Vol. 65 No. 316 | TUESDAY | MAY 10, 2022 | 18 Pages | LANKAN PM RAJAPAKSA’S HOUSE IN KURUNEGALA SET ON FIRE Rupee at all-time low of 77.44/$ T he rupee extended its losses and slumped 54 paise to close at a record low of 77.44 against the US dollar on Monday, pressured by the strength of the American currency overseas and unabated foreign fund outflows. Forex traders said risk appetite has weakened amid mounting concerns about inflation that may trigger more aggressive rate hikes by global central banks. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened lower at 77.17 against the greenback, and finally settled for the day at 77.44, down 54 paise over its previous close. During the trading session, the rupee touched its lifetime low of 77.52. On Friday, the rupee had slumped 55 paise to close at 76.90. DHARMESH THAKKAR MUMBAI China wants to keep border alive: Army chief T he basic issue with China remains the resolution of the boundary question but Beijing's intent has been to keep it "alive", Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said on Monday, asserting that Indian troops are adequately deployed to deal with any situation along the frontier. Gen Pande said the Army's aim is to restore the status quo ante prior to April 2020 and that guidance has been given to the troops deployed along the border to remain firm and resolute in their tasks. Another death at Char Dham Yatra E ighteen Char Dham pilgrims have died on way to the Himalayan temples since the start of the yatra on May 3. In most cases, the cause of death is suspected to be cardiac arrest. In the latest incident, a 40-year-old man from Bengaluru died on Monday on the way to the Yamunotri temple, taking the number of devotees dying on the way to this Himalayan shrine itself to 10. Considering the fact that the pilgrimage began just around a week ago, the number of deaths of pilgrims is unusually high. Mahadev Venkata Subramanian of Bengaluru was taken ill on the way to the temple on Monday morning. He was taken to a hospital in Jankichatti where doctors declared him dead. He died of a cardiac arrest, doctors at the hospital said. A 58-year-old woman from Mumbai had also died on way to Yamunotri on Sunday. Five people died on the way to the Kedarnath temple which opened on May 6 and three en route to the Gangotri temple. Healthcare experts have warned people with comorbodities regarding highaltitude risks. Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned hours after his supporters attacked anti-govt protesters, leaving at least 130 people injured PTI COLOMBO Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday amid unprecedented economic turmoil, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office, leaving at least 130 people injured and prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy army troops in the capital. Prime Minister Mahinda, 76, sent his resignation to President Gotabaya after violent scenes were witnessed in Colombo. “Effective immediately I have tendered my resignation as prime minister to the President,” Mahinda tweeted. Prime Minister Mahinda in his resignation letter said that he is stepping down to pave the way for the all-party interim government to be formed. “I write to inform you that I have decided to resign from the post of prime minister with immediate effect. This is in line with your request made at the special cabinet meeting held on May 6, wherein you said that you intend to set up an all party interim government,” he wrote in his resignation letter. He said that he will be “ready to make any sacrifice even in the future in order to help the people and the government overcome the present crisis.” At least two Cabinet ministers have also announced their resignations. Child row: DGCA forms team to probe IndiGo Airline CEO offers to buy wheelchair for the specially-abled boy, insists crew made the ‘best possible decision’q STAFF REPORTER MUMBAI Aviation regulator DGCA has formed a three-member team to conduct a fact-finding enquiry into IndiGo crew barring a specially-abled child from boarding a flight at the Ranchi airport as he was in a “state of panic”. The DGCA issued a statement on Monday saying, “The team will visit Ranchi and Hyderabad (place of stay of the family concerned) and collect appropriate evidence within one week from today Based on the out. come of the inquiry, further action shall entail.” IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta expressed regret on Monday over the incident and offered to buy an electric wheelchair for the boy Dutta said the airline . FILE PIC special court on Monday issued a notice to MP Navneet Rana and her MLAhusband Ravi Rana, accused in a sedition case following a row over the recitation of Hanuman Chalisa, seeking their response to an application filed by the Mumbai Police urging for their bail to be cancelled. The police sought that the couple's bail be cancelled on the ground that they had allegedly violated one of the conditions imposed by the special court while granting them bail last week. The National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted raids at several places in Mumbai and Thane in a crackdown on hawala operators, drug dealers and others with alleged links to Dawood Ibrahim and his associates. Among those detained yesterday were Dawood's key man Chhota Shakeel's brother-in-law Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, Suhail Khandwani, the managing trustee of Mahim and Haji Ali dargahs, Bollywood producer and the 1993 Mumbai blasts accused Sameer Hingorani, alleged hawala operator Abdul Kayyum, alleged bookieturned builder Ajay Ghosaliya alias Ajay Ganda, Mobida Bhiwandiwala, Guddu Pathan, and restaurateur SRI LANKA PM QUITS; NATION LOCKED DOWN PIC: SALMAN ANSARI staff took the best possible decision under difficult circumstances. Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Twitter that no human being should have to go through this and he himself is investigating the Ranchi incident. Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the Jharkhand police to lodge an FIR against IndiGo as there was a prima facie violation of section 7 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which is cognisable in nature. The incident came to light after other passengers highlighted it on social media on Sunday. In a statement, Dutta said, “We recognise too well CONTD. ON NATION PAGE The violence occurred as pressure mounted on the embattled government led by his younger brother and President Gotabaya to form an interim administration to overcome the worst economic crisis facing the country. Curfew was imposed islandwide with immediate effect until further notice, a police spokesperson was quoted as saying by the local media. A military contingent was deployed to the protest site to assist law enforcement after clashes between pro-government and protestors at MynaGoGama and GotaGoGama protest sites left around 130 people injured. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE ALWAR RAPE After 4 months, cops say it was road accident MANISH GODHA JAIPUR Four months after a speciallyabled minor girl was found bleeding on a flyover in Alwar, the Rajasthan Police have now released a statement terming it a road accident. The policehave said that the girl was not raped and the injuries to her body were caused due to a road accident. The opposition BJP has raised questions on the investigation and the timing of concluding the case, saying the police have tried to divert the matter under the pressure of the Congress government in the state. The police have arrested two suspects – Yunas Khan, who was allegedly riding a bike, and a bus driver, Bhupendra Singh. “The forensic science reports show there were no signs of rape. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE Hindutva-fascism: UGC seeks report from Sharda FPJ BUREAU NEW DELHI taken report the steps taken by it to ensure that such incidents do not occur. “It has been noticed that the students objected to the question and filed a complaint with the university Needless . to say that asking students such a question is against the spirit and ethos of our country which is known for inclu, sivity and homogeneity and such questions have not been asked,” the UGC said in a com- munication to the Sharda University . The Political Science (Honours) question in the BA firstyear paper asked the students about 'Hindutva-Fascism'. The question carrying seven marks read, “Do you find any similarities between Fascism/Nazism and Hindu right-wing (Hindutva)? Elaborate with arguments.” After the question paper went viral on social media platforms, the university formed a three-member committee to "look into the possibility of bias in the questions". In a statement, it said the committee has found the question objectionable and for the purpose of evaluation, it may be ignored by the evaluators. The university has also issued a show-cause notice to the faculty member who had set the question paper. ARITRA SINGHA KOLKATA The University Grants Commission (UGC) sought a report from the Sharda University on Monday about an “objectionable” question asked by it in an exam on similarities between Hindutva and fascism. The higher education regulator has asked the Greater Noida-based private university to explain in the detailed action- likely to turn into a cyclonic storm by Wednesday. The cyclone will not make landfall either in Odisha or Andhra Pradesh but will move parallel to the east coast and cause rainfall, IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra had said in Bhubaneswar on Sunday The . system, which lay about 500 km southeast of Visakhapatnam and 650 km south of Puri at 8.30 am on Monday, is moving in a north-westward direction with a sustained surface ALLEGED LINKS TO D-GANG Aslam Sarodia. Electronic devices, documents of investments in real estate, cash and firearms were seized during raids at 29 locations yesterday . “The case pertains to terror and criminal activities of the international terrorist network of D-Company involving Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his associates, including Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, 3 killed after tanker hits cars on Eway AMIT SRIVASTAVA NAVI MUMBAI Three people died while two suffered injuries after a tanker carrying liquid propylene jumped the divider and rammed two cars coming from the opposite direction near the Khopoli exit along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway The police said the tanker . driver lost control of the vehicle. See Page 7 Techie shoots lover dead, kills himself PTI AMARAVATI A software professional shot his lover to death before killing himself in SPS Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh on Monday as the woman's parents refused to get them married, the police said. The lovers belonged to the same community and were from Tatiparti village under Podalakuru in SPS Nellore district. M Suresh Reddy 30, , CONTD. ON NATION PAGE 320c. 280c. Sunrise: 06:06 am Sunset : 07:04 pm Severe cyclonic storm Asani packing gale-force winds up to 120 kmph which is moving towards the east coast bringing along heavy rain, is likely to recurve in a northnortheastward direction on reaching near the shore and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm, the Met office said on Monday. Coming close to North Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coasts, it is Chhota Shakeel, Javed Patel and Tiger Memon for indulging in arms smuggling, narco-terrorism, money laundering, circulation of fake currency, etc The criminal syndicate is active in acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds and working in active collaboration with international terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and al Qaeda,” a senior NIA officer said. The NIA carried out raids at Bandra, Nagpada, Bhendi Bazar, Goregaon, Parel, Santacruz, Malad, Borivali and Mumbra. The NIA sources said the agency had inputs on sleepers cells activated by the D-Gang in Mumbai which were being provided logistics and funds by the aides of the gangsters. