14092024-ATR-01.qxd 9/13/2024 11:23 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune AAM AADMI PARTY LEADERS REJOICE OVER BAIL TO ARVIND KEJRIWAL Workers of the Aam Aadmi Party rejoiced over the bail granted to party convener Arvind Kejriwal in the excise scam case. P2 » ON HINDI DIWAS, CELEBS TALK ABOUT FAVOURITE WORK OF LITERATURE “One must-read book in Hindi literature is GodaanbyMunshiPremchand.It’satimeless masterpiece,” says Anupama Solanki.P4 FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY SHWETA SAYS AS AN ACTRESS SHE WANTS TO BE AS VERSATILE AS THE ALOO! “I consider acting as a spiritual process where you have to be in the present,” says Shweta Tripathi, known for her role in Mirzapur 3.P4 » » MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.37 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:14 AM SATURDAY | 14 SEPTEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR Immoral trafficking racket busted, 7 held Amritsar, September 13 Seven persons, including two women, were arrested from two hotels here allegedly on the charge of immoral trafficking. Among those arrested included manager of a hotel. Vinod Kumar, SHO, Sadar police station, said among those arrested included Jatinder Singh, alias Raghav, of Banke Bihari Gali on the Batala road, Abhishek of Saharanpur (UP), Vansh of Islamabad and Anil Thakur of the Muslimganj area here. He said the police got information that a flesh trade racket was being operated from a hotel. He said following the tip-off, a raid was conducted and a man and woman in objectionable position were arrested from the hotel. He said the man was identified as Jatinderpal Singh. The entire raid was videographed by the police. During questioning by the police, Jatinderpal revealed that he was running the racket in collusion with the hotel manager. He told the police that a similar racket was being operated from a hotel near the Court Chowk. Following the lead, the police arrested Abhishek, a pimp, along with two girls from the hotel. The SHO said an FIR under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act was registered at the Sadar police station and further probe initiated into the matter. — TNS White medical college students claim hostel rooms for boys, girls ransacked Tribune News Service Pathankot, September 13 More than 250 students of The White Medical College and Hospital, formerly known as Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital, Bungal, have claimed that their hostel rooms have been ransacked leading to the loss of important documents, including notes, and electrical and electronic gadgets and personal belongings. Scores of visibly upset parents and their wards visited the college premises on Thursday to take back their belongings. Today, many students claimed that religious books they had kept in their rooms along with deities were taken away. Students alleged that locks of their rooms were broken. “There is not a single room in both the boys’ and girls’ hostels where locks have not been tampered with or broken. The moment my daughter entered her room, she fainted after coming to know that her laptop, fridge and clothes were missing,” said a parent. Students had left the medical college around two months ago after a controver- a single room both the boys’ locks have not ❝There is notwith or broken.inThe moment myand girls’ hostels whereroom, she fainted been tampered daughter entered her after coming to know that her laptop, fridge and clothes were missing. ❞ A parent sy had erupted over the functioning of the institute. “When students came to the college today to collect their belongings, they were taken aback after seeing that their rooms had been “ransacked”. Their personal belongings, too, were nowhere to be seen,” said Rakesh Gupta, whose son Satyam Gupta is a student of the medical college. Gupta today alleged that whenever parents approached the police to know the status of their complaints, they were told that “an investigation was in progress in this connection”. “For how long will this torture continue? The future of our children is at stake. The notes on the basis of which they have to appear in their examinations, too, have been taken away,” said Gupta. Students went to the Mamun police station to get an FIR registered, he said. “However, our wards were told to file individual complaints because they were living in separate rooms at the hostels. We are now filing written complaints with the police,” said Gupta. Till now, 140 boys and girls have filed complaints with the police. Dr Deepak Jhangra, a doctor from Ludhiana, whose ward studies in the college, said it was now up to the police to investigate who took away belongings of students and when these were taken away. Parents had also approached Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal to apprise him of their grievances. “I am acting as a bridge between the parents and the medical college management. No injustice would be done to anybody, I can assure you that,” Uppal said. SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon said the entire matter was under investigation. “First of all, we are inquiring whether the allegations levelled by students and their parents are true or not. Only then we can proceed. I can assure students and their parents that there would be a free and fair investigation,” the SSP said. He admitted that the police had received complaints from students. Swaran Salaria, chairman of the college management committee is also the state vice-president of the Aam Aadmi Party. “We understand that Salaria is a powerful person by virtue of being a senior office-bearer of the ruling dispensation in Punjab. We hope this does not have an adverse impact on the investigation,” said a parent. Neither Salaria nor any other member of the medical college management committee was available for comments on the issue. Repeated phone calls to Salaria went unanswered. 