11082025-LT-01.qxd 8/11/2025 12:45 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune MARTYR PRITPAL CREMATED WITH STATE HONOURS JENNIFER HANDLES CHANEL SNUB LIKE A QUEEN JLo’s recent stop in Turkey came with an unexpected moment after she was turned away by a luxury store. P4 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 26°C SINGER GAGA ADDS TO THE WEDNESDAY BUZZ Lance Naik Pritpal Singh cremated with full state honours at his native Manupur village, near Samrala. P2 FORECAST In a conversation, Ortega was asked about singer Gaga's appearance as a teacher on the show. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 7.08 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:48 AM » MONDAY | 11 AUGUST 2025 | LUDHIANA City’s export lifeline under threat, ~10K cr at risk amid US tariff shock Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 10 Ludhiana, state’s industrial heartbeat and one of the country’s top export hubs, is staring at a potential revenue loss of over Rs 10,000 crore as newly imposed US tariffs threaten to derail its manufacturing momentum. With over 300 companies directly exporting to the United States, the city’s core sectors — hosiery, auto parts, hand tools, and machinery — are bracing for order cancellations, production cuts, and job losses. The US has announced a steep 50 per cent import tariff on Indian goods, up from the existing 25 per cent, with partial implementation already underway since August 7 and full enforcement expected from August 27. Industry leaders warn that the move could result in immediate cancellation of export orders worth Rs 1 lakh crore, with further losses of Rs 2 lakh crore looming if the situation persists. “Once tariffs cross 25 per cent, it’s no longer feasible for US importers to buy from India,” said Badish Jindal, president of the World MSME Forum. With over 300 firms directly exporting to US, Ludhiana’s core sectors are bracing for order cancellations, job losses City’s hosiery and auto parts industries are expected to be worst hit. “Our competitors such as Bangladesh and Vietnam enjoy much lower tariffs. It puts Ludhiana exporters at a serious disadvantage,” he said. He said while the state’s overall exposure to the US market was moderate, the city’s export-heavy industries would bear the brunt. India currently exports goods worth Rs 7.5 lakh crore to the US, accounting for 18 per cent of its total exports. In return, it imports Rs 3.62 lakh crore worth of goods, resulting in a trade surplus of Rs 3.88 lakh crore. The new tariffs threaten to erode this advantage and destabilise key sectors, including machinery, electronics, pharmaceuticals, garments, auto parts, leather and furniture. Ludhiana’s hosiery and auto parts industries are expected to be the worst hit. Every year, the city exports Rs 6,000 crore worth of textile and hosiery products to the US, along with significant volumes of auto parts and hand tools. “Our US clients have paused orders. They’re taking a wait-and-watch approach,” said Ashutosh Shukla, a garment exporter. “Those companies that rely heavily on US buyers are going to feel the pressure.” Sanjay Bhagat, an auto sector exporter, offered a cautiously optimistic view. “In the auto sector, especially truck-trailer components, our cost of production is low — lower than China’s. The US market can’t ignore that. These tariffs aren’t sustainable in the long run,” he said, expressing hope that trade negotiations would help deescalate the situation. State’s overall exports to the US exceed Rs 30,000 crore annually. Garments alone account for Rs 8,000 crore, followed by fasteners (Rs 2,000 crore), electrical machinery and tools (Rs 5,000 crore), auto parts and hand tools (Rs 4,000 crore), leather goods (Rs 500 crore), sports equipment (Rs 300 crore) and agricultural implements (Rs 200 crore). All these sectors now face an uncertain future. The situation is compounded by the rising US dollar rate, which has touched Rs 87.63. As India is a net importer and most international payments are made in dollars, the currency surge is expected to fuel inflation and increase input costs across industries. Local exporters and trade bodies are urging the Central Government to initiate immediate negotiations with the US to reconsider the tariff hike. They also call for a review of India’s own high import duties on vehicles and auto components, which have prompted retaliatory measures from global trading partners. “This is not only about numbers — but also livelihoods,” said a Ludhianabased exporter. |“Factories may shut, jobs may vanish and decades of trade relationships could unravel. We need urgent diplomatic and policy intervention,” the exporter said. As Ludhiana’s export-oriented industries brace for impact, the city’s industrial pulse hangs in uncertainty — caught between global trade tensions and domestic policy challenges. 