10012026-ATR-01.qxd 1/9/2026 10:49 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST FOG IN MORNING SR DEPUTY MAYOR INSPECTS BHANDARI BRIDGE MARKET SAVOURING AMRITSARI KHAJOOR IN WINTER AHEAD OF LOHRI PRIYANKA AMONG PRESENTERS AT GOLDEN GLOBES An Amritsar MC official conducted an inspection of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Market near Bhandari Bridge. P2 Amritsari Khajoor should not be confused with the similar sounding name of a popular fruit from the Gulf - dates. P3 Priyanka Chopra Jonas will be among the presenters at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, set to be held in the United States.P4 » » » MAX 9°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 9°C | MIN 6°C SUNSET SATURDAY 5.44 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7.30 AM SATURDAY | 10 JANUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR 25-year-old dies under mysterious circumstances Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, January 9 A 25-year-old youth from Walipur village was found dead under mysterious circumstances today. The body was found from Muhalla Jaswant Singh near the common bathrooms in Tarn Taran city. The deceased has been identified as Gurpinder Singh alias Sonu. His father Kulwinder Singh has already died and his elder brother lives in Canada. He is survived by his elderly mother Rajwinder Kaur. His village is near Walipur city where his family has 30 acres of land. Manjinder Singh, a relative of the deceased and the village Nambardar, said that Gurpinder Singh went from the village to the city on a motorcycle this morning from where the family got information about his death. Manjinder Singh said that Gurpinder Singh was not suffering from any disease. The deceased also kept a horse at home. A large number of people came to mourn the death. People have expressed concern over sudden deaths in the area. The family of the deceased is known as a family of wrestlers. Gurpinder Singh was a tall and well-built man. The cremation took place today. Jewellery shop firing: Police nab main shooters after brief encounter Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 9 Two main accused nabbed after brief encounter in Jandiala Guru jewellery shop firing case In a significant breakthrough, the Amritsar Rural Police on Friday arrested two main accused involved in the firing at a jewellery shop in Jandiala Guru after a brief encounter. One of the accused sustained injuries during the exchange of fire and was shifted to a hospital for treatment. The arrests were made following a special operation conducted by multiple police teams led by SP (Detective) Aditya Wariar, DSP (Detective) Gurinder Singh, DSP Jandiala Ravinder Singh, CIA in-charge Inspector Manmeetpal Singh and SHO (Jandiala) Naresh Kumar. The arrested accused have been identified as Akaash Tejpal and Vishaldeep Singh, both residents of Noordi Adda. The police recovered one .30 bore pistol and one .32 bore pistol from their possession. According to police officials, on Monday (January 5), two unidentified assailants opened fire with the intention to kill at Sonu Jewellery Shop, located near Balmiki Chowk in Darshani Bazaar, Jandiala Guru, and fled the spot. A case was subsequently registered Tribune News Service Amritsar (Rural) SSP Sohail Qasim Mir along with other officials at the encounter spot in Amritsar on Friday. at the Jandiala police station under charges of attempt to murder and relevant sections of the Arms Act. During the course of investigation, the police had earlier arrested two accomplices — Kavish Arora and Meharbeer Singh, both residents of Tarn Taran — who disclosed during interrogation that they had conducted reconnaissance of the jewellery shop prior to the firing incident. On Friday, acting on specific secret information that the main shooters were moving in the Jandiala area, police teams laid a barricade near the Taragarh canal. When the accused approached the barricade on a motorcycle and were signalled to stop, they attempted to flee. The motorcycle reportedly slipped, after which the accused allegedly opened fire at the police party. The police retaliated in selfdefence, during which Akaash Tejpal sustained injuries. Both accused were overpowered at the spot and taken into custody. Preliminary interrogation revealed that the firing incident was allegedly linked to an old financial dispute involving an individual and the owner of the jewellery shop. The police said further investigation is underway to establish both forward and backward linkages and to identify other persons involved in the conspiracy. ADA crackdown on unauthorised colonies Amritsar, January 9 The Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) on Friday carried out a major demolition drive against upcoming illegal colonies along the AmritsarAjnala National Highway, acting strictly in accordance with directions issued by the Punjab Government. Following the orders of ADA Chief Administrator Nitesh Kumar Jain, the Regulatory Wing of the authority conducted the demolition operation under the leadership of District Town Planner (Regulatory) Gursewak Singh Aulakh. The action was carried out in the presence of police officials from the Airport and Rajasansi police stations to ensure law and order. During the drive, unauthorised colonies being developed in Her village of Tehsil Amritsar-2 and Dalam village of Tehsil Ajnala were demolished. ADA officials stated that notices under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA), 1995, had already been issued to halt construction work in these areas. However, despite clear government instructions, the colonisers continued development activities without obtaining mandatory approvals from PUDA and other concerned departments, An illegal colony being razed by the Amritsar Development Authority on the Amritsar-Ajnala National Highway in Amritsar on Friday. prompting demolition action. The ADA Regulatory Wing further informed that in Dalam village, the coloniser had applied for approval with the ADA, but development work was found to be underway over a much larger area than the layout plan submitted for approval. Consequently, all construction carried out beyond the proposed approved area was demolished on the spot. ADA officials clarified under the amended provisions of the PAPRA Act, 1995 (2024 amendment), individuals involved in developing unauthorised colonies may face