18082026-LT-01.qxd 8/18/2026 12:47 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune COURT JUNKS PRE-ARREST BAIL PLEA BY EX-SHO IN RAPE CASE The case was registered at Dakha police station on the complaint of a woman inspector. P2 » NO ‘HAIWAAN’ BUT A ‘WONDERFUL INSAAN’ GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 23°C PARVIN DABAS IS BACK WITH KHOSLA KA GHOSLA 2 Gurpreet Ghuggi reveals how Akshay Kumar quietly helped rebuild homes for flood-hit families in 2025. P4 FORECAST Nearly two decades after the cult classic, the actor returns as Cherry and reunites with the original cast. P4 » SUNSET TUESDAY 7:01 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:52 AM » TUESDAY | 18 AUGUST 2026 | LUDHIANA Additional CP issues orders against High Court advances F&CC election date to August 25 blatant misuse of sirens, hooters Shopkeepers to check permission before selling accessories, maintain buyers’ record Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 17 Additional Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, Rupinder Singh, has issued a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, to regulate the manufacturing sale and use of car accessories within the Police Commissionerate area. Some accessories such as hooters and sirens, which only authorised government officials or persons having required permission can use in their vehicles, are being blatantly misused by some persons to show their ‘VIP status’. Criminal elements are also exploiting the trend. The order follows a communication from the Special Director General of Police (Law and Order), Punjab. It states that various agencies and individuals have been manufacturing and selling car accessories such as flags, sirens, flashing lights, LED lights, decorative lights, black films and banner guards. Shopkeepers in Police officials seize a hooter fitted in a vehicle in Ludhiana. local markets are being made to purchase such items and the same are being sold to end buyers. The police observed that such activities lead to an increase in various crimes, violation of traffic rules and fear among the public. During the sale of such accessories, neither the agencies nor the shopkeepers maintain proper stock registers or record of goods Toiling hard sold and displayed. To address the issue, the order directs that no accessories of any kind should be fitted on vehicles, every agency, stock dealer and general shopkeeper must TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN maintain a register or record of car accessories sold and related documents of sale, including permission for using the same, must also be preserved. Mobile numbers of owners of goods must be entered in the register and the record is to be retained for five years. The users should obtain permission from the department concerned for fitting such accessories and keep a record of the same. “Shopkeepers should also put sticker/identification card of their shops on the accessories fitted on the vehicles and they will enter the complete record of the vehicle and its owner along with the mobile number in the register. They will be responsible for keeping the record for five years. Any agency, stock dealer or shopkeeper found violating or ignoring the order will face action as per law. The restrictions will remain in force for two months from the date of issue,” the order states. Ludhiana, August 17 The election of two councillor members of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) will now be held on August 25, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court advancing the date by more than two weeks. The development follows an application filed by the corporation seeking modification of the court’s August 7 order, under which the meeting of the MC for electing the two F&CC members was to be held on September 11. In its order dated August 14, the High Court modified its earlier direction and ordered that the date of the MC meeting for electing the members of the F&CC be read as August 25 instead of September 11. The court said the modification was being made in view of the “grave concern” expressed by the Municipal Commissioner regarding the development of the city. The MC had sought an earlier date, stating that keeping the election pending could affect the functioning of the committee and delay important civic works. In its application, the Ludhiana, August 17 The Congress received a major boost in the Ludhiana South constituency when Satwinder Singh, along with his supporters, left the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and joined it. He was welcomed by Ishwarjot Cheema, Congress in-charge of the Ludhiana South Constituency. Cheema said people across Punjab were disappointed with the current situation in the state and the performance of the present government. He said the people’s inclination was again shifting towards the Congress and that the people of the state were enthusiastic about bringing the party back to power in the coming time. After joining the Congress, Satwinder said he had joined the party after being impressed by its policies and ideology. He said wherever the party assigns him a responsibility, he would discharge it with dedication and honesty. — TNS Woman robbed of bag at gunpoint by 3 miscreants Ludhiana, August 17 An employee of the Grand Walk Mall here was robbed at gunpoint by three bike-borne assailants. The incident occurred under a bridge near the Baddowal Cantonment. As per the victim, Pooja, she was returning home in an auto-rickshaw after leaving the mall. As she got off the auto near Baddowal Cantonment, one of the three persons standing behind her pulled out a pistol, pointed it at her and snatched her bag, which contained many items, including an iPhone. The woman told mediapersons that she was frightened by the pistol and could not resist. One of the suspects snatched her bag and afterwards, they fled the scene on a motorcycle. The bike was parked in a dark spot so she could not see its number plate. The victim said the miscreants had their faces covered. Only one got off the bike to snatch the bag while others remained on the vehicle. The victim demanded that the police should nab the suspects so that her phone could be recovered. After the incident, the woman, with the help of a passer-by, called the police and her father to inform them about the incident. Pooja’s father Rakesh Kumar said he drops his daughter at her workplace in the morning while she returns home by an auto in the evening. The police launched a probe and are checking footage from nearby CCTV cameras to identify the suspects. — TNS College student dies by suicide Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 17 A BA first year student here died by suicide at her house in New Madhopuri Colony on Sunday. She hanged herself from a ceiling fan. Victim was also running a boutique at home The deceased was identified as Anshika. The girl was running a boutique at her house along with