01112025-LT-01.qxd 11/1/2025 12:52 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune HUNDREDS TAKE PART IN ‘RUN FOR UNITY’ ON EKTA DIWAS Events were organised across region to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.P2 » FOTO 2025 CELEBRATES 33 YEARS OF CREATIVITY STUDENTS REDEFINE STYLE WITH SUSTAINABILITY Dressed in outfits made of newspapers, wrappers, etc, designers proved creativity doesn’t have to cost planet.P3 The Photographic Society of Chandigarh inaugurated its annual group exhibition at Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sec 16. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 30°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET SATURDAY 5.36 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:37 AM SATURDAY | 1 NOVEMBER 2025 | LUDHIANA 12 barge into house, try to extort ~10L in Dakha Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 31 About 12 persons barged into a house in Dakha and attempted to extort Rs 10 lakh from the owner at gunpoint. The suspects managed to extort Rs 50,000 and left with a warning that the remaining amount will be collected in a day. Acting on the complaint, the Dakha police arrested two suspects. The key suspect is a drug addict and he, along with his accomplices, wanted to extort money from his brother-in-law (sister’s husband). On the complaint of the complainant, Narinder Singh (52), a resident of Baraich village, a case on the charges of extortion and assault was registered against the suspects, identified as Jasvir Singh, a resident of Jodhan, Veerpal Singh, alias Pal, Jugraj Singh, alias Lala, Manpreet Singh, Amaninder Take away ~50K, 2 held, owner’s brother-in-law, key suspect, is also a drug addict PROBE ON TO TRACE OTHER SUSPECTS: COP DSP Dakha Varinder Singh Khosa said during investigation, Manpreet Singh, alias Happy, a resident of Mansura village and Kulwinder Singh, alias Kinda, a resident of Rajgarh village were arrested and further investigation was launched to trace the remaining suspects. Singh, a resident of Mansura village, Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Rajgarh village, and six unidentified persons. Narinder told the police that on October 26 around 8:30 pm, his brother-in-law Jasvir along with about 1012 persons after parking three vehicles, Mahindra Scorpio, Wagon R and Maruti Alto, outside his house, forcibly entered it. At that time, he was sitting in a room and his wife Swaranjit Kaur was doing some work. Jasvir came straight into his room holding a pistol in his hand and other suspects were having sharp weapons, baseball bats, etc. “Jasvir pointed the pistol at me and started demanding Rs 10 lakh from me, to which I said I don’t have that much money. After which, he said he wanted the money, otherwise, he will kill me. He managed to take Rs 50,000 lying in my house drawer at gunpoint and threatened to kill me if the remaining Rs 9.50 lakh was not given in a day. Afterwards, they left the house,” the complainant said. After taking Rs 50,000, the suspects also continued to roam around his house, following which he lodged a police complaint and sought immediate action. DSP Dakha Varinder Singh Khosa said during investigation, Manpreet Singh, alias Happy, a resident of Mansura village and Kulwinder Singh, alias Kinda, a resident of Rajgarh village were arrested and further investigation was launched to trace the remaining suspects. Once the key suspect, Jasvir, was arrested, weapon used whether licensed or unlicensed would be known, he said. Khosa said Jasvir was also a drug addict and he was also facing cases registered against him under the Arms Act in the past. Man’s murder case cracked in 48 hrs, minor among four land in police net Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 31 The Ludhiana police claimed to have solved a blind murder case within 48 hours of the crime and arrested four suspects. Illicit affair with wife of one of suspects reason behind killing Deputy Commissioner of Police (City and Rural) Rupinder Singh, ADCP-1 Sameer Verma, ACP (North) Kikkar Singh and Salem Tabri SHO inspector Harshvir Singh addressed a press conference regarding the matter. The DCP said on October 29, the blood-soaked body of an unidentified person was found stuffed into a sack and dumped under bushes in a field on Kasabad-Noorwala Road. Earlier, the police have registered a murder case against unidentified persons. During investigation, mastermind of the murder Niranjan Yadav was arrested along with his three accomplices, Three of the suspects in Ludhiana police custody. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN identified as Sanjay Kumar and Jai Ram and a minor boy. He said investigation revealed that the deceased was identified as Suraj Kumar, alias Munish, who was a friend of Niranjan. However, Suraj had an illicit relationship with Niranjan’s wife. Upon discovering this, Niranjan, along with his accomplices, called Suraj to his house, gave him alcohol and killed him by inflicting injuries with sharp weapons. The suspects then put the body in a sack and dumped it in the field. The ADCP said all suspects involved in the crime were arrested. Salon owner shot at in Machhiwara RTO office remains locked, staff hassled Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 31 Unidentified assailants opened fire at a Salon owner in Machhiwara on Thursday night. The suspects approached the victim in a filmy style, slowed down the car and fired at him. After which, he raised the alarm. As people gathered around the scene, the miscreants fled the place. The victim saved his life by barging into some house and later he was shifted to a hospital for treatment. After getting information, DSP Karamjit Singh, along with the SHO, Machiwara, reached the scene. The complainant, Roshan Lal, a resident of Bajigar Mohalla, Machhi- Victim hospitalised, claims he had no enmity with anyone wara, told the police that he runs a salon, Roshan Hair Salon, near the Machhiwara bus stand. On October 30, around 9:28 pm, when he was going to check his car parked near this house, a white car came from the Baba Balak Nath Temple side and stopped near him. “A person sitting in the vehicle told me to give way to the car and when I asked him what happened, he took out a revolver and opened fire with the intention of killing me. The bullet hit below my stomach. I tried to escape by entering a house and saved my life. People from my neighbourhood came to the place and took me to the Civil Hospital, Machhiwara. A doctor gave me first aid and sent me to the Civil Hospital, Samrala, and from there, I was further referred to GMCH, Sector 32, Chandigarh, where I am still undergoing treatment,” the complainant said. Khanna DSP Karamjit Singh Grewal said the CCTV footage of the incident was recovered and the same was being reviewed. “The vehicle number is also being traced and soon the suspects will be nabbed. So far, it is a blind case,” he said. Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 31 Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had launched faceless RTO services across the state on October 29 with the aim of making transport-related services more accessible and transparent to the public. As a symbolic gesture, the Chief Minister “locked” the RTO office to mark the end of physical visits for transportrelated works on Wednesday. Interestingly, the office has remained locked since then, leaving the entire staff without a proper place to sit. One of the RTO staff members, wishing not to be named, said: “The CM The locked office of the RTO in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN locked the office to show that Sewa Kendras will now handle RCs, driving licences and other related services. But since that day, the office has literally Rise in dengue cases: Health Department intensifies awareness campaign in district 361 confirmed cases reported as of October 30, 35 remain active, 29 hotspots identified Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 31 Ludhiana is witnessing a steady rise in dengue cases, with the district reporting 361 confirmed cases as of October 30, including 15 new infections in a single day. While 35 cases remain active, 29 hotspots have been identified across both urban and rural areas. Localities such as Gurdev Nagar, SBS Nagar, Baba Deep Singh Nagar, Preet Nagar, Jassian Road, Vijay Nagar, Dholewal and Chander Nagar are under close watch. In response, the Health Department has ramped up its awareness campaign under the banner ‘Har Shukarvaar – Dengue Te Vaar’, urging residents to inspect their homes every Friday for stagnant water — prime breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito. Civil Surgeon Ramandeep Kaur emphasised that Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water on a road near Subzi Mandi in Ludhiana. INDERJEET VERMA dengue spreads through mosquito bites during the daytime and it breeds in clean and stagnant water found in coolers, tyres, flower pots and open containers. Health teams have been conducting door-to-door visits, school inspections and awareness lectures. Over 1,000 students at Government Senior Secondary School, Basti Jodhewal, were given information through rallies and poster exhibitions. ASHA workers and Anganwadi staff are actively spreading awareness among residents in villages and colonies. Dr Kaur appealed to citi- zens to cooperate with health teams and maintain hygiene to curb the spread. “Public support is crucial to eliminate dengue,” she said. The department has also held online meetings with NGOs to mobilise more teams, especially in urban colonies where awareness c m y b gaps persist. All government hospitals are on an alert mode, equipped with adequate medicines, testing kits and