28082025-ATR-01.qxd 8/27/2025 11:58 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 24°C JAGDEV KALAN BEATS DRUG ADDICTION THROUGH SPORTS HASHAM SHAH’S VILLAGE AWAITS TOURISM SPOTLIGHT BAAGHI 4: A STORY OF FURY, ROMANCE AND RHYTHM Before turning to sports in 2018, the village had lost more than 30 young men to drug and substance abuse. P3 Hasham Shah, a legendary Sufi poet and writer, is renowned for popularising Qissas in Punjabi. P3 Baaghi 4 brings back the raw intensity and explosive drama that fans of the franchise have come to love. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 6.50 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:58 AM » THURSDAY | 28 AUGUST 2025 | AMRITSAR Floods inundate schools in Ramdass area Most govt schools had gone infra upgrade under Sikhiya Kranti; Minister visits affected area Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 27 As teams of the district administration and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) continue with flood relief and rescue operations in over 20 villages in Ramdass area now under water, government schools in the vicinity lie inundated, posing a risk to the recent infrastructure development. Some of these schools had received funds for building and setting up of new infrastructure including classrooms, furniture and upgraded science labs under the Sikhiya Kranti campaign of the state government. The Government Senior Secondary School, Ramdass, which is now designated as PM Shree school, had last year undergone complete infrastructure overhaul, getting new classrooms, labs and other essential academic and sports upgrade. The school building now has waistdeep water that the teachers and staff braved today to shift the school furniture and other significant learning material on to the first floor of the building. An inundated gurudwara in Ramdass; and (right) school furniture shifted to an upper floor at GSSS, Ramdass. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR “The boundary wall of our school has been damaged due to rains and flooding and the level of the water is still expected to rise in the coming days. We shifted the furniture and other vulnerable items to the first floor. Last year, the water level was not this alarming. The school had received funds from the Centre and state for building classrooms, boundary walls and three science laboratories,” said Jagdish Kawal, school head, PM Shree GMSSS, Ramdass. NCB arrests pvt hospital owner, calls retd govt doctor for probe TRAMADOL SUPPLY Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 27 The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has tightened the noose around private hospitals and a retired government doctor in connection with the illegal supply of tramadol tablets in private hospitals. It has arrested the owner of a private hospital while it has summoned a retired government doctor for probe. “Dr Bodh Raj, owner of the Life Care Hospital, has been arrested while his brother Dr Parveen was still absconding,” said an NCB official wishing not to be named. Besides, a retired government doctor has also been summoned by the NCB and he was yet to join the investigations, he added. The arrest was part of investigations in the alleged illegal supply of tramadol tablets in private hospitals beyond their allotted quota. Earlier, it arrested a web journalist and the owner of a pharmaceutical company, Deepak Bhandari, in the case. The Central agency had also arrested his brother Amit Bhandari and two private hospital doctors in the case on May 6. Besides, the NCB had also nominated several other family members of Deepak Bhandari in the case. Amit Bhandari was arrested by the NCB on May 2 after the seizure of over 30,000 tablets of tramadol, a prescription painkiller often misused as a narcotic. A day later, it arrested two private hospital owners — Dr Jatinder Malhotra and Dr Rajinder Rajan — in the case. The NCB had recovered 2,000 tablets of tramadol from each one as they did not have the required licence to keep such a large quantity of psychotropic drugs. After the arrest of Amit Bhandari and two doctors, Deepak Bhandari, who had gone underground, went live on social media to publicly present his side of the story. He had refuted the accusations against him stating that neither he nor his family members are involved in illegal activity. He further defended the doctors named in the case, asserting that they are legitimate medical professionals and not involved in illegal drug trade. Bhandari had claimed that his company holds a valid licence for purchase and supply of tramadol. Now, he fears that if the water level continues to rise, some of these latest upgrades might get hit. Government schools in nearby villages, including Macchiwala, Bauli, Nangal Sohal, Nisoke and Jatta Pashian, too lie inundated and damage to the school building is feared. In Amritsar city, the District Education Department is cautious