28032025-JTR-01.qxd 3/27/2025 11:10 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune STATE GOVT FELICITATES HOCKEY WORLD CUP WINNING TEAM KANWALJIT: IT’S IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG MINDS TO START READING SALMAN KHAN OPENS UP ABOUT DEATH THREATS AND SECURITY The state government held an event to felicitate players of the Indian hockey team that won the World Cup in 1975. P2 Kanwaljit Singh, who was in Chandigarh, bore none of the misogynistic traits, while he talked about his love for books. P4 “Jitni umar likhi hai, utni likhi hai,” a philosophical Salman Khan said in his first comments about death threats. P4 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 33°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET FRIDAY 6.44 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:20 AM FRIDAY | 28 MARCH 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF TRAVEL AGENT HELD FOR CHEATING Phagwara: The Bilga police have arrested a travel agent on the charge of cheating. Investigating Officer (IO) Vijay Kumar said the accused was identified as Balvir Singh, alias Mintu, of Poadharra village. Parabhdeep Singh of Gumtali village had complained to the police that the accused duped him of Rs 3.65 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. A case was registered against the accused in April 2024. OC MAN HELD FOR STEALING BIKES Phagwara: The Nakodar city police have arrested third accused in a case of stealing motorcycles. Investigating officer (IO) Sukhdev Singh said the accused was identified as Navdeep, alias Nikhil, of Mohalla Guru Nanakpura. The IO said his two accomplices were arrested earlier. The IO said a case under Section 303(2) (theft) of the BNS was registered against the accused and five stolen bikes and an Activa scooter was recovered from them. OC 2 ARRESTED FOR CONSUMING DRUG Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested one person on the charge of consuming heroin. Investigating Officer (IO) Buta Ram said the accused was identified as Gagan of Dhandowal village. The IO said a lighter, silver paper and plastic pipe used for consuming drug were recovered from his possession. A case under Sections 27/61/85 of the NDPS Act was registered against the accused. In another case the Bilga police arrested Kulwindar Singh, alias Gagi, of Burj Hassan village on the charge of consuming heroin, IO Kulwindar Singh said. OC Two nabbed for snatching cash, mobile phone Our Correspondent Phagwara, March 27 The Nakodar city police have arrested two miscreants on the charge of snatching cash and mobile phone from women. Investigating Officer (IO) Jagtar Singh said the accused were identified as Rohit, alias Bacha, of Mohalla Azad Nagar and Lakki, alias Daku, of Malrri village. Court dismisses petition on 2 killed as Activa scooter rams into stationary truck Phagwara Mayor’s election Tribune News Service Imposes ~1L fine on petitioner | To be deposited in PGI society Our Correspondent Phagwara, March 27 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the Phagwara Municipal Corporation mayoral elections and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the petitioner. The amount is to be deposited with the Poor Patients’ Welfare Society, PGI, Chandigarh. The petition was filed by Congress councillor Sanjeev Bugga, who had sought court intervention, alleging irregularities in the election process. He requested that the election be conducted under the supervision of a High Courtappointed observer. In response, the court entrusted the responsibility of overseeing the election to former High Court Judge Justice Harbans Lal. Following the election, the Mayor was elected from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) instead of FILED BY CONGRESS COUNCILLOR The petition was filed by Congress councillor Sanjeev Bugga, who had sought court intervention, alleging irregularities in the election process. He requested that the election be conducted under the supervision of a High Court-appointed observer. In response, the court entrusted the responsibility of overseeing the election to former High Court Judge Justice Harbans Lal. the Congress, which had the majority. Dissatisfied with the outcome, the Congress councillor filed a fresh petition, raising doubts over the fairness of the election process. The High Court then sought the observer’s report and video footage of the elec- tion proceedings. Upon reviewing the submitted evidence, the court found no merit in the allegations and dismissed the petition. Besides, the court directed the petitioner to deposit Rs 1 lakh in the PGI’s welfare fund for underprivileged patients, ensuring the penalty amount was used for the public welfare. This ruling marks a significant conclusion to the controversy surrounding the Phagwara mayoral election, reaffirming the legitimacy of the process conducted under judicial supervision. Jalandhar, March 27 Two teenage kids died and two others were seriously injured when an Activa scooter they were riding, collided with a truck at Lambra Road here in the wee hours today morning. The accident happened at 7. 