23062026-LT-01.qxd 6/22/2026 10:56 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune MUNICIPAL CORPORATION REMOVES ENCROACHMENTS IN DUGRI ‘GARDENING, FARM VISITS CAN HELP KIDS CONNECT WITH NATURE’ MAANVI SPEAKS ON BODYSHAMING & HER LATEST FILM HEER SARA MC teams remove encroachments along Dugri Road and issue 18 challans for violation of building bylaws. P2 PAU experts have cautioned people against the increasing dependence of children on gadgets and social media platforms. P3 Manvi Gagroo was recently seen in the film Heer Sara, where she played a body-shamed firecracker. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY, RAIN MAX 40°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7.33 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:24 AM » TUESDAY | 23 JUNE 2026 | LUDHIANA OOAT clinics to allow patients to take medicines home Will have to undergo monthly checkups Manav Mander Tribune News Service Nihangs stop the Gypsy of Shiv Sena leader Rajiv Tandon near a hotel; and (right) cops try to pacify the protesters in Ludhiana on Monday. PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Nihangs stop Punjab Shiv Sena chairman’s pilot vehicle, raise slogans; one arrested Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 22 Tension prevailed in Ludhiana on Monday morning after a few Nihangs stopped the pilot vehicle of Rajiv Tandon, chairman, Punjab Shiv Sena. The incident occurred near Hotel Friends Regency on Ferozepur Road, where various Nihangs were already staging a protest against social media influencer Chetan Sharma. Tandon, who was passing by, was recognised in his pilot vehicle, following which protesters stood in front of the vehicle and began raising slogans. Police officers present at the spot attempted to control the situation, prompting additional teams from CIA-1 and local police to arrive. The police escorted Tandon’s convoy from the spot. Following the Were already protesting against a social media influencer at the site HOW THE EVENTS UNFOLDED ■ The Shiv Sena leader was passing by the spot where Nihangs were holding a protest against a social media influencer. ■ The leader was accompanied by ferwer gunmen than allotted to him for his safety. ■ Tandon alleged that the Nihangs had stopped his vehicle and attacked him. ■ The police deployed additional cops on the road to prevent any escalation by Nihangs or Shiv Sena workers. << Nihangs block Ferozepur Road in protest against a social media influencer. incident, Nihangs were taken to the CIA staff by ACPrank officials. According to reports, Tan- don was on his way to his office when his vehicle was stopped near the protest site by the Nihangs. Police offi- cers intervened quickly to control the situation and prevent any untoward incident. Tandon alleged that the Hit by vehicle, scooter Man booked for sexually falls off bridge; 1 killed assaulting nine-year-old Ludhiana, June 22 Two friends on an Activa were hit by an unidentified vehicle on Dugri bridge here on Monday morning. The impact was so severe that the Activa fell off the bridge. The youth driving the Activa died on the spot. His friend, who was riding pillion, was seriously injured and was admitted to a private hospital for treatment. The deceased has been identified as Vipin and the injured as Raja. Vipin is survived by his wife and four daughters, all under the age of 10. Vipin was the sole breadwinner for the family. According to available information, Vipin, a native of Bihar, had been living in Ludhiana for the past 15 years and worked at a meat shop. On Monday morning, he and his friend Raja were going on their Activa to deliver some household items to a relative. The two were crossing the Dugri Bridge when an unknown vehicle hit their Activa from behind. The impact was so severe that both were thrown off the bridge. Vipin died on the spot, while Raja was seriously injured. — TNS Ludhiana, June 22 A nine-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man living in the same compound. The accused, identified as Ravikesh Pal, allegedly used to lure the minor with small amount of money over the past one month and repeatedly abused her. The matter came to light on June 21 when the girl’s mother noticed her daughter near the accused’s room and questioned her. When asked about it, the girl broke down and revealed the ordeal she had been enduring. She told her mother that Ravikesh used to call her daughter to his room by offering Rs 20 or Rs 50 and used to sexually assault her. On June 21 also, the accused allegedly dragged the girl into his room when she was alone and assaulted her. The mother of the minor immediately lodged a written complaint with the Focal Point police, which registered a case against the accused. Doctors confirmed sexual assault and internal injuries. The accused is currently absconding. — TNS Nihangs had cornered his vehicle and attacked him. He said that if the police had not intervened in time, the situa- tion could have escalated. The police deployed additional cops on the road to prevent any escalation by Nihangs or Shiv Sena workers. After the incident, Sena activists led by Tandon blocked a road outside the police commissionerate in Ludhiana. After senior officials arrived and took them for a meeting with Police Commissioner, the protest ended. They demanded registration of case against the Nihangs. ACP Civil Lines, Sarabjit , Singh Cheema said that a case was registered against Karamjit and Danish Kapoor, who were supporting the Nihangs. Further investigation had been launched in the case. Sources said one of the accused, Danish, had been arrested by the police and raids were being conducted to nab the other accused. Ludhiana, June 22 In a significant move aimed at strengthening addiction treatment services, the Health Department has issued new guidelines for Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics. Under the revised rules, patients undergoing therapy will now be allowed to take prescribed medicines home, only after they undergo mandatory monthly checkups and receive psychiatric approval. Now, patients will go for the psychiatric evaluation every month before taking the medicines home. The directive came after it was found that some clinics were not following