor was sitting on the rear seat of the two-wheeler. Abhinoor was rushed to the local Civil Hospital from where he was referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar. The car driver managed to flee from the spot after accident. Officials from the Sadar police station reached the spot on and collected evidence. The unidentified car driver was booked under Sections 106, 281, 324 (4), 125 (A) and 325 (B) of the BNS. — TNS 5 cross-border drug traffickers arrested, 3.1 kg heroin seized Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 10 The city police arrested five drug peddlers and recovered 3.1 kg of contraband from their possession here on Thursday. Apart from this, the police also seized Rs 2,000 drug money and a car from them. Sharing details of the case, Police Commissioner (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the Chheharta police nabbed Dhalwinder Singh, alias Tindu of Gharinda, with 1.12 kg of commercial quantity heroin in April this year. His interrogation led the police to Sukhdev Singh who was arrested in the case. The police recovered 2 kg of heroin from his possession. According to the Police Commissioner, Sukhdev, who was currently residing in Dhanoe Khurd village, had developed contacts with Pakistan-based smugglers. He was instrumental in crossborder drug trafficking. “Sukhdev used to frequent- Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar addresses mediapersons regarding seizure of drugs in Amritsar on Thursday. ly change his residence in order to avoid police suspicion,” the Police Commissioner said, adding that he was continuously retrieving drug consignments from across the India-Pakistan border. Previously, he lived in Jagdev Khurd and Awan Vasau villages, both located near the International Border with Pakistan in Ajnala subdivision, the CP said. Similarly, the Islamabad police busted a drug cartel with the arrest of four transborder traffickers, identified as Manpreet Singh, alias Gora, Amritpal Singh, alias Pal, Lovedeep Singh, alias Labha, and Harpal Singh, alias Bhala, all residents of Tarn Taran, the CP said. Bhullar said they were retrieving drugs dropped by drones at the behest of a Rajasthan-based handler Gopal Singh, maternal uncle of Manpreet, and another notorious drug smuggler Bharat. Gopal Singh originally hails from Harike. He had links with Pakistan-based smugglers and was responsible for sending pick-up locations of drone consignments to Manpreet using virtual numbers. The probe revealed that Manpreet and Amritpal had their agricultural lands located near the International Border. Harpal Singh used to keep surveillance on fields after drone droppings. He was being paid by Bharat for this. Amritpal Singh was in contact with Bharat, alias Bhalo, a full-time drug smuggler of Khalra (Tarn Taran). He had two criminal cases, including drug charges, registered against him. Interestingly, they were dropping drugs via drones even in broad daylight. The police had recovered over 1 kg of heroin apart from Rs 2,000 drug money and a car from their possession. Arms smuggler held with pistol Tarn Taran, July 10 The police arrested one more member of the gang on Thursday, which was involved in arms smuggling from across the border. Gang members supplied arms and the ammunition to people in other parts of the state. The arrested smuggler was identified as Amritpal Singh of Sarali Manda (Patti). One country-made pistol with magazine and two cartridges were recovered from his possession. Earlier, three members of the gang were arrested after recovering two Glock pistols, three country-made pistols, five magazines and six cartridges from their possession. SSP Deepak Pareek while addressing mediapersons on Thursday said the accused were identified as Jobanpreet SSP Deepak Pareek addresses mediapersons in Tarn Taran. Singh Joban of Cheema Kalan who was arrested on July 2. On his information Sukhdev Singh Sukha Chanchakkia of Talwandi Musanda was arrested on July 4, he said. Third gang member Dharamveer Singh of Algon Khurd was arrested by the police on July 8, he said. On his revelation, Amritpal Singh was arrested today, the SSP said. The SSP said the accused were supplying arms across the state. The Patti city police registered a case under relevant sections of the Arms Act against Amritpal Singh. — OC Man duped of ~20.80 lakh, one booked that the travel agent took money from him, but failed to send his daughter to Australia as per the commitment. Lovekes Saini, DSP Patti, , conducted an investigation into the matter. On the basis of his report, travel agent identi- Tarn Taran, July 10 A Jallewal village resident Lal Singha has been cheated of Rs 20.80 lakh by a travel agent on the promise of sending his daughter to Australia. The victim in his complaint to the SSP months ago stated