02062026-LT-01.qxd 6/1/2026 10:46 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune GILL CLUB, HTC RAMPUR CLINCH HOCKEY TITLES GOVT SCHOOLS TO TEACH SANITATION, WASTE MGMT VIKAS KHANNA FOCUSSES ON HIS LATEST FILM IMAGINARY RAIN Gill Club, Ghawaddi, & HTC Rampur clinch the senior and junior titles, respectively, of hockey festival. P2 The Dept of School Education has decided to develop a supplementary sanitation curriculum for schools across state. P3 He calls the film ‘the best work of my life,’ and says directing Shabana Azmi is ‘one of the greatest privileges’ of his career.P4 » » » FORECAST CLOUDY SKY, RAIN MAX 37°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7.25 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:23 AM TUESDAY | 2 JUNE 2026 | LUDHIANA Elderly couple murder: Victim’s nephew arrested Tribune News Service Factory workers gather outside the factory in Industrial Area, Ludhiana, after a toxic gas leak killed three; and (right) police officials conduct investigation. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Man, son among three dead in toxic gas leak, police book factory management The two were illegally given the contract to do cleaning work of a tank storing industry waste Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 1 A toxic gas leak at a factory (Deeps Tools Pvt Ltd) in Industrial Area-A near RK Road, Ludhiana, on Monday claimed the lives of three persons, including a man and his son, due to asphyxiation. Some other workers also suffered some health problems. According to information, tank (in which industry waste was being stored) cleaning work was underway in the factory on Sunday night when some toxic gas got released from it. Within min- Victims Mann Singh and his son Amit utes, the gas spread throughout the premises. The concentration was so intense that workers inside had no time to escape. Some collapsed on the spot due to suffocation and severe eye irritation, while three lost lives. The deceased have been identified as Mann Singh, his son Amit and a factory worker, Sriram. Two workers who were also present there fell ill and were hospitalised. According to the family, both Mann and Amit were Shahi Imam dislikes Warring’s ‘cold shouldering’ Eid invite Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 1 The Shahi Imam of Punjab, Maulana Mohammad Usman Rehmani Ludhianvi, has clarified that just as Congress MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring “avoided” his warm invitation on Bakr-Eid, he should expect the same treatment from the Muslim community now. And with the 2027 Assembly elections approaching in Punjab, the Muslim fraternity will give him the same kind of reply in return. Specifically talking about his post on Facebook, the Shahi Imam Usman Ludhianvi said today that he wanted to make sure that the Muslim community understood that he had warmly invited Warring for Eid celebration, but there was no response in return. “There was no response, no appearance from him”, and he emphasized that there was no shortcoming on the Muslim side. Instead, it was the Congress MP from Ludhiana who declined the invitation extended to him, stressed Shahi Imam. There are around five lakh Muslims in Ludhiana for whom the word of the Shahi Imam matters the most. Whenever any announce- ments or messages are conveyed from Jama Masjid, these are adhered to by the Muslims at large. On being asked if Muslims will boycott the Congress this time in the Assembly elections, the Shahi Imam said that it was too early to say anything, but the sentiments of Muslims had been hurt by the MP who before being , elected had presented a secular image. “We will behave the same way with him particularly. The Muslims do not send the invitations to BJP as they maintain that they do not get a positive response,” he added. primary earning members. Amit is survived by two sisters, a younger brother and his wife, who is a homemaker. The couple has a one-year-old daughter. The deceased’s daughter said that her father and brother had gone to the factory that night for tank-cleaning work. “They usually return by 4 am every day. I kept calling them, but no one answered. Early this morning, when I reached the factory, I was told that some workers had died due to a gas leak,” she said. “Factory management did- n’t call us even once, neither gave us any information. When we rushed to the hospital, we learned that my father, brother and another worker had died. Factory management did not immediately shift the victims to the hospital, due to which their lives could not be saved,” she added. ACP Inderjit Singh Boparai said that the police had registered a case against the management and initiated an investigation. Names of management employees will be added in the FIR after verifying their