09042026-LT-01.qxd 4/9/2026 12:56 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune DRIVE AGAINST FOOD ADULTERATION INTENSIFIES THE DIALOGUES THAT BECOME IDIOMS… SAVOUR AUTHENTIC KASHMIRI FOOD AT SHIMLA’S WAZA CAFÉ Health Department has rolled out a food safety van that will visit multiple locations till April 21. P3 Creator-writer Divya Nidhi Sharma of Chiraiya fame talks about the power of the spoken word. P4 Waza Café in Shimla offers Goshtaba, Rista, Kashmiri Dum Aloo, Tamar Paneer andRogan Josh. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 26°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 14°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.46 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:02 AM THURSDAY | 9 APRIL 2026 | LUDHIANA Dug-up roads turn nightmare for commuters after wet spell Works to lay drinking water supply lines, repair stretches under way in many parts Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 8 As a result of Municipal Corporation officials’ lack of planning, many city’s roads have been dug up for the laying of canal drinking water supply pipelines and reconstruction. To avoid traffic jams caused by the works, residents are forced to find alternative routes to reach their houses and offices. Motorists who dare to commute on these roads are putting their lives in danger. The officials are washing their hands off the matter by saying that now it was necessary to reconstruct the roads. As potable water pipes are also being laid, people have to face some difficulties. However, residents feel that the dug-up roads were in a very poor state. At many places, big pits were left unattended. During a survey in the city, it was found that the residents are made to live in a hell-like situation. Gill Road had been left in a shambles. A section of the road from Sidhwan Canal to Arora Palace Chowk had been completely dug up. On Gill Road, the section from Janta Nagar to Arora Palace Chowk has also been dug up. The road reconstruction work is underway in the area also. Traffic has been also disrupted. Even the entire stretch of the Jassian road has also turned into a nightmare for commuters and the residents staying in the area. Mud and pebbles have made the ride not only bumpy but risky too. Daily two-wheeler riders fall on the slippery stretch and suffering injuries. “It’s okay if the roads are dug up for laying sewerage or drinking water lines but till Mahesh Sharma Mandi Ahmedgarh, April 8 A tragic incident occurred on the Ludhiana-Dhuri Railway line when a 38-year-old man, holding his three-year-old daughter, jumped in front of a moving train after recording a message holding his wife responsible for the extreme step. Both of them breathed their last on the spot. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when Samandeep Singh of Alipur village reached the scene in his car and recorded a video message while waiting for the AmritsarDadar Express coming from the Ludhiana side and jumped in front of it on its arrival. Before taking step, he shoots video, accusing wife of abetting suicide A grab of the video made by the man before the incident. Man ends life after argument with wife The Jassian road in a dilapidated condition due to ongoing work in Ludhiana. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN the time, the constructions are going on, at least these should not be left uneven with piles of waste material. Now, rain has added to our woes,” said a shopkeeper from the Jassian road area. Furthermore, the work on laying of a drinking water pipeline from the Ferozepur road to Hambran Road could begin at any time. The one-anda-half-km stretch from Saggu Chowk to Hambran Road is in a pathetic condition. A week ago, Minister Sanjeev Arora laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of the road. It was also observed that a section of the four-lane road from the Jalandhar Bypass to the Jagraon Bridge is also being reconstructed. The old road is being excavated and therefore, a section of the road has been closed. Now, from the Jagraon Bridge, vehicles traveling to and from the Jalandhar Bypass are using a single lane. A portion of the Chand Cinema Bridge has been closed, causing traffic jams on the road. For an alternative route, drivers will have to travel via Samrala Chowk and the bus stand. Further, the stretch from Arora Palace Chowk till Gill Road has been closed for reconstruction. Though part of it has been completed, it has not yet been reopened. A stretch starting from Arora Palace Chowk remains unfinished and has been left unexcavated. A concrete road is being constructed there. It will take another 15 to 20 days to complete the section due to the same. Consequently, people have to navigate narrow streets of Shimlapuri, including Kot Mangal Singh and Itta Wala Chowk. It not only lead to wastage of time but also put burden on their pockets. The road from Sidhwan Canal to the Model Town crematorium has been dug up for the past 15 days to lay a pipeline under the canal drinking water scheme. However, since it is a four-lane road, traffic on one side has been closed.Mayor Inderjit Kaur had recently convened a meeting of all SEs of the MC to take feedback but nothing happened on the ground so far. “Major roads in the city have been dug up as a result of poor planning by civic body officials. The public is bearing the brunt of the same. Development is not bad but planning part should be well,” said a shopkeeper 3 nabbed with stolen cables, electrical items Raikot, April 8 The Ludhiana (rural) police claimed to have arrested three persons who had been involved in stealing electrical equipment and cables from tube wells in fields in areas falling under the Jodhan police station. One electric motor, two starters, two grips, 12 kg wires, besides a Maruti car used in the crime, were recovered from the suspects, identified as Gagandeep Singh Gaggu and Jatinder Singh Jindu of Lohgarh village and Sarabjit Singh Vicky of Mehma Singh Wala village. Senior Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana (Rural), Ankur Gupta said police personnel, supervised by DSP , Man jumps before train with 3-yr-old daughter, both dead on the Jassian road. Ajay Kumar, a resident of Smart City colony, said Municipal officials had dug up the entire city in the name of development. Traffic jams occur everywhere during school hours. Municipal officials should have first fixed one road and then undertake work on the other. People are being harassed in the name of development. “The way roads are being dug up on a war footing raises the possibility of corruption. The monsoon is about to arrive. Last year, many of the city roads washed away during the rainy season. There