14022026-JTR-01.qxd 2/13/2026 11:54 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune NATURE FEST INAUGURATED BY MP CHABBEWAL IN HOSHIARPUR AUTHORR CHRONICLES HISTORY OF PUNJABI CINEMA 75-year-old Bhim Raj Garg went on to produce his book "The Illustrated History of Punjabi Cinema (1935-1985)." P3 MAINLY CLEAR MAX 23°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 9°C ROSES, CHOCOLATES, WINE & ROMANCE AT HOTEL LALIT The festival will feature a vibrant mix of activities, including Punjabi folk culture, traditional dances etc. P2 FORECAST Couples can celebrate love with elegant, curated dining experiences at The LaLiT Chandigarh P4 » » SUNSET SATURDAY 6.13 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7:09 AM » SATURDAY | 14 FEBRUARY 2026 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. INBRIEF EARRINGS, CASH, PHONE SNATCHED Phagwara: The Nurmahal police have booked unidentified miscreants on the charge of snatching woman's earrings and cash. Anju Bala of Bhardwajian village complained to the police that she was returning home from Jandiala village on February 11 when the accused snatched her gold earrings, Rs 5,000 and a smart phone. OC FOUR BOOKED FOR MURDER BID Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked four miscreants on the charge of attempt to murder. The accused have been identified as Kuldeep Singh, Boby, Dillu, all residents of Thamuwal, and Sonu of Hathianna village. Viki of Thamuwal village complained to the police that the accused attacked him with sharp-edged weapons on February 11 and seriously injured him. OC DRUG PEDDLERS ARRESTED Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a drug peddler on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. As many as 13 tablets were recovered from the possession of the accused identified as Satnam, alias Sama of Malsian village. OC 2 POS ARRESTED Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested two proclaimed offenders (POs) absconding for the last two years. The accused have been identified as Tej Pal of Nawan Pind Shaunkian village and Manpreet of Nakodar and wanted in cases of assault and theft. OC 5 years, Latifpura evictees find LIG 1.34L deported inavailable no state-wise data flats’ condition deplorable Revelation in House following question by Seechewal Say broken doors, plaster falling off, lack of water supply make these uninhabitable |Houses will be repaired soon, says DC Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 13 After being shifted to Bibi Bhani Complex since the Latifpura demolition drive on Tuesday, the seven families have described the condition of LIG flats there as extremely deplorable and said they were not livable. The women, who had spent over 26 hours atop the overhead water tank and came down expecting a good deal from the government and the administration, said they were feeling cheated. “The plaster from the walls is peeling off. The doors and windows of the houses are broken making them unsafe for us and our children. There is dampness all over. Water is seeping down as if it was raining. We are not getting any water supply since the day we came in. We have not been able to put our kitchen in working condition. The toilets too are not usable. We really do not know how we are going to live here,” said Rita Devi, a beneficiary. The district administration has given flats worth Rs 3 lakh-Rs 5 lakh free of cost to the evicted families. The families had been given a similar deal about three years ago when their built-up houses in 3 to 5 marlas had been demolished, but they had not accepted it. They spent three years living in tents or in rented accommodations, trying to bargain with the government, but perhaps could not succeed. Rohit Jindal, general assistant to the Deputy Commissioner, on Thursday went to the complex. He distributed cheques for Rs 20,000 each to two families headed by persons with physical disabilities. One of the beneficiaries, Narinder, an e-rickshaw driver, said, “The timely aid will Ashok Kaura Phagwara, February 13 In response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha, the Central Government has admitted that no detailed or verified state-wise data is available, including Punjab, on Indians who travelled abroad illegally or were deported. Replying to the question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that many countries shared information only during deportation or nationality verification processes. In several cases, deportation was carried out directly by the foreign governments concerned, due to which complete information did not always reach Indian Embassies. However, based on data received from various Indian missions abroad, around 1,34,365 nationals were deported between 2021 and 2025. These figures clearly highlight the alarming scale of illegal migration networks. According to official data, the highest number of deportations occurred from Saudi Arabia (around 1.21 lakh), followed by nearly 22,000 from the UAE. Deportations have also been reported from