03122025-JTR-01.qxd 12/2/2025 10:56 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune PUBLIC OUTCRY IN GORAYA AS STRAY MENACE PERSISTS FARMERS INVITED TO APPLY FOR SUBSIDISED FARM MACHINERY TV STARS SHARE HOW THEY ARE ENJOYING WINTERS Residents said that stray cattle roam freely on main roads often causing traffic disruptions. P2 Applications can be submitted on the portal agrimachinerypb.com until 5.00 pm on December 4. P3 Television stars tell us just how deeply this season affects them in their day-today work life. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 20°C | MIN 6°C YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 6°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.24 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 7:11 AM WEDNESDAY | 3 DECEMBER 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. INBRIEF CHILD TRAFFICKER GANG BUSTED Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a woman member of a gang of traffickers indulging in buying and selling newborn babies. The accused has been identified as Soma of Bholu Wala Road, Gobind Nagar, Faridkot. A social activist had informed the police that the accused had formed a gang which purchased newborn babies from poor families and sell them in lakhs of rupees to rich families. A case was registered against the accused and many members of this gang have been arrested further investigations are on. OC TWO HELD FOR ABETTING SUICIDE Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested two villagers on the charge of abetting suicide. The accused have been identified as Maghar Singh and Manpreet Singh of Reharrwan village. Kulwindar Kaur of Mandpuniyan village had complained to the police that his husband committed suicide due to harassment by the accused. A case has been registered against the accused. OC 2 ARRESTED FOR TAKING HEROIN Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a person on the charge of consuming heroin. The accused has been identified as Jatindar Singh of Sohal Khurd village. A case has been registered against the accused. The Mehatpur police arrested drug addict Kulwindar Singh of Raipur Arian village. OC MURDER ACCUSED PO ARRESTED Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for the last 10 months. The accused has been identified as Jasdeep Singh, alias Pita, of Pati Mansoor Bilga village and wanted in a case of murder and firing registered in April 2024 and was declared PO in February 2025. oc Nominations end tomorrow, parties yet to finalise namesitsfor rural polls AAP expected to declare list today Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 2 Even as just two days are left to file nomination papers for zila parishad and block samiti elections, most political parties are yet to finalise their candidates. Almost all parties have allowed the local MLAs and halqa in-charges to themselves screen the candidates and allot them party symbols. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party is going a little extra cautious, taking the lists from MLAs, discussing it with the district leadership and getting the final stamp from the top brass. The AAP is expected to give lists of its candidates tomorrow morning. The MLAs and halqa in-charges have asked the prospective candidates to keep their forms and supporting documents ready so that there are no hassles in submitting nomination papers tomorrow and day after. Balkar Singh, AAP MLA, Kartarpur, said, “Our candidates will start filing papers from tomorrow. We are expecting our lists to come tomorrow and only then we can officially declare our candidates.” Likewise, Adampur halqa in-charge of AAP Pawan Tinu too said, “We The staff wait for a candidate to file nomination papers for the zila parishad elections in Jalandhar on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH have cleared the list from our side. Our candidates will file papers from tomorrow. We shall certainly field some promising candidates for the zila parishad polls.” Two prominent names from Nakodar. On the Congress side too, Shahkot MLA Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia is yet to finalise the list of his candidates for two zila parishad and 45 block samiti seats. Adampur Ashok Kaura Phagwara, December 2 As Punjab gears up for the upcoming zila parishad and block samiti elections, signs of deepening factionalism within the Congress have become visible in the Phillaur Assembly constituency. With political parties finalising their candidates and even striking local-level alliances in some regions, the Congress in Phillaur appears divided into two clear camps — one led by local MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary and the other by MP Charanjit Singh Channi’s son Navjeet Singh. MLA Chaudhary has been holding meetings in Phillaur to shortlist potential candidates. However, a parallel exercise took place on Monday in Goraya where Navjeet Singh convened a separate meeting, inviting aspirants for both zila parishad and block samiti seats from various villages, along with senior supporters and party workers. Chaudhary was absent from Navjeet’s meeting as was the local block Congress president. Their absence has intensified speculation that the Congress in Phillaur is split into two factions. This situation has led to growing concerns within the party ranks regarding