22072025-ATR-01.qxd 7/21/2025 10:57 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 25°C RESIDENTS CLEAR WASTE FROM TUNG DHAB BANKS RAINS EXPOSE UNSAFE SCHOOL BUILDINGS BOX OFFICE COLLECTION OF SAIYAARA CROSSES ~100 CR Amid official silence, residents have taken it upon themselves to remove the waste heaps plaguing their locality .P2 PWD delays in issuing certificates and procedural bottlenecks have put students’ lives at risk. P3 Saiyaarais in the company of those rare gems which keep alive the hysteria we associate with Bollywood. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 7.22 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5.36 AM » TUESDAY | 22 JULY 2025 | AMRITSAR Lawyer shot at in Jandiala Guru Two cross-border weapon smuggling modules busted Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 21 Lakhwinder Singh, a lawyer, was shot at by three armed persons in Jandiala Guru area here on Monday. The victim who practices in Amritsar district court was coming to the court complex when the incident took place. He reportedly suffered a couple of gunshot injuries though his condition is stated to be out of danger. He was rushed to a private hospital in Amritsar where he was operated upon by doctors. Amritsar rural police authorities said that five empty bullet shells were found from the crime scene and further investigation was in progress to identify and arrest the perpetrators of the crime. Kuldeep Singh, an eyewitness, said that he was working near the spot when he heard sounds of indiscriminate firing. He said he saw three persons on two bikes Four held with 2.2 kg of heroin Amritsar, July 21 With the arrest of four persons, Ramdass police have busted a drug smuggling racket in a joint operation with the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and arrested four of its members leading to the recovery of 2.2 kg of heroin and a car from them. Those arrested were identified as Jagjit Singh alias Raja, Sunny Masih and Amrik alias Billu of Ghonewal village and Harpreet Singh alias Happy of Maacchiwala. A case under the NDPS Act was registered. — TNS The car of lawyer Lakhwinder Singh (inset), which hit the wall of a shop after he was shot at by armed persons in Jandiala Guru on Monday. escaping from the spot. He said that he went near the car and found Lakhwinder Singh in an injured condition. With the help of others, he was taken to a hospital. Kuldeep Singh said he had suffered three gunshots, in the shoulder and arm and one near the waist. The eye- witness also expressed his concern over the law and order situation in the area. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ravinder Singh said that the motive behind the murderous attack was being ascertained. He said things would be clear once Lakhwinder’s statement is recorded. At present, he was being operated upon. He denied any demand for extortion money at this point of investigations while adding that further probe was on in the case. Police sources also pointed out that personal enmity could be the reason behind the attack. Punjab Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, who is from Jandiala Guru, said he was on way to Chandigarh when he got information about the attack on Lakhwinder. He said he immediately returned to see him. “I have passed the necessary instructions to the police department and the perpetrators of the crime would be arrested soon,” he said. Maninder Singh, SSP Amritsar rural, said that the CCTV footage was being analysed to find clues about the suspects. Spiritual solace Former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who contested the Lok Sabha election from Amritsar on a BJP ticket, was in city to SEE ALSO P2 pay obeisance at the Golden Temple on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Pawan K Jaiswar/Gurbaxpuri Tribune News Service Amritsar/Tarn Taran, July 21 The Amritsar and Tarn Taran police have busted two crossborder weapon smuggling modules in separate instances and confiscated as many as nine pistols from five persons on Monday. Apart from this, two individuals were also nabbed with Glock pistols in different cases. The special cell of Amritsar rural police busted an international arms smuggling racket with the arrest of four persons and recovered four pistols, including two Glock pistols from them. Those arrested included Swaraj and Gaurav of Guru Ka Khuh in Tarn Taran, Arshdeep Singh of Masatgarh village (Tarn Taran) and Gulab Singh of Chuslewar village (Tarn Taran). According to police, the accused had links with Pakistan and France-based arms smugglers. Maninder Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar Rural, said that as per preliminary investigations, the accused had links with a France-based weapon smuggler, identified as Gopi, who originally hailed from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur. They were trafficking weapons from Pakistan at his behest. “The weapon consignment was smuggled with the help of drones,” said the SSP while adding that an FIR under relevant sections of the Arms Act has been registered in this connection. He said their links with Pakistan were also being The Tarn Taran SSP at the encounter site. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI explored while adding that they were in contact through WhatsApp. The antecedents of the four smugglers were also being ascertained apart from looking into their backward and forward linkages, said the SSP . The police have seized a Glock pistol (Gen-18, 9mm), a Glock pistol (Gen-19, 9mm), two-star mark pistols of .30 bore caliber, two live cartridges of .30 bore, three mobile phones used for smuggling and a scooter used for smuggling purposes. Meanwhile, the Tarn Taran police busted another arms smuggling module and arrested one accused along with five foreign-made pistols while his associate managed to escape from the spot. SSP Deepak Pareek said that the Sarai Amanat Khan police, during patrolling duty at Naushehra Dhalla village, intercepted a motorcycle yesterday. On seeing the police party, one of the accused riding the bike managed to escape while the other suspect was arrested. He was identified as Surjit Singh of Bhaini Rajputan. During a search, the police recovered five foreign-made pistols along with a magazine from his possession. The absconder was identified as Akashdeep Singh Bhola of the same village. Initial probe revealed that they were involved in trans-border smuggling of illegal weapons via drones and supplied these arms to various districts of Punjab. The accused Aksdeep