28072025-ATR-01.qxd 7/27/2025 11:07 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune ROADWAYS STAFF TO INTENSIFY MOVE AGAINST PRIVATISATION HARMIT SANDHU MEETS HIS SUPPORTERS AT HOME Harmit, nominated as the halqa incharge by AAP, met a large number of supporters at his residence. P2 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 29°C TARUN TAHILIANI MARKS 30 YEARS WITH BRIDAL ODE Employees of the Tarn Taran roadways depot organised a gate rally in front of the roadways depot here. P2 FORECAST One of India’s most celebrated designers returns to the runway at Hyundai India Couture Week. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 7.29 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5.44 AM » MONDAY | 28 JULY 2025 | AMRITSAR Police, BSF seize pistol cartridges, magazine Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, July 27 The Khalra police and the BSF in a joint operation , launched at two different places here on Saturday, recovered parts of two pistols and other ammunition dispatched from across the border through drones. The police said that Sanjay Kumar, Company Commander, Dharma Border Outpost, near the fencing recovered some parts of a pistol and magazine. In another case, the police and the BSF on searching the , fields of farmer Surjit Singh of Dall village, recovered parts of a revolver and four cartridges. The police said the arms were dispatched from across the border through drones. The police have registered cases under Sections 10, 1 and 12 of the Aircraft Act, 1934, and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. City textile, woollen industry hails India-UK free trade agreement Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 27 City-based exporters of textile and woollen industry have welcomed the signing of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as they feel it would prove to be a landmark step in stepping up the export of high-quality shawls, tweeds, blazers and blankets. The Union Cabinet has already approved the agreement and it is likely to come into force from August 1 subject to the approval of the UK Parliament. Piara Lal Seth, president of the Shawl Club of India, said at present, annually Punjab exports shawls worth nearly Rs 500 crore to the United Kingdom. He hoped that the agreement would also open the channels for the UKbased manufacturers to collaborate with Indian companies, which would improve Woollen shawls being manufactured at a unit in Amritsar. FILE quality of products. The over Rs 300-crore indigenous woollen industry, manufacturing tweeds, blazers and blankets, is looking forward to a promising future with the signing of the bilateral agreement. There are nearly 50 units manufacturing these winter apparels by employing thou- sands of artisans. He said the UK High Commissioner in India is likely to visit Amritsar on July 31 to attend an entrepreneur meet. They will raise the matter of assistance in exporting import from the holy city. According to Sudarshan Kumar Wadhwa, one of the oldest manufacturers in the city, demand for export would increase following the implementation of this agreement. About 60 lakh metre tweed is manufactured in a year in the city, meeting the demands of people living in the Kashmir valley for Phiran, a loose upper garment, worn by residents during the harsh winter months in the Valley, besides coats, purses, bags, beach bags and other articles. Blazer makes it a part of dress in educational institutions, investiture ceremonies of sports persons and reputed organisations. Printed textile is also exported to the UK from the city. Wool and Woollens Export Promotion Council (WWEPC) Chairman RC Khanna, in a release issued here on Sunday, stated that the free trade agreement will serve as a boost for the Indian woollen industry. He said the initiative that offers zero-duty access (to the UK market) for Indian woollen products like worsted yarn, fabrics, winter wear and premium pashmina will be a boon for Indian manufacturers. The agreement will benefit MSMEs and traditional clusters in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Panipat and Kashmir by enhancing export competitiveness, attracting investment and generating employment. It aligns with India’s push for sustainable, high-quality exports under Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India for the world. Analysts expect Indian textile exports to the UK to double in the next five to six years. A jump from USD 1.5 billion to USD 5.0 billion is predicted once the tariff reductions kick off. The export of readymade garments and textile products is expected to grow strongly. Drug peddler held MC councillor, SAD leader booked for fraud with 5 kg heroin Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 28 The Gharinda police have arrested a drug smuggler and recovered 5 kg of heroin from his possession. The accused was identified as Pawanpreet Singh of Muhawa village located near the Indo-Pak border. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Maninder Singh said the Gharinda police got specific information that Pawanpreet Singh was having links with Pakistan-based drug smugglers and he was indulging in cross-border smuggling of narcotics via drones. He had recently retrieved a consignment of drugs and was going to deliver the same to his forward links on a motorcycle near the defense drain. Police teams immediately rushed to the spot and arrested the accused from near the Attari T-point. During search, the police recovered 5kg of contraband from him. He did not have any previous record while he works as a labourer. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered against him and further investigations were on to identify his backward and forward links. He was currently on police remand. Amritsar, July 27 Civil Lines police have booked a sitting Congress councillor Sameer Dutta and SAD leader Amarbir Singh Sandhu for allegedly duping a Canada-based NRI woman and fraudulently selling her property by forging documents after the demise of her husband. Amarbir Sandhu was brother-in-law of the complainant, identified as Manpreet Kaur Sandhu, who originally hails from Amritsar. A case was registered following the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court after the police failed to provide justice to the victim and her family. MC acts tough against its own official, issues challan to Supdt Amritsar, July 27 Even as the Amritsar Municipal Corporation has issued challans to the owners of over 985 vacant plots in the city, where it had found garbage dumped, in a first of its kind, it has taken action against one of its own official as waste heaps were found at a plot owned by Property Wing Superintendent Pradeep Rajput. MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh had earlier made it clear that no one will be spared if garbage is found at empty plots, regardless of their position or influence. By taking action against its own official, the MC seems to have sent a warning to all. The notice sent to Rajput not only mentions a fine but also warns him of further action if the situation is not rectified. The accumulation of garbage on empty plots has been a growing concern in the city, with fears of the spread of diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya. In a drive initiated a fortnight ago, the MC had started issuing challans to the owners of vacant plots, where garbage was found. A visit to various areas of the city would reveal that most of the vacant plots in residential Manpreet Kaur Sandhu alleged that she had been making rounds of the local police for the past three years, but because of the influence of two political leaders, the police officials did not take any action in this regard. They had to approach the High Court for justice. Civil Lines police have registered a case under section 420 and 120-B of IPC and Section 82 of Registration Act 1908 last night. No arrest has been made till now as the accused had gone underground following the registration of an FIR last night, said the police. The complainant said that Amarbir Singh Sandhu was the elder brother of her husband Pritpal Singh Sandhu. Both were in property business and had procured huge chunks of land and sold them after creating new colonies. She said that her husband suffered from a brain tumour, they had to shift to Canada for his treatment. She alleged that before they went to Canada, Amarbir Sandhu got signatures of her husband and other members of the family on various documents so that they could continue their business without any hassles. She alleged that after her husband died because of brain cancer, they returned and sought the details of their properties. He started delaying the same. Later, she came to know that he had sold their share of properties by forging the documents. Kanwar Mubarak Singh, counsel for the complainant, said that in the present case, Manpreet’s husband along with his brother Amarbir and Sameer Datta had purchased land from one Faquir Chand and had taken power of attorney from him. Unfortunately, Faquir Chand died in 2014 and Pritpal also died in 2019. The two accused conspired with each other to commit fraud with Manpreet and sold properties in the name of Faquir Chand six years after his death through one Tarsem Singh mentioned in sale deeds that Faquir Chand was alive, he said. Parents booked for beating up woman school teacher Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, July 27 The parents of a student created a ruckus and beat up a teacher at Government Senior Secondary School, Pandori Gola, here on Saturday. The teaching work had just started when the angry parents of the student indulged in acts of hooliganism. The parents beat up a woman teacher, threatened to kill her and used abusive language and vandalised school property. They were so aggressive that they ran after the teacher, who got scared and tried to take shelter just to save herself. The parents also uploaded a video of the incident on social media and warned that they would not spare any teacher. ASI Nirmal Singh of the local Sadar police, who is the investigating officer in the case, said the accused parents have been identi- fied as Raju and his wife Balwinder Kaur. They were protesting against the woman teacher who objected to their son’s