20042026-ATR-01.qxd 4/20/2026 12:10 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 37°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 19°C 3K TAKE PART IN RUN FOR CERVICAL CANCER AWARENESS LUDHIANA GARLIC GROWER REDEFINES FARMING SADHVI CROWNED FEMINA MISS INDIA WORLD 2026 Organisers say the campaign reached nearly 2.2 million people via audiovisual presentations. P2 Progressive farmer Khushdeep Singh Bains from Harnampura village left his job for farming. P2 Sadhvi Satish Sail was crowned Femina Miss India World 2026 in Bhubaneswar on Saturday night. P4 » SUNSET MONDAY 7.02 PM » » SUNRISE TUESDAY 5.55 AM MONDAY | 20 APRIL 2026 | AMRITSAR MC still without president over a year after polls in Tarn Taran Travel agent gunned down in Tarn Taran Tarn Taran, April 19 Atma Singh (65), a resident of Gandiwind Dhattal village under the Chohla Sahib police station here, was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants this afternoon. Gurpreet Singh, a close relative of the deceased, said that Atma Singh was inside his house when the two assailants, riding a motorcycle, called him to step outside. As soon as he came out, the armed men opened fire on him. One of the bullets struck Atma Singh in the forehead, proving fatal. He was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead. A team of police personnel from the Chohla Sahib police station reached the spot and initiated necessary action. The deceased had retired from Punjab Roadways and was working as a travel agent. The police have handed over the body to doctors at the Civil Hospital in Tarn Taran for a postmortem. He is survived by his wife, a married daughter and two sons, one of whom is settled abroad. — OC Gurbaxpuri SSP Surender Lamba, along with other officials, at the encounter spot in Tarn Taran. GURBAXPURI Two extortion suspects injured in police encounter near Kairon Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, April 19 Two suspects involved in extortion and other criminal activities were injured in an encounter with the police near Kairon village on Sunday. The injured were admitted to the Civil Hospital in Patti. SSP Surender Lamba said the suspects have been identified as Lovepreet Singh Labha and Aman, both of whom have criminal records. He added that Lovepreet Singh is facing eight criminal cases, while Aman is involved in two cases. The SSP said that teams from various police stations, including CIA Patti, of Tarn Taran were in the area following inputs about the suspects’ movement. The police tracked them near the fields of Kairon village, where the suspects, who were on a motorcycle, allegedly opened fire when they were intercepted. The Tarn Taran police apprehended the two accused after an exchange of fire during a special opera- tion. Two illegal weapons and a motorcycle were seized. The accused were allegedly involved in multiple criminal activities, including firing and attempted murder for extortion. Both injured accused are currently undergoing treatment in the hospital. Their arrest marks a significant step towards maintaining peace and law and order in the area. Further investigation is in progress, the SSP said. Members of the police team had a narrow escape. Tarn Taran, April 19 Despite the election of councillors to the local municipal council more than a year ago, the election of other officebearers, including the council president, has not been held here. The ruling party failed to secure a majority in the 25member municipal council during the elections held last year. The Aam Aadmi Party managed to win only eight wards. Independent candidates emerged victorious in 14 wards, while the Congress party secured three wards. However, following the demise of AAP MLA from Tarn Taran, Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal, the political equations in the municipal council have completely changed. Eight Independent councillors have since joined the Shiromani Akali Dal, while the remaining 17 councillors are now united under A view of the municipal council office building in Tarn Taran. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI the banner of the Aam Aadmi Party. According to estimates, six to seven of the 17 councillors from the ruling party are aspiring for the post of president. With multiple candidates in contention and the Vidhan Sabha elections approaching, the party is reluctant to take any risks. Bhupinder Singh Khera, an Aam Aadmi Party leader and former president of the municipal council, said that the election could not be held earlier as MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu had gone abroad. He added that the elections would be conducted soon after his return. Due to the delay, not a sin- gle meeting of the elected councillors has been held so far, which is being termed an alleged violation of the rules. When contacted, Karanvir Singh, local SDM-cumadministrator of the municipal council, said that the election had been delayed due to various reasons, but a date is now being finalised. Youth shot dead, four Loot attempt at highway project site Open garbage trolleys leave city roads littered injured in firing at in Mehta, worker injured in attack Drama wala bazaar Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 19 A youth was shot dead while four others, including a woman, sustained serious injuries in a late-night firing incident in Sultanwind area. The deceased, identified as Davinder Singh, alias Sabu, was a resident of Drama wala bazaar in Sultanwind. Sabu was allegedly taken from his house by some persons on the pretext of settling a dispute. However, upon reaching the spot, the situation escalated and the accused opened fire, killing him on the spot. Lakhbir Singh, brother of the deceased, said that some individuals had come to their house claiming a brawl had taken place and sought Sabu’s presence to broke a compromise. “But as soon as they reached there, the accused suddenly started firing,” he said. One of the injured, Ajmer Singh, said the incident occurred around 11.30 pm when five persons had gone to facilitate a compromise. “We had no idea that the matter would turn violent. Four out of five of us were hit by bullets. Davinder Singh died on the spot, while two others are in a critical condition,” he said, adding that he sustained a minor injury as a bullet grazed his arm. ADCP Harpal Singh stated that one of the victims, Balwinder Singh Raja, a taxi driver, gave statement to the police that Jaskaran Singh Tamater used to drive car on high speed in his street. The dispute arose after Raja objected to Jaskaran Tamater’s driving at high speed. The argument reportedly escalated and Jaskaran Tamater attacked them. His mother was also injured in firing. Baljinder Singh Aulakh, Station House Officer (SHO) at B division police station, who reached the spot, said the police are conducting a thorough continued on page 2 Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 19 An attempt to loot construction material at a highway project site in Mehta turned violent here on late Saturday