05082025-ATR-01.qxd 04-08-2025 23:24 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST RAIN, THUNDERSHOWERS MUNICIPAL CORPORATION CONDUCTS SANITATION DRIVE ICONIC SHOLAY COMPLETES 50 YEARS OF ITS RELEASE THE LOVE I'VE RECEIVED EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS: AMMY VIRK The Municipal Corporation cleaned GT Road, streets, cut overgrown grass and wild vegetation in the city. P2 Written by Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan, the 1975 film features the legendary Amitabh Bachchan & Dharmendra. P4 With 15 yrs in entertainment industry, Virk reflects, “It’s been a way better journey than anyone could wish for.” P4 » » » MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7.23 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:49 AM TUESDAY | 5 AUGUST 2025 | AMRITSAR Four arrested for murder Tribune News Service Members of the Amritsar Bar Association during a protest on Monday. Bar Association observes no work day Holds protest outside district court’s entrance gate Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 4 On a call given by the Amritsar Bar Association, district courts in Punjab today observed “No work day” in protest against the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab and failure of the Amritsar rural police to arrest the prime accused in lawyer Lakhwinder Singh’s murder case. Lakhwinder was shot at by armed bike-borne assailants on July 22. He succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital on Saturday. The police arrested three shooters, including two operatives of foreign-based gangster Happy Jatt, and recovered five pistols from them. Members of the Amritsar Gangster’s aide held for opening fire at hospital Tarn Taran, August 4 One activist of gangster Pradh Dasuwal gang was arrested by the police on Sunday for opening fire at a private hospital in Bhikhiwind on the intervening nigh of Saturday and Sunday. The police are searching for the accomplice who managed to flee from the spot. The police said Dr Neeraj Malhotra, manager of a private hospital, had been receiving threatening calls from gangster Prabh Dasuwal who was demanding extortion. Dasuwal threatened to kill the doctor in case he failed to pay money. As Dr Malhotra denied to oblige him, the police gave him security cover.ASIJatinderSinghsaidthe gangster’s activists fired at Dr Malhotra’s hospital. He said one of Dasuwal’s activist, who was identifiedasSarpreetSinghSaka of Bainka village, was arrested, while the other managed to flee. The ASI said Sarpreet was produced in a court which sent him two-day police remand, the ASI added. —OC Bar Association alleged that the prime suspect, identified as Abhi, was yet to be arrested. They alleged that none of the suspects named in the FIR registered following a complaint filed by the brother of the deceased had been arrested in the case. The association held an agitation outside the main entrance gate of the district court and blocked the traffic. Following this, the police diverted the traffic in order to avoid any congestion. The office-bearers of the Bar association also met Amritsar rural SSP Maninder Singh who assured them that the accused would be arrested soon. He said police teams were carrying out raids at possible hideouts of accused Abhi to arrest him. Abhi had instructed shooters to kill Lakhwinder Singh. Though the initial probe suggested that personal enmity was the reason behind murder, the police said the real motive would become clear after Abhi’s arrest. The association claimed that the district administration had accepted their key demands, including payment of hospital bill amounting to Rs 8.5 lakh, free education of both children of the deceased apart from a government job for the eligible family member on compassionate grounds. The police produced two shooters Manpreet Singh and Manminder Singh in a court and procured their six-day remand for further investigation. Amritsar, August 4 The Islamabad police arrested all accused involved in murder of a man identified as Vicky (38) in Niwi Abadi in the Kishan Kot area here on Saturday. Apart from Narinder Kumar, alias Golu (46), the police arrested his wife Paina (40), son Bhavik Panna (19) and daughter Gori (20) in the case. The police recovered a sword used in the crime apart from the mobile phone of deceased Vicky. Vishaljit Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), said Narinder’s wife Paina and daughter Gori were suffering from some kind of mental depression. He said Vicky, alias Tin Baba, used to give some kind of treatment to them. Vicky used to visit their house regularly. However, on the pretext of treatment, he allegedly started sexually harassing them. The duo told their family and on Saturday they called Vicky and stabbed him to death with a sword. Narinder was arrested from the spot, while Bhavik managed to flee. Later, during probe Paina and Gori were arrested. Closed service lane of national highway turns into a parking lot Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 4 A service lane of the