21052026-ATR-01.qxd 5/20/2026 11:51 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 44°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 44°C | MIN 25°C GURDASPUR DIST DROWNS IN 520 TONNES OF WASTE CHEMISTS HOLD STRIKE IN AMRITSAR, PATIENTS SUFFER ENJOY VAISHNAVI SHARMA’S ANHAD POETRY WITH RAAGS No end in sight to ‘Safai Karamchari’ strike, which entered its 16th day on Wednesday. P2 Chemists and druggists across the city kept their shops shuttered on Wednesday. P3 Cultural Kaarvan to feature Vaishnavi Sharma’s Anhad poetry at Shimla’s Gaiety Theatre on May 21 and 22. P4 » » » SUNSET THURSDAY 7.23 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5.29 AM THURSDAY | 21 MAY 2026 | AMRITSAR Int’l narco module busted; 2 held with 10 kg ICE, heroin Youths open fire at city trader’s house over extortion Tribune News Service Pawan K Jaiwar Tribune News Service Members of the Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS, PRTC Contractual Workers’ Union during a two-hour sit-in at the ISBT in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Pb Roadways, PUNBUS, PRTC contractual staff stage protest Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 20 Passengers faced inconvenience on Wednesday as the Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and PRTC Contractual Workers’ Union observed a twohour protest, disrupting government-run bus operations. The union’s key demands include the regularisation of outsourced and contractual employees, withdrawal of cases registered against workers during previous agitations and reinstatement of dismissed employees. The employees staged a two-hour sit-in at the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) to press the government to fulfil their long-pending demands. Among the affected passengers, women bore the brunt of the disruption, as a majority of commuters waiting at the ISBT were women. The daily number of women passengers has remained significantly high since the introduction of free bus travel for women in the state. While government-run buses remained off the roads during the protest hours, pri- vate bus operators witnessed heavy rush during the morning. Passengers were seen scrambling to secure seats in private buses. Agitated over the government’s failure to address their demands, union members raised slogans against the government and its policies while holding placards. The protest was held from 10 am to 12 noon, during which employees assembled at the ISBT and demanded immediate action on their pending issues. Jodh Singh, a union leader, said the employees had continued on page 2 Amritsar, May 20 In one of the biggest drug seizures in recent times, the Amritsar police on Wednesday dismantled an international narco-smuggling module with links stretching from Punjab to Dubai. Two persons accused have been arrested with a massive haul of 10 kg ICE (methamphetamine) and 4 kg heroin pointing towards a well-organised cross-border syndicate operating through foreign handlers. They were identified as Mohit, alias Bachi (19), a resident of Lambra in Jalandhar, and Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh, aka Harman (23) of Kot Khalsa here. Police sources said that the accused were allegedly working under the directions of a Dubai/Abu Dhabi-based drug smuggler, identified as Karan, who used international contacts to push narcotics into Punjab and Delhi. The probe has further exposed how local operatives were being recruited, trained abroad and then used to expand the synthetic drug network across the Majha PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Amritsar, May 20 Panic gripped the Kartar Nagar area under the Chheharta police station after two unidentified motorcycleborne youths allegedly opened fire outside the residence of a local trader late on Tuesday night. The victim, identified as Jaychand alias Kala, told the police that he had been receiving death threats from virtual numbers linked to Australia over the past few days. The callers were allegedly demanding money and threatening to harm his son, who is currently residing in Australia. According to the complaint, the accused claimed they possessed detailed information about Jaychand and his family. They allegedly warned him of serious consequences if their demands were not met. Jaychand said he had already informed the police about the threats before the firing incident took place. Late on Tuesday night, two unidentified youths riding a motorcycle allegedly passed outside his house and fired continued on page 2 Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar addresses mediapersons in Amritsar on Wednesday. and Doaba belts. Investigators suspect the racket was not limited to heroin smuggling alone. The recovery of ICE — a high-value synthetic party drug rarely seized in such quantity in Punjab — has raised concerns about changing drug consumption patterns and the emergence of a more sophisticated narcotics market targeting urban youth. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that as per preliminary investigation, Mohit had recently returned from Dubai earlier this month where he was trained in retrieving and transporting drugs consignments. Arshdeep, a medical representative, was entrusted with the job of storage of these consignments. The DGP said the police believe the module was part of a larger supply chain involving foreign-based handlers, interstate distribution channels and local delivery networks. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that earlier, Karan’s name figured in the seizure of 45 kg of heroin from the Rajasansi area fol- lowing which his mother and sister were arrested by the police. His name also cropped up in the seizure of 7.5 kg of heroin by the Chheharta police. The police had arrested his two associates Sahibpreet Singh and Gagandeep Singh, alias Gagan. He said that an FIR under the NDPS Act has been registered at the Chheharta police station and further investigation is underway to trace backward and forward linkages, identify financial transactions and uncover more members connected to the syndicate. Left in store for 12 yrs, decades-old Staff allowed Census Jeevan Fauji-linked terror network Jallianwala Bagh model damaged dutyduringofficehours targeted vulnerable Punjab youth Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 20 Around 12 years after the model of Jallianwala Bagh was lifted from the Amritsar railway station in view of developmental works, officials of the Ferozepur division, under which the local railway station falls, said it has been damaged and cannot be put on display. Divisional Railway Manager Sanjeev Kumar said the model was installed in 1978, adding, “Made of wood, the model got damaged due to weather over the past decades. Contact with Amritsar-based architect and civil engineer Raj Kumar Aggarwal, who had made the model, has been arranged and railway officials will contact him to take his suggestion.” Aggarwal said the model, which had been holding a majestic place on the station for the past several decades, Architect Raj Kumar Aggarwal, who had made the model of Jallianwala Bagh. was relegated to a store in 2014 for the reconstruction of the general waiting hall. The work was completed years ago but the model was not reinstalled at its original place. He said the wait to re-install the model at the railway Station seemed “unending”. It was on September 9, 2014, that the then Northern Railway Divisional Engineer had declared the roof opposite the booking office and 2 held with charas, drug money near GNDU Amritsar, May 20 The Amritsar police on Tuesday arrested two individuals during an intelligence-led operation near Guru Nanak Dev University leading to the recovery of 575 grams of charas, suspected drug money and a vehicle used in the crime. The accused have been identified as Gurdeep Singh, alias Ginni, a resident of Palam Lane, Kanwar Avenue, and Gurmeet Singh, alias Gresi, of New Gurnam Nagar here. According to the police, ASI Rohit Kumar of the Anti-Narcotic Cell (ANC), along with his team, was conducting checks on suspicious vehicles when an Innova Crysta (PB-02-EZ4659) was signalled to stop. On spotting the police party, the occupants allegedly attempted to flee but halted abruptly. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a polythene packet containing 575 grams of charas. The police also seized Rs 5,200 in suspected drug proceeds and impounded the vehicle used by the accused. A case has been registered under Sections 21-B, 27-A, and 29 of the NDPS Act at the Islamabad police station while further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain and possible links to larger drug networks. — TNS adjoining offices, near the waiting hall, unsafe. Back then, some portion of the roof had collapsed due to heavy rain. The roof made of battens and tiles had become weak. Walls and arches had developed cracks at various locations. The model was moved to the railway station store room to carry out repairs, but was not reinstated. Aggarwal demanded reinstallation to evoke patriotic fervour among visitors. He added that the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh reminded Indians of its pluralistic heritage that people of all faiths had sacrificed their lives to see India free from the colonial rule. The 68-year-old Amritsarbased architect and civil engineer Raj Kumar Aggarwal, who had made the model of Jallianwala Bagh 46 years ago, has been running from pillar to post to reinstall the same at its original location at the Amritsar railway station. Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 20 The district administration has directed all heads of departments in the district to allow teachers and other government employees appointed for Census duty to carry out field work during office hours. In an official communication issued by the Principal Census Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, it was stated that the first phase of the Census is currently underway and will continue till June 13. During this period, enumerators and supervisors have been assigned the responsibility of visiting every household in their allotted areas to conduct the Census survey. The order said that although the employees appointed for Census work are generally expected to complete their assigned duties before or after regular office hours, but the nature and scale of the exercise require additional support from departments. Therefore, all departments have been instructed to ensure that employees engaged in Census duties are sent into the field for a reasonable period during working hours every day, reads the orders. The administration also made it clear that any laxity or delay in the Census work would directly be the responsibility of the concerned head of department. Officials have been asked to treat the instructions as ‘extremely important’ and ensure strict compliance. The deputy commissioner said that the Census is one of the largest administrative exercises in the country and involves extensive door-todoor data collection. He said the cooperation of all government departments is essential for the smooth conduct of the survey process in the district. Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 20 The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing in Amritsar has uncovered an alarming grassroots recruitment pattern after busting a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) module allegedly operating under the directions of ISI-backed gangsterturned-terrorist Jeevan Fauji. Investigations have revealed how vulnerable village youth were first lured through casual cricket matches before being pushed into drug smuggling and eventually tasked with transporting explosives. Ajay (19), a resident of Bazigar Mohalla in Ajnala, and Jobanbir Singh (21) reportedly came into contact with the network while playing cricket in their locality. The police said what began as harmless village cricket matches gradually evolved into a logistics chain for a foreign-backed terror network. Another youth from the same FILE PHOTO Neeraj Bagga Two seized hand grenades in the custody of the Amritsar police. circle allegedly introduced them to the handlers, promising easy money. He has also been nominated in the case and a hunt is underway to arrest him, the police said. Initially, Ajay and Jobanbir were allegedly asked to deliver small packets of suspected narcotics. For each delivery, they were paid between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000 and were also given small quantities of drugs to sell locally. Investigators believe this was a deliberate tactic to trap unemployed and vulnerable youth. The operation escalated when the duo was allegedly instructed to transport two round-shaped packets wrapped in foam, which were later identified as hand grenades. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, CI teams intercepted the youths before the consignment could reach its destination. The grenades were reportedly intended to disturb peace continued on page 2 City auto market remains strong amid West Asia crisis Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 20 The West Asia conflict and concerns over possible disruptions in the supply of petrol and diesel have not impacted four-wheeler sales in the city this month. In fact, vehicle sales have registered an increase, while gold jewellery sales and construction activity have witnessed a sharp decline. Car dealers across brands sold 780 units till May 18 this year, compared to 1,079 units sold during the corresponding period in May 2025. The sales this month included 326 electric vehicles (EVs) and 84 CNG-run vehicles. A brand new electric car being driven on a road in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Last year, out of the 1,079 units sold, 350 were EVs and 87 were CNG vehicles. c m y b Hemant Singh, vice-president at a leading car dealership, said, “The data shows there has been no impact of the West Asia conflict, nor any indication of austerity measures by the Centre affecting the local market.” He added that, based on the current trend, four-wheeler sales are expected to close between 1,200 and 1,300 units this month. “This would mean a rise of over 12 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year,” he said. Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to collectively help India tackle global economic disruptions, supply chain challenges and rising prices caused by the West Asia conflict, the appeal appeared to affect the sale of gold ornaments and the pace of construction activity. People associated with the construction sector either paused work or slowed it down, anticipating a correction in prices once the situation normalises. Market observers noted that four-wheelers are viewed both as a necessity and a luxury, depending on the needs of individual families. Shruti Mehra, mother of two school-going children, said her family had been planning to buy a new car. The government’s announcement initially prompted them to wait and assess the market situation. “Now, positive signals are emerging and we are ready to go ahead with the purchase,” she said.