15012026-JTR-01.qxd 1/14/2026 11:04 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune CHAANAN ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES LOHRI, MAGHI COLD WEATHER CAN INCREASE BRAIN STROKE RISK: DOCS GET READY FOR COSMIC CHAOS THROUGH HUMOUR An organisation working in the field of intellectual disability, celebrated the events with special children. P2 Residents urged to remain alert, stressing that strokes are medical emergencies where timely treatment can save lives. P3 Actors Pulkit Samrat and Varun Sharma are in Chandigarh to promote their film, Rahu Ketu. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 12°C | MIN 4°C YESTERDAY MAX 11°C | MIN 4°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5.47 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:26 AM » THURSDAY | 15 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. INBRIEF ILLICIT LIQUOR SEIZED FROM 1 Phagwara: The Shahkot police have registered a case under the Excise Act after allegedly recovering a large quantity of illicit liquor during a patrol. During routine checking, the police arrested Kulwinder Singh of Kaniakalan, Shahkot, and recovered 9,000 ml of illicit liquor from his possession. The accused was arrested on the spot and the illegal liquor was seized as evidence. OC ONE BOOKED FOR MURDER BID Phagwara: The police have registered a case of attempted murder after an assailant allegedly opened fire with the intention to kill a resident in Shahkot of Jalandhar district. Sukhchain Singh, alias Chain, a resident of Shahkot, reported that unknown persons fired shots at him. Police said two bullet shells were recovered from the spot. The authorities are working on possible leads to ascertain the motive behind it. OC RAID ON CHINESE DOR SHOP Phagwara: The Phillaur police have registered a case after allegedly recovering 10 rolls of banned Chinese dor from a shop in Apra. An informer ttold the police that Chinese string was being sold at Arsh Fashion Point in Apra Bazaar. The police conducted a raid and recovered 10 spools of Chinese thread from shop owner Ashwani Kumar, resident of Chakwala, Apra. The police said the material was seized and a case was registered against the accused. OC ONE HELD WITH CHINESE STRING Hoshiarpur: The police conducted a raid at a grocery shop in the Shastri Nagar locality and seized 25 bundles of banned synthetic kite string. The police have arrested the shop owner, identified as Shankar Mehto, alias Bouncer. A case has been registered. oc ONE HELD WITH BANNED PILLS Hoshiarpur: The Industrial Area police arrested one person on charges of illegal possession and trafficking of prohibited pills during routine patrolling. A large number of banned pills were recovered from the accused Gagandeep, alias Gagan, a resident of Roop Nagar. The police have registered a case under the NDPS act against him. oc 3 BOOKED IN CHEATING CASE Hoshiarpur: The police have registered a case against three persons on charges of cheating. Mukesh Goyal, a resident of Adowal Garhi, said accused Dalip Patel, Hina Patel and Priy Kant Patel, residents of Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh, allegedly cheated him by issuing cheques from closed bank accounts. oc Schools reopen, severe chill keeps pupils away Teachers worried as pre-board examinations start tomorrow Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 14 Schools across Jalandhar reopened today after winter vacations were extended twice due to extreme cold conditions. However, the resumption of classes witnessed poor student turnout, with most schools recording only around 50 per cent attendance, while some institutions reported an even lower presence of 20 to 30 per cent. In some classes, only one or two students were present and attending lessons, while in other schools, entire classes were found to be absent. Teachers attributed the low attendance to the prevailing cold wave gripping the region. A teacher from a government school in Jalandhar said the situation was expected given the harsh weather. “There is extreme cold, which is why students did not come. There was very little attendance today,” he said. Echoing similar concerns, another school teacher said attendance was extremely low, despite examinations being just around the corner. “Papers are approaching and students have not come,” the teacher remarked, expressing Passengers packed in woollens waiting for their trains on a cold day in Jalandhar. SARABJIT SINGH Cold wave casts shadow on Lohri, Maghi festivities Tribune News Service A lone student of Class VI in Govt Model School, Ladowali Road, Jalandhar. concern over students missing crucial preparation time. Even in government primary schools, student strength remained extremely low. Attendance was particularly affected among younger children, who