28062026-LT-01.qxd 6/28/2026 12:50 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 5-YR-OLD KARATE PRODIGY WINS MAIDEN INT’L MEDAL HIMALAYAN WILD GOAT MARKHOR’S MYSTIQUE References to markhor appear sporadically in memoirs & biographies of Mughal emperors Akbar & Jahangir. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 39°C | MIN 29°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 29°C MEET THE STARS OF INDIA’S PARTY MUSIC Mehreen Kaur wins a silver medal at the 25th Milo International Karate Championship in Malaysia. P2 FORECAST There are songs that define a generation. Between 2010 & 2020, Indian music has undergone a cultural reset. P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 7:28 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5:24 AM » SUNDAY | 28 JUNE 2026 | LUDHIANA Man nabbed with 308-gm heroin, ~60K drug money Fake NOC scam unearthed, 35 Immigration centre misuses youth’s documents, creates firm registries verified on fake papers Tribune News Service SDM confirms irregularities after probe conducted on resident’s complaint Ludhiana, June 27 The Ludhiana police arrested a person from the Bihari Colony area on Tajpur Road and seized 308 gm of heroin, along with Rs 60,150 drug money. The Police Division 7 registered a case under the NDPS Act against the suspect, identified as Raja. Investigating officer Charanjit Singh said a police team was patrolling in the area when they received a tip-off. Acting on the same, the team nabbed Raja from the Bihari Colony area. During the search, 308 gm of heroin and Rs 60,150 were recovered from him. The police believe that further interrogation might lead to significant revelations about the drug trafficking network and other individuals linked to it. Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 27 A major property fraud has come to light in Khanna, where 35 registries were verified using fake no objection certificates (NOCs). Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Swati Tiwana confirmed the irregularities after an inquiry was conducted on a complaint filed by Sarbjit Singh, a resident of Bahomajra village in Khanna. According to the SDM, the complaint alleged that certain individuals had managed to get property registries approved at the office of the Sub-Registrar, Khanna, by attaching forged NOCs. The matter was investigated by the Tehsildar, Khanna, who found evidence of 35 such fraudulent registries. The SDM has already written to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Khanna, seeking legal action against those involved in the scam. In addition, 18 registries based on manual NOCs are under verification by the Executive Officer of the Khanna Municipal Council and further action will be taken once the inquiry report is received. Tiwana emphasised that more cases were being scrutinised and their findings would be disclosed in coming days. She also issued a public advisory urging citizens to thoroughly check property documents before making any purchases to avoid falling victim to such frauds. “No individual or employee found guilty of wrongdoing will be spared,” she said. CHECK PROPERTY DOCUMENTS BEFORE MAKING PURCHASES, SDM TIWANA TELLS RESIDENTS SDM Swati Tiwana said more cases are being scrutinised and their findings will be disclosed in coming days. She also issued a public advisory urging residents to thoroughly check property documents before making any purchases to avoid falling victim to such frauds. “No individual or employee found guilty of wrongdoing will be spared,” she said. Brisk business Gold chain snatched from city lawyer Singh Chouhan, a resident of Model Town Extension, Ludhiana, in his statement to the police said he was an advocate by profession. On the night of June 24, around 10:30 pm, he and his friends came to a spot near Dabbu Market in Sarabha Nagar in his car. They were sitting in the vehicle near a property dealer’s office. He said while they were sit- Singh, a resident of Kathgarh village in Jalalabad told the police that his son wanted to go abroad for study. After getting information about Smart Study Immigration Centre, Nehru Nagar, in Model Town, here, he applied for his son’s study visa at the centre. The suspect had assured that the centre provides best immigration services. SAD leaders raise slogans against CM, show black flags Woman delivers baby in auto outside hospital Vendors sell inflatable pools on the roadside on a hot day in Ludhiana. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA Ludhiana, June 27 Miscreants snatched a gold chain from a lawyer, who was sitting in a car with his friends, near Dabbu Market here. One of the suspects first knocked on the car windowpane and demanded Rs 50. When the victim refused, he snatched the gold chain from his neck and fled on a motorcycle with his accomplice. The complainant, Rajdeep Ludhiana, June 27 A surprising case of immigration fraud came to light in the city in which an immigration firm misused the identity documents of a youth who wanted to go abroad for study and created a firm by availing GST number in Mandi Gobindgarh. After the matter came to the fore, the police registered a case and launched the investigation. The complainant, Balbir He said on the pretext of sending his son Jaspreet Singh (21) abroad, the suspect misused his documents. He obtained a GST number in the name of Preet Traders in Mandi Gobindgarh, Fatehgarh Sahib district. The suspect also misused his son’s PAN