10012025-LT-01.qxd 1/10/2025 12:18 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune TIME CAPSULE: TATA NANO LAUNCHED ON JAN 10, 2008 POWER CORPN CONTRACTUAL EMPLOYEES GO ON STRIKE PRIYANKA JOINS ANUJA AS AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Ratan Tata, the then chairman of Tata Group, envisioned an affordable vehicle for burgeoning middle class. P2 Nearly 150 contractual staffers of PSPCL went on strike at the main office on Ferozepur Road. P2 Priyanka is happy that she has come on board as an executive producer for the Oscar-shortlisted film. P4 » » » FORECAST FOG/MIST MAX 16°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 17°C | MIN 5°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5.39 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 7:20 AM FRIDAY | 10 JANUARY 2025 | LUDHIANA Meeting likely on January 14, AAP Shopkeepers protest slow pace of Domoria Bridge construction confident of winning mayoral poll WOMAN 1ST CITIZEN Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 9 Though 19 days have passed since the Municipal Corporation elections, the post of Mayor is still lying vacant in Ludhiana. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is confident about being in the majority in the MC House, but is tightlipped about the name of the candidate. According to the sources, the General House meeting is likely to be called on Tuesday and the AAP leaders claim that they have the numbers to get their mayor elected. As the post is reserved for a woman this year, the names that are making rounds are Amrit Varsha Rampal, Principal Inderjeet Kaur, Nidhi Gupta, Nandini Jairath, Maninder Kaur Ghuman and Advocate Mehak Chadha. After the notification, women councillors have also become active and this will be the first time that Ludhiana will have a Pakhowal Road ROB to remain shut for 3 days Ludhiana, January 9 The Pakhowal Road railway overbridge (ROB) will remain shut for traffic for the next three days starting from Friday morning. The ROB has to be closed for taking up a deflection test (load test) of the bridge. The said ROB facilitates movement of traffic from Pakhowal road canal bridge towards Bhai Bala chowk. The civic body officials have appealed the residents to take alternative routes. Both the railway underbridges (RUB) on the Pakhowal Road railway crossing will remain open for traffic during these days as usual. — TNS ■ As the post of mayor is reserved The AAP is just trying to attract attention and claiming to be doing a lot for the cause of women while it has failed to provide ~1,000 per month to women, a promise made before the Assembly elections. They are doing everything secretively. Sanjay Talwar, PRESIDENT, DISTRICT CONGRESS COMMITTEE for a woman this year, the names that are making rounds are Amrit Varsha Rampal, Principal Inderjeet Kaur, Nidhi Gupta, Nandini Jairath, Maninder Kaur Ghuman and Advocate Mehak Chadha. ■ After the notification, women councillors have also become active and this will be the first time that Ludhiana will have a woman Mayor. ■ The AAP is confident about being in the majority in the MC House, but is tight-lipped about the name of the candidate. The AAP leaders claim that they have the numbers to get their mayor elected. woman Mayor. Amrit Varsha Rampal, has been chosen councillor for the fifth time and is one of the senior-most councillors. A close aide of Cong MLA Gurpreet Gogi, she won from ward number 55. Principal Inderjeet Kaur won from ward no 13 and is associated with the AAP for a Nandini Jairath from ward number 71 is a first timer and associated with the party since it came to power in the state. Mehak Chadha is an advocate by profession and has long association with the AAP She won the elections . by 167 votes by defeating Congress candidate. A senior AAP leader denied AAP FAILED TO FULFIL PROMISES ❝ ❞ long time. Nidhi Gupta won the election from ward no 19 and has been working as a volunteer with the AAP since many years. Maninder Kaur Ghuman from ward no 63 is a second-time councillor. Last time, she had won from the BJP seat and this time she defeated BJP’s Hema Chopra by 1,160 votes. sharing any strategy planning for forming house in the MC, Ludhiana. “Every planning has been done, strategy chalked out and we will form the house and get Mayor from AAP elected. I cannot divulge any details further. The house meeting is expected to be called on Tuesday,” he said. Sanjay Talwar, president, District Congress Committee, said the party is just playing the woman card. “There was no need to reserve the seat as despite reservation also, a woman mayor can be elected. The AAP is just trying to attract attention and claiming to doing a lot for the cause of women while it has failed to provide Rs 1,000 per month to women, a promise made by the party before the 2022 Assembly elections. There is no intimation of the General House