and conducting a review of around 16 school buildings designated ‘unsafe’. Meanwhile, State Water Tarn Taran, August 27 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal addressed booth-level meetings while canvassing for his party candidate for the Tarn Taran Assembly by-election. Addrresing public meetings, Badal accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of rubbing salt in the wounds of the flood-affected farmers after returning from a two-day trip to Chennai wherein he announced that the state helicopter he was leaving behind at Dinanagar was the answer to their prayers. “Farmers want their bundhs to be strengthened. They want tractors, JCB machines and sand bags. They are being offered a helicopter. Does the CM want to indulge in a prop- SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal addressing a rally in Tarn Taran on Wednesday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI aganda exercise by wishing away his responsibility? For his information, SAD cadre and the SGPC have been doing ‘langar sewa’ since the last four days in all affected areas,” he said. He criticised the CM for failing to give any compensation for crop damage for the last nearly four years. “Bhagwant Mann has failed Punjab just like he has failed his own constituency of Dhuri which he has visited thrice in the last four years,” he said. Badal, who addressed eight booth-level meetings across Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 27 A local court has dismissed the anticipatory bail application filed by Bikram Singh Majithia, a senior leader of SAD and former cabinet minister. Majithia, currently lodged in jail at Nabha, had moved the court seeking anticipatory bail in a case registered against him on July 31 at the Civil Lines police station. The FIR was lodged on the complaint of SSP Vigi, lance, Amritsar, Lakhbir Singh, regarding a raid conducted at Majithia’s residence by the Vigilance Bureau in connection with another ongoing investigation under a Prevention of Corruption Act case registered at Mohali. According to the complaint, when the Vigilance team attempted to search Majithia’s house, the accused allegedly argued with the officers, instructed supporters to call the media, and even asked them to scale the walls and enter the premises, leading to a disruption of official duties. The team claimed that 3040 supporters created a com- Drug peddler’s construction razed Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, August 27 As part of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign of the state government, the police today razed an illegally constructed building of an infamous drug smuggler, Sukhchain Singh Sonu of Chohla Sahib village, with a JCB machine. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Deepak Pareek led the heavy police force to demolish the illegally constructed building of the drug smuggler. Addressing the media, the SSP said that not only Sukhchain Singh Sonu but other members of his family — mother and wife — were also involved in the illegal act. The SSP said that a total of 12 cases of illegal trade in liquor and drugs have been registered against Sukhchain Singh Sonu and he is currently lodged in Central Jail, Construction of a drug peddler being razed with JCB machine in Chohla Sahib village. Goindwal Sahib. The SSP added that Dharam Kaur Dharmi, mother of Sukhachain, is lodged in Central Jail, Sukhbir calls for rejecting Congress, AAP Our Correspondent Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal today visited the floodaffected areas on the banks of Ravi in Ajnala district. He visited the flood-hit villages and reviewed the relief and rescue operations being carried out by the district administration. He said that the Punjab government is fully prepared to deal with the flood situation and no stone will be left unturned to protect the lives and property of the people. Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and a district administration team were also present. Talking to the residents of the flood-affected villages, Goyal said that due to continuous rain, the water coming from Ranjit Singh Sagar Dam and Ujh river has damaged the Dhussi bundh on Ravi river at many places, causing about 20 villages bordering the Ravi river in Amritsar to come under the flood threat. Water level is expected to increase as excess flow from the mountains might add to the flood situation in the area. Probe requires custody, says court, dismisses Majithia’s bail application five villages today after visiting flood-affected villages yesterday, appealed to the people to reject the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate (Harmeet Singh Sandhu) who had defected to AAP for gunmen and security escort and support ‘Panth da Parivar’ and wife of a ‘Dharmi Fauji’, Principal Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa in the by-election. Asserting that there was no comparison between the