25082025-JTR-01.qxd 8/24/2025 10:44 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune 4 ARRESTED IN LPG THEFT RACKET LINKED TO MANDIALAN BLAST UPGRADE INFRA & STRENGTHEN EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM THE RED CARPET THAT STOLE FILMFARE PUNJABI 2025 Hoshiarpur police have arrested four individuals allegedly involved in an illegal LPG theft racket. P2 Conduct regular inspections of embankments and ensure controlled release of dam water. P3 At the Filmfare Awards Punjabi, held at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium, the red carpet was real headline-maker. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.59 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:59 AM MONDAY | 25 AUGUST 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF UNDERTRIAL DIES IN K’THALA JAIL Phagwara: An undertrial lodged at Kapurthala Central Jail died on Saturday after his health suddenly deteriorated inside the prison. The inmate was first rushed to the jail hospital when he complained of uneasiness. The on-duty doctor, seeing his critical condition, referred him to the Kapurthala Civil Hospital. However, doctors at the Civil Hospital declared him dead upon arrival. The exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained. The authorities are expected to order a postmortem examination as per procedure. OC BID TO ENCROACH LAND, 1 BOOKED Phagwara: The police have booked a villager for attempting to encroach on agricultural land. The accused has been identified as Yadwindar Singh, a resident of Kot Badal Khan village. Col Sardool Singh of Friends Colony, Jalandhar, complained to the police that the accused ploughed his fields and tried to encroach on it and issued threats. OC 15 BOOKED FOR MURDER BID Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have booked 15 villagers on the charges of attempt to murder and firing. Rajindar Singh, a resident of Mundi Kallu village, complained to the police that he, along with other villagers, went to strengthen the dhussi bundh on the Sutlej from the JT Road bridge to Nahal village. The accused were already present there and assaulted him, removing his turban, pulling his hair, and firing with an intention to kill. OC MAN HELD FOR STOPPING WORK Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a villager on the charge of stopping development work in the village. The accused has been identified as Yuvraj alias Khapatt, a resident of Gill village. Daljit Kaur, Sarpanch of Gill village, had complained to the SDM and BDPO that the accused and his five accomplices had stopped the solid waste management work in the village, and abused the panchayat, assaulted labourers on work, and stole bricks and sand from the spot. oc TWO HELD UNDER NDPS ACT Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have arrested a 'drug peddler' on the charge of selling heroin and intoxicating tablets. Two gram of heroin,15 tablets , and Rs 4,250 drug money were recovered from the possession of the accused Des Raj, alias Desa, of Umrewal village. The Nakodar police arrested a 'drug peddler' Charanjit Singh, a resident of Himachal Pradesh and presently living in Phagwara, with one gram of heroin. oc\ BIKE TAKEN AWAY AT GUNPOINT Phagwara: A salon worker was robbed at gunpoint by two bikeborne persons near a petrol pump on the Jabbowal road in Sultanpur Lodhi on Saturday night. Victim Parminder Singh of Giddarpindi village was returning home around 9 pm when the incident took place. The assailants intercepted him, threatened to shoot, and fled with his motorcycle. A police team rushed to the spot and confirmed the robbery. oc Two shooters of Patial-Bambiha gang arrested from Mumbai Tribune News Service NAWANSHAHR MURDER Nawanshahr, August 24 Counter Intelligence (CI), Jalandhar, in a joint operation with Nawanshahr, arrested two shooters of the Lucky PatialDavinder Bambiha gang from Mumbai for their involvement in murder that took place in Pojewal in Nawanshahr last month, said DGP Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday. Those arrested have been identified as Karan Ganger (25), a resident of village Ror Majara in Hoshiarpur, and Jaskarandeep Singh, alias Kallu (23), a resident of village Ramgarh Jhungian in Garhshankar. As per information, a person, identified as Hardeep Singh, alias Deepa Kulpuria, was shot dead by some unidentified persons at his village Kulpur at Pojewal on July 2. Yadav said arrested accused Karan and Kallu, in connivance with USA-based Jaskaran Singh, alias Kannu, had killed a person due to their personal enmity. The accused and Kannu are associates of the Lucky Patial of Devinder Bambiha gang, he said. The DGP said further investigations are ongoing to establish backward and forward links in this case. SSP Mehtab Singh said following the murder, a special investigation team (SIT), headed by SP Investigation, was consti, tuted to probe the case. He said police teams from the CI, Jalandhar, and Nawanshar working on human and technical investigations, zeroed in on the location of the both accused. AIG, Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, Navjot Singh Mahal said joint teams from the CI, Jalandhar, and the Nawanshar police were despatched immediately to Mumbai, who managed to apprehend both suspects with the help of local police. A case was registered at police station, Pojewal. Illegal house of drug peddlers razed Jalandhar, August 24 The Jalandhar MC in coordination with the Commissionerate Police Jalandhar, on Sunday, demolished an illegal construction in Gopal Nagar belonging to two brothers linked with the infamous drug trade. Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur said the illegal property of Pralad Kumar and Somanath was demolished. Both are known drug peddlers against whom 10 FIRs have been registered under the NDPS Act and the IPC.— TNS Swelling Beas breaches bundhs, crops on 30K acres hit in K’thala Our Correspondent Phagwara, August 24 The flood situation in Kapurthala district remained grim on Saturday as the water level in the swollen Beas rose further to 1.33 lakh cusecs, breaching embankments at several points and damaging the advance bundh. Standing paddy crops spread over nearly 30,000 acres in the Sultanpur Lodhi area have been affected. Heavy rainfall lashed Kapurthala, Sultanpur Lodhi and Bholath since morning, adding to the distress of floodhit farmers as the rainwater eventually drains into the Beas. Despite the downpour, MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, accompanied by his followers and over a thousand farmers, worked tirelessly to strengthen weak spots at six locations in an effort to save the bundh from further erosion. JCB machines, tractor-trolleys and other equipment were pressed into service, with workers placing sandbags along the river to check the damage. The most critical repair work was underway in the villages of Ahlikalan, Karmuwala Pattan and Ahlikhurd in the mand area of Sultanpur Lodhi. Meanwhile, officials confirmed that more than 70,000 cusecs of water was released from the Pong Dam into the Beas. Drainage Department SE Amarinder Singh Pandher said the situation in the worstaffected villages could improve in the coming days, provided rainfall stops in the mountainous regions, allowing water lev- MP Balbir Singh Seechewal along with villagers repairs the bandh at the flood hit village in Sultanpur Lodhi. els to gradually recede. Admn on toes after heavy rain DC Amit Kumar Panchal on Sunday assured residents that the district administration is prepared to tackle any emergency situation arising from the rise in water levels of the Beas river following heavy rainfall in the upper hilly areas. He said the continuous monitoring of the water level is being carried out and urged people, especially those residing in low-lying areas of the mand region, to remain alert. “There is no need for panic. Adequate arrangements have been made to ensure the safety of life and property,” he added. The DC said State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have already been deployed in vulnerable areas, along with health teams, to look after both human and livestock needs. For emergency relief, special centres have been set up at the Government School in Lakh Waryan, Sultanpur Lodhi, and at Mand Kooka for residents of the region in Dhilwan. These centres are equipped with provisions for shelter, ration, and medicines. Appealing to people not to believe in rumours, Panchal advised them to seek information through the official helplines: District Helpline: 01822-231990, Sultanpur Lodhi Helpline: 01828-222169. Mukerian villagers told to move to safer places TALWARA: The administration, through public announcement, issued orders to villagers to move to safer places due to flood in six villages of Mukerian. The water level of the Beas has increased due to the water being released from Pong Dam, Talwara, and Chakki TRIBUNE PHOTO river near village Mehtabpur. The danger of flood looms over the village and the surrounding areas. Meanwhile, a crack has appeared in the dhussi bundh between village Koliyan and Mehtabpur. The village was flooded and water entered many houses. Village Sarpanch Manjinder Singh said the water level was already very high, but due to continuous heavy rain since this morning, water from the Chakki river, Pathankot, is coming into the Beas. Due to the crack in the bundh, water has started entering the houses of village Koliyan and Mehtabpur. Heavy rain throws life out of gear in city, Phagwara Two arrested with Tribune Reporters Jalandhar, August 24 The continuous rainfall for nearly seven hours today brought life to a standstill across the city, flooding major roads and creating severe traffic disruptions. The downpour, which began early in the morning, submerged several key intersections and residential areas, leaving commuters struggling to navigate waterlogged streets. Prominent areas, including Lajpat Nagar road leading to Guru Nanak Mission Chowk, Damoria Pull, Chugitti Chowk, near Guru Nanak Pura railway crossing, and Workshop Chowk, were inundated, with water reported in several stretches. Motorists and pedestrians alike found it difficult to wade through flooded roads, while traffic A woman stuck in a flooded road after continuous rain in Jalandhar on Sunday. PHOTO SARABJIT SINGH moved at a snail’s pace throughout the day. Adding to the chaos were pothole-ridden roads, which