18022026-LT-01.qxd 2/18/2026 12:57 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ‘DORAHA RAIL OVERBRIDGE TO TRANSFORM CONNECTIVITY’ Minister Ravneet Bittu says project estimated to cost ~70.55 crore will be completed within next year. P2 » SWADESHI EXPO AT PAU FROM FEBRUARY 21 FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 27°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 9°C HAVEN OF ASIAN CUISINE NEAR DHARAMSALA Organisers say the fair will highlight products made in India and continue till March 1. P2 SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.13 PM NomadGao Cafe in Dharamkot near Dharamsala offers Vietnamese and other Asian special food items. P4 » SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:59 AM » WEDNESDAY | 18 FEBRUARY 2026 | LUDHIANA Gajjan, Rashtarpati, Sultan steal the show Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Bullock cart races in progress during the Kila Raipur Olympics in Ludhiana district on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Youngsters converge for bullock cart races to continue ancestors’ legacy Rural games become special due to return of iconic sport after a hiatus of 12 yrs KILA RAIPUR OLYMPICS Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 17 The Kila Raipur Olympics which kicked off at Kila Raipur village on Tuesday came up with lovely surprises on the opening day. The rural games became special due to the return of the iconic bullock cart races after a hiatus of 12 years. What is more special and appreciable is that youngsters from across the state stepped into the arena to carry forward the legacy of their fathers and grandfathers. The youths believe that engaging with bullocks keep them away from mobile phones and, most importantly, they stay away from the drug menace. Parveer Singh (22), a resident of Khokhar village in Samrala, was seen preparing his bullock for the races at the sports ground. He belongs to the third generation and follows the tradition of his ancestors by taking part in the bullock cart races. “My grandfather Gurmel used to take part in the bullock cart races and I still have memories when I used to accompany my father and grandfather to Kila Raipur sports ground along with our bullocks to take part in the same. After the death of my grandfather, my father held the reigns and continued to take part in event till 2014,” he said. Parveer said since the day the game was banned in 2014, his father had been missing the thrill of taking part in the event, which is the backbone of the rural sports. To keep the memories of the bullock cart races alive, his father used to share stories to motivate him. “The bullocks which took part in the events in the pres- ence of my grandfather and father could not survive and now for the past three years, my father bought me two new bullocks from Rajasthan. My father had always told me that bullocks are like our family members. We have to take care of them like the way we take care of children. I named my bullocks as Sultan and Arjan. They are like my brothers. As I wake up in the morning, I first meet Sultan and Arjan. Sometimes, I even wake up in the midnight to check whether the bullocks are alright or not,” he added. Another youth, Karanvir Singh (23), of Jassowal village recalled that his grandfather Makhan Singh had been participating in the bullock cart races for over three decades. In 2012, his father had won the second prize in the race at Kila Raipur. “Now, I have been carrying forward the legacy of my father and grandfather by taking part in the event. I am not participating to win the event, I want to keep the legacy of my forefathers alive and even the next generation of our family would be seen in Kila Raipur in coming years,” he said. Ramandeep Singh (21), another participant in the bullock cart races from Dehlon, said, his great- grandfather Phuman Singh and grandfather Gajjan Singh participated continued on page 2 Ludhiana, February 17 As the iconic Kila Raipur Olympics kicked off on Tuesday, stars of the opening day were bulls themselves. The bulls were given trending and unique names by their owners to catch the fancy of the audience. The names such as Rashtarpati, Sultan, Welly, Arjan, Gajjan, Surma, Bullet and Shahzada captured the crowd’s imagination. Owners believed that they have intentionally bestowed these animals with unique identities. Interestingly, when bulls stepped into the arena for races, the stadium erupted into cheers. In fact, the unique names were proudly displayed on their decorative bullock covers. The confidence of the owners of bullocks went high when they heard the audience chanting their names, turning the races into a high-spirited celebration of rural pride. Talking to The Tribune, Manreet Singh a resident of Balala village, Samrala, who named his bull as ‘Rashtarpati’ said he had bought the bull from some Barnala-based person at a cost of Rs 25 lakh a few years ago. “The day Rashtarpati joined our family, it has won many prizes, including Bullet motorcycles, a tractor and other cash prizes in the recent past by taking part in various kinds of competitions held in rural Gajjan with its owners during the Rural Olympics at Kila Raipur village in Ludhiana on Tuesday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN DIET COSTS ABOUT ~1,000 TO ~1,500 A DAY ■ Keeping a bull these days is not easy. It’s diet costs around ~1,000 to ~1,500. To keep bulls contest ready, they have to feed them ghee, butter, milk and other areas across the state,” he said. Manreet said: “Rashtarpati means president and the name suits my bull as he has been winning medals after medals.” Magar Singh of Raipur village said Welly was quite famous name in rural areas and the name suits his bull very much. When asked about the purpose of giving unique names, he replied that unique names are trending these days. Earlier when his father or grandfather used to raise the bulls, they used to give names such as Kalu, Motu, Kala and Billa to them and these were common names. But now, youngsters, who were EXAM SCHEDULE Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 17 The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) commenced their board examinations on Tuesday, marking the start of a crucial academic season for students across the district. On the first day, CBSE Class X students appeared for mathematics while Class XII