17032026-LT-01.qxd 3/16/2026 10:37 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune TENSIONS RUN HIGH AS AAP MEN ‘CONFRONT’ CONG PROTESTERS MAKE IMPROVING EDU INFRA TOP PRIORITY: CONG MLA ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER DOMINATES AT THE OSCARS AAP workers ‘confronted’ Congress protesters on Monday outside the office of AAP MLA Manwinder Giaspura. P2 Pargat Singh called upon social, edu and political bodies to make improvement in educational facilities their top priority. P3 Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer One Battle After Anothertriumphed at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, winning six Oscars.P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 24°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 16°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.36 PM » SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:33 AM TUESDAY | 17 MARCH 2026 | LUDHIANA Stir over block samiti poll; Kotli detained, later freed Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 16 A major protest broke out in Khanna today against the election of the block samiti chairman and vice-chairman. Led by former minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Congress leaders and workers gathered and raised slogans against the state government. The protesters alleged that the elections were not conducted in a democratic way. They claimed that despite winning only six out of 16 seats, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to appoint both chairman and vicechairman, bypassing the majority. Kotli declared, “This is a clear violation of democratic norms. We will not remain silent and will continue our struggle to safeguard democracy.” As the protest escalated, Kotli and his supporters marched towards the BDPO office, attempting to lock it in a symbolic protest. The police intervened and detained Kotli, who was carrying a lock in his hand and subsequently took 40 to 50 Congress leaders and workers into custody. The detainees were transported in buses amid heavy police deployment, ensuring that no untoward incident occurred. Officials stated that the action was necessary to maintain law and order. Congress leader and former minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli being detained and taken in a bus by the police during a party protest in Khanna on Monday. Later in the day, all detained leaders and workers, including Kotli, were released. Kotli strongly criticised the move, declaring that: “This is not democracy, this is betrayal of the people’s mandate. We will continue our struggle until justice is restored. Our fight is not for positions, but for the dignity of democratic institutions.” Speaking after his release, Kotli reiterated his stand, “Detention cannot silence us. We will continue to raise our voice against injustice. The people of Punjab deserve transparency and fairness in governance.” Man involved in cheating people nabbed Ludhiana, March 16 The Ludhiana rural police have nabbed a fraudster who had been cheating innocent persons by clandestinely exchanging their ATM cards on the pretext of offering help. The accused was identified as Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Dream City, Jagraon. Investigating officer ASI Shaminderjit Singh, Jagraon city police station, said that he, along with his colleagues, were at Malik Chowk, Jagraon, for patrolling and checking suspicious persons. An informant told the police that Sanjeev had been cheating innocent people by exchanging their ATM cards on the pretext of helping them. The ASI added that the accused used to first see the ATM PIN code of unsuspecting people in the ATM cabins of banks, steal their ATM cards or exchange these on the pretext of helping them. Later, he would withdraw money from their accounts through these cards. As per information, the suspect was coming towards Jagraon city on his motorcycle on Sunday with the intention of defrauding some more innocent people using the same modus operandi. A police party immediately launched a manhunt and caught the suspect. The police also recovered 20 ATM cards of different banks and Rs 5,200 from the possession of the accused, the ASI said. — TNS Crackdown on misuse of firearms, more than 200 arms licences cancelled Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 16 Cracking down on the misuse of firearms and glorification of weapons, the Police Commissionerate, Ludhiana, have suspended more than 200 firearms licences. The licence holders who faced the heat include those who glorified gun culture, fired celebratory shots and used weapons to promote gun culture, and no longer deserve to keep firearms. The suspension list also has names of persons who left the country and renounced their Indian citizenship, and so legally they cannot continue to hold arms licence. Furthermore, it is learnt that around 100 firearms licences have been flagged by the team doing scrutiny of these and the same may be cancelled in the coming days. This entire exercise was carried under the supervision of Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma. Confirming to The Tribune, Sharma said that the police carried out scrutiny of firearms licences after every three months and if the police got to know about the misuse of firearm or if the licence holders had used the weapon in committing any crime, then the same would be suspended. Sharma maintained that Ludhiana police would never tolerate misuse of firearms and any violation would immediately lead to the suspension of firearm licence. Meanwhile, sources said that a special team of Ludhiana police would also keep tab over social media to check if any firearm hold- Drizzle, overcast skies bring respite as temp drops by 8°C Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 16 It was a refreshing morning for the residents of Ludhiana as the city witnessed drizzle and overcast skies in the early hours, while strong winds brought the much-needed respite from the rising temperatures in March. According to weathermen, the maximum temperature has dropped by nearly eight degrees in the last 24 hours. PK Kingra, head of the Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology at the PAU, said there had been an approximate decline of 8°C in the maximum temperature and about 2°C in the minimum temperature. She added that the prevailing weather conditions were favourable for the standing wheat crop. However, farmer Tarsem from Jodhan Wheat crop flattened in a field on Ladhowal road near Ludhiana due to sudden rain and strong winds on Monday. ASHWANI DHIMAN village said that while the fall in temperature due to rain could benefit the wheat crop, but it might prove harmful if accompanied by strong winds. Meanwhile, the sudden dip in temperature brought smiles to residents’ faces, many of whom felt that March had started to feel unusually hot. “The sudden drop in temperature forced us to take out our jackets again. If the temperature hovers around 22°C, like it is today, then it would become very comfortable. Otherwise, it had already touched 30°C in the first week of March,” said Mona, a local resident. er from Ludhiana was glorifying weapons. In December last year, the Punjab Police had recommended the cancellation of about 7,000 arms licences to the state government. According to police sources, Punjab has nearly 3.46 lakh arms licence holders, collectively owning over 4.3 lakh registered weapons. Despite accounting for only about 2 per cent of the country’s population, the state holds close to 10 per cent of the country ’ s total licensed firearms. Attempt to steal cash from ATM Ludhiana, March 16 A thief targeted an ATM in Ludhiana and tried to steal cash. The incident occurred at an SBI Bank ATM located near Mian Furniture, opposite Ashapuri Chowk, where unknown individual cut the locks of the machine at night. The complaint was lodged with the police by Sanjeev Kumar Verma, deputy manager, SBI Bank treasury branch, Ghumar Mandi. The incident took place on the night of March 14. He said that around 7 am on March 15, he received a call from the bank’s chief manager, Ashwani Mahajan, informing him that an attempt had been made to break open the ATM machine located near Mian Furniture, opposite Ashapuri Chowk. After receiving information about the incident, the police were informed. During the investigation, it was revealed that an unknown person had attempted to break open the ATM machine, but could not do so. — TNS c m y b Bharatiya Kisan Union starts ‘pucca morcha’ at Ladhowal toll barrier Demand bundh at Sasrali village; removal of encroachments from Rahon road Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 16 To protest against the delay in the start of the construction of a bundh at Sasrali village and non-removal of the encroachments from Rahon road, the Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union started a ‘pucca morcha’ (permanent sit-in) at Punjab’s expensive toll barrier at Ladhowal on Monday. Although it will be a peaceful protest, which will not affect traffic or make the toll barrier free for commuters, the union has warned that if their demands were not fulfilled, then it would make the barrier free for commuters and the toll company would not be allowed to collect any toll. Dilbagh Singh, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Union, Punjab, said farmers and villagers had been protesting for a long time, seeking construction of a bundh at Sasrali village. They had also submitted a memorandum of demands to the district administration and held several meetings with the Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana. Every time administration officials Members of a farm union hold a protest at the Ladhowal toll barrier in favour of their long-pending demands in Ludhiana on Monday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN have been making hollow premises, and nothing happens on the ground. Singh added that during the floods, the Sutlej’s dhussi bandh in Ludhiana’s Sasrali village was breached, causing significant damage to land and crops. After the rains stopped and the water level in the Sutlej receded, the administration stopped paying attention to the Sasrali dhussi bandh and even stopped the work. “Now if bundh is not con- structed, then the water level is going to increase in the Sutlej in the monsoon and villagers around Sasrali would be at the receiving end and the district administration officials would be held responsible for the situation,” he added. The issue of encroachments on Rahon road was also being raised for a long time, but no serious effort had been made by the administration in this regard. “Now, the union has start- ed a ‘pucca morcha’ at Ladhowal toll barrier. If our demands are not met, then in a day or two, we will make the toll barrier free for commuters for an indefinite period. Today, administration officials assured that work would soon be started and we hope that officials would fulfil their promise,” asserted union president Dilbagh. Notably, a few days ago, the farmers had made the toll barrier free for three hours.