16062026-LT-01.qxd 6/16/2026 1:04 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune BUDDHA NULLAH CLEAN-UP AT A CROSSROADS GOVT LAUNCHES FREE RESIDENTIAL CAMP FOR JEE, NEET ASPIRANTS SONGS THAT BECAME SOUL OF THE SUNNY DEOL-STARRER Residents allege work is continuing even as NGT has directed the state govt to halt construction. P2 Main aim of camp is to provide academic guidance and prepare them for national-level competitive exams. P3 Twenty-five years after Gadar: Ek Prem Kathastormed theatres, its music still holds a special place in hearts of fans. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 21°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7:26 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:21 AM TUESDAY | 16 JUNE 2026 | LUDHIANA SAD councillor booked for F&CC clears proposals related to road construction, sewerage infra assaulting civic body official Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Incident occurred on June 10; false FIR filed against him, says Arora Nikhil Bhardwaj ‘WILL FILE PLAINT WITH VB AGAINST MC OFFICIAL’ Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 15 The Ludhiana police registered a case against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillor Chatarvir Singh, aka Kamal Arora, of Ward 20 for allegedly assaulting Parveen Kumar Singla, Superintending Engineer (SE) of the Building and Roads (B&R) branch of the Municipal Corporation. The FIR has been registered under various sections for obstructing a government servant in discharging his duty, damaging government property and other relevant provisions. However, the councillor is yet to be arrested. In his statement to the police, Singla said the incident occurred on June 10. He was on duty at his office in Zone B of the Municipal Cor- Councillor Kamal Arora poration as usual. At that time, contractor Vimal Tandon was present in his office for some official work. He alleged that councillor Kamal Arora, accompanied by an unidentified associate, barged into his office. Arora started abusing him over road repair works in his ward. Afterwards, the councillor allegedly caught him by the collar and assaulted him. The unidentified person accompanying him also joined in the scuffle. SAD councillor Kamal Arora said a minor argument was being blown out of proportion. He asserted that he would present all evidence in court and also file a complaint with the Vigilance Department against the MC Superintending Engineer for a probe. They allegedly tore and threw away official documents lying on the table. When contractor Vimal Tandon tried to intervene, other municipal officials, including JE Gaurav Kumar and SDO Balwinder Singh, rushed to the scene after hearing the commotion. They rescued Singla and escorted the councillor towards the door to calm him down. Instead, the councillor allegedly picked up a chair in a fit of rage and hurled it at Singla. The latter somehow managed to escape and the chair hit an almirah. The chair and almirah were damaged in the incident. Singla claimed that the attack on him was a preplanned conspiracy. The police registered a case against the councillor and his associate after investigation. Arora told mediapersons that a false FIR had been registered against him. He alleged that development works in his ward were not being carried out and no official was attending his calls. He said the minor argument was being blown out of proportion. Arora asserted that he would present all evidence in court and also file a complaint with the Vigilance Department against the officer for a probe. Safety gear Ludhiana, June 15 The Municipal Corporation’s Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) on Monday approved a majority of development-related proposals during its first meeting after newly appointed Municipal Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar assumed charge. Held at the Mayor’s Camp Office, the meeting reviewed nearly 80 agenda items concerning civic infrastructure and development works across the city. Mayor Inderjit Kaur, Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Parashar, Deputy Mayor Prince Johar, Municipal Commissioner Ojaswi Alankar and other senior civic officials attended the meeting. The committee gave approval to several projects related to road construction, improvement of sewerage infrastructure and laying of water supply pipelines. Development works proposed under the Rangla Pun- The MC’s F&CC meeting reviewed nearly 80 agenda items. FILE FEW PROPOSALS KEPT ON HOLD Proposals related to the beautification of parks were kept pending. A committee constituted for the purpose will inspect parks across the city and submit a report before any final decision is taken. The F&CC also rejected a proposal for installing decorative flower pots in the North Assembly constituency. A proposal for installing benches was also put on hold. Another proposal for laying tiles near Cheema Chowk in the Central Assembly constituency was also deferred. jab scheme were also cleared. Various estimates and work orders for ongoing and upcoming projects received the