25082026-ATR-01.qxd 8/24/2026 10:52 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune MLA INAUGURATES SPORTS GROUNDS IN AJNALA TEACHERS TO OBSERVE MASS LEAVE, JOIN BANDH ON AUG 27 A meeting of the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and other organisations held in Ajnala. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 34.8°C | MIN 28°C KAZIAH LIZ MEJO CROWNED MISS UNIVERSE INDIA 2026 The CM has approved 36 sports stadiums for the Ajnala constituency, says Kuldeep Dhaliwal. P2 FORECAST Law student Kaziah Liz Mejo from Kerala was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 in Jaipur. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 6.54 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:55 AM » TUESDAY | 25 AUGUST 2026 | AMRITSAR ~3 per kg rise in atta 3 arms, drug trafficking rings busted; After sugar,household budget prices hits five arrested with pistols, 6 kg heroin Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Consignments delivered via drones, suspects were in touch with foreign handlers: Cops Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 24 The Amritsar police have busted three illegal arms and drug trafficking networks in separate cases, arresting five accused and recovering nine illegal pistols, 6.311 kg of heroin and three motorcycles. A juvenile is among those apprehended. Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said accused Armaandeep Singh (20) and Teerth Singh (20), residents of Sheikhmanga village in Sultanpur Lodhi, were arrested on August 19 from the Cantonment police station area. Six illegal pistols and a motorcycle were recovered from them. During the investigation, the police found that the duo was allegedly in contact with a foreign-based smuggler who provided locations for arms consignments delivered through drones. Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill addresses the media in Amritsar on Monday. VISHAL KUMAR The accused allegedly collected the consignments from designated locations and delivered weapons as per the handler’s instructions. In another case registered at the Chheharta police station, a juvenile was apprehended following the recovery of 6.090 kg of heroin. Further investigation led to the arrest of Kamlesh Rani (65), a resident of Indira Colony, Gate Hakima. The police recovered 211 gm of heroin from her possession. According to the police, the two were allegedly operating on the directions of the juvenile’s cousin, who was in contact with a Pakistanbased smuggler. The handler allegedly provided locations for drug consignments, which were collected and subsequently supplied further. Kamlesh Rani was previously booked in a case under the NDPS Act in SAS Nagar. In the third case, the police arrested Shamsher Singh, alias Shera (21), a resident of Hetampura village under the Lopoke police station on August 22. Three illegal pistols and a motorcycle were recovered from him. The police said he was also allegedly in contact with a foreign-based arms smuggler and supplied weapons to other criminals as directed by the handler. The recovered weapons include three Turkish-made Zigana .30-bore pistols, three Chinese-made .30bore pistols, one Austrianmade Glock 9mm pistol, one Italian-made Beretta 9mm pistol and one Turkish-made Zigana 9mm pistol. Gill said further investigation was underway to establish the complete network, identify other associates and ascertain the source and intended recipients of the arms and drugs. Amritsar, August 24 Following the increase in sugar prices, retail rates of unbranded chakki atta have gone up by Rs 3 per kg, while those of branded flour have risen by about Re 1 per kg. The rising prices of essential kitchen staples are putting pressure on household budgets, particularly those of middle- and lower-income families. Naresh Ghai, president of the Punjab Roller Flour Mills Association, said the rise in wheat flour prices has been witnessed across the country. He said Punjab has about 90 roller flour mills and thousands of atta chakkis, adding that all of them had increased the prices. Ghai said the Centre had procured 122 lakh tonnes of wheat from Punjab during the April harvest season, accounting for 98 per cent of the state’s wheat production. The remaining 2 per cent was stocked by flour millers. With this stock exhausted, millers were now buying wheat from other states, he said. “This happens every year NEED SPECIAL POLICY ❝ The Centre should formulate a special policy for Punjab as it has been the country’s food bowl. ❞ — Naresh Ghai, PRESIDENT, PUNJAB ROLLER FLOUR MILLS ASSOCIATION after the procurement season,” Ghai said, adding that Punjab is a major producer as well as consumer