30 am today. The deceased were identified as Ekam and Jashandeep, both aged between 15 to 16 years. As per the police, four friends — all aged between 15 to 16 years —- were going together to Dera Baba Murad Shah for attending fair this morning when the Activa scooter they were riding, rammed into a stationary truck. Two of the riders died on the spot and two others were seriously injured in the accident. The deceased as well as their friends were students of Classes VII to IX. One of the injured child was admitted to a local hospital in Jalandhar. The second critically injured child was referred to a hospital in Amritsar. The police said as the parents of the boys had not pressed any charges, no case was registered in this connection so far. Lambra SHO Bikram Singh said, “The four boys were riding on Activa scooter together in the wee hours this morning when their vehicle rammed into a truck. The boys hailed from the Basti areas in Jalandhar and were heading to the Nakodar dera for the fair. Their families have not filed any complaint. The injured are under treatment at hospitals.” Drugpeddler’shouserazed Tinu lauds Budget, says promise for women allowance to be fulfilled at Nainowal Vaid village Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, March 27 As part of the Punjab Government’s “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, the district administration in coordination with the district police demolished the house of a drug peddler at Nainowal Vaid village reportedly raised over an encroached land. The house was demolished in the presence of the village panchayat, which welcomed the government’s decisive action. SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik said Gurmeet Kaur had encroached on panchayat land and refused to vacate it despite multiple warnings. Following complaints from the village panchayat, the District Development and Panchayats Officer initiated action, leading to the scheduled demolition of the house. SSP Malik said Gurmeet Kaur had eight NDPS cases registered against her, with convictions in three. He reaffirmed that strict action would continue against those involved in drug trafficking, while emphasising that the Hoshiarpur Police was committed to eradicating the drug menace from the district. He said the police had already attached drug peddlers’ property worth over Rs 25 crore in the past. Giving details about the campaign against drugs launched by the state government from March 1, the SSP said the police had registered 128 FIRs with the arrest of 191 accused and seized 4 kg of intoxicant powder, 8,110 intoxicant tablets, 707 grams of heroin, 2.306 kg of opium and Rs 23,400 drug money from their possession. He said the crackdown against drug menace and peddlers would continue in the future too so as to dismantle the entire supply network in the district. Jalandhar, March 27 Senior leader and state spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Pawan Kumar Tinu, praised the Punjab Budget 2025-26 and thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal for making special provisions for the Scheduled Caste community in the document. Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar on Thursday, along with AAP leader Tarandeep Singh Sunny, Pawan Tinu, praised the decision to waive off loans amounting to Rs 70 crore taken by Dalit families under the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation until March 31, 2020. He said the decision had benefitted over 4,650 families who were unable to repay loan due to high-interest rates and financial difficulties. He said key allocations in the Budget include Rs 262 crore AAP leader Pawan Tinu addresses mediapersons in Jalandhar on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH for scholarships for Scheduled Caste and Backward Class students, Rs 36 crore under the Ashirwad Scheme to financial assist in the marriage of girls from underprivileged families and Rs 6,175 crore for social welfare programmes benefitting women, senior citizens, differentlyabled individuals and divorced or single women. He said the Budget reflects the AAP government’s campaign against drugs as Rs 110 crore had been allocated for advanced anti-drone systems to combat cross-border smuggling and Rs 150 crore for Punjab’s first drug census. When asked about Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa’s comments on the AAP government having taken hefty loans, Tinu said, “There’s no state or country which doesn’t take or utilise loans. But there are measures for how a state gets loans. How much is your gross domestic product, income and accomplishments. The loan is given based