committee’s nod. However, proposals related to the beautification of parks were kept pending. A committee constituted for the purpose will inspect parks across the city and submit a report before any final decision is taken. The F&CC also rejected a proposal for Extortion racket busted, 4 held Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service A commuter covers his face to protect himself from the blazing sun at the railway station in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Ludhiana, June 15 The Ludhiana police have busted a major extortion racket by arresting four members of a notorious gang that was allegedly planning to target a prominent businessman for extortion and execute a big crime in the city. The Crime Branch team seized one pistol, cartridges, 300 gm of heroin and a car from the suspects. According to information shared by DCP (Crime) Harpal Singh, ADCP (Crime) Amandeep Singh Brar, and inspector Navdeep Singh, a Crime Branch team was patrolling the Pakhowal Road area on a tip-off regarding suspicious persons and drug peddlers. During checking, reliable information was received that Abhijit Singh, alias Mand (26), of Bhai Himmat Singh Nagar, Dugri, Manya Sahni (20) of Jawahar Camp, Ankush Yadav (25) of Bhai Himmat Singh Nagar, Sukhman Singh, Yuvraj Singh (20), also from Dugri, and other unidentified persons had formed a gang. Investigation revealed that the alleged mastermind of the gang, Namit Sharma, was operating from abroad and directing activities while his accomplices were threatening people, collecting extortion money, and creating an atmosphere of fear in cities of the state. The gang was also planning to target a big businessman and commit a major crime in the city. Acting swiftly on information, the police registered a case at the Sadar police station and arrested Abhijit, Manya, Sukhman and Ankush. During the search, a .32 bore pistol, a magazine, and three cartridges were recovered from Abhijit while 300 gm of heroin, an electronic weighing scale and a Maruti Swift car were seized from Manya Sahni. Police records show that some of the arrested suspects already face serious cases, including attempt to murder, robbery and other heinous crimes. Ojasvi Alankar takes charge as MC chief Bodies of Doraha brothers found on flyover Ludhiana, June 15 Ojasvi Alankar, a 2020 batch IAS officer, took over the reins as Commissioner, Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, on Monday. He was accompanied by DC Himanshu Jain while assuming charge of the office. The MC Commissioner was welcomed by senior officials of the civic body and was accorded a guard of honour by the contingent of the Punjab Police. Soon after assuming the charge at the MC’s Zone D Ojasvi Alankar office in Sarabha Nagar, Ojasvi Alankar conducted a meeting with officials of various branches of the MC and issued necessary directions to remain proactive in field and ensure services to public in an efficient and transparent manner. He said ensuring cleanliness across the city, monsoon preparedness, citizen services, flagship programmes of government and expediting development works are among his priority sectors and every effort would be made to improve efficiency and transparency in the civic body. Later, Ojasvi Alankar also participated in the F&CC meeting of the civic body. — TNS Lovleen Bains Doraha, June 15 The bodies of two brothers of Rampur village in Doraha found on a flyover in Mandi Gobindgarh late on Sunday night. It is suspected that some vehicle might have hit them when they were standing by the roadside on the flyover to check some technical snag developed in their pick-up vehicle. The deceased have been identified as Jagdev Singh and Harjeet Singh. Accord- ing to their family members, Jagdev was returning to his village from Rajpura late on Sunday night when a technical snag developed in his four-wheeler on the flyover. He rang up his younger brother Harjeet for help, who reached the scene with a vehicle battery. SHO, Mandi Gobindgarh, Sandeep Singh, told this correspondent that they were informed around 11 pm about the incident. As they reached the scene, they Jagdev Singh & Harjeet Singh. May have been hit by vehicle, suspect police found their bodies near the flyover. “Since there were no cameras installed near the scene, it’s difficult to get details about the inci- dent. But it is sure that some vehicle might had hit them. They breathed their last on the spot,” he said. “The bodies had been kept in the mortuary. The relatives have reached the place. The case will be registered after recording the statement of their family members,” the SHO added. Jagdev is survived by his wife and two children, including a oneyear-old son. Harjeet was planning to join his wife in Canada on June 26. City residents ensure Harpreet’s IIT dream comes true Minor dispute over phone Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 15 In a heart-warming story that has captured the spirit of the entire state, Harpreet Kaur, daughter of a daily wage labourer from Sahnewal, Ludhiana, has earned admission