24092026-LT-01.qxd 9/24/2026 12:54 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune OPEN BURNING OF GARBAGE PILES CONTINUES IN CITY EFFORTS ON TO CHECK SPREAD OF TB AMONG KIDS Open burning of dry leaves and garbage has become a common sight across the city. P2 TB among children often hides behind vague symptoms, making it one of the most dangerous challenges. P3 » » NORTH-EAST FINDS VOICE ON SCREEN WITH DRAMA ANGH As Konyak-language drama Angh enters the Oscar race, the spotlight turns to films from North-East. P4 FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 36°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6:17 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:12 AM » THURSDAY | 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 | LUDHIANA NRI suicide case: Three nabbed, Woman, accomplice get four-yr jail for extorting ~7 lakh from property dealer IRS officer among six booked Rajneesh Lakhanpal Victim had come to city from England on Sept 20, was found dead in hotel next morning Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 23 After the Police Division-5 registered a case against six persons, including a woman Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, in the case of death of 70-year-old NRI Satnam Singh, who came to the city from England on Sunday, the police have arrested three suspects in the case. The NRI had consumed some poisonous substance in a hotel on Pakhowal Road to end his life. The police took the action on the basis of a suicide note found in the deceased’s bag and the video found in his mobile phone. The vic- Satnam Singh, the deceased tim had written the names of the suspects in the suicide note and had accused them of allegedly harassing him. The police have registered a case against the suspects for allegedly harassing and forcing Satnam Singh to die by suicide. In a statement to the police, the deceased’s son, Sartaj Singh, alleged that his father had been troubled by a property dispute for a long time. Their relatives implicated his father in a property fraud case and filed an FIR against him. Subsequently, pressure was allegedly exerted to implicate his brother, Samardeep Singh, also in the case. Satnam was staying in England for a long time. On Sunday, he came to Ludhiana and booked a room in a hotel on Pakhowal Road. He had not informed his family about his arrival in India. He was found dead in his hotel room on Monday. During the investigation, the police found a suicide note in his belongings. According to reports, the Gangster Goldy Dhillon’s henchman lands in police dragnet with pistol Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 23 CIA Staff of the Ludhiana rural police claimed to have achieved a major success by nabbing gangster Goldy Dhillon’s henchman and recovering a Zigana pistol and cartridges from his possession. He was given responsibility for an attack in Patiala and another task of firing at the house of a property dealer in New Chandigarh. In a statement issued, SSP (Ludhiana rural) Ankur Gupta said acting on a tip-off, the CIA Staff, Jagraon, arrested gangster Dhillon’s associate with a .30 bore Zigana pistol and eight cartridges. The suspect was going to commit major crimes (shootouts) in Patiala district and in New Chandigarh. The suspect was identified as Aniket, a resident of Sector 25, Chandigarh. A case under Section 25 of the Arms Act was registered at the Sadar Jagraon police station. During the interrogation, it came to light that Aniket was a henchman of gangster Goldy Dhillon and he is going to attack a businessman in Patiala district on the instructions of the gangster. He was also promised Rs 30,000 in return for fulfilling the task, the SSP said, adding that during the investigation, it had also come to light that Aniket had earlier fired at the house of a property dealer at Hoshiarpur village, New Chandigarh, Mohali district in April 2026 and a case was then registered in this regard. With the arrest of the suspect, a major crime was averted and a pending shootout case of Mohali was also solved. The suspect was produced before a court which remanded him in police custody. In further questioning there is a possibility of more important revelations about the network of the gangster, the SSP said. dispute and mental stress led Satnam Singh to take the step. The police seized the suicide note and video and launched a probe. Investigating officer Parshottam Lal said a case had been registered against six persons. The police were searching for the remaining suspects. Before ending his life, he recorded a video on his mobile and sent it to an acquaintance. In the video, he allegedly named the suspects and held them responsible for his troubles. Considering the suicide note and video as crucial evidence in the investigation, the police have named six individuals in the case. Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Alamgir, September 23 Residents of Alamgir village have been demanding pavements in around a two-km area, outside Gurdwara Manji Sahib in the village. Several representations have been sent to the authorities concerned but to no avail. The particular stretch right outside the historical gurdwara remains abuzz with activity all the time due to which several accidents had already occurred at the spot. The villagers want the authorities to act so that devotees visiting the gurdwara can safely use pavements on both sides of the road. Talking to The Tribune, several former sarpanches of the village, present sarpanch and sen- Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service A dug-up road at the Model Town Extension in Ludhiana. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN ed in some parts of the locality due to the mixing of sewer water with the water supply. Residents claimed that mud and sand had accumulated in rooftop water tanks and said the prolonged inconvenience had particularly affected senior citizens, children and women. Another resident, Ashwani Sharma, said the area was once considered among the city’s better-developed localities. She said new water-supply lines were installed after residents raised concerns over waterrelated problems but the work had left the locality struggling for months. Residents maintained that the rainy season could no longer be cited as a reason for the delay, as weather conditions had improved. They also questioned why restoration work had not commenced despite stones being laid at some locations. MC Executive Engineer Arvind Kumar said the Bapu Market, Lohara, had met a woman who identified herself as Gurpreet Kaur. The woman was later identified as Manjit Kaur. The complainant alleged that he was honey-trapped by her. The woman developed physical relation with him at a property office on June 24, 2020. On the following day, ASI Dharminder Singh contacted the complainant and allegedly threatened him with registration of a rape case. Sukhwinder Singh, who allegedly impersonated a press reporter, was also present. The accused allegedly told the complainant that they had recorded an inti- telecom nodal officers and digital forensic experts. The defence denied the allegations and claimed that the case had been falsely planted. After examining the evidence, the court held Manjit Kaur and Sukhwinder Singh guilty under Sections 120-B, 384, 388 and 420 read with Section 120-B of the IPC and Sections 67 and 67-A of the Information Technology Act. Sukhwinder was additionally convicted under Section 419, IPC, while Manjit Kaur was convicted under Section 419 read with Section 34, IPC. Proceedings against the third accused, ASI Dharminder Singh, had abated following his death. The court subsequently sentenced the two surviving accused to four years’ imprisonment each and imposed a fine of Rs 3.16 lakh each on them. Alamgir residents seek pavements outside gurdwara Six months on, dug up roads continue to irk Model Town Extension residents Ludhiana, September 23 Nearly six months after water-supply and sewerage lines were laid along internal roads of Model Town Extension, residents of Block A are still waiting for damaged roads to be restored. Loose soil, uneven surfaces and unfinished stretches continue to make daily commuting difficult. Residents said the roads were dug up to address watersupply and sewerage issues but the promised restoration work has yet to begin. Though stones were laid at several locations nearly a month ago, road construction has not started. Jasjot Singh, a resident, said the condition of the roads had deteriorated to the point where people had to exercise caution even while walking outside their homes. “The ground has become soft and vehicles often get stuck. Even taxi drivers are reluctant to enter the locality,” he said. Kulwinder Singh said residents had repeatedly approached the councillor, Municipal Corporation officials and contractors but the issue remained unresolved. He also alleged that drinking water had become contaminat- Ludhiana September 23 The Court of Additional Sessions Judge Amrinder Singh Shergill has sentenced Manjit Kaur and Sukhwinder Singh, alias Sukha, to four years’ imprisonment each in a 2020 extortion case involving an obscene video of a property dealer. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3.16 lakh each on both accused. It convicted the two accused under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act for hatching a conspiracy and extorting money by threatening to make an obscene video viral and implicate the complainant in a rape case. According to the prosecution, the complainant, Vijay Kumar, a property dealer at mate video showing him and the woman and threatened to make it viral. According to the prosecution, the accused initially demanded Rs 50 lakh from the complainant. The amount was subsequently settled at Rs10 lakh. On June 28, 2020, the complainant allegedly handed over Rs 7 lakh to the accused. Later, the police arrested the accused and recovered Rs 3 lakh from Manjit Kaur, Rs 3 lakh from Sukhwinder Singh and Rs 1 lakh from ASI Dharminder Singh. Mobile phones allegedly containing the video were also seized. A secret camera fitted in a ladies’ purse was also recovered from the house of Manjit Kaur. The prosecution examined 20 witnesses, including the complainant, police officials, department had to wait through at least one rainy season after laying the pipelines to allow the soil to settle before reconstructing the roads. “The files are being prepared and the necessary approvals will be sought for reconstruction of the roads,” he said. Residents, however, said they had already waited long enough and demanded a definite timeline for completion of the work. c m y b Locals want the authorities to act so that devotees visiting Gurdwara Manji Sahib at Alamgir village can safely use pavements on both sides of the road. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN pavements are constructed, devotees can safely walk through the stretch to reach to the gurdwara,” he said. Former sarpanch of the village Jagdeep Singh said starting from trucks to buses, heavy tippers and other vehicles pass through the stretch every day. “During critical situations, it takes so much time for ambulances to pass through the stretch. The authorities should design the road in such a way that there will be no accidents and devotees can walk safely to the gurdwara,” he said. There are many shops right outside the main gate of the gurdwara, making the road even more narrow, said the senior citizens. ior citizens said the LudhianaAlamgir-Talwandi Sabo road witnesses huge vehicular traffic. “But during particular days when special events are held, huge rush of devotees is witnessed. Members of the Senior citizens Welfare Association, Alamgir, said on the road, there was a T-point on Guru Gobind Singh Marg. There remains a rush of pilgrims who come to pay obeisance at the historical gurud- ‘Friend murdered Barnala woman’ Smuggling racket busted, 3 held; 300 kg ganja seized Ludhiana, September 23 The Commissionerate Police have solved the blind murder case of a woman whose body was found near the Lalton Canal on Pakhowal Road a few days ago. After nearly four days of intensive investigation and technical probes, the deceased has been identified as Mani Rani. The police probe revealed that the woman was not killed by a stranger but by her friend Pappu Sharma, a resident of Barnala, who slit her throat with a knife over a money dispute. The suspect is yet to be arrested. The suspect frequently travelled between Barnala and Ludhiana in his pick-up vehicle to supply plastic pipes. On the night of September 17, he left for Ludhiana in his vehicle from Barnala with Mani Rani. En route, a heated argument erupted between the two over some money matter. In a fit of rage, Pappu repeatedly stabbed the woman with a knife. He slit her throat and killed her. After the murder, he dumped the body at a secluded spot near the Lalton canal and fled the scene. With no identity documents found from the scene, the case initially remained a ‘blind murder’ and the tattoo in the name of ‘Mani’ on victim’s body was the only clue. After continuous probe in the past four days, the police finally succeeded in reaching the her family. Raids are on to nab the suspect. — TNS Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 23 The Commissionerate Police, Ludhiana, has busted a major ganja smuggling network and arrested three suspects, recovering a total of 300 kg of the contraband along with a Mahindra Bolero Pik-Up vehicle. While addressing a press conference, DCP (City) Alam Vijay Singh said acting on specific intelligence inputs, a police team, led by SHO, Haibowal police station, inspector Jasbir Singh, while on patrol near the Buddha Nullah on September 23, spotted a Bolero Pik-Up vehicle with wara. Many fatal accidents had occurred at the spot in the past. Charan Singh, a senior citizen said many accidents occurred in past several years. Over 10 persons had lost their lives in mishaps. “If two persons standing near it. On seeing the approaching police team, occupants allegedly threw a plastic bag containing contraband on the roadside and fled in the vehicle. The bag was found to contain 10 kg of ganja. An FIR under Section 20 of the NDPS Act was registered at the Haibowal police station. The DCP said during further investigation the police arrested three suspects and recovered an additional 290 kg of ganja from their possession, taking the total recovery to 300 kg. During the chase, the suspects had barged into a godown but were nabbed by the police team. The suspects were identified as Parvind Kumar (25), a farmer from Begusarai, Bihar, Biranjan, alias Golu (32), an auto-rickshaw driver of Chhoti Haibowal, Ludhiana, and Amarkant Rai (32) of Begusarai. None of them has any previous cases registered against them, according to the police. He said that the systematic operation had successfully disrupted a major network involved in the illegal transportation and supply of narcotic substances. Further probe may lead the police to the major drug supplier and the entire supply line would be busted. The suspects in police custody in Ludhiana on Wednesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN