08102026-LT-01.qxd 10/8/2026 12:39 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune COPS NAB 7, SEIZE 3 KG HEROIN DURING WEEK-LONG DRIVE WOMAN TAKES INSPIRING STRIDES IN DAIRY FARMING Police recover 16 kg opium, ~1.05 lakh drug money during campaign under Yudh Nashian Virudh. P2 Karamjit Kaur’s farm in Rattowal has 110 cows and buffaloes that yield 10 quintals of milk every day. P2 » AYUSHMANN KHURRANA — THE FORGETFUL PAK SPY Memory loss, mistaken loyalties: Ayushmann, Sara Ali Khan-starrer Udta Teer has plenty of noise. P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6:00 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:20 AM » THURSDAY | 8 OCTOBER 2026 | LUDHIANA AAP leaders protestraids, burn Modi’s effigyoutside BJP office Nabbed gangster’s aides spill beans on cross-border weapon smuggling Gang planned to target businessmen in Chandigarh, Mohali Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 7 The questioning of two associates of a foreign-based gangster, arrested by the Ludhiana Commissionerate Police, has exposed a plot to target prominent businessmen in Chandigarh and Mohali, besides revealing a cross-border network involved in the smuggling of sophisticated weapons and ammunition. The arrested suspects were identified as Radhe Shyam and Rahul Kumar, both residents of the Rawla Mandi area in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rupinder Bhatti said investigations revealed that the the two suspects were in constant touch with their handler, Harman Sandhu, who is based abroad. Acting on Sandhu’s instructions, they had planned to open fire at residences and offices of prominent businessmen in Chandigarh and Mohali to create terror and extort large sums of money. Bhatti said CIA in-charge inspector Avtar Singh arrested the suspects near a vacant Saffron party leaders hit back, set Chief Minister Mann’s dummy afire Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 7 AAP leaders, MLAs and workers, including women councillors, on Wednesday protested against raids conducted by the CBI in different parts of the state. The protest was held outside the BJP’s office at Dana Mandi on Gill Road where a huge police force was deployed to avoid any untoward incident. Commissioner of Police (CP) Swapan Sharma had claimed that it would be a peaceful protest and proper barricading was done a few meters away from the BJP office. The protesters burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the protest. Slogans against the Central Government and BJP were raised by the protesters, including local MLAs Ashok Pappi Prashar, Daljit Bhola Grewal, etc. The protesters alleged that raids by central agen- AAP leaders and workers hold a protest outside the BJP office in Ludhiana on Wednesday. ASHWANI DHIMAN cies were tools of pressure tactics of the BJP-led Central Government. The protesters, including women workers of AAP said the , BJP was known for such raids right before the elec- tions, it could be the Delhi elections or now, the upcoming Punjab elections. But the agencies would get nothing and leaders of AAP would come out clean. The AAP leaders said the BJP government at the Centre wants to win the upcoming Assembly elections by intimidating and suppressing Punjabis, which was not possible. At the same time, the BJP leaders also burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann outside their office during the AAP’s protest. President of the Ludhiana BJP Sunil Moudgil said it was an uncalled act of the ruling government in the state as the raids were conducted following the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court but AAP always protests against the BJP outside the latter’s office. Such protests could be held anywhere else, why they chose BJP office for the same. The AAP MLAs and local leaders staged the protest as the call for the same was given by the party high command. Protests were held at several places in the state. The protest in the district remained peaceful. Women protesters from AAP while burning the effigy of the Prime Minister raised slogans against him. The protesters tried to cross the barricading but were stopped by the police. land of Irrigation Department on Ferozepur Road here after receiving a tip-off. The suspects were allegedly waiting for their accomplices to execute a crime. Both suspects have criminal records. Radhe Shyam is facing five cases registered in Rawla Mandi and Anupgarh in Rajasthan while Rahul Kumar is involved in a case registered in Rawla Mandi. An FIR was registered at Police Division No 8 on October 3 under Sections 111(1) and 308(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. Weapon smuggled from Pakistan According to police sources, Sandhu, who is based in Spain, had instructed his associates to collect a Glock pistol and 20 cartridges from Amritsar. The weapon had allegedly been smuggled from Pakistan. The weapon was later transported to Nakodar and concealed beneath a signboard. The two shooters were subsequently directed to