FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 226 | BHOPAL | THURSDAY | JANUARY 29, 2026 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports ARE WE ANIMALS IN THE ZOO? P.15 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN MONEY PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit The tragic end of Ajit Pawar P.6 PM woos investors; urges them to be co-pilots in aviation sector Cinema ‘Read history & form your own perception’ P.14 TRAGIC | Aircraft crashes barely 200 metres from edge of tabletop runway, while attempting a second landing approach at Baramati airport in Pune district AJIT PAWAR, 4 OTHERS KILLED IN AIR CRASH has Ajit Dadahugethe made a contribution to development of Maharashtra and the country. He always worked proactively Narendra Modi, PM he way Ajit Pawar ji dedicated himself to the welfare of every section of society in Maharashtra over the past threeand-a-half decades cannot be expressed in words Amit Shah, Union Home Minister n this moment of grief, I stand with the people of Maharashtra. I extend my condolences to the entire Pawar family and their loved ones during this hour of sorrow Rahul Gandhi, LoP T I Death of 66-year-old leader, fondly known as Dada, has not only left vacuum in BJP-led state coalition government, but also cast shadow on future of Nationalist Congress Party Modi speaks to Sharad PTI BARAMATI Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board a chartered aircraft were killed after it crashed barely 200 metres from the edge of a tabletop runway at Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. The death of the 66-year-old leader, fondly known as Dada (elder brother) in the state, has not only left a vacuum in the BJPled state coalition government, but also cast a shadow on the future of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which he headed. His uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar said the plane crash was an accident which shouldn't be politicised. The "black box" (comprising the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder) from the aircraft will be analysed after recovery to determine the cause of the accident, an official said. The 16-year-old aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, crashed while attempting a second landing approach at the airport, an uncontrolled Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar and expressed condolences at the death of his nephew, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. "The prime minister spoke to Sharad Pawar on the sad demise of Ajit Pawar and expressed his condolences," officials said ‘No conspiracy’ Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s plane in flames after it crashed during landing, at Baramati in Pune district, Maharashtra on Wednesday airfield where traffic information is typically provided by instructors and pilots from local flying training organisations. Ajit Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a flying experience of 15,000 hours, copilot Capt. Shambhavi Pathak with 1,500 hours of flying, Personal Security Officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav and flight attendant Pinky Mali. The government released a statement detailing the sequence of events that led to the crash and Pawar's death. The aircraft, a Learjet, was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a go-around due to poor visibility, but having finally received a clearance it did not give any read-back' to the ATC, and moments later burst into flames on the edge of Scan & Watch the runway. 4Continued on | P8 It was purely an accident, said an emotional Sharad Pawar, ruling out any conspiracy in the plane crash that killed his nephew Modi, Shah may attend funeral The last rites of Ajit Pawar will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati. PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to attend the funeral STRAY DOG CASE Building castle in air: Non-compliance of orders irks SC PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Wednesday flagged concern over state governments not complying with its directions to enhance their stray dog sterilisation capacity, saying, "They are all building castles in the air." A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria, which commenced hearing states' submissions on compliance of its earlier directions, expressed its unhappiness over the progress and said they were engaged in "storytelling". Senior advocate Gaurav Agarwal, who has been appointed amicus curiae in the matter, summarised the initiatives taken by different states, while flagging the deficiencies. He pointed out that some states have taken steps in consonance with the top court's direction, but there was still a long way to go for total compliance. The governments will have to step up animal birth control (ABC) facilities, ramp up sterilisation of stray dogs, set up dog pounds (animal shelters), fence up institutional areas and remove stray animals from roads and highways, the advocate said. SC, which also heard submissions of Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand & Gujarat, observed non-compliance of directions for fencing of institutional areas to prevent ingress of stray animals into schools and hospitals Pointing to the initiatives taken by the Bihar government, Agrawal said there are 34 ABC Centres where, they say, 20,648 dogs have been sterilised. But they have not specified the daily capacity of sterilisation, and for what period the figure specifies, he said. "The state should have done a complete audit of ABC centres. If there are more than six lakh dogs in the state, sterilisation of 20,648 dogs is totally insufficient. Ninety-one dogs are presently lodged in the pounds. 4Continued on | P8 Grief grips Shambhavi Pathak’s childhood home Clause under which nod to prosecute She was co-piloting Shah sought provides for 3-year jail plane along with Captain Kapoor FP News Service GWALIOR “Good morning, Dadda…”. A simple message wishing her good morning at 6.36 am fp Briefs KOLKATA Mamata gets ECI appointment The ECI has given an appointment on February 2 to a Trinamool Congress delegation, set to be headed by party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and comprising party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other leaders. Sources in the state Secretariat said on Wednesday that the party's delegation has been asked to come to the Election Commission's office in Delhi on February 2. NEW DELHI on Wednesday was the last time Meera Pathak had heard from her granddaughter Shambhavi. Over an hour later, news reports flashed across televisions announcing that Shambhavi was among the five persons who died along with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a fatal Next attack will be far worse: Trump warns Iran over N-deal AP DUBAI Iranian officials reached out to the wider Middle East on Wednesday over the threat of a possible US military strike on the country, while the value of Iran's currency reached a new low a month since the start of protests that soon spread nationwide and sparked a bloody crackdown. Two nations, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have signalled they won't allow their airspace to be used for any attack. But America As the news of the accident spread, a pall of gloom fell over the house. The walls decorated with pictures of a young Shambhavi bear testimony to the girl’s ambition and fondness for fighter planes as her father was with the Indian Air Force. 