to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, and the people have ensured that nothing stands in her way. Harpreet has been selected for BSc (Hons) in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at IIT, Guwahati, one of the country’s most soughtafter programmes in emerging technology. DC Himanshu Jain hands over a cheque to Harpreet in Ludhiana. Yet, behind this remarkable achievement lay a difficult reality. Harpreet’s father works as a farm labourer and her mother is a homemaker. The family of six, her parents and three younger siblings, all bright students themselves, survives on a monthly income of approximately Rs 10,000. The admission fee of Rs 50,000, due by June 16, had seemed an insurmountable barrier. When Harpreet’s story came to light, it moved hearts across Ludhiana and beyond. Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain responded with exemplary swiftness and sensitivity. Recognising Harpreet’s extraordinary merit and the family’s genuine need, the Deputy Commissioner personally extended support by granting her a cheque for Rs 1 lakh. c m y b The outpouring of support did not stop there. Prominent industrialist Rakesh Bharti Mittal went a step further. His Nehru Sidhant Kendra Trust adopted Harpreet’s education for the entire duration of her BSc (Hons) programme, promising sustained support through her academic journey at the IIT. Harpreet, speaking about her journey, had earlier shared: “The admission can change my future and help me to support my family. I appeal to kind-hearted people to help me so that I do not lose the opportunity.” She received an encouraging response to her appeal. led to killing of youth, 1 held Ludhiana, June 15 A minor dispute over a mobile phone escalated into a brawl in the Dhillon Nagar area here on Monday. A youth was brutally stabbed to death during the argument. The police arrested the suspect. The deceased was identified as 32-year-old Karanjit Singh, a resident of Basant Nagar (Lohara). According to the police, Karanjit was travelling with his cousin Gurinder Singh on Monday afternoon. When they arrived in Dhillon Nagar, they met a youth, Arjun. An argument broke out between Karanjit and Arjun over a mobile, which in no time took a ghastly turn. Karanjit’s brother, Gurinder, tried to intervene to stop the fight. Arjun first tried to attack Karanjit with a brick but Gurinder saved Karanjit. Arjun pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed Karanjit directly in the chest. Victim died on the spot. Officials from the Daba police station reached the scene, took possession of the body and sent it to the Civil Hospital mortuary for autopsy. SHO of the Daba police station Paramdeep Singh said Arjun fled the scene after the incident but was later arrested. — TNS installing decorative flower pots in the North Assembly constituency. A proposal for installing benches was also put on hold. The committee deferred a proposal regarding recruitment of employees in the corporation and referred the matter to a special committee. A decision will be taken after assessing the actual manpower requirement. Another proposal for laying tiles near Cheema Chowk in the Central Assembly constituency was also deferred. Members felt that the heavy movement of vehicles on the stretch required further examination before undertaking such work. The committee also reviewed the progress of the long-pending canal-based water supply project and directed officials to ensure its timely completion. A proposal regarding maintenance and upkeep of the Rakh Bagh Swimming Pool was also approved during the meeting. Portion of Pakhowal Road caves in Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 15 A part of Pakhowal Road at Vikas Nagar Chowk caved in on Monday, raising serious safety concerns for commuters and residents. The collapse is being attributed to the ongoing 24-hour water The caved-in portion of Pakhowal Road in Ludhiana. supply project work. The cave-in has left a gaping hole in the middle of the busy stretch and tree branches and stones have been placed to warn drivers. “This is one of the busiest points of the city and such negligence can lead to a major mishap. The situation becomes dangerous especially at night,” said a nearby medicine store owner. Area resident Arvind Sharma said it was not the first time that road had caved in but many times before also cave-ins have occurred here. “It is one of the main roads in the city and the authorities should be careful. The cavein should be repaired soon to avert any untoward incident,” he said. Another resident said such cave-ins are a regular thing on the road. “On Sunday night, I had a narrow escape as I was unable to see the caved-in spot but thankfully, I managed to save myself,” he said. Resident welfare associations have also raised the issue with the Municipal Corporation, stressing that repeated cave-ins point to poor planning and lack of coordination between civic departments. They warned that if immediate repairs were not undertaken, the situation could worsen during the monsoon, potentially disrupting traffic flow and endangering lives.