25112025-ATR-01.qxd 11/24/2025 10:49 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS HOLD SPECIAL ASSEMBLIES GNDU CELEBRATES 56TH FOUNDATION DAY DHARMENDRA: THE STAR WHO WILL SPARKLE FOREVER Remember Guru Tegh Bahadur for his commitment to justice, equality and rights highlighted. P2 Varsity dedicates occasion to Shaheedi Gurpurab of ninth Guru, to start course on Sikhism. P3 Sprinkled with stardust and wrapped in tinsel, his was a career that spanned every kind of movie. P4 » » » MAX 22°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 22°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.23 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:57 AM TUESDAY | 25 NOVEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR Wanted in murder case, criminal gunned down in police encounter Victim Manjit Singh was shot dead on November 16 inside his shop in Dhulka village Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Additional MC Commissioner Surinder Singh at the garbage dump site on Monday. VISHAL KUMAR MC officials review waste disposal at Bhagtanwala Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 24 A detailed review of the bioremediation operations at the Bhagtanwala dump site was carried out on Monday as part of the Municipal Corporation's ongoing efforts to treat legacy waste in the city. Senior officials inspected the project to assess its progress and evaluate daily waste processing performance. The review was conducted by Additional MC Commissioner Surinder Singh, acting on the directions of Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill. He was accompanied by Medical Officer Dr Kiran and other officials of the Municipal Corporation. During the visit, the team examined on-ground activities and interacted with Say average daily processing rate now is around 1,677 MT ■ Development now indicates improved efficiency in waste management ■ the field staff to understand operational challenges. According to figures shared at the site, 29,445 MT of legacy waste had been processed up to October 31. Between November 1 and 23, another 38,576 MT of waste was treated, taking the cumulative processing to a total of 68,021 MT. Officials said the waste removal pace in November has been steady, with an aver- age daily processing rate of around 1,677 MT, indicating improved efficiency at the dump site. The Additional MC Commissioner instructed the executing company to further accelerate the bio-remediation activities, ensure adequate deployment of machines and manpower, maintain consistent operations and uphold safety and cleanliness protocols. He stressed on meeting project timelines to ensure long-term environmental relief for the surrounding areas affected by legacy waste. The Municipal Corporation stated that it remains committed to sustainable waste management and the scientific restoration of the Bhagtanwala site through continuous monitoring and systematic processing. Amritsar, November 24 Raja Singh alias Billa, a resident of Cheema Kalan in Tarn Taran, and wanted in several criminal cases, including murder, was gunned down following a brief encounter in the wee hours in Rayya here on Monday. A cop, ASI Shankar Singh, was also injured in the exchange of fire near Tong village. He suffered a bullet injury in the shoulder and is stated to be out of danger. His accomplice, Manpreet Singh of Krishna Nagar, was also arrested by the police from Khalichian area later on. Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Border Range, Sandeep Goel said that Billa has shot down a local resident Manjit Singh on November 16 in Dhulka village in Rayya. He along with SSP (Amritsar Rural) Suhail Qasim Mir reached the spot and took firsthand information about the incident. "The police got a tip-off about the possible movements of Raja Singh and Enduring legacy DIG, Border Range, Sandeep Goel (second from right) and SSP, Amritsar rural, Suhail Qasim Mir (in specs on extreme left) along with other cops at the encounter site in Amritsar on Monday; (right) bike of the murder suspect who was gunned down by the Amritsar rural police near Rayya. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR his accomplice Manpreet Singh in the Rayya area today in the morning. They had been evading arrests since the Manjit Singh murder," said DIG Sandeep Goel, following which various teams, each headed by a DSP-rank official, set up checkpoints on multiple roads in the area. According to police officials, the accused was moving in the area with plans to commit another crime. "On seeing the police, the accused tried to escape but slipped from his motorcycle and opened fire. ASI Shankar Singh received a bullet injury in his arm during the exchange. Police retaliated in selfdefence, injuring the accused, who was later declared dead at the hospital," said the SSP. Raja Singh was wanted in the murder of Manjit Singh, who was shot dead by two unidentified assailants on November 16 inside his shop at Dhulka village. A case under Sections 103 and 3(5) of BNS and under relevant provisions of the Arms Act had been registered at Khilchian police station. Police said a separate case is being registered for firing and assault on the police team. The condition of the injured ASI is reported to Gangster Batala booked for making extortion call, attempt to murder be stable. Raja had three criminal cases registered against him while his name had also cropped up during the investigations of another extortion related firing case recently. The police recovered two foreign-made pistols which have been sent for forensic examination. Further probe is on to find out their origin and from where they were smuggled into the country. Gold earrings snatched from woman in Sarhali Our Correspondent Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Nagar Kirtan being taken out on the occasion of 350th martyrdom day of ninth Sikh Master, Guru Tegh Bahadur, in Amritsar on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Amritsar, November 24 Notorious gangster, Keshav Batala, who was allegedly involved in the high-profile murder case of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, has been booked by the Amritsar