Vol. 65 No. 312 | THURSDAY | MAY 5, 2022 | 19 Pages | JOLT FOR ‘RBI ACTION DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR MARKETS, MORE HIKES TO FOLLOW’ EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Indore, Bhopal, Konkan, E-paper EDIT MUSLIM CONSOLIDATION: DANGEROUS PORTENT SC DIRECTS SEC TO DECLARE POLL PLAN FOR LOCAL BODIES IN 2 WEEKS MVA GOVT SANJAY JOG MUMBAI The Maha Vikas Aghadi government received a major jolt on Wednesday after the Supreme Court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to declare the schedule for local body elections, including the one to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), within two weeks. The apex court has also said that it will decide on the issue pertaining to reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the elections after the polling process takes place. The SEC had submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, saying that the time required to prepare for the polls would extend to June. But by then, the monsoon would have started and elections are not conducted during this season due to potential logistical challenges. The EC has clarified that declaration of poll schedule does not mean that elections to 20 municipal corporations and other local bodies will be held immediately . An SEC official, after reading the SC order, told The Free Press Journal, “The SEC will start the process which came to a standstill after the amendments passed in the state legislature on March 11. In the case of 14 municipal corporations, hearing for the delimitation of wards was completed but it was to be finalised. In the case of six municipal corporations, the process for delimitation of wards has yet to begin.’’ Further, he said, in the case of 210 nagar palikas, the district collectors had invited suggestions and objections and proposals were approved but the delimitation process was yet to be completed. He also said that in the case of gram panchayats, the draft had been published while the SEC was yet to release a programme for the delimitation for zilla parishads and panchayat samitis. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE With today's order, the onus now is on the MVA government to see that the State Backward Classes Commission completes the collection of empirical data for OBCs. This is one of the crucial tests the state government will have to pass for the restoration of 27% reservation in civic and local bodies for the OBCs. MANSUKH HIRAN MURDER CASE Ex-cop main plotter: NIA ‘Active member of gang which conspired to terrorise Ambanis’ URVI MAHAJANI MUMBAI Beijing is under semi-lockdown PTI BEIJING China's capital Beijing on Wednesday shut down several metro stations besides schools, restaurants and businesses and ordered daily COVID-19 testing of its 21 million people as it ramped up measures to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant which has brought the financial hub Shanghai to halt for over a month. Beijing reported 53 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to over 500 cases as the capital continues enforcing strict anti-virus measures and postponed school reopening for a week as a precautionary measure. The capital city on Wednesday closed over 40 subway stations, CONTD. ON NATION PAGE The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed that former cop Pradeep Sharma was the main conspirator in the ‘cold-blooded murder’ of businessman Mansukh Hiran, who was considered the weak link in the larger conspiracy of terrorising the Ambani family . The statement was made by the NIA in its affidavit filed before the Bombay high court on Wednesday while opposing Sharma’s bail petition. Sharma was arrested by the NIA on June 17, 2021, and is presently in judicial custody . He has approached the HC challenging the special court order rejecting his bail in February 2022. Bail for legislator duo in Chalisa row BHAVNA UCHIL MUMBAI A special court on Wednesday granted bail to the Independent legislator couple, MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana, who were arrested 11 days ago for threatening to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s personal residence, Matoshree. Among the conditions imposed on them by the court were that they should not address the media, either print or electronic, on any subject connected with the case. Special Judge R N Rokade, designated to conduct criminal matters of MPs and MLAs, also directed that they must not try to influence any prosecution witnesses or interfere with the probe in any manner. Another condition imposed by the court on the duo was that they must make themselves available for interrogation by the investigating officer as and when called, till the probe is completed. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE Raj rages, MVA holds off arrest SANJAY JOG MUMBAI Undeterred by the offence registered against him and the detention of his party workers, MNS chief Raj Thackeray announced on Wednesday that his protest would continue until all illegal loudspeakers were removed. “We will continue playing Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques at the time of Azaan until all illegal loudspeakers will be removed. Playing Hanuman Chalisa outside Loudspeaker volume should not exceed 45-55 decibels, which is the sound generated by the use of the mixer-grinder in a kitchen – Raj Thackeray mosques is not a one-day affair. I have to see what the Supreme Court is doing if the government is not following its order. All illegal loudspeakers should be removed from mosques and until they are removed, we will continue our agitation,” he averred. Raj Thackeray reiterated that the issue was not religious but social. “It’s not only about mosques, there are several temples where illegal loudspeakers are used. I have already made it clear that illegal loudspeakers are not a religious issue but a social issue,” he said. He further noted that “as far as I know, there are over 1,140 mosques in Mumbai. Of these, 135 mosques broadcast Azaan at 5am, violating the guidelines. We want peace in the state.” CONTD. ON NATION PAGE A division bench of Justices A S Chandurkar and G A Sanap has kept the petition for hearing on July 17. The NIA has further contended that Sharma was not innocent and had committed offences of criminal conspiracy murder and terror acts. , “Pradeep Sharma was an active member of a gang that CONTD. ON NATION PAGE Repeat horror for minor rape victim in thana RASHMI SHARMA LUCKNOW In a shocking incident at Lalitpur district in Uttar Pradesh, a minor gang rape victim, who had come seeking justice, met the same fate inside the police station. The minor had gone to Pali police station with a lady relative to lodge a complaint against the four who had raped her. But instead of treating the matter with the sensitivity it deserved, the protectors of law went to the other extreme; the ghastly act was perpetrated yet again – this time by the inspector in charge and three other cops. With politicians of all hues raising hell, the accused official, Station House Officer Tilakdhari Saroj, has been arrested.  