08072026-JTR-01.qxd 07-07-2026 23:25 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune IKGPTU NON-TEACHING STAFF ANNOUNCE PROTEST ON JULY 9 VAN TO SCREEN DOCUMENTARY ON TEACHINGS OF GURU RAVIDAS ASEES KAUR’S NEW ALBUM NITNEM & MUSICAL EVOLUTION The association alleges prolonged delays in promotions, non-implementation of decisions, administrative inaction. P2 MP Chabbewal flagged off a van to screen a documentary highlighting the life and teachings of Guru Ravidas. P3 For singer Asees Kaur her latest spiritual album Nitnem is a project ‘deeply personal and rooted in devotion’. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 29°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.35 PM » SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:30 AM WEDNESDAY | 8 JULY 2026 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. Lawyers go on strike over Legal Aid Defence power supply to chambers at Judicial Complex Counsel system Also raise issue of inadequate Tribune News Service INBRIEF MAN HELD FOR KIDNAPPING GIRL Jalandhar, July 7 The District Bar Association, led by its president Aditya Jain and secretary Rohit Gambhir, observed a complete strike on Tuesday and suspended all judicial work in compliance with the decision of the Joint Action Committee, Punjab. Jain stated that the issue of the Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) system has been consistently raised by all Bar Associations across Punjab for a considerable period. A meeting of the presidents, secretaries and vice-presidents of various Bar Associations in Punjab was held with Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. During the meeting, a committee was constituted to examine the issue and suggest a solution. However, despite the lapse of several months, no final decision has been taken. Thereafter, a meeting of the Joint Action Committee, Punjab, was held on June 26, wherein it was unanimously resolved that all District Bar Associations would submit resolutions through their Dis- Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a migrant youth on the charge of kidnapping a girl. The accused has been identified as Karim Ali of West Bengal and presently living in Meerapur. The father of the victim, living in the same village, has complained to the police that the accused kidnapped his daughter. A case had been registered. OC Blind murder case cracked, main accused arrested WOMAN AMONG SIX BOOKED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have booked six persons, including a woman, on the charges of assault, outraging a woman's modesty and criminal intimidation. The accused have been identified as Paramjit Singh, his wife Rupa, and Lakhwinder Pal Singh, along with his three sons — Lovepreet Singh, Navpreet Singh and Sukha — all residents of Warra Salaam village. Harpreet Kaur, a resident of the same village, alleged that the accused assaulted her, outraged her modesty and threatened her with dire consequences. No arrests have been made so far. The accused are absconding and police teams are conducting raids to nab them. OC Tribune News Service MAN ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested one of the two accused on the charge of assaulting a villager. The arrested person has been identified as Manpreet Singh of Kotla Bhagoo village. Jagdev Singh of the same village has complained to the police that the accused and his father attacked him with sharp-edged weapons on June 2 morning, injuring him seriously. OC 3 NABBED FOR DRUG PEDDLING Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a man on the charge of selling heroin. Eight gram of heroin was recovered from the possession of the accused Gurmit Singh, a resident of Lattianwal village in Kapurthala. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. The Lohian Khas police have arrested Lovpreet Singh of Punia village with 6.09 gram of heroin. The Nakodar police arrested Mandeep Singh of Bahmania village in Shahkot with 46 intoxicating tablets. oc WOMAN BOOKED FOR ATTACK Phagwara: The Bilga police have booked a woman on the charge of attacking another woman. The accused belonged to Umarpur Kalan village. Jaswindar Singh, a resident of Gumtala village, complained to the police that the accused barged into his house on July 4 and attacked his wife Ramandeep Kaur with a knife and injured her. oc Jalandhar, July 7 The Jalandhar Rural Police have solved a blind murder case reported from Manko village and arrested the main accused. On July 4, the Adampur police received information about the recovery of a bloodstained body from the fields of a farmer in Manko village. Acting swiftly, the police launched an investigation and cracked the case. Rajeev Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Adampur, stated that an FIR was registered under Section 103 of the BNS at Adampur on the statement of Dilbag Members of the District Bar Association hold a sit-in against in Jalandhar on Tuesday. LADC SYSTEM AND ITS OPPPOSITION ■ Under the old legal aid system, whenever an eligible accused required free legal aid, the District Legal Services Authorities maintained panels of private advocates. A lawyer was