12102026-ATR-01.qxd 10/11/2026 11:01 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY LALTON KHURD WOMAN MAKES HER MARK IN DAIRY FARMING OPEN HOUSE: BUILD CULTURE OF RESPONSIBLE DRIVING NUSHRRATT SHARES FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATE AFTER BALI ACCIDENT Rupinder Kaur Grewal has transformed herself from a homemaker into a progressive dairy entrepreneur. P2 Distracted driving must attract strict penalties, including fines and licence suspension, say residents. P3 MAX 30°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 23°C The actor shared an Insta story featuring an empty reclining wheelchair placed near a window with the sun setting outside. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 6.02 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.32 AM » MONDAY | 12 OCTOBER 2026 | AMRITSAR M16 rifle seizure sparks law & order concerns INBRIEF MAN HELD WITH ILLICIT LIQUOR Tarn Taran: The police here arrested a man with illicit liquor. The accused has been identified as Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Naushera Dhala village. He was arrested near his village. The police seized 6.7 litres of illicit liquor from him. A case was registered under Sections 1, 14 and 61 of the Excise Act. OC IGP says trend worrying , working tirelessly to tackle it Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service 250 NARCOTIC PILLS SEIZED Tarn Taran: A patrolling party led by Sub-Inspector Rohan Singh Sodhi of the Sarhali police arrested two persons with narcotic pills. The Sub-Inspector said the accused had been identified as Harjinder Singh and Ajaypal Singh, both residents of Dadehar Sahib village. The accused were arrested on the outskirts of their village. A total of 250 narcotic pills were recovered from them. OC Flattened paddy crop following rain in a field at Aladinpur village in Tarn Taran on Sunday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI Showers damage paddy in Tarn Taran district; basmati growers a worried lot Our Correspondent FOUR HELD FOR TAKING DRUGS Tarn Taran: The Chabal police here arrested four persons for taking drugs. They were arrested by a police party led by SubInspector Balwinder Singh. The accused have been identified as Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Dhand; Jobanjit Singh, a resident of Thathgarh; and Avtar Singh and Sukhpal Singh, both residents of Jagatpura. The police said a piece of silver foil, a pipe made from a Rs 10 note and a lighter were seized from them. OC Tarn Taran, October 11 Light rain was reported in several parts of Tarn Taran district on Sunday morning, raising concerns among farmers about damage to ripening paddy. While the rain brought relief from the heat, farmers said strong winds preceding the showers had damaged standing basmati varieties, particularly the early-maturing crops. Rajbir Singh, sarpanch of Rajoke village, said almost Rain lasts around an hour; early-maturing varieties suffer damage all paddy varieties had either ripened or were nearing maturity, making them more vulnerable to damage from strong winds than from rain. He said the rain had not benefited the crops. Tejinderpal Singh, a farmer from Rasulpur village, said the early-maturing basmati varieties 1509 and 1692 had suffered somewhat greater damage. However, the winds associated with the weather system had caused less damage to the taller basmati varieties 1121 and 1718. He added that the tall 1121 and 1718 varieties were particularly vulnerable to being flattened even by a light breeze. Increased moisture in the standing crops following the rain would also require farmers to dry them in sunlight before harvesting. Wet crops could compli- cate harvesting and create difficulties for farmers when selling their produce in the grain market. The rain, which lasted about an hour, also signalled a change in the weather and brought relief from the heat. Dr Kuldeep Singh Chugh, a paediatrician from Tarn Taran, said the change in weather called for precautions to protect children. He advised them to wear fullsleeved clothing. Meanwhile, the mercury dipped in Amritsar due to cloudy weather. Amritsar, October 11 The seizure of a US-made military-grade M16 rifle, allegedly smuggled from Pakistan for the first time, has raised concerns among security agencies. They fear that the supply of such weapons to criminals could create a major law and order problem. Meanwhile, the seizure has set alarm bells ringing amid the festival season, at a time when the Punjab Police have already been grappling with the large-scale smuggling of sophisticated weapons from across the Pakistan border. Punjab has witnessed several attacks on police establishments and personnel in recent months. Four policemen lost their lives in such attacks, while two narrowly escaped death. These illegally smuggled weapons were allegedly used in these crimes, it is learnt. Inspector General of Police (Border Range) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the trend was worrisome and dangerous. He, however, maintained that the Punjab Police had been working tirelessly to nab those involved in drug The Amritsar police seized an M16 rifle, nine pistols and ammunition in two instances a day ago. and arms trafficking. On Saturday, the police revealed the seizure of a modified M16 rifle, along with 15 kg of opium, from two persons identified as Malkit Singh of Manj village and Gurjit Singh of Sarangra village in Lopoke. In a separate incident, the police also seized nine pistols. According to the police, all the weapons and contraband had been airdropped using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). “Nonetheless, the smugglers operate through the cutout method, in which one smuggler does not know the identity of the person who subsequently delivers the consignment. They drop the consignment at a predetermined location, from where another person picks it up,” Bhullar said. He added that the police were working on certain leads and expressed hope that more arrests would follow soon. Meanwhile, Malkit Singh and Gurjit Singh, who were arrested with the weapon, have been sent to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway to nab other members of the smuggling network. Eateries encroach on parking Parking crunch, defunct spaces, residents blame MC bollards spell trouble for Rumour of firing sends police in tizzy Charanjit Singh Teja Our Correspondent Golden Temple visitors Tribune News Service Vehicles stuck in a traffic jam on the airport road in Amritsar. Traffic signals missing on airport road, MP raises issue with MC Amritsar, October 11 Commuters heading to Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport continue to face traffic jams, as three traffic signals remain uninstalled nearly a year after funds were made available, MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla has pointed out. Aujla raised the issue with Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill, highlighting the absence of traffic signals on the busy road. He said the delay was causing inconvenience to commuters and called for an early resolution of the problem. According