23072025-JTR-01.qxd 7/22/2025 10:42 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ANTIM ARDAS OF FAUJA SINGH TO BE HELD TODAY FREE CHEMO TO PATIENTS IN JALANDHAR CIVIL HOSPITAL SINGER-ACTOR DILJIT TO HONOUR 1971 WAR HERO Sports personalities and other prominent figures are expected to attend the ceremony. P2 Civil Hospital becomes the second one in Punjab to establish such a facility, after Bathinda. P3 The film sees Diljit playing Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, a war hero of the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.29 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:39 AM WEDNESDAY | 23 JULY 2025 | JALANDHAR Heavy rain leaves city inundated, traffic snarls hassle commuters INBRIEF FOUR BOOKED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The police have booked four persons on charge of assaulting a Nakodar resident. The accused have been identified as Manni, his brother Raman, Babla, and Harman, all residents of Mohalla Rehmanpura. Rohit of the same locality complained to the police that the accused had assaulted him on August 17 last year. A DDR was registered, but no compromise was reached. Now a case under the BNS has been registered against the accused. OC Tribune News Service 2 WOMEN BOOKED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The police have booked three persons, including two women, on the charge of assaulting a woman. The accused have been identified as Indarjit Kaur of Khurampur village, her husband, and Jaspreet Kaur of the same village. Sukhjit Kaur of Khurampur village complained to the police that the accused barged into her house and attacked her with weapons, snatched her gold earrings and threatened her. A case has been registered against the accused. Raids are being conducted to nab the absconding accused. OC 2 ARRESTED FOR ATTACKING COP Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested two miscreants on the charge of attacking a police officer. The accused have been identified as Amanveer Singh of Merapur village, and Gurveer Singh of the same village. Amrik Singh, ASI of traffic staff in Jalandhar (rural), said he was on duty with his staff near Sharakpur village and was checking vehicles and drivers with an alcometer. He said the accused Mandeep came by scooter from Shankar village in an inebriated condition, and when the ASI tried to check the accused with alcometer, accused started misbehaving with the police and used abusive language and phoned other accused who reached the spot and attacked him, and his colleagues, tore their uniforms snatched a smartphone and threatened them. OC BOOKED FOR KIDNAPPING BOY Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have booked unidentified persons on the charges of kidnapping and confining a minor. Jasveer Kaur of Makhi village complained to the police that her 15-year-old son Abhijot Singh went to his school in Lassurri village on July 16 but did not return home. He has been kidnapped. A case has been registered against the accused. oc A residential area under water in Phagwara. Downpour exposes poor Phagwara infra Our Correspondent Phagwara, July 22 Torrential rain lashed Phagwara and surrounding towns since Monday night, paralysing daily life and exposing the grim reality of the region’s crumbling infrastructure. With major roads waterlogged and several low-lying areas inundated, residents battled with knee-deep water, damaged roads, power outages, and increasing health concerns. Several key roads, including the Phagwara-Banga road, Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road, Railway Road, Hadiabad Road, Hargobind Nagar road, were reported to be in disrepair, worsened further by the downpour. These roads have reportedly not seen proper maintenance for nearly two years, resulting in frequent accidents and travel delays. The rainwater not only flooded streets but also entered homes in areas like Gaushala Road, Hargobind Nagar, Kherra Road, Palahai Road, Shiv Puri, Onkar Nagar and New Model Town, leaving residents scrambling to drain out the accumulated water. Garbage heaps in vacant plots, now soaked in rain, have become breeding grounds for foul odours and potential health hazards. In some locations, such as the lane adjacent to the State Bank of India in Hargobind Nagar, dangerously leaning trees have added to public safety concerns. The MC’s preparedness has come under scrutiny, with civic groups and residents questioning the effectiveness of monsoon management. Illegal encroachments near the Model Town resthouse have further obstructed water drainage, worsening the situation. Advocate CR Gautam called for urgent corrective action, stating that the MC cannot encroach on public land in a manner that hampers basic civic