retrieve it. Sandhu allegedly sent money to the suspects on three or four occasions to cover fuel, lodging and other expenses, with the cash hidden at various locations and collected in a similar manner. The police said the suspects were also promised Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 for each target they attacked. However, they were arrested before they could execute the plans. Major conspiracy foiled Bhatti said the arrests thwarted a major conspiracy to target businessmen in Chandigarh and Mohali. Acting on the directions of the foreign-based gangster, the suspects had been assigned the task of attacking prominent businessmen and extorting money from them. The police will investigate identities of the intended targets and trace other members of the network. “We cannot disclose the names of the intended targets for security reasons but they have been alerted by the police,” he added. F&CC clears road washing proposal Over 84K MT of paddy arrives in dist Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 7 After deferring for a day, the controversial Rs 81.54-crore proposal for mechanical sweeping and washing of roads was given a nod by the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation. It will now be sent to the House for final approval. Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti, who is a member of the F&CC, said he raised objections against the proposal but after the meeting that lasted for two hours, the proposal was passed. In protest, Bhatti sat in front of the Mayor’s residence and raised slogans against the government. “I am on a permanent dharna and will go only when the Cong councillor Gaurav Bhatti holds a protest outside the Mayor's residence in Ludhiana. proposal is deferred,” he said. The proposal envisaged spending around Rs 2,500 per km per month on mechanical sweeping and washing. Questions are being raised on the need for washing roads, since large portion of the city’s road network had bituminous surfaces and washing will lead to its breakage. Former Congress councillor Mamta Ashu took to social media and wrote “what was the compulsion to pass the project that required a two-hour discussion to clear it. Since the cleanliness in the city is already in question, where is the need for the project worth crores”. Besides, instalation of highmast streetlights at various locations and storm sewerage on Rahon Road were also passed in Wednesday’s meeting. Mayor Inderjit Kaur said the Opposition had only one work and that was to criticise the ruling government. “The project has been started in Jalandhar, Amritsar and Bathinda and now, the govern- ment intend to start it in Ludhiana as well. The AQI of the city is poor and we want cleanliness around and it is one major step taken in this regard. The proposal will be sent to the House for approval,” she said. The civic body had earlier sought an opinion from Dr Tanuj Chopra, faculty member, department of civil engineering, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, who cautioned that excessive water use could damage road surfaces and recommended mechanised broom or vacuum sweeping instead. Nevertheless, the MC passed the proposal, which includes sweeping, washing, litter picking and horticulture work, raising concerns over the road-washing component despite clear technical reservations. Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 7 The arrival and purchase of paddy is in full swing in district’s grain markets. According to official figures shared by the Punjab Mandi Board, a total of 84,949.88 metric tonnes of paddy has arrived in Ludhiana mandis. Highest produce has arrived at Khanna mandi, which stands at 31,740.50 metric tonnes. Of the total produce arrived at various mandis, 79,083.42 metric tonnes has been purchased so far and 23,895.98 metric tonnes of the sold produce has been lifted and 69.78 per cent is still to be lifted. Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, Punjab, Lal Chand Kataruchak, on Wednesday reviewed paddy procurement arrangements at INDERJEET VERMA Will be sent to MC House for final nod, Cong councillor opposes plan The arrival and purchase of paddy is in full swing in district’s markets. the Jagraon grain market. The minister said during the paddy procurement season 2026-27, a target of procuring 180 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been fixed and the farmers’ crop was being purchased at Rs 2,461 per quintal. He said a Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of Rs 42,786.68 crore had been released by the RBI for paddy procurement, ensuring immediate and hassle-free payment to farmers after purchase. He said bardana had also reached the mandis. Kataruchak assured that the state government would procure every single grain of the crop and no one would be allowed to bring paddy from other states into state mandis. He said no difficulty would be allowed to be faced by farmers and arhtiyas during the procurement season. He said payment for the procured crop