23012026-ATR-01.qxd 1/23/2026 12:18 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY OP PRAHAAR: THREE-DAY POLICE CRACKDOWN NETS 301 SUSPECTS JAPAN ENVOY’S BIRYANI MOMENT WINS HEART GLOBAL POP STAR NICK JONAS’ DOSA LOVE STORY The police, in its three-day drive arrested 301 suspects under ‘Operation Prahaar Gangster te Vaar’. P0 Japan’s Ambassador to India, ONO Keiichi, shared a video of himself eating the dish by hand. P4 In a recent Instagram reel, pop star Nick Jonas is seen sampling a crisp dosa at a breakfast buffet. P4 » » » MAX 13°C | MIN 4°C YESTERDAY MAX 18°C | MIN 3°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5.56 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 7.27 AM FRIDAY | 23 JANUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR Removal of case-property vehicles from police premises faces major hurdles Pawan K Jaiswar Customs nab 1 with protected peacock trophy Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 22 Punjab Local Government Minister Sanjeev Arora has recently directed the systematic removal and relocation of all scrapped, abandoned, unclaimed and confiscated vehicles lying in police station premises and on other government lands to designated yards outside urban areas within a month. However, implementing the directive is likely to be a daunting task for the police due to the absence of any dedicated dumping or scrap yard. Compounding the problem is the long and cumbersome legal procedure involved in the disposal of case-property vehicles. Many vehicle owners are unwilling to reclaim their vehicles because of their damaged and worn-out condition, further complicating the disposal process. At present, thousands of vehicles lie unattended in police stations, along roadsides adjoining police establishments, on footpaths and even within police colonies. In several areas, these vehicles have led to traffic congestion and encroachment of public spaces. Besides giving a shabby appearance to police premises, they have also created unhygienic conditions. Unat- A large number of case-property vehicles lying on the Civil Lines police station premises in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR tended vehicles often become easy targets for unscrupulous elements and drug addicts, who strip them of parts. The police quarters near the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) and the Cantonment police station present a glaring example of the problem. Hundreds of case-property vehicles have been dumped across the colony, including in the only open park and playground available to residents and children. Link roads connecting the colony to main roads have been blocked, rendering them unusable. Resi- dents allege that the accumulation of vehicles has turned the area into a breeding ground for insects and snakes, which frequently enter homes and create panic. The Punjab Government has announced the removal and shifting of these vehicles as part of its urban governance reforms aimed at improving public safety, sanitation, traffic management and the optimal utilisation of public infrastructure. According to the government, the action is aligned with existing legal provisions under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (removal of abandoned and unclaimed vehicles), the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 (de-registration and disposal of end-of-life vehicles), and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 (safe handling and disposal of non-biodegradable waste, including vehicles). Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the Commissionerate Police were yet to receive any formal communication from senior police headquarters regarding the directive. “Once we receive official instructions, steps will be taken to identify suitable sites for shifting these vehicles,” he said. Farmers, labour unions hold protest over privatisation, installation of smart meters Amritsar, January 22 On a call given by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha Bharat, Punjab chapter, protests against privatisation policies were held here on Thursday. Under the programme, demonstrators removed smart electricity meters and submitted them to nearby power offices, alleging that the move was aimed at benefitting corporate sector at the cost of common people. The union leaders said the protest was held against policies being implemented under the influence of international institutions such as the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which, they alleged, promote corporate-friendly laws against the interests of Indian citizens. Large public participation was witnessed during the protests, reflecting anger against the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Punjab Government headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Addressing the protesters, Morcha leaders alleged that the Centre was imposing “anti-people” laws and undermining India’s federal structure by forcing legislation in areas that fall under the jurisdiction of states, including electricity, seeds, agricultural research, water, education and farming. They further alleged that the Punjab Government, instead of Gangster Jagga Pattu injured in encounter Fake gangsters demand ~10 lakh from school teacher, one nabbed Our Correspondent Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, January 22 Notorious gangster Jagtar Singh alias Jagga Pattu was injured in an encounter by the police near Kairon village in the area. The police have recovered a foreignmade weapon from the possession of the accused. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Tarn Taran, Surendra Lamba said that on the evening of September 22, gangster Jagga Pattu and his accomplices shot and killed two youths at the railway gate of Kairon village near Patti. The main shooter in the crime was Jagga Pattu. After committing the murder, gangster Jagga Pattu was absconding. The SSP said that Jagga continued on page 2 Amritsar, January 22 The Amritsar Rural Police have booked three persons after a government school teacher was allegedly threatened for extortion by a group posing as gangsters and demanding a huge sum of money. According to the police, the complainant, Kuldeep Singh (51), a resident of Sohian Kalan village, in his complaint to the police stated that on January 18, he received a phone call on his mobile number from an unknown person claiming to be a gangster, Doni Bal. The caller allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh as extortion money and threatened to kill the complainant, his family members and his son if the demand was not met. The complainant further opposing these measures, was collaborating with the Centre to implement corporate-oriented policies. The union leaders also accused the state government of attempting to suppress ongoing movements through social media and administrative pressure. It warned that the impact of such policies would not be limited to farmers and labourers but would also hurt small traders, shopkeepers and street vendors, as online trade and large shopping malls were gradually pushing them out of business. Resolutions were passed highlighting issues such as rising drug abuse in Punjab, unemployment among youth, deteriorating law and order, and alleged failure of alleged that on the night of January 19, he received threatening calls from multiple mobile numbers, which he did not attend. At around 9.23 am on January 20, he received a WhatsApp voice message from a Dubai-based number, asking to keep the amount ready and instructing him to deliver the money by evening. Later in the evening, between 8 pm and 9.30 pm, the caller again sent several voice messages, reducing the extortion demand to Rs 5 lakh immediately and asking for the remaining amount within a week. The complainant also alleged that the same night, an armed man with his face covered came to the village chowk, where the lights were on, took out a pistol and openly threatened to kill the complainant and his family. Based both the Centre and the state government to address these concerns. The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced that it would intensify the agitation in the coming days, including a programme on February 5, to gherao the residences of MLAs and ministers across Punjab, and appealed to the public to participate in large numbers. Several farmer and labour organisations, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, BKU Krantikari, BKU Doaba, BKU Azad, BKU Behramke, Kisan Mazdoor Hitkari Sabha, BKU Bhinderi and BKMU, among others, participated in the protest under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha Bharat, Punjab chapter. on the voice, height and physical build, the complainant identified the suspect as Sukhmanpreet Singh, a resident of the same village. During further verification, it was revealed that Harinder Singh, a resident of Kohatwind Hindua falling under the Mehta police station, and his father Parkash Singh were also allegedly involved in the extortion racket. The police registered a case under Sections 308(4), 308(6) and 351(3), BNS, and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59, Arms Act. The police arrested Sukhmanpreet Singh, while further investigation is underway to trace the remaining suspects. The police said efforts are on to recover the weapon used in the incident and to verify the role of each accused in the extortion plot. c m y b Amritsar, January 22 A peacock taxidermy trafficking racket was busted at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport here on Thursday. The Customs Department has arrested a passenger arriving from Bangkok with a dead taxidermy trophy of peacock. The arrested accused has been identified as Mohammad Akbar Ahmed (39), a resident of Kasampur village in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. He arrived in Amritsar on January 19 by Thai Lion Air flight SL-214 from Bangkok. As soon as the flight landed at around 2.45 pm, Customs Department officials placed him under surveillance. After completing customs clearance, when the passenger attempted to exit through the green channel, officials grew suspicious of his luggage. X-ray screening revealed unusual shapes inside the bag. A detailed search led to the recovery of a peacock taxidermy trophy along with wooden and other related materials. During the operation, the officials seized the accused’s mobile phone. Authorities said forensic examination of the phone could help trace the international smuggling network and identify its masterminds. Murder accused held after brief encounter DIG, Border Range, Sandeep Goel along with other police officials at the encounter spot in Amritsar. Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 22 The Amritsar rural police have arrested a wanted murder accused after a brief encounter, recovering a pistol and a motorcycle from his possession. The accused was identified as Jaspal Singh alias Bhatti, a resident of village Patti, falling under Chhabewal police station in Hoshiarpur district. He was wanted in a murder case registered at Kotwali police station in Kapurthala. DIG, Border Range, Sandeep Goel said the police received a specific intelligence input about the movement of the accused in the area. The accused allegedly killed Lakhwinder Singh, a resident of village Phullewal, Kapurthala, due to personal enmity. Inputs had also suggested that the accused was armed with a sophisticated weapon. Acting on the tip-off, the police team set up barricades and launched a checking drive. On spotting the police, the accused allegedly opened indiscriminate fire in an attempt to escape. The police retaliated in self-defence, in which the accused sustained a bullet injury in his leg and was overpowered. A .30 bore pistol with a magazine and a live cartridge, along with a motorcycle, was recovered from the accused. He was immediately shifted to a hospital for medical treatment. Police officials said that the forward and backward linkages of the accused are being investigated and further arrests are likely in the case based on the disclosures.