06082025-LT-01.qxd 8/6/2025 12:52 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune PRINCIPAL FACES HEAT OVER MID-DAY MEAL MGMT DPI has issued a notice to principal of GPS, Ayali Kalan, over ‘mismanagement’ of midday meal scheme. P2 » RANDEEP HOODA WANTS TO EXPLORE COMEDY GENRE Actor Randeep Hooda has now expressed a keen interest in exploring the world of comedy. P4 » B-TOWN CELEBS ERUPT IN JOY AFTER INDIA’S TEST VICTORY Bollywood film fraternity showed their love and support for the team after the victory against England. P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.12 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:45 AM WEDNESDAY | 6 AUGUST 2025 | LUDHIANA Kabaddi player-turned-sharpshooter tries to flee police custody, faces bullet injury He, aides had carried out murderous attack on youth at village on July 29 Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 5 A kabaddi player-turned sharpshooter, Salim, a resident of Rurki village, who was recently arrested by the Machhiwara police, along with his aides, had carried out the firing at the house of 20-year-old Jaspreet Singh at Chak Lohat village on July 29 in which the latter had suffered five bullet injuries. On Tuesday night, Salim was taken to the forest area in Khanpur village, near Machhiwara, for recovering a weapon used in the shoot-out. After the police recovered the weapon, the suspect tried to snatch the official pistol from the Machhiwara SHO inspector Harwinder Singh. The policeman did not lose hold on the weapon and fired a shot in self-defence that hit the leg of the suspect. Afterwards, other police officials cornered the suspect and shifted him to a hospital for treatment. Superintendent of Police (Investigation), Khanna, Pawanjit, said after the arrest of Salim on August 1, he confessed that he had concealed a weapon in jungle area near Machhiwara. Following which, Cops carry out a probe after a shooter got hurt in a firing at a forest near Machhiwara on Tuesday night. ‘US-BASED SUSPECT HAD DISPUTE WITH VICTIM’S KIN’ US-based suspect Sarabjit, the key conspirator in the case, had a long-standing dispute with the family of Jaspreet. He had hired Salim to kill the youth and a hefty amount was also promised by him. The police are inquiring if any advance amount was also given to him or not. They also suspect that Sarabjit might have arranged illegal weapons to carry out shoot-out. the police officials took the suspect to the spot while it was raining heavily. When Salim in a bid to escape tried to snatch the weapon from the inspector, firing occurred and he suffered a bullet injury. A .30 bore pistol along with five rounds were recovered from the spot. “Salim is a contract killer who was hired by some USbased person to commit murder of Jaspreet. The USA resident, Sarabjit, seems to have some conflict with the family of the youth due to which he hired Salim, who, along with his aides, carried out the shoot- Miscreants attack cops in Khanna, ASI injured Lawyers to resume work following registration of FIR Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 5 Unidentified miscreants attacked a patrolling police team injuring assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Sukhwinder Singh on Monday night. The official was admitted to the Civil Hospital. The incident occurred around 1 am on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. As per information, a PCR team of the Khanna police were patrolling on bikes. According to ASI Sukhwinder Singh, they were passing through Railway Road when two suspicious bike-borne youths were stopped for checking. When the police were taking them to the police station to verify their identity, three more youths reached the Railway Road chowk and all five suspects attacked him with sticks snatched from other police officials. The assistant subinspector of policereceived injuries on his hand and head. The police acted swiftly and caught two of the suspects while three assailants manage to flee the scene. After the incident, senior police officials reached the Civil Hospital to enquire about the condition of the ASI. A case was registered against the suspects. Ludhiana, August 5 Lawyers in the city are set to resume work after the registration of an FIR against suspects who allegedly threatened citybased advocate Harjas Singh Gill at gunpoint. However, the delay in police action paralysed the court functioning for two consecutive days as the legal fraternity observed a complete boycott in protest. The DBA had called for a No Work Day on August 4 and 5, slamming the police for inaction despite serious allegations. The incident took place on July 27 near Sarabha Nagar, where Gill was allegedly threatened by miscreants linked to a political outfit. The FIR was registered after mounting pressure from the legal community. The Police Division 5 on Tuesday registered a case agianst Sunny Gill of Dugri and four unidentified persons, who reportedly threatened the lawyer. — TNS out. Jaspreet faced five bullets and was undergoing treatment at a hospital,” he said. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Samrala, Tarlochan Singh, said after the July 29 incident, the police had also nabbed Salim’s wife Nazia, brothers Anwar and Irfan, from whom two weapons, cartridges and a Maruti Alto car used in the crime were recovered. His family members were arrested for giving shelter to the suspect, hiding illegal weapons and the car used in the crime. When asked about the money the US-based suspect committed to give to Salim, the DSP said questioning of the suspect was on and other details would be cleared during further investigation. He claimed that Salim was a village-level kabaddi player and a probe was on to inquire why he turned a contract killer. The past criminal record of the suspect was also being checked. Four relatives of Jaspreet, Diwan Singh, Lakhbir Singh, Jaswant Singh and Bhupinder Singh, were already booked in the case on the statement of the complainant, who alleged that a land dispute with them could be the cause of murderous attack on him. Women’s panel member reviews facilities in prison, Sakhi centre Ludhiana, August 5 National Commission for Women (NCW) member Mamta Kumari on Tuesday conducted a comprehensive review of facilities at the women’s jail, Sakhi — OneStop Centre and anganwari centre in Sudhar. She also inaugurated the second ‘Tere Mere Sapne’ centre in city’s Sunder Nagar, aimed at empowering youth and strengthening family bonds. During her visit to the women’s jail, Mamta Kumari engaged with inmates and officials to assess prisoner’s living conditions and address their concerns. She instructed the jail authorities to ensure access to free legal aid for financially disadvantaged women prisoners, enabling them to defend their cases effectively. Emphasising their mental well-being, she directed officials to facilitate regular family visits to prevent depression among the inmates. Additionally, she advocated for skill development programmes tailored to prisoners’ abilities, fostering their reintegration into society through meaningful contributions. While inspecting the Sakhi and anganwari centres in Sudhar, she evaluated the quality of services provided. She reviewed infrastructure, resources and support systems to ensure they meet needs of women and children effectively. Kumari also inau- Tested weapon in forest Sharp-shooter Salim also tested weapon in a forest in Khanpur village before the murderous attack on Jaspreet. As per police sources, he had tested an illegal .30 bore pistol in the same jungle near Machhiwara before using the same in a bid to kill Jaspreet. After the attack, the suspect again reached the forest and concealed the weapon there. National Commission for Women member Mamta Kumari interacts with kids in Ludhiana. Dy Mayor intervenes as BJP councillors’ protest enters fifth day, meeting today Ludhiana, August 8 Deputy Mayor Prince Johar visited protesting BJP councillors at MC’s Zone D office on Tuesday as their ongoing dharna entered its fifth consecutive day. The meeting was aimed at breaking the deadlock that has stalled discussions between the councillors and the municipal leadership. District BJP president Rajneesh Dhiman also reached the protest site, lending weight to the ongoing demand for greater dialogue and resolution on civic issues. Following the conversation, Johar stated that efforts were underway to facilitate a meeting on Wednesday between the BJP councillors and the Mayor. “We work for the city and our main concern should remain that. Disagreements occur wherever people come gurated the second ‘Tere Mere Sapne’ centre in Sunder Nagar, another significant step towards empowering youth for successful marriages. She highlighted that the centres provide expert counselling on emotional, social and psychological aspects of marriage, equipping young individuals with tools for healthy family relationships. Later, Kumari met Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Rakesh Kumar and other district officials at the District Administrative Complex. The NCW member urged them to prioritise women’s welfare, address their challenges promptly and ensure effective implementation of support programmes. — TNS BJP leaders and councillors protest in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN together but we will try resolving the same by Wednesday,” Johar told mediapersons. Dhiman acknowledged Johar’s outreach, noting that the AAP leadership had shown willingness to engage. “Johar came to meet us on Tuesday and we’re open to discussion. The councillors reached out with the city’s development in mind and our priority is city’s progress,” he said. The protest stems from ongoing tensions between elected representatives and administrative leadership over governance and planning issues. Ex-state BJP chief Malik meets party leaders On the fifth day of the protest, former state BJP president Shwait Malik met the protesting party leaders. Malik said the AAP govern- ment came to power by making false promises to the people, and now, the people were facing consequences. People of the state are waiting for 2027 to teach the CM Bhagwant Mannled AAP government a lesson. Malik asserted that every party’s councillor had the right to speak in the MC as they were elected representatives and the development of their wards was their priority. Malik went on to say that the state had now become like Bihar as daily shooting incidents have caused fear among traders and drug menace was still haunting Punjabis. Addressing the Mayor, he advised her to listen to the voice of the people, instead of just hearing her own praises and warned that if she doesn’t, the public was ready to show her the door. — TNS City bizman duped of ~20 lakh on investment pretext Ludhiana, August 5 Some miscreants allegedly defrauded a city-based businessman by promising him huge returns in some investment plan. On the complaint of the victim, the Police Division 5 registered a case against Viren Chandna and Dhander Chandna, owners of Viren Business Solution Private Limited, HDFC Bank employee Satish Bishnoi, Davinder Singh, Ram Kumar and Gurmeet Singh. The case was registered on the complaint filed by Raj Kanwar Singh of Sarabha Nagar. Raj Kanwar said through his friend Gurjeet Singh, he invested Rs 20 lakh in the firm. The suspects had promised that he would soon receive a profit of 9 per cent to 12 per cent. Lured by the prospect of high returns, the businessman invested the amount. However, he neither got any profit nor the principal amount. — TNS Farmers’ library resource for capacity building: Dr Gill Jewellers among four booked Facility opened at Mushkabad village Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 5 In a significant step towards promoting good farming practices in the Livestock and Agricultural sector, a farmers’ library was inaugurated at Mushkabad FAM Dairy Producer Company Limited, Mushkabad village here. The innovative approach was executed under the leadership of Dr JPS Gill, ViceChancellor, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana. Dr Gill said by visiting the farmers’ library and after Dignitaries during the opening of farmers' library at Mushkabad. reading the farm literature, one would come to know about the latest scientific recommendations of universities, which would help in enhancing knowledge of farmers, thereby increasing productivity. The library has been opened under a research project, ‘Promotion of Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO) on Dairy Farming in Ludhiana district’, operational under the Directorate of Extension Education and funded by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Major farm publications of GADVASU and Punjab Agricultural University have been distributed among the FPO. The library had already subscribed to farm magazines – ‘Vigiyanak Pashu Palan’ and ‘Changi Kheti’ — for five years. Sanjeev Kumar, DDM, NABARD (Ludhiana cluster), said the FPO was one of the major initiatives of the Central Government, which could help the farmers to organise themselves into a group, provides a business outlook to the farming system, links the growers with the market to improve their socio-economic level. c m y b NABARD was providing financial hand-held support to the farming community. Dr Rajesh Kasrija, Principal Investigator, said the FPO had been registered under the Indian Company Act. The FPO was mainly working in the dairy and vegetable sectors and had 170 shareholders. He said a training regarding value addition of milk products would be organised for the Board of Directors of the FPO and value added milk products would be made and sold by the farming community. Davinder Singh, Board of Director, and Jasdeep Singh, CEO of FPO from Mushkabad village, helped in smooth conduct of the programme. for abetting suicide of sister Mahesh Sharma Mandi Ahmedgarh, August 5 The Ahmedgarh city police have booked four persons, including two jewellers of Sahnewal and their wives, for allegedly abetting a local woman to die by suicide. The suspects have been identified as Ravi Verma, Vikram Verma, Manpreet Kaur and Puja Verma, while the deceased has been identified as Minakshi, the sister of Ravi and Vikram and the younger daughter-inlaw of a local jeweller, Chaman Lal. Ravi and Vikram, along with their two accomplices, were earlier booked for allegedly kidnapping and illegally detaining Chaman Lal’s grandson (not Minakshi’s son) for demanding 4 kg gold as Minakshi, the ransom. deceased However, the abducted child, Abhishek, had reportedly freed himself by jumping from the abductor’s moving car when it slowed down at Pohir village on that fateful day. Superintendent of Police (SP), Ahmedgarh, Rajan Sharma said the police had registered an FIR against Ravi, Vikram, Manpreet Kaur and Puja Verma on the statement of deceased’s husband Munish Verma for allegedly abetting his (Munish’s) wife to die by suicide on Tuesday. Sharma confirmed that Ravi and Vikram were already booked in a case registered on the statement of Rajinder Kumar (Munish’s brother) for alleged abduction, illegal detention and demanding ransom. As Abhishek was abducted by the suspect when he was going with Minakshi and the abductors were later identified as her brothers, she felt insulted and ended her life by hanging herself from a ceiling fan, when she was alone at home on Tuesday.