04082025-LT-01.qxd 8/4/2025 1:03 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune NAMAN MEHRA CLINCHES TITLE IN TT TOURNEY IMTIAZ ALI ANNOUNCES FRIENDSHIP DAY-SPECIAL FILM PUNJABI FILM GODDAY GODDAY CHA WINS AWARD Three-day state ranking TT tourney concluded at table tennis hall near Rakh Bagh on Sunday. P2 The film, ‘Side Heroes’, will feature Aparshakti Khurana, Varun Sharma and Abhishek. P4 To be recognised at national level is a blessing, says Sonam Bajwa as film GoddayGoddayChawinsaward.P4 » » FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.14 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:44 AM » MONDAY | 4 AUGUST 2025 | LUDHIANA Delivery man assaulted, robbed of bike near police post, FIR filed after 12 days Victim was targeted when he was returning home after delivering food Nikhil Bhardwaj PASSERS-BY FAIL TO HELP HIM Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 3 Challenging the functioning of the Police Department without the fear of being caught, robbers beaten up a Zomato delivery man and looted a motorcycle from him near the Sherpur police post, falling in the jurisdiction of Police Division 6. The victim, Pradeep Kumar, had purchased the motorcycle only one month ago to earn a living by engaging himself with the food delivery company. Irony is that the police took 12 days to register a case against the miscreants. Pradeep, who was returning home after food delivery on the intervening night of Pradeep Kumar, the victim Pradeep Kumar, the victim, who stays in Satguru Nagar, Lohara, said the robbery occurred around midnight on the night intervening July 21 and 22 and many vehicles were passing by during the incident. Despite his cries for help, nobody stopped to save him from the miscreants. July 21 and 22, was targeted by the three assailants. The attack occurred around midnight when he was crossing the overbridge in front of the Sherpur police post, which is located near Cancer Hospital. The attackers, who were armed with sticks, sur- rounded him and began to beat him relentlessly. “I was hit repeatedly on my legs, arms and head with sticks and rods. My helmet protected me from a severe head injury but I sustained serious injuries on his knees and arms. After the assault, the robbers snatched the key of my new Splendor motorcycle and a mobile phone before fleeing the scene with the bike,” he alleged. The victim, who stays in Satguru Nagar, Lohara, lodged a complaint with the police. The Division Number 6 police on Saturday registered a case against the three unidentified assailants. He claims that the police delayed registering the case for 12 days, making him visit the police station multiple times without getting a response. The victim has appealed to senior police officials for justice, urging them to recover his motorcycle and arrest the culprits as soon as possible to prevent them from targeting other people. Bought bike on loan Pradeep Kumar, the victim, said he was doing a day job in the Chaura Bazaar area and took on the part-time food delivery job to earn more money to support his family. The food delivery firm required a new motorcycle for deliveries, hence, he took a loan to buy the new bike on July 2. The robbery has left him in a tough financial situation. The victim said the robbery occurred around midnight on the night intervening July 21 and 22 and many vehicles were passing by during the incident. Despite his cries for help, nobody stopped to save him from the miscreants. Man duped of ~45 lakh on investment pretext Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 3 The city police on Saturday registered a case against a SAS Nagar-based couple on the charge of duping a man of Rs 45 lakh on the pretext of making investment in a chain of restaurants. The victim is also the owner of a land, where the suspects had promised to open a franchise of the chain. According to a complaint filed by Karampal Singh, a resident of Bhutta village, here, Samarpit Ahuja and his wife Neha Ahuja, who reside in SAS Nagar, approached him in late 2023. The couple, who claimed to run a restaurant chain, expressed interest in setting up a restaurant in a commercial plot of the victim on the Malerkotla road. After a series of meetings, they agreed to a monthly rent of ?1.35 lakh. The couple provided Karampal with several rent cheques but all of them bounced. Additionally, they persuaded him to invest ?45 lakh in their restaurant chain, promising him a 10 per cent share of profits in addition to the rent. The victim said he realised that he had been cheated when the cheques started bouncing and none of them passed. After several unsuccessful meetings with the couple, he filed a written complaint with the police. Following investigation, the police registered a case against Samarpit and Neha under sections related to fraud, criminal conspiracy and breach of trust. The police have started a search to nab the suspects. Karampal demanded that the police should arrest them and recover his money. Couple cheats arhtiya of ~4.80 cr Ludhiana, August 3 A case of fraud amounting to Rs 4 .80 crore was filed at the Sarabha Nagar police station against a man and his wife. The suspects were identified as Rohit Jindal and his wife Khushbu Jindal, residents of the Barewal Road area. The case was registered on a complaint given by Amit Awal, an arhtiya residing in Chandar Nagar. On June 16, Amit filed a complaint with the police, stating that the couple sold him a house for Rs 4.80 crore. Despite receiving the full payment, they committed a fraud and forgery by not registering the property in his name. Later, the complainant found that the suspects had sold the property to another person. After a few weeks of probe, the police recorded Amit’s statement and filed a case on Saturday. The police said they were searching for the duo and expect to arrest them soon. — TNS Two land in police dragnet Kidwai Nagar residents hold protest evoking spirit with 280 kg of poppy husk of Chipko Movement to save 20 silver oak trees Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 3 The Sadar Jagraon police claimed to have nabbed two persons and recovered 280 kg of poppy husk from their possession. The suspects after procuring narcotics from neighbouring states used to supply the same to his clients in the state. The suspects were identified as Shiv Kumar, alias Kala, and Vijay Kumar, alias Laddi, a resident of Ropar. The police also seized the truck which was being used to smuggle the narcotics. Investigating officer SI Gursewak Singh said, he along with his colleagues were present on the GT Road, near bus stop, Chowkiman, on Saturday for patrolling. Around 1.15 pm, he got a tip-off that Shiv Kumar, alias Kala, and Vijay Kumar, alias Laddi, were into the trade of bringing large consignments of poppy husk from neighbouring states