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE FPJ BUREAU NEW DELHI punishable with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.” The top court is hearing pleas filed by the Editors Guild of India and former Major General SG Vombatkere, challenging the constitutionality of Section 124A (sedition) in the IPC. The apex court had said its main concern was the “misuse of law” leading to the rising number of cases. While issuing notice on the petitions in July last year, the top court had referred to the alleged misuse of the provision and had asked if the Colonial-era law was still needed after 75 years of Independence. In the last hearing, a special bench comprising Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli was told by Attorney General KK Venugopal, who was assisting in his personal capacity, that the misuse of the provision as it happened against a Maharashtra MP for reciting Hanuman Chalisa has to be stopped by laying down guidelines. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE Will re-examine sedition: Centre A day ahead of the Supreme Court's final hearing on the sedition law, the Centre on Monday asked the court to hold back as it has decided to “re-examine and reconsider” its provisions, and “not rush with any ruling”. The government filed an application, requesting the Supreme Court not to hold hearing in the case to decide the constitutionality of Section 124A till the it finishes its reconsideration process. The Union government’s application came a day before the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear arguments on the legal question of whether the pleas challenging the Colonial-era penal law on sedition should be referred to a larger bench. The Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), non-bailable provision, makes “any speech or expression that brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India a criminal offence SHAHEEN BAGH RESIDENTS RESIST CIVIC BULLDOZERS FPJ BUREAU NEW DELHI Protests erupted at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh on Monday with hundreds of people, including women, opposing an anti-encroachment drive of the SDMC as bulldozers rolled into the area in the presence of a huge number of police personnel, even as the civic body team was forced to return without carrying out the exercise. Following the protests, the SDMC offi- Raging Asani likely to weaken in 36 hours FILE PIC A FOCUS ON CHALLENGES, DON’T TAKE DIVERSIONS I AM HAPPY THAT I AM GETTING INTO A MORE HONEST SPACE AS AN ACTOR: WAMIQA GABBI BOLLYWOOD PRODUCER AND 1993 BLAST ACCUSED SAMEER HINGORANI AMONG THOSE DETAINED S Court notice to Rana couple EDIT NIA detains Shakeel’s bro-in-law, Haji Ali and Mahim dargah trustee Snag hits WR locals on Monday uburban and long distance trains were paralysed after an over-head electric (OHE) wire snapped between Borivali and Dahisar stations early on Monday. Thousands of commuters rushing to their work places were stuck as local trains towards Churchgate were stranded. A majority, including women, were seen jumping down on the tracks and hiking it out to the nearest station, waiting for the resumption of services. EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Indore, Bhopal, Konkan, E-paper wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph. It has caused rainfall in Odisha and West Bengal during the day . Under the influence of the cyclone, coastal Odisha and adjoining areas of north coastal Andhra Pradesh and coastal West Bengal are expected to receive rainfall from Tuesday evening. The weather office said that very high sea conditions were likely to prevail over westcentral and adjoining CONTD. ON NATION PAGE cials returned with the bulldozers, an official said. The protesters raised slogans against the BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) as well as the Centre and demanded that the action be stopped. Some of the women protesters even stood in front of the bulldozers to prevent the exercise. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) against the demolition drive at Shaheen Bagh, saying it cannot interfere in the matter at the instance of a political party. A bench of justices L Nageswara Rao and BR Gavai asked the Left party to approach the Delhi High Court instead. “Why is the CPI(M) filing a petition? What is the fundamental right that is being violated? Not at the behest of political parties. This is not the platform. You go to the high court,” the bench said. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE HC denies bail to 4 Lakhimpur accused FPJ BUREAU LUCKNOW The Allahabad High Court on Monday said political people holding high positions shouldn't make “irresponsible statements” and need to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their status and the dignity of their office. The Lucknow bench of the High Court made the observation at a hearing during which it rejected the bail pleas of four of the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The court will hear on May 25 the bail plea of Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish, whose bail was earlier cancelled by the Supreme Court. Four farmers and a journalist were mowed down by vehicles allegedly carrying BJP workers in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 last CONTD. ON NATION PAGE year