28032025-ATR-01.qxd 3/27/2025 11:29 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY FIRE INCIDENTS ADD TO WASTE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS SALMAN KHAN OPENS UP ABOUT DEATH THREATS KHAKEE: THE BENGAL CHAPTER IS WINNING ACCOLADES Despite raising the issue of garbage dumps in the Assembly, the MC has no alternative plan to manage it. P2 “Jitni umar likhi hai, utni likhi hai,” a philosophical Salman Khan said in his comments about death threats. P4 The cast shares what it means to be part of a Neeraj Pandey series and how he got Bengal’s inimitable flavour right. P4 » » » MAX 00°C | MIN 00°C YESTERDAY MAX 00°C | MIN 00°C SUNSET DAY 0.00 PM SUNRISE DAY 0:00 AM FRIDAY | 28 MARCH 2025 | AMRITSAR HC judge opens Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centre Health Dept issues challans for COTPA violations Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, March 27 Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Administrative Judge for Gurdaspur today inaugurated the Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centre (VWDC) in the Judicial Court Complex here on Thursday. Rajinder Aggarwal, District and Sessions Judge and other judges were present on the occasion. Justice Sethi said that the VWDC has been constituted as per Witness Protection Scheme, 2018, which aims to provide safety to witnesses based on their threat assessment. Vulnerable witnesses are those who are below 18 years of age or are victims of rape and sexual offences. Witnesses suffering from mental illness or persons receiving threats are also categorised as vulnerable witnesses. Justice Sethi said that the Centre would help witnesses “depose without any fear and threat.” Amritsar, March 27 In a crackdown on tobacco sellers, the district health authorities issued challans to 32 individuals and recovered packs of cigarettes without pictorial warnings and e-cigarettes from them. Other seized items included imported cigarettes, vape, and e-cigarettes without pictorial warnings, which were subsequently destroyed. Civil Surgeon Dr Kirandeep Kaur said there is a need to make the district tobacco-free and strictly enforce the COTPA Act. To achieve the goal, a special campaign has been launched, under which a dedicated team has been constituted, she added. The team, comprising District MEIO Amardeep Singh, Dr Shabnamdeep Kaur, Paramjit Singh, and others, conducted inspections in different areas of the city. continued on page 2 Three members of int’l drug syndicate among seven held Police also recover 4.54-kg heroin, six cellphones, car from them Tribune News Service Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi interacts with litigants in the judicial complex in Gurdaspur on Thursday. Rajinder Aggarwal said such witnesses will be taken to the court through a special route to ensure the public could not make any contact with them. “There will be separate seating arrangements for these witnesses and added that if they desired, they could record their statement through video conferencing. Justice Sethi also interacted with the litigants and heard their grievances. Amritsar, March 27 The Amritsar rural police have arrested seven persons, including three members of an international drug syndicate, and recovered 4.54 kg of heroin, six mobile phones and a car from their possession in two separate instances in the past 24 hours. Maninder Singh, SSP , Amritsar rural police, on Thursday said the Gharinda police arrested three operatives of a foreign-based drug peddler from near the Padri village turn in Gharinda and seized 3 kg of contraband from them. They were identified as Harpreet Singh, alias Honey, of Shimla Puri in Ludhiana, Jashandeep Singh, alias Jashan, and Akashdeep Singh, alias Akash, both residents of Maude border village here. SSP (Rural) Maninder Singh (second from left) addresses mediapersons in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Sharing details, he said during preliminary investigations, it was found that the module was linked to infamous drug trafficker Gurdeep Singh, alias Rano, of Rano village and Amrinder Singh, alias Senti, of Ludhiana. While Rano was in detention under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcot- ic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act. He was arrested by the Special Task Force (now AntiNarcotics Task Force) in November 2020 along with other accomplices for running an international drug syndicate. The probe also revealed that Amrinder had already escaped to foreign shores and was allegedly running the illicit racket from there. The SSP said the trio was arrested by the police at a naka near the Padri village turn. They were travelling in a Maruti Suzuki Ciaz car (PB-10GQ-8008). During search, the police recovered the contraband. They were suppliers of drugs in other parts of Punjab. A case under the NDPS Act was registered against them Similarly, in another operation, the Ramdass police arrested Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, Rajan, alias Tiddi, and Rupinder Singh, alias Rupa, all residents of Kuralia village, and