20122025-JTR-01.qxd 12/19/2025 11:29 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MASSIVE X-MAS SHOBHA YATRA TAKEN OUT IN JALANDHAR SAINIK SCHOOL MADE ME A THREE-STAR GENERAL: GUV I’M MANIFESTING ACTION FILMS: DINO MOREA Leaders from all political parties, including minister Mohinder Bhagat and others, were part of the event. P2 Gurmit Singh, once a student of the Sainik School, returned to his alma mater, beaming with gratitude and pride. P3 The actor says he is happy to play romantic roles, but hopes that directors imagine him in an action avatar in movies. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 20°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 20°C | MIN 9°C SUNSET SATURDAY 5.28 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7:22 AM SATURDAY | 20 DECEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR Poll over, lobbying on in AAP for top ZP positions Party has secured 10 seats, Congress seven in Jalandhar Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 19 Just a day after the declaration of complete results for the Zila Parishad elections, an internal tussle has erupted within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the selection of Chairman and Vice-Chairman. While AAP MLAs and halqa in-charges publicly maintain that they will abide by the high command’s decision, sources indicate that lobbying for preferred candidates has already begun. In the recently concluded election, the AAP has secured 10 seats, the Congress has won seven, the Bahujan Samaj Party three and Shiromani Akali Dal has won from one zone of the 21-member Zila Parishad. The AAP candidates who have won the election include Amrik Singh from Cholang, Jasdyal Singh from Behram Shrishta, Sarabjeet from Jandu Singha, Surinder Singh from Naugajja, Gurjinder Singh Bhatija from Wariana, Balbir Kaur Sandhu from Dhaliwal, Lakhvir Singh from Patara, Som Lal from Jamsher, Darshan Singh Tahli from Shankar and Prem Lata from Jandiala. Congress winners include Gurdeep Singh from Gidderpindi, Manpreet Kaur from Dhandowal, Ribhka Rani Murder accused held after Tanda encounter Hoshiarpur, December 19 The police on Friday arrested the main accused in the murder of a youth after an encounter near village Chautala, close to Tanda. The arrest came a day after Baljit Singh was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Tanda town, triggering a major police operation across the area. According to the police, teams were formed after the incident to trace the culprits. Acting on a tip-off, the police laid a naka near village Chautala. During the operation, the main shooter, identified as Lakhwinder Singh alias Maninder Saini, a resident of Khadiala, arrived on a motorcycle. When the police tried to stop him, he allegedly opened fire at the police at a secluded spot. In the retaliatory action, the police fired back, hitting the accused in the leg. He was overpowered and taken into custody. The injured accused was shifted to a hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik, who reached the spot, said that police teams under the supervision of SP Parminder Singh and DSP Davinder Singh Bajwa were conducting raids at various locations after the murder. 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. AAP leader Pawan Tinu with the winning candidates at Adampur in Jalandhar. PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH from Adraman, Kamaljit Kaur from Talwan, Bhalwinder Kaur from Bundala, Paramjit Kaur from Bajwa Kalan and Mukhtiar Singh Hayre from Uggi. BSP winner Kamaljit Kaur from Kandola Kalan, Manjit Singh from Apra and Rajni Bala from Ganna Pind. The lone SAD winner is Balvir Kaur from Dosanjh Kalan. The candidates of the Opposition parties stand almost no chance of making it. Since the AAP has a clear majority and is the ruling party in the state, it is amply clear that it will have its way. The fight within the party is from POWER TUSSLE ■ The fight within the party is from two MLAs — Balkar Singh from Kartarpur and Inderjit Kaur Mann from Nakodar, and two halqa in-charges — Rajwinder Thiara from Jalandhar Cantonment and Pawan Tinu from Adampur. ■ The biggest advantage is with Tinu whose all four ZP candidates have won poll. two MLAs - Balkar Singh from Kartarpur and Inderjit Kaur Mann from Nakodar, and two halqa in-charges Rajwinder Thiara from Jalandhar Cantonment and Pawan Tinu from Adampur. The biggest advantage is with Tinu whose all four ZP candidates have won poll. Exminister Balkar Singh too has been able to ensure the victory of three of his candidates. He is learnt to be pitching for Gurjinder Singh Bhatija, a former Akali leader, who has won from the Wariana zone. Thiara has not shown favour for any of her two winners from Jandiala or Jamsher. Though Mann got a drubbing in the poll, she is likely to support Valmiki leader and ex-DCC (rural) president Darshan Singh Tahli from Shankar. Youth cheated of ~13.5 lakh on false promise of Spain visa Our Correspondent Kapurthala,December 19 A case of alleged immigration fraud has surfaced in Kapurthala district, where a youth was reportedly cheated of Rs13.50 lakh by a travel agent who promised to send him to Spain but failed to do so. Following a complaint by the victim’s father, the police have registered a case of cheating against the accused travel agent. The accused has not been arrested so far. Gurdev Singh, a resident of village Kheda Dona in Kapurthala, stated that he was seeking to send his son, Tarnveer Singh Kheda, abroad for job. He came into contact with Happy Khanna, a resident of village Talwandi Madho in the Shahkot area of Jalandhar district, who presented himself as a travel agent. The accused allegedly claimed that he had previously facilitated the travel of several individuals to foreign countries and assured the family that Tarnveer would be sent to Spain. An agreement was reached and the complainant handed over the documents along with Rs 13.50 lakh to the accused in the name of visa processing, documentation, and other related expenses. Neither was Tarnveer sent to Spain, nor was the money returned. When the accused reportedly stopped responding satisfactorily, the family approached the police for legal recourse. Police said an inquiry was conducted. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against Khanna. Police said efforts are underway to trace the accused, and action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation. MP seeks govt help for safe return of 70 women stranded in Oman Tribune Reporters Jalandhar/Phagwara, December 19 MP and environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal has written a letter to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, urging the government to intervene immediately to ensure the safe return of nearly 70 Indian women, who have been stranded in Muscat, Oman, for the past several years. He has appealed for their early repatriation. Seechewal has also called for strict action against travel agents who lure women to Gulf countries on false promises of employment. He stated that these women, belonging to Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh, were taken to Oman after being promised better job opportunities. However, upon reaching Oman, the women were subjected to severe mental and physical exploitation. Many of them are suffering from serious illnesses, while several others are living under extreme psychological distress. They had been promised monthly salaries ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000, but after arriving in Muscat, they faced inhuman treatment. Rani Shakti Singh, who had returned to India from Oman, had contacted Seechewal and shared the painful experiences of these women. According to her, the women are staying at a shelter run by the Indian Embassy. However, it is deeply concerning that they are being asked to pay a substantial amount of money for their return to India. Seechewal expressed serious concern that many of these women do not even have the means to meet their basic daily needs. He urged the Centre and the Ministry of External Affairs to take immediate steps to address this grave humanitarian issue and ensure the safe and swift return of all the stranded Indian women. He demanded stringent action against the travel agents and human trafficking networks. c m y b 2 kg of opium recovered Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 19 The Crime Branch of the Commissionerate Police Jalandhar has arrested an individual along with 2.01 kg of opium. Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur said a team of the Crime Branch apprehended an individual on suspicion near the gurdwara at Guru Gobind Singh Avenue. The accused was identified as Sahil, alias Khatri, resident of House No. 881, Arjan Nagar, near Lahoriye Di Chakki, Police Station Rama Mandi, Jalandhar. During the search, 2.01 kg of opium was recovered from the possession of the accused. Accordingly, an FIR has been registered. The accused is already involved in four criminal cases. Further interrogation of the accused is in progress and forward and backward links of the drug trafficking network are being thoroughly investigated. The operation was carried out under the guidance of Manpreet Singh Dhillon, DCP/Investigation, Jayant Puri, ADCP/Investigation, and Amarbir Singh, ACP/Detective. The team was led by Inspector Sarabjit Singh, In-charge, Crime Branch. A cyclist crosses railway tracks amid dense fog in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Amid dense fog, Indigo flight cancelled, trains late Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 19 Amid fog for the past two days, the arrival and departure of trains and flights to the city have been getting delayed. The Indigo flight from Mumbai remained cancelled on Friday. The flight, which was to land here at 2 pm and leave at 3:40 pm for Mumbai, did not arrive. The airlines company had informed the passengers at 8 am through SMSes on their phones regarding the cancellation of their flights. The same flight was 37 minutes late yesterday in arrival and about 20 minutes late for departure. The Star Air flight for Hindon-Nanded-Bengaluru, however, reached Adampur Civil Airport in time on Friday. Its departure time also remained as per schedule, said Pushpendra Nirala, Director, Adampur Airport. The passengers commuting by trains too have been badly affected. Almost all trains are arriving and departing late by two to five hours because of the fog. Even some premium trains are running late by three hours. Swarna Shatabdi started late by 1:10 hours from Delhi this morning and reached three hours late in Jalandhar. The evening Shatabdi also went late from here by an hour. Shan-e-Punjab heading to Delhi also arrived late by two hours in Jalandhar. The passengers at the railway station said they had been tracking the train timings on their phone apps to avoid any inconvenience. Those who do not have the facility have been sitting for hours at the station platform. Sukhjit Singh, who travelled from Delhi to Jalandhar, today said, “My travel time in train increased by two hours. It was as if the journey had become unending”.