functioning. Phagwara Mayor Ram Pal Uppal assured residents that the administration is treating the matter with urgency. Jalandhar, July 22 A spell of heavy rain early Monday morning caused traffic congestion, extensive waterlogging and widespread inconvenience to commuters. It was probably the first downpour of the season that left several roads submerged. Key areas, including Guru Nanak Pura, Chugitti Chowk, a stretch near BMC Chowk, Lamma Pind Chowk, Damoria Pull, among others were among the worst affected. The road outside the District Administration Complex looked like a lake, making it difficult for vehicles to pass through. Commuters heading for government offices expressed concern over the situation, questioning how other parts of the city might be coping if even key administrative areas were inaccessible. “If the main government offices are this difficult to reach, one can only imagine the condition in other areas,” said a local resident. A visitor to the Sewa Kendra added, “This area sees heavy footfall. People coming on foot, bicycles, or two-wheelers are struggling to enter the premises due to the waterlogging.” Motorists and pedestrians alike struggled to navigate the waterlogged streets, as the city’s sewerage systems failed to cope with the sudden downpour. Long queues of vehicles were reported on major roads, with traffic moving at a snail’s pace during the morning rush. “I left home early to take my son from his school. Teaching school became a task as there was so much rush. I ended up stuck in traffic and then reached the school,” a parent said. Residents raised concerns Pawan Tinu appointed vice-chief of NAFCARD Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 22 A meeting of National Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks Federal Ltd (NAFCARD) was held today in New Delhi. Pawan Tinu, in-charge of the Adampur constituency was appointed as the vice- chairman of NAFCARD. Pawan Tinu said the detailed discussions were held during the meeting on further strengthening the Punjab State Agriculture Development Bank. He also highlighted the losses suffered by these banks due to demonetisation and the false promises of loan waivers made by the previous governments. He said, “During demonetisation, the Central Government had promised farmers that their loans would be waived, but those promises remain unfulfilled to this day. Since then, the banks have suffered significant losses,” he said. He further stated that to rescue these banks from losses, Aam Aadmi Party’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has provided Rs 800 crore. Punjab is also considering providing loans for gold, education abroad, and agriculture loans for farmers. RED-FLAGGED The MC authorities have marked an open manhole with red flag to warn the public in Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH The truck got stuck in a pothole on Ladowali Road. MALKIAT SINGH Commuters make their way through a waterlogged road. SARABJIT SINGH about poor infrastructure and lackadaisical attitude of the authorities. They said these were recurring problems every monsoon. Several shopkeepers in low-lying areas reported water seeping into their establishments, causing problems. The civic authorities have said teams are working to today conducted an on-site inspection of sewerage choked areas at Damoria Pull and Old Railway Road. The visit was carried out to assess the ground situation and ensure immediate redressal of public grievances regarding sewer overflow and drainage issues. clear the clogged drains and restore normalcy. However, with more rain forecast in the coming days, citizens are bracing for continued disruption unless immediate preventive measures are taken. Mayor Vaneet Dhir and Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Gautam Jain, Gangster Happy Baba’s aide gets bail Was arrested under Arms Act in December 23 Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 22 After the recent grant of regular bail to gangster Happy Baba, the court of Additional Sessions Judge Jaswinder Singh has allowed bail even to his accomplice Vikramjit Singh, alias Vicky Bhatti, of Tarn Taran. Bhatti had been arrested by the Counter-Intelligence team of Jalandhar in December 2023 under the Arms Act on the charges of keeping weapons illegally. An FIR had been lodged against him at the State Special Operation Cell in Amritsar. He had been arrested from near Kishangarh bus stop in Kartarpur moving in a car with one .32 bore pistol and two cartridges. Bhatti’s counsel Abhinav Ansal had pleaded that the petitioner had spent more than a year and five months in custody. “The first bail was dismissed in January 2024. Despite presentation of challan on March 27, 2024, the prosecution had examined only