seized 1.54 kg of heroin and six mobile phones from them. Their backward and forward links were being looked into to smash the entire cartel, he said, adding that a separate FIR under the NDPS Act was registered against them. Sarabjit’s family members question AAP sarpanch fired at Three notorious criminals held claims of Uttarakhand Police in Naushehra Pannuan with five pistols bought from MP Tribune News Service PHOTO: GURBAXPURI Tarn Taran, March 27 The family of Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Mianwind in Tarn Taran district, main accused in the killing of Baba Tarsem Singh, head of Gurdwara Nanak Matta, was injured in an encounter with the Udham Singh Nagar police in Uttarakhand early in the morning today. Baba Tarsem Singh was killed a year back and Sarabjit Singh is the main accused in his killing. Sarabjit Singh was absconding since then. In the report of the Uttarakhand police, Sarabjit Singh was arrested by the Udham Singh Nagar police last night from the gurdwara in Naurangabad village, a few kilometres from Tarn Taran. The Uttarakhand police, in its press release, claimed that the vehicle carrying Sarabjit Singh back to Udham Singh Nagar from Naurangabad met with an accident and Sarabjit Singh Victim Gurpreet Singh being honoured by Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar on being elected as sarpanch of Naushera Pannuan. FILE PHOTO Sarabjot Kaur and Kashmir Kaur talk to newsmen in Mianwind village. tried to abscond from the spot after snatching the service revolver from a cop and fired at the police team. Sarabjot Kaur, wife of Sarabjit Singh who was accompanying Kashmir Kaur, mother of Sarabjit Singh, while talking to newsmen in their Mianwind village, refused to accept that Sarabjit Singh made a bid to abscond from the spot. Sarabjot Kaur called it a concocted story. Sarabjot Kaur agreed to the killing of Baba Tarsem Singh by Sarabjit Singh, her husband, as he was perturbed over the acts of Baba Tarsem Singh. She urged people in Uttarakhand to extend all cooperation to the family at this time of crisis. Sarabjit Singh is under treatment at the Udham Singh Nagar hospital. — OC Tarn Taran, March 27 Motorcycle-borne miscreants fired at the Sarpanch of Naushehra Pannuan village Gurpreet Singh on Thursday. However, he escaped unhurt. Sarpanch Gurpreet Singh of the ruling AAP was standing outside his farm house, situated on Lauhuka Road, when the incident took place. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Patti, Kanwalpreet Singh said that soon after the news was received, the police force led by SHO, Sarhali, reached the spot. The DSP said that the bike-borne assailants were masked. The DSP said that the assailants, who have been identified, fired six rounds at the Sarpanch and managed to flee from the spot. The police have recovered three empty cartridges. The Sarhali police have registered a case under Section 109, BNS, and Sections 25, 54 and 59, Arms Act. The DSP assured that the assailants would be held soon. — OC Amritsar, March 27 The Amritsar Police Commissionerate have arrested three notorious criminals leading to the recovery of five pistols. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said they used to procure illicit weapons from Madhya Pradesh and later sold them to different criminal elements and gangs active in Amritsar and Tarn Taran areas. The trio had around 13 cases, including attempt to murder and dacoity, registered against them. “Those arrested were Manak Singh, alias Sunny Welding, (30), Bhupinder Singh (33), both residents of Sharifpura locality near the bus stand, and Pawan Kumar, alias Shiva alias Machhi (31), of Chamrang Road here,” said the Police Commissioner. Three suspects in custody of the Amritsar police on Thursday. He said following specific information, the police caught Manak Singh and Bhupinder Singh from Kot Mit Singh area with two pistols of .32 bore caliber and three bullets. Their interrogation led to the arrest of Pawan Kumar from whom the police seized two .32 bore pistols, two bullets and a desi Katta (country-made pistol) with a live round. They were produced in a court and brought on police remand for further investigations. Bhullar said Manak Singh faced four criminal cases while Bhupinder had six FIRs registered against him. Similarly, Pawan Kumar has three cases, including one for dacoity, registered against him. Gangster Jeevan Fauji’s operative Waive NOC condition for setting Increased capacity injured in police encounter up power meter, demands MLA sugar plant starts ops Was also involved in shooting at grocery store owner at Paniar sugar mills SUSPECT WAS INJURED IN ONE LEG PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 27 An operative of foreign-based gangster Jeevan Fauji was injured when he tried to escape from the police custody while firing at the cops here on Wednesday night. Arshdeep Singh along with Manas Panda, both residents of Tarn Taran, was arrested by the Amritsar rural police for shooting at a grocery store owner on Ram Tirath Road on March 20. Arshdeep suffered a bullet injury in the leg. He was