Independence Day: Full dress rehearsal held amid strict vigil in Amritsar

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 13

The district administration and Punjab Police on Friday carried out a full dress rehearsal for the state-level 75th Independence Day celebrations at the Guru Nanak Stadium where CM Capt Amarinder Singh will hoist the national flag.

DC Gurpreet Singh Khaira along with Police Commissioner Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill took salute from the march-past on Friday. The DC said all preparations have been made for the occasion. Before the full dress rehearsal, the entire area was thoroughly searched. Sniffer dogs were pressed into service.

“There will be limited gathering during this Independence Day celebration due to Covid restrictions. No cultural programme would be held. Arrangements have been made keeping all Covid protocols in mind,” he said, adding that after unfurling of the flag and national anthem, a march-past would be carried out by around 200 cops along with 50 band and drum players. Later, the CM will honour the state awardee for their services in different fields.

The CP said the police had made tight security arrangements in view of the recovery of IED and hand grenades from a border village.

On Friday also, a hand grenade was recovered from a pile of garbage in the D-block of posh Ranjit Avenue area, which was later diffused in an open space in Manawala area. He said search operations were being carried out in sensitive and crowded areas and the police were taking every information regarding suspicious things very seriously.

Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, full dress rehearsal was held at the local Police Lines ground on Friday. SSP Dhruman H Nimbale unfurled the national flag, while Jagjit Singh Walia, Baljit Singh Dhillon (SPs) besides other civil and police officers were present. DSP Varinder Singh Khosa was the parade commander and Sub-Inspector Sone was the second-in-command. The contingents of the Police, women police and Home Guards jawans led by SI Jagdeep Singh, ASI Salwinder Singh, SI Baljit Kaur and SI Sohan Singh, respectively, led the parties in the march-past. — OC

DSP Nagra nominated for Chief Minister’s medal

Amritsar: Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurinderpal Singh Nagra has been nominated for Chief Minister’s medal for outstanding devotion at duty. He has been currently deputed as DSP (detective) with the Amritsar rural police. According to an order released by Anurag Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Home Affairs and Justice, the award would be conferred during the state-level Independence Day function being held in Amritsar. Nagra was instrumental in busting the inter-state arms racket and recovering huge quantity of illegal weapons from Madhya Pradesh besides arresting suppliers in Punjab. He was also part of the team that recovered the tiffin bomb, five hand grenades and RDX which were dropped by drones from Pakistan side recently. He was also part of the team that busted illegal manufacturing of Tramadol and recovered huge quantity of the banned drug worth Rs15 crore from a firm in Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh. Before joining as DSP Amritsar rural, he remained associated with the State Special Operation Cell and seized a huge quantity of heroin besides arms and nabbing drug smugglers. Among others from Amritsar who would be conferred with the award include ASI Amandeep Singh and Constable Daljit Kumar of SSOC, ASI Jagdeep Singh and Constable Jagjit Singh of the Counter Intelligence wing. On the occasion, former Vallah police station SHO Sanjiv Kumar and Head Constable Sukhjinder Kaur of the city police would be awarded with commendation certificates. TNS