15102025-JTR-01.qxd 10/14/2025 11:37 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune SURJIT HOCKEY SOCIETY DONATES RS 5L TO FLOOD RELIEF FUND SPECIALLY ABLED KIDS BRIGHTEN DIWALI WITH CANDLES & DIYAS MEET STARS WHO MADE IT FROM MOVIE SETS TO MUSIC CHARTS DC appreciated the efforts of social organisations who have come forward to support the cause. P2 School offers training to students in diya batti (jot) making, kitchen napkin stitching and crafting envelopes.P3 These Bollywood stars are striking the right chords, proving that true talent knows no bounds P4 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 30°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.55 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:31 AM WEDNESDAY | 15 OCTOBER 2025 | JALANDHAR 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. Goraya man goes to Russia again to search brother missing in warzone Duped by travel agent, Mandeep had been missing since March 2023 Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service INBRIEF MADHVI NEW SP OF PHAGWARA Phagwara: Madhvi Sharma took charge as SP, Phagwara, who replaced Roopinder Kaur Bhatti, on Monday. Bhatti was appointed as SP Counter Intelligence in Ludhiana. Several political, social and religious leaders thronged the SP office to welcome new SP. OC DRUG PEDDLER PO ARRESTED Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for a month. The accused has been identified as Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, a resident of Gatti Raipur village under Lohian Khas police station. The accused is wanted in a case of drug peddling registered against him in June 2020 and was declared a PO in September 2025. OC 4 HELD UNDER NDPS ACT Phagwara: The police have arrested two persons on the charge of selling poppy husk. Twelve kilogram of poppy husk was recovered from the possession of the accused Jagtar Singh and Balveer Singh of Fatehgarh Nihal village. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against them. The police also arrested drug peddler Lakhwindar Singh of Bhode village with 65 intoxicating tablets. The Nakodar police arrested Harpreet Singh of Mohalla Guru Teg Bahadar Nagar with 21 tablets. OC DRUG PEDDLER GET 10-YR JAIL Phagwara: A special court, headed by Judge Aprajita Joshi in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, has convicted a drug peddler Pujari of Nurpur Bedi for possession of commercial quantity of narcotics. The prosecution proved that on September 20, 2021, Pujari was apprehended near the Prikriti Farm with a plastic bag containing 21 kg of gaanja. oc POLICE NAB MAN WITH 40G HEROIN Jalandhar: The police apprehended one accused with 40 gram of heroin. Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur said a team of the CIA staff was conducting a checking at a naka at Mission Compound when a suspect was intercepted based on suspicion. During interrogation, the accused was identified as Shubham of Daresi Ground, Ludhiana. Upon his search, 40 g of heroin was recovered from his possession. The accused already has a previous case registered against him under the NDPS Act, Ludhiana. oc Jalandhar, October 14 Jagdeep Kumar, a small mobile shop owner from Goraya, has again travelled to Russia in a desperate attempt to trace his younger brother Mandeep Kumar, who has been missing for over two years. Mandeep, who left India in early 2023 in search of employment, last contacted his family on March 3, 2023, and was scared and had told Jagdeep that he was recruited in the Russian army. Since then, there has been complete silence, leaving the family in deep distress and uncertainty. Jagdeep alleges that Mandeep was lured by a travel agent with promises of work opportunities in Italy. The agent reportedly sent him to Armenia first, from where he was supposed to be taken through Russia, Finland, and Germany to Italy. However, according to Jagdeep, his brother was duped and forcibly inducted into the Russian army shortly after reaching Russia. Jagdeep Kumar holds a flex board carrying picture of his brother Mandeep Kumar. “This agent not only lied to my brother but also cheated me of Rs 6 lakh,” said Jagdeep. “He promised a safe passage to Europe, but instead, my brother disap- Bouncer injured in firing at Eastwood Our Correspondent Phagwara, October 14 A wave of tension swept through Eastwood village near Phagwara this evening when a group of armed assailants opened fire on a bouncer, leaving him seriously injured. The victim Sandeep Kumar of Phagwara was on security duty in the area when he was attacked by around five men. According to preliminary police reports, the attackers suddenly opened fire at Sandeep from close range. One of the bullets struck the mobile phone in his pocket, which exploded upon impact. The blast resulted in both bullet and burn injuries to Sandeep, who collapsed on Bouncer Sandeep the spot. Locals rushed to his aid and informed the police. DSP Bharat Bhushan, who arrived at the scene with a police team, said one of the accused has been identified as Sukha of Talhan village. The assailants, however, managed to escape. “Initial investigation suggests that the attack was a result of personal enmity,” the DSP said, adding that special teams have been dispatched to trace the culprits. peared in Russia, and we’ve had no word from him since.” This is not Jagdeep’s first attempt to locate his brother. He had previously travelled to Russia to follow up on leads, Search ops at rly stations Jalandhar, October 14 The Jalandhar Commissionerate Police conducted a special Cordon and Search Operation at City