its preparedness and internal coordination for MLA VS CHANNI’S SON Congress in Phillaur appears divided into two clear camps — one led by local MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary and the other by MP Charanjit Singh Channi’s son Navjeet Singh. the upcoming elections. When questioned about the visible rift, Navjeet denied any factionalism, stating that he had been meeting people across the nine Assembly segments in Jalandhar, who had elected his father as MP . On being asked about alliances similar to the recent BSP-Congress understanding in Nakodar, Navjeet clarified that he had no information about any such arrangement in Phillaur and asserted that the Congress was strong enough in the constituency to contest independently. However, despite these assertions, the absence of key Congress leaders from each other’s meetings suggests a widening organizational disconnect. Party workers fear that the ongoing division could weaken the Congress, affecting its performance in both the zila parishad and block samiti elections. As both groups continue to operate independently, questions remain about how the Congress will project unity and mobilize grassroots workers effectively in the critical days leading up to the elections. Sexually assaulted minor’s identity disclosed Gangster Rana, 3 others sent NGO questions failure of cyber and child protection authorities to police remand over firing Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 2 A city-based NGO Daat Foundation has expressed concern over the circulation of photographs of a 13-year-old girl who faced sexual assault before being murdered. The NGO maintains that despite repeated complaints filed with multiple authorities regarding the clear violation of Section 23 of the POCSO Act, which strictly prohibits disclosure of the identity of a minor victim, no deterrent measures were taken. Dr Simranjeet Kaur, president of the Daat Foundation, stated that despite filing complaints with the Cyber Crime Branch, Jalandhar, the Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cyber- crime.gov.in), no meaningful action has been taken so far. “We had submitted the first complaint on November 24, but even after several reminders, there has been no response from the ACP (Cyber crime), Jalandhar. The commission, which is the monitoring authority under the POCSO Act, has also not taken any steps. The National Cyber Crime unit has acknowledged the complaint but is ‘only following the procedure’, she said. “Even after multiple complaints, the girl’s pictures are still visible on the Internet, being misused in rallies, Safai karamchari union protests 4 hurt as car rams into parked truck Phagwara, December 2 Four persons were injured on Tuesday evening when a speeding car coming from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, to Mukerian crashed into a parked truck on the national highway near Phagwara. The police and witnesses said the driver is suspected to have fallen asleep, causing expected from AAP for the ZP elections include former vicechairperson of zila parishad and ex-Congress leader Darshan S Tahli and former SAD leader Atma Singh, who had joined AAP three years ago Congress MLA Sukhwinder Kotli alleged that due to nonavailability of voter lists, candidates were not able to file their papers today. “The candidate and his proposers all need to have voter list copy so as to be able to file papers”, he said. Nakodar halqa in-charge Dr Navjot Dahiya claimed, “Our candidates are comfortably placed. We have given 10 seats of block samiti to the BSP in our pact with it”. Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh announced Mandeep Jamsher as its zila parishad candidate. He also welcomed back the old Congress family from the village of Jamsher into the party fold during a public event. Mandeep Jamsher had parted ways from the Congress in 2009 and contested local elections and panchayat polls independently. He also announced Baljit Kaur as Congress nominee for the block samiti elections. Pargat said, “Mandeep Jamsher holds a Master’s degree in Film and Theatre and will be an asset to the area. He will promote the vision of Dr BR Ambedkar and provide the Dalit community with a meaningful political space.” Rift comes to fore in Phillaur Cong the vehicle to hit the stationary truck. The impact left the car severely damaged. All four injured occupants were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Phagwara, for treatment. The accident led to a prolonged disruption of traffic on the busy highway, causing significant inconvenience to commuters until the damaged vehicle was removed. — OC Jalandhar, December 2 The Safai Karamchari Union held a protest again today at the Municipal Corporation office and raised slogans against the authorities and the government for not listening to their demands. They did not do any work today. “We will not do any work till our demands are met,” a union leader said. While one union remained on strike, the other continued working. “Teams of sewermen, sanitation workers, rag pickers, and workshop drivers associated with unions aligned with the Safai Mazdoor Federation Punjab continued their duties and ensured that the city remained clean,” Anil Sabharwal from the union said. — TNS shared on social media pages, and circulated without any fear