rural police on charges of extortion and attempt to murder. Apart from him, the police also nominated two of his unknown accomplices who had opened fire outside the house of a farmer in Dayalpura village falling under Ramdass police station here around a week ago. The victim, Daljit Singh, has approached the police for safety and arrest of the suspects. A case has been regis- tered and further investigations are on to identify the accused that had opened fire outside his residence. In his complaint lodged with the police, Daljit Singh said that his son Abhinoor Singh received a voice message on his WhatsApp number from a foreign-based number on November 18. In the voice message, an unknown person demanded Rs 1 crore as extortion money. But as they belonged to a farmers' family, they did not take any notice of the message. However, on November 20, when his son had gone to attend a function in Amritsar, two unknown persons with faces covered came on a bike outside their house. They stopped the bike a little far away from the house while the pillion rider came close and fired multiple gunshots at their house and fled the scene. He said later on, they called his son on his WhatsApp number and threatened to kill them in case they failed to hand over the extortion money. He said since the incident, the family was living in fear and had now decided to lodge a complaint. Tarn Taran, November 24 Two motorcycle-borne snatchers took away the earrings of a woman from Sarhali village on Sunday evening. The woman, Manjit Kaur, was on her way home from the village and had stopped to talk to her neighbour. In the meantime, two robbers appeared on the spot on a motorcycle, stopped near Manjit Kaur and snatched both her earrings and fled. Manjit Kaur said that the earrings weighed an estimated five grams. Manjit Kaur reported the matter to the Sarhali police. ASI Talwinder Singh said that a case has been registered in this regard. Mixed reaction to AAP govt’s decision on holy city status to ‘Galliara’ Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 24 The AAP government's move to grant holy status to the ‘Galliara’, established around the Golden Temple following military operations to flush out holed up terrorists, evoked a mixed reaction from the people. The demand for giving the entire walled city the status of a holy city had been raised for long. Notably, it was once a major demand of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex body for Sikhs. Over four decades ago, the SGPC strongly sought the "holy city" status for Amritsar. At that time, the BJP had opposed it in 1981. Interestingly, last year, a BJP leader, Jagmohan Singh Raju, a former IAS officer, demanded the holy city sta- tus for the walled city. Earlier, he had announced a hunger strike at the Golden Temple complex but later decided to recite from the Guru Granth Sahib after the SGPC informed him that hunger strikes do not align with Sikh traditions. On the status to be extended to ‘Galliara’, he said: "It is a fraud played by them with the sentiments of the people. There are already no liquor or meat shops in the ‘Galliara’. I have been fighting for holy city status to Amritsar. My prayer before the High Court is also for the whole city and it issued a notice to the AAP government and the next hearing is on December 16." Way back in 2020, the holy city tag was sought by then prominent personalities and social welfare societies. The Samaj Sudhar Punjab unit, A view of the Golden Temple plaza in Amritsar which will be covered under holy status. Nihang Singh and Sabha societies had submitted a memorandum to then Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, urging the five high priests to recommend "holy city" status for Amritsar to the state and Central governments. Led by former Akal Takht c m y b Jathedars, Giani Gurbachan Singh and late Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, they even took to streets, demanding the status of "holy city" for Amritsar. They also sought implementation of law and order in the city to maintain its spiritual environment. Emphasis was laid on shifting non-vegetarian joints, liquor vends and tobaccoselling kiosks out of the walled city, as it defied the Sikh rehat maryada. They said poor sanitation, stray dog menace and the poor roaming around the streets left a negative impact on devotees, who come from all over the world to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. The residents of the area and those involved in the hospitality sector sought timely repair and swift lifting of garbage in the Galliara area around the Golden Temple that serves as green lungs for residents living inside the walled city. A green garden presents a soothing sight for visitors coming from around the world and across the country before moving inside the holiest Sikh shrine. Similarly, it offers a whiff of fresh air to the residents coming out of narrow winding streets. The walled city is characterised by labyrinthine streets whose residents look forward to the ‘Galliara’ for fresh air. The government initiated the ‘Galliara Project’ in 1988 on the pretext of beautification of the surroundings of the holy shrine. The bazaars, which had a great heritage value, were demolished to pave way for the ‘Galliara Project’. These historical bazaars included the famous Bazaar Maniaran (Jhutha Bazaar), Thara Sahib Bazaar, Pappranwala Bazaar, Kapda Bazaar (cloth market) adjoining Baba Atal, a portion of Atta Mandi, Mochi Bazaar, Kaulsar Bazaar, Kathianwala Bazaar and a major part of Mai Sewan Bazaar. These markets with narrow streets used to be a centre of attraction for pilgrims visiting the city. The ‘Galliara’ was, in fact, prepared from the security aspect following two military operations for flushing out armed terrorists from the Golden Temple complex. Under the project, hundreds of shops and houses coming within a 30-metre radius of the Golden Temple were demolished, which uprooted thousands of people. The demolition work started on June 9, 1988, and was completed on November 13, 1988. As many as 859 families were uprooted while 500 houses and 1,150 shops were demolished during the acquisition process.