Railway Station and Cantt Railway Stations. The operation was carried out under the supervision of ADCP City-I Akarshi Jain and ADCP City-II Harinder Singh. A total of 110 police personnel were deployed in multiple teams for the operation by Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur. Metal detectors and hand-held scanners were used for checking. During the operation, the PAIS app was used to verify the crime records of suspicious individuals. Additionally, the functioning of CCTV cameras, inspection of passenger luggage and checking of shops within the railway stations were carried out. — TNS and has remained in constant touch with the Indian authorities and other families whose loved ones are similarly stranded or missing in Russia under suspicious circumstances. Jagdeep’s relentless efforts have now drawn political attention. He recently met MDMK MP Durai Vaiko to raise the issue of missing Indians in Russia. In addition, Congress leader Raja Warring extended his support and held a press conference to bring wider attention to the matter. Speaking to The Tribune earlier, Jagdeep had shared the emotional toll this ordeal has taken on his family. “Every time I return home, my family looks at me with hope, expecting good news about Mandeep. But I have nothing to tell them.” The case highlights growing concerns about exploitation of the youth by unscrupulous travel agents. Jagdeep continues to work closely with other families facing similar situations, forming a support network to share updates and seek collective action. With no clear answers and dwindling leads, the family has also been appealing to the government for urgent intervention. Govt staff hold rally over pay scale, OPS Roadways, Punbus employees block road Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 14 The Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU) on Tuesday held a district-level rally outside the District Administrative Complex here, demanding the fulfillment of pending demands. The rally was attended by employees from various departments, including clerical cadre employees. The demands of the employees included the implementation of the old pension scheme, revision of pay scale, full salary during the probation period, timely payment of dearness allowance (DA) and regularisation of outsourced and contractual employees. Tejinder Singh Nangal, president, and Vinod Sagar, general secretary, said, “The government should address the demands of employees and fulfil them. If not, the union will be forced to take further action. We will hold a massive protest in Mohali on October 16 with a large participation of Jalandhar employees.” Others who attended the rally were Dinesh Kumar, Amit Sharma, e-challan begins at 4 traffic points Harbhajan Singh, Amarpreet Singh Parmar, Sukhwinder Singh and Davinder Bhatti. Meanwhile, the contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and Punbus held a protest at PAP Chowk against the implementation of kilometre scheme. The employees led by Ranjit Singh said the employment of thousands of drivers, conductors and mini bus operators would be affected due to the scheme. The members gathered around noon and initially gave a deadline to the government to bring a solution to the problem by 2 pm. When nothing came up, they blocked the highway for about half an hour. Traffic police teams came in and got the highway opened. The employees were assured of relief after which they left the venue. Tribune News Service 9 school buses challanned in Balachaur Jalandhar, October 14 Almost 10 days since DGP Gaurav Yadav had launched the Rs 42 crore e-challan system, it has been made functional in the city. e-challans are being issued in the city since October 11 and almost 200 challans are being issued daily. The defaulters are getting notification about the issuing of challans on their phones the same evening. The challans are mostly being issued for violations, including red light jumping and wrong side driving committed between 9 am and 6 pm. ADCP (Operations and Security) Vineet Ahlawat said since there had been certainly technical issues, the challaning was currently being done Nawanshahr, October 14 A special inspection drive was conducted in Balachaur under the Safe School Vehicle Policy today. During the drive, nine school buses were fined for violating the policy guidelines. The inspection was led by RTO Inderpal Singh. The team carried out inspections of school buses operating in Balachaur and educated drivers about the mandatory safety provisions under the Safe School Vehicle Policy. Buses from Paradise Public School, Balachaur Public School, Shaurya International School, Saraswati Public School, etc. were checked. Documents of 13 school buses from 7 schools were examined. —TNS 200 slips being issued daily, 9 more points to be covered soon for violations at four intersections, including PAP Chowk, BSF Chowk, BMC Chowk and Guru Nanak Mission Chowk. “As and when we get ready, we shall start e-challaning at the remaining nine sites too which have been covered under the cameras. It may take just a few days”, he said. ADCP Traffic Gurbaj Singh said, “We are focusing on daytime violations and shall shift to night monitoring also in the days to come. We expect the people to cooperate with us and ensure that they follow proper traffic rules to keep themselves safe and the others moving on roads”. Two die, 2 hurt in Nawanshahr accidents Politics heats up in Doaba over Child killed in Phagwara Haryana ADGP suicide in UT Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, October 14 A road accident