was being made into the farmers’ bank accounts within 24 hours. Regarding stubble management, he said saving Punjab’s water, air and land from pollution was everyone’s shared responsibility. He also expressed hope that farmers would not burn stubble. The paddy procurement is going on smoothly throughout the state and 8.50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has arrived in grain markets of Punjab, of which 7.50 lakh metric tonnes has been procured by various government procurement agencies. Machines defunct for month, TB patients hassled Patwari, aide held for graft Tribune News Service Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 7 Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis across the district has been severely disrupted as testing machines are lying non-functional for the past one month. Nearly 30 health centres, including the Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, have been unable to conduct rapid TB testing due to a shortage of essential chips and cartridges required for these machines. While the Civil Hospital has both CBNAAT and TrueNat systems, other centres rely only on TrueNat. All machines at government health centres in the district are non-functional for the past one month, which has led to stalling of the testing services. In the absence of these machines, the Health Department has now reverted to traditional microscopic methods for examining suspected TB cases. The Civil In the absence of the machines, the Health Department has now reverted to traditional microscopic methods for examining suspected TB cases in Ludhiana district. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA Hospital, Ludhiana is also conducting slide test now. Though sputum microscopy can confirm the presence of TB bacteria and help in starting the treatment, it cannot detect rifampicin resistance, a critical marker for drug-resistant TB. CBNAAT and TrueNat tests are designed to provide this resistance profile quickly, enabling timely and appropriate treatment. Without them, patients risk delayed diagnosis of resistant strains, complicating therapy. To bridge the gap, patient samples are being sent to Government Medical College, Patiala, for advanced testing. However, reports are taking five to six days to return, slowing down treatment initiation. In the entire district, only Civil Hospital, Khanna, and the centre at Civil Surgeon’s Office, Ludhiana, have functional CBNAAT machines and are able to conduct the tests. Vijay Kumar, who came to the Civil Hospital for testing, said doctor had advised him c m y b TB screening. “The price of test is too much in private labs while the machine at the Civil Hospital is not working. This is the third time I came here for testing but the department says that the machine is not working,” he said. Experts caution that microscopic testing cannot substitute for molecular diagnostics when it comes to identifying drug resistance, making the current situation a serious setback for TB-control efforts. District TB Officer Ashish Chawla confirmed that the supply of cartridges and chips had been stalled for the past month. He added that medication of patients testing positive through microscopy was being started but once supplies arrive, which was expected in a week, the confirmatory testing would resume to check for rifampicin resistance. Ludhiana, October 7 The Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana Range, on Wednesday caught a revenue official (patwari) and his private aide while accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 in connection with the issuance of a 30-year revenue record to obtain a bank loan. According to the statement issued by the Vigilance Bureau, an FIR was registered under Sections 7 and 7(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, at the Vigilance Bureau police station, Ludhiana Range. The suspects have been identified as Ankur Kataria, patwari, posted at the Patwarkhana Lohara in Ludhiana district, and Raja, a private person working as the patwari’s karinda (aide). The complainant, Paramjit Kaur of New Ram Nagar, Lohara, here, had approached the Vigilance Bureau office. The woman The suspects in custody of VB sleuths in Ludhiana on Wednesday. stated that she required a 30year revenue record of her house to obtain a bank loan. When she met patwari Ankur Kataria, he directed her to meet his aide, Raja. Raja demanded a bribe of Rs 5,000 for providing the record, displaying the amount on a calculator. He accepted Rs 1,000 on the spot and settled that the remaining Rs 4,000 would be collected at the time of handing over the document. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant got her statement recorded before investigating officer Inspector Harpreet Kaur of the Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana. A trap was subsequently laid in the presence of official witnesses as per rules. During the trap, both suspects were caught redhanded while accepting the remaining bribe amount of Rs 4,000.