fied as Harpal Singh, a resident of Lehal village in Gurdaspur district, was booked under Section 318 (4) of the BNS by the Sarhali police on Wednesday. The police have yet to arrest the accused who is on the run. — OC Drug peddler’s house razed in Kot Khalsa 60 kg heroin seizure: ‘Hawala operator’ held Six held with 2.7 kg heroin Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 10 The police on Thursday demolished the house of a drug peddler, identified as Saurav Partap, alias Sunny, located at Akash Avenue in the Kot Khalsa area of the city. He has around 25 criminal cases, including those registered under the NDPS Act, against him in various parts of Punjab. His daughter Muskan and brother Aditya Partap were also arrested by the police on similar charges after recovery of 6 kg opium, 8 kg heroin and 2 kg of chemical used for manufacturing heroin, besides a pistol. Sunny, who originally hailed from Hargobind Avenue in Chheharta, was currently absconding. He had another property in Amritsar, July 10 Days after the seizure of 60 kg heroin from the Indo-Pak border with Rajasthan, the Amritsar city police have arrested an alleged Hawala racketeer in the case from Jodhpur in Rajasthan. He was identified as Laxman, alias Lucky. his role in the racket is being verified by the police. The police have recovered some documents from his possession. According to the police, he was not aware of the money, being routed through Hawala racket, was part of the drug trade. During preliminary investigations, Laxman revealed that he had transferred money at the behest of his owner who had relatives in Dubai, Pakistan and A JCB machine demolishes house of a drug peddler at Akash Avenue in the Kot Khalsa area of Amritsar. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR the name of his wife Savita Partap, located at Akash Avenue in Kot Khalsa, which was demolished by the police after following the procedure, said Police Commissioner (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. The CP said he had constructed house with the help of ill-gotten money through drug peddling. It was constructed against the building bylaws of the Municipal Corporation, the CP added. Afghanistan. He was told that the payment was meant for dry fruit and red chilli. Laxman was produced in a local court on Wednesday. He is currently in police custody for further investigation. In a joint operation with the Border Security Force (BSF) and Rajasthan cops, the Amritsar police arrested nine persons, including a woman, and recovered 60-kg heroin near the India-Pakistan border in Barmer, Rajasthan. This is Punjab’s second biggest drug seizure during 2025 after 85 kg narcotics were seized by the Tarn Taran police on May 16. The nine persons, including drug traffickers and Hawala operators, were held from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. The cartel was being operated by Pakistanbased smuggler Tanveer Shan and Canada-based handler Joban Kaler. Apart from Prashotam Singh, alias Kala (50), a resident of Simbal camp in Jammu, who was involved in the Delhi bomb blast in Paharganj area in 2000, the police arrested Gagandeep Singh, alias Gagan (23), of Rampura village here. Jashanpreet Singh, alias Jashan (20), of Khurmania village here, Gursahib Singh (25) of Boparai Baj village, Rajeev Panjgotra, alias Rajveer (29), of Kalyana village in J&K, Somnath (62) of Fatehpur Brahmana in J&K, Kulwinder Singh (24) of Mullechak village in Amritsar and Rajinder Kaur (42) of Tanda village in J&K, besides one Hawala operator. Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 10 Cracking down on drug trafficking, the Amritsar (Rural) police have arrested six persons in three separate incidents and seized a total of 2.767kg of drugs from their possession. Maninder Singh, SSP , Amritsar (Rural) said the Gharinda police in a joint operation with the CIA staff arrested Karan of the Nava Kot area and Chamandeep Teji of Prem Nagar in the Dhapai area of the city with 1.15 kg of heroin. They were driving an auto-rickshaw when the police arrested them near Khurmania village in Khasa. In another incident the Ajnala police held Gurmej Singh, alias Geja, and Sukhdeep Singh, alias Sukh, of Akalgarh Dhapia village in Jandiala for allegedly possessing 1.12kg of heroin. They were arrested from Harar Kalan village. Similarly, the Gharinda police arrested Major Singh and Manpreet Singh, both residents of Khalra in Tarn Taran, and seized 428 gm of contraband from them. The duo were travelling on a bike when they were intercepted by a police patrol party from Bhandiyar village. The SSP said the police registered three separate FIRs under the NDPS Act against the arrested drug peddlers. More arrests and seizures were likely during further probe, he said. The police were also trying to identify