15102026-LT-01.qxd 10/15/2026 12:48 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ILLEGAL FIRECRACKER UNIT BUSTED IN DEHLIZ KALAN The Malerkotla police seized a significant quantity of explosive material and nabbed three. P2 » DISTRICT BOYS CLINCH U14 BASEBALL TITLE GIPPY GREWAL TURNS HEADS AT TIGER TV LAUNCH EVENT City boys clinched U14 baseball title as competitions under state games continued on Wednesday. P2 Singer-actor Gippy Grewal was in attendance at an event celebrating upcoming Punjabi projects. P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 20°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5:52 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:25 AM » THURSDAY | 15 OCTOBER 2026 | LUDHIANA MC employee risks life to save Jhota’s murder: Ayali, Waris Punjab De supporters detained en route to Mansa two men from armed robbers Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Suspects smash windscreen of his car before fleeing; probe on Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 14 In a remarkable act of bravery, a Ludhiana Municipal Corporation inspector confronted three armed robbers and thwarted a late-night robbery attempt on two men near Ghora Colony in Industrial Area here on Tuesday. While the inspector succeeded in saving the lives and mobile phones of the two men, the robbers managed to flee with a bag containing around Rs 40,000 in cash, credit and debit cards and important documents. Shivam Dubey, one of the victims who works with a private company, said he and his colleague Sanjay Bhardwaj were returning home from their office on a bike at Iqbal Ganj Chowk around 10 pm on Tuesday. As they reached near Ghora Colony, three men on a motorcycle came and hit their bike from the rear and forced them to stop near the Municipal Corporation store. The robbers snatched the key of the bike and asked them to stand by the roadside. One held a knife against his stomach while another put a knife MC Inspector Sunil Kumar ESCAPED WITH BAG CONTAINING CASH While the MC inspector succeeded in saving the lives and mobiles of the two victims, the robbers managed to flee with a bag containing around ~40,000 in cash, cards and important documents. One of the victims show the weapon carried by the suspects. on Sanjay’s abdomen. The third suspect stood near the motorcycle. While using abusive language, they snatched the bag and tried to take their mobile phones. When they resisted, one of the robbers attacked his arm with a datar, causing bleeding, he said. “Afterwards, Municipal Corporation inspector Sunil Kumar came in his car. Seeing us in the clutches of the robbers, he intervened by ramming his car into their motorcycle. Panic gripped the robbers and they tried to flee. When the inspector chased them, one of the suspects smashed the windscreen of his car with the datar. After which, the assailants managed to escape, leaving the weapon at the scene,” Dubey said. He said had the inspector not arrived in time, the robbers would have taken their mobile phones also and could have inflicted serious injuries on them. After the incident, both victims went to the Civil Hospital for a medical examination. Later, they went to the Moti Nagar police station to lodge a complaint. Inspector Sunil Kumar, who suffered minor injuries, said he decided to help the two men after seeing them trapped by the robbers. “They attacked my car with a datar and broke the windscreen. It is fortunate that I did not suffer any serious injury. Had I not stopped to help, the robbers could have snatched their mobile phones and caused them serious harm,” he said. Ludhiana, October 14 Manpreet Singh Ayali, a senior leader of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), along with several leaders and supporters of the organisation, was detained by the Jagraon police for over six hours on Wednesday. Ayali and the others were on their way to Mansa to express condolences to the family of Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead allegedly by the owner of a chemist shop in Mansa district on Tuesday. They were stopped by the police at Halwara Chowk around 11 am and remained there for over an hour before being taken in a police van to the Raikot police station. Ayali was released around 5.30 pm, following which police personnel accompanied him to his guest house. Before being detained, he said he could have blocked the road in protest but would not inconvenience the public as Waris Punjab De’s fight was for the people of the state. Ayali told The Tribune that they had been asking the police to explain why barricades had been put up to prevent them from proceeding- BJP holds protest, demands CBI probe into incident Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) leader Manpreet Singh Ayali and supporters being stopped by police personnel at Halwara Chowk in Ludhiana on Wednesday. towards Mansa. He questioned why he was being stopped when other leaders and people were being allowed to meet Jhota’s family. While at the Raikot police station, Ayali said senior police officers were not present there and claimed that police personnel were acting on orders from “higher-ups in Chandigarh”. Meanwhile, BJP workers Singh Mann. Later, a delegation met the the Deputy Commissioner and submitted a memorandum addressed to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. In the memorandum, the BJP said Jhota had been working to save the youth from drugs and that his murder had raised questions over the safety of activists raising their voice against the menace. continued on page 2 Congress takes out candlelight march to protest Jhota’s killing Lights of devotion staged a protest in the city against Jhota’s killing. The victim was shot dead in broad daylight on October 13 while he was on Facebook Live. He had been raising his voice against drug smuggling in Mansa. The protest was led by BJP district president Sunil Modgil. Party workers raised slogans against the state government and burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant AAP councillor from Ward 21 dies Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 14 A candlelight march was organised by the District Congress to protest the murder of Parvinder Singh Jhota. The march was led by former MLA and president of the District Congress Committee (Urban), Ludhiana, Sanjay Talwar, along with senior Congress leaders and party workers. Participants paid tributes to the deceased and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family. During the event, the Congress leaders criticised the state government and raised concerns over the lawand-order situation in Punjab. Addressing those present, Sanjay Talwar termed the killing of Jhota as a deeply unfortunate incident. He Durga Mata Mandir all decked up