79-yr-old man held for usurping landworth ~20 crore of NRI Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 10 The NRI police here have arrested a 79-year-old man for committing a property fraud worth crores of rupees. NRI police took action only after victim filed writ in HC against cops He tried to usurp land worth over Rs 20 crore belonging to a Canada-based NRI. The suspect was identified as Manjit Singh Mand, a resident of Sarabha Nagar Extension, Chabra Colony. Karamjit Singh Grewal, a native of Dhandra village, now staying in Canada, said a case of fraud was registered against Manjit and others on February 2, 2024, at the NRI police station. The suspects were roaming freely but the police were not arresting them. He and his relatives staying in Ludhiana had requested the police to nab the suspects but to no avail. Recently, when they filed a writ petition in the High Court challenging the functioning of the police, the court had issued directions, following which the police arrested the elderly key suspect. He was kept at an old age home by the family from where the police detained him. Grewal said it was irony that the Punjab Police took a long time in registering a case The NRI police station in Ludhiana. against the suspects as a complaint was filed in April 2023 and they took months to investigate the case and registered an FIR against Manjit, Gagangian Deep Singh of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Jasbir Singh of Threeke in February 2024. The matter was probed by the NRI wing DSP and further examined and verified by the AIG and DIG, NRI wing, and thereafter the DGP took the legal opinion of the DA (legal) and the FIR was lodged. He wrote many letters to CM Bhagwant Singh Mann but nothing happened. “After registering a case, the police were not ready to arrest the suspects despite the fact that we shared information about their whereabouts many a times with the police. Had we not moved the High Court, the key suspect might not had been arrested by now,” asserted the complainant. He revealed that Manjit had illegally transferred 4,300 sqyard land by committing a fraud with his father and later when the fraud came to the fore, the suspect refused to return the land. Before his father died in 2018, he apprised him about the fraud and told to take the ancestral land back from the suspect. “My father had appointed Manjit as the caretaker of our land worth crores in Ludhiana but he misused the authority and fraudulently took signature of my father on some property documents and committed the fraud,” the complainant alleged. Grewal said besides the FIR, Manjit was also facing another case related to a property fraud registered at the NRI police station last year. Karamjit said Manjit was the father of Gursimran Singh Mand, who was the president of the International AntiKhalistani Terrorist Front. SHO, NRI police station, inspector Amandeep Singh, when asked about the arrest, refused to share details and hung up the phone. Afterwards, he did not respond to calls. Youngster dies as speeding Four more arrested in share market trader murder case vehicle hits two-wheeler Tribune News Service Tribune News Service lying in a pool of blood. Ritesh is the son of his friend Shiv Anchal. He along with members of the victim’s family took him to the hospital but he died due to serious head and chest injuries. Ritesh has been staying in Ludhiana for the past few years. He has an elder brother and a sister. The police will conduct the autopsy on Sunday and hand over the body to his family. The Basti Jodhewal police were yet to identify the car driver. A case has been registered on the charge of causing death by accident. Ludhiana, August 10 In the recent case of the brutal murder of share market trader Jaskirat Singh, alias Jassa, in Kothe Sherjang of Jagraon here, after the surrender of the main suspect, Ramandeep Singh, in the court, the police arrested four other suspects on Sunday. SHO (City), Jagraon, Varinder Pal Singh Uppal, said a total of five arrests were made in the case so far. Kuljit Singh, alias Pitu, brother of the main suspect, was still absconding. The police were continuously conducting raids to arrest him. The arrested suspects, besides main accused Ludhiana, August 10 A youth was killed in a road accident on Raksha Bandhan on Saturday on the Kailash Nagar road. The deceased was identified as Ritesh. He was going to meet his sister to celebrate the festival when the incident occurred. His family took him to a private hospital but could not save his life. The police handed over the body to his kin after conducting a post-mortem examination on Sunday. Patel Deen said he was going towards the Kailash Nagar road on his bicycle on Saturday morning. When he reached near Jagdish Marble, a speeding Maruti Swift car (bearing registration number PB 39 M0601) was passing by. The person in the vehicle was driving recklessly. The car driver hit the Honda Activa badly and fled the scene. When he went to the scene, he saw Ritesh Four shooters nabbed in extortion case Health Minister opens modern thalassaemia ward at Civil Hospital The SUV of the deceased set ablaze by the assailants in Jagraon. FILE ry near his shop, in the plan. Vijay also involved two of his friends in the murder. Seeing Jaskirat coming in his Mahindra Scorpio N vehicle from his shop in Bhandari Market, the suspects first threw stones at his SUV, following which he slowed down the vehicle. Meanwhile, Ramandeep stopped his motorcycle in front of the SUV and others suspects hit Scorpio with a pick-up vehicle. Before Jaskirat could understand anything, around seven assailants attacked him