largely avoided coming to school due to the prevailing extreme cold weather. Parents were reluctant to send small children to school, fearing health issues caused by harsh temperatures. Meanwhile, District Educa- Former Alberta MLA sets eyes on NRI Sabha poll Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 14 In a first for NRI Sabha Punjab, a two-time member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada, has expressed interest in contesting for the post of president. Parmjit Singh ‘Peter’ Sandhu, who has been elected MLA twice from Edmonton-Manning, met sabha members during his ongoing visit to Punjab. Discussing his plans during a visit to Jalandhar, he said, “I wish to go back to my roots and do something for my people back home. I felt that my NRI brethren were not happy with the way their issues were being handled in Punjab. Sitting here, I want to do some ‘sewa’. NRI Sabha is the only global organisation that bridges the gap between the NRIs and the government and I want to pitch in.” A native of Moga and the nephew of former Akali MP Peter Sandhu Gurcharan S Galib, the 64year-old owns a construction works company in Canada, now being run by his children. The two-year term of the last NRI Sabha president, Parvinder Kaur Banga, expired on January 5. The next elections are expected to be announced soon. Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner Ramvir Singh has submitted the election schedule to CM Bhagwant Mann, the Chief Patron of the sabha, for approval. Former president Jasvir S Gill is also eyeing the post. TRIBUNE PHOTO SARABJIT SINGH Jalandhar, January 14 A biting, bone-chilling cold wave marked Lohri and Maghi in Jalandhar as residents shivered with minimum temperatures dropping to 4 degree Celsius. For the past nearly one week, the maximum temperatures have hovering between 9 and 17 degree Celsius while minimum remained between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius. Chilly winds and a persistent smog blanket, especially over the past two days, inten- Jalandhar, January 14 North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) executive director Satnam Singh Chahal expressed concern over the shocking revelation that 328 Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib went “missing” from the SGPC complex and that only around 100 Saroops have reportedly been traced. Chahal said the disclosure has shaken the Sikh community across the globe and raises questions about the custodianship, accountability, and respect for the highest Sikh religious authority. Chahal said for the Sikhs, a Saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is not a book or a record — it is the living Guru. Any negligence, mismanagement, or delay in addressing such a serious issue amounts to a deep moral and religious failure. hika Sharma, student of Class VII said, “I had to go to school as they opened today. But there were many absentees. While we certainly miss out on studies if we skip school, it is too cold to continue classes normally. The weather is too cold. “ While Jalandhar’s minimum temperatures have not yet dipped below zero, Adampur — one of the coldest spots in the North Indian plains— recorded 2°C recently. With an orange alert and rain forecast from January 18 onwards, temperatures may fall further. tion Officer (Secondary) Gurinderjit Kaur acknowledged the issue and said instructions would be issued to schools to ensure regular attendance. “Pre-board examinations will start from January 16, and students must come to school daily,” she said. The DEO also conducted a visit to one of the schools that recorded nearly 50 per cent attendance to review the situation first-hand. She interacted with school staff and empha- sised the importance of classroom learning, especially with examinations nearing. Education officials said they are monitoring the situation closely and may take further steps to improve attendance if the trend continues. Parents have also been urged to send their children to school regularly, while schools have been advised to ensure a warm and safe environment for students during the cold spell. Six injured as 2 cars collide amid dense fog Thieves target jewellery shop in Mukerian, decamp with gold, silver worth ~1.25 cr Kapurthala, January 14 Six persons were injured when two cars collided headon on Dalla Road in Sultanpur Lodhi on Wednesday. The injured were immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. The injured were pilgrims returning after paying obeisance at various historical religious sites in Sultanpur Lodhi on the sacred occasion of Maghi. The accident occurred near Dalla Mor, reportedly due to dense fog reducing visibility, leading to a collision between the two vehicles. Amarjit Singh, one of the car drivers and resident of near