27072026-LT-01.qxd 7/26/2026 10:38 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune MC RECORD ROOMS TO GET 54 STORAGE COMPACTORS YOUNG SHUTTLERS DOMINATE DISTRICT TOURNAMENT MASABA DEBUTS BRIDAL CREATIONS AT COUTURE WEEK The MC has purchased these for installation across all four zones for improving safety of official documents. P2 Emerging shuttlers steal the limelight even as seasoned campaigners reaffirm their class in the c’ship . P2 Designers Masaba Gupta and JJ Valaya present their own, distinct visions of Indian couture. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY, RAIN MAX 34°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.25 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:41 AM » MONDAY | 27 JULY 2026 | LUDHIANA Death of two liquor smugglers turns out to be planned killings NGT directs Forest Dept to act against violators Henchmen of a liquor contractor ‘involved’ in the incident Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 26 The incident involving the death of two illicit liquor smugglers has turned out to be a case of planned killings, allegedly orchestrated by the henchmen of a liquor contractor. The smugglers had died after their car plunged into the Sirhind Feeder Canal in Samrala. Initially, the police treated it as an accident. However, after the kin of the deceased suspected a conspiracy and raised questions over the incident, the Two booked for abetting suicide Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 26 The Dehlon police station in Ludhiana have registered a case against two brothers for allegedly forcing a man to die by suicide. The accused constantly demanded money from the deceased for drugs, causing him a lot of stress. Unable to bear the mental torture, he died by hanging himself at a tubewell room. Based on a complaint from the deceased’s father, the police registered a case of abetment to suicide case against the accused. In his complaint, Hakam Singh, a resident of Ghurgrana village, stated that his 28-year-old son, Harmandeep Singh, was in contact with Ashu Singh and Sajan Singh, both from the same village. continued on page 2 police found that henchmen of a liquor contractor had intentionally rammed their vehicle into the smugglers’ vehicle, causing it to plunge into the canal and killing both occupants. The police have now registered a case against the Bolero driver and other associates of a liquor contractor on the charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The police have also booked the two deceased youths and arrested a Faridkot resident, Sandeep Kumar, under the Excise Act. The illicit liquor being transported by the two smugglers allegedly belonged to him. The complainant, Rimpi Singh of Sikhwala village in Kotkapura, Faridkot, told the police that his son Vikasdeep Singh and nephew Akashdeep Singh were travelling in an Innova carrying 50 boxes of illicit liquor allegedly belonging to Sandeep in the early hours of July 24. Sandeep was travelling ahead in an SUV. Singh alleged that, as per the conspiracy, the Innova was deliberately hit by the Bolero belonging to a liquor contractor from the Samrala area. Samrala SHO Inspector Harwinder Singh said that acting on the complaint, the Samrala police registered a case under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the BNS, along with relevant provisions of the Excise Act. “The two smugglers were carrying Sandeep’s illicit liquor and were hit by men of a liquor contractor from the Samrala area, as illicit liquor was being transported in the Innova,” he said. 125 fans, inverter, solar equipment stolen from marriage palace Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 26 Thieves carried out a major burglary at the governmentrun Panchayat Marriage Palace, built under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Scheme, at Dhandra village, under the jurisdiction of Ludhiana’s Sadar police station. The thieves broke into the palace and stole goods worth lakhs of rupees, including 125 ceiling fans, a heavy-duty inverter, a solar battery, and even aluminum doors and windows. Following an investigation based on a complaint by the village watchman, the police yesterday registered a case against three accused under various sections of the BNS. Balwinder Singh, a 56year-old watchman from Dhandra village, told the police that he looked after the marriage palace. On July 22, when he went to inspect the premises, he noticed that a large amount of items were missing from the hall and rooms and the locks broken. Following this, he made inquiries and even asked villagers. His investigation revealed that late on the night of July 21, three men from the area had broken into the palace and committed this major theft. The thieves had vandalised the marriage palace. Stolen items included 125 ceiling fans, large solar panels, a 50 kW inverter system, 10 large searchlights, aluminum gates, doors, windows, four office windows, two kitchen gates, the main iron gate of the big hall, 40 water taps, submersible pipes, 50 aluminium plates of false ceiling and 16 iron chairs, etc. The three accused named by the police based on the complaint of the watchman and preliminary investigation include Jagpreet Singh, a resident of Sarpanch Colony, Dhandra Road, Ludhiana; Lovepreet Singh, a resident of Manakwal, Ludhiana district, and Vikramjeet, a resident of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Dhandra Road, Ludhiana. Investigating officer SubInspector Balwinder Singh will carry out further investigation. The police are now conducting raids at their possible hideouts to arrest the accused and recover the stolen government property. LIT at it again:Road work amid rain draws residents’ ire, sparks concern over quality Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 26 Barely a week after the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) launched its Rs 6.5crore road recarpeting project to repair internal roads in several residential