FREE PRESS - VOL. XXXIX NO. 22 | INDORE | THURSDAY | JUNE 30, 2022 | PAGES 14 UDDHAV QUITS WWW.FREEPRESSJOURNAL.IN EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE EDIT AFTER SETBACK IN SUPREME COURT News Brief Swara receives death threat Actor Swara Bhasker has received a death threat in a letter following which Mumbai police have launched an investigation, an official said on Wednesday. After receiving the letter, Swara Bhasker approached Versova police station two days back and lodged a complaint against unidentified persons, an official said. All-time low for rupee The rupee depreciated 18 paise to close at a record low of 79.03 against the US dollar on Wednesday, weighed down by persistent foreign capital outflows, a strong dollar overseas and surge in crude oil prices. It has lost 1.97 per cent so far this month and has eroded a staggering 6.39 per cent since the start of this year. See Money Rs 15L ex-gratia for ONGC victims Both the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) have announced an ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh each for the families of the four persons who lost their lives in the chopper crash on Tuesday. One senior ONGC officer has been associated with each of the survivors to accompany them to their hometowns. 2 LeT militants gunned down Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said. Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation at Nawapora in Mir Bazaar area of Kulgam following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said. AG given three months' extension Senior advocate KK Venugopal has agreed to continue as the Attorney General (AG) for three more months following a request from the Central government, sources said on Wednesday. Venugopal's tenure was to end on June 30. The AG has agreed to continue for three more months, said sources. Countdown for PSLV begins The 25-hour countdown for the Thursday evening launch of Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, carrying three Singapore satellites, began on Wednesday evening, the Indian space agency said. The mission is codenamed PSLV-C53/DS-EO by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said he is quitting the post. "I am also quitting as member of Legislative Council," Thackeray said in a webcast. His announcement came minutes after the Supreme Court refused to stay Maharashtra Governor's direction to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government to take a floor test in the Assembly . on Thursday The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave its go ahead for the floor test in Maharashtra Assembly tomorrow as it refused to stay the state Governor's decision which was challenged by Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu. "We are not staying tomorrow's floor test," the Supreme Court bench said. "We have drafted this short order. We are not staying the floor test as convened by the Governor. We are issuing notice in the writ petition. You can file a counter in five days. CONTD. ON P6 FADNAVIS NEXT CM? BETRAYED BY MY OWN: THACKERAY Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday evening said he was betrayed by his own people. An official said that Thackeray told his cabinet colleagues that he had been betrayed by his own people. "I also apologize if I have hurt anyone unintentionally," the official quoting Thackeray as saying. "Uddhav Thackeray will not stop nor he be defeated, " the Congress leader Sunil Kedar said. AURANGABAD IS NOW SAMBHAJI NAGAR: CAB DECISION Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday approved name change for two districts including Aurangabad and Osmanabad. The western district Aurangabad's name has now been changed to Sambhaji Nagar while Osmanabad to Dharashiv. The Navi Mumbai airport's name will also be changed to DB Patil international airport. WE ARE NOT REBELS, WE ARE SHIV SENA: SHINDE Eknath Shinde, who is leading a group of party MLAs in Guwahati, has said they are "not rebels but Shiv Sena" and are carrying forward the agenda and ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. "We are not rebels. We are Shiv Sena. We are carrying forward the agenda and ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena. We will work for the Hindutva ideology and development of the state," Shinde told reporters at Guwahati airport. Even though the BJP organised celebrations after Uddhav Thackeray’s announcement to resign from the chief minister’s post, the party has not yet opened up its cards. The leader of opposi- Udaipur tailor's killer has Pak links, visited Karachi JAIPUR: One of the two prime accused in the brutal killing of a tailor in Udaipur has links with the Pakistan-based organisation Dawat-e-Islami and had visited Karachi in 2014, the Rajasthan Po. lice chief said on Wednesday The police have detained three more people in connection with the killing so far, Director General of Police (DGP) M L Lather said at a press conference here. Two men, identified as Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, allegedly hacked Kanhaiya Lal to death with a cleaver at his shop in Udaipur on Tuesday and posted videos online saying they are avenging an insult to Islam. CONTD. ON P6 Prohibitory orders ahead of floor test Mumbai Police have stepped up security near Vidhan Bhavan ahead of the floor test slated for Thursday and along the route that rebel MLAs are likely to take from the airport, an official said. Police have imposed section 144 of the CrPC banning the assembly of five or more persons and will not allow anybody to gather near the Vidhan Bhavan. tion Devendra Fadnavis, who had led a delegation