occurred near Suraj Kund on the Rahon-Nawanshahr road on Monday, resulting in the death of one person and serious injuries to two others. According to an FIR, deceased Jatinder Singh, a resident of Rahon, was travelling with his sister Mandeep Kaur and nephew Parmeet Singh in a white Mahindra XUV. The trio was returning to their village Malikpur after visiting Rahon. While driving his vehicle, Jatinder Singh was allegedly hit head-on by a speeding truck. The truck, coming from the Nawanshahr side, was reportedly being driven recklessly. The collision left Jatinder Singh, Mandeep Kaur, and Parmeet Singh critically injured. Passersby quickly responded and helped remove the victims from the vehicle. Mandeep Kaur and Parmeet Singh were taken to the Civil Hospital in Rahon for treatment, while Jatinder Singh was rushed via ambulance to Raja Hospital in Nawanshahr, where he was declared dead by the attending doctor. An FIR has been registered against the truck driver under relevant sections, and the police have initiated further investigation. In another incident of rash driving, a teenaged boy died on the spot. The accident happened near the local vegetable market. According to the complaint registered by Ajit Singh, the father of the deceased, he had come to the vegetable market along with his son, Harpreet Singh. While he was busy buying vegetables, Harpreet crossed the road to purchase sweets from a shop on the opposite side. At that moment, a speeding bus came from the direction of Chandigarh Chowk and struck Harpreet. The impact caused severe head injuries, resulting in his death on the spot. road accident Phagwara,October 14 The city was rocked by two separate road accidents on Tuesday morning, resulting in the death of a child and multiple injuries. In the first incident, an eight-year-old boy Ranveer lost his life near the bus stand flyover. Inspector Aman Kumar Daveshwar said employees of 108 Ambulance received an emergency call reporting an accident at the location. Upon reaching the scene, they found the child severely injured and immediately rushed him to the Civil Hospital. Despite efforts by doctors, Ranveer was declared dead. Preliminary reports indicate that Ranveer was on a motorcycle with his parents when an unidentified vehicle collided it, causing the child to be fatally struck. The police have initiated an investigation into the incident. In a separate accident near Jamalpur, a Punjab Roadways bus collided with a stationary vehicle on the road. Witnesses reported that the stationary vehicle, which was carrying vegetables, had stopped abruptly after a tire malfunction. The bus, travelling at a high speed from Ludhiana to Jalandhar, failed to be stopped in time and crashed into the vehicle, resulting in significant damage to the bus. Several passengers along with driver Prabhjinder Singh sustained serious injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals. The driver stated that the sudden braking of another vehicle in front had caused him to lose control, leading to the collision. Local residents gathered at the scene to assist the injured, and the police have launched an investigation into the accident. — OC c m y b BJP, SAD (R) say AAP neglecting Dalit community Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 14 Dalit politics has got heated up in the Doaba. After the Congress held a candlelight march in favour of Haryana ADGP Y Puran Kumar, who died by suicide, former Union Minister and BJP leader Som Prakash has also expressed concerns about the incident. He has also alleged the neglect of Dalits by the AAP government in Punjab. Som Prakash along with with ex-MLA Sheetal Angural and BJP district president Sushil Sharma have demanded strict action against those responsible for the IPS officer’s suicide, citing the suicide note that mentioned several officials. He accused the AAP government of neglecting the Dalits, pointing out that despite promises, no Dalit has been appointed as Deputy Chief Minister or nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Som Prakash highlighted the struggles of Dalit students awaiting scholarships, with the Punjab Government facing court criticism for not fulfilling its obligations. He cited the party’s MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpur being convicted under the SC/ST Act and the damage to Dr BR Ambedkar’s statues in Amritsar and Phillaur as evidence of AAP’s alleged anti-Dalit stance. “The government’s neglect of the Dalits will end in 2027 and the BJP will form a government with an absolute majority”, he claimed. Others who attended media interaction with Som Prakash were BJP state general secretary Rakesh Rathore, district general secretary Rajesh Kapoor, former district president Raman Pabbi and BJP district media incharge Tarun Kumar. Meanwhile, the SAD (Revived) has described the AAP’s government as antiDalit and said not a single Dalit leader from Punjab has been sent to the Rajya Sabha. This proves that AAP does not consider the Dalits as anything other than a vote bank. Party’s working committee member and leader belonging to the Taksali Akali family Jarnail Singh Garhdiwala said in a press statement issued here that AAP is only playing with the sentiments of the Dalit community by using the picture of Dr BR Ambedkar, whereas in practice it is doing the opposite. Garhdiwala said there are many leaders with intellectual capacity in the Dalit society but the entire background of AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal is linked to the RSS. There is no hope for the welfare of the Dalits from them.