31052026-JTR-01.qxd 5/30/2026 11:46 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ONLY GOAL IS TO FORM BJP GOVT IN PUNJAB: DHILLON MAN SHOT DEAD IN BUSY AUR MARKET NEAR PHILLAUR BJP workers accorded a warm welcome to party’s newly appointed Punjab president, Keval Singh Dhillon, in Hoshiarpur. P2 A young man was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the bustling Aur town market, triggering panic in the area.P3 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C NOT CHASING SCALE, CHASING STILLNESS SUNSET SUNDAY 7.26 PM Siddharth, who is seen in Kaptaan, says he wants to evolve, not just as a performer but as a storyteller. P4 SUNRISE MONDAY 5.24 AM » SUNDAY | 31 MAY 2026 | JALANDHAR Scoops, scams and secrets: Inside the world of slain activist Simranjeet Singh Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 30 Simranjeet Singh, the 43year-old activist gunned down in broad daylight in Phagwara on Saturday, was a polarising figure well-known across Punjab’s bureaucratic, social and political circles. A sharp and shrewd operator, Simranjeet possessed a knack for digging up sensitive information. Close associates recall his humble beginnings working at his father’s electrician shop before he started his own mobile repair business. His foray into politics began around 2015 when he joined the Congress Sewa Dal. He developed a close association with Tajinder Bittu — the former Jalandhar Improvement Trust Chairman who recently joined the BJP Through Bit. tu, Simranjeet connected with RTI activists Sanjay Sehgal and Ajay Sehgal, as well as Chandigarh-based lawyer HC Arora, and began leveraging the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Simranjeet also cultivated strong media ties, frequently feeding journalists exclusive scoops. However, his meth- The police inspect the crime spot outside Lovely Professional University at Chaheru village in Phagwara on Saturday; and (inset) file photo of RTI activist Simranjeet Singh. ods drew controversy. Several Jalandhar Municipal Corporation (MC) and departmental officials alleged that he acted at the behest of politicians to dig up dirt on opponents. The friction grew so intense that MC officials eventually barred him from accessing records, alleging he had attempted to tamper with files. Simranjeet later obtained a law degree and began filing petitions in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. However, in September last year, the High Court dismissed one of his Public Interest Litigations (PILs) after finding he had concealed the fact that his advocate’s license had been suspended since November 2022. Recently, Simranjeet had been highly active on multiple fronts. He filed a petition against the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, lodged Murder triggers political backlash Jalandhar, May 30 Even as the Punjab Police claim that the murder of RTI activist and lawyer Simranjeet Singh stemmed from a personal and financial rivalry with his cousin — with whom he had gone to inspect a property in Maheru village — the incident has sparked sharp political backlash. Reacting to the killing, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal posted on X: “Strongly condemn the brutal murder of RTI activist and lawyer Simranjit Singh in Phagwara today. This is a direct attack on democracy and transparency. He had earlier narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Jalandhar. Learnt that he is the same advocate who had filed a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026. Given the gravity of the matter, this demands a thorough investigation by an independent agency. Murdering people to silence voices that challenge wrongdoings has become the new normal in Punjab under the Aam Aadmi Party rule. Antisocial elements are having a field day, law and order has completely collapsed, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is directly responsible for this ‘Jungle Raj’.” Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also took to social media, stating: “RTI activist and Armenia-linked illegal weapons network exposed Storm plunges city into darkness; over 6,000 power complaints filed Jalandhar, May 30 In a major breakthrough, the Jalandhar (Rural) police have busted an international illegal arms supply network following the arrest of a youth. The police recovered a 7.63 mm pistol, a magazine and six live cartridges from the accused, identified as Jashanpreet Singh of Mandi village, Phillaur. Officials said he was planning a major criminal activity in the region. A police team led by DSP Lavneet Bangar (SHO, Phillaur) and ASI Sukhdev Singh (Apra police post in-charge) raided Jashanpreet’s residence, leading to the seizures. During preliminary interrogation, Jashanpreet revealed that the weapon was supplied by Lovepreet Singh, alias Ladi. Originally from Bhajjal village in Hoshiarpur. Lovepreet is currently operating from Armenia and already faces multiple arms supply cases. Jashanpreet was produced in court and remanded to police custody. — TNS Jalandhar, May 30 Strong winds and heavy rain disrupted normal life across Jalandhar on Saturday morning, triggering widespread power outages that left several localities without electricity for up to seven hours. The inclement weather damaged power infrastructure, causing a sharp spike in consumer complaints and prolonging restoration efforts by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). Residents and business owners bore the brunt of the extended outages. Commercial hubs were hit hard, forcing shopkeepers to deal with disruptions during peak business hours. According to PSPCL officials, nearly 130 feeders of 11 kV lines across Jalandhar were knocked out between 8 am and 3 pm. Jalandhar Cantt was the worst-hit subdivision with 45 affected feed- lawyer Simranjit Singh has been shot dead in Phagwara. Another shocking incident has raised serious questions about the state of law and order in Punjab. When activists, lawyers, and citizens fear for their safety, the government must answer. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann promised a safer Punjab. Today, people are asking why shootings, gang violence and targeted attacks continue despite repeated assurances. Punjab deserves justice, accountability and a government that can ensure the safety of every citizen.” Phagwara Congress MLA Balwinder Dhaliwal questioned the state’s security situation, posting: “Shots fired at an RTI activist near LPU — is this the price of speaking the A damaged transformer at Fateh Jalal village in Jalandhar. ers, followed by Model Town with 20, and the city’s industrial areas with 15. Surge in complaints By 5 pm on Saturday, the PSPCL had received over 6,000 complaints — a massive spike compared to the 1,000 to 2,000 truth and demanding accountability? When those who fight corruption are attacked, it is an assault on democracy itself. The deteriorating law and order situation raises serious questions. The state government and the police must act swiftly, bring the culprits to justice and send a clear message that intimidation will not be tolerated.” Echoing these sentiments, Jalandhar Municipal Corporation (MC) Councillor Jasleen Sethi wrote: “The daylight murder of RTI activist and advocate Simranjit Singh is a direct assault on transparency. When those fighting corruption aren’t safe, no citizen is. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann must act. Silencing activists silences democracy.” — TNS complaints received on a typical day. Despite field teams working continuously, only about half of the complaints had been resolved by the evening. Locals expressed deep frustration over the sluggish restoration. Gurjot Singh, a resident of Preet Nagar, said, “The electricity went off shortly after the rain started and remained disrupted for hours. Even when the power briefly came back on, it tripped again immediately.” Business owners faced similar hurdles. Gurleen Kaur, a shopkeeper in Dilkusha Market, added, “We had no electricity since morning and I had to turn customers away. The supply was briefly restored in the evening before snapping again.” While PSPCL officials claimed that supply to major areas was restored between 2.30 pm and 3 pm, localised faults kept many pockets dark in the evening. — TNS c m y b complaints with the Enforcement Directorate against Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora, and targeted Jalandhar Mayor Vaneet Dhir. He had also recently filed a state government complaint against former Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal regarding alleged stamp duty evasion on a commercial property in Zirakpur. According to close aides, Simranjeet had been receiving threatening messages from gangsters and shooters linked to the February 6 murder of financier Lucky Oberoi. He had routinely reported these threats to the police. Approximately a year ago, Simranjeet narrowly escaped an attack outside the “Off The Grid” gym in Model Town, after which he was assigned two security gunmen. Neither gunman was with him on Saturday morning when he left his Krishna Nagar residence for Phagwara. Despite his extensive list of high-profile adversaries, the police attributed the murder to personal enmity. Investigators state that his maternal cousin, Sharanjit Singh, allegedly shot him over a monetary dispute using an accomplice’s licensed weapon. The Heritage Institution Mother-son duo KANYA MAHA VIDYALAYA (Autonomous) Jalandhar arrested for KMV-Region's Best College (The Tribune) murder bid, firing KMV- FOR HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION 140 Glorious Years Phagwara, May 30 The Nurmahal police have arrested a woman and her son for an alleged attempted murder and shooting incident. Investigating Officer (IO) Subash Chandar said the accused were identified as Kirandeep Kaur, a resident of Khajurla village under the Phagwara Sadar police station, and her son, Rajpreet Singh (alias Lajarass). According to the complaint filed by Tejindar Pal Singha, a resident of Rajowal village, Kirandeep Kaur was his wife Sukhmandeep Kaur’s paternal aunt. Singha alleged that Kirandeep strongly disapproved of their love marriage. The complainant stated that the accused kidnapped his pregnant wife on May 4, and a prominent local villager later managed to rescue her. Singha further alleged that when he and his wife returned to their village, Rajpreet Singh, along with an accomplice identified as Sukhveer Singh and several associates, vandalised their house gate, hurled abuses and opened fire with the intent to kill him and his family. The IO confirmed that a case was registered against the accused under various sections of the BNS and the Arms Act. Section 238 (causing disappearance of evidence) was added to the FIR later, the IO said. — OC Regular Upgradation of Syllabus Star College Status by as per job markets of 21st century DBT Govt. of India Value-added Professional and Personality Development Programs in each Semester International Collaboration with the Top US University with 2+2 (UG) & 3+2 (PG) Programs Internships & Research Embedded in Curriculum with International & National Institutes of Eminence On-Campus Training for Competitive Exams; CA, Foreign Languages, Spoken English & Entrepreneurial Development MCA, MBA, BBA & BCA (AICTE Approved) Degrees by GNDU Employability Training by Top Corporates International & National Placements with package up to 1 Crore New Age Five-Year Integrated Programs in MBA, Commerce, English, Physics and Mathematics (After 10+2) For All Programs Visit : www.kmvjalandhar.ac.in Contact at: 0181-2296605-06, 99142-63631 2 held under NDPS Act Nakodar, May 30 The Sadar police have arrested a suspected drug peddler for possession of poppy husk. Investigating Officer (IO) Kulwinder Singh stated 4.5 kg of poppy husk was recovered from the accused, identified as Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Mudh village. A case under Sections 15, 61, and 85 of the NDPS Act was registered against him. In a separate case, the Bilga police arrested Labhu Singh, alias Tota, a resident of Nawan Khehra Bet village in Ludhiana. The police recov- ered 60 intoxicating tablets from him. The accused was booked under the NDPS Act. In the third incident, the Mehatpur police have arrested a local resident for allegedly consuming heroin. According to Station House Officer (SHO) Aman Sanni, the accused has been identified as Sahil, a resident of Umrewal Billa village. Drug paraphernalia, including a lighter, silver foil and plastic pipes, was recovered from his possession. A case was registered against the accused under Sections 27, 61, and 85 of the NDPS Act, the SHO said. —OC