taken to hospital for medical treatment. Sharing details here on Thursday, Maninder Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar rural, said investigations revealed that Sukhwinder had been getting extortion calls from Jeevan Fauji for the past few days and he had refused to ■ SSP (Amritsar rural) Maninder Singh said the police launched a hunt to nab the suspects, who were later identified as Arshdeep and Manas of Tarn Taran. They were arrested by the police on Wednesday. He said after Arshdeep's disclosure, a police team took him to the Khairabad village canal for recovery of a weapon. After taking out the weapon, he started firing at the police team in his attempt to flee the spot. However, the police retaliated and he was injured in the leg. give the same. He said on March 20, two unidentified scooter-borne armed persons, with their faces covered with cloth, shot at grocery store owner Sukhwinder Singh, alias Sukha, when he was sitting in his shop located along Ram Tirath Road falling under the Kamboh police station here. He had suffered a bullet injury in a thigh and is currently out of danger. He said the police launched a hunt to nab the suspects, who were later identified as Arshdeep and Manas of Tarn Taran. They were arrested by the police on Wednesday. He said after Arshdeep’s disclosure, a police team took him to the Khairabad village canal for recovery of a weapon. After taking out the weapon, he started firing at the police team in his attempt to flee the spot. However, the police retaliated and he was injured in the leg. He said during a probe, it was found that Jeevan Fauji had arranged the .30 bore pistol from them to execute the task. He said the police are identifying the suspect, who had provided the pistol to him and he would also be arrested. Amritsar, March 27 MLA from Amritsar Central Assembly constituency, Ajay Gupta, today raised the matter regarding installation of new electricity meters or increasing the meter load for commercial units in the Walled City area of Amritsar in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today. Gupta said that whenever commercial shop owners in Amritsar’s Walled City apply to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for a new electricity meter or an increase in meter load, they are directed to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Municipal Town Planning (MTP) wing of the Municipal Corporation. He said consumers face difficulties in acquiring the NOC, as they are forced to make multiple rounds of the MTP office. The MLA stated that he has previously raised the issue in the Assembly, urging the authorities to abolish the condition for NOC c m y b Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Ajay Gupta, MLA from Amritsar Central Assembly constituency, addresses the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday. from the MTP department for electricity meter installation. MLA Gupta pointed out that during discussions with the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar and the Municipal Commissioner, officials have repeatedly assured that the condition of requiring an NOC from the MTP department will soon be revoked. However, despite these assurances, no concrete action has been taken so far. Gupta demanded an immediate resolution of the problem and urged the authorities to expedite the process of abolishing the need for an NOC. He stressed that removing this bureaucratic hurdle would significantly ease the process for commercial shop owners, ensuring uninterrupted access to electricity supply and promoting business growth in the Walled City. — TNS Gurdaspur, March 27 In what officials say is a positive step towards mitigating long-term concerns of cane farmers of the Majha region, a 5000 Tonnes of Cane Crushed per Day (TCD) sulphur-less sugar plant has commenced commercial production trial at the government-owned Gurdaspur Cooperative Sugar Mill at Paniar near here. Dr Senu Duggal, Managing Director of Punjab Sugarfed, said, “Cane farmers will not be required to travel to far-away places to dispose of their produce once the plant achieves full operational ability next season.” The plant will also be exporting 120 MW power per day to PSPCL during the trial stage. It aims to earn an extra revenue of ~18 crore annually by selling this power. The agreement for the establishment of the plant had been signed with a Punebased private party and Paniar mill in December, 2021. “We had met Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann recently and apprised him of our problems. He had assured that the capacity of the mill was in the process of being increased and once it was done, we will not have to face any problems,” said Rashpal Singh, a cane farmer. An official said the extra revenue earned by exporting power to PSPCL will enable the mill to make it self-sustainable in the near future. “Moreover, more and more farmers will bring their produce to the mill. This will decrease transportation expenses and save time. The decrease in transportation expenses will only add to their overall profit margin,” said Dr Duggal.