2 killed in road mishaps City gets new Deputy Commissioner, MC chief in rural areas of district DEVELOPMENT WORKS STALLED Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 13 Two persons lost their lives in separate road accidents in the rural areas of Amritsar district. Balwinder Singh of Kathunangal Khurd died when a speeding motorcycle hit him while he was having a walk after dinner on Wednesday night. In another incident, Davinder Singh of Kotli Naseer Khan died when his bike was hit by a tractortrailer yesterday evening. Gurminder Singh, brother of Balwinder, told the police that both of them were having a walk after dinner from the railway crossing to Kathunangal when a speeding bike driven by Harjit Singh of Jahangir Colony came from behind and hit his brother. The victim suffered severe head injuries and fell unconscious on the road while Harjit also fell down. Harjit fled leaving his bike on the spot after the accident. Gurminder said he rushed Balwinder to a private hospital from where he was referred to Amritsar hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. In the second incident, Sukhwinder Kaur, mother of Davinder Singh, said yesterday around 7.30 pm, her son was going on a bike from Kotli Naseer Khan village to Khaparkheri village. She was riding pillion with her second son Varinder Singh who was also driving a two-wheeler. She said as Davinder took a turn from Khaparkheri T-point, a tractortrailer came from behind and its driver tried to overtake Davinder. However, a tractor’s side hit her son Davinder’'s bike and he fell on the road. She said Davinder was critically injured in the accident and died on the spot. Two separate cases have been registered at the Kathunanagal and the Gharinda police stations. — TNS Amritsar, September 13 In a major reshuffle, the Punjab Government transferred Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori last evening. Thori has been replaced by Sakshi Sawhney, a 2014-batch IAS officer. She was previously posted as the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner. The government also transferred Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner Harpreet Singh. He has been replaced by Gulpreet Singh Aulakh, a 2015-batch IAS officer. Earlier, he was serving as Additional Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Punjab. Frequent transfers of the MC Commissioners after short intervals affects the functioning and development works of the civic body. Harpreet Singh served as MC Commissioner for seven Frequent transfers ❝development worksofinhigher officials is notItgood as the the city get stalled. takes almost a month for the new incumbent to understand the working of the municipal corporation. At present, the city has no Mayor. Besides, the MC does not have Additional Commissioner and Joint Commissioner. ❞ Randhir Sharma, A SOCIAL ACTIVIST months. During last 21 months of the AAP regime, eight MC Commissioners were appointed in the holy city. Residents feel that non stability in command added to their woes as they were facing hardship for getting their issues resolved. After the formation of the AAP government in the state on April 24, 2022, the then MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi was transferred from Amritsar. After his transfer, the MC remained without head for a long time. The state government appointed Karnail Singh as the Amritsar MC Commissioner on May 23, 2022, but he did not take charge. After a month, on June 24, 2022, the state government gave the additional charge of the MC Commissioner to Harpreet Singh Sudan, the then Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar. Later, on July 7, 2022, Sandeep Rishi was again appointed the MC Commissioner of the holy city. Two days later, Sandeep Rishi was transferred as Additional Commissioner, Excise Department, by the state government. On July 10, 2022, Kumar Saurabh Raj took charge as the MC Commissioner. After four-and-a-half months, Raj was transferred and Sandeep Rishi was once again appointed as the Amritsar MC Commissioner on November 27, 2022. Rishi remained on the post for nine months and was transferred to Ludhiana on August 10, 2023. Later, Rahul was appointed as the MC Commissioner. On December 5, 2023, Rahul was transferred after he served for four months on the post. The charge of MC Commissioner was given to Joint Commissioner Hardeep Singh and later to then DC Ghanshyam Thori on December 5. Harpreet Singh was appointed as the MC Commissioner on January 29, 2024, and transferred on September 12, 2024. Man shot after dispute over borrowed money Victim denied he took ~25K from suspect PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 13 A man was shot over a monetary dispute at Dharad village falling under the Jandiala Guru police station here on Thursday. The police have booked four persons, including Harpreet Singh, alias Happy, of Butala village, and Sukh of Nagiana village in