meeting and they might intimate 72 hours before the meeting. They are doing everything in a very secretive manner,” said Talwar. Shopkeepers protest slow pace of construction of Domoria Bridge in Ludhiana. INDERJEET VERMA Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 9 Members of the Shopkeeper Association of Domoria Bridge organised a protest against the slow pace of construction work of Domoria Bridge. The shopkeepers maintained though it was a project of Railways but prior to that, a few works had to be completed by the MC authorities. Talking to The Tribune, the shopkeepers maintained that the work started on Decem- ber 2 and after over 35 days, the MC has failed to do the needful. The work of Railways will start once the nullah is plugged by the MC authorities. However, they remain busy with several other activities, rued the shopkeepers. Sahib, one of the shopkeepers, said traders were suffering huge losses due to the construction work of Domoria Bridge. “We don’t know what to do? Some of us are paying heavy rents of the shops, which is around Rs Vigilance Bureau sleuths nab GLADA Weather pangs clerk for taking ~1,500 online as bribe Complainant was asked to pay NOC fee, bribe money via GPay Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 9 The Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has apprehended a clerk Aniksha Devi (Front Desk Executive), posted at Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), for receiving a bribe of Rs 1,500 through Google Pay. Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the state Vigilance Bureau said the accused Aniksha Devi, a resident of Dashmesh Nagar, village Iyali Khurd, Ludhiana, has been arrested following an inquiry into a complaint filed by Abhijeet Singh Verma, a resident of New Deep Nagar, Hebowal Kalan, Ludhiana, on the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line. He further stated that as per the complaint, dealing clerk Aniksha Devi told the complainant to pay online a fee of Rs 4,251 to get the No Objection Certificate (NOC) required for the sale of plots. In addition to this, the lady clerk demanded a bribe of Rs 1,500 through Google Pay to issue the NOC. The spokesperson further added that during verification of the complaint, the allegations levelled by the complainant have been found to be correct as they have been supported by oral and documentary evidence. Subsequently, a case has been registered against the accused clerk under Prevention of Corruption Act at VB police station, Ludhiana range. The accused would be produced in a competent court tomorrow. Further investigation into the case was in progress, he said. Students return after attending school; and (R) commuters brave fog in Ludhiana on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Police act tough against gangsters, criminals Nitin Jain Tribune News Service A view of the temple where thieves damaged idols and committed a theft in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN No headway in temple theft case Ludhiana, January 9 Two days after the theft at Prachin Sheetla Mata Temple in BRS Nagar where thieves had also damaged the idols and desecrated the lingam, devotees were upset over the failure of the police to nab the culprits. They said the incident had hurt their religious feelings. Anger was visible among the residents and devotees who were shocked that the criminals have now started targeting temples. The lack of police patrolling in the area is one of 30,000 to 40,000. How can we afford the overheads when there is no income?,” asked the shopkeepers. Another shopkeeper Shivam said they had approached the Railway authorities, but they maintain that unless the MC provided them clear lines, their work cannot be started. The protesters said 90 days were given to complete this project and 35 days have passed, but nothing has been done so far. the reasons which emboldens criminals, they said. “I am a regular visitor to the temple. When I saw the desecrated Shivling and idols, I felt devastated,” said Amit Kumar, a resident of Sunet. Another resident Amita Sharma said, “The police should take the case seriously as the matter is related to our religious feelings. If the police fail the nab the culprits in a couple of days, we will start an agitation against the police. We cannot tolerate the fact that the accused, who damaged the idols and lingam, is enjoying a free run. I request Police Commissioner Kuldeep Chahal to form a special investigation team to investigate the matter.” Meanwhile, temple priest Dashrath Prashad Shastri told The Tribune that Pindi of Mata Sheetla had 19 kg silver, Shivling had 10 kg silver along with 5 kg snake idol, 2.5 kg silver crowns and one tola gold nose ring of one idol. The value of the stolen jewellery would be around Rs 40 lakh. — TNS Ludhiana, January 9 Renewing its sustained campaign against gangsters, and