card without his knowledge and permission. After he got to know about the same, he lodged a complaint and got registered a case. The suspect was identified as Rohan. He was yet to be arrested. ting in the vehicle, a cleanshaven young man approached him. He knocked on the windowpane and asked him to give Rs 50. When he refused, the suspect attacked him and snatched his gold chain weighing about 2.5 tolas from his neck. He then fled the scene. Upon receiving information about the incident, the Sarabha Nagar police swung into action. A case was registered and the police were examining the footage of CCTVs installed in the area. Investigating officer ASI Davinder Singh said based on the victim’s statement, a case was registered and a probe was initiated. He assured that the suspects would be identified and arrested soon. — TNS Ludhiana, June 27 A pregnant woman delivered a baby girl inside an autorickshaw parked outside the Emergency Ward of the Civil Hospital in Khanna. The woman, a resident of Avtar Nagar, Lalheri Road, experienced labour pains. After which, her husband, Pahadu, hired an auto-rickshaw from Lalheri Chowk to rush her to a hospital. The auto driver said he brought the couple from a distance of about 1.5 km from the hospital. As the vehicle entered the hospital premises and stopped near the emergency ward, the woman gave birth inside the auto. Her family members alerted hospital staff who rushed to the spot. The emergency team safely shifted the mother and newborn from the vehicle to the labour room on a wheelchair. Doctors confirmed that both mother and child are stable and healthy. The husband of the woman admitted that he was unaware of the government’s free 108 ambulance service, due to which they hired an auto-rickshaw. — TNS SAD leaders hold a protest against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Ludhiana on Saturday. Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 27 Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann visited the city to honour youngsters who have given up drugs but he faced a stiff protest from members of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Led by Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, president of the Akali Jatha, Urban, and senior SAD leader Ranjit Singh Dhillon, a large number of Akali leaders gathered at the venue and raised slogans against the Chief Minister, including ‘Guru Dokhi’, ‘Panth Virodhi’ and ‘Bhagwant Mann Murdabad’. They also displayed black flags during the protest. Though the police stopped them from moving forward, the leaders carried out a vigorous protest. Speaking to the media, Dhillon and Bhinda said the CM was repeatedly telling lies to hide the truth. “If Mann Sahib’s video was fake, then why did he need to take the support of more lies to prove that lie false,” they asked. They warned that the protest would continue till the CM presents himself before Akal Takht Sahib like a humble Sikh and tenders an apology. Encroached footpaths put pedestrians at risk Despite SC’s recent directive, several walkways remain under illegal occupation in city Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 27 Though the Supreme Court has recently declared the right to safe, unobstructed and disabled-friendly footpaths a fundamental right under Article 21, the ground reality in Ludhiana tells a different story. Across the city, a large number of footpaths are encroached upon and remain under unauthorised occupation, forcing pedestrians to step onto busy roads and exposing them to the risk of accidents. At some places, footpaths are turned into parking spaces with vehicles lined up and leaving little or no room for pedestrians to walk. Encroachments by street vendors, commercial extensions and makeshift structures have left little space for walk- A shop that has come up on a footpath in Ludhiana. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA ers. At several locations, the civic apathy has allowed permanent obstructions to flourish, undermining the very purpose of pedestrian pathways. On busy footpaths, commerce and chaos often jostle for space. Small stalls spill onto the walkways, with their shelves stacked with eatables and bottled drinks. “Walking here feels like an obstacle course,” said a city resident, Harpreet Singh. “The footpath is meant for the people but it has become a marketplace,” he said. Another citizen, Gurpreet Kaur, who frequently visits her son in Canada, said: “In Toronto, I walk to do my daily errands with ease. There are wide pavements and no fear of traffic. In Ludhiana, I cannot even imagine walking for work. Footpaths are blocked and roads feel unsafe. It makes me miss the c m y b dignity of walking abroad”. “Walking on the road has become a compulsion, not a choice. Footpaths are either broken or occupied, and the authorities seem indifferent,” said a commuter near Model Town. Civic activists argue that the situation directly contradicts the Supreme Court’s directive, which makes it mandatory for local bodies to construct, maintain and clear walkways of encroachments. Experts warn that prioritising motorised traffic over pedestrian safety violates constitutional rights and aggravates the road safety crisis. Recently, the Special DGP , Punjab, had also asked the Ludhiana police to take action against the encroachments on footpaths but still the plight of the walkways in the city remains the same. 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