and urged Governor BS Koshyari to direct Thackeray to prove majority in the wake of rebellion, met the . Governor again on Wednesday NIA TAKES OVER PROBE, KILLERS BOOKED UNDER UAPA ‘KILLING UN-ISLAMIC’ Prominent Muslim organisations on Wednesday condemned the brutal killing of a tailor in Udaipur, calling it "unIslamic" and asserting that no person has the right to take law into one's hands. Bodies like All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Jamiat Family members mourn during Ulema-e-Hind issued statements condemning funeral procession the murder of Kanhaiya Lal by two men who had posted videos online that claimed they were avenging an insult to Islam. Half-day bandh in Indore today Pg-2 NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Wednesday announced the schedule of the Vice-Presidential election with the polling to take place on August 6. The term of Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu will end on August 10. The notification will be issued on July 5 and the last date for filing nominations is July 19. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on July 20, the last date for 115 nominations filed for prez poll SC ALLOWS MALIK & DESHMUKH TO VOTE SC asked CBI, ED to bring jailed NCP MLAs Malik and Deshmukh to Maharashtra Assembly for floor test and take them back after proceeding gets over. Election for Vice-Prez on Aug 6 MEA slams UN remarks against Setalvad's arrest NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday dismissed as "completely unwarranted" the remarks by the UN Human Rights office over the arrest of social activist Teesta Setalvad and said these comments "constitute an interference" in the country's independent judicial system. The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has voiced concern over the arrest and detention of social activist Setalvad and called for her immediate release. "#India: We are very concerned by the arrest and detention of #WHRD @TeestaSetalvad and two ex-police officers and call for their immediate release. CONTD. ON P6 As many as 115 nominations were filed till Wednesday, the last day of the filing papers for the July 18 presidential election, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said. The scrutiny of the nominations would be done on Thursday. Those who filed their papers include NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu and joint Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, who are the main contestants. the withdrawal of candidatures is July 22 and voting, , if necessary will take place on August 6. The schedule of the election was finalised in a meeting of the poll panel held today which was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. The Vice-President is elected by the members of the electoral college consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. CONTD. ON P6 `3 QUALITY AT VALUE WEATHER ACING THE ACTION Pg-14 BARBARIANS ON THE LOOSE FOR 24X7 UPDATES OUR BUREAU/AGENCIES Mumbai/New Delhi RNI No. 38281/83 Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; 33.20c. 25.40c Sunrise : 05.45 Sunset : 07.16 Paneer, meat, papad, cheque book set to cost more CHANDIGARH Come July 18, 18 per cent and Goods Services Tax (GST) will be applicable on bank cheque book/loose leaf cheques Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at and 12 per GST council meeting in Chandigarh cent on maps, cent from 18 per cent and atlas, and globes. the renting of truck/goods Similarly, unbranded but carriage where cost of fuel pre-packed curd, lassi, butis included brought down by ter milk, food items, grains six per cent to 12 per cent. etc will be brought under The other items for the GST net from the exwhich GST rates has been emption list. increased are printing, Writing, printing, or writing or drawing ink (12 drawing ink will also beper cent to 18 per cent), come costlier. knives cutting with The rate rationalisation blades, paper knives, pendecision was taken at the cil sharpeners and blades two-day 47th GST Council therefor, spoons, forks, laMeeting, chaired by Union dles, skimmers, cakeFinance Minister Nirmala servers etc (12 per cent to Sitharaman, that started in 18 per cent), power driven . Chandigarh on Tuesday pumps primarily designed On the other hand, the for handling water such as GST rates on medical items centrifugal pumps, deep orand ostomy like tube-well turbine pumps, thopaedic appliances submersible pumps; bicysplints and other fracture cle pumps (12 per cent to appliances, artificial parts 18 per cent). of the body, other appliThe rate on machines for ances which are worn or cleaning, sorting or gradcarried, or implanted in ing seed, and grain pulses, the body to compensate for , machinery used in milling a defect or disability, and industry or for the working intraocular lens- has come of cereals etc, 'pawan chakdown to five per cent from ki', or air-based atta chak12 per cent. ki, wet grinder goes up The GST for transport of from five per cent to 18 per good and passengers by cent. ropeway is down to five per CONTD. ON P6 5-year-old boy falls into borewell, rescued safely after eight hours’ hard work FP NEWS SERVICE Bhopal/Chhatarpur Dangers posed by open borewells came to fore once in again Chhatarpur district where a five-year-old boy slipped and fell into a 40-feet deep open borewell in his fields in Narayanpura area on . Wednesday After eight hours hard work, the boy was on safely rescued officials Wednesday, said. Dipendra Yadav, son of Akhilesh Yadav, a farmer, was brought Rescued boy with family on Wednesday out of the borewell around 10 pm and rushed to a hospital for a medical