13082025-ATR-01.qxd 8/12/2025 11:32 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLOUDY GNDU HOSTS PUNJABI ATTIRE COMPETITION DC REVIEWS FLOOD SITUATION IN TARN TARAN VILLAGES HOMECOMING FOR POLLYWOOD’S BELOVED STAR JIMMY SHERGILL A unique inter-college Punjabi attire competition was held at Guru Nanak Dev University's Dashmesh Auditorium. P2 Deputy Commissioner Rahul along with other officials reviewed the flood situation in Tarn Taran villages. P2 Actor Jimmy Shergill returns to Pollywood in a turbaned avatar with Maa Jaye— a tale of brotherhood. P4 » » » MAX 34°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.16 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.54 AM WEDNESDAY | 13 AUGUST 2025 | AMRITSAR Police bust narco network, arrest two with over 3 kg heroin; 1 injured in encounter Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 12 The Amritsar Police Commissionerate has dismantled a drug trafficking network with the arrest of two accused and the recovery of over 3.154 kg of heroin. The first accused, Lucky (aged 19), a resident of Bhalla Colony, Chheharta, and peddler with a previous case registered under the Arms Act and attempt to murder at the Maqboolpura police station, was arrested on August 8 with 150 grams of heroin from a consignment received a few days earlier. His associate, Manik, managed to escape, but 3 kg heroin was recovered later on Lucky’s disclosure. Police investigations revealed that Lucky had travelled to Dubai in 2024 and after returning here, he was jailed in connection with an attempt to murder case, where he came in contact with major smugglers, including Karan Bhaiya, Joban and Manjit, Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and senior cops at the crime spot in Amritsar on Tuesday. alias Bholla. He later established links with Pakistanbased traffickers through a Europe-based smuggler and has confessed to delivering large consignments in the past, including 30 kg and 18 kg of heroin. Three mobile phones were recovered during his arrest, two of which he tried to destroy on the spot, but one yielded incriminating chats and drop coordinates. A case under Sections 21-B, 21-C, 27-A, 29, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered at the Chheharta police station. The second accused, Nirmal Singh, alias Surya, aged 22, a labourer from Kale vil- lage, Chheharta, was arrested on August 11 for distributing the contraband in the city on Lucky’s instructions. At about 10.30 am on August 12, the police took Lucky to Guru Ki Wadali for recovery of heroin based on his disclosure statement. During the operation, Lucky snatched the service weapon of ASI Jaibir Singh and fired at the police party. Despite warning shots fired in the air by ASI Lakhwinderpal, the accused again opened fire, prompting the official to retaliate in self-defence, injuring Lucky in his left leg. He was immediately shifted to the Civil Hospital for treatment. The operation was conducted under the supervision of DCP (Detective) Ravinderpal Singh, ADCP-2 Harpal Singh, ACP (West) Shivdarshan Singh and Chheharta police station SHO Inspector Vinod Sharma. The police said efforts are underway to arrest the absconding accused, Manik. With 1,500 dog bite cases per month, locals reel under fear Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 12 The city is witnessing an alarming rise in the number of dog bites with 50 being reported daily across private and government hospitals. This amounts to nearly 1,500 cases a month, and official records show that in 2023 alone, 18,000 people in the city were bitten by dogs. While the Amritsar Municipal Corporation claims to be tackling the problem through sterilisation drives, the slow pace of the process is drawing criticism. At the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres in Fatehgarh Shukarchak and Naranigarh, around 25 dogs are sterilised each day. Over the past two years, around 20,000 dogs have been sterilised. Residents, however, argue that the sterilization rate is Stray dogs roam on a road in Amritsar on Tuesday. VISHAL KUMAR too slow to curb the growing canine population on streets and in neighbourhoods. They also stress the need for dog shelters, citing the Supreme Court directions to establish such facilities in the Delhi-NCR areas. Ravi Kumar, a city resident, said the sterilisation drive must be intensified as the ris- ing number of stray dogs is directly linked to frequent street attacks. Social activist Pawan Sharma described the menace as “severe”, especially for children who are often targeted. “Every lane is unsafe. Children are the most vulnerable. The Supreme Court’s orders should be implemented everywhere and the administration must find a permanent solution,” he said. Personal accounts paint a grim picture. Despite repeated complaints, residents say no lasting solution to the menace has been found. Sukhdev Singh, whose minor nephew was bitten while feeding bread to a dog, narrated the ordeal at the anti-rabies wings of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. Baijnath, a sanitation worker at Veer Enclave on the bypass, said a pack of 15 dogs attacked him early one morning while he was at work, but he escaped with difficulty. Parents now personally escort their children to school to avoid attacks. Municipal