the United States, Malaysia, Qatar, and Myanmar, among others. Speaking to the media, Sant Seechewal said the absence of state-level data and a coherent policy was creating space for illegal agents to operate freely. He pointed out that when over 1.34 lakh Indians had been deported in just five years and there was no separate data even for a migration-prone state like Punjab, it reflected not only a data gap, but also a serious policy failure. He stressed that in Punjab, Haryana and other affected states, fake agents were pushing the youth towards dangerous and illegal routes abroad. Strict action and accountability against such networks were urgently required. Sant Seechewal further demanded the creation of a state-wise deportation tracking system, stronger coordination with foreign governments and stringent action against illegal agents, so that more families were not forced to pay the heavy price of unsafe and unlawful migration. Bibi Bhani Complex flats in poor condition in Jalandhar on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: SARABJIT SINGH 2 youths lose lives in Phagwara mishap INHABITABLE AND UNSAFE The ❝wallsplaster from the is peeling Our Correspondent off. The doors and windows of the houses are broken, making them unsafe for us and our children. Water is seeping down as if it was raining. ❞ Rita Devi, BENECIARY surely help me, but it may not be sufficient.” All my belongings have got damaged or been missing for the past two days. We did not get any time to pack up as the police action against us was so swift. The administration has also given us a table, two chairs, folding bed, mattresses and a blanket. But we have no utensils to start our kitchen. They, however, are providing us with meals and potable water, but we cannot have langar on a daily basis.” Surinder, another beneficiary, said, “My house is extremely unsafe as the doors do not have latches and the windowpanes are lying broken. There are anti-social elements roaming around in the evening. Our lives are at risk here.” Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal has assured the families that their houses would be repaired at the earliest. Phagwara, February 13 A road accident late Thursday evening on the Phagwara-Dosanjh Kalan road near village Indana Classice claimed the lives of two youths, plunging their native village into mourning. According to information received from the police, the accident occurred when a scooter (PB-08-EJ-1403) collided with a motorcycle (PB08-CA-8406). The scooter was being ridden by Vikramjit Singh, with Samar as the pillion rider. Both were residents of Dosanjh Kalan and were travelling towards Phagwara at the time of the mishap. The collision, reported to have taken place near the vil- lage on Dosanjh road, was so severe that both youths sustained critical injuries. Local residents and passers-by immediately rushed them to Gandhi Hospital, Phagwara, where doctors provided preliminary treatment. Considering the seriousness of their condition, the injured were referred to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, for advanced medical care. Hospital sources said Samar was declared brought dead at DMC Hospital, while Vikramjit Singh succumbed to his injuries after two hours despite sustained efforts by doctors to save his life. A case has been registered on the basis of a complaint received in connection with the incident. AAP burns effigy of Bajwa over ‘remark’ against minister’s father Nawanshahr, February 13 The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday held district-level demonstrations across the state against Leader of the Opposition Partap Bajwa over his alleged remark against minister Harbhajan Singh ETO. Banga MLA Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, Chairman, District Planning Board, Satnam Singh Jalalpur, among others alleged that he had used objectionable language against the father of the minister, who belongs to the Dalit community. An effigy of Bajwa was also burnt. Various leaders said the objectionable language used by Bajwa against the Dalit community had hurt its sentiments.— TNS Trader ends life, two 100 cops deployed during CM Mann’s overnight stay in Jalandhar days before wedding Our Correspondent Phagwara, February 13 In a tragic turn of events, a 29year-old businessman allegedly ended his life at his residence in Kapurthala on Friday afternoon, just two days before his scheduled wedding. The incident occurred while preparations for his marriage were in full swing and a shagun ceremony was underway at his home, plunging the family’s celebrations into deep mourning. The deceased has been identified as Karan Kumar Mahajan, a resident of Shiv Colony in Kapurthala. He was the only son of his family and was set to marry a girl from Jalandhar. According to family members, the wedding was scheduled to take place in two days, and relatives had gathered at the house for pre-wedding rituals. As per preliminary information, Karan went to the third floor of his house at around 