will be a similar situation this time. They will cover up flaws and the people will suffer the consequences,” said Vinay, another resident from Haibowal. Ludhiana, April 8 A man died by suicide by hanging himself after arguments with his wife at their residence. He was upset after his wife left home in anger. The police initiated a probe after the incident. The role of the woman in abetting his suicide was also being investigated by the police. Sajda (28), a resident of Mayapuri, said she got married to Ismile (32) as they both worked as tailors at the same place and fell in love. They got married in UP a-year-and-a-half ago, after which they came to Ludhiana. At that time, Ismile told her that he was single. Sajda said recently she discovered that her husband was already married. He also had children from his first wife. However, his first wife stays separately. It led to arguments between the two. She asked her husband why he told a lie about his marital status to her. Sajda said on Tuesday evening, they had another argument. Ismile was intoxicated. As the argument escalated, Ismile began to say: “My life has been ruined since you came.” Afterwards, she stormed out of the house. He threatened to die by suicide by hanging himself if she did not return home immediately. The woman said she thought he was telling the same to scare her. However, when she returned, her husband had hanged himself. With the help of local residents, they took him down from the ceiling fan but he was already dead. Sajda said Ismile had threatened to die by suicide many times in the past. Whenever they had arguments, he would talk about suicide. She even stopped him from doing so many times. On Tuesday also, it seemed like he was only threatening her. ASI Ravinder said a probe was launched to inquire about the cause of the incident. — TNS Samandeep recorded the video accusing his wife of abetment to suicide when he was holding his daughter ‘Gudia’. The child was playing with her doll, unable to comprehend the situation when his father asked her to say bye to everyone. Harbans Singh, an official of the Government Railway Police said the process for registration of an FIR against the wife of the man had been initiated. Post-mortem examinations of the severely mutilated bodies would be conducted on Thursday before handing over the same to Samandeep’s mother, on whose statement the case was being registered. 14-yr-old UP boy dies by suicide Ludhiana, April 8 A 14-year-old boy died by suicide by hanging himself in a residential area near Dashmesh Market, Dhandari, here. After receiving information, officials from the Dhandari police post reached the spot. As per information, nearby residents saw the boy hanging from a ceiling fan and informed the police. The police sent the body to the Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination. The deceased has been identified as Akhilesh. He was a native of Uttar Pradesh and had recently come to Ludhiana. The boy was staying in a rented room with his older brother. ASI Pawanjeet, who is investigating the case, said the police were probing every aspect. No suicide note was recovered. The reason for the extreme step was not known so far. — TNS Tough times The suspects in custody of the Ludhiana (rural) police in Dakha. Dakha, Varinder Singh Khosa, and Jodhan Sahib SHO Meet Singh, had arrested the suspects when they were taking the stolen goods for selling in a car on Tuesday. Investigating officer John Masih had received information about the illegal activities of the suspects, following which they were nabbed on Tuesday. Preliminary investigation revealed that Gaggu was already facing two similar cases. — OC A farmer tries to manage wheat crop damaged due to heavy rain on Tuesday night in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN ‘Third-degree torture’: SHO sent to Police Lines, probe ordered Factory owner held for making fake fertilisers Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 8 Taking action on the alleged third degree torture meted out to the owner of a chicken shop, Station House Officer (SHO), Police Division 6, inspector Vijay Kumar, has been sent to the Police Lines. Departmental inquiry was ordered against the SHO by the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana. Notably, the complainant, Sarabjit, had alleged that on April 3 when he was present at his shop, some people, including SHO Vijay Kumar and other police officials, came. That time no customer was found drinking alcohol in his shop. After around 20 minutes, four persons came to the shop, they were having alcohol and they wanted to con- sume the same to celebrate a birthday but he refused. Despite that, the suspects sat in the shop. Afterwards, the SHO came with other police officials and started abusing him. “The SHO took me and the four persons who came with alcohol to the police station and a case was registered against me. He called his driver and three constables and asked me to remove all my clothes in front of them, then he told his constable to hold his hands and feet and given electric shock to him. The police officials also slapped me. The Station House Officer took off my turban and pulled me down by my beard and hair. They tortured me in a cabin behind the SHO’s office,” the complainant alleged. c m y b Sources said the victim had also approached the Punjab State Human Rights Commission to seek action against the Station House Officer and the commission had also assured to provide justice to him. The CP said an inquiry was being made to check allegations levelled against the Station House Officer. Mahesh Sharma Ludhiana, April 8 The Agricultural Department claimed to have busted a unit in Jagraon that was involved in manufacturing of fake fertilisers and selling the same in the name of branded products. Huge stocks of ingredients and finished products, besides bags and envelopes bearing names of branded companies, were seized from the premises belonging to Rapha Biotech in Jagraon. Manoj Kumar, owner of the unit, was arrested after registration of an FIR registered under sections of the Essential Commodities Act, Fertilisers (Control) Order, 1985, besides 318 (4) and 61 (2) of the BNS Act for his alleged involvement in illegal stocking and probable distribution of agricultural inputs in the region illegally. Dr Narinder Singh Benipal, Joint Director, Agriculture (Plant Protection), and Chief Agricultural Officer Gurdip Singh said a special team of technical officials had conducted a raid on the premises of Raphla Biotech at Jagraon on Tuesday after getting information about illegal activities of manufacturing of fake fertilisers without valid license and selling the same as branded products.