05052026-LT-01.qxd 5/5/2026 1:01 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune STORM AFTERMATH: MANY AREAS SANS POWER SUPPLY A day after heavy rain and thunderstorm lashed city, its large parts continue to remain without power on Monday. P2 » JAAFAR JACKSON CHEERS INDIAN MJ DANCE TRIBUTE GUNSHOTS FIRED AT CANADA CAFE, KAPIL SAYS NOT SCARED Actor Jaafar Jackson reacts to a viral Indian classical fusion dance video inspired by Michael Jackson. P4 Gunshots were fired at Kapil Sharma’s Canada café but actor says he is focusing on Dadi Ki Shaadirelease. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 38°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 38°C | MIN 18°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7.02 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:36 AM TUESDAY | 5 MAY 2026 | LUDHIANA MC writes to sewerage board over poor Blind murder of farmer cracked, couple arrested functioning of STPs ahead of CM’s visit Civic agencies have intensified efforts to clean polluted Buddha Nullah Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 4 With Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann likely to visit the Buddha Nullah around May 7, civic agencies have intensified efforts to clean the polluted drain, even as long-standing issues between the Municipal Corporation (MC), sewerage board and dairy owners continue to surface. Multiple machines have been deployed along the nullah stretch and officials from the MC and sewerage board are working on a war footing to improve sanitation conditions. The move comes days after Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal met the Chief Minister to push for faster action to clean the drain, which passes through seven Assembly constituencies of the state. At the same time, the MC has flagged serious concerns The MC has sought action against the contractor as the STPs and ETPs are not operating as per norms. ASHWANI DHIMAN over the functioning of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and effluent treatment plants (ETPs). In a communication to the sewerage board, the civic body stated that these plants were not operating as per the norms and sought action against the contractor, including imposition of penalties. MC Commissioner Neeru Katyal said: “We have issued a letter to the sewerage board that the plants are not functioning properly. They have been asked to take action against the contractor and coordinate with us so that the work can proceed smoothly. Our teams have already been working on the same for some time.” The clean-up drive has also brought renewed focus on issues related to dairies along Tajpur Road, which have been blamed for contributing to pollution in the Budha Nullah. However, dairy owners have alleged that they were being unfairly targeted despite complying with government directions. According to members of the dairy association, the government had recently provided carts (rehris) to dairy operators for disposing of cow dung, with instructions that contractors would lift the waste regularly. However, even after three days, the lifting work did not begin, leading to accumulation of waste in streets. “The contractor is not lifting cow dung but action is being taken against dairy owners. Water has again been stopped in lanes, making it difficult to even pass through,” said Satinderpal Singh Lovely, president of the Tajpur Road Dairy Association. He said the situation had Celebrating poll win briefly improved when the MC deployed machines and cleaned the lanes for several hours, but the relief was short-lived. “Within a day, the same problem returned as lifting work did not continue,” he said. On the other hand, contractor Varinderjit Singh claimed that the lifting work had started in several areas and would soon be expanded. Officials said efforts were now being made to streamline coordination between departments, especially regarding drainage and sewerage issues. With the Chief Minister’s visit approaching, the authorities were under pressure to ensure visible improvement in ground conditions, including proper functioning of treatment plants and effective waste management in dairy-affected areas. Mahesh Sharma Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 4 The police claimed to have solved a blind murder case by arresting the owner of a cycle-puncture shop, a resident of Saraud village, and his wife, a ASHA worker, for allegedly killing a farmer of the village and trying to destroy his body. Though the police are yet to ascertain complete sequence of events leading to the cold-blooded murder due to the alleged illicit relations of the deceased, Surjit Singh, of Saraud with the suspect woman, Paramjit Kaur. The victim had allegedly started blackmailing the poor Dalit family, led by Harpreet Singh. SSP Malerkotla Gagan Ajit Singh said, police officials, supervised by SP (I) Rajwinder Singh Randhawa, DSP (D) Deepinder Pal Singh, Ahmedgarh DSP Sukhdev Singh Brar and Ahmedgarh Sadar SHO Gurpreet Kaur, had nabbed a couple of Saraud village for allegedly killing Surjit Singh of the village and dumping his body in the Lasara drain after wrapping it in a jute sack. The Ahmedgarh Sadar police had filed a ‘secret wrongful confinement’ report against unidentified persons on April 29 in connection with Surjit, who had gone missing on April 24. Later, Sections 103 (1), 238, 62 and 3(5) of the BNS were added to the already registered case after recovery of the body from the drain near Ranvan. Probe revealed that Surjit had been making long mobile calls on a mobile number, which later was found to be used by Paramjit Kaur. It was during interrogation of the woman that the probe team came to know about illicit relationship between her and the deceased. Further investigations revealed that the suspects had killed the deceased with a metal rod and were trying to dump his body in the drain under the cover of darkness. The SSP said the police had recovered the rod used in the crime, scooter which was used to shift the body and the damaged mobile phone belonging to the deceased from the possession of the suspects. Though the police are yet to ascertain the complete sequence of events leading to murder, sources revealed that the victim had been allegedly exploiting Paramjit Kaur for about three years. Residents believe that the suspects had conspired to get rid of Surjit as they were worried about the future of their two teenaged daughters. The probe team was working on various angles and honour killing also not ruled out, the police said. AAP MLA receives death threats from notorious gangster Doni Bal Suspect along with Shaganpreet had targeted seven bizmen in Khanna Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service BJP supporters celebrate the party's victory in the Assembly elections, at Model Town in Ludhiana on Monday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN P2 Got third death threat in seven days: Majithia Ludhiana, May 4 Manvinder Singh Giaspura, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from the Payal constituency, Ludhiana, received a threat call from notorious gangster Doni Bal. He threatened to kill the him along with the president of the Arhtiya Association, Payal, Avinashpreet Jalla. After the development, the Khanna police have beefed up security of the legislature and launched further investigation. As per information, when the gangster called and threatened Jalla, the MLA was also present there. The latter took the phone and told the gangster that he had seen many gangsters and don’t dare to issue threats to his people. The gangster replied: “I will kill you publicly and post a video. First, I will eliminate Jalla, then it’s your turn.” To this, the MLA replied: “Kill me first, then Jalla”. A 15-minute video of the argument between the MLA and the gangster has also sur- faced on the social media. After receiving repeated threats, Giaspura has written to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav and asked for security for himself and his associates. In a letter to the DGP , Giaspura stated: “I want to draw your attention to problems in the Payal constituency. Arhtiya Nona of the Payal Assembly constituency received a threatening call from abroad on April 10, from a person, Doni Bal. Following this, the police increased his security. On April 15, firing occurred at his shop. Fortunately, the firing resulted in no casualties. The next day, Arhtiya Association president Jalla held a press conference against gangsters and on the same evening, he received a threat call from a foreign number. I personally answered the call and spoke with the caller for approximately 15 minutes, urging him not to disturb the peace of Punjab”. The MLA further wrote in the letter that the police acted swiftly and arrested individuals involved in the shooting by Ludhiana, May 4 Bikramjit Singh Majithia on Monday said he had received third death threat in the past seven days, claiming his situation mirrors that of singer Sidhu Moosewala, whose security was withdrawn before he was killed. Majithia was in the city in connection with a case involving the cross-examination of AAP MP Sanjay Singh. “The inside story is that senior police officials need permission from Delhi before providing me security, so they are waiting for direc- Ex-cop, son booked for bid to grab land No lift, only stairs: 78-yr-old struggles to reach MC office Ludhiana, May 4 The Ludhiana police registered a case against a retired SI, Sikandar Singh, and his son Pritam Singh for allegedly attempting to take possession of a land and stealing construction material in an area, falling under the jurisdiction of the Sahnewal police station. In his complaint, Gaurav Dhir, a resident of Sector 39, Chandigarh Road, told the police that he had purchased around 2 canals of land in Nandpur village in 2017, registered in the name of his wife, Jyoti Dhir. He said he had stored bricks, iron rods and soil there for construction. The complainant alleged that on April 30, the suspects stole the bricks and iron rods. Sikandar Singh of Sahnewal and a retired SI had been trying to grab the land for quite some time. — TNS Sukhpreet Singh tions,” Majithia claimed while speaking to The Tribune over the phone. He also targeted Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, questioning how a “drunk man” could run the affairs of the state. “ Majithia also welcomed the public mandate in West Ben- gal, stating that people wanted change and ultimately got it. SAD leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal, who accompanied Majithia to court, said when a political leader receives death threats, it was time for the state government to act decisively. — TNS Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 4 Each step felt like a challenge for 78-year-old Ghanshyam Sharma as he slowly made his way down the stairs of the Municipal Corporation’s Zone A office. With a