04102026-LT-01.qxd 10/4/2026 12:57 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune FLYERS FUME OVER ‘EXORBITANT’ CAB FARES TO HALWARA LAUNCHING PAD FOR BUDDING RAPPERS, SONGWRITERS SRK JOINS IN TO PRAISE CAPTAIN SMIT MACHCHHAR One-way taxi fares ranging from ~1,500 to ~1,800 from city to Halwara airport have become a cause for concern. P2 A movement started by Chandigarh artistes becomes a launching pad for budding rappers & songwriters. P3 SRK has lauded Captain Smit for staying strong and putting the safety of those on board before his own. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 36°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 23°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6:04 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6:18 AM » SUNDAY | 4 OCTOBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Woman ragpicker murdered in Ahmedgarh, FIR registered 3 unidentified men on bike followed victim, says eyewitness Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 3 A woman, who used to collect scrap from roads and vacant plots, was allegedly murdered in the wee hours of Saturday near Terah Panth Bhawan on Chand Cinema Road in Mandi Ahmedgarh. The murder has sent shockwaves in the area. The victim has been identified as Sunita, wife of Sevak Singh and a resident of Ward 17 in Ahmedgarh. According to the SI Balour Singh, the incident occurred around 4:30 am when Sunita had stepped out with her aunt Bevi to collect discarded paper and scrap from the locality, as part of their routine. An eyewitness and deceased’s aunt Bevi said three unidentified men on a motorcycle, with their faces covered, were allegedly following the two women. The women reportedly went on different ways near Chaudhary Sweet Shop. Police officials inspect the crime scene in Mandi Ahmedgarh on Saturday. PROBE SUGGESTS OLD RIVALRY BEHIND CRIME Preliminary investigation by the police suggests that there could be some personal rivalry of the miscreants with the deceased. The motive behind the killing and the identity of the assailants remain unclear and the probe is on in the matter. When Bevi reached the vicinity of Terah Panth Bhawan, she found Sunita seriously injured and lying on the road in a pool of blood. The woman succumbed to her injuries before she could be taken to a hospital. On receiving information, family members of the victim and the police reached the scene. The police took the body into custody and initiated legal proceedings. The SI said an FIR had been registered against the unidentified suspects and the police were examining CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to establish the sequence of events and identify the persons suspected to be involved. The preliminary investigation by the police suggests that there could be some personal rivalry of the miscreants with the deceased. The motive behind the killing and the identity of the assailants remain unclear and probe is on in the matter. Ex-servicemen, locals pay tributes to Major Bhupinder on martyrdom day District admn fails to organise any event in honour of 1965 War hero Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 3 The Indian Ex-Services League, under the leadership of Brigadier Indermohan Singh, along with members of the Public Action Committee (PAC) came together to honour the 1965 War hero Major Bhupinder Singh on his martydrom day on Saturday. Contrary to the same, no event was organised by the district administration in the honour of the war hero. Ex-servicemen and citizens paid tributes to the valiant officer, who laid down his life during the Indo-Pak War of 1965. Major Bhupinder Singh was also an alumnus of SCD Government College, Ludhiana (Class of 1947), and is remembered as one of the city’s proud sons whose sacrifice safeguarded the nation. Major Bhupinder Singh’s daughter Dr Mininder Kaur, who is now settled in the US, went nostalgic after seeing people of his father’s city remembering him on Saturday. She shared how her grandmother would walk to Ex-servicemen and PAC members at Bharat Nagar Chowk. the statue every day and place a garland on it. Brigadier Indermohan Singh said: “It’s our duty and honour to remember the supreme sacrifice of this brave son of Ludhiana. His courage continues to inspire generations of soldiers and citizens alike.” Col Jasjit Singh Gill (44 Armoured Regiment) said: “Today, as a fellow tankman, I bow my head in profound reverence to one of the finest steel commanders our cavalry has ever known, Major Bhupinder Singh, Maha Vir Chakra, of the 4th Horse. ?The tank battles of September 1965, fought in the dusty plains of Phillora and Chawinda, remain etched in military history as a testament to sheer grit, audacity, and supreme sacrifice. When the clash of armour was at its peak, Major Bhupinder Singh stood as a beacon of unyielding courage. Severely injured and facing relentless enemy fire, he refused to abandon his duty or his men, embodying the highest traditions of the Armoured Corps”. Kapil Arora, member of the Public Action Committee, said they were disheartened as no event was organised by the local administration to honour the war hero. “We are really disappointed 35-year-old killedover Man booked in sexual assault case Son of ex-councillor booked for threatening Four of his kin old enmity, 1 nabbed also named in FIR for murder case witness thrashing