4Continued on | P8 SC agrees to list for hearing plea against UGC rules PTI Middle East worries over possible US strike on Iran Lula to visit next month Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has confirmed that he will make an official visit to India in February, after which he will travel to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump. Lula is also expected to take part in the AI Summit. airplane crash at Baramati airport in Pune. According to reports, Shamabhavi was co-piloting the plane along with Captain Sumit Kapoor. Born and raised in Gwalior, Shambhavi frequently visited her grandmother’s home in Basant Vihar area where Meera now lives alone. has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided missile destroyers into the region, which can be used to launch attacks from the sea. Iran's currency, the rial, fell to a record low of 1.6 million to $1, according to local currency traders. It remains unclear what US President Donald Trump will decide about using force, though he laid down two red lines - the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the possible mass execution of detainees. The protests saw at least 6,221 people killed as Iran launched a bloody crackdown on the demonstrations, with many others feared dead, activists said Wednesday. "Hopefully Iran will quickly Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS one that is good for all parties," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday. "Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!" Mentioning the June strikes on Iran as the US inserted itself in Israel's 12-day war on the Islamic Republic, Trump wrote: "The next attack will be far worse!" See page World NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to list for hearing a plea challenging a recently notified University Grants Commission (UGC) regulation on the ground that it has adopted a non-inclusionary definition of castebased discrimination and excludes certain categories from institutional protection. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of a lawyer seeking urgent hearing of the plea. "There is a possibility of discrimination against the general class. My case is 'Rahul Dewan and Ors vs Union'," a lawyer said. Fresh scientific findings have added a crucial layer of clarity to the sensational Sabarimala gold theft case, with experts confirming that the sanctum door panels were not replaced and that the crime involved the stripping of gold from copper-plated sheets. The findings, submitted to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and placed before the Kerala High Court on Wednesday, rule out speculation of wholesale replacement of the sanctum fixtures or their transfer to international rackets.Scientists from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (ISRO -VSSC), who conducted detailed material analysis, have testified that the panels currently installed at Sabarimala are the original copper sheets.Tests have confirmed The clause under which the SIT sought approval from the government for the prosecution of the minister, Vijay Shah, provides for three years of jail and the imposition of a fine. The SIT has sought approval for prosecution under section 196 (1) (a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. According to the BNS, it is necessary to take permission from the government to prosecute a public servant under India comes out on top: US Trade Representative on India-EU FTA Agencies WASHINGTON DC that the stolen material was gold layered over copper, and not solid gold panels, as had been widely speculated earlier.According to the testimony, the wooden framework of the sanctum door -locally referred to as the kattill -- was also found to be original.However, samples taken from sheets that were removed and later reinstalled showed a significant reduction in gold content, establishing that the 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 ISRO scientific tests confirm Sabarimala gold was stripped IANS Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has said that India stands to benefit the most from the recently concluded Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union, citing greater market access, labour advantages, and potential mobility opportunities for Indian workers. In an interview with Fox News, Greer said the agreement must be viewed in the context of shifting global trade dynamics under US President Donald Trump's push to prioritise domestic production. He noted that the European Union, being highly trade-dependent, is increasingly looking beyond the US for export markets. "Strategically, it's important to understand that because President Trump has prioritised domestic production and essentially started charging a fee for other countries to offgrid THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Clause 196(1)(a) criminalises using spoken or written words, signs, or electronic communication to promote disharmony and hatred CM, Khandelwal discuss issue Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and BJP’s state president Hemant Khandelwal discussed the matter together with other issues on Wednesday. clause 217 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. This is the reason that the application seeking approval for prosecution has been lying with the government for five months. In a statement, Shah termed Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as the sister of the terrorists. The statement kicked up a row across the country. During the hearing of a petition over the issue, the high court directed the state government to register a case against Shah. When the issue reached the Supreme Court, it stopped the HC order and set up an SIT to probe the case. According to sources, the SIT concluded that Shah was at fault by issuing such a statement. 4Continued on | P8 BUDGET SESSION BEGINS President lauds govt for navigating path of devpt in times of complexities President Droupadi Murmu welcomed in Parliament premises by an official carrying the ‘Sengol Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI The Budget Session of Parliament got underway on Wednesday with the address of President Droupadi Murmu in which she delved on how in this “phase of complexities” and “ongoing conflicts” faced by the world, India has navigated the path of development through the government’s “balanced foreign policy and far-sighted vision”. Addressing a Joint Session of both Houses, Murmu without naming the United States or its President Donald Trump’s policies, especially with regard to imposition of tariffs, said, “amid the complex global circumstances prevailing at present, India is playing the role of a bridge in the world” and “at the same time, it has remained steadfast in its resolve of ‘India First’.” 4Continued on | P8