15082025-JTR-01.qxd 8/14/2025 10:47 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune SDRF TEAM LEADS RESCUE, RELIEF IN SULTANPUR LODHI JALANDHAR MARKS I-DAY WITH PATRIOTIC FERVOUR LIST OF WOMEN-LED FILMS THAT ECHOES SPIRIT OF THE NATION SDRF teams have been deployed to evacuate residents as the water level of the Beas has been rising steadily. P2 The city residents are all geared up to celebrate Independence Day with a spirit of patriotism. P2 Indian cinema has gifted us with many remarkable female-led films that echo the spirit of the nation. P4 » » » FORECAST CLOUDY MAX 28°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 29°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7.10 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:53 AM FRIDAY | 15 AUGUST 2025 | JALANDHAR Heavy rain exposes crumbling drainage system, MC claims INBRIEF 3 ARRESTED FOR LOOTING ~50K Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested three miscreants on the charge of looting Rs 50,000 from a Moga resident. The accused belonged to Zira. Sukhpal Singh of Adarsh Nagar, Dharamkot, Moga, complained to the police that the accused waylaid him on August 12, attacked him and snatched Rs 50,000, a cheque book and a cheque, and other documents. The police have recovered from them Rs 50,000 and documents and impounded a scooter used in the crime. OC COUPLE BOOKED FOR FRAUD Phagwara: The police have registered a case of cheating against two residents of Jalandhar for allegedly defrauding a local of Rs 10 lakh in a property deal. The complaint was filed by Harnek Singh, Phagwara. The accused have been identified as Mitesh Soni, and his wife, Minu Soni, both of 119 Shakti Nagar, Phase No. 4, Jalandhar. Harnek alleged that the accused promised to sell him property after taking an advance amount. The complainant claims that despite accepting Rs 10 lakh, the accused failed to honour the deal. OC The continuous rain since Thursday morning flooded roads in Jalandhar on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Roads turn swimming pool after incessant heavy rain Attendance in schools thin | I-Day function venue gets muddied Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 14 Heavy rain that lashed Jalandhar since 3 am on Thursday turned the roads virtually into swimming pools, making it extremely inconvenient for the parents to even drop their children to schools and go to their workplaces. The rain continued intermittently till this evening, making the temperature pleasant throughout the day. By the time it was 7 am, all roads in the city were inundated and it was still raining heavily. Worst hit were the those who had to cross Domo- ria underbridge stretch to reach their destinations. The commuters from the old city found it difficult to cross even the Domoria overbridge as the approach roads of the bridge also remained clogged. Owing to downpour, the attendance in schools and government offices remained low. Several government schools in low-lying areas, including Basti Sheikh, remained affected. Students of private schools in Sodal area too had problem in reaching the campus. Commuters to all public places, including railway sta- tion, bus stand and office of the Deputy Commissioner, faced ordeal. District administrative officials too remained worried as the grounds for the Independence Day function to be held tomorrow got muddy and drizzling continued till late evening. There is a prediction of rainfall again for tomorrow morning. Sultanpur Lodhi MLA cautions CM Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh cautioned the Chief Minister to take measures against floods, failing which there could be a larger loss in the next 10 days. He Hues of Freedom Phagwara: The Shahkot police have busted a gang of criminals with the arrest of its four members. The accused have been identified as Satta, Simranjit Singh, Mehar Singh and Rajveer Singh of Toti village in Kapurthala. The police have received information that the accused have formed a gang and are indulging in acts of looting and theft and selling drugs. As many as 180 intoxicating tablets, sharpedged weapons, one air gun, and a car were recovered from their possession. oc MANY BOOKED FOR ROBBERY MAN HELD FOR STEALING CASH Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a man on the charge of stealing cash from a religious place. The accused has been identified as Vishal Kumar of Gurre village. He barged into a religious place (Baba Charrat Singh ) in Chania village and stole cash from a coin box and damaged CCTV cameras. oc said the only solution to the controlling waters is to have more discharge at the Harike headworks. He termed the flood issue a man-made disaster rather than a natural calamity as he alleged that the minister concerned and the officials were paying no heed despite his regular alerts. He challenged the authorities to videocall him and show him preparedness in terms of filling sacks with sand and keeping them ready in iron crates for handling likely breaches in the area. He urged