02112026-LT-01.qxd 11/2/2026 12:43 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ADITYA BAGS DOUBLE TABLE TENNIS CROWN HONEY SINGH MOURNS DEATH OF VIDIT AULUCK SHAH RUKH KHAN RINGS IN 61ST BIRTHDAY Aditya clinches a double crown with victories in U-17 & U-15 boys’ singles events in dist TT meet. P3 Rapper Honey Singh's nephew was killed in a road accident in Jalandhar early on Sunday. P4 From chasing dreams to redefining stardom, Shah Rukh Khan’s journey continues to inspire. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 31°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 31°C | MIN 15°C SUNSET MONDAY 5:35 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:37 AM » MONDAY | 2 NOVEMBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Questions raised over MC monitoring as freshly laid roads crack within months Bodies of newly married couple found hanging Repairing damaged portions not enough, fix responsibility, say residents Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 1 The Municipal Corporation’s claims of improving the city’s road network have come under question as freshly recarpeted roads have started developing cracks and potholes within months of completion, raising questions over the quality of work and monitoring of contractors. The latest example has emerged from the road along the Buddha Nullah near Chandan Nagar, where a stretch laid only around three months ago has already developed several cracks. The 0.5-km stretch was constructed at a cost of around Rs 36 lakh but the condition of the newly laid surface has left residents questioning the quality of the work and the system of checks followed by the civic body before releasing payments to contractors. Residents said the problem was not limited to one road. A similar situation has again been reported on Gill Road, where cracks had appeared on a recently A recently recarpeted road near the Chandan Nagar has developed cracks. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA recarpeted stretch. The recurring problem has raised a larger question, if roads begin to deteriorate within a few months, who is held responsible for the quality of construction? Residents alleged that despite repeated instances of roads developing cracks soon after construction, the MC had failed to take visi- ble action against contractors in several cases. They said merely repairing the damaged portions was not enough and demanded that responsibility be fixed. “The government should order a separate Vigilance inquiry into the quality of the works and the role of officials and contractors involved. It is public money and the same cannot be wasted on roads that start developing cracks within months,” said Navdeep Singh, a resident of the Haibowal area. Residents also demanded that contractors found responsible for substandard works should be blacklisted or debarred from getting further MC contracts. They said the civic body had a system for checking road quality, including inspection and testing, but the repeated failure of newly constructed roads raised questions over whether these checks were being carried out in a proper manner. The road along the Buddha Nullah is particularly significant as it caters to considerable traffic and connects several residential and commercial areas. The appearance of cracks on such a recently completed stretch has added to concerns of daily commuters. The latest complaints have also brought the condition of Gill Road back into focus, where cracks have reportedly appeared after recent recarpeting. The residents said the MC should not wait for the roads to deteriorate further before taking action. They demanded immediate inspection of affected stretches and corrective measures at the cost of those responsible, wherever poor workmanship was found. MC Commissioner Ankur Mohindroo said: “I will inquire into the matter and take strict action in the cases.” Bihar woman dies in mishap at factory, kin allege negligence Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 1 The bodies of a newly married couple were found hanging from a ceiling fan inside their house in the Partap Singh Wala area here on Sunday morning, triggering a panic in the locality. The deceased have been identified as Vijay, a native of Madhya Pradesh, and his 20-year-old wife Seema. The couple had got married about five months ago and were staying in a rented accommodation. The police received information that the couple was not responding to phone calls. A team from the PAU police station broke open the door and found the bodies hanging inside the room. According to the police, preliminary investigation points to suicide. However, reasons behind the incident are yet to be ascertained. The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination and further investigation by the police is underway. Ludhiana, November 1 A 40-year-old factory worker died in a tragic accident at a factory in Focal Point, Phase 5, here, on Sunday evening after her dupatta got entangled in a machine. The deceased has been identified as Geeta Devi, who had been working as a machine operator at the factory for the past five years. According to information, the woman, a native of Gaya district in Bihar, was staying with her family in Dashmesh Market, Dhandari Khurd. Her husband was also working at the factory. Geeta Devi used to operate a machine on the third floor while her husband worked on the second floor. The accident occurred around 7 pm. Her husband Saros alleged that a lot of dust was generated due to the running of machines in the factory but the management did not provide masks to workers for protection. As a result, Geeta Devi had tied a stole around her face. During work, the dupatta got entangled in the machine, pulling her into it. She died on the spot. He alleged that after the accident, factory staff took his wife to a hospital without informing him. He claimed that she had already died at the spot. Members of the victim’s family staged a protest outside the factory, demanding action against the management and adequate compensation. Labour activist Chitranjan Kumar also raised questions over the factory’s functioning. They alleged that despite working for five years, Geeta Devi was not provided with PF and ESI benefits. They said it was the responsibility of the factory management to ensure necessary safety arrangements and provide due facilities to workers. They demanded a probe and action against those responsible. On receiving information, Jiwan Nagar police post in-charge ASI Ranjit Singh reached the spot along with a police team and assured to investigate the matter. ASI suspended for planting