09102026-LT-01.qxd 10/9/2026 12:33 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune MACHINERY BANKS A GAME CHANGER FOR FARMERS Set up at all KVKs under the PAU, facilities provide machines for residue management. P2 » GOVT EVENT RENEWS CONCERNS OVER USE OF PAU GROUNDS BOLLYWOOD CELEBS MOURN NANA PATEKAR Players, coaches and administrators rue damage to infrastructure, loss of valuable practice time. P3 The sudden death of the veteran actor has left those who worked closely with him in shock. P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5:59 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:21 AM » FRIDAY | 9 OCTOBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Carjacking, ~15L loot case cracked in Industrialists protest over MLU crisis, seek permanent solution hour; bizman’s driver among 3 nabbed Looted cash, vehicle, illegal weapon recovered from two suspects person sat on the rear seat of the car and started beating me. They tried to force me into the car but I managed to come out. The suspects snatched took away the car and the bag containing Rs 15 lakh and fled towards the Mandi Gobindgarh side. Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 8 The Khanna police claimed to have cracked a broad daylight carjacking and loot of Rs 15 lakh from a Mandi Gobindgarh-based businessman, iron scrap dealer, within one hour of the incident. Two robbers who committed the crime at gunpoint and driver of the businessman, the complainant in the case, who was accompanying the victim at the time of the loot, were arrested by the police. Entire looted amount Rs 15 lakh and Hyundai Venue car of the victim and a .12 bore illegal weapon with two cartridges recovered from the suspects. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Khanna, Darpan Ahluwalia, while sharing information confirmed that a Khanna police team achieved major success by cracking the case in just one hour. Within minutes of receiving information, nakabandi in the city was done by conveying the message through wireless communication network. CIA in-charge and SHO, Khanna City, after knowing the exact location of the two suspects in Payal town, went to trace them. Robbers after noticing the police team, tried to flee and fell down from a run-down building. Victim’s driver used to consume drugs with robbers pects, they confessed that Sukhwinder Singh, alias Sukhi, a driver of the owner was also involved in the conspiracy of robbery. Hence, he was also arrested. Notably on Thursday afternoon, Karan Banda, a bizman of Mandi Gobindgarh, told the police that on Thursday, he along with his driver Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Amloh, came to the SBI bank branch at the Amloh chowk in Khanna to withdraw Rs 15 lakh. They had come J&K bizman booked for duping trader of ~35.29L Lovleen Bains Sahnewal, October 8 In a major fraud, the Sahnewal police have registered a case against a Jammu and Kashmir-based trader for allegedly cheating a local oil trader of Rs 35.29 lakh and threatening to get him killed when he demanded his money back. The complainant, Himanshu Goyal, proprietor of Radha Oil Company, Jugiana, Sahnewal, who resides near Sacred Heart Convent School, Majara Road, Sahnewal, filed a complaint on August 22, stating that he was engaged in the busi- ness of oil trading. He stated in his complaint that the suspect, identified as Rajnish Sharma, proprietor of MBR Associates, Jammu & Kashmir, met him for business purposes and gained his confidence. The complainant, in good faith, supplied oil to him on credit at regular intervals. The complainant alleged that the suspect purchased oil worth Rs 35,29,615. Despite repeated requests and reminders, the suspect delayed payments on one pretext or the other. When Goyal pressured him for payment, he not only cheated him but also threatened him with dire consequences. As per the complaint, the suspect threatened to get him killed by anti-social elements and gangsters of Jammu & Kashmir, if he demanded the money again. Following an inquiry, the Sahnewal police have registered a case against Rajnish under various sections of the BNS. Police officials said further investigation was in progress and efforts were being made to trace the suspect and recover the money from him. Industrialists stage a protest outside the District Industries Centre in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN units hangs in balance. President of the Janta Nagar Small Scale Manufacturers Association Jaswinder Singh Thukral said the industry was now operating in an illegal manner and any time, they could be asked to shut units. “The livelihood of thousands of persons is dependent on the small scale units, how can they be shifted elsewhere? The state government has neither any plan nor option to relocate the industry and still, it is mum over the issue,” Thukral said. For the past about a decade, over 50,000 small and micro units had been