FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 209 | INDORE | SUNDAY | JANUARY 4, 2026 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 WO R L D BRAILLE DAY www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE WORLD Sports Comeback Kings & Fitness Frontiers P.16 UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Cinema ‘Mera dimaag hila hua hai’ P.14 BHAGIRATHPURA WATER CONTAMINATION New cases deepen panic 200 new patients reported Our Staff Reporter INDORE Maduro & wife captured, to face trial in NY, says Trump FP News Service Eye on oil LatAm Ops The US carried out a largescale military strike on Venezuela early Saturday, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and forcibly removing him from the country, according to US President Donald Trump. CNN reported that Madurao, 63, and his wife were dragged out in the middle of the night by the elite US forces, as the couple slept in their bedroom The operation marks Washington’s most overt military intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama. Ahead of the strikes, the US accused Maduro of presiding over a “narco-state” and manipulating the 2024 presidential poll, a vote the opposition claims it won by a landslide. Maduro, a former bus driver l Trump said Maduro led Venezuela's drug cartel. Maduro called it an 'invention' in a bid to control Venezuelan oil. l After his ‘drill, baby, drill’ campaign, Trump wants to boost oil output to lower fuel prices at home. After strikes, Trump says US will play a major role in Venezuelan oil sector. Briefs NEW DELHI Delhi riots: SC bail verdict SC to pronounce verdict on bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, others on Jan 5. The SC will pronounce its verdict on the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case on January 5. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria will pronounce the verdict. MUMBAI Siraj back in ODI squad Pacer Mohammad Siraj returned to the Indian ODI squad for the three-match home series against New Zealand while batter Shreyas Iyer was included subject to fitness clearance. Siraj’s new ball partner Jasprit Bumrah was expectedly rested from the series in view of the upcoming T20 World Cup. l US will run Venezuela until safe transition achieved. l No timeline for restoring self-rule of Venezuelans. l American firms to rebuild oil infrastructure, generate revenues. l Venezuelan oil sector is a bust that needs fixes. l Venezuelan military overwhelmed despite readiness. 4Continued on | P8 l 97% of maritime drug trafficking has been knocked out. l A stunning display of US might. It was like watching a television show. l US partnership will help enrich and secure Venezuelans. Brazil (1964): US-backed forces helped install a military dictatorship. Dominican Republic (1965): US troops intervened to block the return of a leftist government. Chile (1973): US covert action WORLD CONCERNED LATIN AMERICA While Colombia called for urgent deescalation, Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel termed the operation a "criminal US attack." Mexico condemned the strikes, Chile expressed concern, Argentina praised Trump. IRAN, RUSSIA, CHINA Iran called it a "flagrant violation of Venezuela’s “sovereignty”. Russia slammed "act of aggression" and said "ideological animosity has prevailed over business pragmatism.” China said int’l laws violated. EUROPE EU said "the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected." Italy and Belgium said the safety of their citizens was their top priority. Spain urged for "de-escalation and moderation". preceded the coup that brought Augusto Pinochet to power. Argentina (1976): US supported a military junta during the “Dirty War”. Nicaragua (1980s): The US backed Contra rebels against the Sandinista govt. Grenada (1983): US forces invaded and replaced a Marxistleaning regime. Panama (1989): US troops removed Manuel Noriega in a fullscale invasion. Stop Love Jihad at home: Bhagwat Western culture being imposed on us in name of modernity, says RSS chief Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said the process to stop Love Jihad cases should begin at home. The family members must see how their daughter has been influenced by an unknown person, he said. Bhagwat made the statement during an interaction with women in Bhopal on Sat- urday. Efforts are needed to stop Love Jihad at the third level by holding interactions with the family members. Girls should be imparted training in self-defence, and society should keep an eye on such incidents and deal with them, he said, adding that such efforts will stop Love Jihad. According to him, western culture is being imposed Ex-Waqf chief, 2 officials booked Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has registered an FIR against three former officials of Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board, including exchairman Shaukat Mohammed Khan, under the Prevention of Corruption Act for causing a financial loss by leasing Board properties at below-guideline rates. The FIR also names members Furkan Ahmed and Mohammed Juber. The alleged annual loss to the Board is estimated at Rs 2.54 crore. The case followed a com- BCCI DICTATES, KKR DROPS BANGLADESH PLAYER MUMBAI: Bangladesh fast When Pak bowler Mustafizur Rahman has become the latest casualty of stars got out strained India-Bangladesh relations after the Board of Control for Cricket in India instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders to release him from their squad ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. The