FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 198 | BHOPAL | TUESDAY | DECEMBER 30, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 10 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Two World Champions, One Divided Federation P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY Environmentalists welcome stay NEW DELHI fp Briefs VISAKHAPATNAM One killed in train fire The fire in the TatanagarErnakulam Express started from the linen storage, according to the initial investigation by the Railway authorities. A passenger died in the fire in two coaches of the train at Yelamanchili in Anakapalli district in the wee hours of Monday.Initial investigation shows that the fire was not on the electrical panel side of the coach. NEW DELHI Industrial growth surges to 6.7% The growth rate of India’s industrial production surged to 6.7 per cent in November this year compared to the same month of the previous year after having slowed to 0.4 per cent in October due to the long holiday season in the festive month, according to figures released by the Ministry of Statistics on Monday. The strong industrial growth was driven by an 8 per cent surge in the manufacturing sector, led by a robust performance in basic metals and fabricated metal products, pharmaceuticals, and motor vehicles. Environmentalists objecting to the new definition of Aravallis welcomed the Supreme Court's move to stay its order on redefining Aravallis on Monday and demanded that the new panel to study the issue should also have environment experts and not just bureaucrats Aravalli region, with environmentalists saying the restrictive 100-metre definition increases the area open to mining and construction. The top court had earlier accepted the recommendations of a committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges to protect the mountain system. The committee had recom- mended that "Aravalli Hill" be defined as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief, and an "Aravalli Range" will be a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other. A vacation bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant said it seemed prima facie that the earlier report of a committee and the verdict had "omitted to expressly clarify certain critical issues" and there is a "dire need to further probe" the matter. It also directed that as set out in the order dated May 9, 2024, until further orders, no permission shall be granted for mining in the 'Aravalli Hills and Ranges', as defined in the August 25, 2010, FSI report, without its prior permission. 4Continued on | P8 Birthday bash turns fatal for three friends in Vidisha Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Three friends, including the birthday boy, were killed and three others seriously injured when their SUV rammed a stationary dumper on Kurwai–Vidisha road in early hours of Monday, police said. The six friends were returning to Kurwai after celebrating a birthday at dhaba on State Highway 14. Kurwai police station in-charge Shailendra Nayak said the accident occurred around 1.30 am. Police said the SUV was travelling at high speed and the impact was so severe that police rushed to the spot and launched a difficult rescue operation. Cutters and earthmoving machinery were used to pull vicout of Tanmay Sharma, Jagdish Sahu and Ankit Sahu tims twisted metal. Despite efforts, three youths died on the spot. Police identified deceased as Ankit Sahu (21), a private firm worker; Tanay Sharma (19) and Jagdish Sahu (31), a the front portion of the vehicle shop owner who was driving was completely mangled, the vehicle. trapping occupants inside. 4Continued on | P8 On receiving information, 200 get anti-rabies shots after milk from dog-bitten buffalo used for raita PTI BUDAUN Nearly 200 residents of Piprauli village in Uttar Pradesh's Budaun got rabies vaccination as a precautionary measure after they discovered that the raita (a curd-based dish) they consumed at the funeral was made from the milk of a buffalo that died after being bitten by a dog. According to the villagers, a funeral ceremony was held in the village on December 23, where they had raita. Later, it came to light that the buffalo whose milk was used to make the dish had been bitten by a dog a few days earlier. The buffalo died on December 26, after which panic spread in the village due to the fear of infection. The villagers reached the Ujhani community health centre and got vaccinated. Chief Medical Officer Dr Rameshwar Mishra on Sunday said that they had received information that a buffalo in the village had been bitten by a rabid dog and had died due to symptoms of rabies. It was reported that the villagers had consumed 'infected' raaita. As a precaution, everyone was advised to get a rabies injection. "Prevention is better than cure. Everyone who had any doubts was given the antirabies vaccine. Normally, there is no risk of rabies after boiling the milk, but the vaccination was done to prevent any potential risk," Mishra said. According to the health department, no disease has spread in the village so far, and the situation is completely normal. 4Continued on | P8 Rs 79,000 crore military hardware acquisition to bolster defence PTI NEW DELHI The defence ministry on Monday approved procurement of long range rockets, missiles, radar systems and military platforms worth Rs 79,000 crore to bolster the military's combat prowess. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, green-lighted the proposals. The DAC approved procurement of loiter munition systems for the Army's artillery regiments. It also cleared acquisition of low level lightweight radars, long-range guided rocket ammunition for Pinaka rocket system and integrated drone detection and interdiction system (Mk-II) for the Indian Army, the defence ministry said. 4See also | Nation offgrid INSV Kaundinya sets sail for maiden voyage PTI PORBANDAR INSV Kaundinya, the Navy's pioneering stitched sailing vessel built using traditional techniques, embarked on her maiden overseas voyage from Gujarat's Porbandar to Muscat on Monday. This historic expedition marks a major milestone in India's efforts to revive, understand, and celebrate its ancient maritime heritage through a living ocean voyage, according to a defence release. The vessel was formally flagged off by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, Vice -Admiral, Krishna PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Cinema K-drama comebacks that didn’t click P.16 SC stays its own order on Aravalli definition PTI PRESS Edit New alliances in BMC polls P.6 BANKS’ BAD LOANS DECLINE DEFINITION DISPUTE | Apex court says further probe needed to resolve ‘critical ambiguities’, prevent any regulatory gaps The Supreme Court on Monday stayed its own order that accepted a new definition for the Aravalli hiils and ranges, and said a high-powered expert panel will be set up to resolve "critical ambiguities" and prevent any regulatory gaps that might undermine the ecological integrity of the world's oldest mountain system. As the uniform definition of Aravallis sparked an outcry among environmentalists, the court kept in abeyance its November 20 directions, saying there is a need to probe further whether the criteria of 100-metre elevation and the 500-metre gap between hills will strip significant portion of the ranges of ecological protection. At the heart of the raging issue is what exactly constitutes the hills and ranges in the UJJAIN Swaminathan, in the presence of the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to India, Issa Saleh Al Shibani. Inspired by depictions of ancient Indian ships and constructed entirely using traditional stitched-plank techniques, INSV Kaundinya represents a rare convergence of history, craftsmanship and modern naval expertise, the defence ministry had said. 4Continued on | P8 UNNAO RAPE CASE Top court stays HC order suspending Sengar’s life term PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case and said he shall not be released from custody. A vacation bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, which was hearing the CBI's plea challenging the high court order, said that substantial questions of law have arisen in the matter that require consideration. The apex court also issued notice to Sengar seeking his response within four weeks on the CBI's plea. The bench said it was conscious of the fact that ordinarily when a convict or an under-trial was released on bail pursuant to an order passed by a trial court or the high court, such order shall not be stayed by it without hearing such person. It noted that Sengar was also convicted and sentenced in a separate case and was still in custody in that matter. 4See also | Nation Hindu family’s homes set afire in B’desh village Online Report DHAKA At least five houses of a Hindu family were set afire in Dumritala village in Pirojpur district, in what is suspected to be a targeted attack on minorities. The incident occurred on December 28, over a week after a garment worker Dipu Chandra Das was lynched and his body set on fire over blasphemy allegations on December 18. According to local authorities, the exact cause of the fire has not been confirmed. Reports claimed attackers allegedly stuffed cloth into one of the rooms and set it ablaze, causing the fire to spread rapidly through the house. All eight members of the two affected families managed to escape. However, their houses and belongings were completely charred to ashes. Mohammad Manzur Ahmed Siddiqui, Superintendent of Police, Pirojpur, visited the scene of a fire and assured the complainants that the incident would be investigated promptly. Local police have arrested five suspects, while efforts are ongoing to nab the remaining accused as the investigation continues. A video of the incident also went viral on social media, showing locals trying to douse the fire as massive flames spread through multiple houses. Ukraine-Russia closer than ever to peace: Trump AP PALM BEACH US President Donald Trump on Sunday insisted Ukraine and Russia are "closer than ever before" to a peace deal as he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort, but he acknowledged the negotiations are complex and could still break down, leaving the war dragging on for years. The president's statements came after the leaders met for talks following what Trump said was an "excellent", two-and-a-half-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine launched the war nearly four years ago. Trump insisted he believed Putin still wants peace, even as Russia launched another round of attacks on Ukraine while Zelenskyy flew to the United States for the latest round of negotiations. "Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed," Trump said during a late afternoon news conference as he stood with Zelenskyy after their meeting. He repeatedly praised his counterpart as "brave". 4Continued on | P8 Tiger chills on bed after attacking villager Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A three-year-old tiger injured a villager before entering a house in Choti Beldi village, near Panpatha buffer area of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, on Monday. The tiger was later rescued and taken to Baheraha enclosure of the reserve. An officer from Panpatha range told Free Press that the tiger was first spotted in a field around 9 am. Forest officials attacked villager Gopal Kol, injuring his leg. He was immediately taken to Katni Government Hospital by ambulance and is reported to be out of danger. The tiger then entered the house of Durga Prasad Dwivedi and chose to rest on the bed. Dwivedi’s family ran in panic to save themselves. A video of the tiger resting on the bed quickly went viral on social media. Forest officials safely sedated the tiger. It was then transported back to tiger reserve using a rescue vehicle rushed to the spot to control the situation, but by then, a large crowd of villagers had gathered, many recording the tiger’s movements on their mobile phones. Despite repeated instructions, the crowd did not disperse. During the chaos, the tiger 4Continued on | P8