23092026-LT-01.qxd 9/23/2026 12:56 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 12 SUBSTATIONS TO ADDRESS DIST’S POWER WOES PSPCL has chalked out a fresh plan to strengthen power supply system, reduce outages across district. P2 » CORRIDOR THAT BRIDGES A PARTITIONED LAND YAMI GAUTAM, MAMMOOTTY & KARTIK WIN TOP HONOURS Requirement of carrying a passport and a USD 20 fee kept Kartarpur pilgrim numbers low. P3 Yami Gautam, Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty were honoured with Best Actress and Best Actor awards. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 35°C | MIN 22°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 23°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6:18 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:12 AM WEDNESDAY | 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Don’t fall prey to cyber criminals offering to Garbage collection to continue under existing system: Employees’ body chief adjust inflated power bills, residents told Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 22 The Ludhiana police have issued an advisory asking people to stay alert as cyber criminals have devised a new way to dupe the people. The miscreants have started targeting random people on the pretext of adjusting the inflated electricity bills received in recent months. Cyber wing officials of the Police Commissionerate, Ludhiana, have urged the people to report the matter to the police and do not share any personal details. Sharing personal details or clicking on any suspicious links, sent by such miscreants, may compromise their financial apps and they might lose their hard-earned money. The Ludhiana police have also shared a video message AVOID CLICKING SUSPICIOUS LINKS, REPORT MATTER Cyber wing officials of the Police Commissionerate, Ludhiana, have urged the people to report the matter to the police and do not share any personal details. Sharing personal details or clicking any suspicious links, sent by such miscreants, may compromise their financial apps and they might lose their hard-earned money. on its social media handles to spread awareness so that people should not fall prey to the fraudsters. Despite the state government’s assurance that inflated electricity bills issued during the meter readers’ strike between April and July will be corrected and eligible consumers would not lose the benefit of 300 free units, hundreds of consumers in Traffic cop ‘takes bribe’ via UPI, HC tells Vigilance to act Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 22 A traffic policeman posted in the Police Commissionerate, Ludhiana, allegedly received bribe amounting to over Rs 1 lakh from a city-based transporter through UPI transactions. When the complainant approached the Vigilance Bureau (VB) and no action was taken against the official, the complainant moved the High Court which has now asked the Punjab VB chief to decide the case within six weeks. The complainant, Amandeep Singh, said he owns a fleet of commercial vehicles, which operate in the industrial town. To prevent challaning or release vehicles caught by the traffic police, the policeman, then posted in the traffic police, had taken around Rs 1.2 lakh from him through Google Pay app. When the suspect started demanding more money along with harassment, he stopped making payments. Following this, he started threatening him. Now, the suspect is posted at a police post in Ludhiana. “To seek relief, I filed a complaint on the Chief Minister’s anti-corruption helpline in 2025, following which an inquiry was marked to a DSP-rank official in the Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana, but no action was taken against the policeman despite submitting all details of UPI money transactions made to the suspect,” Amandeep said, adding that afterwards, he knocked the door of the HC for justice, which has now issued directions to the chief of the VB, Punjab. The complainant alleged that when the VB official of Ludhiana adopted a dilly-dallying attitude in taking action against the traffic official, he also appeared before the chief of the VB, Punjab, and apprised him of the status of the complaint. He claimed that WhatsApp conversations and other documentary material the state continue to face inflated provisional or Ncode bills. The issue has affected consumers who received bills covering over three months, with several claiming that the amounts are far higher than their usual consumption. Consumers said despite approaching Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) offices for corrections, they were being told to pay the billed amount first and wait for adjustments in subsequent billing cycles. “We have been receiving complaints that some fraudsters are making calls to people in the state by posing themselves as employees of the PSPCL, attempting to get personal details such as mobile OTP and other ID proofs of the consumers. They also share suspicious links with the people, telling The main garbage dump on the Tajpur road in Ludhiana. FILE over to a private company. Sahota said it was also decided that workers engage in fogging would continue with their work as they had been doing. Only additional work would be assigned to a new agency for a limited period. He said mechanical sweeping of internal roads would not be undertaken till decisions are taken over the matter. The decisions came amid strong opposition from municipal employees and sanitation workers to the proposed outsourcing of various sanitation services. Employees and unions had staged protests against the project while several councillors had also raised objections over the proposed arrangements. Sahota said all genuine demands raised by the employees had been accepted during the meeting held on Tuesday. Mohali man booked for duping film producer of ~12 lakh supported his allegations. Still, no action was being taken. SSP VB, Varinder Singh , Brar, said a detailed probe was going on and action would be taken on a merit basis. What the court says “A learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the latter has preferred a complaint to the Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, but no action has been taken so far. The counsel also submits that the petitioner would be satisfied if directions are issued to the Chief Director to look into the aforesaid complaint and take appropriate steps in a time-bound manner. Keeping in view facts and circumstances of the case, the present petition is disposed of with a direction to respondent Chief Director, VB, to consider and decide the representation in accordance with the law within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order,” states the High Court order. Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service A resident points to the two drug users in Gurdev Nagar. Ludhiana. Police officials said the two men were allegedly under the influence of drugs and a fight broke out between the PSO and them. During the scuffle, one of Ludhiana, September 22 The Municipal Corporation’s proposed solid waste management project will not include door-to-door garbage collection by a private contractor, said Municipal Employees Action Committee president Ashwani Sahota after a meeting with Local Bodies Minister Harjot Singh Bains and senior officials in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Sahota said several decisions concerning the proposed Rs 1,200-crore Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) project were taken during the meeting. He said the decisions were taken after the employees’ representatives raised their concerns over the proposed outsourcing of sanitation-related works. He said door-to-door garbage collection would continue under the existing system and will not be handed Gearing up for Dasehra Tribune News Service Ahead of Dasehra, workers prepare an effigy at the Daresi ground in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Security guard shoots ‘drug user’ in scuffle during theft bid in Gurdev Nagar house Ludhiana, September 22 Two alleged drug users who reportedly barged into an under-construction house in posh Gurdev Nagar here were stopped by a personal security officer (PSO) following the alarm raised by the caretaker. A scuffle broke out between the men and the PSO, during which the guard allegedly shot one of them in self-defence. The injured man suffered a gunshot wound in his left arm and was taken to a hospital. The police arrested both suspects and started investigation. According to the police, the two men allegedly entered the vacant house and were found stealing electrical wires. The caretaker saw them and raised the alarm. A private PSO deployed at a nearby residence reached the scene after hearing the noise. them to click on the same and follow steps to ensure adjustment or refund of inflated bills. Once people click on the links, control of financial apps go into the hands of the cyber criminals. Sharing OTP also leads to withdrawal of money from their accounts. If anyone receives such calls, they should inform the cyber police police or call at toll free number 1930”, a cyber police official said in a video message. Vinay Rani, a housewife from Ludhiana, said she had received a call from an unidentified number and the caller asked to share OTP received on her mobile number and click on a link shared on her WhatsApp number for adjusting inflated electricity bills. Since she was aware of the cyber fraud, she disconnected the call and refused to share the OTP . the suspects allegedly hit the guard, following which he fired in self-defence. ADCP Dharavath Sai Parkash said the two suspects were allegedly highly intoxicated and unable to stand properly. “We have initiated a probe. The two men allegedly barged into the house for theft. After the caretaker raised the alarm, the guard who was present nearby reached the scene. A fight occurred and one of the suspects allegedly hit him, following which he fired in self-defence,” he said. Meanwhile, Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, an area resident, whose residence is located near the scene, also reached the place. He alleged that the suspects were consuming ‘chitta’ in the vacant house and syringes and other material allegedly used for drug consumption were found at the spot. The police said the alleged theft, drug consumption and circumstances leading to the firing were being verified. Statements of the caretaker, security guard and other witnesses were being recorded. c m y b Murdered woman identified as Barnala resident Ludhiana, September 22 The Ludhiana police have identified the body of a woman found in a vacant plot near the Lalton area on Pakhowal Road on September 18. On Tuesday, during investigation, the deceased was identified as Mani, aged around 30 years. She was a resident of Barnala and her family members are being contacted. According to information, on September 18, unidentified persons brutally murdered the woman with sharp weapons and dumped her body in a vacant plot in the Lalton area. After the recovery of the body, the police began efforts to establish her identity and launched a probe to trace suspects and know the motive behind the crime. The police said further probe was on to ascertain how the victim reached Ludhiana and who were responsible for her murder. — TNS ‘Slapping’ incident: Congress questions police over inaction Ludhiana, September 22 The political atmosphere in South constituency has again heated up over the alleged slapping incident involving a tipper driver on the Daba-Lohara road. After a video related to the incident surfaced, the driver allegedly accused AAP MLA Rajinderpal Kaur Chhina of slapping him while she has denied the allegations. The matter can become clear only after an impartial investigation. Alleging that no appropriate action had been taken even over a week after the alleged incident, Congress leaders and workers, led by Congress South halqa in-charge Ishwarjot Singh Cheema, reached the offices of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and Additional DCP in Ludhiana and registered their protest before the police administration. The Congress leaders demanded that the matter be investigated without any political pressure and that all evidence, including the video, CCTV camera footage and statements of witnesses, be examined before taking a decision in the case according to law. Earlier, Congress leaders and workers had also staged a protest at the Daba police station, here, demanding action in the matter within 72 hours. Ishwarjot Singh Cheema said: “Even after over a week of the incident, a common man has to repeatedly visit offices of senior police officials in the city for action on his complaint.” — TNS Ludhiana, September 22 The Dugri police registered a case of cheating against a Mohali resident for allegedly taking Rs 12 lakh from a Punjabi film producer on the assurance of getting his film released on the OTT platform and thereafter going incommunicado. The complainant, Satvinder Singh, a resident of New BRS Nagar here and associated with film production, told the police that he was producing a film titled ‘Travel Agent’, featuring Gulshan Grover and Gaggu Gill in the lead roles. The muhurat of the film was inaugurated by actor Dharmendra in Mumbai in 2025. According to the complaint, work on the film had come to a halt for some time after Dharmendra’s death. During this period, Satvinder Singh came in contact with Gurprem Singh, a native of Haryana and at present staying in Mohali. Gurprem allegedly assured him that he would help get the film released on the OTT platform once it was completed. Acting on his assurance, a deal was struck between the two about five months ago and he paid Rs 12 lakh to Gurprem. After receiving the amount, he allegedly stopped responding to calls and failed to fulfil his promise of securing the film’s release on the platform. Satvinder alleged that he had been cheated of Rs 12 lakh. Following an inquiry into the complaint, the Dugri police registered a case against Gurprem under relevant sections of cheating. Further investigation was under way.