25022026-LT-01.qxd 2/24/2026 10:35 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune FEEDING WORLD POPULATION A COMPLEX ISSUE: EXPERT LESS-USED LINK ROADS SAFE HAVEN FOR MISCREANTS Less-used roads linking towns and villages in Ludhiana & Malerkotla have turned safe havens for anti-social elements. P3 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 27°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 12°C RETURN OF THE RETRO QUEEN USHA UTHUP PAU on Tuesday organised a one-day international workshop on sustainable agriculture using digital innovation. P2 FORECAST The original diva of Bollywood’s retro era, Usha Uthup, got the audience grooving at Sacred Amritsar Festival. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.21 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:57 AM » WEDNESDAY | 25 FEBRUARY 2026 | LUDHIANA Notice to 13 cops for failing to act in 5-yr-old fraud case ACCUSED TRACED, BUT ALLOWED TO FLEE Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 24 An 82-year-old man Varinder Sood from Udham Singh Nagar was targeted by the cyber criminals about five years back (2021) and Rs 15 lakh were stolen from his bank account without an OTP For the past five years . the victim had been running from pillar to post for justice and even approached the high court in this regard. As many as 13 police officers, including three Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP) and 10 inspectors, had from time to time investigated the matter in the past, but none of them was able to help the victim get justice. Rather, all were negligent while investigating the matter. Now, Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma while taking a firm stand in the case has issued show-cause notices to these 13 police officials, asking them to file explanation for their carelessness and negligence. The officers facing legal trouble are ACP Sumit Sood (posted as ACP East Ludhiana), DSP Maninder Bedi (was then ACP North), DSP Bitton Kumar (then posted as ❝ My son Rishi traced one of the accused Neel Kamal and informed the IO concerned. Following this, a raid was conducted on July 1, 2021, at Panchrukhi, Palampur district (HP). Neel Kamal was apprehended and thereafter, Rishi was asked to arrange a taxi. In the meantime, the cops allegedly allowed Neel Kamal to escape and thereafter till date, none of the accused has been arrested. Varinder Sood, VICTIM SHO Haibowal), Inspectors Paramdeep Singh, Satpal, Akash Dutt, Gaganpreet Singh, Harjit Singh (was then SI), Paramveer Singh, Amritpal Singh, Madhu Bala, Gurmukh Singh and Satvir Singh. Some inspectors are presently posted in the commissionerate as SHOs. Meanwhile, the victim’s son Rishi Sood had demanded that the role of bank officials should also be investigated as they too were lethargic in taking action in the case. Referring to the case, victim Varinder Sood, who is into medicine business, said on April 14, 2021, Rs 15 lakh were transferred to different accounts from his bank account. Following the money trail, three accused were identified as Rajiv Kumar ❞ Sharma of Madhuban, Bihar, Chandan Kumar Paswan of Purnea, Bihar and Neel Kamal of Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. Despite identifying the accused, the abovesaid 13 police officers failed to take any serious action to arrest the accused. “My son Rishi was able to trace one of the accused Neel Kamal and informed the IO concerned. Following this, a raid was conducted on July 1, 2021, at Panchrukhi, Palampur district (Himachal Pradesh). At the time of raid, Rishi and his friend Ankur Mehta were accompanying constable Lakhvir Singh along with an ASI and another constable of Sarabha Nagar police station, Ludhiana. Neel Kamal was apprehended and thereafter, Rishi Keeping cool was asked to arrange a taxi. In the meantime, the cops allegedly allowed Neel Kamal to escape and thereafter till date, none of the accused has been arrested,” said complainant Varinder. The victim had filed a petition in the high court, after which the police apprised the court about the action taken against the 13 cops. An affidavit dated February 13 filed by the state counsel stated that it was a case of negligence and appropriate action had been taken against errant police officials for not conducting the investigation properly in timebound manner. He further assured the court that a report would be submitted within four weeks from today. “Before starting department proceedings, I want to give you an opportunity to present your case for clarification within seven days after receipt of this showcause notice. In absence of receipt of any reply from you in the prescribed time or in case of unsatisfactory written reply/oral arguments, there shall be no avoidance to initiate department proceedings against you,” the Commissioner has said. Man arrested for duping people on pretext of lottery scheme Ludhiana, February 24 The cyber police station claimed to have arrested a man from Bihar who had been duping people on the pretext of running a lottery scheme in the name of ‘Gandhi Lottery’. Murad Jasvir Singh Gill, ACP cyber crime, Inspector , Satbir Singh, incharge cyber police station, have issued a joint statement in this regard that Prabhat Kumar, a resident of Bihar, was arrested following raids at various locations in Nawada, Purnia and Patna. The case was initially registered regarding a cyber fraud, where a complainant was duped after being lured with a fake lottery win of Rs 5 lakh. During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused, along with his accomplices, was running a fraudulent lottery scheme under the name “Gandhi Lottery”. The accused used to target victims through WhatsApp messages and phone calls. Victims were first enticed with claims of winning a large lottery