24112025-ATR-01.qxd 11/24/2025 12:01 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 22°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 10°C PUBLIC CONVENIENCES TURN INTO INCONVENIENCE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AWARENESS PROGRAM HELD AT YOGA INSTITUTE MANISH MALHOTRA STEPS INTO FILMMAKING The public toilet facility appears to be the least priority for the Amritsar planners as many toilets are in poor condition. P2 The Indian Yoga Institute on Sunday organised a health awareness programme at SL Bhawan School. P2 Celebrated designer awaiting release of his maiden production Gustaakh Ishq: Kucch Pehle Jaisa. P4 » » » SUNSET MONDAY 5.27 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7.07 AM MONDAY | 24 NOVEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR BSF seizes four drones, 1 kg heroin Seizures were made from different locations along IB MC to roll out QR code-based waste collection system for city Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service The seized drones in the custody of the BSF at Attari in Amritsar on Sunday. Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 In a series of coordinated and intelligence-driven operations, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday recovered four drones and over 1 kg of heroin from different locations along the IndiaPakistan border in Punjab. In the first set of incidents, BSF troops recovered a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone that had been concealed in an agricul- tural field near border village Khemkaran in Tarn Taran district. Acting on another specific intelligence input, troops also recovered a packet of heroin weighing 1.120 kg from the border area village of Mode in Amritsar. In separate operations conducted on the same day, BSF troops successfully neutralised and seized three more drones — two DJI Mavic 3 Classic models and one DJI Mavic 4 Pro. These drones were recovered in three different incidents from areas near Roranwala Khurd, Dhanoe Khurd and from within the premises of Integrated Check Post (ICP), Attari. BSF officials said the operations were executed on the basis of precise intelligence inputs and strengthened by the force’s robust technical surveillance systems which has once again thwarted attempts of illicit aerial intrusion and smuggling from across the border. Amritsar, November 23 Door-to-door waste collection in the city is set for a major overhaul as the newly engaged company, Three R, prepares to introduce a bellto-bell system for daily garbage lifting. Company officials said sanitation workers will scan a QR code at every household before picking up waste. If garbage remains uncollected even after the QR code is scanned, residents will be able to lodge complaints through a dedicated helpline. Officials added that an emergency crew will also be available to clear waste generated during langars, functions or special events. Staff will be deployed along main roads to ensure continuous lifting from public areas. The city has Six pistols seized in two incidents; 1 nabbed Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 23 CIA staff has arrested an alleged cross-border weapon smuggler and seized five pistols reportedly smuggled in from Pakistan. Though officials remained tight-lipped as the investigation is still under way, the accused has been identified as Balwinder Singh, alias Bohar, of Bhindi Nain village. The police recovered two .30-bore pistols, three PX5 pistols and a motorcycle from his possession. A case under the Arms Act has been registered, and further investigations are on to dismantle the entire network involved. Meanwhile, the Amritsar Rural Police arrested a man with a .30-bore pistol, live cartridges, a Swift car and a The suspect in the custody of the police in Amritsar on Sunday. mobile phone during a special operation, though his accomplice managed to escape. The arrested accused, Harjinder Singh, is a resident of Sathiala under the Beas police station. According to officials, Mehta police received a tip-off that Tegvinder Singh, alias Jagga, of Patti Khoohi Vehra, Sathiala, and Harjinder Singh were roaming in a Swift car (registration number DL 2C AL 4430) with illegal weapons, allegedly planning to commit a crime. Acting on the information, police set up a naka near the Dhardeo bypass. After some time, the Swift approached the checkpoint. When signalled to stop, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled into nearby fields. Police apprehended the occupant in the co-driver’s seat, who identified himself as Harjinder Singh. During the search, police recovered a .30bore unnumbered pistol, two live cartridges and a mobile phone found on the driver’s seat, later confirmed to belong to the absconding accused, Tegvinder Singh, alias Jagga. A case under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered at the Mehta police station. A view of garbage at Nehru Shopping Complex in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR around 3.5 lakh households. Three R recently presented its plan before former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Punjab Local Government Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh. A closed-door meeting with councillors and two MLAs was held, where company representative Manish Pathak explained the proposed system. According to the presenta- tion, an integrated command centre will be set up in the municipal corporation to monitor waste lifting, transportation and processing. The company also plans to main- tain cleanliness at all transfer points and will establish 88 such points across the city. Three R began work on October 6. Under its contract, the company must deploy its full machinery in the field within three months and install a processing plant within six months. So far, officials say only older vehicles have been pressed into service, though the company claims that 85 mini-tippers are currently operational. During his recent visit to the city, Local Government Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh said the sanitation system will be reorganised to ensure visible improvement within the next one to one-and-ahalf months. “I have personally visited several areas to review cleanliness. The city will be cleaned in a systematic manner,” he said. Smog returns to haunt Amid heavy smog, commuters make their way down the GT Road in Amritsar on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Bulletproof jackets