with sticks and swords. After leaving him in a pool of blood at the crime scene, his car was set on fire by pouring petrol on it. Ramandeep Singh, include Sajan Kumar, a resident of Ajit Nagar, Vijay Kumar, who runs a local dispensary on the Sidhwan Bet road, Gurjeet Singh, a resident of Dholan, and Sukhchain Singh, alias Nikka, a resi- dent of Kotha Fatehdin. The police investigation has revealed that the whole matter started with a mere parking dispute. Jaskirat and Ramandeep had a scuffle in the Sindhwan Bet road market around 25 days ago. How- Tribune News Service Farmers’ unions call for mass mobilisation on August 24 Seven land in police net for possessing, consuming drugs Ludhiana, August 10 In a show of growing resistance against the state government’s proposed land pooling policy, two major farmers’ unions — BKU (Lakhowal) and BKU (Kadian) — voiced strong opposition during their monthly meetings held this week, calling the policy a corporate-driven move that threatens agrarian livelihoods. During a meeting of the BKU (Lakhowal) held on Sunday, its state president Harmeet Singh Lakhowal declared that farmers would not surrender their land under the land pooling scheme. In a meeting of the BKU (Kadian) on Saturday, president Harmeet Singh Kadian echoed similar concerns. Both leaders called upon rural communities across the state to mobilise in large numbers and make their voices heard at the August 24 mahapanchayat to be held in Samrala. — TNS Mahesh Sharma Ludhiana, August 10 The Ludhiana rural police claimed to have nabbed four shooters, who had recently demanded extortion from an NRI, a native of Pandori village, near Dakha. An extortion call was also received by the NRI from some Haryana-based gangster, now staying abroad. Police sources said gangster Harry Boxer had demanded Rs 5 crore extortion from the NRI. When the amount was not given, the suspect had sent his shooters who fired shots outside the house of the victim. When the shooting occurred, NRI’s wife and children were present inside the house. Fortunately, nobody suffered any bullet injury in the firing. The police said technical investigation conducted by the police in the case led to the cracking of the case. Health Minister Balbir Singh inaugurates the thalassaemia ward at Civil Hospital. ASHWANI DHIMAN Ludhiana, August 10 Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh, with the support of the Philanthropy Club, on Sunday inaugurated a fully equipped modern thalassaemia ward at Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital. The ward will provide regular blood transfusions, specialised counselling and modern treatment facilities to hundreds of patients from Ludhiana and neighbouring districts. The Health Minister stated that in many countries, thalassaemia had been eradicated and the state was moving towards the same goal. Under the mission, bone marrow transplant services had been initiated with funds provided by Coal India and with the collaboration of the CMCH, the state government was conducting free surgeries for thalassemia patients. He emphasised that the ward was not only a medical facility but also a symbol of hope, compassion and progress. No child or family should be deprived of treatment due to financial or social barriers, it was a priority for the government. The state government would continue to invest in modern healthcare infrastructure, expert medical teams and patient support services to ensure best possible outcomes. MLAs Ashok Prashar Pappi, Kulwant Singh Sidhu and Civil Surgeon Ramandeep Kaur were among others present. — TNS c m y b Raikot, August 12 The Ludhiana (rural) police claimed to have arrested seven persons for allegedly possessing, distributing and consuming drugs and narcotics in violation of various sections of the NDPS Act. The police seized 161 gm of heroin and some habit-forming tablets from the suspects arrested from different places on Saturday. SSP Ankur Gupta said police officials, supervised by DSP (I) Inderjit Singh Boparai and SI Gursewak Singh, had nabbed Vishal Kalian, alias Locha, of Gandhi Nagar, Jagraon, and Jaswant Singh Sonu of Galib village from the Talwandi-Nurpura road area on the basis of a tipoff and recovered 152 gm of heroin and a motorcycle used in the crime on Saturday. ever, shopkeepers intervened and pacified the matter. Ramandeep was angry due to the incident and was determined to take revenge from Jaskirat. Initially, Ramandeep included Vijay Kumar, the owner of a local dispensa- Two of the suspects in Ludhiana (rural) police custody. In another case registered at the Raikot Sadar police station, police officials, led by Jagdeep Singh, had nabbed Gurpreet Singh Gora, Karandeep Singh and Gurmukh Singh of Boparai Khurad village and recovered 9.32 gm of heroin from their possession when they were roaming near Barmi village on Saturday. The Raikot police, led by SI Amarjit Singh, nabbed Gur- preet Singh, alias Ajai, of Raikot when he was going to supply habit-forming tablets. Fifty tablets were seized from the suspect while more tablets were suspected to be hidden somewhere. ASI Manohar Lal, posted at the Sudhar police station, was reported to have arrested Rajandeep Singh of Dhaliwal Patti, Sudhar, for allegedly consuming drugs on Saturday.