28092025-JTR-01.qxd 27-09-2025 23:05 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune YOUTH CONG FLAYS PM FOR MORE BIHAR DOLES SGPC PREZ ASSURES SUPPORT TO FLOOD-HIT VILLAGES NORA FATEHI SHINES IN RAHUL MISHRA OUTFIT Criticises Modi for selective politics by ignoring Punjab during the ‘worst humanitarian crisis’. P2 Religious body chief Harjinder Dhami arranges 38,000 litres of diesel for rehabilitation work. P3 The actress brought her charm to Dubai, stepping out in a pink corsetted gown. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.16 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6:20 AM » SUNDAY | 28 SEPTEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR Tarn Taran gangster shot in Balachaur police encounter HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. Ashok Kaura INBRIEF 'SNATCHER' HELD POST ENCOUNTER Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a notorious snatcher after an encounter. The accused has been identified as Jora Singh of Pippli village. The accused was roaming in Koharr Kalan village and was chased by the police. He fired at the police with the intention to kill. The police retaliated and fired at the accused, which injured his leg. He was arrested and rushed to the Shahkot community centre. A country-made pistol and .32 bore cartridge were recovered from his possession. The accused and his two accomplices Lovpreet of Mianni village and Lakhwindar Singh of Chak Pippli village had attacked workers of a company constructing the national highway at Puniyan village, snatched money and other items, and fired in the air on September 23. OC COUPLE ARRESTED FOR PEDDLING Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested four drug peddlers, including a couple, on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. As many as 47 tablets were recovered from the possession of the accused, identified as Manjit of Mohalla Guru Nanak Pura and his wife Neelam. A case has been registered under the NDPS Act against the accused. The police arrested drug peddlers Mangat Deep Singh with 21 intoxicant tablets, and Harpreet Singh of Talwandi Bharo village with 13 tablets. oc COUPLE BOOKED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The Bilga police have booked a couple on the charge of committing culpable homicide and assault. The accused has been identified as Amrik Chand, alias Mika, of Pati Neelowal and his wife Kamla. Manisha of the same locality complained to the police that the accused attacked her mother Surindar Kaur with interlock tiles on September 22 and seriously injured her. OC NRI BOOKED FOR EXTORTION Phagwara: The Nakodar police have booked an NRI gangster on the charge of extortion. The accused has been identified as Sandeep Singh, alias Suni, resident of Preet Nagar, Nakodar, and presently living in Canada. The victim complained to the police that the accused rang him and demanded a ransom and threatened to kill him in case of failure. OC MAN HELD FOR UTENSILS THEFT Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have arrested a man on the charge of stealing utensils from a village gurdwara.The accused has been identified as Robin Masih from Kaimwala village. Sarpanch of Umrewal village Gurindar Singh had complained to the police that the accused stole three utensils from the store of Gurdwara Sahib. oc CM Bhagwant Mann honours the winners of the final match of the Punjab Hockey League 2025 at Surjit Hockey Stadium, Jalandhar, on Saturday. A TRIBUNE PHOTO CM Mann applauds players for reviving hockey in state Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 27 Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday praised Punjab players for reviving the game of hockey. The CM watched the final match of the Punjab Hockey League 2025 at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium here and attended its prize distribution function too. He said it was a matter of pride that the first Junior Hockey League being started by Punjab Hockey and Round Glass. It was the highest prize money league ever started in field of hockey. He said the league was inaugurated in Mohali and the finals were being played in Jalandhar. An exhibition match was held before the finals in which Legend XI clashed with Star XI. Legend XI was led by former Indian hockey team captain Olympian Gagan Ajit Singh, who is the SSP Malerkotla, while Star , XI was led by the current Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh. The event was a memorable one as the players, who had won the 1975 Hockey World Cup and those who won the Junior World Cup in 2001 also attended it. Thus, three generations of hockey were seen together. Mann noted that in the Indian team that created history by winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games, four players—Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Hardik Singh, and Sukhjeet Singh—are from Jalandhar. He said footballs, rugby balls, and other sports equipment made in Jalandhar are used in World Cups and Common- wealth Games. He added that cricketer Harbhajan Singh, born in Jalandhar, made India proud worldwide, and because of his contributions, he was nominated as a Rajya Sabha member. The Chief Minister said in the coming days, more than 3,000 sports stadiums will be constructed in the villages to give fillip to the sports. He said Khedan Watan Punjab Dian has already played a key role in this direction, adding that it has acted as catalyst to wean away the youth from menace of drugs. Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat, president, Hockey Punjab and vicepresident Hockey India Nitin Kohli, Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal and others handed over a cheque for Rs 50 lakh to the Chief Minister as contribution in the Chardi Kala Mission. Mann to attend birth anniv event of Bhagat Singh today Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 27 Various social and political organisations are set to hold functions on Sunday across the region on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. A short state-level event has been convened at his ancestral place in Khatkar Kalan where Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will pay tributes at the memorial. He will also unfurl the Tricolour on a newly installed 100-foot-high flagpole at the same site, marking a proud tribute to the spirit of freedom. Even as there is no political rally for the programme, the CM is also scheduled to watch a presentation on the progress of the ongoing work for Rs 53.45-crore Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Heritage Complex project there. Khatkar Kalan, which falls just outside Banga of Nawanshahr, is being developed as an iconic tourist site. The development is being done as a part of joint Centre-state project, as per the Special Assistance to States / Union Territories for Capital Investment scheme. The heritage street currently under construction will serve as a symbolic pathway connecting the museum dedicated to the youth icon with his ancestral home. Designed to celebrate the life and legacy of the nation’s hero, the street will showcase key moments from his journey and his role in the freedom struggle. Visitors will be immersed in experiential zones featuring live performances, 3D installations, and thematic recre- ations of the early 1900s. The space will be adorned with historically inspired signages and sculptures, while a “Flame of Freedom” will stand as a tribute to his enduring spirit. A musical fountain and enhanced façade lighting will further elevate the ambiance, making it a vibrant cultural landmark upon completion. The house of Bhagat Singh is a protected monument and stands in its old form with all belongings of his family as it was raised by his great-grandfather Fateh Singh in 1858. The house was declared protected in 1982 by the Act of the state government in 1982. Bharat Ratna, Nishan-e-Pak sought for Bhagat Singh Hoshiarpur, September 27 India should confer the Bharat Ratna and Pakistan should award its highest honour the Nishan-e-Pakistan to Shahid-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. This was sought by the Bhagat Singh Foundation Pakistan at Lahore today. The 118th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh was commemorated at the Democratic Lawn of the Lahore High Court by the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan. The event was presided over by Foundation Chairman Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi and attended by prominent dignitaries from both India and Pakistan. Qureshi said several resolutions were passed during the event, including demands that Prime Minister Narendra Modi confer the Bharat Ratna and Pakistani Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif award the Nishan-e-Pakistan to Bhagat Singh. Additional resolutions called for his inclusion in educational curricula, issuance of commemorative stamps and coins, naming major roads after him and immediate renaming of Shadman Chowk in Lahore in his honour. — OC c m y b nawanshahr, September 27 The Nawanshahr police on Saturday neutralised a dreaded gangster during a fierce encounter near Balachaur in SBS Nagar. The deceased, identified as Varinder Singh, a resident of Pandori village in Tarn Taran district, was wanted in multiple heinous cases, including the Zadla grenade attack and the murder of Yuvraj Singh, Sarpanch of Cheema Khurd village. DIG Satinder Singh, while talking to The Tribune on Saturday late evening, said Varinder had deep links with the notorious gangster network led by Manu and Gopi and was actively involved in violent crimes across Punjab. Intelligence inputs had indicated his movement in the Balachaur area following which a police team set up a checkpoint. When signalled to stop, the gangster, who was riding a motorcycle, allegedly opened fire at the police party in a bid to escape. Officers retaliated swiftly, triggering a brief but intense exchange of gunfire. During the encounter, Singh sustained critical bullet injuries and was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital. However, despite medical intervention, he succumbed to his injuries. Senior officers, including DIG Satinder Singh and SSP Nawanshahr Mehtab Singh Virk, reached the spot soon after the incident to oversee the situation. Addressing the media, DIG Singh stated that the operation was a major success in the ongoing crackdown on gangsters operating with the backing of Pakistan’s ISI and handlers based abroad. “The accused was a wanted criminal who had been spreading terror in the region. Today’s encounter is part of our sustained campaign to dismantle networks of hardcore criminals and restore peace in Punjab,” DIG Singh said. From the site, the police recovered a motorcycle, a pistol, and several cartridges, confirming the exchange of fire. Investigations are underway to trace the larger network of associates and to establish any recent plans of disruption that the gangster may have been involved in. The authorities said the The site where Varinder (inset) was involved in an encounter. elimination of Varinder Singh is expected to deliver a serious blow to gang operations in the Doaba region, where his presence had been a constant source of fear. The police have intensified patrolling and intelligence surveillance to ensure that no retaliatory activities follow in the wake of the encounter. With this operation, the Nawanshahr police have reinforced their commitment to curbing gangsterism, which has emerged as a serious law-and-order challenge in Punjab in recent years. Biker killed in accident, SUV driver flees Our Correspondent Phagwara, September 27 A tragic road accident claimed the life of a man when an SUV, allegedly driven recklessly, rammed into a motorcycle on the Chandigarh bypass last night. According to the complaint filed by Anita Rani, wife of the deceased Mandeep, resident of village Dhadhey near Phagwara, the couple was travelling on a motorcycle near the bypass when the incident occurred. Rani stated that an SUV with several passengers , seated in the rear, suddenly reversed without caution. The vehicle struck their motorcycle with force, throwing her husband off balance. The impact left Mandeep with critical head injuries, and he reportedly died on the spot. Witnesses alleged that the driv- er, instead of stopping to provide assistance, fled the scene immediately with the vehicle. The police have registered a case against the unidentified driver. An investigation is underway to establish the identity of the driver and trace the vehicle.