Corporation Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh said the number has now reached 20,000, with another 20,000 targeted for the future. FIRING AT CHEMIST SHOPS One student dies, Powercom functioning hit as employees four injured in firing abstain from work on 2nd day of protest Gurdaspur police nab two miscreants Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, August 12 A student died when a group of car-borne youngsters fired at him while four of his colleagues were injured, two of them seriously, outside the precincts of a private educational institution at Hardan village, near here, on Tuesday. The village is located on the Hardochani road and falls under the Sadar police station. The cops have registered a case. The police said the deceased had been identified as Gurjeet Singh, a resident of Kot Dinanath village. The two seriously injured youngsters have been rushed to an Amritsar-based private hospital. Their condition is said to be critical. The other two have been admitted to the Gurdaspur Civil Hospital. The police have recovered a sharp-edged weapon from COPS FOUND CLUES ■ A police official said a group of youngsters were sitting outside their institution when some unidentified car borne persons indiscriminately fired upon them. SSP Aditya said the cops had found some clues and hoped to nab the persons who opened fire soon. the two-wheeler of Gurjeet Singh. Sources said two groups of students were involved in a brawl yesterday too. “This incident is an off-shoot of yesterday’s development,” said an officer. He said a group of youngsters were sitting outside their institution when some unidentified car borne persons indiscriminately fired upon them. SSP Aditya said the cops had found some clues and hoped to nab the persons who opened fire soon. Tarn Taran, August 12 On the second-day of their three-day mass casual leave, employees of the Powercom abstained from their duty on Tuesday and lodged their protest by staging dharnas at different places in the district resulting in disruption of the working of the powercom. The employees are on the agitation path on the call of 14 unions of the employees and two of the pensioners. The employees along with pensioners staged a dharna in front of the Circle Officer of the powercom in Tarn Taran on Tuesday. Gurpreet Singh Gandiwind, Gurbhej Singh Dhillon, Major Singh Mallia, Puran Das, Amarjit Singh Marimegha and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu were among the leaders of different unions who participated in the agitation. They condemned the state government and the manage- Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, August 12 The Gurdaspur police have arrested two persons involved in yesterday’s firing incidents in which some miscreants had fired shots at the owners of chemist shops in Kalanaur and Dalam village of Gurdaspur and Batala police districts, respectively. In the Kalanaur incident, the son of the chemist shop owner had received a telephone call from Canada in which the caller had claimed that he was a “man of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria”. Bhagwanpuria is a known gangster of the area and at present is lodged in Silchar jail in Assam. PSPCL employees and pensioners during a protest in Tarn Taran. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Aditya said he had formed a team of senior officials to look into the firing incidents. “We followed the technical footprints of the case. Those arrested have been identified as Sarabjit Singh and Lovepreet Singh. While Sarabjit Singh hails from a village falling under the Dera Baba Nanak police station, Lovepreet is from a village which comes under the ambit of Qila Lal Singh police station of Batala police district,” said the Senior Superintendent of Police. An official said the firing at Dalam village was orchestrated by a foreignbased gangster Amrit Dalam. defect in the power supply. The leaders said the main demand of the agitating unions was to review the move to privatise the powercom. Mohtam Singh, Deputy Chief Engineer (DCE) of the powercom’s local Circle, said to handle working with few employees was really a difficult task and troubles were being faced by officials. The DCE said 74 per cent staff was on mass casual leave and the percentage of staff on duty was the same as was on Monday. Gurpreet Singh Gandiwind, state leader of the agitating unions, claimed that more than 80 per cent employees responded to the mass casual leave call. — OC Haryana forum on Aravallis supports Chalo Amritsar initiative to make city plastic-free ASI lands in VB net for taking bribe Police intensify security checks ahead of Independence Day Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 12 The Vigilance Bureau has arrested an Assistant SubInspector (ASI) Satnam Singh posted at the Islamabad police station on charges of corruption here on Monday. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered with the Vigilance Bureau here in Amritsar. He was arrested following a complaint filed by Inderjit Singh, a resident of New Kot Mit Singh, located in Bhai Manj road area here. The police have recovered bribe money to the tune of Rs 90,000 from him. Inderjeet Singh told the police that his close friend Paras Mehta of 88-foot street near the Majitha road was a financial advisor and had invested the money of one Sunil Kumar in share market. The share market crashed and this caused a loss of Rs 2 lakh to Sunil Kumar. continued on page 2 Amritsar, August 12 In view of the upcoming Independence Day, Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar on Tuesday inspected ongoing search operations and security arrangements at the city’s railway station. Under the supervision of DCP Alam Vijay Singh, teams led by ADCP City-2 Harpal Singh, ACP North Rishabh Bhola, the SHO, Civil Lines, along with personnel from the Government Railway Police, the RPF cordoned off the station and conducted thorough checks at all entry and exit points. Sniffer dogs and anti-sabotage units combed the premises, CCTV feeds were reviewed, and passengers’ luggage was screened. Suspicious individuals were questioned, and the ownership of vehicles parked in and around the station was verified through the Vehicle App. The Commissionerate Police have also set up round-theclock checkpoints at city entry Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 12 The members of ‘People for Aravallis’, a collective of rural and urban citizens and environmentalists from Haryana, have come out in support of the ‘Chalo Amritsar’ initiative, a citizen’s movement to make Amritsar plastic-free. The forum, which has notably campaigned for protecting the Aravalli ecosystem from becoming a desert and waterstarved due to high-risk illegal sand mining, has now written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, suggesting measures to make Amritsar an ecologically resilient city to mark the 450th foundation anniversary of Amritsar. Neelam Ahluwalia, founder member, People for Aravallis, in a letter to CM Mann, stated that in response to a public appeal, they seek to suggest sustainable measures that can make Amritsar ecologically resilient and stand as an example for other cities in North India. “Increasing heat island A truck transports plastic waste to a landfill on Majitha Road in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR effect is intensifying heat waves across many North Indian cities, including Amritsar, which records some of the highest summer temperatures in Punjab every year. It also mentions the additional factors that impact environmental deterioration in Amritsar, including high vehicular congestion on roads, excessive concretisation, waste dumps and landfills, most notable being Bhagtanwala dump yard,” the letter states. People for Aravalli’s support for Chalo Amritsar campaign, led by 11 women activists from Punjab, has come at a time when DC Sakshi Sawhney too had recently conducted a meeting with MC officials, reflecting on waste management and increasing surface heat concerns. The average summer temperature recorded in Amritsar this year was between 40 to 43 degree Celsius. Across Punjab, plastic waste generation has doubled in just five years – from 54,000 tonnes in 2017 to nearly 129,000 tonnes by 2022. The average of microplastics and other harmful chemicals sent into air through various forms of pollution is undeniably high as well. “As the city prepares to celebrate the 450th anniversary of its founding by Guru Ram Das Ji, we are urging authorities to eliminate all forms of single-use plastic from the city. The support from People of Aravalli gives us the hope of achieving our goal as well,” said Indu Aurora, a member of Chalo Amritsar initiative. The Chalo Amritsar team has given representations to PPCB chairman, DC Amritsar, AAP MLAs and senior leaders, calling for plastic collection centres to be set up at every ward, market area and near religious sites to make recycling accessible and effective. Simultaneously, they have requested the state to enforce the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy – ensuring that plastic-producing companies collect back the waste their products generate. c m y b PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR ment of the PSPCOM and PSTCOM for their indifferent attitude towards the genuine demands of the employees and the pensioners. The leaders expressed their satisfaction at the response given to the agitation. All the offices of the powercom wore a deserted look and field staff too was not present to attend complaints to remove Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar along with other officials check CCTV footage at railway station in Amritsar. and exit points as well as in internal areas. Night domination has been intensified, with all incoming and outgoing vehicles being carefully inspected and suspicious persons questioned in detail. In crowded markets within the walled city, foot patrols have been strengthened, while QRT and SWAT teams have been increased, equipped with modern weapons, and deployed at sensitive locations. Special drives were also carried out at various naka points to check vehicles with blacktinted windows, illegal mesh screens, hooters, and sirens. Offenders were fined and warned that repeat violations could lead to vehicle impounding. Motorcycles with modified silencers creating loud noises, triple riding, and helmetless riders were also penalised. The police reiterated their commitment to working tirelessly, day and night, to maintain harmony, peace, and law and order, ensuring the safety of the public.