12012026-JTR-01.qxd 11-01-2026 22:49 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ABC CENTRE HALT OPERATIONS, DOG BITE CASES SURGE EXTEND WINTER BREAK, DELAY SCHOOL TIMINGS OSCAR SPOTLIGHT ON UNTOLD TRUTHS Without Project Registration Certificate, the centre cannot legally conduct sterilisation of animals. P2 Provide health checkups for students in need, establish emergency shelters for homeless children. P3 With Paroentering the Oscar Convention List, Trupti Bhoir marks her second Academyrecognised film, on global stage. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 12°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 11°C | MIN 4°C SUNSET MONDAY 5.44 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7:27 AM MONDAY | 12 JANUARY 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. CM Mann in city, 178-year-old heritage house new address Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service INBRIEF 22.3 KG DRUGS SEIZED Phagwara: The Jalandhar Commissionerate Police has arrested one person with a huge recovery of 22.3 kg of contraband from his possession. The arrest has been made by the police, Rama Mandi. An FIR has been registered in the case under Section 20 of the NDPS Act. During the operation, police apprehended Yuvraj, a resident of Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Ludhiana. A Tata Ace vehicle bearing registration number PB10-GX-4925 was intercepted, from which the recovery was made. Further investigation is underway to trace backward and forward linkages, and strict legal action will be taken against all those involved, said the inquiry officers. OC 13 BOOKED FOR ASSAULT, 2 HELD Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have booked 13 persons on charges of assault, snatching and kidnapping. The accused are residents of Mehatpur and nearby villages. Manjindar Singh of Bangiwal village complained to the police that the accused kidnapped him from a salon at Mehatpur on December 8, took him behind a cremation ground and assaulted and snatched his mobile phone and threatened him. A case has been registered against the accused and two who have been arrested. OC Jalandhar, January 11 Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday reached his second official home in Old Baradari, almost 16 months after it was earmarked for him. Mann arrived at the 11-acre heritage home this afternoon after attending a programme at the PAP Complex where he distributed recruitment letters to constables. Administrative officials, including Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal, Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur and PWD officials, escorted them to the new house. His wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur, who too was in Jalandhar to attend a Lohri programme near Phillaur, later joined him. Ahead of their visit, the Jalandhar Traffic Police had put up barricades on both sides of the officers’ colony, restricting public movement. The CM will stay here tonight and is likely to hold ‘ Lok Milni’ programme tomorrow morning from this house. Temporary German tents are being erected in the open space on the front side of his house since this evening so that he can have public meetings at his place tomorrow morning. The messages for ‘Lok Milni’ were circulated to people this evening through MLAs Hoshiarpur: The Mahilpur police have arrested two accused and recovered intoxicating powder along with four stolen motorcycles from their possession. During routine patrolling, the police grew suspicious of two youths and questioned them. During their search, 120 gram of powder was recovered. The accused disclosed their involvement in vehicle thefts. The police recovered four stolen motorcycles. oc WOMAN HELD WITH HOOCH Phagwara: The police have arrested a woman on the charge of selling illicit countrymade liquor. The accused has been identified as Maya of Rame village and 40 bottles of hooch were recovered from her possession. OC DRUG PEDDLER ARRESTED Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a person on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. As many as 31 tablets (loose) were recovered from the possession of the accused Kuldeep Singh, alias Lala, of Sharakpur village. OC TWO DRUG ADDICTS HELD Nakodar: The police have arrested a person on the charge of consuming heroin. The accused has been identified as Rahul Kumar of Gorsian Nihal village. oc Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 11 Leaders of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Mid-Day Meal Office Employees’ Union today condemned the house arrest of union leaders ahead of CM Bhagwant Mann’s visit to Jalandhar today. Members of the union condemned the detention of Shobhit Bhagat, leader of the union, from his home for about seven to eight hours during the visit of the CM. Union leaders Kuldeep Singh, Praveen Sharma, Rajinder Sandha and Jagmohan Singh said members of the union being placed under house arrest was the murder of democracy. Nawanshahr, January 11 The Nawanshahr district administration has intensified action against child begging under Project Jeevan Jot 2.0. Under the leadership of District Programme Officer Jagroop Singh, the District Task Force conducted checks at Bus Stand Road, Garhshankar Road and Banga Road in the district. During the operation, one