14062026-ATR-01.qxd 6/13/2026 11:56 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY STORM LEAVES 100 FAMILIES HOMELESS IN TARN TARAN CARRIERS OF UNIQUE TRADITION AND TECHNIQUE IN GHARUAN VICKY KAUSHAL CELEBRATES HIS ADMIRATION FOR GURDAS MAAN The storm that hit the area two days ago flattened the huts of slum dwellers at a village in Tarn Taran. P2 Despite vagaries of market, artisans in Mohali district of Punjab are engaged in making utensils from sarbloh. P3 Actor Vicky Kaushal paid a heartfelt tribute to Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan, describing him as the “GOAT”. P4 » » » MAX 35°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 22°C SUNSET SUNDAY 7.36 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5.24 AM SUNDAY | 14 JUNE 2026 | AMRITSAR NCB nabs 1 with over 300 gm heroin Fresh overnight squall plunges border villages into darkness Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested an alleged drug peddler and recovered 336 grams of heroin along with Rs 9.19 lakh in suspected drug money from his possession. The accused was arrested at Akalgarh village on Mehta Road near Jandiala Guru in Amritsar district. He has been identified as Harinderpal Singh. An NCB official said the seized contraband was allegedly meant for distribution in the region, while the cash recovered is suspected to be proceeds from the sale of narcotics. A case has been registered against the accused under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act. The official said further investigations are underway to trace the backward and forward linkages of the drug network and identify other individuals involved in the illicit trade. Efforts are also being made to ascertain the source of the contraband and its intended recipients. Amritsar, June 13 Rural residents across several parts of the border district faced renewed hardship after a powerful squall struck the region early this morning, once again damaging electricity transmission infrastructure and plunging many villages into darkness. The strong winds, which swept through the area around 1 am, uprooted trees and electricity poles, causing extensive damage to transmission lines. The latest disruption came barely hours after PSPCL employees had restored electricity in many affected villages following a 24-hour outage caused by an earlier storm on Friday night. Power supply had been resumed in several areas late Friday evening after roundthe-clock efforts by electricity department staff, who were assisted by local residents, who needed electricity for their homes and tubewells. However, the relief proved short-lived as the fresh squall undid much 30-yr-old gunned down while returning home in Jabbowal Tribune News Service A damaged electricity pole in Amritsar on Saturday. VISHAL KUMAR of the repair work, forcing authorities to shut down power supply in several locations for safety reasons. Residents reported severe inconvenience due to the prolonged outages. With power shutdown, residents, especially those running dairies, had a tough time arranging water for animals. Farmers also expressed concern over interruptions in irrigation activities as paddy transplantation has already begun. “We had just started getting back to normal after nearly a day without electricity. Then the storm struck again and everything went dark,” said Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Attari. Another villager, Harjit Kaur, said, “The repeated outages have made life very difficult. Children and elderly people are suffering due to the heat and we are also facing problems in getting water. We are unable to use electronic appliances. Moreover refrigerators are off and preserving milk has become a daunting task.” Amritsar, June 13 A 30-year-old man, identified as Manjinder Singh, was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants at Jabbowal village under the Tarsikka police station limits on Friday night. The victim, who ran an agriculture store, was returning home on his motorcycle when the attack took place. The police have obtained some CCTV footage of the suspects, but it has proved inconclusive due to poor visibility in the area. He is survived by his wife and a sevenmonth-old child. The cold-blooded murder sent shock waves through Jabbowal village. Manjit Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Tarsikka police station, said efforts were underway to identify and arrest the accused. He added that a case had been registered on Family members of deceased Manjinder Singh (inset) at Jabbowal village in Amritsar. the statement of the victim’s father, Avtar Singh. According to preliminary information, the assailants fired around eight shots at Manjinder, four of which struck him in the back, leaving him critically injured. Residents rushed to the spot after hearing gunfire and found him lying on the roadside. His family was informed immediately and he was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The SHO said that after closing his shop, Manjinder was returning home on his motorcycle. As he turned onto the road leading to his house, two motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted him. Before he could react, they allegedly opened indiscriminate fire and