operating in MLU areas, where there are residences also. After every few years, the industry was provided extension to operate in the MLU areas by the respective governments. This time, the date expired on September 30 but no clarity came from the ruling AAP government. These days, all units, including sewing machine, machine tools, nutbolts, cycle parts and electroplating, are providing material to MSMEs and other large units. The industries are operating in about 12 areas, which come under Mixed Land Use pockets. Now, there is a conflict, residents are demanding relocation of these facilities whereas the industrial sector has asked the government to declare the same as an industrial zone. The industrialists sat outside the District Industries Centre to impress upon the government to provide an early solution. They also raised slogans against the state government. Jagbir Singh Sokhi, another manufacturer, said the government did not bother to provide clarity or made any efforts to connect with affected industrialists. “We will intensify the agitation if they do not provide any solution in the next few days,” he said. File reply on axing of trees: NGT to civic body, bizman MC General House meeting tomorrow Two of the nabbed suspects in custody of the Khanna police on Thursday. Both suspects suffered fractures in legs. After nabbing them, they were shifted to the Khanna Civil Hospital. The suspects have been identified as Jatinder Singh, alias Kaka, of Amloh, who has three previous FIRs registered in assault, snatching and drugs cases, and Manpreet Singh, alias Gopi, of Amloh, who also has three previous FIRs for assaulting a public servant, snatching and possessing drugs, said Ahluwalia, adding that during questioning of the sus- SP Investigation, Khanna, , Rakesh Yadav, said a police probe found that businessman’s driver Sukhwinder was known to the robbers. He used to consume heroin with them. It was Sukhwinder who planned the entire conspiracy as he used to accompany the victim to the bank for withdrawing money frequently in Khanna. The driver asked his two acquaintances to plan the robbery. He kept on giving every update to the suspects after withdrawing the money. As per the plan, Sukhwinder intentionally stopped the car on the road and asked his employer to keep sitting in the vehicle. Since the robbers were already present there, the two suspects cornered the victim and fled with the car and the money. Sukhwinder created a scene when the robbery occurred as he wanted to show that he was not involved in the crime. from Mandi Gobindgarh in his Hyundai Venue vehicle. They withdrew Rs 15 lakh in cash and got into the car around 1 pm. “We put the bag of cash in our car and started driving. Sukhwinder was driving the vehicle. On the way, he stopped the car and went to buy cigarettes. When he got out of the car, two unidentified persons in Nihang’s attire came, one of whom sat on the driver’s seat holding a pistol-like weapon and started abusing me. The other Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 8 Unable to get any clarity from the state government whether they can operate units in the Mixed Land Use (MLU) areas or not and sore over not providing further extension to the industry for operating in such areas, the small and micro scale industrialists held a dharna at the District Industries Centre (DIC) here on Thursday. The affected industrialists alleged that despite making attempts to get a permanent solution to the issue, the AAP-led state government did not even give them a patient hearing. The protesters rued that all local leaders and MLAs were approached by the affected industry to get the areas declared as the industrial zone but the government failed to give further extension to operate in the MLU areas due to which the fate of thousands of Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 8 The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Municipal Corporation and an industrialist, who has a property on a prime location on Rani Jhansi Road here, to file a reply to the Tribunal on axing of five fully grown trees outside the property. The NGT has asked both respondents to file the reply seven days before the next hearing of the case, which is scheduled for January 22, 2027. The orders came following a petition filed by the public action committee (PAC) regarding axing of five mature green trees on Rani Jhansi Road on the night intervening March 2 and 3. Er Kapil Arora from the public action committee had The trees that were axed on Rani Jhansi Road in Ludhiana. FILE lodged the complaint with the NGT, alleging that the illegal felling of trees occurred without following the procedure prescribed under the tree preservation policy and also against the interim order of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, dated February 3. The applicant also referred to the Google image showing the status of the trees, which were existing