17082025-JTR-01.qxd 8/16/2025 10:11 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MEDICAL TEAMS DEPLOYED AMID RISING BEAS LEVEL RCF UNION URGES RLY BOARD TO ACT ON VACANCIES IN TUNE WITH EACH OTHER Due to flood situation in Mand areas of Bholath, medical teams deployed for essential healthcare for residents. P2 The Rail Coach Factory Employees Union has urged the Railway Board to act on ‘serious and pressing issues’. P3 The Akhtar Brothers, Shehnaz and Sahil, are steadily making their mark in the music industry. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY, RAIN MAX 31°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET SUNDAY 7.08 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5:54 AM » SUNDAY | 17 AUGUST 2025 | JALANDHAR Cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond takes the guard of honour during the Independence Day celebrations in Jalandhar; and (right) students perform bhangra at the venue on Friday. SARABJIT SINGH Sond hoists Tricolour, pays homage to martyrs Tribune Reporters Jalandhar, August 16 Punjab’s Minister for Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Labour, Hospitality and Rural Development and Panchayats Tarunpreet Singh Sond hoisted the National Flag at the district-level function held at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium here today on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. The Independence Day parade was led by parade commander Sarwanjeet Singh. The event was attended by many dignitaries. Later, tricycles, wheelchairs and sewing machines were distributed among freedom fighters and the needy. After the flag hoisting, the Cabinet minister took the guard of honour. The minister congratulated Indians living across the globe on Independence Day and paid homage to the sacrifices made by freedom fighters. He said it was due to the struggles and sacrifices made by the freedom fighters that NO FLAG HOISTED AT HOSHIARPUR CIVIL HOSPITAL Hoshiarpur: No National Flag was hoisted at the Hoshiarpur Civil Hospital in contravention of the government order. A visited to the Civil Hospital showed the flag pole empty. Also, no arrangements could be seen for hoisting the flag or celebrating Independence Day there. According to the information received, letters had been issued to all officers by the department concerned on Thursday that the flag would be hoisted at 9 am tomorrow, but no one reached the venue. The reason being given is that the SMO has gone abroad and after her no one took the responsibility. Cabinet minister Mohinder Bhagat’s attention was drawn to this, and he said that the day had just begun and everyone had to follow the order. He said that the DC and SSP would make sure that the flag was hoisted. But his claim remained hollow and even after the day passed, the Tricolour was not be hoisted at the hospital. TNS “we are breathing in a free country today, and we are proud that Punjabis made the highest sacrifices in the nation’s freedom struggle”. He added that the Punjab Government was committed to building a ‘vibrant, joyful and prosperous Punjab’. He highlighted various initiatives, including the expansion of Aam Aadmi Clinics, introduction of new ambulances, free electricity, easy registration of property, war against drugs, anti-corruption drive and construction of playgrounds in rural areas. On education, Sond said Punjab had achieved the first rank in education after many years. Terming the state’s anti-drug campaign highly successful, the minister said the government had not only driven drug smugglers out of Punjab, but also made over 25,000 arrests and demolished smugglers’ houses. Kapurthala: Amit Kumar Panchal, DC, hoisted the National Flag during a district-level Independence Day celebration at the Guru Nanak Stadium here. He extended greetings to the residents of Kapurthala and paid tributes to freedom fighters. The event began with Panchal and SSP Gaurav Toora inspecting the I-Day parade led by DSP Deepakran Singh. The march-past featured contingents from Punjab Police, Home Guards and NCC units from local schools and colleges. Freedom fighters, Veer Naris and their dependents were honored during the ceremony. Hoshiarpur: Defence Services Welfare, Freedom Fighters and Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat hoisted the National Flag at a district-level function held at the local Police Line ground here. MLAs Bram Shankar Jimpa and Dr Ishank Kumar were also present at the function. The Cabinet Minister inspected the parade along with Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain, SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik and parade commander DSP Manpreet Kaur Sheemar and took salute. On the occasion, a PT show and cultural programme were presented by schoolchildren, along with giddha and bhangra. The Cabinet Minister felicitated the families of freedom fighters and martyred soldiers, who had come specially to attend the function. He also provided sewing machines, motor tricycles, tricycles and wheelchairs to the needy, while also giving scholarships to meritorious students. Besides, personalities who have excelled in various fields and officers and employees who have done excellent work were also felicitated. Tableaux depicting development by various departments were the centre of attraction. Phagwara: Independence Day functions were organised with customary grandeur in Phagwara, Nakodar, Shahkot and Nurmahal. Additional Deputy Commissioner Akshita Gupta unfurled the Tricolour at an Kapurthala police arrest 3 in cases of drugs, pistol Our Correspondent Phagwara, August 16 In a series of swift operations, the Kapurthala police have arrested three