platelets. Free services are available across health centres, ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment. While Ludhiana has reported only one chikungunya case so far, the focus remains firmly on controlling dengue before it escalates further. With coordinated efforts and community participation, the district aims to flatten the curve and safeguard public health. Symptoms Common symptoms include high fever, body ache, headache, pain behind eyes, and skin rashes. If any of these appear, residents are advised to visit the nearest government hospital for free testing and treatment. remained locked. None of us dared to open it till we get instructions from higher authorities regarding the same.” Another employee said there should have been more clarity on the issue. “At least till the time the public was made aware of the new system, the office should have remained operational,” he said. ARTO Rupinder Singh said the staff had been temporarily accommodated and by Monday, everything would be sorted out. A senior Transport Department official from Chandigarh said there would be a 15-20 day transition period. “Gradually, people will become aware that they have to visit Sewa Kendras for RTO-related works or avail online service. By Monday, the staff will be properly accommodated,” the official said. Items used in the crime, including two potato sacks, a cable wire, a broken red plastic tub and a pair of slippers, were seized from them. They will be produced in a court to seek police remand. A case under Sections 103, 238 and Sections 3(5) of the BNS was registered. Man ends life at police post Ludhiana, October 31 A man allegedly died by suicide inside the SBS Nagar police post late on Friday evening. The deceased was identified as Gurvinder Singh (27) of Lalton. The deceased was taken to the police post on the charge of theft and was kept inside the lock-up. He allegedly ended his life by hanging from a grill with the help of a blanket. By the time police officials got to know about the development, he was already dead. Police post staff informed senior officials about the development and launched a probe. Police post officials are also likely to face action for adopting a negligent approach and failing to supervise the suspect brought on theft charge. — TNS Threat of vector-borne disease looms large each year, no lessons learnt Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 31 With around 361 dengue cases reported in the district till Thursday, the situation appears to be worsening. While these are official figures, several cases remain unreported as patients either undergo home treatment or consult private clinics. The recent death of a Class V student from a reputed school due to dengue has again raised questions about the seriousness of the authorities in controlling the menace. Despite tall claims by the Health Department and Municipal Corporation (MC) regarding awareness drives and preventive measures, residents alleged that the issue was being taken lightly. “Had the authorities acted strictly and carried out fogging across the city regularly, ensured timely garbage clearance and penalised those responsible for mosquito breeding, numbers would have been far lower,” said Raj Kumar, a res- Despite tall claims by authorities regarding awareness, measures, residents allege issue being taken lightly ident from Janakpuri. A supervisor from Zone D, requesting anonymity, said each of the four city zones was equipped with four fogging machines. “Each zone gets 95 litres of diesel and 20 litres of petrol for running the machines and their transportation. Every machine operates for about one hour daily, depending on the area councillor’s requirement,” he said. However, residents from areas such as Field Ganj, Iqbal Ganj, Janakpuri and Haibowal claim that fogging was not conducted in their localities this season. “I have a shop in Chhoti Haibowal and never seen fogging there. We have to burn mosquito repellents throughout the day to stay safe,” said Sarvan. Several residents complained that vacant plots have turned into garbage dumping sites, often used by residents and sanitation workers alike. These, they said, had become ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. An MC supervisor, meanwhile, pointed to political interference in operations. “The problem mainly arises in wards where councillors belong to opposition parties. The sitting councillor demands fogging as per their schedule while AAP leaders push for their own priorities. To avoid any conflict, we sometimes claim that the machine is not working,” he admitted. Vipul Malhotra, who heads the health branch of the MC, said fogging was a continuous process. “It is being carried out daily. There might be occasional ego clashes between area councillors over priorities but MC teams are regularly performing fogging operations,” he said.