of law. What is the purpose of having these institutions if they cannot stop a direct and visible violation of Section 23 of the POCSO Act?” Dr. Kaur said. She has questioned the authorities, “Justice delayed is justice denied. What is the use of removing the photographs after 15–20 days when they have already gone viral? Do we have to file a court case or a PIL in the High Court every time just to ensure that the authorities fulfil their basic duty? Will these institutions wake up only when violations become a trend? Are we really safe if laws meant to protect children are not implemented proactively?” The Daat Foundation has demanded that the government must issue a clear SOPs and advisory for all departments, social media platforms, schools, NGOs, media houses, and the police authorities to prevent such incidents in the future. There must be a well-defined protocol for immediate takedown of such illegal content. The foundation also stresses that district-level cyber cells must be strengthened, trained, and equipped with the latest technologies so that such cases can be handled promptly at the district level instead of being delayed through layered procedures. The NGO has called upon the authorities and the state government to take immediate and strict action to ensure that all photographs of the minor are removed without delay, and to fix accountability for the negligence shown so far. Our Correspondent Phagwara, December 2 Alleged gangster Virender Pratap Singh, alias Kala Rana, was brought to Phagwara from Gurugram’s Bhondsi Jail on a production warrant on Tuesday and produced before Judicial Magistrate. He was allegedly involved in firing on AAP leader Daljit Raju’s house on the midnight of November 27 in village Darvesh near Phagwara. The court granted the police two-day remand of the gangster for interrogation into the alleged conspiracy behind the attack. Rana, who is wanted in multiple murder and extortion cases, has been nominated in the case after his suspected role emerged during the investigation. Meanwhile, the three already Bullets pierce through the door of AAP leader’s house. FILE arrested accused — Ghanshyam Tiwari, his mother Neeraj Kumari, and brother Deepak Tiwari — were produced before another court in Phagwara. They too were sent to two-day police custody, with investigators stating that the trio allegedly sheltered and financed the shooters involved in the late night firing at Raju’s residence on November 27. With all four accused now under police remand, the authorities say interrogations will focus on establishing the network behind the attack, suspected extortion links and identifying the masked assailants who fired multiple rounds at the AAP leader’s house. For underprivileged soccer lovers, Rahul the only hope A former bank employee, he left his job to pursue his passion for coaching Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, December 2 Driven by the commitment to uplift underprivileged children through sports, 31year-old Rahul Chaveria has become a hope. A former bank employee, Rahul left his stable job to pursue his passion for coaching talented children, who cannot afford training. Rahul, a sports enthusiast since his school days, began coaching his fellow students in 2010 — just two years after he started playing. “I always enjoyed coaching. Within two years of playing, I realised teaching others gave me immense satisfaction,” he said. During his five-year stay in Nawanshahr, Rahul connect- c m y b ed with the Daily Morning Football Club and began coaching young players there. He also started a small club to train children from slum areas, single-parent households, and families of daily-wage labourers and rickshaw pullers. “I don’t take any money from those who have talent but cannot afford coaching. Otherwise, the fee is just Rs 1,000,” he added. After moving to Chandigarh, Rahul continued his mission with even greater determination. He founded the Joy and Jolly Sports Association, where he has employed coaches to train children across various sports. Over the years, he has coached more than 600 young players — many of whom have gone on to compete at state and national levels. To identify new talent, he regularly visits local grounds and offers training opportunities to promising youngsters. Rahul recently returned to Nawanshahr where he celebrated his birthday in a unique way — by playing a friendly football match with the Daily Morning Football Club. According to Tarsem Lal, Deputy Mass Media Education & Information Officer from the Civil Surgeon’s Office and Chairman of the Mass Media Wing, the match was played between the Aur Block Football Club and the Daily Morning Football Club Nawanshahr. The Daily Morning Football Club took the lead in the first half with strong coordination from Rahul and his teammates. Although the Aur Block Football Club fought back in the second half, Nawanshahr secured a 2–1 victory. Club president Ajay Mehra highlighted Rahul’s continuous contribution to the community, noting that while Rahul remains actively associated with the Daily Morning Football Club, his Joy and Jolly Football Association in Chandigarh continues to nurture underprivileged and talented children — carrying forward the great mission. Rahul Chaveria (31), who provides football coaching to underprivileged kids.