check-up, the state's additional chief secretary (ACS) home Dr Rajesh Rajora said. The boy slipped and fell into an open borewell in his father's farm at Narayanpura Patharpur village, located near the district headquarters, around 2 pm. After digging a parallel pit up to a depth of 28 feet, the rescuers got access to the borewell shaft through a tunnel, Rajora said. CONTD. ON P6 Woman ends life with Conspiracy to import opioids from If Putin were woman, three minor daughters India busted with convictions in US there would be no Ukraine war: BoJo TIKAMGARH NEW YORK A 25-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a well along with her three minor daughters in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh , on Wednesday police said. The incident occurred at Muhara village, some 45 km from the district headquarters, under Jatara police station limits in the early hours of the day, an official said. According to the family members, the woman, Ramdevi Kushwaha, went missing with her three nine aged daughters, months to five years, on Tuesday evening, Jatara police station in-charge An international conspiracy to import opioids and other drugs from India and distribute them across the US has been busted with the conviction of the participants. Federal Prosecutor Breon Peace, who announced the conviction of Ezhil Sezhian Kamaldoss on Tuesday, said: "He lined his pockets off the black-market sales of millions of illegal opioids and misbranded prescription pills without regard for the harm caused by the abuse of these highly addictive and dangerous drugs." Kamaldoss, 43, was also convicted of money laun- Trivendra Trivedi said. Following a search, the bodies of the woman and children were found in a well at a nearby field on Wednesday morning, he said. It is suspected that the woman jumped into the well along with her daughters. The initial probe has revealed that she took the extreme step due to a family dispute, the official said. A case has been registered in this regard and the police are probing all angles, he added. dering during the four-day trial in a federal court here and faces up to 50 years in prison. Earlier this month another participant in the Velaudapillai scheme, Navaratnarajah, had admitted being guilty of conspiracy charges in the federal court, which amounts to a conviction, and is awaiting sentencing, according to prosecutors. The participants in the conspiracy imported millions of Tramadol pills, as well as Alprazolam from India and repackaged them in a New York warehouse described as a "pill mill" and shipped them to customers throughout the US, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors introduced as evidence an audio recording made by an informant in which Navaratnarajah discussed the number and type of pills to package into envelopes. Prosecutors said that a "cooperating witness" - the equivalent of an approver admitted to bribing workers at John F. Kennedy International Airport to evade detection of the drugs. CONTD. ON P6 UK unveils 75 scholarships to mark India’s Independence anniv NEARLY 108,000 STUDY VISAS were issued to Indian nationals in the year ending March 2022 LONDON The UK government on Wednesday announced a partnership with leading businesses in India to offer 75 fully funded scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK from September, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of India's independence. The programmes on offer include Chevening scholarships for a one-year Master's programme, with the opportunity to study any . subject at a UK university Additionally, the British Council in India is offer- ing around 18 scholarships for women in science, technology, engi- neering and mathematics (STEM) - covering over 12,000 courses across more than 150 UK universities. Along with these, the British Council is also offering six English scholarships. The UK government said it marks the highest number of fully funded scholarships given for the one-year Master's programme to date. "In India's 75th year, this is a great milestone together," Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India, told the India Global Forum's UK-India Week in London. CONTD. ON P6 BERLIN President Russian Vladimir Putin would not have started the war in Ukraine if he was a woman, said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday days after G7 members mocked the bare-chested pictures of the Russian leader. “If Putin were a woman, I just don’t think he would have launched such a macho war. If you want a very good example of toxic masculinity, we have that in his person,” German told Johnson broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday evening as he again scoffed off at the Russian President. During his interview, the British PM also emphasized that everyone wants the Russia-Ukraine war to end. “But there is no possible deal. Putin makes no offer for a peace deal. Zelenskyy cannot offer a deal.” , Earlier on Sunday the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) had mocked Putin over his shirtless, barechested horse-riding pic- ture. Boris Johnson and his counterpart Canadian Justin Trudeau could be heard on a video joking about their impending photo shoot. “Jackets on? Jackets off ? Shall we take our clothes off ” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked sitting leaders other around a table. “We all have to show that we're Putin.” than tougher “We're going to get the horseback bare-chested riding display,” Trudeau quipped, referencing a widely shared photo of Putin. “There you go! There you go! We've got to show them our pecs!” Johnson responded. CONTD. ON P6