Singh alias Bola has been named in the case registered under section 25 (6), (7), (8) of the Arms Act and section 10,11,12 of the Aircraft Act. In another report, the Chabal police arrested Jugraj Singh alias Raja, a resident of Chung village and recovered an illegal pistol with five cartridges. A case has been registered. Meanwhile, Ajnala police have also arrested Daljit Singh of Saidpur Khurd village with an Austriamade Glock pistol from near Gujjapir village. BKU says land pooling will Demolition drive triggers spat between shopkeepers, officials affect livelihood of farmers Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 21 A large number of farmers, under the banner of Bharti Kisan Union (BKU), Ekta Ugrahan, staged a protest against the government’s land acquisition policy outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Monday. The farmer leaders stated that the policy, which aims to acquire land in around two dozen villages, has sparked widespread discontent. They claimed that it will leave them without a source of livelihood. District president of BKU Ekta Ugrahan Kashmir Singh said that according to reports, notifications have been issued to acquire 4,464 acres of land in the district, which has caused widespread panic among farmers. He said that they have informed the Deputy Commissioner of the concerns of farmers over the policy, stating that it will have a devastating impact on the local population. The farmers are demanding that the government reconsider its policy and provide adequate compensation to those who will be affected. They are also seeking relief for farmers who have already been impacted by the policy, including those who have lost crops due to delayed harvesting. The protesting farmers have vowed to continue their agitation until their demands are met. They have also demanded that the Electricity Amendment Bill be revoked as it would be against the interests of the consumers. The farmers also said that the government has still not paid compensation for the wheat crop damaged by heavy rain and hailstorm. They criticised former AAP minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal stating that he had visited the affected fields and promised compensation but it has not been done. The protesters were addressed by Jagpal Singh, Parminder Singh Pandori, Jagjit Singh Baba, Pargat Singh Chaharpur, Kulbir Singh Jethuwal Bhittewad and others. Amritsar, July 21 A heated argument broke out between shopkeepers and officials of the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) today during an antiencroachment drive at the Truck Stand Scheme market area of Jahajgarh. The market, dominated by traders dealing in old car parts, has been heavily encroached upon, with shopkeepers occupying roads and footpaths, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and traffic alike. According to the AIT officials, when their team reached the site to remove illegal structures and goods, shopkeepers resisted aggressively. The officials alleged that the traders not only used abusive language but also attempted to attack them with iron rods. Recently, the AIT had initiated steps to clear these Shopkeepers in Jahajgarh area arguing with AIT and police officers in Amritsar on Monday. encroachments, which were being opposed by local traders. Local MLA Jeevanjyot Kaur and AIT Chairman Karamjit Singh Rintu had reportedly given time to shopkeepers until Saturday to remove their goods volun- tarily. However, when the deadline passed, the AIT team moved in on Monday morning to clear the area. A large number of shopkeepers gathered to protest the action, alleging that the AIT officials were demand- ing bribes. “We will not tolerate such high-handedness. Around 300 shopkeepers and their workers are being robbed of their livelihoods. The AIT officials ask for monthly bribe (Maheena) from us,” claimed sunny Oberoi, a member of the Old Motor Parts Association. On the other hand, the AIT officials refuted these allegations. “The association’s president Santokh Singh had assured us that goods lying on roads and footpaths would be cleared by Saturday. Despite waiting, nothing happened. Roads are choked. Encroachment removal is our duty, and we will not stop. The administration cannot function properly due to this illegal occupation,” an AIT official stated. The officials further added that heavy encroachment in the Jahajgarh market leads to frequent traffic jams, blocks the movement of vehicles, and hampers public works like rainwater drainage and garbage clearance. The AIT advised traders to negotiate with the Chairman if they needed more time, but stressed that roads and footpaths must be cleared. MC to recover house rent from official for overstay Tribune News Service Members of Bharti Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan protest against the land pooling policy of the state government outside the DC office in Amritsar on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Amritsar, July 21 The Municipal Corporation (MC) has decided to recover rent from a former joint commissioner, Hardeep Singh, who overstayed at his official accommodation in Rani Ka Bagh area even after his transfer. Confirming the development, MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh c m y b The MC had earlier set a precedent by recovering rent from ex-Mayor Rintu Aulakh said that the rent amount is currently being evaluated and will be collected from the officer as per official rules. The officer was promoted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) and posted to Pathankot in September 2024, but had continued to occupy the government house for around 10 months after his transfer. According to regulations, a transferred officer must vacate government accommodation within six months of transfer. However, the officer stayed beyond this permitted period. On May 15, 2025, the MC Assistant Commissioner served a notice to the officer to vacate the house, followed by another notice from the Estate Officer on June 30 this year. Following these repeated notices, the accommodation was finally vacated recently. According to information received, four official houses in Rani Ka Bagh are allotted to senior officials, including the Chief Sanitary Officer, Law Officer, Assistant Medical Health Officer, and the now-transferred Joint Commissioner. The MC had earlier set a precedent by recovering penal rent from former Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu in a similar case as he occupied the MC Commissioner’s house for some months.