serious problem in his right leg, the retired MC employee had come to enquire about his pension but the absence of a lift or ramp turned the visit into a painful ordeal. It took Sharma over 30 minutes to cover around 18 stairs leading to the basement office. Holding the railing and pausing after every few steps, he said the journey was exhausting and risky. “At this age, with a leg problem, even walking is difficult. But here, there is no other option. I had to somehow manage,” he said. Sharma questioned why With a serious issue in his right leg, ex-employee Ghanshyam Sharma faces tought time reaching the MC office. INDERJEET VERMA the building, which has been functional since 1976, still lacks basic accessibility features. “There should at least be a ramp or a lift. Other MC offices have lifts. Why is this facility missing in the main headquarters?” he asked. c m y b His experience reflects a larger problem faced by many elderly visitors at the civic body’s headquarters. Another senior citizen Jagmohan Singh, who had come to the Suvidha Kendra in the same building, shared a similar experience. He said reaching the office itself was a struggle. “For elderly people, even entering the building is a task. There is no proper arrangement for us,” he said. Visitors said the building is in a deteriorating condition. Broken infrastructure, poor maintenance and lack of basic amenities make it difficult for people, especially senior citizens, to access essential services. Despite being the main headquarters of the corporation, the Zone A office lacks even the most basic provisions for differently abled and elder- ly persons. Many questioned how such an important public building continues to function without a lift or ramp. The incident has again highlighted the urgent need for making government offices accessible to all. For people like Sharma, a simple visit to enquire about pension should not turn into a physical struggle. Till proper facilities are installed, elderly visitors will continue to face hardships — one painful step at a time. Mayor Inderjit Kaur said: “The proposal for installing a lift has been passed in the recent F&CC meeting. The work order is pending and soon the lift will be installed and for the rest of the works in the Zone A office, I will ask the official concerned to make a proposal for the same also.” April 25, which provided some relief. However, threats are still being received in the name of Doni and Shaganpreet (former manager of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala). Giaspura further stated in the letter that on April 30, Dilshad, a member of his media team, was stopped by three unidentified youths riding a bike without a registration number plate near Rano Bridge and threatened by them. The MLA has made four key demands in a letter to the DGP He wrote that a high. level investigation be conducted into the matter, strict legal action be taken against the culprits and the security of him and his associates be strengthened. A thorough investigation be conducted into the sources of these threats and the perpetrators be apprehended. Meanwhile, SSP Khanna, , Darpan Ahluwalia, said following the threat calls, an FIR was registered and security of the MLA was increased. Fugitive Shaganpreet Singh 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 victims, one was reportedly a jeweller. About the gangster Balwinder Singh, alias Doni Bal, from Pati Balel village, Amritsar, is one of the main handlers of the Gopi Ghanshampuria Gang (Mann Ghanshampuria-Donny Bal faction) and is also aligned with the Bambiha gang. His rivals include Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Harry Chatha and Landa Harike gangs. Donny is implicated in murder, attempt to murder, extortion, arms smuggling, robbery and dacoity cases. With over 32 FIRs against him, he has a long criminal history, including involvement in the murders of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s mother and cousin Karanbir Singh. He fled abroad and is suspected to be hiding in the UK, where he continues to run extortion rackets. Man found dead in maize fields, his ‘friend’ booked Ludhiana, May 4 A 29-year-old man, Jaswinder Singh, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a maize field near the Sutlej bank in Maddepur village on Monday. The police filed a murder case against his ‘friend’, who allegedly pushed him off a bike and dumped his body in fields. The suspect, Jashandeep Singh Kalu of Ramuwal Colony in Jalandhar, was booked following a complaint by the victim’s brother. The victim’s brother, Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Uddowal village in Jalandhar district, told the police that the suspect had come to their house on May 1 and also stayed there in the night. The next day, both had left without telling anyone. On May 3, when the complainant located Jashandeep in Tanda Hura village, he asked about the whereabouts of his brother but Jashandeep did not give any satisfactory reply. Sources said the suspect allegedly took Jaswinder on a motorcycle to Gobindpur village, situated near the Sutlej. It was alleged that Jashandeep pushed the victim off the moving vehicle, an act that proved fatal. The suspect then allegedly dumped the body in a maize field near Maddepur. Later, when the body was found, injury marks were found on the arm. SI Amarjit Singh, SHO, Sidhwan Bet, said a case of murder was registered against the friend of the victim. — TNS