fled the scene. The body was kept in the mortuary for a post-mortem as the family awaited the arrival of his elder brother, Gurjinder Singh, who lives continued on page 2 New DIG Border NRI woman accuses husband of drugging Stop online sale of Range takes charge her, abducting son, stealing documents medicines: Chemists Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 Senior IPS officer Harmanbir Singh Gill on Saturday formally assumed charge as Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Border Range, at his office here and pledged to intensify the fight against cross-border smuggling, narcotics trafficking and organised crime in the border belt. Gill described his posting in the border belt as both a challenging and significant responsibility. He said curbing the smuggling of drugs, arms and ammunition being pushed across the international border through drones would be his foremost priority. “The use of drones for crossborder smuggling has emerged as a major challenge. We will further strengthen surveillance, intelligence gathering and inter-agency coordination to thwart such attempts and bring those involved to justice,” he said. The newly appointed DIG also placed the elimination of gangsterism high on his agenda, stating that Punjab Police would continue its sustained campaign against gangsters, organised crime syndicates and their support networks. He added that strict action would be taken against criminals involved in extortion, drug trafficking and other unlawful activities. Gill emphasised that effective policing in the border region requires close coordination among district police units, intelligence agencies and central security forces. He said efforts would be focused on maintaining law and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening public confidence in the police. A 2010-batch IPS officer, Gill was recently transferred as DIG, Border Range, as part of a state-level reshuffle. Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 In a bizarre case, a New Zealand-based NRI woman has accused her husband of drugging her, abducting their five-year-old son, and stealing her passport, cash, and other important documents. The incident allegedly took place at a sarai (inn) near Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh, popularly known as Shaheeda Sahib, on June 9 when the family had come to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and the gurdwara. Acting on the complaint of the victim, identified as Ramanpreet Kaur, the Division B police have registered a case against her husband, Sukhdeep Singh, a resident of Wellington, New Zealand, on charges of administering an intoxicating substance and theft. Further investigations are underway. In her complaint, Ramanpreet Kaur, originally from Jalandhar, stated that she married Sukhdeep Singh in November 2019. The couple later settled in New Zealand and have a son, Sahibjot Singh. She alleged that soon after marriage, her husband, father-in-law Gurmeet Singh, mother-inlaw Paramjit Kaur, and brother-in-law Gurdeep Singh began harassing her for dowry, demanding gold and a car. She claimed that she endured repeated physical and mental abuse both in India and New Zealand. According to the complainant, on June 8, 2026, her husband brought her and their son to Amritsar on the pretext of visiting the Golden Temple and Gurdwara Shaheeda Sahib. The family stayed at a sarai near the shrine. She alleged that on the night of June 9, her husband gave her milk laced with an intoxicating substance, causing her to lose consciousness. When she regained consciousness the next morning, she found that both her husband and son were missing. She said that when she contacted him through WhatsApp, he initially claimed to be at Darbar Sahib and assured her that he would return. However, he later switched off his phone and became unreachable. Ramanpreet further alleged that her husband fled with their son and took her Indian passport, around 2,000 New Zealand dollars, Aadhaar card, driving licence, bank cards, and other important documents. After searching for them at the Golden Temple and Gurdwara Shaheeda Sahib, she visited her in-laws’ res- Community cooling zones launched to beat heatwave Neha Walia Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 Despite gusty winds and rain, rising daytime temperatures continue to pose a challenge across Punjab. To provide relief from increasing heatwave risks, several non-profit organisations, including Saanjh Punjab, Eco Sewa, Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Gurdwara Sahib Patiala and local authorities, have joined hands to establish a network of community cooling zones and heat-relief shelters for gig workers, daily wage earners, commuters and others exposed to extreme heat. The initiative aims to provide accessible spaces where people can rest, cool down, access drinking water and seek temporary relief from soaring temperatures. As part of the campaign, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation, Eco Sewa and Saanjh Punjab jointly inaugurated a heatwave shelter at Sadar District officials along with Eco Sewa volunteers at a heatwave shelter set up at Sadar Chowk in Amritsar. Chowk, Amritsar, on World Environment