26102026-TTC-01.qxd 10/26/2026 YUKI BHAMBRI WINS 1ST ATP TITLE OF 2026 SPORT /thetribunechd 12:32 AM Page 1 13 ‘TERROR AS STATECRAFT UNACCEPTABLE’ BACK PAGE CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 296 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 monday | 26 october 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Judges’ 2018 press meet exposed fault lines in judiciary: Justice Kaul AIR PROWESS In his memoir, SC ex-judge says itled to ‘loss of collegiality’, didn’t serve purpose Cong flags concerns over independence of judiciary Satya Prakash Tribune News Service Prime Minister Narendra Modi watches a Chinook helicopter manoeuvre during an Indian Air Force air show, “Wings over Ganges”, at Namo Ghat in Varanasi on Sunday. The show featured displays by fighter aircraft, including the Sukhoi-30 MKI and indigenous LCA Tejas, besides LCH Prachand. PTI Allegingharassment,Pbchemists halt sale of habit-forming drugs Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Ropar, October 25 Nearly two weeks after the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, the Punjab Chemists Association (PCA) has decided to discontinue the sale of all habit-forming medicines, including pregabalin, across the state with immediate effect. The association said it had taken the step because licensed chemists were being treated as drug peddlers despite complying with record-maintenance requirements. However, the move could affect patients who are prescribed these medicines for psychiatric, Cite heightened scrutiny, labelling as peddlers neurological, pain-management and other conditions. PCA vice-president Sudarshan Chaudhary told The Tribune that licensed chemists were required to follow lengthy procedures to maintain records of psychotropic medicines. Despite these regulatory requirements, chemists were increasingly being branded as drug peddlers, creating anxiety within the trade, he said. “Chemists across the state have decided to discontinue the sale of all habit-forming medicines, including pregabalin, which has come under scrutiny following the Jhota murder case,” Chaudhary said. The Jhota murder case has brought renewed attention to the alleged misuse of habitforming medicines and the responsibility of authorities to prevent their diversion for non-medical purposes. The association’s announcement comes amid concerns among chemists that legitimate retailers are facing reputational damage and increased scrutiny over the sale of medicines that are also prescribed for genuine medical conditions. Chaudhary said the step was continued on page 8 New Delhi, October 25 Describing the January 12, 2018, press conference by four seniormost judges of the Supreme Court as “an earthquake”, former Supreme Court judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul has said it did not serve any purpose, exposed fault lines in the judiciary and led to “loss of collegiality” among judges. “That day, the four seniormost puisne judges of the court — Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Jasti Chelameswar, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph — did the unthinkable. They went public. In an extraordinary press conference, they openly criti- Shekhar Singh Tribune News Service Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul (retd) cised the Chief Justice’s use of his powers as ‘master of the roster’ to assign certain cases,” Justice Kaul recounted in his upcoming memoir, “Without Fear or Favour”, to be published by Juggernaut. “It did not ultimately serve a purpose, except to bring a continued on page 8 New Delhi, October 25 The Congress on Sunday questioned judicial independence under the PM Narendra Modi-led government, citing former Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul’s upcoming memoir, “Without Fear of Favour”. The book recounts alleged government pressure over judicial appointments and the transfer of a sensitive case to another Bench without his knowledge. Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said Kaul had documented instances in which efforts were allegedly made to secure government approval for judicial appointments before Collegium meetings, besides raising what he described as absurd questions about the caste of a judge from a minority community. Ramesh said the former judge had documented matters that people had been continued on page 8 Kharge’s‘baap’jibeat Modi draws BJP’s ire NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” remark at an event in Patna on Sunday drew an angry response from the BJP with Home Minister , Amit Shah accusing the Congress of indecency and saffron party chief Nitin Nabin calling it a sign of “ideological bankruptcy”. INSIDE Former Cong MLA Awla joins Akali Dal BATHINDA: Former Congress MLA from Jalalabad Raminder Singh Awla joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) at party president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s residence in Chandigarh on Sunday, ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Awla arrived without supporters or family members. INSIDE Rahul to sound poll bugle Over 16,000women went missing in from Sangrur on Nov 4 J&K since 2019; 4,271 yet to be traced and symbolic significance for the Congress. With anti-drug Chandigarh, October 25 activists coming under attack, Congress leader Rahul Gand- particularly in the Malwa belt, hi will kick off the parthe party hopes to put ty’s campaign in pollthe ruling AAP on the bound Punjab on defensive by making November 4 from Santhe drug menace a key grur, Chief Minister campaign issue from Bhagwant Mann’s Mann’s home turf. home district borderParty insiders said ing Mansa, where anti- Rahul Gandhi Rahul might also visit drug activist ParvinJhota’s family. Punjab der Singh Jhota was killed Pradesh Congress Committee earlier this month. (PPCC) chief Pargat Singh continued on page 8 Sangrur holds both political Rajmeet Singh Arjun Sharma Tribune News Service c m y b Jammu, October 25 At least 16,397 women and girls, including minors, have gone missing in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, with 4,271 still untraced, raising serious concerns about their safety. The data was accessed by The Tribune through an RTI application filed with the J&K Home Department. While the department did not provide district-wise details of the cases, the numbers themselves are concerning. The figures show that 14,593 adult women went missing in J&K between 2019 and June 2026. Of them, 11,338 were traced, while 3,255 remain missing. Similarly, 1,804 minor girls went missing between 2019 and August 2026. While 788 were traced, 1,016 remain missing. Overall, the authorities have traced 12,126 of the 16,397 missing women and girls, leaving more than 26 per cent of the cases unresolved. The number of missing adult women stood at 1,388 in 2019 and 1,398 in 2020 before rising to 1,854 in 2021. The figure dipped slightly to 1,766 in 2022, but witnessed a sharp increase in the subsequent year, when 2,242 women were reported missing. A similar trend was observed among minor girls. While 150 girls were reported missing in 2019, the number dropped to 122 in 2020 before increasing to 221 in 2021 and 249 in 2022. The cases further rose to 261 in 2023, before continued on page 8
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).