of wheat. “After the procurement season is over, Punjab becomes wheat deficient. The Union Government should come out with a special policy for the state as it has been the country’s food bowl,” he added. Raghav Arora, another flour miller, said wheat was procured at the MSP of Rs 2,585 per quintal in April, whereas millers were now buying the same quantity at approximately Rs 2,800. He added that since millers were not doing any value addition to the product, the increase in atta prices largely reflected the higher cost of wheat and processing. On the other hand, big com- panies are already charging Rs 420-460 for a 10 kg bag of atta. Yet, a big brand delivered the new lot of flour with a price tag of Rs 500 on its 10 kg bag. Earlier, the price was Rs 489. Retail grocer Buta Ram said he was selling 10 kg bags of unbranded wheat flour for Rs 350 after wholesalers raised their rates from Rs 315. “I do not sell branded atta since the majority of my customers come from middleand lower-middle-income families,” he said. Meanwhile, sugar prices have climbed to Rs 70-75 per kg in the retail market, depending on quality. The prices of mustard oil have also gone up by about 20 per cent in the past one month. Unbranded mustard oil is being sold at Rs 180 per litre, which was Rs 140 over a month ago. Branded bottles of mustard oil are available at around Rs 220 per litre. Hira Singh, a roadside vendor, said higher petrol, diesel and LPG prices, coupled with the increase in atta, sugar and mustard oil prices, had raised his family’s daily living cost. Man dies by suicide; wife, Broken BRTS railing near school poses safety hazard in-laws booked for abetment Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 24 A 45-year-old man allegedly died by suicide at his residence in the Gujjarpura locality under the jurisdiction of C-Division police station late Sunday night, reportedly after a dispute with his wife and in-laws. The deceased was identified as Tejinder Singh. On receiving information, a police team reached the spot. The body was sent for post-mortem examination and handed over to the family later. On the complaint of the deceased’s brother, Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Verka, the police have registered a case against Tejinder’s wife Simranjit Kaur and three members of her family on charges of abetment to suicide. Station House Officer (SHO) Rajwant Kaur said raids were being conducted to arrest the accused. According to Kulwinder, Police are examining a video recorded by Tejinder Singh before taking the extreme step Tejinder Singh Tejinder had married Simranjit Kaur around 15 years ago. Shortly after the wedding, the couple rented a room near Simranjit’s parental home. Tejinder, who drove a pri- vate vehicle for a living, lived there along with his wife and their 12-year-old son and a daughter. Kulwinder alleged that the couple frequently quarrelled over various issues and that Tejinder had confided in him about these disputes on several occasions. He alleged that Simranjit continued to harass his brother. According to the complainant, the couple had an argument on Sunday night. Simranjit left the house after the dispute, after which Tejinder went into a room and allegedly hanged himself. Kulwinder further alleged that before taking the extreme step, Tejinder recorded a video on his mobile phone, describing the alleged harassment he was facing and sent it to some relatives. The police are examining the video recorded by the deceased and other evidence as part of the investigation. Amritsar, August 24 A broken section of a railing along the non-functional Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor outside Government Girls School, Chheharta, has become a major safety hazard for commuters. Around a month ago, the Punjab Government had announced dismantling of the nearly decade-old BRTS corridor, which was non-functional for the past two years. However, before the dismantling work could begin, unidentified persons uprooted a portion of the iron railing. Residents said what initially appeared to be a convenient passage has now become a dangerous blind spot. They claimed that two to three minor accidents or near-misses are being reported at the stretch daily, raising fears that a major accident could occur anytime, particularly involving two-wheelers. The problem has been compounded by a foot overbridge constructed as part of the BRTS infrastructure. The damaged railing near the structure creates a blind spot, A broken section of a railing along the BRTS corridor near Government Girls School, Chheharta; and (right) a car damaged in an accident. making it difficult for the commuters coming from either side