25122025-TTB-03.qxd 12/25/2025 12:06 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 355 | 18 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI US, UKRAINE REACH CONSENSUS ON KEY ISSUES FOR PEACE WORLD /thetribunechd HC JUNKS MEHBOOBA’S PIL ON TRANSFER OF PRISONERS J&K COURT STAYS ACTION BY BANKS AGAINST ANIL, RCOM BUSINESS US LAWMAKERS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER BAN ON AWAMI LEAGUE BACK PAGE thursday | 25 december 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com JCO killed in firing inside military camp in Samba Arjun Sharma Jammu, December 24 A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army was killed in a firing incident inside a military camp in Samba district on Wednesday. The JCO was identified as Surjeet Singh, a resident of Reasi. Army spokesperson Lt Colonel Suneel Bartwal said, “A JCO of an Army unit in Samba sustained gunshot wound while on duty and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries in the line of duty.” Sources said the incident occurred in the Army unit located in the Bari Brahmana area. While the Army ruled out the terror angle, it said the incident was under investigation. The sources said the incident was likely a case of fratricide. An FIR has been registered and the police have started a probe into the incident. In a statement, the Rising Star Corps paid solemn tribute to braveheart Subedar Surjeet Singh “who made the supreme sacrifice while on operational duty in Jammu”. “The Army stands firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of grief and assures unwavering support” the statement said. There were reports that a soldier, who was a suspect in the case, fled from the spot. However, there was no official confirmation of the reports. Naxalism & J&K terror reined in, G RAM G promises 125 job next fight against drugs: Shah days, but MGNREGA could In Panchkula, assures states of support on cybercrime, human trafficking Nitin Jain & Sheetal 2022-23, 50.07 in 2021-22 and 51.52 days in 2020-21. Clause 6(2) of the new law states, “The state governments shall notify in advance a period aggregating 60 days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting, during which works under the Act shall not be undertaken.” The exemption during the agricultural seasons, as per Clause 6(1), has been given to ensure adequate availability of labour for harvesting and sowing. Meanwhile, experts have questioned the new law’s practicality and intent. Citing Clause 5(1), which states that “the state government shall, in areas as may be notified by the Centre, provide… not less than 125 guaranteed employment”, they said this clearly meant there would be no guaranteed work as the Centre would itself be notifying the areas to states, thus “curtailing the entire scheme”. Nikhil Dey, social activist and one of the brains behind MGNREGA, told The Tribune that according to Clause 4(5) of the G RAM G Act, the “Centre shall determine the state-wise normative allocation for each financial year, based upon objective parameters, as may be prescribed by the Centre”. “Under MGNREGA, work was given as per demand. But now, the Centre will decide work allocation. Moreover, cash-strapped states will find it tough to cough up 40 per cent of the required funds (as per the 60:40 funding formula between the Centre and states), which will lead to conflicts,” Dey pointed out. Govt bans new mining lease in Aravalli range Punjabwitnesses 53%reductionin farmfiresthisyear Aksheev Thakur Chandigarh, December 24 Punjab witnessed a 53 per cent drop in the number of farm fires this year, said Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Gurmeet Singh Khudian, in a press release issued here on Wednesday. The state recorded 5,114 cases this year against 10,909 in 2024. The biggest factor was the handing over of at least 1.58 lakh subsidised crop residue management machines to farmers since 2018 of which more than 16,000 were sanctioned this year. Khudian said the government increased the state advised price (SAP) for sugarcane by Rs 15, making it the highest in the country at Rs 416 per quintal. In a big boost to crop diversification, the area under cotton expanded by 20 per cent to 1.19 lakh hectares. A 33 per cent subsidy on PAU-recommended BT continued on page 8 Tribune News Service Animesh Singh Panchkula, December 24 Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday delivered a blunt, high-voltage message on national security and internal order, declaring that the Narendra Modi government “stood like a rock” with states in the fight against drugs, human trafficking, cybercrime and organised crime, as he wrapped up a whirlwind tour of Panchkula marked by four back-to-back engagements in three and a half hours. Leading with the most pressing security challenges facing the country, Shah told The Tribune that the Centre would fully back states in tackling new-age crimes, asserting that after a decade of the Modi government, the country had largely neutralised three major law-andorder threats — Left-wing extremism, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and insurgency in the Northeast. “There is peace on these fronts today and the country is safe,” he said, underscoring that the next decisive push was against narcotics networks, Tribune News Service Leopard kills youth in Mandi, injures eight Home Minister Amit Shah inspects the passing -out parade of newly recruited police personnel at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula on Wednesday. Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini is also seen. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR trafficking syndicates, cyber frauds and organised crime. Earlier, addressing the Haryana Police’s passingout parade of Recruit Basic Course Batch-93, Shah stressed that the Centre would strengthen states with Borderpatrolarrests 30 Indian nationals living illegally in US modern laws, technology and forensic backing. Under the new criminal justice laws, he said, forensic examination of crime scenes had been made mandatory in cases carrying punishment of more than seven years, a move aimed squarely at ensuring conviction of the guilty. He noted that the batch was the first in Haryana to pass out after training under India’s new criminal laws replacing the colonial-era codes. continued on page 8 ‘BAHUBALI’ PLACES US SAT INTO ORBIT Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Mandi, December 24 Panic gripped the Balh valley in Mandi district on Wednesday morning after a leopard attacked residents of three villages, killing one person and injuring eight others. The reign of terror ended when alert villagers united and killed the leopard. The leopard first attacked residents in Chandyal village during the early hours, creating chaos and fear. It then moved to Bhadyal village, where it again attacked people indiscriminately. Four persons sustained serious injuries in these two villages. The leopard later reached Malwana village, where it fatally attacked a youth. According to eyewitnesses, the youth was reportedly living in Mandi city and had come to the Balh valley to visit relatives. The deceased, identified as Balbir Singh, a native of Bheuli, died on the spot. only average 48 in past 5 yrs Villagers neutralise animal as panic spreads The injured include Sahib Singh, Deenanath, Champa Devi, Janit and Rekha Devi. The injured were rushed to Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College, Nerchowk, where they are undergoing treatment. Following the attack, panic spread across the Balh valley. Residents came out of their homes carrying sticks and other improvised weapons to protect themselves. When the leopard attempted another attack, the villagers killed the animal. The leopard’s body has been sent for a postmortem examination. Teams from the administration, police and the Forest Department rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. Balh SDM Smritika Negi confirmed the incident and said immediate relief was being provided to the deceased’s family. New Delhi, December 24 The US Customs and Border Protection authorities have arrested 30 Indian nationals living illegally in the US during a series of enforcement operations targeting unauthorised commercial drivers in California, officials said. The arrests were made by agents of the El Centro sector of the US border patrol in recent weeks as part of vehicle stops at immigration checkpoints and coordinated interagency operations. Between November 23 and December 12, agents from the Indio Station apprehended 42 illegal immigrants operating semi-trucks using commercial driver’s licences while travelling on interstates and highways 86 and 111. Of those arrested during the period, 30 were Indian nationals, while the others included individuals from El Salvador, China, Eritrea, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Russia, Somalia, Turkey and Ukraine. New Delhi, December 24 The new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (G RAM G) Act’s promise of providing 125 days of employment per rural household in a year appears to be a challenging one as the government could only ensure an average of 48.33 work days, against guaranteed 100, over the past five years. During the current financial year, the average employment days per household stand at 36.15. Another factor that will make achieving the 125-day target difficult is that the G RAM G Act mandates states to notify 60 work days per financial year in advance. As per the law, no work will have to be undertaken during peak sowing and harvesting seasons, thus further narrowing the employment window. According to the Union Rural Development Ministry’s MGNREGA dashboard, 50.24 employment days were provided in 202425, 52.08 in 2023-24, 47.83 in Tribune News Service ISRO launches a 6,100 kg US communication satellite onboard its launch vehicle LVM3-M6 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Wednesday. PTI BACK PAGE New Delhi, December 24 The Union Environment Ministry on Wednesday issued directions to DelhiNCR, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat for a complete ban on the grant of any new mining lease in the Aravallis.The ban will stay in place until a survey is conducted on sustainable mining by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) in the area. A letter in this regard has been sent to the Chief Secretaries of four states by the ministry. The Centre has also directed that for the mines already in operation, the state governments concerned would ensure strict compliance with all environmental safeguards. However, no timeline has been set by the ministry for the completion of the survey. Further, the ministry has also directed the ICFRE to identify Stringent provisions of new legislation make implementation difficult AMBITIOUS TASK FISCAL WORK DAYS 2024-25 50.24 2023-24 52.08 2022-23 47.83 2021-22 50.07 2020-21 51.52 Orders survey for sustainable activity additional areas/zones in the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, over