17012026-ATR-01.qxd 1/16/2026 11:44 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST FOG MIST IN MORNING MAX 13°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 12°C | MIN 3°C GNDU LAUNCHES ANIMAL WELFARE COMMITTEE CHAJJAS FRAME WALLED CITY’S PAST WHAT IS MUZAFFAR ALI ENVIOUS OF? The move is being hailed by animal rights activists as a step towards humane campus governance. P2 Residents call for conservation, suggest body be formed on the lines of the Walled City of Lahore Authority. P3 Filmmaker-artist-poet delivered a lecture encompassing art, migration, pain, poetry and peace. P4 » » » SUNSET SATURDAY 5.50 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7.29 AM SATURDAY | 17 JANUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR Admitted to GND Hospital,gangsterflees from police custody Amritsar districts. The police are now probing whether the escape occurred due to negligence on the part of the security staff or with the help of insiders. Meanwhile, a case has been registered at the Majitha Road police station against ASI Lakhwinder Singh and Head Constable Harjot Singh, who were deployed for the gangster’s security. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sandeep Goyal confirmed that the absconding gangster Prince has also been named in the First Information Report. He said both police personnel have been suspended and departmental inquiries have been ordered against them. Notably, the Special Cell of Amritsar (Rural) Police had arrested Prince during a recent encounter, during which a pistol and a car were recovered from his possession. After being shot in the leg, he was admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, where the two policemen were assigned to guard him. Despite this, the accused managed to escape late last night. Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 16 An alleged gangster, Prince alias Money Prince, who was undergoing treatment at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital under police custody, managed to escape, triggering a major security alert. According to police sources, Prince was injured during an encounter with the Special Cell of the Amritsar Rural Police at the Lopoke police station area a few days ago. He sustained a bullet injury to his leg and was admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital for treatment, where a police team was deployed to guard him. However, during treatment, the gangster allegedly managed to slip away from the police personnel posted for his security and fled from the hospital. Soon after receiving information about the escape, the police launched a massive search operation in and around the hospital premises as well as nearby areas. Prince is a history-sheeter with several serious criminal cases registered against him in Tarn Taran and Hope returns to Ajnala’s flood-hit families Neha Walia Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 16 Months after the devastating floods left a trail of destruction across several villages in the border belt of Ajnala in September 2025, families are still struggling to rebuild their lives amid loss, trauma and uncertainty. Manvi Masih, 12, from the remote village of Bauli in Ramdas, was among the many displaced residents who sought relief and ration from volunteers on the ground. Like others in her village, she was left in shock, grieving not just the loss of her home but also the memories, belongings and sense of stability that come with having a roof over one’s head. A video of her sobbing and pleading for help — describing how her family of six was living in a makeshift tent — went viral. It was not until Maghi this year that Manvi found her smile and hope again. Along with her mother, Baljeet Masih, she cut the ribbon of her newly rebuilt home, constructed by Amritsar-based non-profit Voice of Amritsar (VOA). “At least now we will not be rootless. We have our own home,” Manvi said, as her mother stood by, overwhelmed with emotion. A Class VII student at the local government school, Manvi had been living in a single-room temporary Members of an NGO, Voice of Amritsar (VOA), along with some beneficiaries at Bauli village; (right) another beneficiary Paramjeet Singh from Ghonewal with his repaired flour mill. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR shelter with her two younger brothers, parents and grandfather. Her father works at a local brick kiln, earning Rs 200-300 as daily wages, while her mother supplements the income through menial jobs. “We could never have rebuilt our home on our own. The house that was destroyed in the floods barely had a proper roof and only two rooms,” Baljeet said. Still waiting for the compensation promised by the Punjab government, the family finds solace in knowing that they finally have a safe place to live. “Now I want to study hard and earn well, maybe build a bigger home someday,” Manvi said, hope Amritsar, January 16 The Amritsar Rural Police on Friday claimed to have busted a major drug and illegal arms racket with the arrest of three persons, including a woman, leading to the recovery of a huge consignment of heroin along with sophisticated firearms and ammunition. Those arrested have been identified as Ajul Arora, a resident of Bagh Ramanand, Ghee Mandi; Dilpreet Kaur of Baba Darshan Singh Avenue; and Pratham Sharma of Mahal village. The police said the module was being operated by foreignbased notorious gangsterturned-terrorist Satbir Singh, alias Satta Naushera, who has also been nominated in the FIR. Dilpreet Kaur’s son, Abhiraj Singh, was also booked in the case. According to police officials, the Special Cell of the Amritsar Rural Police first arrested PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Drug-arms nexus busted, 3 nabbed with heroin The suspects in the custody of the police in Amritsar on Friday. Ajul Arora and recovered 4.863 kg of heroin, two 9 mm pistols and 10 live cartridges from his possession. DIG, Border Range, Sandeep Goel said that during