two witnesses out of a total of 15 cited in the list. The recovery has already been effected. The conclusion of trial shall take sufficient time and no purpose would be served by keeping the petitioner behind bars for indefinite period”, he had submitted. The court allowed the bail application. The petitioner was admitted to regular bail on his furnish- 3 houses burgled in one night in Panch assaults woman over property row K’thala’s Rajiv Gandhi Enclave Physically challenged husband also beaten up | Accused arrested Our Correspondent Kapurthala, July 22 A series of burglaries rocked Rajiv Gandhi Enclave in Kapurthala as thieves targeted three houses in a single night, making off with gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 22 lakh. The incidents occurred around 2 AM, leaving residents shaken. According to SHO, City police station, Bikramjeet Singh, the police are collecting CCTV footages from the area. One suspect has been taken into custody for questioning. In the first case, Satish Kumari, a teacher at Government Senior Secondary School, Tibba, was out of the town with her family for three days. She learned of the burglary through her colony’s WhatsApp group. The intruders reportedly stole gold and silver ornaments and cash, causing a loss of around Rs 10–12 lakh. The second incident took place at the house of Jaspreet Gill, a teacher at Ibbaan School. The house was unoc- cupied as Jaspreet’s mother Kamaljeet was staying at a relative’s place. The burglars broke the locks and took valuables worth Rs7 lakh. The third house targeted in the colony belonged to a family currently residing in Bengaluru for the past one or two months. Residents reported that the house’s locks tampered with and valuables stolen. The police say efforts are underway to identify the culprits using surveillance footage. — OC Phagwara, July 22 A case of assault has emerged from Rihana Jattan, a village near Phagwara, where a local panchayat member allegedly attacked a woman and her disabled husband during a dispute over property. The incident, partially captured on video, went viral on social media, prompting swift police action. Victim Baljit Kaur alleged that the altercation began when her neighbour Gur- c m y b During the inspection, the Commissioner directed the officials concerned to take prompt action for cleaning and de-choking of the sewer lines and instructed the team to ensure long-term measures for smooth sewage discharge, especially during the monsoon season. preet Singh, also known as Gopi, who is a panchayat member in the village, began encroaching her area. Kaur said she objected and asked the labourers to stop the work. In CCTV camera, Gurpreet is seen chasing Baljit Kaur with a cement trowel, striking her multiple times on the head. Her husband, who is physically challenged and confined to a wheelchair, was also attacked when he tried to intervene. Members of the assailant’s own family can be seen in the footage, attempting to restrain him. In the video, lasting over six minutes, Gurpreet appears to threaten her. The woman pleads for help and calls for the incident to be recorded, insisting that he had previously attempted to harm her family. “This is not the first time he has behaved violently,” Baljit Kaur told reporters. “Just a month ago, he tried to attack us. This time, he did not hesitate to hit even my disabled husband.” The video spread rapidly across social media platforms, sparking outrage and leading to immediate police intervention. Station House Officer (SHO) Major Singh of Rawalpindi police station confirmed that an FIR has been registered, and the accused was taken into custody on the same day. “The accused has been arrested and will be presented before the court. We are seeking remand for further investigation,” SHO Singh said. ing bail bonds for Rs 80,000 with one surety. On July 9, the court had allowed the bail application of Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Baba, too on the same grounds. Happy Baba had been booked in the same FIR and arrested on January 26, 2024, on the basis of disclosure statement of Bhatti. He had been arrested with .30 bore pistol and three cartridges. While Bhatti has nine more cases against him, Happy Baba too has 12 more FIRs against him. Ban on firearms in K’thala villages ahead of rural polls Phagwara, July 22 In view of the upcoming panchayat byelections, Kapurthala DC Amit Kumar Panchal has imposed a ban on carrying firearms and other weapons in public in select villages across the district. The order is intended to ensure the elections are conducted in a free, fair, and peaceful manner. The restriction applies specifically to villages where elections are being held to fill vacant positions of sarpanchs and panchs. — OC