in criminal hands raise alarm for police Shopkeeper robbed of ~16K in Chabal MC buries garbage in Gurdaspur Sports Complex, DC orders probe Pawan K Jaiswar Our Correspondent Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Victim’s parents Shaminder Singh and Kulwinder Kaur in Tarn Taran. PHOTO BY WRITER ‘Abducted’ in Mexico, family seeks son’s safe release Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, November 23 A former police officer, Shaminder Singh, a resident of Baba Bidhi Chand Colony near the Goindwal Sahib bypass in Tarn Taran, has not only lost Rs 42 lakh to travel agents in his attempt to settle his son Jagjit Singh in the United States, but now faces the agony of his son being held by “abductors” in Mexico for over a year. He pleaded that he has been desperately trying to contact his son. Shaminder Singh had approached travel agent Mandeep Singh, a resident of Shakti Nagar, Jalandhar, and his associate Ramandeep Singh, alias Rocky Asaram, of Safidon in Haryana’s Jind continued on page 2 Amritsar, November 23 The recovery of bulletproof jackets from criminals involved in extortion-related firing incidents and other serious offences has raised major concerns for the police. The seizure suggests that gangsters, acting at the behest of their foreign handlers, are preparing for deadlier confrontations with law enforcement. Earlier, the police recovered a significant cache of foreignmade pistols and explosives, including hand grenades, smuggled into the border state by anti-national elements across the border. But the latest development has further alarmed officials. The trend of gangsters purchasing or acquiring bulletproof jackets indicates an escalation in their preparedness to take on both rival groups and the police, said a police officer who requested anonymity. On Friday, the city police arrested Baljit Singh, who along with his accomplices had snatched cash and a gold bracelet from a readymade garment shop on Sultanwind Road on Thursday. A bulletproof jacket and a Glock pistol were recovered from his Tribune News Service A bulletproof jacket seized from a robber in Amritsar recently. possession, hinting at the possibility of a major crime being planned. Assistant Commissioner of Police Gagandeep Singh confirmed that Baljit is being questioned on several crucial aspects to trace the origin and intended use of the gear. According to a senior official, Baljit claimed he had snatched the foreign pistol and the bulletproof jacket from operatives linked to notorious overseasbased gangster Happy Jatt. Investigators are also probing his suspected involvement in the recent murder of Jandiala councillor Harjinder Singh Brahman in the Chheharta area. Police officials say the pres- ence of bulletproof jackets in the hands of gangsters is deeply worrying, especially at a time when encounters with armed criminals are becoming more frequent in Punjab. Such protective gear could make future face-offs more challenging and dangerous for police teams. Officials also pointed out a rise in the sale of bulletproof jackets among civilians. Jewellery traders, goldsmiths and certain businessmen are reportedly purchasing these jackets online, where they are available for prices ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. Officers say people are buying them not as a status symbol but out of rising concerns for personal safety. c m y b Tarn Taran, November 23 A shopkeeper was robbed at gunpoint by three motorcycle-borne persons at Chabal here on Saturday night. The shopkeeper, identified as Manpreet Singh of Chabal, was sitting in his shop on the Amritsar road, when the three robbers reached the spot. The robbers put a pistol to his ear and asked him to hand over all his cash to them. After robbing him of the cash, they fled the spot. Sub-Inspector Balwinder Singh, posted at the Chabal police station, visited the spot and collected details of the incident. The police have registered a case under Sections 304, 332 (3), 3(5) and 351 (2), (3) of the IPC. Rising incidents of robbery in the Chabal area have severely affected the business of shopkeepers. WAS THREATENED WITH PISTOL ■ The shopkeeper was sitting in his shop when the three robbers reached the spot. One of them put a pistol to his ear and asked him to hand over all his cash to them. Gurdaspur, November 23 Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Aditya Uppal has ordered an inquiry into the Municipal Committee’s (MC) “high-handedness” after it buried tonnes of garbage within the premises of the District Sports Office (DSO) late at night by digging a large pit. The sports fraternity was left stunned by the MC’s decision to dump waste in an area where national and international sportspersons train. Residents, too, were shocked at the turn of events. The complex houses a gymnasium, swimming pool, basketball and volleyball courts, and a badminton hall, besides accommodating the office of the DSO. The MC reportedly chose nighttime to carry out the controversial exercise because its officials knew there would have been chaos had the dumping taken place during the day. MC officials claimed they selected the sports complex due to an “acute shortage of space in the city.” The move was allegedly green-lit by a serving bureaucrat. Calling it a “slap in the face of innocent sportsmen,” a senior officer said, “While CM A JCB was pressed into service to bury tonnes of garbage at the District Sports Complex in Gurdaspur. Bhagwant Mann and his ministers are on a stadium-inauguration spree, the MC chose to desecrate the temple of sport. The DC should immediately hold the officer who ordered this accountable.” “Gurdaspur is such a big city, yet the civic body thought it prudent to choose a sports facility to bury filth,” said Amarjit Shastri, a judo coach. As news spread, scores of sportspersons gathered at the site. “A JCB machine was brought in to dig a 10-footdeep pit, after which the city’s refuse was dumped and cov- ered with soil,” said a gymnast. The MC has faced criticism earlier for dumping waste at inappropriate locations in the town. Just days ago, piles of trash were strewn near Jahaz Chowk, one of the busiest areas in the city. “Our sales dropped by 50–70 per cent because of the garbage,” said a prominent meat shop owner. Last year, during the monsoon, the MC similarly littered the road leading to the Gurdaspur-Pathankot NH, near the PAU regional centre and the BSNL office, posing a serious health risk to residents.