3 pm. When he did not return, family members began searching for him. Upon opening the room on the third floor, they found him hanging inside the bathroom. Panic and cries erupted in the house as relatives rushed to bring him down and immediately shifted him to a nearby hospital. However, doctors declared him brought dead. The police reached the spot and initiated an inquiry. City SHO Amandeep stated that no suicide note was recovered from the scene. He added that the family has declined to register a case or seek legal action at this stage. Karan was a well-known trader dealing in hosiery and general merchandise at Jolly Market in Kapurthala. According to relatives, his business was running smoothly and he appeared to be actively involved in wedding preparations. His uncle and local BJP leader Dharm Pal Mahajan said Karan had been practising dance performances for the wedding functions and had shown no visible signs of stress or conflict. He further stated that there was no dispute with anyone and that Karan shared cordial relations with his fiancée. Jalandhar, February 13 More than 100 cops were on guard as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann spent a night at his Old Baradari residence in Jalandhar. The CM had arrived around 12 noon on Thursday, spending almost 24 hours in the city. He was accompanied by his adviser Bibhav Kumar and OSD Rajbir Singh. His wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur, who had joined him during his previous stay in the house last month, was not here this time. Barricades remained in place on all sides leading to his house and were finally lifted this afternoon. While the CM held a Lok Milni on Thursday (second in Jalandhar since this year), only some officers met him before he left on Friday. The CM’s visit to Jalandhar for the milni is being seen as a step of the party to improve its prospects, especially since the Congress has its MP and five of the nine MLAs. Various works as proposed by party leaders and workers were approved by the CM and the officers concerned during the meeting. Adampur halqa in-charge Pawan Tinu was much appreciative of the CM’s move to meet the public in the two back-to-back milnis. “All proposals that I had put forth before the CM in my January 12 meeting have been executed. There was staff shortage in the PSPCL in Adampur. After I put forth the issue before the CM last month, the department has deployed staff and also filled in the post of XEN. I have presented more demands of residents of Alawalpur and got a positive response. If the CM keeps on visiting and meeting public like this, most of our problems will get sorted out quickly”, he said. Councillor Harjinder Ladda too raised the problem of high tension wires in his ward. Residents of the Surya Enclave Welfare Society led by halqa in-charge Nitin Kohli, also met the CM. They demanded a waiver of enhancement charges and non-construction fee levied by the Jalandhar Improvement Trust from them. Rajiv Dhamija, president of the society, said the enhancement charges had been jacked up from Rs 5,424 per marla to Rs 1.1 lakh per marla, which was beyond the paying capacity of several families. — TNS All set for V-Day todayLavish menus, candlelight setting, live music Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 13 Heart-shaped arcades and balloons have been put up, while tables have been elegantly arranged with pairs of roses in sleek vases and designer candle stands. A playlist with a mix of old and new romantic songs has been curated. Above all, preparations for a special cuisine have been planned as the city’s hotels, restaurants and cafes are all draped in red to welcome Valentine’s Day guests tomorrow. The newly opened Niro Cafe at Model Town has come up with a Red Heart Coffee served with a red velvet cook- ie. Phomo restaurant, on Model Town road, too has planned a special pan Asian menu which includes a mango sago martini, pink tuna dil love sushi, dil heart dumpling with bloody mary sauce and beetroot red dragon fruit uramaki. Fine dining restaurant Posh Plates too has planned a lavish, exotic menu which includes burrito salad, avocado sev puri, asparagus sushi and a Turkish platter. Interestingly, even as the eateries have got advance booking for the day, most gift shops did not have any footfall today. There were hardly any takers for the heart- c m y b Foreigners buy roses on the eve of Valentine’s Day in Jalandhar. PHOTO SARABJIT SINGH shaped red cushions and teddies as had been the trend earlier. Chocolates, however, still remained the most favourite gift option for young couples celebrating V-Day. “I shall go in for a pack of my favourite Lindt, Cadbury Silk Bubbly chocolate and Ferrero Rochers for my husband,” said Samaira, a newly wed woman, making her purchase in the Model Town market. The flower shops certainly had many more customers asking for red rose sticks and bouquets. Owing to a surge in demand for roses, the stick which otherwise cost Rs 50 or so was available at double the price.