directive was confirmed by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who said the decision was taken in view of “recent developments all across.” TRUMP SPEAK l No US casualties or equipment losses reported during the operation. Cuba (1961): The failed Bay of Pigs invasion sought to unseat Fidel Castro. fp Trump posted online a picture of a handcuffed and blindfolded Maduro. (Above) Fire erupts at Fuerte Tiuna military complex in Caracas after the US strikes on Saturday. anointed successor by Hugo Chávez before his death in 2013, has rejected the charges, insisting Washington’s real objective is regime change aimed at gaining control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Guatemala (1954): A CIA-backed coup overthrew elected president Jacobo Árbenz after land reforms threatened US interests. Only 11 Pakistani cricketers have ever featured in the IPL, all of them during the inaugural 2008 season. Their abrupt disappearance from the tournament thereafter was the result of a mix of politics, 4Continued on | P8 E-paper Readers’ Corner Life Razor: Cut through... P.6 Rioters must be put in their place: Khamenei US strikes, will ‘run’ Venezuela MUMBAI MUMBAI RENT SCAM plaint filed with GAD deputy secretary in July 2023, which alleged that properties of Auqaf-e-Amma were leased in violation of the Waqf Board Act-1995 and Waqf Property Lease Rules-1914. Permissions for construction were also reportedly granted without proper approval. EOW began its investigation in October 2023 and found that around 185 properties covering 83,000 sq ft were leased at rates far below collector guidelines. 4Continued on | P8 on the people of India in the name of modernity, so everyone should think about the moral values they are imparting to the children. Women should be as courageous as Queen Lakshmi Bai, he said. ‘‘Our religion, our culture, and our society are safe because of women who are not confined to their homes today,’’ he said. Men and women together build a prosperous society, so the way women work for their families should also work for building the nation, he said. 4Continued on | P8 14 Maoists shot dead BASTAR: Security forces recovered the bodies of 14 Maoists following multiple encounters in Bijapur and Sukma districts of Chhattisgarh, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police P. Sundarraj said here on Saturday. He said the operation was launched based on specific intelligence indicating the presence of Maoists in the southern regions of the Bijapur and Sukma districts. During the operation, security forces engaged in multiple encounters with Maoists in the area. Two bodies of Maoists were recovered from Bijapur district, and a total of 12 Maoist bodies were recovered from Sukma district. See Nation 3 days after set on fire, Hindu man dies in B’desh Dhaka: Khokon Chandra Das, a Hindu businessman who was brutally attacked and set on fire in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district on New Year’s Eve, died on Saturday morning while undergoing treatment in Dhaka. This is the fifth death of a person from the Hindu community since December. Doctors at the hospital said the 50-year-old Das suffered 30% burns, with severe injuries to his face and respiratory tract. Das ran a pharmacy and a mobile banking business. According to police and local media reports, the incident took place around 9.30 pm on New Year’s Eve when Das was returning home after closing his shop. Police said the assailants stopped the autorickshaw he was travelling in. 4Continued on | P8 The water contamination crisis in Indore’s Bhagirathpura remains a serious concern as the number of patients continues to rise, even as no deaths were reported on Saturday. On Saturday, 200 new patients were reported, marking the sharpest spike in the past seven days and triggering fresh alarm among residents and authorities. Till Friday, 518 patients were admitted—310 in private hospitals and 208 in government facilities. The sudden addition of 200 cases in a day indicates that the health impact of contaminated water is far from being under control. As of January 3, a total of 354 patients, including 38 children, are still in the hospital, including 20 in the ICU, while 205 have been discharged. 4Continued on | P8 Pic: Anand Shivre Cong-BJP workers clash ension prevailed in Bhagirathpura on Saturday when a fivemember fact-finding team formed by Congress, reached the area to meet locals and faced strong resistance from BJP workers. The visit led to a face-off between workers of both the parties, forcing police to step in to control the situation (See PG-3) T Cong agitation from Jan 11 tate Congress chief Jitu Patwari announced a statewide agitation from January 11 over deaths allegedly caused by contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura area in Indore. He said the party will intensify protests if responsibility was not fixed by then S Kshitij Singhal takes charge as IMC chief office to complete the official formalities. Singhal’s appointment comes in the wake of the Bhagirathpura water contamination tragedy, in which at least 16 people have died after consuming polluted drinking water and suffering from severe diarrhoea.  Our Staff Reporter INDORE In a major administrative reshuffle, Kshitij Singhal, a senior IAS officer, assumed charge as the new Municipal Commissioner late on Saturday night. Soon after taking charge, Singhal visited the Khajrana Ganesh Temple to seek blessings and later reached the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) 4Continued on | P8