assigned from the panel on a caseby-case basis even as he continued his private practice. ■ Under the new Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) system, full-time Legal Aid Defence Counsels have been appointed on a contractual basis, who receive a fixed monthly remuneration. They are not allowed to undertake private legal practice during their tenure and only handle legal aid criminal cases. ■ The Bar Associations across Punjab have been demanding that the LADC system be withdrawn and the old panel-based model be restored. Their key objections include reduced work for ordinary lawyers and appointment of only a limited number of contractual lawyers under the legal aid work. They want legal aid to remain integrated with the regular Bar instead of being allowed to be handled by a separate cadre. trict and Sessions Judges to the government and if their demands were not accepted, they would proceed on a strike Singh, resident of Kaddo village in Ludhiana. During the investigation, the deceased was identified as Jagjit Singh, alias Jaggi Mann, a native of Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib district, who was residing in Kaddo village, Ludhiana. The police said he was a close friend of the complainant. The investigation further revealed the involvement of Nabhpreet Singh of Shahpur village in Amloh, Fatehgarh Sahib, who was subsequently arrested in accordance with law. Nabhpreet was arrested on Monday and will be produced before the court to seek police remand for further interrogation, said a police official. tem will continue tomorrow. The District Bar Association strongly protested against the government and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) over the inadequate electricity supply in the lawyers’ chambers at the District Judicial Complex, Jalandhar. Secretary Rohit Gambhir stated that for the past several days, the chambers have been receiving insufficient electricity during working hours, causing serious inconvenience to advocates in the discharge of their professional duties. He urged the government and PSPCL to install a dedicated transformer for the lawyers’ chambers. Owing to heavy rainfall, the advocates held a peaceful protest inside the Court Complex. Others who were present included senior vice-president Ram Chhabra, joint secretary Sahil Malhotra, junior vicepresident Suraj Pratap Singh, assistant secretary Sonalika, executive members Prabhu Dhir, Paras Chaudhary, Vijay Mishra, Neha, Amanat, Payal, Maninder Sasedeva, Sandeep Kumar, Vivek Batra and Gundeep Singh Sodhi. The police at the encounter site in Jalandhar. PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Escape bid foiled, gangster hurt in police encounter Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 7 An alleged gangster was injured by the city police during an encounter that took place near Nakhan Wala Bagh on Tuesday. The bullet struck his left shin, following which he was overpowered and admitted to the Civil Hospital. The accused, Sham Das, a native of Bihar who was residing in Mohalla Guru Diwan Nagar, Garha, was arrested on July 4 with 1 kg of cannabis (ganja). An FIR was registered against him. During interrogation, Sham Das allegedly disclosed his involvement in a firing incident that took place in Garha on November 11 last year fol- lowing a quarrel. The police said an FIR had already been registered in the case. The accused Sham Das was arrested in that case and a two-day police remand was obtained from the court. To recover the weapon used by the accused today, a police team, took the accused to the area near Nakhan Wala Bagh, where he had reportedly concealed the weapon. The police said that while leading the team to the concealed weapon, Sham Das allegedly attempted to mislead them and suddenly opened fire on the police party using the recovered firearm. In response, ASI Satinder Kumar fired from his service pistol in selfdefence, injuring the accused. from July 7. In pursuance of the decision, the District Bar Association also observed a complete strike today. The president further said as per the decision of the Joint Action Committee, Punjab, the strike against the LADC sys- Class V student run over by Army truck Nawanshahr School of Eminence faces action over excess fee charge Jalandhar, July 7 A Class V student of Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 3 died after being run over by an Army truck outside the school campus on Tuesday afternoon. The victim, Payal, a resident of the Sodal area, used to travel home daily by the school bus. After school hours, she was waiting outside the campus with her friends for the bus when an Army truck entered the area. According to eyewitnesses, the truck was taking a U-turn when it hit the girl, causing fatal injuries. She died on the spot. Her father, Ashok Kumar, was informed immediately and rushed to the scene. TNS Inquiry finds Class XI student charged ~5,000 instead of annual fee of ~ 876 Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, July 7 Nawanshahr DC Gulpreet Singh Aulakh has directed the District Education Department to impose a penalty on the government’s flagship