28042026-LT-01.qxd 4/28/2026 12:49 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 3 DAYS ON, FACTORY FIRE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL Of the seven women who were injured when the fire broke out, two are still “critical”. P2 » ADMISSIONS BEGIN AT SCHOOLS OF EMINENCE SAVOUR SIDDU DELICACY AT SHIMLA’S HIMACHALI RASOI Even as two institutes in the city are yet to be inaugurated, officials say work has been completed. P3 Himachali Rasoi at Middle Bazaar in Shimla city is a must-visit restaurant for a delightful range of siddus. P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 41°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 43°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6:58 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:42 AM » TUESDAY | 28 APRIL 2026 | LUDHIANA Khanna police trace thief’s house built from crime proceeds to UP Write to Shravasti District Magistrate to initiate attachment process Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 27 In a surprising turn of events, a thief who stole valuables worth Rs 70 lakh from his landlord’s house in Khanna and quietly used the proceeds of crime to construct a house in Uttar Pradesh got a shock when the Khanna police moved swiftly to attach the property. Acting under the new provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the police approached the District Magistrate of Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh with a petition to attach the building, which was allegedly built with the proceeds of the major theft. The proactive step highlights the enhanced powers now available with law-enforcement agencies to seize properties derived from criminal activity and prevent offenders from enjoying fruits of their crime. The suspect, Nanku, alias Pappu Chaudhary, a resident of Shravasti district in UP , previously worked as a domestic help for a local businessman in Khanna. During Khanna police officials outside the house of the suspect in Uttar Pradesh. his employment, he, along with his wife, reportedly stole gold and silver ornaments, valued at Rs 70 lakh. After the suspect was nabbed and investigation was carried out, police teams traced the house, which was built by him after selling the stolen jewellery. Even jewellers of UP who bought the stolen stuff were also apprehended by the police and stolen valuables were seized from them. SSP Khanna, Darpan , Ahluwalia, told The Tribune that after receiving the theft complaint from a house owner, Savela Kanwal, the Khanna police had arrested Nanku and his wife on March 1. During their interrogation, they confessed to having committed the crime and also admitted that stolen ornaments were sold to some jewellers and their relatives in UP for Rs 70 lakh. Of this, Rs 40 lakh was spent on constructing a house in UP some amount , was given to their relatives and the rest was spent on leading a lavish life. The police even found building material shop owners and other contractors engaged in constructing the house for the thief. “Though the concept of attachment and consequent forfeiture under criminal legislation is not new. It existed in the form of Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, 1944, as well as under various other statutes such as PMLA, NDPS, PCA, UAPA, etc. However, Section 107 of the BNSS provides a comprehensive framework for the attachment, forfeiture or restoration of property believed to be derived from criminal activities,”asserted SSP . Dr Ahluwalia maintained that the new provision had been added to the BNSS, 2023, in the form of Section 107 for attachment and forfeiture of the property, which was derived or obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of a criminal activity or from the commission of any offence. “The Khanna police are in regular touch with the District Magistrate so that attachment process can be completed in a short time and the victim can be compensated for his loss,” she said. MC fails to auction 6 fuel station sites, leases expired years ago Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 27 The Municipal Corporation (MC) has failed to auction six petrol pump sites even years after their leases expired, raising serious concerns over revenue loss and administrative apathy. As per official records, the petrol pump sites were allotted on lease by the MC with defined terms and conditions, including provisions for renewal or fresh auction after expiry. However, documents reveal that the leases of several such sites expired around 2017, yet the civic body has neither conducted fresh auctions nor revised lease terms in a transparent manner. Official documents highlighted that the issue was flagged multiple times at different administrative levels. In September 2020, a proposal was moved recommending that the land and structure be assessed for price fixation through the Deputy Commissioner’s office for lease or rent purposes. The proposal also suggested placing the matter before the General House to take a decision on lease continuation or fresh allotment as per the Punjab Municipal laws. Despite these recommendations, the matter remained A petrol station near Clock Tower in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN stuck in files. Instead of initiating auction proceedings, officials continued to exchange