for Navratri in Ludhiana on Wednesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN Cong leaders take part in a candlelight march in Ludhiana. stated that ensuring public safety and maintaining a strong law-and-order system were among the government’s primary responsibilities and alleged that the state government had failed in fulfilling these obligations. Talwar called for a fair and impartial investigation into the case and demanded strict action against those responsible for the crime. He stressed that the family of the deceased deserves justice and that the perpetrators should be brought to book at the earliest. Congress leaders and workers urged the authorities to ensure a transparent investigation and speedy justice for the victim’s family. Ludhiana, October 14 Anita Nanchahal, the sitting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor from Ward 21 here, passed away on Wednesday. According to sources in the family, she was confined to bed rest for the past few months after suffering a hip fracture. On Wednesday morning, she reportedly complained of sudden uneasiness and discomfort. After which, she was rushed to Fortis Hospital. However, despite efforts by doctors, she passed away during the treatment. Her death was mourned by political leaders, party workers and residents of the area, who remembered her for her public service and commitment to the community. The last rites of Nanchahal were performed at the Jamalpur cremation ground in the afternoon. — TNS 3 booked for minor’s rape Staff crunch at Agriculture Dept triggers protest Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 14 A 17-year-old girl travelling from New Delhi to Ludhiana in a bus was befriended by a woman during the journey, administered cold drink laced with some sedatives and then subjected to sexual assault by two unidentified men in a hotel room. Almost 11 months after the crime, the girl’s family lodged a police complaint. Following which, a case has been registered against the three unidentified suspects on Tuesday. According to the complaint, the victim was travelling by a bus from New Delhi to Ludhiana on November 17, 2025. An unidentified woman sitting next to her started a conversation and gradually winning her trust. When the bus entered Lud- Victim was drugged by woman, taken to hotel around 11 months ago hiana city, the woman persuaded the girl to alight with her near Sherpur. Once off the bus, the woman offered the girl a cold drink laced with some intoxicating substance. After consuming it, the girl became semi-conscious. The woman then took her to a hotel where two unidentified men were already present. The men allegedly took turns to rape the victim. When the girl began to regain consciousness and started crying and shouting, the woman slapped her repeatedly and threatened her to keep quiet. She first tried to silence the victim by offering money. When the girl refused, the woman promised to buy her a new scooter in return for her silence. Around 9 pm, the woman abandoned the victim in a semi-conscious state on the roadside near Basti Jodhewal Chowk and fled the spot. Girl’s maternal grandmother said initially, the victim had not revealed anything to the family about the incident. Recently, a slip containing mobile numbers of the suspects was found in the room of the victim and when she was asked about the same, the girl revealed about the sexual assault and threats she faced. “Recently, we have lodged a police complaint. Mobile numbers found on the slip were also given to the police for investigation. We want justice and the suspects should be behind bars,” she said. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 14 Expressing concern over the significant shortage of workforce in the Punjab Agriculture Department, employees on Wednesday staged a dharna outside the district agriculture office. Key positions, including agriculture officers, Agriculture Development Officers (ADO) and agriculture extension officers, which are crucial for farmer education, machine subsidy distribution and technical support, are lying vacant. The shortage of field-level officials has direct impact on the quality of support farmers receive. It has severely strained the remaining field staff — particularly agriculture exten- c m y b KEY POSITIONS LYING VACANT Key positions, including agriculture officers, Agriculture Development Officers (ADO) and agriculture extension officers, which are crucial for farmer education, machine subsidy distribution and technical support, are lying vacant. sion officers, who serve as the critical link for delivering Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) technical updates and support directly to farmers. Agriculture sub-inspectors play a vital role in supporting the work of the extension officers. The protest was held under the aegis of the Plant Doctors Services Association, Punjab. The agitating employees said the vacant posts were hampering administrative efficiency and delaying career advancement opportunities for serving officers. Representatives of the Plant Doctors Services Association (PDSA) said a large number of key posts across the department remain unfilled, affecting day-to-day operations as well as promotional processes. According to the association, regular recruitment had not kept pace with staffing requirements, creating bottlenecks at multiple levels. Lack of fresh recruitment was also delaying promotions. Officials were awaiting promotions for over a decade as no fresh recruitments had been made. Data shared by the association indicates that over 40 per cent of the sanctioned Agricultural Development Officer (ADO) posts are currently vacant. Similar shortages have been reported among agricultural subinspectors (ASIs), where hundreds of sanctioned positions remain unoccupied. “Lack of fresh appointments has also slowed promotions. Many officers who have completed the required service period are reportedly waiting longer than expected for advancement as vacancies in higher posts have not been filled,” said Dr Jaswant Singh, district president of the association. The issue has also drawn attention from agricultural graduates seeking government employment. Student organisations have highlighted the limited availability of recruitment opportunities despite a steady stream of qualified candidates graduating from agricultural institutions each year. Several student associations have urged the state government to initiate recruitment drives and fill long-pending vacancies in the Agriculture Department and its affiliated agencies. The protesting employees said strengthening the workforce was essential for improving departmental functioning, ensuring timely promotions and expanding employment opportunities for agriculture professionals.