to see vehicles passing through the opening. Kanwalpreet Singh, a member of the Chheharta Sangharsh Committee, said the stretch had become a serious safety concern. “People are being forced to use the broken portion to cross the road. The situation becomes particularly dangerous during school hours when stu- dents and parents use the stretch,” he said. He said an ASI was injured after being hit by a scooter on Monday. A day ago, another scooter rider had a narrow escape when an e-rickshaw collided with his vehicle at the same spot. Raman Sharma, another resident, said a Thar and a car also collided at the location a few days ago. “The unauthorised opening is not only causing inconvenience to commuters, but also putting pedestrians and motorists at risk,” he said. The committee has urged the administration to either repair the damaged railing or temporarily close the opening until a permanent solution is found. Kulwant Singh, another resident, said authorities should intervene to avoid a major accident. The committee has also sought an inspection of Year on, farmers seek action in urea diversion case, hold protest Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 24 Hundreds of farmers and workers associated with the All India Kisan Sabha and Vegetable Growers’ Association staged a three-hour dharna outside the Vallah police station here on Monday demanding action against those allegedly involved in the diversion of subsidised agricultural urea for nonagricultural use. The protest was led by Vegetable Growers’ Association president Bhupinder Singh Tirathpura. Addressing the protesters, Kisan Sabha state leader Lakhbir Singh Nijampur alleged that the police had failed to complete the investigation into a case reg- Had caught a truck with 600 bags of urea on August 21, 2025 istered nearly a year ago. On August 21, 2025, a truck carrying around 600 bags of urea was caught by farmers after they found that the fertiliser was allegedly being diverted for non-agricultural purposes. Later, the local police had claimed to have seized the truck. The consignment had been released to a cooperative society in Bhittewad for distribution to farmers at subsidised rates, but instead of reaching the eligible beneficiaries, it was allegedly unloaded at a private godown. The farmer organisations said though an FIR was registered at the Vallah police station on the basis of statements by officials of the Cooperative Department, the local authorities had failed to pursue the matter further. They alleged that despite repeated representations to the Deputy Commissioner, Chief Agriculture Officer and the state government, no effective action had been taken in the case. Farmer leader Nijampur alleged that the accused had secured bail and the police had failed to present a challan in court even after a year. He accused fertiliser companies, police officials and agriculture authorities of failing to carry out a proper investigation. The organisations also raised the broader issue of fertiliser availability. They alleged that farmers were being forced to make repeated rounds to procure fertiliser. Some companies were supplying unwanted products, which farmers were forced to buy if they want fertiliser. Following the protest, a meeting was held between the farmer leaders and police officials. ACP Harpal Singh Randhawa and Vallah SHO Gurinder Singh assured the protesters that necessary action would be taken against those responsible for the diversion of urea and that the challan would be presented in court. c m y b Farmers hold a protest outside the Vallah police station in Amritsar on Monday. the entire stretch and immediate restoration of the railing. The Rs 600-crore BRTS project, launched nearly a decade ago, has now reached the end of the road. Amritsar West MLA Jasbir Singh Sandhu had announced that approval had been granted for dismantling the corridor. The Metro Bus service has remained shut since July 2023, while its fleet of 92 buses has been lying idle at the Verka Bypass depot. 15 booked in firing case Tarn Taran, August 24 The police have booked 15 persons in connection with a firing incident at Deo village following the completion an investigation on Sunday. A case has been registered against Babbaljot Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Kuljit Singh, Sukhjinder Singh, Harjit Singh and Gurpreet Singh, besides 10 unidentified persons on the complaint of Block Samiti member Paramjit Singh. The complainant alleged after he won the Block Samiti election, his rivals assaulted him on August 19 and also opened fire. ASI Rajpal Singh said a case had been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the BNS and the Arms Act. — OC