imprisonment ranging from five to 10 years, along with a fine ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 5 crore. In this regard, the police department is being approached for necessary legal action against landowners and colonisers based on revenue records. So far, demolition action has been taken against a total of 46 unauthorised colonies across the district. Details of these colonies have been uploaded on the official website of the Amritsar Development Authority for public information. Additionally, recommendations have been sent to the police department for the registration of FIRs against 34 unauthorised colonisers and builders. Directions have also been issued to the tehsildars concerned not to register any sale deeds or property documents related to plots in these illegal colonies, while Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has been instructed not to release electricity connections in such areas. The ADA Regulatory Wing stated that regular field inspections are being conducted across the district to identify illegal colonies and unauthorised constructions. Wherever violations are found, notices are being issued, construction work is being stopped, and the police are being informed for further legal action. Appealing to the general public, the ADA urged citizens not to purchase plots in colonies that are not approved by PUDA. Prospective buyers have been advised to verify PUDA approval documents before responding to any advertisement and to consult the list of unauthorised colonies available on the ADA website to avoid financial loss and legal complications. The authority also emphasised that no construction should be undertaken anywhere in the district without obtaining the requisite permissions from PUDA in advance. — TNS Gang attacks jeweller, flees with 400 gm gold Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 9 A jeweller was seriously injured after being attacked by a group of armed assailants who allegedly looted over 400 grams of gold from him near New Flower School here on Friday. The victim has been identified as Mukhtiar Singh, a jewellery trader who runs a showroom in Tahli Wala Bazaar along Sultanwind Road. According to family members, Mukhtiar Singh was car- rying about 425 grams of gold at the time of the incident. Assistant Commissioner of Police Abhinav Jain, however, said that the victim had an old enmity with Amarjit Singh and Vicky Kanda. The duo, along with their armed accomplices, allegedly attacked him. Family members alleged that Mukhtiar Singh had brought the gold from his showroom to his residence on Thursday. On Friday, around 10.30 am, he was riding a motorcycle to deliver the gold to a customer when he was attacked by the MC reviews preparedness for Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 accused. A black car allegedly rammed into his motorcycle, causing him to fall on the road. The assailants, reportedly eight to 10 armed youths, then chased and assaulted Mukhtiar Singh. He was attacked with sharp-edged weapons, including swords, leaving him seriously injured. The attackers allegedly fled the spot with the gold. Local residents informed the victim’s family, who rushed him to a government hospital for treatment. Saab Singh, a relative of the victim, alleged that the family had been receiving extortion calls from gangsters over the past few days, along with threats to kill if their demands were not met. The family suspects the attack was linked to these extortion threats. ACP Abhinav Jain said CCTV footage from the area was being examined to identify the remaining attackers. He added that a case had been registered and further investigation was underway, while raids were being conducted to arrest the assailants. c m y b Amritsar, January 9 With the upcoming Swachh Survekshan 2025–26 in focus, the Municipal Corporation Amritsar held a high-level review meeting under the chairmanship of Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill here today. The meeting was convened to assess the city’s preparedness and to chalk out a strategy for improved performance in the national cleanliness survey being conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U). Addressing the meeting, the Commissioner said that since its launch in 2016, Swachh Survekshan has evolved into the world’s largest urban sanitation survey, with 4,589 cities participating in its latest edition. He noted that the forthcoming survey would place special emphasis on outcomebased indicators, including citizen participation, efficiency in service delivery and the sustainability of sanitation systems. Shergill directed all concerned departments to ensure 100 per cent compliance with the prescribed Swachh MC officials during a high-level review meeting in Amritsar on Friday. Survekshan parameters. He laid particular stress on visible cleanliness, segregation of waste at source, door-to-door garbage collection, scientific processing of solid waste, remediation of legacy dump sites, sewage treatment, reuse of treated wastewater and effective faecal sludge management. He also underlined the importance of regular and accurate updates on the Management Information System (MIS), stating that MIS data would be subjected to citizen feedback and third-party verification prior to final rankings. The Commissioner further instructed officials to strength- en inter-departmental coordination, ensure effective implementation at the ground level and maintain a robust monitoring mechanism. Emphasising citizen engagement, he asked officials to actively involve residents through digital platforms, social media, traditional media and ward-level awareness programmes, encouraging them to participate in the survey process and provide feedback. It was also informed during the meeting that MoHUA would hold virtual review meetings with states and urban local bodies to brief them on survey procedures and expectations. The Municipal Corporation Amritsar will actively participate in these interactions to align city-level initiatives with national benchmarks.However, the performance of the newly hired solid waste management company is yet to review. Despite assurances by the Municipal Corporation to streamline garbage collection across the city by December 31, the agency has failed to ensure regular waste collection in all wards, posing a challenge to the city’s cleanliness goals ahead of the national survey.