16022026-ATR-01.qxd 2/15/2026 11:49 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 24°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 24°C | MIN 9°C ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SAYS US TRADE DEAL THREAT TO FARMERS SEPARATE TENDER TO CLEAR 4 MT OF BHAGTANWALA WASTE RAHUL BHAT ON WHY KENNEDY STILL HAUNTS HIM The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker on Sunday strongly criticised the proposed India-US trade agreement. P2 The Amritsar MC would eliminate the remaining four lakh metric tonnes of waste at Bhagtanwala dump. P2 As the film is ready to stream on Zee 5, the memory of playing Kennedy is still fresh on the gifted actor's mind. P4 » » » SUNSET MONDAY 6.17 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7.10 AM MONDAY | 16 FEBRUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR Man injured in road accident succumbs to injuries Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, February 15 A man, identified as Lakhwinder Singh (50), who was injured in a road accident near Bagrian village on National Highway No.154, succumbed to his injuries here on Saturday. His daughter-in-law Amandeep Kaur, who was also injured in the accident, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Tarn Taran. ASI Harpreet Singh of the local Sadar police said that the accident took place when the victim was going to Dargah Baba Sheikh Fatta on a motorcycle along with his daughter-in-law Amandeep Kaur to offer kheer. When he was turning from Kadgil village to Bagrian village, a speeding car coming from the rear hit his motorcycle. Shopkeepers fear wall collapse at Nehru Shopping Complex Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 15 Repair work on the damaged parapet walls along the edge of the rooftop at the Nehru Shopping Complex has come to a standstill, raising safety concerns among shopkeepers and visitors. The work, which began a few months ago, was halted midway and has not resumed since. Constructed in 1996, the complex has been grappling with structural issues attributed to substandard construction material and poor maintenance over the years. The parapet walls on the rooftop had deteriorated significantly due to the growth of peepal trees and other vegetation, as well as continuous water overflow from tanks installed on the roof. Portions of the boundary wall had weakened to such an extent that they were at risk of collapsing. Taking note of the alarming condition, the Amritsar Improvement Trust had initiat- Relocated dairy farmers oppose fresh shifting move 11-member delegation to present demands before DC TRIBUNE IMPACT Tribune News Service The damaged boundary wall on the rooftop of Nehru Shopping Complex in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR ed the demolition of the unsafe parapet sections to prevent any untoward incident. However, the contractor hired by the Trust reportedly stopped the work some time ago. Sources within the Trust revealed that the contractor has not been paid for the work already executed, prompting him to suspend further repairs. The pend- ing payment issue has left the project in limbo, even as the structural risks persist. Shopkeepers and workers operating from the complex have expressed anxiety over the delay. They pointed out that in several places, the damaged parapets are visibly tilted outward and could fall at any time, posing a threat to people below. Amritsar, February 15 After the publication of the news item, “Amritsar’s first planned dairy complex a saga of curdled promises” in these columns, the Amritsar district administration has invited dairy farmers for a meeting with Deputy Commissioner Dalvinder Singh at his office on February 18. Ahead of the crucial meeting with the DC, dairy farmers of ‘Dairy Complex 65 Qila’, located in the Fatahpur area, held a meeting here on Sunday. A dairy farmer, Amrik Singh, informed that an 11member delegation of dairy farmers will attend the Mahashivratri celebrated with religious fervour across city A worker tends to cattle at the dairy complex at Fatehpur in Amritsar. meeting with the DC to present their point of view. He said the dairy farmers were twice evicted from different parts of the city and relocated to the Dairy Complex. Now, the Local Government Department again wants to shift them from certain areas to the complex. He said they support the government’s plan to develop the complex into a hub of milk production in the city, but at the same time, facilities must be commensurate with the number of livestock. He pointed out that the plots earmarked for green parks in the complex are in a dismal state and require immediate cleaning. Adequate toilet facilities, proper roads equipped with streetlights, round-the-clock surveillance, and security to prevent livestock theft are also needed. All three tube wells have been lying dysfunctional for a long time and need to be repaired, they added. Among other demands, the dairy farmers will raise the issue of recovering the cost of plots at the original price and waiving the entire interest, said Baljinder Singh, a dairy farmers’ leader associated with BKU Ekta Sidhupur. SC Commission chief flags 3,750 caste discrimination complaints PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Devotees queue up at Shivala Bhag Bhaiyan temple; (right) members of the Amarnath Seva Mandal cut a 2,100-pound cake to celebrate Mahashivratri in Amritsar on Sunday. Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 15 A large number of devotees thronged temples across the city on Sunday to celebrate Mahashivratri with religious fervour and enthusiasm. From early morning, long and serpentine queues were witnessed outside prominent Shivalayas as devotees waited patiently for their turn to offer prayers. Carrying flowers, belpatra and pots of water mixed with milk for jalabhishek, men, women and children lined up outside temples, chanting hymns in praise of Lord Shiva. The city’s oldest shrines, including Virbhan Shivalaya and Bhaiya Da Shivalaya, witnessed an overwhelming rush of devotees from dawn. The sanctum sanctorum at these temples remained packed throughout the day. To mark the auspicious occasion, several religious and social organisations set up langar stalls in different parts of the city. Volunteers served a variety of food items, including poori-longi, chana bhatura, kulfa and phirni, to thousands of devotees. In many places, the langar service began at midnight and continued till late evening. Members of the Amarnath Sewa Mandal organised elaborate langars at multiple locations. Several other organisations, mohalla committees and social groups also took part in the celebrations by arranging langars in their respective localities. However, the heavy footfall and langar arrangements led to traffic congestion in several areas. Roads leading to major temples witnessed traffic snarls as devotees gathered in large numbers. In some places, overcrowding and roadside stalls impeded the smooth flow of vehicles. Long queues of vehicles were seen near several langar sites on the outer circular road of the walled city. At certain points, people had to wait for a long time to cross due to the huge rush of devotees. Despite the congestion, the festive spirit remained high, with devotees expressing joy and devotion while celebrating Mahashivratri in the holy city. Amritsar, February 15 The caste-based discrimination still persists in society which is completely contrary to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus. This was stated by Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission Chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi on Sunday after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple where he offered prayers for the welfare of humanity. Speaking to mediapersons, Garhi said the teachings of the Sikh Gurus emphasise humanity and universal brotherhood, which must be reflected in everyday life also. But unfortunately, castebased discrimination was still a reality in today’s society. Garhi said that in his capacity as Commission Chairman, he has closely witnessed the problem closely. He revealed that the Commission has received around 3,750 complaints related to caste discrimination this year alone. He stressed that guided by the principle of equality, the Commission is working with sincerity to eliminate caste bias Punjab SC Commission Chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi pays obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Sunday. and will never step back from fulfilling its responsibilities. Responding to a question, Garhi remarked that casteist thinking still influences some political leaders, leading to irresponsible statements. He added that he prayed for wisdom for those who attempt to divide society along caste lines Earlier, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee also honoured Garhi at the information centre outside the shrine. SDM, Lopoke, Khushpreet Singh and other officials were also present on the occasion. Suspected dowry death; three Burglars flee with ~20L BSF, NCB seize over 8 kg heroin of husband’s family arrested jewellery from house near Indo-Pak border; 3 nabbed Amritsar, February 15 A 25-year-old married woman was allegedly murdered by her in-laws over dowry demands at Budha Theh village under the jurisdiction of the Beas police station here. The deceased, identified as Ramandeep Kaur, was found dead behind her matrimonial home under suspicious circumstances on Saturday. According to her family, Ramandeep was brutally assaulted and her body was allegedly staged to appear as a case of suicide. The police reached the spot, took the body into custody and initiated