in October 2025 by submitting that these were mature and not posing any threat. Arora further submitted that no valuation was done from the district forest officer concerned to determine the cost of the trees. As per the policy, the forest official should carry out the value assessment but no reference was made to the DFO regarding the same. Following the petition, the NGT has asked the MC and the industrialist to file their response at least one week before the next date of hearing through e-filing. The incident was reported in these columns on the next day. Aishwin’s dream comes true in Penang, bags four medals Doc cheated of ~75L on Anil Datt Ludhiana, October 8 The city’s talented deaf table tennis player returned from the Asia-Pacific Deaf Multi-Sport Championship, held at Penang in Malaysia from October 3 to 8, with an impressive four-medal-haul — two gold and two bronze medals — reaffirming her status as one of India’s promising deaf paddlers. Aishwin Kaur clinched gold in the team event and women’s doubles, while she secured bronze medals in the mixed doubles and individual event. Her most memorable triumph came in the women’s doubles final, where Aishwin and her partner Cin- City paddler wins two gold, 2 bronze at Asia-Pacific Deaf Multi-Sport C’ship drella Mullick, put up a determined performance to defeat Chinese Taipei 4-2 and claim the gold medal. The individual event produced an equally dramatic contest. Aishwin fought her way into the semifinals and featured in a closely fought all-Indian battle that went to the final game. She eventually lost 3-4, narrowly missing a place in the final but settling for a bronze. Behind the medal tally, however, lies a story of remarkable resilience. She was diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy at the age of six and faced serious health challenges during her childhood. She subsequently underwent cochlear implant surgery. Despite the setbacks, she took up table tennis and gradually transformed the sport into a vehicle for her ambitions. She has already won medals at the Deaf Asian Games and World Deaf Table Tennis Championships and represented India at the Deaflympics in Tokyo in 2025. Her fourmedal performance in Penang has now added another significance to an inspiring career. pretext of investment Aishwin Kaur shows her medals in Penang, Malaysia. c m y b Ludhiana, October 8 A woman doctor was allegedly cheated of Rs 75 lakh by her neighbour, who lured the victim into investing in a gold and silver business with the promise of high returns. Neither the profit nor the principal amount was returned despite the passage of considerable time. According to the police, Dr Mirli Rupinder Singh, a resident of Tagore Nagar, had submitted a written complaint to senior police officials. In her complaint, she stated that her neighbour, Varun Verma, had assured her that he would invest her money in the gold and silver trade and generate substantial profits. Trusting him, the doctor handed over a total of Rs 75 lakh for the purported investment. When neither any profit nor the original amount was returned even after a long period, she approached the police. Following an inquiry, the Police Division 8 registered a case against Varun on the basis of the doctor’s complaint. Investigating officer ASI Baldev Singh said the suspect had been named in the FIR. Efforts were underway to trace and arrest him at the earliest. — TNS Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 8 The General House meeting of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation is scheduled to be held on October 10 and all eyes will be on the project for mechanical sweeping and washing of roads. In the run-up to the meeting, councillor Gaurav Bhatti of Ward 26, who is also a member of the Finance & Contracts Committee (F&CC), has raised objections to the proposed Rs 81.54 crore mechanical sweeping tender. In a detailed appeal circulated among councillors, Bhatti urged that the matter be viewed not through the lens of party politics but as a question of public accountability and financial prudence. He said: “The agenda directly concerns the money of Ludhiana’s 95 wards and, therefore, requires thorough scrutiny before any decision is taken.” Stressing transparency and legality, Bhatti called for a full technical, financial and legal examination of the proposal, including clarity on its actual public utility, the basis of cost estimates, technical specifications, past experiences of similar projects and whether due tendering procedures were followed. He also questioned the overall financial burden the project would impose on the corporation and whether more costeffective alternatives exist. The issue is expected to dominate discussions in the House meeting on October 10, where councillors across party lines will deliberate on whether to reject or reconsider the controversial tender in the interest of city’s finances and residents.