Kala Sanghian, said he was travelling with his family to visit religious places when his car crashed into a coming vehicle. With the help of passersby, ambulances were called and the injured were shifted to the hospital, where a medical team is providing treatment. The police reached the spot soon after receiving information and began investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. — OC Our Correspondent Mukerian, January 14 A major theft was reported at a well-known jewellery showroom, Joy Jewellers, located near PNB Bank on the Mukerian–Talwara main road. Taking advantage of darkness and dense fog, a group of thieves broke into the shop during the night and escaped with gold and silver jewellery worth over Rs1.25 crore. The incident was captured on the shop’s CCTV cameras. According to shop owner Anuj Mahajan, he had locked the shop and returned home on the evening of Lohri, as usual. Around 1:37 am, a resident living near the shop informed him on the phone that some suspicious persons were tampering with the shutter. Mahajan rushed to the spot, but by then the suspects had fled. He found the shutter broken and gold and silver items missing from the display showcases. CCTV footage revealed that between 1:15 am and 1:30 am, around 10 to 12 persons exe- The broken shutter of the jewellery shop which was burgled at Mukerian. cuted the theft in a wellplanned manner. They broke the iron grill gate, shutter and glass panels to gain entry into the shop and decamped with approximately 40–45 kg of silver and around 450 gram of gold, including jewellery, utensils and idols. The estimated loss is around Rs 1.25 crore. A police team reached the spot and initiated an investigation. The police are exam- Diaspora questions SGPC over ‘missing’ Saroops Tribune News Service sified the discomfort. A thick layer of smog enveloping the city all through the night until the morning and especially for the past two days, has aggravated the chill. While the sun briefly came out this afternoon, it was for a very fleeting movement. Lohri bonfires and Maghi celebrations were marked by people huddling close to fires to keep warm. Markets and public spaces saw small fires lit throughout the day to beat the chill. Schools reopened today, but attendance was low. Rad- He also said the fact that these Saroops remained unaccounted for over six long years is alarming and unacceptable. This is not a minor administrative lapse, respect for Sri Guru Granth Sahib must be reflected not just in words, but in responsible, transparent, and accountable actions, added Chahal. NAPA strongly questioned what was the SGPC doing for six years? How could an insti- c m y b tution that claims to be the supreme religious management body of the Sikhs fail to maintain a transparent and verifiable inventory of Saroops within its own complex? Were regular audits conducted? Were internal checks ignored? Or was this negligence deliberately buried to avoid accountability? These are not rhetorical questions — they demand clear, public answers. The partial tracing of around 100 Saroops does not resolve the issue; instead it exposes the scale of administrative failure. What about the remaining Saroops? Where were they sent, by whom, and under what authority? Were proper maryada procedures followed? The SGPC owes the Sikh Panth a detailed, written explanation, not vague assurances or delayed disclosures, Chahal said. ining CCTV footage from multiple locations, while a forensic team has collected scientific evidence from the crime scene. Following the incident, panic has gripped local residents and shopkeepers. Serious questions have been raised regarding police vigilance and night patrolling in the area. Locals believe that regular police patrols could have prevented such a major crime. MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan, along with local residents and members of the traders’ association, has demanded the immediate arrest of the accused and strengthening of security arrangements in the area. They expressed concern that such incidents may increase if strict action is not taken promptly. Woman among 3 booked for firing on youth, 1 held Hoshiarpur, January 14 In a daylight firing incident on a youth due to an old rivalry in the Islamabad locality on Chandigarh Road, the police have named three accused, including a woman, and arrested one person Malkiat Singh. Victim Sahil of Shanti Nagar, told the police that on Tuesday evening, he had gone with a friend in his car to market. A car carrying Jathedarni, along with her grandsons Deep and Malkiat Singh and some others stopped. The accused started beating up him and his companion. When Sahil tried to flee towards his car, the accused allegedly fired at him with the intention to kill. He narrowly escaped the attack.— OC