21062026-ATR-01.qxd 6/20/2026 11:46 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST SUNNY ENCOUNTER BREAKS OUT IN TARN TARAN, 1 ARRESTED ZB-66 STEAM LOCOMOTIVE BACK ON THE TRACK MEET THE BOLLYWOOD’S LEADING MEN WHO EMBRACED FATHERHOOD A man suffers injuries after opening fire on a police team in Sabhra area of Tarn Taran district P2 The engine, which once defined train journey to Kangra, will return to Pathankot railway station for tourist joyrides. P3 MAX 38°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 25°C Bollywood’s desirable stars, long celebrated for their blockbuster films, are now embracing cherished role — fatherhood. P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 7.39PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5:25 AM » SUNDAY | 21 JUNE 2026 | AMRITSAR Three shooters linked to foreign-based gangsters arrested; 3 pistols seized Faith beckons Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service BJP national president Nitin Nabin pays obeisance at the Durgiana Temple on Saturday. 22-year-old held in major arms haul, smuggled 16 pistols earlier Worked at behest of schoolmate currently based in Australia Pawan K Jaiswar AAP leader escapes bid on life; FIR filed Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 20 Fresh disclosures have emerged during the interrogation of Rohan Khosla, 22, who was arrested with a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including 25 pistols, an AK-47 assault rifle, 368 cartridges and 47 magazines on Friday. The police revealed that the accused had earlier retrieved and delivered 16 pistols on four separate occasions. According to sources in State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Khosla revealed that he was working at the behest of his schoolmate who is currently based in Australia and is allegedly acting as a key handler for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). A source said the Australiabased operative had recruited several youngsters for cross-border arms and heroin smuggling activities. Efforts were on to identify them, he added. Amritsar, June 20 The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on Saturday claimed to have thwarted a targeted contract killing by arresting three alleged shooters linked to foreign-based gangsters Keshav Shivala and Amrit Dallam. The accused have been identified as Anmol Singh and Jagroop Singh, both residents of Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district and Mohit Bhatti of the Gate Hakiman area in Amritsar. The police said the accused were apprehended from beneath a bridge on the Batala Road bypass after receiving specific intelligence inputs. During the operation, the police seized three foreignmade pistols, three magazines, 11 cartridges and three The accused used to get ~3,000 for every pistol delivered. A resident of Roop Nagar Colony under the Gate Hakiman police station jurisdiction, Khosla was produced before a court, which sent him to a six-day police custody. The SSOC team took the accused near Border Outpost (BOP) Shahpur in the Ramdas sector, where a Pakistani drone had allegedly dropped the consignment containing 25 pistols, an AK-47 rifle, 47 magazines, 368 cartridges and a bulletproof jacket. During investigation, Khosla reportedly identified the drop location and disclosed that he had previously collected four consignments of four pistols each from different locations and delivered them to criminal elements. Investigators further revealed that Khosla was promised Rs 3,000 for every pistol successfully delivered. The payments were allegedly routed through a hawala network and handed over at locations around Majitha Mandi in Amritsar. Amritsar, June 20 Sikander Singh Khidowali, vice-chairman of the Majitha Block Samiti, escaped narrowly after some unidentified persons fired gun shots at his vehicle near Khidowali village on Thursday night. The complainant said he along with his friends had visited Rasulpur village for some personal work and were heading back on his SUV. Around 9.55 pm, when the vehicle reached Khidowali village, he noticed two unidentified youths standing by the roadside with their faces covered. As the SUV approached the spot, the youths allegedly opened fire at the vehicle. The police have registered a case and launched an investigation to identify and apprehend the attackers. — TNS AAP leaders protest outside BJP MP Chugh’s house over video controversy Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 20 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday staged protest in Amritsar against the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP for colluding to malign the image of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. AAP leaders and workers led by Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO and Amritsar Central MLA Dr Ajay Gupta gathered outside the residence of BJP MP Tarun Chugh and staged a demonstration. They alleged that a fake video involving CM Mann was being circulated to mislead the public. The protesters accused the BJP of attempting to disturb Punjab’s atmosphere through “religion-based and hate politics”. This happened on a day when senior Punjab BJP leadership gathered at Amritsar to receive BJP national president Nitin Nabin, who is on a three-day Punjab visit. MLA Gupta said the BJP was trying to divide people on religious lines, but assert- Accuse BJP, SAD of ‘religious politics’ Sukhbir Badal’s effigy burnt in Tarn Taran Target killing bid foiled | Found involved in murder of gangster Dharma The accused in custody of the State Special Operation Cell in Amritsar on Saturday. TRIBUNE PHOTO mobile phones from their possession. Their fourth accomplice, who was allegedly tasked with taking the shooters to the target location, remains at large. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were working on the directions of Shivala and Dallam. According to police, the gang has been involved in a number of extortion, murder, attempted murder and firing incidents across the Majha belt, creating fear among businessmen and doctors in the border belt from Pathankot to Tarn Taran. During interrogation, the accused also admitted to their involvement in the murder of gangster Dharamjit Singh, alias Dharma, who was shot dead on September 25, 2025, shortly after being released from the jail on parole. Following the murder, the shooters fled to Himachal Pradesh before returning to Gurdaspur after the situation cooled down. Sources said the accused had several criminal cases registered against them across the Majha belt. Investigators also recovered contact numbers of businessmen from their mobile phones, indicating that the gang had been making extortion calls and collecting ransom money from victims. The accused were produced before a court on Saturday, which sent them to four-day police custody for further interrogation. In a significant disclosure, the accused allegedly told investigators that they were paid only Rs 10,000 each through hawala channels for the murder of Dharma. They further revealed that they received around Rs 5,000 for carrying out firing incidents outside the homes of individuals who refused to pay extortion demands. Patti man arrested for opening fire Tarn Taran, June 20 The Patti police have arrested a commission agent, Sewa Singh, for opening fire on Nishan Singh, who had taken 11 acres of the land of former on a lease. After Nishan, a resident of Ubboke village in Patti, harvested the wheat, Sewa made dry fodder (toori) from the entire straw without taking the former into confidence. On June 17, Sewa called Nishan to his house to settle the issue but they entered into an argument. Later, Sewa and his aides went to Nishan’s house and opened fire on him. A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 109, 333, 305 (2) 115 (2) of the BNS and Sections 25, 27, 54, 59 of the Arms Act. — OC COUNSELLING 27 JUNE SATURDAY 10:00 AM ONWARDS BOOK YOUR SEATS NOW SCAN QR CODE TO REGISTER 24 years of Academic Excellence Gurbaxpuri AAP workers raise slogans against the BJP in Amritsar on Saturday. ed that Punjabis would not allow such politics to succeed. “The traditional parties, including the BJP and SAD, fear CM Bhagwant Mann. They fear the development works done by him. As they do not have anything against him, they are running this malicious campaign against him,” he said. AAP’s Jatinderpal Singh Moti Bhatia, Mayor, Amritsar, said, “CM Bhagwant Mann is Punjab’s son, people love him and want him as their leader. Sukhbir Singh Badal, who says that he will lead Dharam Yudh Morcha, first needs to find the truth behind 328 missing saroops of Guru Granth Sahib.” AAP leaders and workers sought strict action against those allegedly involved in creating and spreading the fake video. This demonstration was directed against the BJP with party leaders , accusing the saffron party of trying to create political unrest in the state. Tarn Taran, June 20 The district unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today held a protest against Shiromani Akali Dal’s leaders for trying to defame Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on the basis of a video, which has been declared fabricated by two forensic laboratories. Led by Gurvinder Singh Beharwal, AAP district chief, Khemkaran MLA Sarwan Singh Dhunn, Khadoor Sahib MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura, Surinder Kaur Bhullar, wife of Patti MLA Laljit Singh Bhullar, and office-bearers participated in the demonstration. Addressing party workers, Lalpura slammed SAD for using the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, to settle political scores and hatching conspiracy to defame CM Mann. He said CM had never done any wrong that goes against the religion. c m y b ENGINEERING • PHARMACY • MANAGEMENT • ALLIED & HEALTHCARE • HOSPITALITY TOURISM • FASHION DESIGN • APPLIED & ADVANCED SCIENCES • COMPUTER APPLICATIONS AFFILIATIONS & ACCREDITATIONS M: +91 8872009950 | +91 8872009951 www.agcamritsar.in 12 KM STONE, AMRITSAR-JALANDHAR HIGHWAY, AMRITSAR-143001 (PUNJAB) INDIA *T&C Apply