criminals, the Commissionerate Police have achieved a major breakthrough during the past year. Acting tough, the cops have neutralised 171 gangs with the arrest of their 605 active members, which helped trace 428 old cases in which they were involved. The police arrested as many as 6,401 criminals in 5,216 cases registered under 26 different crime heads from January 1 to December 31 last, which also marked the end of British-era criminal laws. The arrests made last year included 1,751 in 1,441 cases of snatchings and other property heads, from whom stolen properties worth over Rs 9.12 crore were recovered; 641 arrested in 468 Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases from whom a huge cache of over 20-quintal contraband was recovered. Besides recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition, the cops also caught hold of 1,253 pro- c m y b claimed offenders and history sheeters, 2,114 troublemakers/ anti-social elements, 349 gamblers, and 277 liquor smugglers during the past year. Moreover, the properties worth Rs 85.06-crore of 62 drug lords were confiscated while the cases of freezing assets worth Rs 3-crore of another four smugglers were proposed during the past year. Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal said said under the anti-gangster operation, 605 wanted gangsters from 171 gangs, which were neutralised, were arrested to solve at least 428 old cases in which they were actively involved. The action against illegal use of arms and ammunition led to the arrest of 47 criminals in 37 cases under the Arms Act and the IPC relevant sections with the recovery of 89 pistols/ revolvers, 3 rifles, 485 cartridges, 26 magazines, and a knife. The rampant illegal liquor smuggling was also checked with the arrest of 277 smugglers in 232 cases under the relevant sections of the Excise Act and recovery of 1,028-litre illicit liquor, over 22973-litre licit liquor, 1.43lakh litre lahan, and over 8,739-litre beer. As many as 1,253 proclaimed offenders and history sheeters were apprehended in cases pertaining to various criminal offences, including 57 NDPS cases, in which they were wanted for a long time. Besides, 2,114 trouble-makers and anti-social elements were taken into preventive arrest. Cracking the whip against property crime, the Commissionerate Police have arrested 1,751 accused in 1,441 cases with the recovery of stolen property worth over Rs 9.12crore. Besides, 9276 stolen vehicles, 1,801 mobile phones, 1.04-kg gold ornaments, 3.188-kg silver ornaments, and Rs 1.2-crore cash had also been seized. “Of the total 1,441 cases of snatching and other property thefts registered in 2024, as many as 888 cases were traced with the arrest of snatchers/ criminals involved and recovery of stolen/ snatched articles,” the Ludhiana top cop revealed. He said of the total 5,216 cases registered under vari- ous sections of the IPC and other local laws, as many as 4,176 cases were registered with the arrest of criminals involved and recovery of case properties. However, 567 cases of heinous crime remained undetected, which included 5 cases of blind murders, 3 culpable homicide not amounting to murder, 7 attempt to murder, 1 rape, and 178 cases of abduction besides 367 cases of crime against property. The illegal business of gambling was also checked with the arrest of 349 gamblers in 152 cases with the seizure of Rs 2.36-crore cash used for gambling. “We are adopting a zero tolerance approach against gangsters, and other criminals while renewing our offensive against the lawbreakers. Nobody involved directly or indirectly in any illegal trade, gang-war and crime will be spared at any cost. The sustained drive against the gangsters and criminals would continue in future as well to target all those involved irrespective of their connection and position,” said Kuldeep Singh Chahal. Two held in land sale fraud case Ludhiana, January 9 The police division 7 on Wednesday registered a case of fraud against two persons who sold the land, which they had taken on lease, by posing as owners. The accused have been identified as Jaskaranjit Singh Gill, a resident of Sarabha Nagar, his associate Milkhi of Preet Nagar. Complainants Mohd Nasar and Mohd Saleem said they own 222 canals of land in Kulliawal and Jamalpur villages of which 88 canal of land was sold by the accused on the basis of forged documents. The accused had taken the land on lease from them and they sold it by posing as owners after the lease term expired. The accused entered into an agreement with some buyers by creating fake documents and also gave them possession illegally. During investigation, it was revealed that the land was taken by Jagjit Singh Gill and Jaskaranjit Singh Gill on lease deed and it expired in 1991. However, the accused had not returned the land to the original owner/heirs of the owners and sold it posing as owners. — TNS