two candidates, the SAD president said Principal Randhawa’s husband left the Army after the gruesome attack on the Darbar Sahib in 1984 and had contributed immensely to society both in the field of education and social service. “On the other hand, we have a candidate who has enjoyed all the perks of power but chose to desert c m y b the party in its time of need. Such opportunists should be rejected soundly,” he asserted. Urging the people to unite in favour of ‘Quom di jathebandi’ by rejecting both the Congress and AAP who had taken Punjab back by a decade, Sukhbir Badal said, “This is the time to rise as one to strengthen the SAD.” SAD candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, while speaking on the occasion, appealed to the people to create a wave in favour of SAD so that other parties fail to set up their booths in any village in the constituency. Party byelection coordinator and veteran Akali leader Gulzar Singh Ranike also spoke on the occasion besides Alwinder Singh Pakhoke, Iqbal Singh Sandhu and Gaurav Singh Valtoha. Amritsar, and has been facing seven cases under the NDPS Act. Two cases of drugs have been registered against his wife Gurpreet Kaur, said the SSP The raz. ing of illegal constructions of drug peddlers is aimed at teaching a lesson to the drug smugglers, the SSP said. motion, obstructed the search and interfered with the functioning of the Vigilance Bureau. Videos were reportedly recorded by both the supporters and the police for identification purposes. The counsel for Majithia argued that the case was politically motivated, and he is being falsely implicated in multiple cases to keep him behind bars. The counsel further argued that the FIR was registered over a month after the alleged incident, raising questions about its intent. The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP), while opposing the bail application, argued that the allegations were serious in nature and custodial interrogation is necessary to identify and trace other unknown coaccused present at the scene. Additional District and Sessions Judge Gurbir Singh observed that the nature of allegations and the need for further investigation require custodial interrogation. The court concluded that the applicant does not deserve the concession of anticipatory bail, and hence, the application was dismissed. Polling booths rationalised for bypoll Tarn Taran, August 27 Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, Sibin C has informed that the Election Commission of India approved the proposal for rationalisation of polling stations in 21-Tarn Taran Assembly constituency, where by-election is due shortly. He said that the rationalisation exercise was carried out by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), 21-Tarn Taran, under the supervision of the District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Tarn Taran, strictly ensuring that the limit of 1,200 electors per polling station was not exceeded. During the process, seven polling stations were created in consultation with political parties. With this revision, the total number of polling stations in the constituency now stands at 222. — OC Arms supplied in nebuliser boxes, reveals probe after interrogation Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 27 Amit Singh, a resident of Guru Ki Wadali in Chheharta area, who was arrested by Amritsar police with five Glock pistols yesterday, used to supply weapon consignments in the boxes of nebuliser machines in order to hoodwink the cops. They used to fix the pistols in such a way that nobody could judge that there were weapons instead of nebuliser machines inside the boxes. This came to light during Amit’s interrogation, currently in police remand for further investigations. The police also recovered five sophisticated 9 mm Glock pistols along with four MODUS OPERANDI ■ Amit Singh of Guru ki Wadali was arrested with five Glock pistols ■ He used to supply weapons in nebuliser boxes to escape police ■ With accomplice Gurpreet, was in touch with Pak-based handlers magazines from his possession. They used to travel in erickshaws for delivering the weapons to their clients who used to come outside the railway station for procuring the weapons. According to police, he along with his accomplice Gurpreet Singh, alias Ginny, was in touch with Pakistanbased smugglers, who were pushing weapons to disturb peace and harmony in the state. Vinod Sharma, SHO, Chheharta police station, said that raids were continuing to arrest Ginny. His arrest would further shed light on their modus operandi and his Pakistan-based links. Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said Chheharta police led by SHO Vinod Sharma got intelligence inputs that Amit was on way to deliver the weapon consignment to someone. The probe revealed that the suspect used to receive weapon consignments dropped through drones from locations provided by cross-border handlers.