woman Tribune News Service Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 3 A 35-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death with sharp weapons following an old enmity near an ATM in Sahnewal on Thursday night. The police have arrested one of the suspects while raids are being conducted to nab two others. According to the FIR registered at the Sahnewal police station, the incident occurred late on October 1 near an ATM of Axis Bank in the Purana Bazaar area of Sahnewal. The deceased has been identified as Dinesh Kumar (35). His brother Deepak Kumar told the police that he was near the Civil Hospital, Sahnewal, when Dinesh was on his way to Purana Bazaar for some work. When Dinesh reached near the ATM, the suspects allegedly surrounded him and attacked him several times with sharp weapons, allegedly due to some old dispute. The assailants allegedly fled after threatening him. The family rushed Dinesh to the Civil Hospital, Sahnewal, where doctors declared him dead. The police have booked Umesh Kumar, Sandeep Kumar and Golu under Sections 103(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). SHO Gurjinderpal Singh said: “Sandeep Kumar has been arrested while efforts are on to trace Umesh and Golu. Further investigation is underway in the case.” Ludhiana, October 3 The Sadar police have booked a man and four of his family members following a complaint by a woman, who alleged that she was sexually assaulted on the pretext of marriage and was later beaten when she asked the man to marry her. The case was taken up in Ludhiana after a Zero FIR registered at the Tohana police station in Fatehabad district of Haryana was transferred here. The police said the case was registered after recording the woman’s statement. The woman told the police that she had become acquainted with Hargobind Singh, who was staying in a rented accommodation near Phullanwal. She alleged that he expressed his intention to marry her and subsequently established physical relations with her on the assurance of marriage. According to the complaint, Hargobind later allegedly refused to marry her. When the woman approached him and members of his family and raised the issue, they allegedly assaulted and threatened her. The woman initially approached the Tohana police, where a Zero FIR was registered on Septem- ber 23. As the alleged incidents were linked to Ludhiana, the case was subsequently forwarded to the Sadar police for investigation. The Ludhiana police have named Hargobind as the main suspect. His family members Jangir Singh, Jamna Bai, Balwinder Singh and Silo Bai have also been booked in connection with the alleged assault and intimidation. The investigating officer in the case, Jagjit Singh, said the FIR was registered under Sections 69, 115, 123, 126, 3(5) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on the basis of the woman’s statement. The police said efforts were being made to locate and arrest the suspects. Further investigation was underway in the matter. Ludhiana, October 3 The Division Number 1 police have booked the son of a former councillor and another person for allegedly assaulting and threatening a witness in a murder case. The suspects have been identified as Jatinderpal Singh, alias Sunny, son of former councillor Gurdeep Singh, alias Neetu, and his associate Bablu Pandit. A case has been registered under the BNS. The case follows a complaint by Gagandeep Singh, alias Mani Khehra, of Amarpura. As per the complaint, Khehra was travelling with his friend Ashwani Mehta when the two suspects stopped them near his residence. Khehra alleged that Sunny Cow dung-mixed wastewater flows on to Tajpur Road Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 3 The long-running blame game between dairy owners and the Municipal Corporation over the lifting and disposal of cow dung has again come to the fore, with cow dung-mixed wastewater flowing through internal lanes of the Tajpur Road Dairy Complex, particularly in C Block, and on the main road near the Central Jail. Dirty water is causing inconvenience to residents, commuters The stagnant and dirty water has caused inconvenience to dairy owners, residents and commuters. The overflowing waste has also raised concerns about sanitation and the possibility of foul smell and unhygienic conditions in the area. The situation has brought Wastewater flows on to Tajpur Road outside the dairy complex in Ludhiana. back the issue of proper cow dung management at the dairy complex, where the MC and dairy owners have repeatedly blamed each other for the failure to keep the area clean. Dairy owners have, on several occasions, complained that the civic body does not lift cow dung regularly, resulting in the accumula- tion of waste around the dairies. MC officials, on the other hand, have said dairy owners were also responsible for ensuring that cow dung should not enter sew- c m y b er lines or roads and was disposed of through the prescribed system. With the recent flow of cow dung-mixed water onto the internal roads, the dispute appears to have resurfaced. The problem becomes particularly serious when the waste mixes with wastewater and spreads across roads and lanes, making movement difficult and creating an unpleasant environment. Jagmohan Singh, a commuter, said the authorities should not wait for complaints to pile up before taking action. They demanded regular lifting of cow dung, cleaning of affected stretches and proper disposal of waste. The MC authorities have asked the dairy owners to install inflow meter as there is high usage of water in the dairy, which results in accumulation of water as the ETP plant along with the dairy was built for treating the urinal and other wastewater but the plant remains dysfunctional most of the time due to huge amount of cow dung in the water. The authorities blamed the dairy owners for not installing inflow meters. Lovely Singh, president of the Tajpur Road Dairy Complex Association, said: “Cow dung lifting is not being done properly as the contractor is not doing his work due to which whole lanes remained choked and residents and commuters face the issue on every second day in the area.” Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal said: “I have directed the authorities not to allow any dairy wastewater to enter the Budhha Nullah as per the directives of the National Green Tribunal.” The issue also highlights the need for a permanent waste-management mechanism at the dairy complex rather than relying on temporary cleaning drives after roads become flooded with waste. and Bablu abused him during the confrontation. He further told the police that he reminded Sunny about an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, directing him to maintain a distance of at least 100 metres from the complainant and his house in a case of murder. Despite this, Sunny allegedly threatened him and warned that he would meet the same fate as his brother. Khehra’s brother Rinkle was murdered several years ago. Sunny is a suspect in the murder case while Khehra is a witness in the same. The former is currently out on bail. The complainant alleged that the suspects’ actions amounted to a violation of the court’s directions and caused him fear for his safety. — TNS Tobacco, phone chargers seized from Central Jail Ludhiana, October 3 The recovery of tobacco products and mobile phone chargers from the Ludhiana Central Jail has prompted a police probe into how prohibited items entered the highsecurity prisons. The items were found on Thursday after jail officials noticed a suspicious packet lying unattended on the premises. The packet had been wrapped with tapes, according to the complaint submitted by Jail Assistant Superintendent Rishavpal Goyal. On opening the packet, the officials allegedly found a charger adapter, three chargers and several packets of tobacco. The recovery also included 70 gm of loose tobacco, the jail authorities said. The officials subsequently informed the Division No 7 police and handed over the matter for investigation. A case has been filed. — TNS that the local administration fails every time to remember the national war martyrs icons such as Major Bhupinder Singh, hero of the 1965 IndoPak war, who belonged to Ludhiana. How would the young generation know if we dont tell them about our glorious past. He was a graduate of 1947 from our SCD Government College,” said Brij Bhushan Goyal, organising secretary, Alumni Association, SCD Government College. Installed in 1979 The statue of Major Bhupinder Singh, along with the tank, was originally installed at Bharat Nagar Chowk in 1979. At the time of the installation of traffic lights due to heavy traffic in 1995, it was shifted to a site near the Government College for Women and later near Rose Garden. After the work of the flyover was completed, a campaign was launched by social activists to relocate the statue at its original location and it was after the intervention of the Western Command of the Indian Army that the administration finally shifted the statue along with the tank to Bharat Nagar Chowk. Man booked for assaulting neighbour over minor dispute Ludhiana, October 3 A dispute over a missing iron grill and an earlier quarrel involving children turned violent after a 32-year-old man, an immigration consultant, allegedly confronted a family with a firearm at Sukhdev Enclave on Panj Peer Road. The suspect, Mandeep Singh, has been booked by the PAU police on a complaint lodged by Charanjeet Singh (57), a resident of the same residential complex. As per the complaint, the trouble started a few days ago when Charanjeet’s two grandchildren, aged seven and nine, picked up a teddyshaped keyring from Mandeep’s scooter. The family later returned it and apologised. Charanjeet alleged that Mandeep continued to taunt them and called them “thieves”. The situation worsened after an iron grill was reportedly found missing from Mandeep’s flat. He allegedly suspected Charanjeet and his elder son Pawan of stealing it and approached the police. The family was subsequently called to the police station on Friday in connection with the complaint. Later, the family was allowed to leave as no evidence was found against them. He alleged that Mandeep was waiting outside the building with a firearm. An argument followed, during which he allegedly pointed the weapon at Pawan and threatened to shoot him. When Pawan’s younger brother Sajan tried to intervene, Mandeep allegedly hit him on the head with the butt of the firearm and escaped from the scene. Sajan suffered a head injury and had to get stitches. ASI Subegh Singh, the investigating officer, said the police had collected a video recorded by the complainant’s nephew. The footage allegedly shows Mandeep carrying a firearm. — TNS