role. The ACP revealed that the man and his son were illegal- ly given the contract to clear the tank, where industry waste was being stored. “As per law, only an authorised company can clean the tank by following safety norms. The deceased, however, were hired against the norms. The moment they opened the lid of the tank, toxic gas got released and immediately the three died. Action will be taken as per law,” added the ACP . Officials from district administration, municipal corporation, fire brigade and Punjab Pollution Control Board had also reached the site for investigation. Ludhiana, June 1 The Ludhiana police have cracked the double murder case of an elderly couple and arrested the nephew of the deceased woman. The accused, who was a frequent visitor to the house of the couple, had not pre-planned the murders, rather he decided to do so when he saw some money lying in the cupboard. The accused needed the money to get his car released that he had mortgaged recently. Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma shared the details of the case at a press conference at the Police Lines today. The accused has been identified as Pardeep Singh (34), a resident of Mohalla New Angad Colony, Ludhiana. Sharma said that Pardeep murdered the couple on May 28 at 6 pm. He struck Kuldeep Singh (69) and his wife Harmeet Kaur (71) on the head with an iron rod, resulting in their deaths. The police said that accused had stayed in the house for a few hours after committing the murder. He put bodies at different places in the house and then cleaned blood stains from his clothes and hands. The deceased, Kuldeep Singh, has five daughters, of which four live abroad and one in India. The couple lived alone here. Harmeet was the Biker escapes unhurt in firing Ludhiana, June 1 A youth opened fire at a motorcyclist in full public view near Shingar Cinema road here on Monday. Fortunately, the victim managed to save his life by abandoning his motorcycle and running for safety. As per the police, the incident occurred when a youth, Happy, of Shingar Cinema road, was riding his bike. Suddenly, another youth, identified as Manya of Dugri, came and opened fire at him from close range. However, the bullet didn’t hit him. The accused attempted to fire a second time, but the bullet got stuck in the weapon. The police said that a case of attempt to murder was registered. — TNS Prostitution racket busted, couple among 7 arrested Hundreds of vehicles were stranded after Haibowal dairy owners staged a protest on Hambran Road. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN Commuters stranded as dairy owners block road Travel operators report 25% decline over drainage woes in overseas bookings this summer Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to conserve fuel and avoid overseas tourism appears to have influenced travel choices of Ludhiana residents, with travel operators reporting a 20-25 per cent decline in international vacation bookings this season. While many may have taken the appeal lightly, a significant section of people appear to be taking it seriously, viewing fuel conservation and limiting foreign travel expenditure as matters of national concern. Traditionally, the summer break is considered an ideal time for Ludhiana residents to relax and unwind themselves, with families planning vacations months in advance. Whether domestic or international, travel inquiries usually begin early to secure the best packages and deals. Rupjit Saggar of Saggar Tours and Travels said overseas bookings had witnessed a decline of up to 25 per cent. “There are several reasons behind the decline. Airfares have become expensive. Earlier, a return ticket to Vietnam would cost around Rs 70,000, but due to rising fuel prices, the cost has now increased to nearly Rs 1 lakh. Secondly, ongoing global tensions and the appeal made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have also cast a shadow over overseas travel,” said Saggar. He added that despite the slowdown, travellers had still booked packages for destinations such as Singapore, Vietnam and Europe. “However, bookings for domestic destinations like Mysore, Kerala and Goa are much higher this time,” he added. Another tour and travel agent Manan Puri from Shine Tours and Travels said that this time the cost of travel had escalated manifold. “Fuel and rooms were expensive. The tickets have become costlier and so are the room tariffs. People though are going to Mussoorie, Rishikesh and Manali in summer, but at much expensive room tariffs. A room in Rishikesh which was Rs 10,000 earlier is approximately Rs 25,000 per night today. Residents are going though, but the days have been squeezed to make it budget friendly,” said Puri. He added that there were negligible tourists for Srinagar