Mangal Dhillon, star of 'Junoon' and 'Buniyaad', dies at 64
Ludhiana(PTI): Actor Mangal Dhillon, best known for his performance in hit TV serials such as "Junoon" and "Buniyaad", died battling cancer on Saturday in Ludhiana district's Neelo Kalan village, his family said. He was 64. Dhillon, also known for Hindi films such as "Khoon Bhari Maang" and "Vishwatma", was admitted to a private hospital before his family took him home a few days ago.
According to his sister Ranjeet Kaur, the actor passed away late last evening in the village Neelo Kalan.
Dhillon was born in village Wander Jattana in Faridkot district and later moved to Uttar Pradesh, where his father owned agricultural land.
In a career spanning over three decades, Dhillon garnered popularity for his role of Labhaya Ram in Ramesh Sippy's TV soap opera "Buniyaad" (1986-87) and as Sumer Rajvansh in the 1994 drama serial "Junoon".
He worked both in Hindi and Punjabi movies, including "Khalsa", for which he was honoured by the Punjab government.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal remembered Dhillon for his "captivating voice".
"Saddened to learn about the demise of noted actor, writer, director and producer of Punjabi cine industry Mr Mangal Dhillon.
"It's a big loss to the world of Indian Cinema. His captivating voice and theatrical displays will be missed by many. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends and fans," Badal wrote on Twitter.
Anmol Gagan Mann, Punjab Tourism and Culture Affairs Minister, also expressed grief over Dhillon's passing at a press conference. Actor Yashpal Sharma, who found out about Dhillon being admitted to a cancer hospital a week ago, said the late actor had "bid adieu to acting".
"About a year-and-half ago, I got to know that he had become a motivational speaker. He was working towards the betterment of society," Sharma told PTI.
"Dahaad" star Gulshan Devaiah shared Dhillon's photo on Twitter with the caption: "'Mangal Dhillon' Shradhanjali'.
Dhillon is survived by a son and a daughter.
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Telangana CM urges Amit Shah to increase sanctioned strength of IPS officers in state
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday night and urged him to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state in view of its growing administrative and security needs.
The two leaders also discussed the recent surrender of several senior Maoist leaders before the Telangana Police and other issues.
"During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the issue of Maoist surrenders and their rehabilitation. The chief minister informed Shah that significant improvements in policing have taken place in Telangana over the past two years," an official release here said.
Highlighting that 591 Maoists have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream of society during this period, the chief minister said the state government was providing them compensation and rehabilitation assistance as per the rules.
He requested the Union home minister to extend financial support from the central government for development works in the backward regions of the state.
Reddy also urged Shah to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state from 83 to 105 in line with the state's growing administrative and security needs, the statement said.
The first cadre review after the formation of Telangana was conducted in 2016, while the next review, due in 2021, was delayed and finally carried out in 2025. Even then, only seven additional IPS officers were allocated to the state, the chief minister informed Shah and requested that the third cadre review be conducted in 2026 as per the schedule.
Reddy explained that Telangana, like the rest of the country, is facing several modern challenges, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, white-collar crimes, and other emerging security threats.
He highlighted the reorganisation of the Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri Police Commissionerates, the proposed formation of the Future City Commissionerate and the rapidly growing population in Hyderabad to underline the increasing administrative requirements of the state.