her study. She was alone at house when she took the step. After getting information, the police reached the scene. No suicide note was found from the place. A police official said the victim’s family had not raised any suspicion on anyone and they also refused for any police proceedings. The girl’s mobile phone was also examined but nothing suspicious was found. c m y b civic body cited the ongoing monsoon and the need for urgent decisions related to water supply, sewerage, drainage, road repairs and other development works. It had requested that the election be advanced, preferably within a week. The matter is linked to a controversy that started in June when Mayor Inderjit Kaur inducted councillors Aman Bagga and Yuvraj Sidhu as the two councillor members of the F&CC. Aman Bagga is the son of Ludhiana North MLA Madan Lal Bagga, while Yuvraj Sidhu is the son of Atam Nagar MLA Kulwant Singh Sidhu. Their induction was opposed by the Opposition, which maintained that the two members should have been elected by councillors. The F&CC comprises the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Municipal Commissioner and two EMPLOYEES’ UNION SEEKS EXTENSION Tribune News Service BSP leader, supporters join Congress Yuvraj Sidhu Uncertainty over agri varsity VC’s extension as tenure ends today Manav Mander Amid the humid weather conditions, railway workers carry out maintenance work on the tracks in Ludhiana. Aman Bagga councillor members. The two councillor posts became the centre of the controversy after the Mayor nominated the two councillors instead of an election being held. The Opposition had alleged that the move bypassed the prescribed procedure. Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti subsequently approached the HC challenging the nominations. His petition questioned the nomination of the two councillors and sought the election of the members in accordance with Section 42(4) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976. The legal challenge came after opposition councillors had objected to the constitution of the committee. The issue had also become politically significant as no opposition councillor was included among the two councillor members of the six-member committee. With Friday’s order, the court has now accepted the MC’s request to advance the date. The election meeting will therefore take place on August 25, bringing the months’ long dispute over the two F&CC posts to the next stage. Ludhiana, August 17 The suspense over the future leadership of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, has reached its peak as the tenure of Vice-Chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal concludes tomorrow. Despite the looming deadline, the state government has yet to announce whether Gosal will be granted an extension or not, leaving faculty and staff in a state of speculation. Dr Gosal, a distinguished biotechnologist, was appointed as PAU’s Vice Chancellor on August 19, 2022. His appointment came after the university had remained without a permanent VC for nearly a year following the retirement of Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, PAU’s longest-serving ViceChancellor. Dhillon had led the institution from July 2011 to June 2021, securing two extensions during his tenure and completing a Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, VC The PAU Employees’ Union has backed Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, writing to the Chief Minister and the Governor to extend his tenure. The union highlighted development works carried out under his leadership, crediting him with taking the university “to new heights”. decade of service. Barely two months into Gosal’s tenure, controversy erupted in October 2022 when the then Governor Banwarilal Purohit declared his appointment “illegal” and urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to remove him. Mann, however, defended the decision, reiterating that Gosal’s appointment was made under the Punjab and Haryana Agricultural University Act, 1970, which empowers the university’s board to appoint the VC without requiring approval from the Gover- nor or the Chief Minister. Unlike other universities such as GNDU, Amritsar, and Punjabi University, Patiala, where the Chancellor oversees appointments, the PAU operates as a professional university with its Board of Management holding the authority. The UGC norms do not apply in the case, further strengthening the legitimacy of Gosal’s appointment. As uncertainty deepens, faculty members remain divided. “In such a condition, I think he will not be given extension,” remarked one faculty member, pointing to the recent advertisement published in newspapers inviting applications for the post of the PAU VC. On the other hand, the PAU Employees’ Union has backed Gosal, writing to the Chief Minister and the Governor to extend his tenure. The union highlighted development works carried out under his leadership, crediting him with taking the university “to new heights”. Dr Gosal, when contacted in this regard, acknowledged the uncertainty, stating that the government had remained “tight-lipped” and that “tomorrow only things will unfold”. The unfolding decision carries weight not only for the PAU but also for the state’s agricultural landscape. With Gosal’s tenure ending on Tuesday, the government’s silence has fueled speculation about whether continuity will be prioritised or a new leadership will be ushered in. Suspect escapes by pushing Himachal cop at city police station, booked Kangra police had brought him to Ludhiana for probe in NDPS case Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 17 A suspect brought to the city by the Kangra police from HP for investigation in an Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case escaped from custody by pushing a policeman and fleeing from the Police Division 7. Rahul Kumar a resident of Palampur, Kangra district in HP was arrested by the Kan, gra police in a case registered under the NDPS Act. He was brought to the police station in Ludhiana in connection with the probe. According to the complaint lodged by ASI Rakesh Kumar of the Kangra police, the police team reached the police station with Rahul. When their vehicle entered the station gate on August 13, the suspect pushed the policeman sitting behind him in the vehicle and managed to escape from the spot. The Ludhiana police and Himachal Police launched a search for the man but to no avail. On the basis of the ASI’s complaint, the police on Sunday registered a case against Rahul under Section 262 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and started a hunt for him. Police teams had been combing surrounding areas and examining CCTV footage of cameras installed in and around the police station. The ASI said a case under the NDPS Act was registered against the suspect at a police station in Kangra on August 13. Over six gm of heroin was allegedly recovered from him in that case.