All cops posted at the police station, where the alleged incident took place, too have been removed from duty . A DIG-level officer will investigate the case and file a report within 24 hours. The FIR filed by the girl's father on Tuesday stated that she was abducted by four men and taken to Bhopal on April 22, where they raped her for three days. The accused then brought her back to her village and allegedly dropped her at the police station in question before escaping. The accused police station in-charge then handed over the girl to her aunt, the FIR stated, adding that she was called to the police station the next day for recording her statement. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE BCCI ban on scribe for bullying a cricketer LAST WORD SPORTS DESK MUMBAI The BCCI has imposed a two-year ban on journalist Boria Majumdar for "bullying" senior wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha and barred him from interviewing registered players and entering cricket stadiums in the country. Boria is also barred from seeking access to any of BCCI and members associations owned cricket facilities. In February, Saha (37), who had been dropped from the Indian team for the Test series against Sri Lanka, had taken to twitter to publish a screenshot of A MATTER OF INSULT messages that a "respected" journalist had sent him on WhatsApp. The screenshot had the unnamed journalist telling the cricketer "to do an interview with me", to which Saha did not respond. The messages eventually became shrill in tone: "You did not call. Never again will I interview you. I don't take insults kindly. And I will remember this. This wasn't something you should have done." Apparently the journalist had taken of, fense at the wicketkeeper-batter for ignoring his calls for an interview. The issue escalated after former players like Ravi Shastri, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag, among others, joined in the criticism of the journalist. With the matter being hotly debated in social media, the cricket board decided to get to the bottom of it and constituted a three-member committee to determine CONTD. ON NATION PAGE whether the I AM FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE A PART OF SUCH GREAT FILMS THAT ARE PATH BREAKING: VIDYA BALAN EU looks at total ban on Russian oil AP BRUSSELS The 27-member European Union is looking at a total ban on Russian oil imports by the end of the year. EU president Ursula von der Leyen, addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, proposed phasing out imports of crude oil from Russia within six months and refined products by the end of the year. “We will make sure that we phase out Russian oil in an orderly fashion, in a way that allows us and our partners to secure alternative supply routes and minimizes the impact on global markets,” von der Leyen said. The proposals must be unanimously approved to take effect and are likely to be the subject of fierce debate. Von der Leyen conceded that getting all 27 member countries — some of them landlocked and highly dependent on Russia for energy supplies — to agree on oil sanctions “will not be easy .” CONTD. ON NATION PAGE 350c. 260c. Sunrise: 06:08 am Sunset : 07:02 pm RBI hikes key rate to tame surging prices To impact car, house, loan EMIs; Sensex crashes BUSINESS DESK BENGALURU Home, auto and other loan EMIs are likely to go up after the Reserve Bank of India hiked its key interest rate by 40 bps in a surprise move on Wednesday, in an effort to tame inflation that has remained stubbornly above target in recent months. The decision was also taken in view of the mounting geo-political tensions, high crude oil prices and shortage of commodities globally, which have impacted Indian economy. The increase in repo rate -the rate at which the RBI lends to commercial banks -- to 4.40 per cent from a record low of 4 per cent is the first since August 2018. It is also the first instance of the RBI monetary policy committee holding an unscheduled meeting. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE US FED RAISES RATES HALF A POINT T he US Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by a half percentage point and announced a plan to shrink its massive bond holdings, decisive measures aimed at reining in the fastest inflation in four decades. This also marks the Fed’s largest interest rate increase since 2000. Together, the policies are likely to ricochet through markets and the economy as money becomes more expensive to borrow, reports New York Times. It is apparent the central bank is getting serious about cooling down the economy and job market as rapid inflation persists and as officials grow nervous that it could become more permanent. Prices have been climbing at the  fastest pace in 40 years  months now, adds the NYT. for EV points to be must for new bldgs Also, 20% of parking lot space would be reserved for electric vehicles SHEFALI PARAB-PANDIT MUMBAI The BMC is planning to make it mandatory for all new buildings to have electric vehicle (EV) charging points on their premises. Further, 20 per cent of their parking lot space should be reserved for electric vehicles. The BMC’s Development P lans to set up 28 EV charging stations at BMC properties like ward office buildings, hospitals, fire stations etc in the city, eastern and western suburbs. Also, the BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) is planning to set up 55 charging stations at bus depots and stations  Control Regulations (DCR) in Development Plan (DP)2034 will be amended to incorporate this provision.  Aiming to reduce pollution, the Central and state governments are encouraging the use of electric vehicles. With the objective of a separate ‘Electric Vehicle Charging Policy’ for Mumbai, the BMC had held its first meeting with the shareholders last week. The BMC has set an ambitious target of 1,500 EV charging stations and ensuring at least 10 per cent of EV penetration in the city by 2025. Currently, there is no provision for electric charging points in DP-2034. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE