10082025-LT-01.qxd 8/10/2025 12:55 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune KHANNA SOLDIER MARTYRED IN FORESTS OF KULGAM JCT COLONY RESIDENTS SANS ELECTRICITY, WATER SUPPLY Pall of gloom descended on Manupur village as Lance Naik Pritpal was martyred during anti-terrorist op in Kulgam. P2 JCT Colony residents are facing hardships as they go without power and water for the sixth day. P3 » » PRATIK REQUESTS KUNAL TO PEN MADGAON EXPRESS 2 SCRIPT Pratik Gandhi is one of emerging actors in the present generation due to his versatile roles & movie choices. P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET SUNDAY 7.09 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5:48 AM SUNDAY | 10 AUGUST 2025 | LUDHIANA Another cave-in on Pakhowal Road, Two of snatchers’ gang nabbed, 13 phones, two vehicles seized makeshift arrangements raise concerns Tribune News Service Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 9 A fresh cave-in at Vikas Nagar Chowk on the busy Pakhowal Road has again exposed the vulnerability of the city’s road infrastructure. Though the Municipal Corporation (MC) has covered the crater and stationed a trailer near the spot, the makeshift arrangements have sparked public concern, with residents and commuters fearing that the civic body is waiting for a tragedy before taking a decisive action. The incident occurred late on Friday night, when a section of the road caved in near the chowk, disrupting traffic. By Saturday afternoon, MC workers had covered the depression with loose gravel and stationed a trailer near the caved-in spot, a move many described as a temporary fix rather than a solution. MC workers make temporary arrangements after a portion of Pakhowal Road caved in. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN RECENT CAVE-INS REASONS BEHIND SUCH INCIDENTS ■ Aug 2: Mintgumri Chowk, ■ Poor drainage and waterlogging Model Town ■ Aug 4: Fountain Chowk ■ Aug 9: Vikas Nagar Chowk ■ Weak soil compaction ■ Ageing underground infra ■ Heavy vehicular load “They’ve just put some material over it. No proper repair and warning signs. It’s like they are expecting no untoward incident will occur,” said Arvind Sharma, a social activist. A shopkeeper, whose shopfront faces the damaged stretch, said with mon- soon rains intensifying, citizens were urging the MC to conduct immediate structural assessments and implement permanent repairs before another collapse endangers lives. Experts attribute recurring collapses to poor drainage, ageing pipelines and overloaded traffic. “Makeshift repairs may last for a few days but they fail to address the underlying erosion. Without proper soil stabilisation and drainage correction, cave-ins will keep occurring,” said a Ludhianabased civil engineer. Despite repeated incidents, the MC had failed to implement long-term solutions, residents said. “We’re tired of waiting. Every time there’s a cave-in, they cover it and move on. What if a school van falls in next time?” said Simran Kaur, a local resident and mother of two kids. MC JE Dharampal, who was getting the repair work done, said he came to know about the cave-in on Saturday morning and got it covered by the afternoon. “We have stationed a trailer near the spot as the repair work will take some time. Such incidents occur due to leakage in underground water pipes,” he said. Ludhiana, August 9 The Ludhiana police claimed to have busted a gang of snatchers and thieves. Two suspects were arrested. The police seized 13 mobile phones and two Honda Activa scooters from their possession. ADCP Sameer Verma while addressing a press conference stated that in an ongoing campaign against snatchers and thieves, a naka was laid in the rear side of the Old Jail Road on Friday where a police team received a tip-off that the two suspects, who were running a gang of thieves and snatchers, were on the way to commit some mobile snatching in the area. Accordingly, constable Sukhdev Singh apprehended the suspects, identified as Prince Singh, alias Kaka, and Amit Soni. Later, the police recovered 13 stolen mobile phones and two Honda Activa scooters (one bearing registration number PB10FJ2212 and the other without a number plate) from their possession. Verma said a case was registered against them under various sections of the BNS at Police Division 2. The police said Prince already had five cases registered against him for theft and robbery incidents and other serious offences and after recently coming out on bail, he continued to commit crime. Past criminal record of the other suspect was being verified, he said. The suspects in police custody in Ludhiana on Saturday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN Downpour fails to dampen festive spirit Viral video of vendor dipping plastic pouches People were seen braving rain for celebrating Raksha Bandhan with siblings Manav Mander Health officials raid stall, collect samples of refined oil, food items Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 9 A sudden spell of heavy rain lashed the city around 1 pm on Saturday, flooding streets and catching many residents off guard. Though umbrellas flipped and shopfronts shuttered briefly, the city’s festive spirit remained undeterred as siblings were seen celebrating Raksha Bandhan with gusto. From Model Town to Ghumar Mandi, women were seen braving the downpour with drenched gift bags for celebrating Raksha Bandhan. “I came all the way from Jalandhar just to be with my brother on Saturday. Rain or no rain, Raksha Bandhan is about the bond between siblings — not the weather,” said Simran Kaur while smiling in drenched clothes as she stepped out of her car near Pakhowal Road. The downpour, which began in hot oil to open them sparks outrage Tribune News Service Many residents were caught off guard by heavy rain in Ludhiana on Saturday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN abruptly around 1 pm, lasted for nearly an hour and led to waterlogging in several low-lying areas, including Dugri, old city areas and parts of Ferozepur Road. Commuters faced delays as the traffic was moving at a slow pace in key intersections. “We recorded over 35 mm rain in less than an hour,” said PAU’s Agro-Meteorology Department, adding that more showers were expected over the weekend. Despite the disruptions, sweet shops remained busy and people continued to