urinating in the classroom when she was teaching the students. The incident occurred on July 22. Some students of the class brought the matter to the notice of the class in-charge, not to the notice of the woman teacher who was teaching the students, said ASI Nirmal Singh. The class in-charge even called the boy’s parents to inform them about his urinating in the classroom. ASI Nirmal Singh said that a case under Sections 132,324 (4), 351(2) and 79 of the BNS was registered against them on Saturday. The accused are politically well connected. The incident has created a wave of shock among the teaching community in the area. The accused are absconding, said ASI Nirmal Singh. He said he would visit the spot on Monday. Notorious criminal MC Commissioner inspects injured in brief key urban beautification works police encounter Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Garbage dumped at a vacant plot on the Lawrence Road in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR and commercial areas have turned into waste dumps. As per the new MC orders, it is the duty of the plot owners to ensure that their properties are not used for waste dumping. Apart from being an eyesore, the vacant plots filled with garbage are also a nuisance for nearby residents as the rotting waste stinks, especially during the rainy season. Acting tough to ensure cleanliness, the MC had recently also imposed a fine of Rs 16,832 on the management of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) for garbage accumulation o0n the hospital premises. The MC has sent notices to 985 plot owners so far with fines being imposed as per the regulations. MC Property Wing Superintendent Pradeep Rajput has acknowledged the issue and stated that the plot is far from his house and was cleaned a few days ago. However, he admits that people living nearby might be throwing garbage there. He has promised to get the garbage removed from the plot again soon. The MC’s efforts to enforce cleanliness regulations are expected to have a positive impact on public health and sanitation in the city. — TNS Amritsar, July 27 Four months after a 13year-old boy playing a football tournament was shot dead by armed assailants at Khabbe Rajputa village in Mehta, the police have arrested notorious criminal Karan Singh, alias Lumbad, of Chawinda Devi village following a brief exchange of fire here on late Saturday evening. The police also seized a 9mm pistol along with two live cartridges and a motorcycle from his possession. He was among the two shooters who had fired at a local resident and Army man Gurpreet Singh, alias Fauji. However, a bullet hit the boy, identified as Gursewak Singh, in the chest who died on the spot. Giving details, Ravinder Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jandiala, said a police team set up a check-point on the Khabbe Rajputa-Bohja village road and was checking vehicles c m y b when the accused arrived on the scene on his bike. Seeing the police naka, he tried to flee while firing at the police team present there. He said the police team opened fire in self-defence, leading to an injury on his leg and fall from the motorcycle. Injured Karan Singh was taken to hospital for medical treatment. Gursewak Singh, alias Sabu (13), a resident of Nangali Kalan village, was participating in a football tournament at Khabbe Rajputa village. The closing ceremony of the tournament was underway when two bike-borne persons with covered faces arrived on the scene. They fired at Gurpreet Singh, who was also injured in the attack. A bullet hit Gursewak Singh on the chest and he died on the spot. Police investigation had revealed that Gurpreet Singh had rivalry with some persons, which ultimately led to the incident. Amritsar, July 27 Municipal Corporation Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh conducted a surprise inspection of key urban beautification and sanitation works in the city here on Saturday. Aulakh visited the Golden Gate, where painting work was underway and also checked cleanliness at several major locations, including the GT Road, Sherawala Gate, and IDH Market areas. As part of the city’s ongoing beautification efforts, the MC Commissioner inspected the painting work at the Golden Gate, the iconic entrance to the holy city, which is being carried out at a cost of Rs 44.80 lakh. During his visit, he stated that around 50 per cent of the project has been completed and the rest is expected to be finished in the next two months. He noted that the work was delayed briefly due to the rains, which affected the painting schedule. “Once completed, the revamped Golden Gate will offer a distinctive visual experience to visitors entering the city,” he said. “It will reflect Amrit- MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh inspects the renovation work at the iconic Golden Gate in Amritsar. sar’s heritage and enhance the city’s image.” During the inspection, the MC Commissioner also reviewed sanitation conditions from along the GT Road to Ram Talai, Sherawala Gate, Mahan Singh Gate, IDH Market and Hussainpura. The inspection was carried out without prior notice, continued on page 2