child aged approximately two years was rescued and produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for action to ensure the child’s safety and welfare. The child’s mother failed to produce any valid documents related to the child, following which appropriate protective measures were initiated. Recently, two children aged Wanted to meet Mann over regular job Bhagat said, “The police came to my house at New Kartar Nagar at Model House at 8 am , where they detained me till 4 pm. Similarly Harpreet Kaur, leader of the Associate teachers Union, was also detained at her home in Jalandhar.” Bhagat said even after three months of the notification of regularisation of office employees, orders were not being issued to the employees, regarding which leaders wanted to meet the CM. The leaders said on January 26, the ministers, coming to hoist the flag in various districts, will be gheraoed. Barricades put up at the Old Baradari locality where CM Bhagwant Mann reached in Jalandhar on Sunday. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH and Aam Aadmi Party halqa in-charges. The ‘Lok Milni’ will continue till around noon after which the CM is expected to leave the place. The CM, during the June 2024 Jalandhar West bypoll, had stayed at a rented house in Royal Estate near Cantonment, where he held public meetings under the banner ‘Sarkar Tuhade Dwaar’. He vacated that house over a year ago. The 178-year-old lush green property has housed 140 Commissioners since British-era official Sir John Lawrence moved in in 1848. Gurpreet Sapra was the last Commissioner to reside here before her transfer. Her successor Pradeep Kumar Sabharwal lived in his own private house in Jalandhar, his last posting before his retirement. Subsequently, Commissioners Arun Sekhri and now Ramvir Singh have had additional charge in Jalandhar and another house in the same colony was earmarked for them. PWD officials, who had got the house readied, said since it was a ‘protected building’ since 2002-03, they had not got any major renovation done. “We had only got it freshly painted, put up new sanitary fittings, added new security pickets on all sides, created a few temporary canopies and gazibos in the open spaces, set up a volleyball court and put up new furnishings and furniture”, said a senior PWD official. The house already has a lake, agricultural fields and plush gardens all around. It is well-equipped with four drawing rooms, four bedrooms, three office rooms, an outer enclosed verandah and 10 two-room family flats for the helping staff. SSA/Mid Day Meal Workers Union leader Shobhit Bhagat detained at his home in Jalandhar on Sunday. Crackdown on child begging, Computer teachers to show 2-year-old rescued in N’shahr CM black flags on Jan 26 Tribune News Service TWO HELD WITH DRUGS POWDER To hold ‘Lok Milni’ at his Old Baradari house today Office staff union leaders put under house arrest approximately 4 to 7 years were found begging along with their mother at the bus stand, who were rescued by the Nawanshar administration. Senior officials said continuous checking is being carried out across the district to curb child begging. The public was also sensitised and urged not to engage children below 18 years of age in begging or labour. Citizens were appealed to immediately report any instance of child begging to the Child Helpline number 1098, so that the rescued children can be enrolled in schools. Child Protection Officer Gaurav Sharma also spread awareness among shopkeepers and the public, emphasising that forcing children below 18 years of age into begging is a punishable offence under the law. He stressed the need for counselling of both children and their parents to discourage begging and encourage education for building a better future. The officials stated that strict action would be taken under the Juvenile Justice Act against those found involving children in begging. They appealed to the public to share any information related to child protection with the District Child Protection Unit, Room No. 416, Third Floor, DC Office, or through Child Helpline 1098. The checking team included Child Protection Officer Gaurav Sharma, Rehinder Kaur, Santosh, Harbhajan Kaur, Supervisor Kamlesh Kumari, Sukhwinder Singh from the Education Department, and Head Constables Neha Kumari and Mukesh from the Police Department. Demand to release revised DA, benefits of pay commission Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, January 11 As a mark of protest, the Computer Teacher Sangharsh Committee has announced that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would be shown black flags on his arrival in Hoshiarpur on January 26, when he is scheduled to attend the Republic Day celebrations. A crucial meeting of the district unit of the committee was held here to deliberate on several pressing issues concerning computer teachers. During the meeting, teachers expressed resentment against the government and the Education Department. They pointed out that despite several rounds of talks and assurances given by the sub- committee, the Finance Department has not released the unrevised dearness allowance (DA) till date. The leaders also criticised the government for delaying the framing of a clear policy for death-related cases and for failing to implement the benefits of the 6th Pay