School of Eminence, Nawanshahr, after an inquiry found that a Class XI student had been charged Rs 5,000 as admission fee against the prescribed annual fee of Rs 876. The amount of the penalty is yet to be discussed. The action follows a complaint submitted in April by Sanjiv Bhalla, a resident of Saroya village. Bhalla alleged that his daughter, Tanu Bhalla, had qualified the entrance test for admission to Class XI at the School of Eminence. According to the complaint, his family was asked to deposit Rs 5,000 at the time of admission. After learning that the prescribed annual fee in government schools was Rs 876, he sought a receipt and clarification regarding the amount charged. Bhalla alleged that the school subsequently refunded Rs 4,000, cancelled his daughter’s admission and later transferred the remaining Rs 1,000 to his sister’s bank account through UPI. He further alleged that after he raised the issue with the Education Minister and senior officials, his daughter’s admission was restored. In his complaint, Bhalla sought a highlevel inquiry into the alleged overcharging of fee and action against those responsible. Aulakh said he had sought a report from the district education authorities after receiving the complaint. “The inquiry report found that the student had been overcharged. Accordingly, I directed the district Education Department to impose a penalty on the school for charging fee beyond the prescribed amount. So far, I have received only one complaint in the matter,” he said. Responding to the allegations, School of Eminence Principal Sarabjit Singh said, “I have not received any notice so far. The Rs 5,000 fee was approved by the School Management Committee and was not my personal decision. The amount was collected to meet the expenditure incurred on providing additional facilities and services to students.” “There is a shortage of teachers in the school, so we have engaged additional teachers on our own. Similarly, against the requirement of seven cleaners, we have only one, forcing us to hire additional staff at the school’s expense. The funds are utilised to provide better facilities to students. We have been providing opportunities for participation in the National Science Seminar, the International Mathematics Olympiad and other academic activities, all of which involve additional expenditure,” he said. Mithapur gives hero’s welcome to most-capped hockey star Manpreet Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 7 Accompanied by his mother, Manjit Kaur, wife Illi Siddique, and daughters Jasmine (4) and Avelyn (1), hockey star Manpreet Singh received a rousing welcome from admirers as he entered the Mithapur Astroturf Hockey Stadium. Garlands adorned not only Manpreet, but also his mother and elder daughter, adding to the celebratory atmosphere. Amid the applause that echoed across the stadium, it was the quiet pride on the faces of his mother, wife and elder daughter that stood out, speaking of a family’s joy after witnessing years of sacrifice and hardwork. The occasion was a special one: Manpreet, who recently became India’s most-capped hockey player after complet- Hockey star Manpreet Singh and his family members welcomed by Hockey Punjab at his village Mithapur in Jalandhar. ing 413 international matches, was felicitated by the Hockey Punjab and Mithapur Hockey Academy in front of a packed gathering that celebrated one of the state’s greatest sporting icons. Among those present were c m y b dozens of children from modest backgrounds, who continue to train every day on the same ground where a young Manpreet once sharpened his skills. For many of them, seeing their hero return to the very turf where his journey began was a dream come true. Several young players said Manpreet’s success had inspired them to believe that they, too, could wear the Indian jersey one day. Thanking everyone for the warm reception, the former Indian team Captain expressed his gratitude. He urged the youth to stay away from drugs and embrace sports as a path towards a brighter future. Speaking about India’s ambitions, the Olympian said the team was prepared for the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup, Asian Champions Trophy, Asian Games and the 2028 Olympics. He said the Indian team was determined to fulfil its long-cherished dream of winning an Olympic gold. Hockey Punjab president Nitin Kohli lauded Manpreet’s achievement, saying, by playing 413 international matches, he had created a new benchmark in Indian hockey and brought immense pride to Jalandhar, Punjab and the country. Calling him a role model for the younger generation, Kohli expressed hope that Manpreet would go on to represent India in another 100-150 international matches. He also conveyed his best wishes to the national team for the challenges ahead. Mithapur Hockey Academy coach Kuldeep Singh described the day as a memorable chapter in the village’s sporting history. “It is a proud day for Mithapur. Our hero has come home, and there is happiness everywhere,” he said. For Mithapur, it was more than a felicitation ceremony. It was the homecoming of a local boy who conquered world hockey.