Day. The shelter was inaugurated by Dr Yogesh Arora, Medical Officer of Health. Constructed using an eco-friendly bamboo structure and screening, it provides shade and respite to pedestrians and commuters. Another heatwave shelter has been established by the gram panchayat of Jagdev Kalan village in the district. Members of Eco Sewa, including Nidhi Sindhwani, Minakshi Khanna, Ridhi Khanna and others, participated in the initiative. “The impact of climate change on Indian summers has reached unprecedented levels. We hope this model encourages greater collaboration among communities, religious institutions, civil society organisations and government agencies to strengthen resilience against extreme heat, especially for daily wage earners, c m y b gig workers and those spending long hours outdoors,” said Minakshi Khanna. Additional cooling and resting spaces have been established at the office of Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Sector 28, Chandigarh. These facilities provide shaded seating and drinking water for workers, commuters and the general public. Similar spaces have also been created at Gurdwara Parmeshwar Dwar in Shekhupur, Patiala, while more cooling zones are planned in Patiala and Amritsar in the coming weeks. Saanjh Punjab, a citizens’ network working on agriculture, climate resilience and environmental sustainability, has been facilitating collaboration among community groups and institutions involved in the project. Gurpreet Singh of Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha said, “The Sikh tradition places great emphasis on seva and care for humanity. As heatwaves continued on page 2 idence near Bhogpur in Jalandhar district but found the house locked. She claimed that her mother-in-law expressed ignorance about her husband’s whereabouts. Based on her complaint, the Amritsar police registered an FIR under Sections 123 (causing hurt by means of poison or intoxicating substances with intent to commit an offence) and 305 (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Baljinder Singh, Station House Officer of Division B police station, said investigations have begun and the process to issue a lookout circular (LOC) against Sukhdeep Singh is underway. He added that the role of other family members will also be examined. Efforts are ongoing to trace the missing child and locate the accused. Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 Submitting a memorandum to Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the Punjab Chemists’ Association (PCA) has urged the Central Government to take immediate action against the online sale of medicines, claiming that such practices pose a threat to public health and the livelihood of small chemists. The association alleged that medicines are being sold online without proper regulation, leading to concerns over fake e-prescriptions, home delivery of medicines without valid medical consultation, and heavy discounting practices. Surinder Duggal of the association said that these activities could endanger patient safety and adversely affect licensed pharmacy businesses. The association also apprised the minister that there is no clear legal provision for the online sale of medicines under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Rules of 1945. Despite this, several online platforms have continued to sell medicines for years, the association claimed. The PCA stated that these online pharmacies are misusing the relaxations given during the Covid-19 pandemic to facilitate medicine delivery under exceptional circumstances. The relaxation is being misused by some online platforms and quick-commerce companies, said Duggal. The association said it has repeatedly brought these concerns to the notice of government authorities but has not seen adequate action. It called upon the minister to the urge the Central Government to intervene and ensure stricter regulation of medicine sales, while also protecting the interests of small chemists and retailers. A living tribute: Trees planted in memory of family dog Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 13 Every evening, Gunbir Singh would return home to a familiar sight — a wagging tail and a pair of eager eyes waiting at the gate. For years, Biba, his purebred Boxer, was much more than a pet. She was a companion and a cherished member of the family. When Biba passed away recently, the silence she left behind was overwhelming. Rather than allowing grief to consume him, Gunbir Singh — an environmentalist, president of the Dalbir Foundation and honorary finance secretary of Khalsa College — chose a unique way to honour her memory. He visited a local nursery and collected saplings of flowering and shade-giving trees to plant around the spot Gunbir Singh with his beloved dog, Biba, in Amritsar. where Biba was laid to rest. “Commemorating the passing of someone dear by planting trees is a beautiful way of giving back to nature what has been lost. It immortalises the memory of a loved one,” said Gunbir, who also serves as Punjab chairman of WWFIndia. “As an environmentalist and ecologist, I can think of no better tribute to a departed soul, whether human or animal.” Biba also inspired his book, continued on page 2