night, leaving one worker seriously injured. The project is being carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). A large quantity of iron rods and other materials had been stored at the site for ongoing road construction work, with staff deployed to guard it. According to employees present at the site, a truck arrived at the site late night, followed by a car carrying five to six persons. Initially, the employees did not suspect anything, but soon the group allegedly started loading construction material onto the truck. The employees stated that the truck driver and the men in the car were acting together and had planned the robbery. Amritsar, April 19 Garbage scattered on city roads due to alleged negligence by the Amritsar Municipal Corporation staff and officials has become a cause of concern for residents. Waste collected from streets and corners is often transported in open tractortrolleys, resulting in litter spreading along the roads. Residents said that loose garbage, including plastic bags and other waste, falls off these vehicles, creating inconvenience for two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. A video recorded on the GT Road on Saturday evening was uploaded on social media, highlighting the issue. In the footage, garbage can be seen falling from an open trolley and spreading across the road for several kilometres. Pushpinder Singh, a local resident, said that garbage kept falling from a municipal trolley over a long stretch, creating unhygienic NHAI workers at the site alongwith the truck which was allegedly being used by the miscreants to steal construction material in Amritsar. When workers on duty objected and tried to stop them, the attackers allegedly assaulted them with sharp weapons. One worker, identified as Khaira Lal, suffered serious injuries to his leg and was rushed to hospital. Other workers managed to escape. Project manager Sanjit Patro said the attackers first tried to scare away the workers and then began loading the material. However, the workers gathered again and resisted, forcing the attackers in the car to flee. The truck driver was caught at the spot by the workers, he said. The driver, identified as Navdeep Singh, was later handed over to the police. The police reached the site and started an investigation. Patro alleged that similar incidents had taken place earlier and complaints had been made, but no strict action was continued on page 2 New Zealand PM meets Gargaj in Auckland, Nurse aspirants denied entry to exam centre despite arriving on time accepts invite to visit Golden Temple Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 19 Recognising the increasing contribution of the Sikh community to the development of New Zealand, its Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, met visiting Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj on Sunday. Giani Gargaj invited the New Zealand Prime Minister to visit the Golden Temple, which he accepted. A release issued by the Akal Takht secretariat on Sunday stated that the two leaders discussed mutual understanding and harmony between the Sikh community living in New Zealand and other communities. They also spoke about the services being rendered by Sikhs in Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland. New Zealand for the development and strengthening of society there. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon paid obeisance at Guru Nanak Sikh Sangat Gurdwara Sahib in Otahuhu, Auckland, and held a special meeting with the Akal Takht officiating Jathedar. Jathedar Gargaj thanked Prime Minister Luxon for recognising and honouring the services being performed by Sikhs in New Zealand. He also invited him to visit the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine in the world, which the Prime Minister gladly accepted. During the meeting, Jathedar Gargaj presented a model of the Golden Temple to Prime Minister Luxon, while the visiting Prime Minister gifted a watch to the Jathedar. On the occasion, Takanini MP Rima Nakhle, president of the Central Sikh Association and spokesperson for the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand Daljit Singh, Youth Akali Dal president Sarabjit Singh Jhinjar, and media advisor Jaskaran Singh were also present. c m y b Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 19 At least 10 aspirants for the post of staff nurse in government hospitals missed the crucial recruitment examination on Sunday after they were allegedly denied entry to the examination centre despite arriving on time. Jashan, a BSc Nursing student, had appeared for the written test conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences for recruitment to staff nurse posts in government hospitals. Her examination centre was at Khalsa College for Women. According to the student and other candidates present at the centre, the examination was scheduled to begin conditions and causing traffic inconvenience. Another resident, Rakesh Arora, blamed the lack of administrative control for the situation. He said officials need to step out of their offices and assess the ground reality. Complaints filed by citizens are often closed without proper resolution, he alleged. Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation has recently announced plans to improve the city’s cleanliness ranking. Officials said awareness rallies will be organised across the city from April 20 to 22. MC Commissioner Bikramjit Shergill and Mayor Jatinder Bhatia, during a recent press conference, said the civic body is considering a plan to reward citizens who report vehicles carrying uncovered garbage. They added that a fine of Rs 1,000 has already been imposed for transporting waste without covering it. Officials said the incentivebased complaint system would continued on page 2 Civic body to take out rally to promote hygiene today Tribune News Service Nursing students, who were denied entry inside the examination hall, show their documents in Amritsar. at 11 am, and many of them had reached the venue around 10.30 am. However, they alleged that authorities refused to allow them inside, claiming that entry had been closed at 10.30 am. The candidates expressed resentment, stating that at several other centres, students were reportedly permitted to enter the examination hall up to 15 minutes before the start of the exam. “We reached well before the exam time, but still we were not allowed in. This has cost continued on page 2 Amritsar, April 19 A cleanliness awareness rally will be organised in the city on Monday as part of ongoing efforts to promote hygiene and public participation. The rally is being organised by the Amritsar Municipal Corporation and it will be flagged off by the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner. The event is being held with support from Ek Seva and Swachh Punjab organisations. The rally will start at 11 am from Shiv Dham Temple near the Green Avenue police post. Officials said the aim of the rally is to spread awareness about the importance of continued on page 2