drugs at Sena leader’s house Aiming high Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 1 An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Khanna police faced music for planting drugs at the house of Shiv Sena leader Mahant Kashmir Giri in Khanna. After the police detained the leader, his family reportedly presented a footage of a hidden camera that captured the policeman visiting the house of the Sena leader and coming out after planting drugs. SIT formed, investigation on A woman holds a weapon displayed by the Army during the Punjab Mega Ex-Servicemen Rally at the Dholewal Military Complex in Ludhiana on Sunday. ASHWANI DHIMAN P2 Even the video of the suspect placing drugs under the mattress also circulated on social media. After the matter came to the notice of the Senior A CCTV grab shows the suspect at the Shiv Sena leader’s house. Superintendent of Police, Darpan Ahluwalia, she took action and placed ASI Sukhdev Singh under suspension. The SSP also ordered a departmental inquiry against the suspect. “The Khanna police adopt strict standard against the drug trade. Even the police will not tolerate any negligence of police officials dealing drug cases. Now, the ASI has been suspended, who tried to implicate the Shiv Sena leader after planting drugs at his place and arrested the leader. Even the person held as a suspect in the drug case was acquitted and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under the supervision of SP Harpinder Gill,” the SSP . Dr Ahluwalia said further investigation was launched in the case to check the quantity of drugs planted at the house of the Shiv Sena leader and from where the policeman brought the same. How conspiracy of suspect was exposed A hidden camera installed at the residence of a Shiv Sena leader exposed a fake police raid in which heroin was planted to frame him. The footage shows an ASI secretly placing a packet of drugs under a mattress moments before the raid. According to the police, the driver of Mahant, Gurjant Singh, alias Janta, had been arrested with 7.5 gm of heroin. During interrogation, the driver allegedly named Mahant, following which a police team raided the leader’s house. The police claimed recovery of 30 gm of heroin from under the mattress and arrested Mahant. Committee questions efficacy of new Youngster nabbed for killing friend panel on Buddha Dariya pollution Allegedly hit 20-yr-old victim on his head with brick after some dispute Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 1 With pollution in the Buddha Dariya remaining unresolved despite years of government intervention, the Public Action Committee (PAC) for Mattewara Jungles, River Sutlej and Buddha Dariya has questioned whether the latest committee constituted to address the issue will deliver a lasting solution or merely prolong the cycle of delays. The PAC said efforts to rejuvenate the dariya had remained incomplete despite repeated government announcements, administrative interventions, court proceedings and significant public expenditure. It alleged that untreated or inadequately treated industrial effluents, dairy waste and sewage continued to pollute the waterbody and pose a serious threat to the Sutlej. Referring to the recently constituted 10-member committee headed by Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, which has been tasked with submitting recommendations within 15 days, the PAC welcomed his involvement but stressed that the panel would need adequate technical expertise, administrative backing and the authority to ensure effective implementation of its recommendations. The panel said the government must prioritise measurable outcomes over meetings and announcements. It called for the identification and closure of illegal discharge points, proper segregation of industrial effluents and domestic sewage, independent audits of CETPs, STPs and dairy ETPs, and a transparent mechanism to monitor pollution levels. The PAC also raised questions regarding the reported Rs 1.5-crore IIT Ropar study, seeking details about its current status, expenditure, findings and deliverables. It demanded that the report be made public if completed, or the government issue a detailed status update explaining reasons for any delay. It further sought clarity on the pending report of a committee associated with the Ministry of Environ- ment, Forest and Climate Change and asked whether its findings would be submitted before the National Green Tribunal. The organisation emphasised that restoration of the Buddha Dariya should be integrated with the protection of the Sutlej, groundwater resources, drainage networks and surrounding ecosystems. It called for a time-bound action plan with clearly defined targets for 15, 30 and 90 days and six months. The PAC said the latest initiative must translate into a tangible reduction in pollution levels and stricter enforcement against violators, rather than becoming yet another chapter in a long history of assurances and delayed action. c m y b Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 1 The Khanna police claimed to have arrested a local youth for the alleged murder of his 20-year-old friend, whose body was found in the bushes near Meat Market. The deceased has been identified as Sachin Kumar, a resident of Dalip Singh Nagar, Khanna. His father, Amrit Paswan, a native of Bichari Ghat village in Bihar, in a statement recorded at the City-2 police station, said his son had left home in the evening on October 30 along with Harman Singh, alias Harry, a resident of Khanna, to buy some items from the books market. After making the purchases, Harman allegedly took Sachin to the meat market. He forcibly took his son The suspect in custody of the Khanna police on Sunday. inside the bushes and administered an injection. Sachin did not return home. On October 31, the family received information that the body of their son was lying in a bag at the meat market. Acting on the complaint, an FIR was registered on November 1 under Section 105 (culpable homicide note amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the suspect. SSP, Khanna, Dr Darpan Ahluwalia, said during investigation, the body was kept at the mortuary of the Civil Hospital, Khanna. Later, the police investigation found that drug overdose was not the cause of his death. Harman snatched wallet, phone and cash from the victim and later killed him by hitting on his head with a brick after some dispute. Consequently, Section 103 (murder) of the BNS was added to the case and Section 105 was deleted. The suspect was arrested on November 1. He will be produced in a court on November 2 for police remand.