not only slowed down vehicles, but also posed safety hazards, especially for twowheelers. Phagwara: Heavy rain on Sunday plunged Phagwara into chaos, exposing again the fragility of its civic infra- structure and puncturing municipal claims of monsoon preparedness. The downpour, the second major spell of the season, submerged roads, choked drains and brought traffic to a standstill, turning the city’s residential and commercial neighbourhoods into waterlogged islands. From Prempura and Urban Estate to Onkar Nagar, Hargobind Nagar, Khaira Road and Palahai Road, rainwater entered homes and shops, forcing residents to wade through knee-deep water. Even key public facilities failed the test. The Civil Hospital premises resembled a lake, paralysing access to medical care, on major roads, vehicles crawled for hours as long queues formed in what became an ordeal for commuters. heroin in Kapurthala Phagwara, August 24 The police have arrested two youths in separate incidents on Saturday and recovered heroin from their possession. In the first incident, a police patrol, led by Sub-Inspector Labh Singh, was moving from village Bhattian towards Bhawanipur when it noticed a man standing on the roadside about 60 yards behind Gatewala. On seeing the police vehicle, the man attempted to walk away hurriedly and threw a polythene packet on the roadside. The police apprehended him and identified him as Vicky, resident of Bhattian. The packet was found to contain 5 gram of heroin. A case has been registered against him. In another case, Assistant 3 youths arrested for Two booked for ~13.5 lakh visa fraud harassing schoolgirls Our Correspondent Phagwara, August 24 Three youths were arrested in Talwandi Chaudhrian near Kapurthala after allegedly harassing schoolgirls and causing them to fall from their scooter. According to a complaint filed by Jawahar Singh of Bhaini Hussekhan, on August 22, when he was returning home from Hawkworth School with his children. His three nieces Raj Kaur, Mandeep Kaur, and Ramanpreet Kaur, students of Government School in Talwandi Chaudhrian, were also returning home on a scooter. As they were on their way, three youths — Arshdeep Singh of Talwandi Chaudhrian, Harpreet of Basti Chandigarh, Sultanpur Lodhi and Armaan of Gidharpindi, Jalandhar, followed them on a scooter and a motorcycle. The trio began teasing the girls and blocked their way, causing the schoolgirls’ vehicle to lose balance and fall. — OC Phagwara, August 24 A Phagwara resident alleged that he was cheated of Rs 13.5 lakh by two individuals who had promised to send his son abroad. The complainant, Naresh Kumar, accused them of fraud and issuing threats. According to a complaint, Kumar had entered into an agreement with agent Virender Kumar, a resident of Gobindpura, Phagwara, and his brother Raman Kumar, who is based in Canada, to send his son to New Zealand after c m y b payment of Rs 15 lakh. He claimed to have paid nearly Rs 13.5 lakh to the accused. When the promised travel arrangement failed to materialise, Virender Kumar allegedly issued a cheque in repayment. The cheque later bounced due to insufficient funds in his bank account. Naresh told the police that he then served a legal notice through his counsel on the accused, after which Virender Kumar allegedly called him and threatened to commit suicide, warning that the blame would be shifted on to him. Naresh maintained that he was being harassed and pressured into giving up his demand for repaying money. Travel agent booked for ~22 lakh fraud In another case, the police have booked a travel agent for allegedly cheating a local resident of Rs 21.95 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. The complainant, Avtar Singh of village Khera (Phagwara), accused Balveer Ram, proprietor of Manda Tour and Travel in Dusanjh Kalan, of collecting the amount but failing to arrange his foreign travel. According to the police, the accused hails from village Thala in Jalandhar district and is currently residing in Regency Town near Gate No 2, Model Town, Phagwara. Following an inquiry into the complaint, an FIR was registered. The case has been filed under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act. Sub-Inspector Sukhchain Singh and his team were conducting patrol in the areas of Subhanpur, Phadipur and Nijampur villages. When the team reached the Nijampur road turn, they spotted a man who, on noticing the police party, tried to turn back quickly and threw away a transparent polythene packet from his pocket. The man was caught and identified as Sarbjit Singh, alias Sabi, resident of Phatudhinga, Kapurthala. The recovered packet contained 100 gram of heroin. A separate case has been registered against him under the NDPS Act. The police said both accused have been taken into custody. Woman alleges sexual assault by neighbour Phagwara, August 24 A woman from Prempura Upla Mohalla, Sultanpur Lodhi, has alleged that her neighbour attempted to sexually assault her last night. The victim told the police that on August 23, she was sleeping in her room with a window open. Around 11.55 pm, her neighbour Rajan, allegedly entered the room and tried to sexually assault her. The police have registered a case. — OC