A 24-year-old man was arrested in Punjab for attempting to extort money from an automobile showroom owner by impersonating as the brother of foreign-based gangster Goldy Brar, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday.

The arrest was made by the Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF).

The accused, identified as Lovejeet Singh, a resident of Faridkot, had demanded Rs 1 crore extortion money and issued death threats to the complainant and his family if the amount was not paid.

DGP Yadav said a preliminary probe has revealed the accused used virtual numbers and social media applications to mask his identity and make extortion calls in an attempt to evade police detection.

In a remarkable celebration of excellence and dedication to the field of Ayurveda, Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala popular across world, one of India’s most respected Ayurvedic institutions, has honoured Dr. Hitender Suri for his historic contribution to Ayurvedic surgical science. Rooted in the legacy of the Ashtavaidya families of Kerala descendants of Lord Dhanvantari and disciples of Lord Parshuram—Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala has been a beacon of traditional healing for generations. Led today by fifth-generation Ashtavaidyans Dr. E.T. Yadu Narayanan Mooss and Dr. E.T. Krishnan Mooss of the revered Eledath Thaikkattu Mooss family, the institution continues to uphold and promote the sanctity of authentic Ayurvedic practice. In line with its vision to recognize groundbreaking work in Ayurveda, Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala has felicitated Dr. Hitender Suri for treating a 117 cm-long complex fistula-in-ano using the time-tested Kshar Sutra technique. This surgical milestone not only revived ancient Ayurvedic methods but also earned global recognition, showcasing India’s rich medical heritage on the world stage. To commemorate this historic feat, Neeraj Shukla, Punjab Area Manager of Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala, personally presented Dr. Suri with the honor, further highlighting the institution’s deep respect for his pioneering contribution to Ayurvedic surgical science.

In a landmark move under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government has launched a large-scale initiative to clean nearly 15,000 village ponds across the state, an effort not undertaken in the past two to three decades. This was announced by Punjab’s Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, during his inspection of pond-cleaning projects in villages including Chanarathal Kalan, Khare, and Dera Meer Miran in the Sirhind block; Ralli in the Bassi Pathana block; and Isherhel and Chunni Kalan in the Khera block of Fatehgarh Sahib district.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge-sheeted Harpreet Singh, accused of carrying out terror attacks in Punjab, has been arrested by the US security agencies – the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Enforcement and Removal Operations in California's Sacramento.

The FBI said on Friday that Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, entered the US illegally and used burner phones to evade capture.

Hailing from Passia village in Ajnala, the terrorist has been linked to at least 16 grenade attacks in Punjab, targeting police posts, religious sites, and residences.

On March 23, the NIA chargesheeted four terror operatives of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist organisation in the 2024 Chandigarh grenade attack case.

The chargesheeted accused include Pakistan-based designated individual terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, and US-based Happy Passia.

A soldier, posted in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri, has been arrested for allegedly training, on social media, the main accused in the grenade attack on the residence of a Jalandhar-based YouTuber last month, Punjab Police said on Thursday.

The accused, Sepoy Sukhcharan Singh, 30, a resident of Punjab’s Muktsar, was recruited into the Army in 2015 and was posted with the posted with 163 Infantry Brigade in Rajouri.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar-Rural, Harvinder Singh Virk, said Sukhcharan Singh’s name came out during the interrogation of the main accused, Hardik Kamboj, who hurled the grenade at YouTuber Rozer Sandhu’s residence.

However, no one was injured as the grenade did not explode.

Nine people have been arrested in this incident.

The Department of Agriculture at Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib, organized a One-Day National Seminar on “Millets: Nature’s Functional Superfood in collaboration with Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM). The seminar aimed to promote awareness about the nutritional, environmental and economic benefits of millets, often referred to as “smart foods” due to their climate resilience and health benefits. The event was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Prit Pal Singh, who emphasized the importance of reviving traditional crops like millets in the context of climate change and food security. Dean Academic Affairs, Prof. Sukhwinder Singh Billing addressed the gathering, highlighting need of the sustainable agriculture in Punjab. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Ruchika Bhardwaj, Millet Breeder from the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, PAU Ludhiana, who shared in-depth insights into recent advancements in millet breeding and the role of millets in ensuring nutritional security. Other notable participants included Dietician Kamal Bajwa from Patiala who discussed the nutritional advantages of incorporating millets in daily diets and Sardar Gurmukh Singh, popularly known as the “Kodra Farmer” of Batala who shared his personal journey of millet cultivation and sustainable farming practices.