the CM to take a chopper ride along the Beas to ascertain the losses Cong leaders hold protest against BJP, ECI CRIMINALS’ GANG BUSTED, 4 NABBED Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked unidentified miscreants on the charges of robbery and criminal conspiracy. Mukesh Kumar of Jalalabad village in Moga complained to the police that five persons carrying firearms barged into his poultry farm on August 12, detained his servant, beat him up, stole ducks and feed. oc Tribune News Service Ashok Kaura MAN, SON BOOKED FOR FRAUD Phagwara: The police have registered a case under against two persons for their alleged involvement in vehicle theft and fraud, following a complaint lodged by Talvinder Singh of Sewak Nagar, Ludhiana. The accused have been identified as Bindar and his son Lavi, both residing in Pritam Nagar, Phagwara. According to the complaint, the duo allegedly stole vehicles and sold these. The police are investigating the case. No arrest has been made till so far. OC Murder at religious event Accused sent to 4-day remand On the eve of Independence Day, students of St Soldier School in Jalandhar painted their hands in saffron, white and green to form a living Tricolour. TRIBUNE PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH Jalandhar, August 14 Congress leaders and workers gathered in large numbers at Company Bagh to protest the alleged vote theft committed by the BJP in collusion with the Election Commissioner of India. Party leaders, including coincharge Punjab Ravindra Dalvi, ex-minister Rana Gurjeet Singh, MLAs Pargat Singh, Sukhwinder Kotli and Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia, DCC chief Rajinder Beri, exchairperson, Kartarpur Improvement Trust, Rana Randhawa, halqa incharges Dr Navjot Dahiya, Surinder Kaur and Rajinder Singh, councillors Jasleen Sethi and Paramjot Singh Sherry Chadha, took part in the protest. They raised slogans against the BJP and the ECI. They said Rahul Gandhi had exposed the collusion and the blatant abuse of power and deceit that the BJP had been resorting to steal the elections. — TNS Phagwara, August 14 Phagwara witnessed a complete collapse of civic infrastructure on Thursday as heavy rain from midnight to afternoon submerged roads, choked drains, and brought traffic to a standstill. The first major downpour of the season did not only flood low-lying areas, but also flooded the credibility of the Municipal Corporation’s claims that lakhs had been spent on cleaning drains and sewers ahead of the monsoon. Waterlogging was reported across the city, from the residential and commercial hubs of Prempura and Urban Estate to residential pockets like Onkar Nagar, Hargobind Nagar, Khaira Road and Palahai Road. In several colonies, residents waded through knee-deep water inside their homes. Shopkeepers shut doors as rainwater seeped into their businesses. “We’ve heard the same promises every year. Nothing changes except the damage,” said Rishi, a trader whose shop was inundated. The Civil Hospital premises turned into a lake, paralysing access to a key public health facility. The Sewa Kendra was surrounded by water, forcing visitors to abandon attempts to reach it. Traffic across major roads slowed to a crawl, with long queues adding to the chaos. For many, the journey to schools, offices, and hospitals became an ordeal lasting hours. The MC dispatched teams to clear drains and announced an inspection led by Mayor Ram Pal Uppal and Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta. The Commissioner directed de-choking of sewer lines and “long-term measures” for monsoon readiness. Yet, the timing of these actions — after the city was already submerged — raises questions about whether preventive planning was more rhetoric than reality. Entire official machinary was seen in search of alternative covered place to celebrate Independent Day on Friday in case rain continue With the Meteorological Department forecasting more rain in the coming days, Phagwara residents are bracing for repeat episodes. The stormwater that flooded streets this week may subside, but the storm of public anger over chronic neglect and opaque spending on civic works shows no sign of receding. Jalandhar, August 14 The Jalandhar Commissionerate Police has got four-day remand of the four persons arrested in the murder of youth Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi (25), at a religious programme near Nagra railway crossing yesterday. SHO Rakesh Kumar said the accused were the relatives of Gopi and were involved in a fight previously too. He said the accused had been arrested getting clues from CCTV footage and other technical assistance. The accused include Inderjit Singh, alias Kaka (19), of Maharaja Garden, Makko, alias Saurav (23), his brother Samson (25) of Vivekanand Park and Inderjit Singh Nihang (35) of Guru Ravidas Nagar, Jinda Road. The police have also recovered a rifle, three cartridges and a car used in the crime. The police are conducting search to arrest one more person involved in the