Commission. The speakers alleged that, like previous governments, the present dispensation has failed to implement the regularisation notification and appointment letters issued with the approval of the Governor in their true letter and spirit. They said this continued neglect has caused deep frustration among computer teachers. The organisation also released its annual calendar dedicated to the 191-day-long Sangrur protest, recalling the prolonged struggle of computer teachers for their rights. The leaders warned that if the government fails to fulfil their demands, the committee would launch a largescale agitation across Punjab, for which the state government would be solely responsible. District convener Vishal Binny, Raghubir Singh, Raman Vashisht, Palwinder Singh, Sumit Dutta, Narinder Gilzian, Rajinder Singh, Ravinder Singh, Kuljit Singh, Mandeep Singh Virak, Sandeep Kumar, Tinku Tejpal, Gaurav Handa, Lakhwinder Singh, Balwinder Singh and Chander Kant were present at the meeting. 4 killed: Bus driver nabbed Hoshiarpur, January 11 In connection with a road accident on the HoshiarpurDasuya road that claimed four lives yesterday, the police arrested the accused bus driver and seized the vehicle today. ASI Gurmeet Singh said an FIR has been registered against Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Kanwan village in Pathankot district. He has been taken into custody, and the bus has been impounded. The case was registered on the complaint of Deepak Kumar, a resident of Chalet village in Una district. Deepak Kumar said his brother Sushil Kumar, along with Arun Kumar, Brij Kumar, and Sukhwinder Singh, was travelling in a car to drop Amit Dadwal of Dadwal village at Amritsar airport for an overseas trip. A bus coming collided with their car, leaving four dead, while Dadwal sustained injuries. oc Extortion bidGangster Olympian Garcha, inspiration for budding hockey players injured in encounter Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Phagwara, January 11 The Nawanshahr police, led by SSP Tushar Gupta, intercepted two alleged gangsters after they reportedly opened fire at the shutter of a closed shop, RK Sweets, near the Ambedkar Chowk bus stand in Nawanshahr. One was arrested while another escaped. According to Gupta, the shop owner had been receiving extortion calls, prompting the police to deploy a team nearby to prevent any potential incident. When the two men, identified as Gurbej Singh and Gurjant Singh, both residents of Tarn Taran, allegedly fired shots and attempted to flee on a motorcycle, the police immediately chased them. The suspects entered a residential locality behind Satluj petrol pump and allegedly fired at the police team. In retaliatory firing, Gurbej Singh sustained bullet injuries in his leg, following which he was arrested and shifted to the Civil Hospital, Nawanshahr. He was later referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. Jalandhar, January 11 Olympian Davinder Singh Garcha, a key figure in the hockey fraternity and the president of the Olympian Mohinder Singh Munshi Memorial Hockey Tournament, died on January 10. His death has created a deep void among players, organisers and admirers of the sport. Garcha had been associated with the tournament since its inception and was one of the Olympians, who played a pivotal role in starting it. Over the years, he along with others organised the annual event, including its silver c m y b jubilee edition in 2025. Speaking earlier to The Tribune, during the silver jubilee celebrations, Garcha had said he had invited Ashok Kumar, son of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, as the chief guest. “Dhyan Chand was truly a ‘jadugar’ of hockey. I want him to be here,” he had said. But, Ashok Kumar could not come. Garcha had also emphasised the importance of preserving hockey’s legacy. “The stories of old Olympians should be told to the younger generations so that they understand our rich history and draw inspiration from it,” he had said. Davinder Singh Garcha, hockey player, who died on January 10. FILE The tournament commemorates Olympian Mohinder Singh Munshi, one of Jalandhar’s revered hockey players from village Nangal Ambian. A gifted athlete, Munshi’s promising career was cut short when he died of jaundice in 1977 at the age of just 24. His brother Satpal Singh along with fellow players and admirers has continued to honour his memory through the annual tournament and other tributes. Garcha was among the strongest supporters of this effort. Satpal said the idea to start the tournament had originally been proposed by Garcha. “He was an important part of the tournament, and his death is a big loss. But I will make sure the tournament continues. It is for my brother and for Garcha as well, as he would never want the tournament to stop,” he said. “We have still not come to terms with the fact that he has gone. His contribution was immense,” he said. He was part of the Indian hockey team that won the gold medal in the 1980 Summer Olympics where he scored eight goals in total of six Olympic matches and played over 30 international matches playing just three tournaments, scoring 19 goals. Garcha’s contribution to hockey, particularly his efforts to keep alive the legacy of past Olympians, will be remembered by the sporting community for years to come.