students wrote biotechnology, entrepreneurship, engineering graphics and business studies exams. ICSE Class X students appeared for their English paper. For the PSEB, Class VIII students wrote their English paper on Tuesday while Class XII candidates appeared for home science. Since the morning, a large number of students and parents were seen at various exam centres across the city. Anxious students and parents thronged exam centres since early morning. CBSE Class X: Feb 17 – March 10 CBSE Class XII: Feb 17 – April 10 ICSE Class X: Feb 17 - March 30 ICSE Class XII: Feb 12 - April 6 PSEB Class XII: Feb 17 – April 4 PSEB Class VIII: Feb 17 – Feb 27 PSEB Class X: March 6 – April 1 << CBSE students discuss the question paper after coming out of an exam centre in Ludhiana. INDERJEET VERMA This year, the CBSE has introduced its twice-a-year board exam policy for Class X, aimed at reducing exam pressure and offering students an additional opportunity to improve their performance. The main exam will run from February 17 to March 11, 2026. A second exam, later in the year, will serve as an optional improvement or compartment attempt. The February exam remains mandatory for all students. Answer sheets of Class XII will be evaluated through onscreen marking, a move expected to streamline assess- ment and reduce errors. “The maths paper was balanced, with a mix of direct and application-based questions,” said Harbin, a Class X candidate. “Biotechnology was lengthy but manageable if you had practiced past papers,” remarked a Class XII student. Another student said: “The new exam policy gives us breathing space. Knowing there’s a second chance reduces anxiety.” With exams stretching into April, both boards have emphasised smooth conduct and timely evaluation. For the CBSE, the dualexam format will be closely watched as a landmark shift in country’s school assessment system. Examination timings According to the CBSE schedule, this time exams are being held in a single shift from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. As per the PSEB, exams are being conducted in the morning shift. The exam timings have been set from 11 am to 2:15 pm. According to the ICSE, exams are being conducted in either 9 am or 11 am slot. c m y b SP Oswal digital arrest case Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 17 The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has attached bank balances worth Rs 1.76 crore from the account of an alleged mule entity used to receive and route proceeds of crime (PoC) generated from various cybercrimes and socalled digital arrests, in connection with the digital arrest case of prominent businessman and Vardhman Group chairman SP Oswal. The seized amount was lying in the bank account of one such alleged mule entity, Mrityunjya Multitrade. Further investigation has revealed that multiple mule bank accounts were used to launder the proceeds of cybercrime. These accounts were opened by luring economically vulnerable individuals with false promises of arranging loans or providing employment. The ED initiated the probe on the basis of an FIR regis- animals, they are like our kids and they deserve equal care,” says a bullock owner, Amrit. raising the bulls, are preferring unique names. Karanjot of Jassowal village said his bull was given the name ‘Kaptan’ means captain and he could proudly say that the Captain was going to win the race. Iqbal Singh of Thuliwal village, Barnala, said he had given his bull the name ‘Golu’ and his father had suggested the name for it. NRIs, foreigners at event NRIs and foreigners were also seen sitting in the audience gallery to enjoy the bullock cart races. Gurnoor Kaur, a US-based NRI and continued on page 2 Rashtarpati was bought by its owner at a cost of ~25 lakh a few years ago. CBSE, ICSE, state board exams begin ED freezes ~1.76 crore in Manav Mander protein-rich items. ■ “We don’t consider them as tered by the Cyber Crime Police Station, Ludhiana, under the BNSS, 2023. Investigation so far has revealed that proceeds of crime generated from eight other cybercrime cases were also credited to the bank account of Frozenman Warehousing and Logistics on August 28, 2024. The probe further revealed that during the digital arrest of Oswal, fraudsters impersonating officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) extorted Rs 7 crore from him. The funds were routed through multiple mule accounts allegedly operated by the accused, Rumi Kalita and Arpit Rathore. It was also found that Rumi Kalita established an association with Atanu Choudhary and used the bank account of his entity, Frozenman Warehousing and Logistics, to allegedly launder illicit proceeds. Funds derived from other cybercrime and digital arrest cases were also credited into the accounts of Frozenman Warehousing and Logistics and Rigglo Ventures Pvt Ltd. The proceeds of crime were subsequently transferred to multiple mule bank accounts in a systematic manner, facilitating the diversion and concealment of funds. A portion of the proceeds was further layered through various shell entities and routed outside India using trade-based money laundering mechanisms. The remaining funds were allegedly used for the acquisition of virtual digital assets. Earlier, searches were conducted in connection with the case. Accused Rumi Kalita was arrested on December 23, 2025, while co-accused Arpit Rathore was arrested on December 31, 2025. Both are currently in judicial custody. Cyber criminal wanted in ~4.35-cr fraud case nabbed Mahesh Sharma Ludhiana, February 17 The Ludhiana police claimed to have nabbed a notorious member of a gang of cyber criminals who had duped a local trader of about Rs 4.35 crore over two years ago on the pretext of investment in the share market. The suspect was identified as Vikram Yadav of Haryana and he was arrested from Rewari city on the basis of probe conducted under the supervision of DCP Harpal Singh, ADC Vaibhaw Sehgal and ACP (Cyber Crime) Murad Jasvir Singh Gill. CP Swapan Sharma, said coordinated and persistent efforts by the cyber cell had resulted in the arrest of Yadav, who, along with his accomplice, had duped a local trader of Rs 4.35 crore on the pretext of investment in the share market about two years ago. Investigation in connection with the FIR registered in 2024 had revealed that amounts worth Rs 60 lakh had been transferred in the account of Yadav.