the standard operating procedures during an inspection. The step has been taken to overcome these limitations and make the treatment more effective. Officials confirmed that medicine would be given only after a psychiatrist’s evaluation and prescription would be written on a slip. The directive also emphasizes that medicines will be given on all seven days of the week and strict safeguards, including secure double-lock storage of medicines, will also be adopted to prevent misuse. Tele-mental health consultations have also been mandated to ensure continuous monitoring. In addition to this, ‘triple H’ (HIV, hepatitis B and C) tests of the patients will also be done. KEY POINTS ■ Monthly checkups mandatory for home doses. ■ Psychiatric approval required before permission. ■ Secure storage with double-lock system. ■ Tele-mental health consultations for monitoring patients. Vivek Goel, psychiatrist at the Civil Hospital, Jagraon, said that allowing patients to take medicines home after psychiatric clearance was a progressive step. “Addiction treatment requires both trust and vigilance while this policy reduces hospital visits, and places greater responsibility on families and patients to store and use medicines safely,” he added. There are 45 OOAT clinics in the district and the one at the Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, is among the centres implementing the new system. “This step will ease patient access to treatment while maintaining accountability. Discrepancy, if any, will be checked on time. The guidelines highlight that only those patients who meet the criteria of psychiatric clearance and compliance will be allowed to carry medicines home. The department has also instructed clinics to maintain detailed records of approvals and ensure that medicines are dispensed with proper documentation,” added a senior official from the health department. Ambulance of Governor’s convoy rams into Innova, two injured Industry organisations meet BJP national president, raise key demands before poll Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 22 Representatives of various industrial organisations from across Punjab raised their concerns and suggestions before BJP national president Nitin Nabin during an interaction held here on Sunday night. Industrialists described the visit as a pre-election outreach exercise aimed at understanding the pulse of the industry and presenting the BJP’s vision for the same in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Talking to The Tribune, Rahul Ahuja, former chair- man of CII Punjab, said several issues concerning the industry were discussed on a common platform attended by representatives from diverse sectors. “Nabin said Punjab could regain its lost glory through the BJP’s development-oriented vision,” Ahuja said, adding that the leader also stressed that industries were moving out at several other places, like in Kanpur and Gorakhpur, the manufacturing of cycle tyres had started. Industrialists also pointed out that Punjab had not witnessed any major benefits from the Central Government schemes. Responding to the concern, Nabin maintained that the state government had not made adequate efforts to effectively implement various Central schemes. Industry representatives, however, urged the BJP leadership to explore ways of directly extending benefits to Punjab’s industrial sector, especially the MSME. KK Seth of FICO highlighted the poor treatment allegedly meted out to employees at ESI hospitals. Nabin assured the gathering that efforts would be made to address the issue and bring about reforms. Upkar Singh, president of CICU, urged the BJP chief to introduce projects aimed at providing affordable housing for industrial workers, describing them as the backbone of the manufacturing sector. He also sought faster customs and logistics clearances, strengthening of MSME research and development centres and measures to ensure stable raw material prices for the smooth functioning of industry. Representatives from the sports goods, plywood, cycle and cycle parts, hosiery, steel, furnace, nut-and-bolt and auto-parts sectors from across Punjab participated in the deliberations. c m y b A policeman stands near the damaged Innova; and (right) the ambulance which collided with the vehicle after it entered the Governor’s convoy at the Ghulal toll barrier in Samrala on Monday. Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 22 An ambulance which was part of Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s convoy met with an accident on Monday morning at Ghulal toll plaza near Samrala, when a vehicle accidentally entered the convoy traveling from Chandigarh to Ludhiana. In the chaos, a government ambulance following the convoy lost control and collided with the Innova. Two people, including a woman, were injured in the accident. They were immediately rushed to the hospital by a road safety force team and admitted to a government hospital in Samrala. Police officers also reached the spot immediately after the incident and began investigating. They also checked CCTV footage from the toll plaza. According to police officials, around 8 am when the Governor’s convoy was passing through the reserved VIP lane at the toll plaza in Samrala, an Innova suddenly entered the con- voy. This unexpected incident caused a stir. The driver of the government ambulance in the convoy tried to stop the vehicle immediately to avoid the accident, but due to sudden braking, he lost control and the ambulance directly collided with the Innova. The collision was so severe that emergency medical technician Gurjant Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran, sitting in the ambulance and Gurjeet Kaur, a resident of Ludhiana, travelling in the Innova car were injured. Senior Superintendent of Police, Khanna, Darpan Ahluwalia said that the Innova tried to enter the cavalcade of Punjab Governor accidentally and was stopped by the ambulance driver, who braked suddenly. The vehicle driver told media that he was travelling with his mother and wife and didn’t know whose convoy it was. After the latter passed, a toll plaza employee signalled his car to proceed through the same lane, which led to the collision with the ambulance.