Amritsar-Jalandhar National Highway, a vital artery connecting two major cities, near Golden Gate is plagued with waterlogging for over a year. The stretch near Golden Gate, a key entrance to the holy city, has been particularly affected, with the service lane remaining closed due to persistent waterlogging. To prevent vehicles from hitting potholes beneath the submerged stretch, big concrete boulders have been placed on the road. However, this makeshift arrangement seems to have become a permanent feature, with no permanent solution in sight. Boulders have turned the stretch into a parking lot for nearby car dealers, while commuters are forced to take the main road, leading to increased traffic congestion. Residents are questioning the lethargy of the authorities concerned as the stretch has turned into an eyesore near the entrance to the holy city. A road near Golden Gate is closed due to waterlogging on the highway in Amritsar. “It is disheartening to see such condition of the highway, especially when it is a key entrance to our city,” said a resident, urging the authorities to take immediate action to address the issue. Waterlogging has also given rise to health concerns, as the submerged road has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and diseases. “Stagnant water is a health hazard. We need to take immediate action to prevent the spread of diseases,” said Dr Neeru Sharma, a local resident. The service lane is meant to provide easy access to vehicles coming from the bypass road to connect with the main highway. However, with the lane now remaining closed, its very purpose has been defeated. “Presently, the situation can be attributed to rain. How- VISHAL KUMAR ever, we have seen waterlogging even when there is no rain. The issue seems to be connected with drainage and sewer lines,” said another resident,” Harpreet Singh. “We need a permanent solution to this problem. The authorities have to take responsibility for maintaining the highway, while ensuring the safety of commuters,” said a local shopkeeper. Mohali resident arrested for selling rented Gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s vehicles after preparing forged documents close aide Nav Pandori nabbed Tribune News Service Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 4 The Ranjit Avenue police have arrested a Mohali resident, who took various vehicles on rent, and later sold them in other states after forging documents. The accused was identified as Harwinder Singh, a resident of Phase I, Mohali. The police recovered 15 vehicles, including Mahindra Sorpio, Toyota Fortuner, Mahindra Thar, Mahindra XUV, Toyota Glanza and Legender, from Rajasthan and Haryana. Rishabh Bhola, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said on July 11, Arminder Singh of the Mall Mandi area lodged a complaint at the Ranjit Avenue police station, stating that he runs OVO Cabs Private Limited at a posh locality and used to give vehicles on rent. He said Harwinder Singh Vehicles recovered by the Ranjit Avenue police in Amritsar on Monday. Amritsar, August 4 The police have arrested Nav Pandori, an alleged close associate of A-category gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, currently lodged in Silchar Jail in Assam, under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PITNDPS Act). Terming it a significant arrest, the police seized a pistol from his possession. According to the police, he was supposed to get delivery of recent consignment of weapons, including an AK 308 Saiga rifle, smuggled from Pakistan through drone. These weapons were seized from two individuals a week ago. Apart from assault rifle AK-308 Saiga with two magazines, the special cell of the Amritsar rural police confiscated two Glock 9 mm pistols with four magazines, 90 live cartridges of AK rifle, 10 live cartridges (9mm) and Rs 7.50 lakh drug money, an I-20 car and three mobile phones from two individuals identified as Gora and Joban. This is for the first time that such a long-range military grade assault rifle was smuggled from Pakistan setting the alarm bells ringing for the Punjab Police. Following the seizure, Nav Pandori had gone into hiding. Maninder Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar rural, confirmed his arrest while adding that Pandori was currently on police remand and further probe into the matter was in progress. Since the brutal killing of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s mother Harjit Kaur and his cousin Karanvir Singh on June 26 by armed assailants and operatives of the Bam- biha gang, Bhagwanpuria had allegedly got a number of sophisticated weapons smuggled from Pakistan, a police official privy to the investigation said. As there is a fear of escalation of gang war between the Bhagwanpuria and Bambiha gang, the Punjab Police is on high alert. Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, also an accused in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala in Mansa, has over 100 criminal cases of different nature registered against him at various police stations acorss Punjab and other states. The PITNDPS Act pertains to detention of persons involved in any manner with illicit traffic in narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substances for one or two years in order to prevent him/her from engaging in such harmful and illegal activities. took various vehicles from him on rent on different dates. He neither gave rent nor returned vehicles, the complainant stated. Arminder said when he visited at the residential address provided by the accused, it was found locked. Bhola said during investigation it came to light that the accused had sold vehicles to people in other states after preparing fake documents. He said the accused was arrested from Mohali. Upon his disclosure, the police recovered 15 luxury vehicles from Haryana and Rajasthan, the ACP said. Harwinder was produced in a court and brought on police remand for further investigation, he said. Farmers submit objections against land pooling policy, burn govt’s effigy Farmer unions demand release of Bandi Singhs 5,000 vacant posts of Anganwadi workers, assistants to be filled, says ex-minister Dhaliwal ment under the current terms. Sarwan Singh Pandher, state leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, addressed the gathering and urged farmers to participate in large numbers in the upcoming protests, including a motorcycle rally on August 11 and a mass rally in Jalandhar on August 20, to intensify their resistance. Around 60 farmers’ submitted objections at the PUDA office, with many hailing from villages including Adliwal, Ladeh and Rajasansi. Dilbagh Singh Gill, a farmer from Kotla village, said, “I have submitted my objection. I will not give up my land at any cost. It is the only source of our livelihood.” Another local farmer, Tarn Taran, August 4 The farmer unions associated with the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) organised a protest in front of the District Administration Complex (DAC) in Tarn Taran on Monday. They demanded release of the Bandi Singhs (Sikh detainees). The protesters burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Union leaders submitted a memorandum at the office of the Deputy Commissioner in the name of the PM and Punjab CM. Union leaders said the government was not respecting judiciary’s verdict. They demanded that Sikh detainees should be released as most of them had crossed the age of 70. — OC Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 4 A lager number of farmers, led by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, gathered outside the office of the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) here today, to protest against the government’s land pooling policy. The protesters burnt an effigy of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government and submitted formal objections against the policy. Farmers, whose land is to be acquired under the land pooling policy, expressed strong opposition, demanding that the policy be withdrawn immediately. They said no farmer was willing to hand over his land to the govern- Jaswant Singh from Rajasansi said, “We were never consulted about this policy. Now, they are trying to acquire our land without our consent. It feels like we’re being pushed off our own soil.” Some farmers from the Gurdaspur district alleged that the government was forcibly acquiring their land without consent, which they termed was unjust and undemocratic. During the protest, Sarwan Singh Pandher also met PUDA officials and conveyed farmers’ demand for the withdrawal of the land pooling policy. Farmers maintained that any policy that takes away their land against their will was unacceptable. They warned of intensifying agitation if their demands were not met. c m y b Amritsar, August 4 Ajnala MLA and former Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal today organised a public hearing in the town of Ramdas in the presence of officials of the civil administration and the police. Queries and complaints related to many departments, including the police, health, education, development, electricity, irrigation, Anganwadi centres, panchayati raj and issues of possible floods in the Ravi passing through Ajnala sub-division were addressed at the hearing. Responding to the issue of shortage of employees in Anganwadi centres in the constituency, Dhaliwal said, Former Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal hears public grievances at Ramdas. “The Punjab Government is going to recruit more than 5,000 Anganwadi workers and assistants on the basis of merit by September 30.” He said, “In this regard, an advertisement will be issued in the media on August 22. Interested candidates will have to submit their applications at the department address by September 22.” The MLA said, “Funds have been released for building new outer gate at Ramdas at a cost of Rs 2.75 crore. Along with this, the railway platform, which has been in a dilapidated condition since Independence, will be rebuilt. Approval has been taken to name this railway station after Brahm Gyani Baba Budha Sahib.”