their properties purchased through money earned from the illegal trade, the SSP said. Heaps of garbage raise questions over functioning of MC Monsoon magic: Plentiful showers bring respite from scorching heat for residents Garbage spills over a bin on the Old Jail road; and (right) waste strewn on the Kot Khalsa road in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, july 10 Although the district administration and the Municipal Corporation (MC) have launched a drive to penalise owners of vacant plots where garbage is dumped or water gets accumulated, the condition of roads and streets, officially under the civic body jurisdiction, is pathetic as these remain choked with heaps of waste. A visit to various localities of Amritsar reveals a clear contrast. Major roads, markets and residential colonies are littered with piles of garbage. Local residents complain that the door-to-door garbage collection service run by the MC has become irregular, forcing them to dump waste in nearby vacant plots. “How long can someone keep garbage inside their home waiting for the MC truck that never shows up on time?” questioned a resident Malkeet Singh. Prominent social worker and activist Pawan Sharma said, “The sanitation situation in the city is deteriorating rapidly. Garbage, muddy patches and stagnant rainwater are becoming breeding grounds for diseases. Shockingly, instead of focusing on cleaning, the Municipal Corporation seems more interested in blaming the public for the mess.” Recently, Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh held a meeting with officials from the MC and the Health Department. The focus of the meeting was on reviewing action taken against owners of vacant plots where garbage was dumped and water accumulation was common. Singh also sought detailed reports on challans issued and fines imposed on these plot owners. Singh said stagnant water and waste in plots had become breeding ground for mosquitoes and pests, besides creating serious public health risks. He emphasised that cleaning of these spaces was essential to prevent potential outbreak of diseases. Under Section 163 of the Punjab Civil Safety Code, 2023, the Deputy Commissioner has directed the MC to take stringent measures across the district to mitigate these health risks. Instructions were c m y b issued to slap fines and initiate legal proceedings against owners of neglected plots, treating them as contributors to public health hazards. If the MC was compelled to clean these plots, the expenses incurred would be recovered from owners or occupants. Activist Pawan Sharma said, “Will the Deputy Commissioner also take action under Section 163 of the Civil Safety Code against corporation officials who have failed to clean garbage-laden public spaces and roads? Or will only common citizens be held accountable?” Amritsar, July 10 The city has received 18 mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours, bringing much-needed relief to residents from the scorching heat. The highest temperature in the city has dropped to 31°C, providing a welcome respite from the summer heat. Residents are enjoying the pleasant weather, with many taking to social media to express their delight. “The rain has brought a smile on everyone’s face. It’s a welcome change from the hot and humid weather we have been experiencing,” said Rohan Sharma, a resident of New Amritsar. “The rain has made the air so fresh and clean. It is a great time to step out of homes and enjoy outdoors,” said Simran Kaur, another resident. The rainfall is expected to have a positive impact on agriculture in the region, particularly on the paddy crop. Farmers had been eagerly awaiting monsoon to begin planting their crops. The rain during the last few days did PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Waterlogging after rain at Kot Khalsa in Amritsar on Thursday. not dash their hope. “The rain is a blessing for farmers. It will help reduce our irrigation costs and provide a good start to the paddy season,” said Gurpreet Singh, a farmer from a nearby Malawali village. Paddy crop require a lot of water, especially during the germination and transplantation stages. The rainfall will help reduce the need for irrigation, thereby reducing costs for farmers. Additionally, the rain will also help replenish groundwater lev- els, which is a major source of irrigation in Punjab. At present, weather in the city and surroundings is mostly cloudy with light fog, and the temperature hovers around 29°C. As per weather forecasts, the region could get more thunderstorms and rain in the coming days. During the next 24 to 48 hours, the sky could remain cloudy with a chance of isolated thunderstorm. Temperatures are expected to remain pleasant, with highs hovering around 32°C to 35°C and lows around 23°C to 26°C.