25082026-JTR-01.qxd 8/24/2026 10:52 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune AHEAD OF POLLS, AAP LEADERS’ SCHOOL VISITS DRAW OPPN FLAK SCHOOLS DIRECTED TO ENSURE SAFE, HEALTHY CAMPUSES KAZIAH LIZ MEJO CROWNED MISS UNIVERSE INDIA 2026 Oppn leaders said the latest visits are part of a growing trend of government schools being used for political messaging. P2 Schools have been asked to ensure cleanliness of classrooms, playgrounds and other parts of the campus.P3 Nineteen-year-old law student Kaziah Liz Mejo from Kerala was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 in Jaipur. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.58 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:00 AM » TUESDAY | 25 AUGUST 2026 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF MAN BOOKED FOR BATTERIES THEFT Phagwara: The police have registered a case against a man for allegedly stealing six batteries from trucks parked at the new grain market in Kapurthala. According to the complaint, Raj Kumar of Deep Colony, Sheikhupura, noticed that batteries had been removed from several trucks and subsequently traced the driver Jujhar Singh Soni of Guru Nanakpura, Jalandhar. The accused allegedly failed to give a satisfactory explanation when questioned. OC FOUR BOOKED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The police have booked four persons for allegedly assaulting a 19-yearold youth and damaging his motorcycle. The complainant, Ranjit Sharma of Nadala, alleged that he was stopped while returning home on August 13 and was assaulted by Sehaj, Yuvraj Singh, Hardeep Singh and Jaspreet Singh. The accused damaged his motorcycle and took money from him. OC BIKER HELD FOR FATAL MISHAP Phagwara: The Begowal police have arrested a man in connection with a fatal road accident that claimed the life of a motorcycle rider. According to a complaint, Jarnail Singh was travelling with his daughter when a motorcycle, allegedly being driven at high speed, collided with their motorcycle near Adda Kuka on August 22. Jarnail Singh sustained serious injuries and died. The accused motorcycle rider was identified as Soma of Salempur, Hoshiarpur district, and a case was registered against him. OC MAN BOOKED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The Begowal police have registered a case following an assault arising from a dispute over blocking the passage in a narrow street. Complainant Joginder Singh alleged that while he was returning home on his scooter, another resident had parked his scooter in a manner that obstructed the passage. He alleged that after an argument, the accused punched and assaulted him, while his dog also bit him. oc DC, MC chief skip meet, upset Channi targets AAP over garbage Will raise matter before parliamentary committee, says Jalandhar MP Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 24 Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi was visibly annoyed on Monday morning when he had come to attend a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) at the District Administrative Complex here. The former Chief Minister was received by ADCs Divya P and Amaninder Kaur in the Deputy Commissioner’s office. He had come along with Congress MLAs Pargat Singh, Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia, Sukhwinder Kotli and halqa in-charges Rajinder Beri, Dr Navjot Dahiya and Rajinder Singh. Channi asked if DC Varjeet Walia or MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi were coming. He was told that they were busy with some other official works. Soon, he came out and told the media that even as it was mandatory for all senior officials to attend the meeting, they had deliberately chosen to keep away getting directions from their political bosses. Channi said, “They wanted to avoid certain difficult questions that we were going to ask on the city’s cleanliness, waste management and sewer overflow issues. So, the officials had themselves escaped and handed over the baton to the junior staff. They do not have answers to my questions. I will take up the matter with the parliamentary committee”. DC Walia said, “I was called to Chandigarh for an urgent election meeting. I had conveyed the same to the MP My . officers had been tasked with attending the meeting. But MP Charanjit Channi visits Urban Estate, Jalandhar on Monday, where heaps of garbage spill onto the road. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH. ■ Expressing concern over the condition, Channi ■ Congress leader Pargat Singh also reached Urban Estate area, where heaps of garbage were seen piled up and spilling onto the road. ■ The MP made a verbal attack on the government over the deteriorating sanitation conditions. ■ Addressing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in a poetic jibe, MP Channi said, “Dubni bedi tere raaj di, lagni nai kinare.” said it was becoming difficult for him to stand and breathe near the garbage dump even for a minute and questioned how local residents were living here amid such conditions. ■ He criticised the government over its failure to maintain basic civic amenities in Jalandhar and demanded immediate action to address the garbage problem. the spot and criticised the government, alleging that the poor sanitation situation reflected the failure of the administration to manage the city’s basic civic services. ■ He also said the city was in pathetic state. “Just look at the situation here. The government has failed to address this issue,” he said. the MP chose to reschedule the meeting to next Monday. We are okay with his decision”. From the DC’s office, Channi moved onto the city roads along with