sustained interrogation, Ajul Arora revealed the names of his associates, leading to the arrest of Dilpreet Kaur and Pratham Sharma. Further investigation result- ed in additional recoveries, including two PX5 pistols, one 12-bore pump-action rifle with 45 live cartridges, one Springfield rifle with 25 live cartridges and four .30-bore live cartridges. Based on the investigation, the police have named additional accused, including Abhiraj Singh, alias Abhi Mahal, of Darshan Singh Avenue, Unidentified body found at property sealed by bank Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 16 The body of an unidentified man was found inside a house sealed by Canara Bank in the posh Ranjit Avenue D Block here on Friday. The incident led to panic in the area, and also raised serious questions, as entry into the sealed house was supposedly strictly restricted. According to police sources, members of the bank’s management allegedly first took the body to Janata Hospital, where doctors confirmed that the man was dead. Instead of informing the police, bank officials reportedly took the body to several hospitals. Instead of informing the police, bank officials reportedly took the body to several hospitals Around 7 pm, the team reached Civil Hospital, where doctors reprimanded them, and immediately informed the police. Ranjit Avenue police station SHO Inspector Robin Hans said, upon receiving information, the police rushed to the spot and questioned bank officials. Meanwhile, bank staff brought the body back to the sealed residence, where police surrounded them. The post-mortem examination of the body is set to be carried out tomorrow. The deceased has not yet been identified. As per the initial probe, the police found that Canara Bank had taken possession of the property two months ago due to nonpayment of loan instalments by the owner. An unidentified person had reportedly been living there for the past few days. It is learnt that Satnam Singh of the bank’s recovery branch visited the property on Friday evening, and discovered the body inside. Canara Bank DGM Sandeep Saxena said the matter had been brought to his notice, and a thorough inquiry will be conducted. Senior bank officials have also been informed. Ghanupur Kale; Nandini Sharma of Mahal village; and Satbir Singh, alias Satta Naushera, who are currently absconding. Apart from the contraband and weapons, the police also impounded two cars allegedly used for trafficking drugs. “Foreign-based gangsterturned-terrorist Satbir Singh, alias Satta Naushera, is involved in 19 criminal cases, while Abhiraj Singh, alias Abhi, has a criminal history of 15 cases under various sections of law,” DIG Goel said. He added that arrested accused Pratham Sharma is already facing a case under the NDPS Act registered at the Chheharta police station. Senior police officials stated that continuous raids are being conducted to arrest the absconding accused. The forward and backward linkages of the drug and arms network are being thoroughly investigated. — TNS Man gets 20-year RI in child sexual assault case Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 16 The court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge (Fast Track Special Court), Amritsar, has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 for committing sexual assault on a fiveyear-old child. The judgment was pronounced in a case registered at the Verka police station under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The convict has been identified as Raja, a resident of Preet Nagar, Verka. According to the prosecution, the Continued on Page 2 c m y b glinting in her eyes. In Ghonewal village, Urmila Kumari, also known as Hardeep Kumari, and her 12year-old daughter Deepika have been living with relatives who offered them a corner of their courtyard. Their only belongings are five battered steel utensils and a small bag of clothes. Suffering from polio, Hardeep has no steady source of income. “My husband left me 10 years ago due to his alcoholism and never returned. I survived by doing stitching work and making sweaters,” she said. “The floods destroyed everything. I waited for two days to be rescued, sitting on my cot in waist-deep water because I couldn’t move.” For Hardeep, rebuilding life is a challenge far greater than rebuilding a house. Yet, for her daughter Deepika, a home would offer a sense of normalcy and safety. “I want her to study, but we struggle to arrange even two meals a day. I am grateful that Voice of Amritsar rebuilt our home, but no help has come from the government,” she said. Across nearby villages, NGOs have stepped in to help rebuild homes, but many residents continue to live with uncertainty — about shelter, livelihoods and the fear of floods returning. Paramjeet Singh of Ghonewal lost his livelihood when the flour mill he ran from his home was destroyed. With the mill rebuilt and equipment restored, he can now attempt to support his family of five children. Similarly, Kamaljeet Singh, a farmer who lost crops worth Rs 25 lakh and two rooms of his house to the deluge, received assistance from VOA. “The loss was unbearable. I till 40 kile of land and did not seek aid initially as others needed it more. Many families in nearby villages are still living in makeshift tents during this harsh winter,” he said. Restoring livelihoods, shops and farms will take time, and survivors continue to carry deep trauma and insecurity. “In the villages of Ghonewal and Bauli, we helped construct houses and flour mills for the needy. School bags, stationery, blankets, bedding and other essential items were also distributed,” said Indu Aurora, president of Voice of Amritsar. “Village panchayats provided crucial support by identifying families in need. We hope to reach many more.” Prithipal Singh, sarpanch of Ghonewal, said, “We submitted lists of damaged properties and compensation claims to the state government, but only 25 people have been approved for compensation of Rs 1.40 lakh each.”