amount. Once hooked, the victims were asked to deposit money under the guise of “registration fee, processing charges or other small administrative costs”. — TNS Cops try to calm down shopkeepers who were protesting against the robbery bid on a trader, at Saidan Chowk in Ludhiana on Tuesday . PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN Robbers attack, injure hosiery unit owner in broad daylight Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 24 Robbers targeted a hosiery owner in broad daylight at Saidan Chowk in Ludhiana on Tuesday. The incident occurred when the market was bustling with customers and commuters. The robbers not only attempted to rob him, but also attacked him with an ice pick. According to reports, victim Sunil Jain (60) was heading to his unit on his white Activa scooter. Three suspects on a black Activa came from behind and forced him to stop his scooter in the middle of the road. CCTV footage clearly showed the miscreants pushing the businessman down. When the victim tried to resist, the robbers attacked him brutally with the ice pick they had with them. They then attempted to snatch his gold ring and gold chain. When the victim resisted, the accused again attacked him with the ice pick, injuring him. The most shocking thing about this incident was that people were constantly passing by while all this was happening. The CCTV footage showed people passing by, but no one dared to step for- ward to rescue the victim or corner the robbers. Angered by the incident, local shopkeepers began a sitin protest on the spot. Later, when police officials reached the spot and assured the protesters that the accused would be arrested soon, only then the protest was lifted. Meanwhile, the police have started scanning CCTV footage to identify the suspects. SHO, police division No. 4, Inspector Gurjit Singh said no official complaint had been received from the victim, but the police was registering a case against the suspects. Hit with pistol butt over bike parking, two brothers hurt Tribune News Service Girls enjoy ice candies at the Swadeshi Mela in Ludhiana on Tuesday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN SSP inspects Doraha police station, reviews security Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 24 The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Khanna, Darpan Ahluwalia, conducted a surprise visit to the Doraha police station and Doraha police post today to review security arrangements. During the visit, she inspected the attendance of the police staff, duty registers, malkhana (property room), records and complaint registers. She issued essential guidelines to the staff, emphasizing that remaining fully alert and prepared for any situation was vital. SSP Ahluwalia stated that maintaining vigilance at every level was mandatory to uphold law and order in the district. She stressed that protecting the lives and property of the people was the foremost responsibility of the police, and no negligence in this regard would be tolerated. She directed that regular patrolling be increased in SSP Darpan Ahluwalia inspects a police station in Khanna police district on Tuesday. sensitive areas and a sharp watch be kept on suspicious individuals and activities. During the visit, the SSP held a meeting with station officers to review the crime situation in the area. She noted that active ground-level policing was crucial for crime prevention. Strict instructions were given to maintain direct contact with the public, ensure swift disposal of complaints and guarantee justified legal action. She specifically instructed the force to be extra sensitive and dedicated toward the safety of women, elderly and children. The SSP also reviewed traffic management, night patrolling, checkpoints (nakabandi) and the security of banks, ATMs and commercial areas. She ordered that night patrols be strengthened to prevent any criminal incidents. Additionally, she directed officers to check the functionality of CCTV cameras and install new ones wherever necessary. Ludhiana, February 24 An argument that started over the parking of a motorcycle in a parking lot took a violent turn when some youths pulled out a weapon. The attackers hit electrician Jatin Sharma and his brother on their heads so forcefully with a pistol butt and sticks, that they were seriously injured. They have been admitted to the trauma centre of Sobti Hospital, Ludhiana. Following the attack, the accused fled the spot, dropping their pistol in the process. The Kotwali police station have registered a case against unidentified miscreants based on the complaint of Jatin Sharma, a resident of Ishar Nagar. In his complaint, Jatin stated that he was planning to go somewhere with his brother Rahul Sharma and their friend Suraj Kumar. Around 2:30 am last night, they were parking their motorcycle in a lot near the railway station. A dispute arose with two youths already present in the parking lot regarding the parking of the motorcycle. After a minor verbal spat, the situation escalated to the point where one of the youths pulled out a pistol. Both accused began hitting Jatin and his brother Rahul on their heads with sticks and the butt of the pistol, injuring them. As soon as Jatin’s brother raised an alarm, the accused fled the spot while hurling threats, dropping their weapon on the ground as they ran. ASI Paramjit Singh stated that a case had been registered against two unidentified miscreants following Jatin’s complaint. The police also seized the country-made pistol from the spot. ASI Singh added that the police were currently scanning CCTV footage to identify the culprits. c m y b Turn your skills into a powerful portfolio - master real projects through hands-on modules! 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