the party leaders and gave byte to the media, saying that the AAP government had failed to ensure lifting of garbage. He said the garbage spread on the roads of Jalandhar is inviting dis- College girl falls off 10th floor in Jalandhar, dies Phagwara: The police have arrested a man and seized 40 intoxicating tablets from him. The police said a team was patrolling near Point Wattewal Kala when a man, who allegedly attempted to flee on seeing the police vehicle, was intercepted. He was identified as Kulwinder Singh of Ahli Kalan. A case has been registered. oc ESCAPE BID: 2 JAIL INMATES BOOKED Phagwara: The police have booked two inmates of Central Jail, Kapurthala, for allegedly attempting to escape and damaging prison property. A complaint lodged by the Assistant Superintendent of the jail said the inmates broke a portion of a cell on August 18. It alleged that one of the accused used abusive language against a prison employee and threatened him. The accused have been identified as Ramandeep Singh Mangoo of Ludhiana and Raju of Jalandhar. oc Jalandhar, August 24 A BA final-year student died under mysterious circumstances after falling from the 10th floor of Jalandhar Heights apartments. The deceased, Mehakpreet Kaur, had reportedly gone to the balcony when she fell and sustained fatal injuries. On receiving information, SHO Sanjeev Suri of the Sadar police station reached the spot and conducted a preliminary investigation. The body was taken into custody and sent for a post-mortem examination. The police investigated the spot but found no suicide note. The victim was reportedly under depression. The SHO said the cause of death would be known once the post-mortem report is received. Her funeral was held at the Model Town crematorium. Lecturer dies, husband blamed In a separate incident, a 36year-old lecturer, Neha, a resident of Kartarpur, died after allegedly being forced to consume toilet cleaner. Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 24 After six days, unions of safai karamcharis finally called off their strike today following a meeting with the Mayor, MC Commissioner and senior officials in Chandigarh. The strike led to the accumulation of garbage across Jalandhar, with several roads and public spaces remaining littered for the past two to three days. The prolonged sanitation crisis had left the condition in the city grim. The strike followed the Municipal Corporation’s approval of a Rs 607 crore Integrated Solid Waste Management Project. The unions were opposing the project, expressing apprehension that handing over waste management operations to a private company would put the jobs of existing sanitation workers at risk. Bantu Sabharwal from the Sanitary Supervisor Employees Union said officials had assured him that no jobs would be lost and rag pickers and drivers would do their work. In one of the most unprecedented garbage situations in Jalandhar, litter was choking roads, affecting traffic. The strike by the safai karamcharis had led to a serious garbage accumulation problem across Jalandhar, leaving several roads littered with waste. On Sunday, Tanda Road near a prominent college was found blocked after heaps of uncollected garbage spilled onto the road. BJP and Congress also protested against the AAP government on the issue. Former Jalandhar MLA and Congress leader Rajinder Beri on Sunday urged Mayor and AAP to address the city’s deteriorating sanitation conditions alongside organising public events such as the ‘ Youth for Run’ programme. On Sunday morning , they wore T-shirts that read, ‘ Youth for Run’. “And we ran near up to the garbage dumps,” said Beri. ‘HOW ARE PEOPLE LIVING HERE?’ MP CHANNI FLAGS GARBAGE CRISIS ■ Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday visited the Tribune News Service 40 INTOXICATING TABLETS SEIZED Safai workers call off strike after assurance on job The deceased, Mehakpreet Kaur, had reportedly gone to the balcony when she fell and sustained fatal injuries. Hoshiarpur, August 24 The Bullowal police have booked the owner of Amayara Herbs Pvt Ltd and another person following a complaint by the Forest Department regarding the alleged illegal procurement and use of khair wood at the company’s unit in Satiana village. Forest Range Officer Kirandeep Singh, in her complaint, alleged that company owner Dipanshu Mehta, along with his associates, was involved in the illegal felling of khair trees and use of the wood. The case follows a raid conducted by a Forest Department team at the factory about a week ago. During the inspection, the department had claimed to have recovered a large quantity of khair wood and finished catechu (katha), allegedly worth crores of rupees. The factory was subsequently sealed. — OC eases, while the government, after keeping the sanitation workers sitting at home, has given the sanitation contract to a Delhi-based company linked to AAP leaders, which is proving to be a failure in managing the sanitation arrangements. He said by snatching work from the poor people, who do sanitation work, the sanita- tion contract has been awarded to a Delhi-linked company for ~607 crore for eight years. Channi stated that only six months of the government’s term are left, and this it is engaged in looting the state. “Even posh localities are strewn with garbage. Business establishments and residents alike are suffering. Such unhygienic conditions can Woman held for poisoning husband’s tea Woman booked for ~1.05 cr land deal fraud Phagwara, August 24 A woman has been arrested after her husband allegedly died from consuming tea laced with a poisonous substance at Raneepur Kaleran village near Phagwara. The