and above the areas already barred for mining by the Centre, based on ecological, geological and landscape-level considerations. The ministry has sent a letter to the director of the ICFRE to look into the entire Aravalli landscape, including its continuity as a geological ridge extending from Gujarat to Delhi, while preparing a management plan for sustainable mining (MSPM). The survey will identify all such landforms and zones where mining needs to be prohibited in addition to the areas where it is already barred, including the core areas and the hills and ranges, so that these could also be conserved and protected. continued on page 8 Baptised Canada Sikh lawyer wins oath battle Witness against dera chief in castration Alberta court strikes down mandatory pledge to reigning British monarch Archit Watts HAS ROOTS IN PUNJAB Tribune News Service Muktsar, December 24 A baptised Sikh lawyer’s challenge to the oath of allegiance to the Crown has forced Canada to rewrite rules. Thirty-eight-year-old Prabhjot Singh Warring, based in Alberta and tracing his roots to Warring village in Punjab’s Muktsar district, has won a landmark legal battle in the Maple country, forcing a change in the law governing the oath for lawyers. Born and raised in Canada, Prabhjot completed his law degree at Dalhousie University and was in the final stage of articling before entering legal practice in Alberta when he encountered an unexpected roadblock. ■ Prabhjot Singh, who has roots in Warring village in Muktsar, refused to take the oath of allegiance, saying it was in conflict with his religious beliefs ■ In 2022, Prabhjot took the matter to court, arguing that as a baptised Sikh, he had already taken an absolute oath to ‘Akal Purakh’ He refused to take the oath of allegiance to then Queen Elizabeth II (now King Charles III), arguing that it conflicted with his religious beliefs. Under Alberta’s rules, lawyers are required to pledge that they will “be faithful and bear true allegiance” to the reigning monarch, their heirs and suc- cessors. In 2022, Prabhjot took the matter to court, arguing that as a baptised Sikh he had already taken an absolute oath to ‘Akal Purakh’ (the timeless being). Swearing loyalty to any worldly sovereign, he contended, would violate the Sikh religious code. He further maintained that the mandatory oath compelled him to choose between his faith and his profession, infringing the freedom of religion guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A lower court dismissed his plea in 2023, describing the oath as merely symbolic. Undeterred, Prabhjot appealed to the Alberta Court of Appeal, the province’s highest judicial body. Recently, a three-judge bench of the Alberta Court of Appeal unanimously ruled in his favour, holding that the mandatory oath violated Section 2(a) of the Charter, which protects freedom of conscience and religion. The court struck down the continued on page 8 case to be cross-examined from US Bhartesh Singh Thakur Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 24 After the Consulate General of India in New York agreed to facilitate from its premises his cross-examination, the prime witness in the castration case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Wednesday approached the CBI court seeking permission for his counsel to be present during the proceedings. The witness, who is currently residing in the US, had earlier moved an application before the CBI Special Magistrate, Haryana, which on August 2 allowed his cross-examination to be con- Today’s issue is of 18 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b ducted from the US through video-conferencing. The dera chief had challenged the order before the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court, but failed to secure any relief. After following up with the Ministry of External Affairs, the CBI informed the court on December 19 that the Consulate General of India in New York was ready to host the cross-examination on its premises, with January 8 and 9 fixed for the same. However, the witness on Wednesday moved the court through his counsel, Navkiran Singh, stating that he was undergoing treatment for retinal vein occlusion. He submitted that doctors had advised him against putting undue strain on his eyesight, making it difficult for him to face prolonged video-conferencing. He sought postponement of the cross-examination until the first week of March 2026. The witness also requested that a fixed five-day window be granted for his cross-examination so that it could be completed on a day-to-day basis. Citing security concerns, he told the court that the accused were “influential persons” with links in “high echelons of society and political circles”, and that he was under “heavy pressure not to speak the truth”. continued on page 8 Assault on patient costs HP doc his job SHIMLA: The services of Dr Raghav Narula, Senior Resident, IGMC, Shimla, have been terminated for assaulting a patient inside the hospital on December 22. The Director, Medical Education, issued the orders in this regard on Wednesday on the basis of a report submitted by a probe committee. INSIDE Unnao rape survivor to move apex court UNNAO/BALLIA: The 2017 Unnao rape survivor on Wednesday termed the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the jail term of the accused, expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, “kaal” (death) for her family and said she would move the Supreme Court against it. BACK PAGE