an investigation. Sardool Singh, SHO, Beas police station, said that following the registration of an FIR, the police arrested three members of her in-laws’ family. The accused have been identified as her father-in-law Joginder Singh, mother-in-law Kashmir Kaur and Rupinder Kaur, all residents of the same village. Her husband Jagjit Singh and another accused, Harpreet Kaur of Kapurthala, are yet to be arrested. Further investigation is underway, he added. The case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the victim’s sister, Navdeep Kaur, a resident of Jhal Thikri village in Kapurthala. In her complaint, Navdeep alleged that Ramandeep was married to Jagjit Singh around three years ago and that dowry was given according to the family’s capacity. However, soon after the marriage, she was allegedly subjected to harassment and physical abuse by her in-laws. She was reportedly beaten and turned out of the house several times, only to be persuaded by her parental family to return. Ramandeep had given birth to a baby boy five months ago, and the family had hoped the situation would improve. However, tensions allegedly escalated after Jagjit Singh went missing from home about three months ago. A month later, he reportedly informed the family that he had moved to Malaysia and would remain there. Following this, the harassment allegedly intensified. Navdeep said neighbours informed the family about Ramandeep’s death on Saturday. When they reached the house, her body was found lying behind the residence. During the police examination, injuries were reportedly observed on multiple parts of her body, including a broken leg. The family has accused the in-laws of murdering Ramandeep and attempting to portray the death as a suicide. — TNS Our Correspondent Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, February 15 Four masked men decamped with jewellery, cash and other valuables worth around Rs 20 lakh from the house of Surjit Singh, a resident of Captain Gurcharan Singh Wali here. The family has filed a complaint with the City Police, Tarn Taran. Surjit Singh said their son was recently married and they had built a new house in Green Avenue. They had kept their cash, valuables, jewellery etc. in their old house in Captain Gurcharan Singh Wali street. According to footage collected from CCTV cameras installed in the street, four masked men came on two motorcycles at 3.10 am on Saturday and broke open the locks of their old house. The robbers Amritsar, February 15 In a joint operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Amritsar zonal unit, on Sunday seized a large consignment of narcotics along with pistol components near the Indo-Pakistan International Border. NCB officials said the teams recovered 8.654 kg of heroin, 0.630 kg of opium, and a slide of a Glock pistol from the Border Outpost (BOP) Ranian area near the border. “Acting on intelligence inputs and after tracking the suspects for the past three to four days, the agencies conducted a series of coordinated raids before achieving a breakthrough on the intervening night of February 13 c m y b The scattered belongings inside the victim’s house in Tarn Taran. decamped with the jewellery of their son and his wife, besides their daughter who had come from Canada. They also took away a laptop and other valuables. The footage showed that the robbers stayed inside the house for 39 minutes and searched all rooms of the house. They took away jewellery worth about Rs 20 lakh and other valuables. The police are investigating. and 14,” NCB officials said. Three individuals were arrested at the spot. They were identified as Beeru Singh and Babak Singh, both residents of Sahrsara village, and Karanbeer Singh, a resident of Chavinda village. Four mobile phones were also seized from their possession. Preliminary investigations revealed that the consignment was part of a cross-border smuggling network. Officials said sustained intelligence gathering and close coordination between the two agencies led to the successful interception. Further interrogation of the accused is underway to identify forward and backward linkages of the network and to uncover other individuals involved in the smuggling racket. Purse snatching case: Two held Amritsar, February 15 The Civil Lines police have arrested two snatchers who had robbed a woman in the posh Lawrence Road area here six days ago. The duo has been identified as Parampreet Singh of Sultanwind village and Prince of the Azad Nagar area located on Sultanwind Road. The police said the accused had snatched a woman’s purse near Kanha Sweets on Lawrence Road on February 9. The incident was captured on CCTV cameras. Immediately after receiving information, police teams reached the spot and initiated a probe. They were produced before a court and brought on police remand for investigation. — TNS