deceased has been identified as Pinder Pal, son of Dhanna Ram . The police have registered a murder case against his wife Mamta Rani in connection with the incident. — OC Our Correspondent Kapurthala, August 24 The police have registered a case against a woman for allegedly cheating a resident of Jainpur village of ~1.05 crore on the pretext of arranging land at a cheaper price. According to a complaint lodged by Narinder Singh, he came in contact with Sukhpal Kaur of Lehragaga in Sangrur district through Facebook. The acquaintance later developed into close relations between their families. lead to the spread of diseases, including dengue, cholera and skin infections,” he said. The MP further alleged that residents were facing inadequate civic amenities, including issues related to drinking water and development works. He said the government would be responsible if any disease outbreak occurred due to poor sanitation conditions. Narinder alleged that Sukhpal introduced him to a prospective matrimonial alliance for his son and claimed that the girl, Amandeep Kaur, and her sister owned 15 acres of land in Moga and 10 acres in Jaipur. The complainant further alleged that Sukhpal later offered to facilitate the purchase of land in Moga at a lower price. Trusting her assurances, he transferred ~1,05,90,000 on different occasions to HDFC Bank and SBI accounts allegedly provided by her. However, the proposed land deal did not materialise and the accused subsequently stopped responding to his calls, he alleged. Narinder had earlier submitted a complaint to the SSP , Kapurthala, on May 12. During proceedings at Sultanpur Lodhi police station, the accused allegedly gave an affidavit agreeing to return ~70 lakh and promised repayment on different dates, but the amount was not returned. The complainant further alleged that he and his family were lat- er threatened with being implicated in false cases if they demanded their money. The matter was investigated. In its report dated July 23, the investigation found prima facie substance in the allegations of cheating and criminal breach of trust against Sukhpal Kaur and recommended registration of a case. Following legal opinion sought by the SSP the , District Attorney, Kapurthala, in an opinion dated August 20, recommended registration of the case. Panel quashes ~2.19L PSPCL bill issued to NRI Power utility directed to adjust solar generation, pay ~30,000 compensation and costs Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Her parents, residents of Sangrur, have accused her husband, Umang Bassi, and a woman friend of being responsible for her death. The couple had been married for seven years and have a six-year-old daughter. According to the family, Neha had recorded a written dying declaration before a Judicial Magistrate, in which she allegedly held her husband responsible. They further alleged that while she was undergoing treatment, her husband left with his mother and daughter. Trader booked for felling of khair Jalandhar, August 24 In a glaring billing lapse, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has pulled up Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for issuing a Rs 2.19 lakh electricity bill to a Jalandhar NRI without properly accounting for the power generated by her rooftop solar system. The case was filed by Iqbal Kaur, an NRI residing in the US, who has a 3 kilowatt solar system installed at her house in Chhotti Baradari, Garha. She alleged that the PSPCL was not regularly c m y b recording the readings of her electricity and solar meters, resulting in irregular billing and an unexplained accumulation of dues. According to the complaint, PSPCL meter readers were required to record both meter readings every month so that the electricity generated through the solar system could be adjusted against her consumption. However, the bills issued to her were irregular, with some covering only a few days and others spanning several months or even more than a year. The problem came to a head in October 2022, when Kaur received a bill showing arrears of Rs 2,19,480. She challenged the demand, saying it did not provide a consumption breakdown, specify the period for which the arrears had accumulated or show any adjustment for solar power generated at her premises. The commission, in its order, noted that the PSPCL had failed to produce records showing that its meter reader had regularly visited the premises and recorded the electricity and solar meter readings. The power utility also failed to explain the erratic billing pattern or provide supporting documents for the disputed demand. In its defence, the PSPCL had claimed that Rs 2,19,501 was outstanding against the connection. It later waived Rs 1,21,916 under a government notification and made further billing adjustments. The utility also admitted that after subsequent adjustments and a payment of Rs 1,09,740 by the consumer, the account ultimately showed a credit balance of Rs 42,170. The commission observed that these corrections and adjustments were made only after the complaint was filed despite the consumer having repeatedly sought regular billing and adjustment of solar generation. Holding the PSPCL deficient in service, the commission set aside the disputed bill and directed the utility to issue a fresh bill after properly adjusting the solar energy generated, crediting all payments and reflecting the Rs 42,170 credit balance, if still applicable. The commission also directed the PSPCL to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 10,000 towards litigation expenses. The directions are to be complied with within 45 days of receiving the order.