internal communications suggesting options such as entering into agreements with oil companies or examining alternative land parcels for petrol pump operations. No final call was taken on the already expired leases. Further developments in 2022 and 2023 again highlighted the issue. Notes in the file recommended that the sites be brought under a proper policy framework and auctioned to ensure transparency and better revenue generation. However, no concrete steps were taken on ground. The MC officials said a committee was formed earlier by councillors had failed to submit its report, leading to further pendency of the case. Another note suggests that proposals “may be examined” for decision, reflected a lack of urgency in dealing with the matter. Experts believe that such inaction has resulted in significant financial loss to the civic body. Prime commercial sites such as petrol pumps have high earning potential and failure to auction them at current market rates deprives the MC of substantial revenue. “The corporation is already facing financial stress. Allowing petrol pumps to continue operating on expired leases without competitive bidding is a clear case of poor governance,” said Rupinder Kaur, city resident. MC Joint Commissioner Deepjot Kaur said: “I will ask officials concerned to bring all records. I will conduct auction or re-lease the land if not auctioned so far.” Man holds niece captive Moosewala’s ex-manager Shaganpreet, Ex-BJP councillor for 4 hours after mother Doni Bal targeted 7 bizmen in Khanna Neetu declared refuses to give him money Demanded extortion ranging from ~50 lakh to ~1 crore proclaimed person Ludhiana, April 27 Tension reported in the Jodhewal area here when a man abducted his 40-day-old niece, locked himself in a room and began threatening to kill her. After nearly four hours of struggle, the family managed to open the door, rescue the girl safely and arrested the suspect. According to reports, the girl’s mother Pandeep Kaur told the police that her son Guranmol Singh, frequently demanded money and threatened to kill her if she did not pay money to him. A complaint had previously been filed in this regard at the Basti Jodhewal police station. She said on April 26, Guranmol, who stays in Kakowal village, entered her house. Even her daughter was not present at the time of the incident. The Infant rescued safely, suspect arrested suspect forcibly abducted her daughter’s 40-day-old child, Ilahinoor. Afterwards, the suspect took the child to a room on the upper floor of the house and locked himself inside. During this time, he continued to threaten to kill the girl and himself, if she did not give money to him, causing panic within the family. On getting information, the Jodhewal police reached the scene and after nearly four hours of hard work, managed to open the door. The family safely rescued the girl. The child was unharmed. The police arrested the suspect. A case on the charges of kidnapping and house trespass was registered. — TNS Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 27 Fugitive Shaganpreet Singh, a former manager of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala and a proclaimed offender (PO) in the Vicky Middukhera murder case, along with gangster Doni Bal, has allegedly targeted seven businessmen staying in the jurisdiction of the Khanna police district. Among the seven, one was reportedly a jeweller. Shaganpreet, who is said to be associated with the Doni Bal gang, has demanded a whopping sum of extortion from these businessmen ranging from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore. Interestingly, the gangster made two back-to-back calls to Doraha-based men. A latest FIR was registered on April 24 at the Doraha police station in which two extortion cases have been mentioned. The first victim is a businessman, Narinder Shaganpreet Singh Lucky, Singh of the Railway road area in Doraha, who alleged that gangster Doni demanded Rs 1 crore extortion on April 23. The second victim is Simranjit Asht of Madhu Mangat Gali, Doraha, who recieved an extortion call on April 24. The caller posing as gangster Doni demanded Rs 50 lakh extortion else threatened to eliminate him. In both cases, the police named Shaganpreet, his brother Jagpreet Singh, father Saudagar Singh and mother Daljit Kaur, along with Doni, Hardeep Singh, alias Ladi, of Manjali Kalan village of Samrala; Gurwinder Singh, alias Goldy, a cab driver from Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, Lalheri Road, Khanna; Umesh Kumar, alias Sonu Chhanga, and Gaurav Kumar, alias Gola, of Amritsar. In March this year, Shaganpreet and Doni had demanded Rs 1 crore extortion from an arhtiya (commission agent) of Payal and the suspects even sent their men who opened fire at the shop of the arhtiya to intimidate him. SSP Khanna, Darpan , Ahluwalia while talking to The Tribune said regarding the extortion call and firing at the arhtiya’s shop, Shaganpreet had been in touch with the local suspects through a video call. Even family members of Shaganpreet also do recee of targets. “Now, the Khanna police had already arrested several members of Doni and Shaganpreet gang involved in firing and extortion cases. A special police team has been entrusted the task to dig out investigation and catch every criminal element helping the suspects in any respect,” the SSP said. Shaganpreet’s father, Saudagar Singh Sarai, a resident of Chari village (Fatehgarh Sahib), had already been arrested in connection with the extortion calls in the Payal trader case. Investigation revealed that Doni is also connected to the Bambiha-Rana Kandowalia gang and had managed to flee to foreign countries on the basis of fake passports and forged documents. He is also wanted in a number of criminal cases, including that of murder, attempt to murder and robbery. Saudagar was suspected to be acting as the local conduit of Doni and Shaganpreet, who is suspected to be hiding in Australia. Vet doc quits job, builds thriving dairy farm with self-bred cattle Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 27 At a time when many young professionals grow disheartened over limited job opportunities, 30-year-old Dr Noorpreet Inder Singh, a bachelor of veterinary science graduate from GADVASU, stands out as an example of self-reliance and entrepreneurship. After working for two years with Nestle, Dr Noorpreet chose to leave his job in 2022 and return to his roots to manage his family’s dairy farm in Channuwala village of Moga district. Today, he owns a flourishing dairy unit with 25 self-bred cows, 12 female calves and 12 heifers. He credits experts at GADVASU for their continuous guidance and technical support. “Dairy farming runs in my blood. My grandfather started the farm with only one cow. He was part of the first batch of agriculture graduates from the PAU in 1962,” said Dr Noorpreet. Recalling his grandfather’s pioneering efforts, he said: “In 1988, he became the first farmer in the area to get a cow impregnated using imported semen from Karnal. Despite limited resources, he went to great lengths — changing buses and even arranging ice packs in advance — to ensure the semen remained viable.” Dr Noorpreet has expanded the farm using artificial insemination techniques and has not purchased a single cow from outside. “We are breeders. All our cattle are self-bred. My professional experience at Nestle helped me gain valuable insights and today I also supply milk to the company. Additionally, farmers visit the farm to purchase high-quality cattle,” he said. Encouraging youth to explore dairy farming, Dr Noorpreet termed it as a profitable venture, provided one has adequate knowledge, particularly in disease prevention and animal care. He follows a flexible business model — selling milk when demand and prices are high and shifting to the sale of calves, heifers and cows during lean periods to maintain steady income. A calf can fetch up to Rs 65,000 while a milking cow sells for as much as Rs 3 lakh. Pregnant cows can command prices of up to Rs 3.5 lakh. “Starting a business after gaining professional knowledge makes a significant difference. Experts at GADVASU are offering valuable insights into modern technologies and young people should make full use of these resources to build sustainable livelihoods,” he added. >>> Dr Noorpreet Inder Singh with his self-bred cows at the dairy farm in Moga district. c m y b Rajneesh Lakhanpal Ludhiana, April 27 A local court has declared former BJP councillor Gurdeep Singh Neetu a proclaimed person in connection with an election-related case. Judicial Magistrate Yadwinder Singh passed the order in an FIR registered at the Division No 2 police station, after the suspect failed to appear before the court despite due process. According to the prosecution, the case was registered on the basis of a tip-off received by the police. The informer had alleged that Gurdeep was campaigning for his wife Gurmeet Kaur, a BJP candidate from Ward 75 in Municipal Corporation elections, beyond the deadline fixed by the Deputy Commissioner and he was also distributing liquor to voters to influence the poll process. The police had earlier arrested the suspect, who was subsequently granted bail. However, after the filing of the chargesheet, he did not appear before the court during proceedings of the case. The court records reveal that proclamation proceedings under Section 82, CrPC, had already been executed against Gurdeep on February 20. The statement of the serving official was recorded on February 27. Despite the lapse of the statutory period of 30 days, no one appeared on behalf of the suspect. Observing non-compliance, the court declared Gurdeep as a proclaimed person and directed that necessary intimation be sent to the police stationconcerned for making an entry in the relevant register. Two co-accused, Davinder Kumar and Ajay Kumar, were also facing the case. The case is now fixed for arguments on framing charges against the suspects on the next date of hearing, which is May 7. Gang planning to commit robberies busted, 5 nabbed Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 27 The Ludhiana police busted a gang of criminals and arrested five of its members. It was planning to commit robberies in factories and ATMs using gas cutters. According to reports, a police team, including SI Satvir Singh, was conducting a special checking at the Budhewal village T-point on April 26 when they got a tipoff that some criminals were travelling in a mini- truck (pick-up) towards Budhewal via Khasi Kalan village with the intention of committing a robbery. Acting swiftly, the Continued on page 2