Batala, besides their two unidentified accomplices on charges of attempt to murder and under the Arms Act. No arrest has been made till now. The complainant, identified as Jagpreet Singh, alias Jaggu, of Dharad village, stated to the police that yesterday he along with his brother Lovepreet Singh and neighbour Sahilpreet Singh were standing near the shop of former sarpanch Gurdeep Singh. Jagpreet said Harpreet along with his accomplices came there in a car (bearing registration number PB-10-BF-6369) and asked Lovepreet to return Rs 25,000 he owed to him. He said his brother denied having taken any money from him. He said an altercation ensued between Lovepreet and the suspects over the issue. In the meantime, Sukh, who was sitting in the car, opened fire at Lovepreet and a bullet hit on the right side of his chest. Later, the suspects fled towards Talawan village while Jagpreet rushed his brother Lovepreet to a hospital. The police registered an FIR on charges of attempt to murder, criminal intimidation and under the Arms Act against the suspects. Mukhtiar Singh, SHO, Jandiala Guru police station, said the victim and the suspects were known to each other. He said the victim was out of danger while raids were on to nab the suspects. A probe was on to ascertain whether the weapon used in the crime was licensed or illegal, he said. The suspects in custody of the Amritsar (Rural) police on Friday. 6.8kg heroin, drone recovered from border belt Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 13 The Border Security Force (BSF) has recovered heroin weighing 6.8 kg heroin from the border belt of Tarn Taran district in two separate incidents yesterday evening. In the first case, consequent upon activation of the technical counter measures, the BSF successfully neutralised a drone intrusion in border Gilpan village. Later, a joint search operation of the BSF troops and the Punjab Police was conducted at the village. At 4.43 pm, the BSF and the police successfully recovered one assembled drone (quadcopter) along with a huge packet of suspected heroin (gross weight 6.230 kg) from an agricultural field in Gilpan village. At another spot in Dal village, Continued on page 2 Snatchers gang busted, Governor pays obeisance at Gurdwara Baoli Sahib 6 arrested, pistols seized Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, September 13 Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, along with his wife Anita Kataria, paid obeisance at Gurdwara Baoli Sahib at Goindwal Sahib during the ongoing centenary events in connection with the Guruship Day of Sri Guru Ramdas and Jyoti Jot Diwas of Sri Guru Amardas on Friday. He offered prayers for the peace and prosperity of Punjab. The Governor was honoured by Harjinder Singh Dhami, president, SGPC, on the occasion. The Governor also partook of langar at the gurdwara. When mediapersons asked Kataria about the release of Bandi Sikhs (Sikh detainees who had completed their sentence), he said, “I would do everything possible for their release.” The Governor remained at the gurd- Tribune News Service Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and his wife Anita Kataria offer prayers at Gurdwara Baoli Sahib in Goindwal Sahib on Friday. wara for an hour. While addressing devotees at the gurdwara, Kataria talked about the teachings and the life of Guru Amar Das who with the start of pangat (to sit a in row to partake of langar) taught the lesson of social equality with discrimination to none. He also talked about sacrifices of the Sikh Gurus. He said this was the town where Mughal Emperor Akbar partook of langar in a c m y b pangat. Kataria said he had learnt much from the literature of Sikh Gurus, especially Guru Gobind Singh ji. He said there was no one else in the world, who sacrificed his four Sahibzadas (four sons) like Guru Gobind Singh ji. Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar, SSP Gaurav Toora, other officials and members of the SGPC were also present on the occasion. Amritsar, September 13 With the arrest of six persons, the Amritsar (Rural) police today claimed to have busted a gang of snatchers and recovered a country-made pistol, two toy pistols, six mobile phones and two iron karahs (bracelets) and a car from their possession. Those arrested were identified as Bobby Singh, Jagdeep Singh and Karandeep Singh, all residents of Bhure Gill village, and Om Parkash of Khazana Gate, Arundeep Singh of Ghah Mandi and Sajan Singh of Bachiwind village. Charanjit Singh, SSP Amrit, sar (Rural), said the suspects were involved in robbing people at gunpoint. He said a fresh case under the Arms Act was registered against them. The suspects were produced before a court and brought on police remand for further interrogation, the SSP said. He said the police got information about six armed persons were roaming in a car in the area to do recce of their target. Following the tip-off, the police laid a naka near Harsha Chhina village. The police signalled a car to stop at the naka. During search, the police recovered weapons and mobiles phones from the car. Karandeep had three criminal cases, including that of kidnapping and murder, attempt to murder and snatching, registered against him, the SSP said. Karandeep was among 15 persons, who had kidnapped a 17-year-old boy of Chamiari village, and brutally thrashed him ultimately leading to his dead. The victim had eloped with a girl. The girl’s family had later traced them.