on your balance sheet. The Congress itself took loans of over 3 lakh crore for which we are paying interest of 59,000 crore.” Responding on Bajwa’s comments on AAP MP Balbir Singh Seechewal’s model and his call for replacing that with Thapar or other model, Tinu said, “Congress leaders are frustrated because those who made tall promises see themselves losing political ground. People see a difference we are showing them with our works. We are already working on the Thapar model and other designs and plans from many universities. We are doing many different works.” Speaking on the unfulfilled promise of giving Rs 1,100 to women, Tinu said, “The provisions for Rs 5 lakh to 10 lakh have been made for providing health insurance to families in the state. I believe, soon the promise of Rs 1,100 for women will also be fulfilled. We are working on these promises one by one. Though previous ruling dispensations wiped the state treasury clean, yet our government has brought the Punjab’s economy to its feet in a short time.” After staying away from Dera Lal Badshah for five months, ex-MP back as its gaddi nasheen Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Neelam Rani of Mohalla Baghiarpura complained to the police that she was returning home on March 24 late evening when the accused waylaid her near a marriage palace and snatched Rs 7,000 and other documents from her. She said the accused snatched a smart phone from her daughter on point of sharp weapon. The IO said a case under Sections 309(4) (robbery) and 3(5) (committing crime with common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against the accused and their accomplice Joban of Malrri village, who was on the run. The IO said a sharp weapon was recovered from the accused and their bike used in the crime was impounded. The damaged Activa scooter in Jalandhar on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO Nakodar, March 27 After staying away from Dera Lal Badshah for the past nearly five months, Padma Shri awardee Sufi singer and ex-BJP MP Hans Raj Hans was seen back as its gaddi nasheen during the two-day barsi programme that concluded here this evening. Dressed in pink kurta as Sain Hans Darvesh, he sat on a rug placed in the centre of a hall near the dera’s entrance. Many from the sangat that had gathered for the event came to pay respects to him in the hall. All qawwals and singers, who had been invited to perform at the programme, made it sure that they reached out to him before heading towards the main shed where devotees were being enthralled. As the Sun started to set, it was time for the main ceremony of offering “chaddar” at the darbar. As Hans set out CISF personnel escort ex-MP Hans Raj Hans, who is back as gaddi nasheen of Dera Lal Badshah at Nakodar, within the dera compound during an event held on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH for the darbar which was barely 200 metre away from his hall within the dera com- pound, the CISF personnel escorted him. They stood guard on all sides close to him c m y b till he completed the ceremony. The drums and trumpets were played. Flower petals were showered. “Mauli” threads were tied around a pillar. Devotees had come with offerings like mustard oil cans and incense sticks. On his return to the dera, Hans said, “I have never tried to stick to things. I have never attempted to confront with people over anything. Whenever I feel sad or let down, I try to move away. I have done the same even in politics — with people and parties. I am born like that — like a vanjara (nomad).” Asked if he would like to keep everything tagged along including singing, dera and politics, Hans said, “It is my no to politics for the moment. I am not going to any political event.” On his meetings with PM Narendra Modi, he said, “Yes, we have been meeting him. I was already in the US when he was on tour there. We met each other. Such random meetings keep on happening. But now my state of mind is such that I cannot indulge in it for the time being. My conscience keeps saying to me to stop delving into politics.” Hans maintains, “Unlike singing, which I think I learnt in the womb of my mother, politics is not natural to me. I have not even been able to learn it.” On any chances if his sons could enter into political fray, he said, “When their father is already fed up, there is no way that Navraj or Yuvraj could make into it.” Hans mentioned that his four-year-old grandson Hredaan was set to foray into music. “Music has come so naturally to him. He keeps humming all the day. No one has trained him in anything. The atmosphere around him is such that he started singing at the age of two. Recently, Yuvraj had taken him to Sultanpur Lodhi, where he sang “Mool mantra”. They have shot his video, which they will release soon. I am so happy for him as he has been able to make a perfect start,” Hans proudly shared.