13092026-JTR-01.qxd 12-09-2026 22:52 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune SUKHBIR BADAL CONDOLES FORMER MP BAJWA’S DEATH AT 72, VIDYA KAUR IS AN ACE AND INSPIRATIONAL DRIVER VENICE RED CARPET COUPLES STEAL SPOTLIGHT AT FILM FEST Akali Dal leader Varinder Singh Bajwa represented Punjab in the Rajya Sabha from 2004 to 2010. P2 Kathua-based Vidya Kaur can drive jeeps, trucks, tractors, and even massive JCB excavators with precision. P3 From Formula 1 glamour to Hollywood royalty, Venice’s red carpet was high on star power and swooning couples. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 24.9°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.30 PM » SUNRISE MONDAY 6:06 AM SUNDAY | 13 SEPTEMBER 2026 | JALANDHAR 7 cases in six days, swine flu tally rises to 17 in Jalandhar Gangster injured in police firing during escape bid Health Dept steps up surveillance, monitoring and prevention efforts Jalandhar, September 12 A gangster was shot at while allegedly trying to escape from custody of the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police on Saturday. The accused, Sukhjinder Singh, alias Prince, a resident of Kakke Kandiala village in Tarn Taran, was associated with the Doni Bal gang. He was arrested along with Sahajdeep Singh, also from the same village, after they attempted to open fire in the Model Town area recently. The police had taken Sukhjinder near the Dairy Complex in Jamsherpur for the recovery of the weapon. During the operation, he allegedly broke free and tried to escape. According to the police, after he opened fire at the police team, an officer retaliated. Investigating Officer ASI Raj Masih had arrested both the accused on Thursday. During interrogation, Sukhjinder Singh had disclosed that they had concealed the weapon near a bridge. During recovery proceedings, the accused took out the pistol buried in the ground and pushed ASI Raj Masih to the ground and opened fire. The ASI had a narrow escape and the bullet hit the Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 12 With 10 cases of swine flu in the district as of September 6, the total number of cases in Jalandhar has risen to 17. In the past six days, at least seven new patients have tested positive for swine flu. With the city witnessing a steady increase in cases, health authorities have further stepped up surveillance, monitoring and prevention efforts. So far, Jalandhar is also the only district in the state where a suspected swine flu death has been reported. Mool Raj (85), a resident of Jamsher Khas, who had tested positive for swine flu on September 2, died at the Civil Hospital on Friday. He was a chronic COPD patient with comorbidities. An audit had been ordered into his death to determine whether H1N1 was responsible for fatality. Civil Surgeon Dr Rajesh Gary said, “The patients being reported in Jalandhar are a miniscule number in proportion to the population, in keeping with the upsurge Nurses tend to a swine flu patient at the Civil Hospital in Jalandhar. in the disease in general. A total of 107 persons were tested for swine flu, of which 17 tested positive. Of the three patients admitted to hospitals, two are at DMC, Ludhiana, and one at the Civil Hospital, Jalandhar.” Meanwhile, the Health Department has asked people to avoid going to crowded places without wearing a mask and report to a medical specialist as soon as they experience flu, cough, cold or influenza-like symptoms, especially if these are accompanied by wheezing. The department has also been screening patients at flu corners at the Civil Hospital emergency so that patients reporting with flu or influenza-like symptoms are isolated 23 arrested, 170 gm heroin seized during search ops in Kapurthala Tribune news Service Jalandhar, September 12 As part of the Punjab Government’s ongoing campaign against drugs, a Combing and Search Operation (CASO) was conducted across villages in all sub-divisions of Kapurthala district on September 11 and 12. Twenty-three persons were arrested and 170 gm of heroin, 262 intoxicant tablets, 40 capsules and 61.980 kg of ganja were recovered from them. While 19 FIRs have been registered under the relevant provisions of law, all accused have been booked under various sections of the NDPS Act. Of the total arrests, one or two arrests were made from almost every village where the operation was conducted, while three arrests were made at Mehtabgarh village. The police also recovered stolen motorbikes and goods from the villages. At Mehtab- garh alone, police traced three bikes without ownership proof or number plates and suspected these to be stolen. Besides Mehtabgarh, the operations were conducted at Sencha (Sultanpur Lodhi), Dogranwal, Boot (Subhanpur), Nawa Pind Bhatthe (under the Kotwali police station), Dameli (under the Rawalpindi police station), Bhanoki (at Satnampura), Chajj Colony (Phagwara). The police said the villages were visited for the CASO operations after getting feedback from the Village Defence Committees, Safe Punjab platform and as per complaints received from various village and external sources. Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora said, “Based on the feedback, the operation was carried out to nab peddlers. There is a change in the public attitude towards the problem now. Majority of the villages have turned against drugs and peddlers and offer complete cooperation to the police. Therefore, the public sides with police in nabbing the offenders.” The SSP added that during the operation, special nakabandi, cordoning and search operations were conducted by police teams across all subdivisions of the district. Speaking on the continued seizure of heroin in small quantities under CASO, the SSP said, “The drives are intensive and detailed checks are conducted, but large hauls are mostly prevalent near the border areas. Contraband is distributed in smaller quantities to peddlers at the beginning of the supply chain. Hence, peddlers mostly carry small amounts of drugs. However, we are conducting detailed probes based on revelations of those arrested and the recoveries are expected to go up in the coming days.” FILE from others. A four-bed isolation ward for swine flu patients has been set up at the Trauma Centre in Jalandhar. The two recent cases reported in Jalandhar include a 30year-old man from Powari village in Phillaur, who is admitted to the Civil Hospital, and a 19-year-old girl from Bhogpur, who remains isolated at home. Thieves make off with gold, cash from Bholath house Kapurthala, September 12 Thieves allegedly broke into a house at Talwandi Purdal village under the Bholath police station at night and decamped with cash, gold and US dollars while the family members were asleep. The thieves allegedly took around 10 tolas of gold jewellery, $1,500 and Rs 30,000 in cash from the house. According to Gur Bachan Singh, the theft came to light in the morning when his mother, Amarjit Kaur, noticed that the cupboards had been left open. The family also found the rooms ransacked. The incident was reported to the Bholath police, who reached the spot and launched an investigation. The police are examining the CCTV footage from cameras installed at the house and collecting other evidence to identify the suspects. — OC AAP’s Jaswinder Kaur is Phillaur MC chief Ashok Kaura Phillaur, September 12 In a boost to the Aam Aadmi Party in Phillaur, the party on Saturday captured the Municipal Council with Jaswinder Kaur elected president and Rajni Gaba as vice-president. Jaswinder Kaur secured 11 of the 16 votes, while the Congress candidate got four votes, including the vote of Congress MLA from Phillaur Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary. The result is being seen as a setback to the Congress and a boost for AAP constituency incharge Harjot Kaur Lohtia’s political standing. The result showed that the AAP was able to consolidate support from other parties, with eight AAP councillors and a former Congress councillor who had AAP supporters celebrate Jaswinder Kaur’s victory. switched allegiance to the party, and two BSP councillors supporting the AAP candidate. Among those who supported the AAP were councillors Dr Vaibhav Sharma, Surinder Sahota, Prabhjot Kaur, Sarabjit Kaur, Manju Bala, Ranjita and Paramjit Bharti. BSP councillors Hans Raj and Pala Ram also voted for the AAP candidate, according to information. Madhu Bathla, Shankar Sandhu, Amit Pamma and Malkit, besides MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, voted for the Congress can- didate. Reacting to the victory, Harjot Kaur Lohtia said AAP would use the Municipal Council to accelerate development and address the civic problems confronting Phillaur. Lohtia said the confidence placed in the party by residents would be honoured through development-oriented and transparent functioning of the council. She said improving civic amenities and ensuring that development works reached residents would remain the priorities of the new leadership. Newly elected president Jaswinder Kaur and vicepresident Rajni Gaba were welcomed by party workers. The election was held under the supervision of SDM Deepak Bhatia. c m y b Tribune News Service An injured accused lies on the ground following the encounter as Police Commissioner Satinder Singh looks on. MALKIAT SINGH wall of the bridge. In selfdefence, the ASI fired at the accused with his service pistol. The injured accused was shifted to the Civil Hospital. Model Town ACP Manmohan Singh said another person involved in the conspiracy, Jashanpreet Singh, also a resident of Kakke Kandiala vil- lage, will be arrested shortly. During the investigation, Daljit Kaur, mother of one of the accused, was also arrested for providing shelter to Jashanpreet Singh. The police have recovered a countrymade .32 bore pistol, one magazine, one live .32 bore round and one empty cartridge. 5 die in K’thala road mishaps Phagwara, September 12 Five persons, including two women, were killed in two road accidents involving motorcycles in Kapurthala district, the police said. Three persons, including two women, were killed after the motorcycle they were riding reportedly collided with an unidentified vehicle on the Amritsar national highway late on Friday night. All of them died on the spot. ASI Harjinder Singh said a voter identity card bearing the name of Amna, wife of Satnam, a resident of Lopoke village in Amritsar district, was recovered from the spot. The police have launched a search for the vehicle driver. In another accident, two persons were killed in a head-on collision between two motorcycles near Kadhal Kalan village on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Prabhjit Singh, a resident of Mothanwal village, and Ravinder Singh, a resident of Kalru village. The injured riders were rushed to the Civil Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries. Prabhjit was returning home from the Civil Hospital, where his pregnant wife was admitted, when the accident occurred. Ravinder was employed at a tractor workshop and was returning home when the collision took place. The police have launched an investigation. — OC