colonies, questions are being raised over the quality of the work after recarpeting continued during the rain in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar on Sunday. Residents of G Block said workers were recarpeting and levelling the road despite intermittent showers. The development has sparked concern among local residents, who fear that road construction during wet weather could affect the strength and durability of the newly laid surface. Besides, residents have urged the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) to ensure that quality standards are not compromised. Residents said the work continued on Sunday even as intermittent rain lashed the city. According to them, after waiting for a long time for the damaged roads to be repaired, they were surprised to see construction being undertaken in wet conditions despite the weather forecast predicting rain. Residents said they wel- A stretch of a road in G Block of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar in Ludhiana that was recarpeted on Sunday amid rain. comed the long-awaited development works, but questioned the decision to continue construction despite weather forecast predicting rain. Arvind Sharma, a resident of the area, said, “The road recarpeting had been pending for a long time and we were happy that it was finally being undertaken. However, the work should have been carried out under suitable weather conditions. If the work is affected by rain, the recarpeted road may not last long. The authorities concerned should ensure that all technical norms are followed and public money is spent properly.” Residents also claimed that no senior official from the Ludhiana Improvement Trust was present at the site while the work was being carried out. They said proper supervision was necessary, particularly during the monsoon, to ensure that the contractor follows the prescribed construction standards. They further pointed out that a similar issue had surfaced in another locality last week, where road construction was carried out during rainy weather. Despite objections raised by local residents, they alleged that no corrective measures appeared to have been taken. The residents have demanded that the LIT should inspect the ongoing work, verify the quality of the material being used and ensure that the road is relaid only after meeting engineering specifications. They said if weather conditions are not suitable, the work should be temporarily suspended until conditions improve. Responding to the concerns, Ludhiana Improvement Trust Chairman Tarsem Bhinder said the Trust would not tolerate any compromise with construction quality. “Public money cannot be allowed to go to waste. I will seek a detailed report from the officials concerned and inspect whether the contractor followed the prescribed norms. If any negligence is found, strict action will be taken against the officials and the contractor responsible. I have also directed that road recarpeting should not be carried out during rain or when weather conditions are unsuitable,” Bhinder said. c m y b Five of the accused who broke into the house and thrashed a family in Khanna police custody on Sunday 8 held for attack on family over financial dispute Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 26 The Khanna police have arrested eight persons who had allegedly brutally thrashed a family after barging into their house. Police investigation has found that the attack was not carried out with the intention of committing robbery, but rather it was due to an old financial dispute. Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police Darpan Ahluwalia said that on July 14, a case was registered against unknown persons for assaulting a family. During a thorough investiga- tion, it was found that the mastermind behind this incident, Kuldeep Kumar, a resident of Surya Enclave, Khanna, had planned the attack. In this connection, Kuldeep’s aidde Davinder Singh of Basant Nagar, Khanna, allegedly hired five persons to execute the plan. They were identified as Sandeep Kumar of Chatarpura village, Fatehgarh Sahib; Gurjant Singh of Gobindgarh, Lakhwinder Singh of Patiala, and Gurdeep Singh of Fatehgarh Sahib were hired, while Sukhdeep Singh of Patiala provided the car used in the incident. SSP Ahluwalia added that the accused were traced and arrested in the said case. The silver chain stolen from the complainant’s son was sold by Gurjant and Sandeep to goldsmith Lalit Kumar of Amloh, who had also been arrested. The SSP further revealed that during the interrogation of the accused, it had come to light that this incident was not committed with the intention of robbery. The complainant had an argument with Kuldeep regarding some financial transaction, which was found to be the reason for the attack. Khanna Police said the remaining accused would be arrested soon. Ludhiana, July 26 In a petition filed by the Public Action Committee (PAC), challenging the illegal leasing of protected forest land by the Water Resources Department for commercial activities, including wine shops, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Forest Department to take appropriate action against the violators. The matter pertains to some wine shops operating on protected forest land along the Sirhind Canal (Ludhiana to Ropar) and the Bist Doab Canal. The tribunal has issued notices to the Principal Secretary, Department of Forests, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) in this regard. During the proceedings, the Water Resources Department informed the tribunal that it had cancelled the illegal leases and submitted its detailed reply. However, the petitioners requested the tribunal to direct the PCCF to initiate action against the officials and private parties responsible for permitting and operating commercial activities on the protected forest land. The PCCF assured the tribunal that appropriate action would be taken before the next date of hearing. — TNS