and sell the same in different areas of the state. The informer said they had made a secret compartment to hide poppy husk in their Ashok Leyland truck. He said as per information, the duo were coming towards Kular village via Sudhar village, Jagraon, in their vehicle to sell poppy husk. After intercepting the vehicle, poppy husk was recovered from it. A case under the NDPS Act was registered against them and further investigation was launched to bust the entire supply line. The suspects in Sadar Jagraon police custody in Ludhiana. Ludhiana, August 3 In a heartfelt demonstration of environmental concerns, residents of Kidwai Nagar staged a peaceful protest on Sunday at Shaheedi Park here against the proposed felling of over 20 Silver Oak trees for an overhead water tank project. These are supposed to be axed for an overhead water tank project The protest saw active participation from women and children who hugged the trees evoking the spirit of the Historic Chipko Movement. Environmentalist Gagnish Khurana emphasised the ecological importance of the 35-year-old trees and their role in maintaining the urban green cover while Vinod Kapoor, Kidwai Nagar residents hug trees during a protest at Shaheedi Park in Ludhiana. a local resident, called for transparency and invitation for public consultation of such infrastructural projects. The protest remained peaceful and symbolic, reflecting the communi- ty’s commitment to sustainable development and environment preservation. Khurana said the city was having shortage of green areas, especially in Old Ludhiana such as Kid- wai Nagar. The area under parks will not come out to be more than 1 per cent whereas minimum 8 per cent area is required even for affordable housing projects. The project of surface water supply was worth Rs 1,660 crore but it seems that officials are not applying their mind for sustainable development. As held by the high court, it was mandatory to inform local residents around parks before taking any decision about construction of a water tank by means of a public notice on flex in the park. But no such procedure was adopted and now, they have come to destroy the remaining green area in the name of development, he said. Kapoor said they were not against construction of the water tank but it should be constructed at the same spot after demolition of the old water tank. The Supreme Court has termed axing of trees equivalent to murder. But here, the development authorities have no vision to save the environment, he said. Monsoon woes: Heavy rain exposes infrastructure gaps in city areas Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 3 Skies broke loose over Ludhiana but it wasn’t the rainfall that stunned the city but what followed it. From crumbling roads to overflowing drains, every corner bore the stamp of disruption. The monsoon exposed more than just the limits of infrastructure — a daily grind turned into an obstacle course. After witnessing heavy rainfall over the past few days, the downpour triggered civic chaos across key areas of the city. The aftermath has left commuters, residents and local institutions grappling with severe disruptions. One of the worst-hit spots was Mintgumri Chowk in Model Town where a portion of the road caved in just a few metres from the busy junction. A 10-ft crater was formed after the portion of the road collapsed due to structural failure in an underground sewer chamber, allegedly triggered by careless Repair work being carried out after a road caved in near Mintgumri Chowk in Model Town; and (right) waterlogged Takshila Road in a poor state in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN & INDERJEET VERMA Downpour over past few days in the city has left commuters, residents and local institutions grappling with severe disruptions cable drilling by a private firm. The site, surrounded by schools, hospitals and colleges, saw major traffic snarls as the repair work by the Municipal Corporation (MC) began late on Saturday afternoon. “It isn’t just inconvenience — but a potential hazard. A mishap could occur anytime,” warned social activist Arvind Sharma, who said similar complaints from a nearby area had gone unheard. Just a few km away, opposite a gurdwara, water is being wasted after breakage of a drinking water pipe, which is further adding to public distress and wastage of natural resources. Mosquitoes are breeding in the stagnant water, which can lead to water-borne diseases. He said MC officials did visit the site but failed to take concrete steps. “They saw the mess, nodded and left. It ends there and now, people are waiting for them to repair the same”, he said. Parents dropping children to school were visibly anxious. c m y b “It took us 40 minutes to cover a 10-minute stretch. Kids are drenched before the day even begins,” shared Renu Bhatia, a mother navigating the waterlogged stretch near the chowk. The situation wasn’t much better for patients en route to nearby hospitals. “It’s not just delays — it’s the risk,” said Jagdeep Singh, who visited a diagnostic centre near Mintgumri Chowk. In Kadian, Takshila Road has deteriorated into a virtual swamp. Rainwater accumulation near Takshila Temple has not only obstructed worshippers but also endangered daily commuters. “I nearly skidded into a pothole beneath the water,” recounted Harpreet Grewal, a motorcyclist who escaped unhurt. Meanwhile, waterlogging around the Jalandhar Bypass has created another bottleneck, impacting not only city dwellers but also those entering or exiting the city. The del- uge has stretched up to Jassian Road, submerging key stretches and leaving vehicles stranded during peak hours. “It’s difficult to commute through the route,” said Vikramjeet Singh, a daily traveller. “You don’t know if you’re driving on a road or into a pothole — it’s complete chaos.” MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal said the cave-in repair work at Mintgumri Chowk was underway. “The issue stems from ageing pipe infrastructure. Though the South City underpass doesn’t fall under our jurisdiction, we’re still helping to clear the water. We care about convenience of Ludhianvis and are doing our best,” he added. Even the Panjab University Extension Library isn’t spared from the monsoon’s wrath. Rainwater has reached its corridors while the ceiling drips steadily, making passage nearly impossible. Members and students, already tackling academic stress, now find themselves sweeping water and dodging leaks just to reach reading rooms. “It’s more mop than manuscript these days,” one student muttered, clutching a stack of damp notes. Librarian Chander Parkash said the tender for the construction and maintenance works had already been passed and the works had started. In coming days, the issue would also be taken care of as repair work would be done here also.