to information gathered from MC officials, the airport road falls under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department. However, during a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee, the responsibility for installing three traffic signals on the stretch was assigned to the Municipal Corporation. The civic body subsequently floated a tender for the work. However, no eligible bidder participated in the tendering process, resulting in the delay. — TNS Amritsar, October 11 Open-air eateries at several locations in the city have encroached upon parking spaces, leaving visitors with little room to park their vehicles. Food outlets at Novelty Chowk have occupied roadside spaces and part of the Nehru Shopping Complex parking area by placing tables and chairs there, inconveniencing shoppers and traders. Customers can be seen sitting on chairs and eating at places meant for parking vehicles. The encroachments have raised questions about the enforcement of civic regulations as Municipal Corporation officials are accused of failing to check the unauthorised use of public spaces. Shopkeepers and visitors said finding a parking spot had become a challenge, particularly during busy hours. People visiting the market Tribune News Service An encroached parking space at Nehru Shopping Complex in Amritsar on Sunday. often spend considerable time looking for space to park their cars, scooters and motorcycles, while a portion of the available area remains occupied by tables and chairs. Traders said the situation was unfair to customers who visited the market for shopping and expected access to the designated parking facility. They also questioned how food outlets were able to use public parking areas for com- mercial activities without effective checks by the authorities. Ravinder Kumar, a city resident, expressed concern over the situation. When contacted, Municipal Corporation Estate Officer Sushant Bhatia said action was taken against such violations from time to time. He added that strict directions would be issued and further action would be taken against the encroachments. Amritsar, October 11 A shortage of parking space and around 20 non-functional automatic bollards on Heritage Street are causing inconvenience to devotees visiting the Golden Temple. Officebearers of the local NGO Amritsar Vikas Manch met officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to seek urgent intervention by the Golden Temple management and the district administration. The delegation met SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami and highlighted the difficulties faced by pilgrims, particularly on Gurpurbs and weekends, when more than two lakh devotees visit the Golden Temple. NGO patron Kulwant Singh Ankhi said the limited capacity of the Saragarhi parking lot forced visitors to park their vehicles along roads and in markets within the walled city, often without adequate security. Haphazard parking also disrupted traffic in the area. NGO president Surinderjit Singh urged the SGPC to coordinate with the district administration and the Amritsar Improvement Trust to use vacant spaces at Guru Nanak Bhawan, City Centre and Jahaz Garh as temporary parking facilities until a permanent solution was found. The delegation also flagged the poor condition of Heritage Street, where around 20 automatic bollards were out of order, undermining efforts to keep the stretch vehicle-free and causing inconvenience to pilgrims and tourists. Citing a 2016 judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the delegation said the bollards had been installed by the Punjab Government to regulate vehicular movement on the heritage stretch. Langoor Mela draws thousands of devotees on first day of Navratras Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 11 The famous Langoor Mela began with the onset of Navratras here on Sunday. Thousands of children dressed as langoors paid obeisance at Bara Hanuman Mandir on the Durgiana Temple premises on the occasion. Breaking with tradition, girls also dressed as langoors. Meanwhile, temples across the city wore a festive look. A large number of devotees bought puja items from shops and stalls set up in markets and outside temples. According to the tradition associated with the mela, children dressed as langoors, wearing bright silver-coloured outfits interspersed with red vertical stripes and conical caps, visit the historic Bada Hanuman Temple once a day during the Navratras. Legend has it that the temple was built at the spot where Luv and Kush, the sons of Lord Ram, had tied Lord Hanuman to a banyan tree when he came to take them back to Ayodhya. According to the temple priests, the tradition of the Langoor Mela began with the belief that couples wishing for a male child visit the Bada Hanuman Temple to pray. Those whose wishes are fulfilled then bring their children dressed as langoors to express their gratitude to Lord Hanuman. Children dressed as langoors and their parents have to follow a strict regimen, observing the rules followed by celibates, or Brahmacharis, during the Navratra period. They have to remain barefoot, sleep on the floor, consume ‘satvik’ food, shun finery and pay obeisance at the temple every day. Accompanied by their parents, friends and relatives, many children visit the temple in a festive spirit, dancing to the beats of the dhol. They fol- low this regimen until the Dussehra celebrations. Another age-old tradition involves sowing barley seeds in an earthen pot and keeping it in the puja room on the first day of Navratras before immersing them in flowing water on the concluding day. A day earlier, devotees visiting temples and markets purchased barley seeds to sow at their homes. They also bought red chunris, vermilion, coconuts, flowers and garlands required for the puja. Parents with their children at Langoor Mela in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR >> c m y b Tarn Taran, October 11 A tip-off about a firing incident last night in Gali Malaya Wali, located in Mohalla Jaswant Singh here, sent the local police in a tizzy. A caller had also reported the incident on the 112 helpline, following which the information was forwarded to the city police. Station House Officer (SHO) Paramjit Singh said that upon receiving the information, he immediately reached the spot and Dispute between two groups prompts alert gathered details about the incident. The police officer also sent the in-charge of the town police post to the spot where the incident allegedly took place. He said there had been a verbal dispute between two parties, following which someone reported a firing incident on the 112 helpline. Both parties were called to the police station in this regard. The Station House Officer said there had been no firing incident. ‘Information baseless’ A dispute had taken place between the two parties. The police recorded the matter in a daily diary report (DDR) and informed senior officers about it on Sunday. Meanwhile, local residents described the information given to the police as baseless, saying no such incident had taken place and that it was merely a rumour.