this time. Anil Kumar from Vacations Pro International said that there was a slump of about 30 per cent in overseas vacations this time. Rajesh Kumar, a city resident, said he preferred spending quality time with family within India this summer due to escalating global uncertainties. “I remember how people remained stranded in Dubai for several days when the conflict broke out. It is better to stay within India this time,” he said. c m y b aunt of murderer Pardeep. Pardeep knew that Kuldeep had kept money in the cupboard. He asked the deceased to give money. When the couple refused to give money, in a fit of rage, he struck both Kuldeep and Harmeet on the head with an iron rod. He hit the couple repeatedly with the rod and continued to do so until they died. The accused then took approximately Rs 60,000 from the cupboard and also took the earrings and bracelets worn by Harmeet. Police have seized the rod used in the murder. While fleeing, the assailant had locked the house from outside and also took two of Harmeet’s mobile phones. The accused then tried to withdraw money through use of the mobile phones of the deceased. This landed him in trouble as financial transactions came under scanner during a police probe. The accused later returned and left the phones at the home again and locked the house. The bodies were found lying near the bed and both had severe head injuries. According to family members, they received a call from their daughter at 10:40 am on Saturday, who said that her parents were not answering the phone and asked them to go home and check. The bodies were found two days after the murder. Ludhiana, June 1 Hundreds of commuters were left stranded and traffic remained disrupted for nearly two hours after dairy owners from the Haibowal dairy complex blocked Hambran Road on Monday to protest against the municipal corporation’s failure to resolve their longpending drainage issues. The protest, which began around 10 am outside the MC workshop on Hambran Road, led to long traffic jams on both sides of the busy stretch. Dairy owners sat on the road and blocked vehicular movement, forcing police personnel to divert traffic through narrow internal roads of the dairy complex and nearby localities. The sudden road blockade left hundreds of vehicles, including cars, two-wheelers and commercial vehicles, stuck in queues. Several commuters were seen asking bystanders about the reason behind the protest, while some expressed anger over the inconvenience caused. A few motorists even entered into arguments with the protesters, urging them to clear the road as they were getting late for work and other commitments. Despite the efforts of police personnel to regulate traffic and guide vehicles through alternative routes, the congestion persisted for almost two hours. The dairy owners said they had been facing severe problems due to clogged drains in the dairy complex for several years. According to them, wastewater mixed with cow dung is overflowing onto streets as the drainage network has become choked. Paramjit Singh Bobby, chairman of the Haibowal Dairy Association, said the situation had worsened because the effluent treatment plant (ETP) at the complex was either non-functional or operating far below the required capacity. “We have been raising this issue for years, but no permanent solution has been provided. The drains are completely clogged and wastewater mixed with cow dung is not being cleared properly. As a result, many streets inside the dairy complex remain blocked and remain unhygienic,” he said. Ludhiana, June 1 Khanna police busted a prostitution racket being run from a home at GTB Nagar, Khanna. Seven persons, including a couple, were arrested during the raid after an anonymous complaint in the grievance box at the SSP office. The accused were identified as Madhu Bala, her husband Prem Kumar, Simranjit Kaur (daughter-in-law of Prem) of GTB Nagar, Khanna, Sukhdeep Kaur, tenant of Anuradha Bhandari of Kehar Singh Colony, Khanna, Paramjit Singh of Bhambri village, Fatehgarh Sahib district, Parminder Singh of Bhutta village, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Rajni of Dugri, Ludhiana. A case was registered against the accused. — TNS Car falls off bridge, three injured Ludhiana, June 1 Three persons were injured in a road accident on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur NH on Sunday evening when a car plunged off the Raja Dhaba bridge in Jagraon. A couple and their daughter suffered injuries. According to the information, the car was travelling from Jagraon to Ludhiana. As it approached the bridge, the driver lost control when he suddenly fell asleep. The vehicle broke the railing and fell down. Locals present there pulled the injured out and took them to a nearby hospital. — TNS