individuals in separate incidents involving narcotics and an illegal firearm, officials confirmed on Friday. SSP Gaurav Toora said the first incident occurred during patrolling near Lakhan Khole village under Subhanpur police station. An ASI-led team noticed a motorcyclist attempting to evade them. In the process, the rider lost control and fell by the roadside. Members of the police party reported that the man tried to dispose of a polythene packet in the grass, but was immediately seized and found to contain 20 gm of heroin. The accused, identified as Lakhwinder Singh, a resident of Lakhan Khole, was taken into custody, and both contraband and motorcycle seized. Another police patrol team arrested a man with 10 gm of heroin near New Bhate village, Bhawanipur. The accused, identified as Raman, son of Jassa, of the same village, attempted to evade the police but was swiftly apprehended. A search of his belongings led to the recovery of a polythene packet containing heroin. In the third incident, the police seized an illegal firearm during patrol duty at Bholath and Bhagwanpur-Devidaspur area. Officers noticed a youth behav- Janmashtami celebrated with fervour, Phagwara’s unique temple opens to men Our Correspondent Phagwara, August16 Shri Krishna Janmashtami was celebrated with gaiety and fervour in Phagwara, Goraya, Bilga, Phillaur, Noormahal and Nakodar on Saturday. All temples were beautifully decorated, and several tableaux depicting the life of Lord Krishna were put on display. Phagwara’s Shri Sindoora Devi Temple stood out as the only temple in the region where entry of men is restricted throughout the year— except on Janmashtami, when the doors are opened to them as well. The temple is otherwise an all-women space, with the guru at the temple also being a woman — Mata Sindoora Devi. The temple was established six decades ago by Sand- A little boy dressed up as Krishna plays with his father at Devi Talab Mandir in Jalandhar. SARABJIT SINGH hooran Devi, a Sadhvi who was in her early teens at the time. She instituted the rule that only girls or women could access the temple to offer prayers. c m y b ing suspiciously near the Bhagwanpur cremation ground. On being confronted, he attempted to hide a weapon, but was apprehended. Identified as Satvinder Singh, a resident of Alampur Bakka in Jalandhar district, he was found carrying a desi pistol loaded with two cartridges. He failed to produce any valid licence. Two reported missing in K’thala Phagwara, August 16 Kapurthala police have launched an investigation after a 14-year-old boy was reported missing on Thursday. Parmjeet Kaur of Star City Colony told the police that her elder son Jobanpreet Singh, a Class IX student, left home around 1 pm on August 14, reportedly to fetch a notebook, but did not return. Some persons told her that a person had taken the boy in an auto-rickshaw towards Kapurthala. In another case, a 17-year-old schoolgirl has gone missing in Kapurthala district. The complaint was filed by Kamalpal of Kishanpura village. He reported that his eldest daughter, a Class XII student, had not returned home on Wednesday. According to him, his daughter left home around 7.30 am on August 13 for school, but did not return. The school authorities told them that the girl had not attended the classes that day. — OC auditorium here. Cultural programmes were presented by the different groups of students. Many social activists were honoured in different Independence Day functions for their contributions in different fields. Nakodar: Lal Vishwash Bains unfurled the National Flag at Nakodar and SDM Shubhi Angra at Shahkot. Rajya Sabha member and former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh marked Independence Day by distributing six electronic wheelchairs to differently-abled beneficiaries in the district. The initiative, funded through his MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund, was aimed at providing mobility support to those in need. The distribution ceremony took place at the District Administrative Complex, where Singh announced that similar assistance would soon be extended to needy residents in nearby villages. In addition to the wheelchairs, he presented fruit baskets to the beneficiaries. Man kills minor son of live-in partner Our Correspondent Garhshankar, August 16 A man who is a native of UP and living in this area allegedly beat to death a sixyear-old son of a woman, who was in a live-in relationship with him, and then took him to the hospital himself. When the police got the information, it reached the spot and arrested the accused and registered a case against him. According to information received, Rahul Kumar, son of Vijay Pratap Singh, a resident of Faluhi, Dhanghata police station, Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, who was living at Dhandhari Kalan, Ludhiana, had started living in a tubewell room in a field for the past few days. Rahul had kept his cousin’s wife Seetu with him. Seetu’s 6-year-old son Fariyaat and one-and-a-half-year- old daughter Sonakshi also lived with them. Rahul did not like Fariyat, due to which some days ago Rahul had beaten Fariyat and broke his arm. After this, on August 13, around 6 pm, when Seetu had gone to get some medicine, Rahul started beating Fariyat and punched him in the chest so hard that his ribs broke and he collapsed. After this, Rahul himself took him to the Civil Hospital here, where the doctors declared him dead. The police on getting the information nabbed Rahul, who was trying to escape. It said that Rahul had been arrested for murdering his stepson and a case registered. Rahul was produced in court, which sent him to judicial custody.