27042026-ATR-01.qxd 4/27/2026 12:32 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY AAP HOLDS PROTESTS AGAINST 7 RAJYA SABHA MPS MAJITHIA SLAMS AAP OVER GRAFFITI ON MPS’ RESIDENCES LEGENDARY PHOTOGRAPHER RAGHU RAI PASSES AWAY AT 83 District unit of the AAP held protests against its seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP. P2 Senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia condemned defacement of residences of Punjab MPs with “Gaddar” graffiti. P2 He was the first recipient of the Academy of Fine Arts Photography Award – William Klein – celebrating his career. P4 » » » MAX 40°C | MIN 22°C YESTERDAY MAX 40°C | MIN 21°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.07 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5.47 AM MONDAY | 27 APRIL 2026 | AMRITSAR Early heatwave cripples city life as mercury hits 40°C Manmeet Singh Gill Amritsar, April 26 The city and surrounding areas are already reeling under an intense spell of heatwave as temperature has touched 40°C, bringing daily life under strain much earlier than expected this season. The sudden spike in mercury has begun to disrupt routine activities, with residents struggling to cope with the harsh and exhausting hot weather conditions. During peak afternoon hours, usually bustling roads are now wearing a deserted look as people prefer to stay indoors to avoid exposure to the scorching sun. Markets across the city have started witnessing a noticeable dip in footfall, with shopkeepers reporting slower business compared to this time in previous years. Street vendors, in particular, are among the worst affected, as prolonged exposure to heat has made it difficult for them to operate during the day time. “There has been a sudden change of weather since last four days as high temperature has become unbearable,” said Sukhwinder PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Two-wheeler riders cover their faces to avoid heat exposure while driving in Amritsar on Sunday. Singh, a shopkeeper. The rising temperature has also begun to impact daily wage workers, delivery personnel and traffic police personnel who have to remain outdoors for long hours. Many have reported fatigue, dehydration and discomfort, prompting health officials to advise caution while working in hot weather conditions. Earlier, the district health administration had issued advisory last week guiding residents to stop heat exhaustion, dehydration and prevent headaches. Rural belt simmers as unscheduled power cuts spark protests across dist Residents protest over unscheduled power cuts at Kaler Bala village in Amritsar district. Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 26 Growing resentment is being witnessed in the rural areas of Amritsar district over frequent unscheduled power cuts as temperature rises sharply, with residents alleging prolonged outages during the night disrupting their daily life and farm operations. Complaints have also emerged from the urban areas, where electricity supply has reportedly been disrupted multiple times during the night. Residents and members of farmer organisations staged demonstrations in the Majitha area today, while activists reportedly gheraoed a Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) subdivision office at Udoke village to lodge their protest against erratic electricity supply last night. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee district president Ranjit Singh said the wheat harvesting season was underway and the authorities had issued instructions to suspend agricultural and domestic power supply during the daytime in order to prevent fire incidents in fields. He termed the daytime restrictions understandable under the present circumstances. However, he alleged that long power cuts during the night were causing severe hardship to rural households. “Farmers and labourers return home exhausted after working in fields during the day, but they are unable to rest because of repeated power outages. Children and elderly people are facing biggest difficulties,” he said. At Kaler Bala village, residents led by its sarpanch Daljit Singh held a demonstration in which farmers, labourers, women and children raised slogans against the Bhagwant Mann-led state government and burnt an effigy to protest. Addressing protesters, speakers alleged that political rivalry in the Majitha constituency was affecting public services. They said parties should keep politics separate from essential civic needs while accusing the state government of indulging in votebank politics on every issue. They demanded that the government must ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in the region. Residents say the early arrival of intense heatwave has forced changes in their daily routines. Morning and evening hours are now preferred for outdoor activities, while venturing out in the afternoon is largely avoided. Schools and offices, though functioning normally, are witnessing reduced outdoor engagement, with many institutions issuing advisories to ensure health safety. Experts attribute the sharp rise in temperature to changing weather patterns and warn that the situation could worsen in the coming weeks if precautions are not taken. The authorities have urged people to stay hydrated, avoid direct sunlight during peak hours and take necessary protective measures such as wearing light clothing and using head covers while going out in the sun. With the summer season still in its early stages, the present weather conditions have raised concerns about a prolonged and severe heatwave ahead, leaving residents bracing for tougher days in the weeks to come. Powercom staff demand police protection Tarn Taran, April 26 Powercom employees and pensioners’ organisations have demanded the deployment of police personnel to protect power substations (grid stations) in view of the extreme heat in the state and prolonged power cuts. Employees’ organisations, including the PSEB Joint Forum, Bijli Mulazam Ekta Manch Punjab, the Association of Junior Engineers and the Grid Sub Station Employees Union have written a letter to the Power Minister and the Powercom CMD regarding this issue. They stated that the extreme heat has led to increased electricity consumption, which, coupled with long power cuts, has angered the public. In such a situation, they demanded that police personnel be deployed at power plants (grid stations) to prevent any untoward incidents and to ensure that Powercom employees can perform their duties without fear. The leaders further said that out of the sanctioned 8,000 posts for employees and helpers at power plants, around 4,700 posts were vacant. Due to this shortage, it had become difficult for the staff to handle public anger. They demanded that vacant posts be filled immediately. — OC 2 held for funding foreign-based gangster Happy Jatt’s network The weapons seized from four members of the extortion gang arrested earlier in Amritsar. Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 26 A day after the arrest of four alleged operatives of foreign-based notorious gangster Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Jatt, the Amritsar (Rural) police have arrested two more persons of the racket for allegedly financing and facilitating his operations in the district. The accused have been identified as Jagroop Singh, a resident of Nizampura, and Ajit Singh, a resident of Manawala. According to the police, the duo had been in contact with Happy Jatt for nearly two years and were actively assisting him in expanding his criminal network across the district. During the operation, the police recovered three mobile phones, two motorcycles and several documents from their possession. Investigations revealed that Jagroop and Ajit recently provided financial support to four shooters — Ram Singh, alias Roman, Harpreet Singh, alias Happy, Satnam Singh and Sikandar Singh —who were arrested on Saturday. Instead of transferring money directly into their bank accounts, the accused allegedly adopted a discreet method — covering the shooters’ expenses at hotels and roadside eateries. They would obtain QR codes from these establishments and make digital payments on behalf of the gang members. Sources in the Police Department estimate that at least Rs 60,000 was routed through this method in the last 15 days. Further probe confirmed that the shooters were in direct contact with Happy Jatt via mobile communication. Investigators are now probing their involvement in extortion activities and whether they targeted other businessmen apart from Sonu Jandiala. Notably, the four shooters had recently opened fire outside Sonu Jandiala’s residence and allegedly demanded an extortion amount of Rs 20 lakh. Meanwhile, these four arrested accused had reportedly made significant disclosures during interrogation. Police officials stated that further investigation was underway to dismantle the entire network and trace other associates linked to Happy Jatt. Family to move High Court for CBI probe in Randhawa death case Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 26 Accusing the local police of “biased investigation,” Gagandeep Singh Randhawa’s family members has decided to approach Punjab and Haryana High Court for justice and request shifting investigation to some independent Central agency such as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Upinder Kaur, wife of the deceased, who was district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, has demanded a fair, transparent and time-bound probe into the circumstances leading to her husband’s death, which she claims was not natural, but the result of sustained harassment and assault. Speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday, Upinder Kaur said she would “fight calmly, lawfully and relent- Gagandeep Singh Randhawa’s wife Upinder Kaur and family members address mediapersons in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR lessly” until all those responsible for death of her husband were brought to justice. While acknowledging condolences and offers of legal assistance from leaders across political parties, she asserted that her faith rests solely in accountability, not assurances. She alleged that her husband was subjected to assault, threats and contin- uous harassment by those named in the case, pushing him to extreme distress and ultimately suicide. She further claimed that six individuals were involved in the alleged assault at the residence-cum-office of a ruling party MLA, but only three had been named in the FIR so far, with the remaining unidentified. Raising questions over the investigation, she said crucial evidence —including a mobile phone, DVR hard disk and the weapon allegedly used in the assault — had not been recovered. She also expressed concern over not recording of statements of key officials and witnesses, including senior administrative and corporate functionaries. Upinder Kaur alleged that despite repeated representations to senior police officials, including the DGP , Punjab, the Police Commissioner, and the investigating officer, no concrete action had been taken. She claimed that even critical video evidence showing her Aujla inaugurates new open air gym at Company Bagh Amritsar, April 26 Member of Parliament (MP) Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Sunday inaugurated a new open air gym at Company Bagh, aiming to promote fitness and encourage a healthier lifestyle among residents. Speaking at the event, Aujla said the gym was set up with MP Local Area Development funds to provide free and accessible fitness facilities to people of all age groups. He said such public welfare initiatives would continue in the future, as serving the community remained his top priority. Aujla said Company Bagh was not only a place of heritage and historical value, but also was lungs of the city. He added that thousands of people visit the bagh daily, but the government had failed to provide facilities here. He said opening of the new gym aimed at husband being held at the accused’s residence was not formally taken on record. She further pointed out that two key accused, including father of the prime accused and former Punjab minister Sukhdev Singh Bhullar and personal assistant Dilbagh Singh, remain absconding. She alleged that no effective raids were conducted to trace them and expressed suspicion that evidence might be influenced. Recalling her family’s faith in the Punjab Police, she said it was “deeply painful” to feel that the investigation lacked urgency and fairness. She urged the authorities to provide a clear account of steps taken to identify all those involved and to arrest the absconding accused. “I believe that justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done,” she said. Man arrested with 266 grams heroin Our Correspondent MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla during the inauguration of the new open air gym at Company Bagh in Amritsar. helping residents utilise the facility to stay fit and healthy. “The open air gym will benefit morning and evening walkers, youth and senior citizens who visit the c m y b park regularly,” he said. Residents welcomed the move, saying the facility would help them stay active without spending on expensive gym memberships. Former minister Anil Joshi, former MLA Sunil Datti, Arora Maha Sabha president Sanjeev Arora and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. Residents appreciated the initiative and expressed hope that more such projects would be introduced across the city to improve public healthcare infrastructure. — TNS Tarn Taran, April 26 The Khalra police, led by Sub-Inspector Gursahib Singh, arrested a person and recovered 266 grams of heroin from his possession during a patrol duty in the area on Saturday. The Sub-Inspector stated that the suspect was spotted moving near the iron bridge at Dall village. On seeing the police party he threw away a packet he was carrying. The accused has been identified as Sikandar Singh, a resident of Dall village. The police party recovered the discarded packet, which weighed 266 grams along with the packing material. The accused has been booked under Sections 21-C, 61, and 85 of the NDPS Act.