perform Raksha Bandhan rituals indoors. Many men were seen picking up their sisters from bus stands and railway stations while carrying umbrellas in hand. “Rain can drench clothes, not emotions. Rakhi is about mem- ories, laughter and love — and Ludhiana knows how to celebrate, come what may,” said Harshdeep Singh, a college student who hosted his cousins for celebrating the festival. As the skies cleared by late afternoon, the city resumed its festive rhythm — tying of rakhis and sharing sweets, celebrating the sacred bond of love between brothers and sisters. Ludhiana, August 9 A shocking video from the city has gone viral on social media, showing a street vendor making pakoras opening refined oil pouches by directly immersing them into a kadhai of boiling oil — a dangerous act that has sparked widespread public anger and raised serious health concerns. The video shot at a roadside vend under the Gill Chowk flyover shows the vendor casually dipping sealed plastic pouches of oil into hot oil to burst them open before preparing pakoras. Viewers have condemned the act as reckless and hazardous, with many calling it a “cancer bomb” and accusing the vendor of endangering public health. “It isn’t just unhygienic — it’s criminal. Who puts plastic in boiling oil and serves it A video grab of the vendor dipping plastic pouches in hot oil at a vend. to people?” said Ramesh Arora, a local resident, who shared the video online. Following the uproar, the Health Department swung into action. Food safety officials raided the vendor’s stall, collected samples of sauce, bread toast and refined oil and sent them for laboratory testing. The team also reprimanded the vendor for poor hygiene and instructed him to maintain cleanliness. “The stall was in a filthy condition. We’ve taken samples and issued a warning. Further action will depend on lab results,” said District Health Officer Amarjit Kaur. The vendor later issued a public apology, claiming the act was inspired by a food blogger’s video. “I saw it online and thought it was just for fun. I did not realise it could be harmful. I made a mistake — please forgive me,” he stated. The incident has reignited calls for stricter monitoring of street food vendors and accountability for social media influencers promoting unsafe practices. Emotions run high as 900 women visit jail to tie rakhi to brothers Security guards foil bid to loot fuel pump Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 9 Emotions ran high as Raksha Bandhan was celebrated with fervour at the Central Jail here on Saturday. Women reached the place to meet their brothers lodged in jails and tied rakhi to them. Tight security arrangements were made on the occasion by the Jail Department. As per details shared by the Jail Department, around 900 women visited the prisons to tie rakhi from 9 am to 5 pm. While tying rakhi, many siblings were seen getting emotional as tears were rolling down their cheeks. Tears were also accompanied by smiles as the women got a chance to celebrate the festival with their brothers. The jail administration had set up stalls of sweets and rakhis on the jail premises as women were urged to buy sweets from it due to security Tribune News Service Women in a large number wait outside the Central jail to meet their siblings on Raksha Bandhan in Ludhiana on Saturday. PHOTOS: ASHWANI DHIMAN concerns or prevent women from sharing anything objectionable on the pretext of sharing eatables. Gurpreet Kaur, who reached the jail to tie rakhi on the wrist of her brother, said last year also, she had tied rakhi to her brother at the place. This year too, the government had offered the facility as a home- ly environment was provided to them to celebrate the festival for some time. “In return, for tying a rakhi, I have not asked my brother for any gift. Instead, I told my brother that if he really wants to give any gift, he should leave the world of crime and join the mainstream society. My brother has promised that he will give up crime,” she said. Suman Arora, another woman who came from Doraha to tie rakhi to her brother, said: “My brother is in jail in a drug smuggling case since the past year. On Saturday, I made him do a promise to me that after coming out of the jail, he did not indulge in drug peddling. I hope the c m y b next year I will celebrate rakhi with him at our home,” she said while sobbing. Jail Superintendent Kulwant Singh Sidhu said the jail administration had made strict security arrangements for those entering the prisons. The authorities did not allow anyone to take food items inside. Every woman was given 5 to 10 minutes for meeting. Only sweets provided by the jail administration was allowed to be used for the celebrations. Ludhiana jail houses around 4,500 inmates and the prison administration has given a chance to all inmates to meet their sisters, irrespective of the nature of crimes they had committed. Ludhiana, August 9 Three miscreants attempted to loot a petrol station late on Friday night near Cheema Chowk. They also vandalised the fuel pump when they failed to commit the loot due to the presence of security guards. The robbers also broke the glass of its office where the cashier sits and cash was kept. According to the petrol pump owner, this was the third incident within four months at his pump but the police have failed to solve the cases. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed at the petrol station and the footage was procured by the police for investigation. The petrol pump owner, Kulwant Singh, said around 12:30 am, three unidentified miscreants came to the fuel station. The miscreants first threw a brick at the pump and the cashier’s counter. He said security guards were kept for private security and both of them patrol from Samrala Chowk to Cheema Chowk. When the security guards who were riding a bike saw the miscreants vandalising the pump, they tried to catch them. But they fled the scene. Kulwant claimed that in the past his pump employees had caught a thief stealing goods. He was thrashed and tied to a pole. Later, he breathed his last. In that case, the police had arrested three of their employees. Now, the police should explain that when theft and robbery attempts were constantly occurring at the petrol station, how could they protect themselves in the absence of any action by the police.