murder. ADCP-1 Akarshi Jain and ACP North Atish Bhatia have worked with the team of police arresting the accused within four hours of the murder. Manjit Kaur, mother of the victim, said Gopi had gone for a religious event but did not return home till past midnight. She said her other son Sagar went to search for him and saw some persons standing near the spot. One of them struck Gurpreet Singh on the head with a datar while others also attacked him with weapons. Gopi died on the spot. Around four-five gunshots were fired from a rifle, injuring other relatives too. ADGP reviews security measures for I-Day event Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 14 ADGP RK Jaiswal along with Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, Dhanpreet Kaur and senior police officials conducted a comprehensive review of security arrangements at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, the venue for the Independence Day function on Friday. Jaiswal assessed multiple key areas, including the VIP enclosures, auditorium, parade ground, spectator stands, surrounding highrise buildings, and the designated parking zones. The review also covered external access points and adjoining public spaces to strengthen the security protocols. Special attention is being given to entry and exit points to facilitate the smooth movement of the public while pre- Spl DGP Dwivedi reviews security at city, cantt rly stations venting unauthorised access. He directed police personnel to remain vigilant and conduct hourly checks. Special metal detectors, handheld scanners, and other advanced devices were used during the inspection to ensure a foolproof security setup. Senior police officials also urged the public to cooperate with the police during the national celebrations and to promptly report any suspicious activity by calling the Police Helpline at 112. Stepping up vigil, Special DGP Railways, Shashi Prab, ha Dwivedi along with Dhanpreet Kaur, Joint CP Sandeep Sharma and other senior police officials conducted a special CASO at City Railway Station and Cantt Railway Station. For the operation, 290 police personnel were deployed for the operation, supported by Anti-Sabotage Teams, the Anti-Riot Police, and the Railway Protection Force. Teams were equipped with advanced search tools, including metal detectors, handheld scanners, and other specialised devices. Security checks included detailed inspection of CCTV systems, identification and questioning of suspicious individuals, and thorough screening of passenger luggage and belongings. The special DGP stressed the importance of rigorous screening of suspicious persons and items and instructed the deployed teams to maintain the round-the-clock vigilance. Adopt drug addict to rehabilitate them, Health Minister tells doctors Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 14 Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Wednesday called on doctors, paramedics, and nursing students to play as a catalyst to realise the vision of a drug-free Punjab. He was addressing a valedictory function of the first- ever induction training on the management of substance use disorder, conducted at Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for medical officers. The minister urged medical professionals to adopt one drug addict each, with the goal of rehabilitating them. Terming this training a “path-breaking initiative,” Dr Balbir Singh said the programme, designed by AIIMS and modified by the Punjab Government, was part of a comprehensive strategy to counter the misuse of all drug substances, empowering medical professionals to respond effectively to the menace. He said a Data Analysis and Technical Support Unit had been estab- c m y b lished to further strengthen the anti-drug campaign. The minister said the state now had over 5,000 beds for drug patients and operated 547 OOATS clinics serving more than 10 lakh registered patients. Dr Singh further stated that the government would soon recruit 243 psychologists to enhance counselling facilities across Punjab. He added that de-addiction and rehabilitation centres were being integrated under one roof, while skill development programmes had mainstreamed over 800 rehabilitated drug users. He said the multi-pronged strategy will result into drug free Punjab. The minister also distributed certificates to participating medical officers. Among those present were SDM Randeep Heer, Civil Surgeon Dr. Gurmeet Lal, PIMS Director Principal Dr. Rajiv Arora, and several medical professionals. Earlier, responding to mediapersons, the minister said the Punjab Government new health insurance scheme will provide over 65 lakh families with access to free-of-cost healthcare services. YC LEADER DETAINED During the minister’s visit, Youth Congress leader Angad Dutta was detained at his place in Defence Colony. He has been raising concern over the issue of less internship amount being paid to the MBBS interns at the PIMS as compared to other government and private medical colleges in the state.