Vol. 34 No. 37 | SUNDAY | JANUARY 15, 2023 | 18 Pages | ` 5 THE FP BULLETIN MP dies during Bharat Jodo Yatra C ongress Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary died on Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab’s Phillaur, following which the march was halted for 24 hours. He was 76. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who visited the grieving family, expressed shock over his death and described him as a hardworking leader and strong NATION pillar of the party. Gag order on ISRO over Joshimath S everal state-run institutions including ISRO have been directed by the NDMA and the Uttarakhand government not to interact with media or share information on social media on the Joshimath situation without prior approval. The direction came after satellite images released by ISRO showed the rapid rate of subsidence in Joshimath between Dec 27 NATION and January 8. 6 booked over Chota Rajan posters M umbai Police booked six people on Saturday for putting up a poster wishing underworld don Chhota Rajan on his birthday, in Malad. The six people include a man who was going to organise a Kabaddi tournament on the occasion. The posters “welcomed the honoured dignitaries’ in the Kabaddi programme that was organised for January 14 and 15. CITY Crocodile rescued from south Mumbai F orest department personnel rescued a crocodile from the Don Taki area of South Mumbai. An official of the department said that animal activist Jahra Ruhani informed them that there was a crocodile in the Don Taki area. Forest department officer Pankaj Gadhari and his team raided the spot and found a 1.2 feet crocodile. CITY Immunisation push to combat measles T he state measles task force has instructed all corporations to speed up immunisation and ensure that more than 90 per cent of children are being vaccinated. The move is aimed at prevent an outbreak of measles in February and March. There are 199 incidents of people contracting measles in Maharashtra, of which 76 are CITY from Mumbai. Avalanches hit Gurez, Sonmarg T hree avalanches hit the Ganderbal and Bandipora districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. However, no lives were lost, according to an official. Avalanche warnings have been issued for 12 distrcits of the Union territory following heavy to moderate snowfall on Friday. The State Disaster Management Authority has also issued a ‘high danger’ avalanche warning for Kupwara, in north Kashmir. NATION EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper GADKARI RECEIVES THREAT CALLS Get warm and cosy with a steaming bowl of broth and celebrate Soup Month Gino Banks talks about the musical extravaganza Mumbai Drum Day Pratik’s Patang Passion Pratik Gandhi talks about his love for the festival of kites, Makar Sankranti Person claiming to be from the Dawood Ibrahim gang called thrice to demand `100 cr S BALAKRISHNAN / Mumbai Three threat calls were made to the office of Union minister Nitin Gadkari in , Nagpur on Saturday apparently from the Dawood Ibrahim gang, sending se. curity agencies in a tizzy The caller is said to have demanded Rs100 crore from Mr Gadkari, who is handling highway and infrastructure contracts worth thousands of crores, and threatened to blow up the minister if the money was not given. Security has been beefed up at the home and office of Mr Gadkari, who came to Mumbai last night and re- . turned to Nagpur on Saturday Reliable sources said the caller has been identified. Security agencies are worried about the calls, which were made at 11.25 am, 11.32 am, and 12.32 pm to Mr Gadkari’s office near Radisson hotel in Nagpur, particularly because of the close links between D gang and Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence. “The investigation is going on and at this stage I can’t tell you anything about 60,000 die of Covid in China since last month PTI / Beijing NHC’s medical affairs director Jiao Yahui. The average age of China on Saturday reported those who died was 80.3, and 90 nearly 60,000 coronavirus per cent of the fatalities were deaths in hospitals across the aged 65 or over, the Hong Kongcountry over the last 30 days, based South China Morning amid criticism from the World Post reported. Health Organization WHO has said (WHO) that Beijing that China is “heaviwas heavily underly underreporting” reporting the magthe number of nitude of the pancovid-19 deaths from demic. the current wave of As many as 59,938 infections sweeping related covid-19 . the country “WHO people deaths were recordstill believes that succumbed ed at hospitals from deaths are heavily to underlying December 8 to Januunderreported from conditions ary 12, the National China. This is in recombined with Health Commission lation to the definiCovid-19 (NHC) said on Saturtions that are used , day official media but also to the need here reported. Medfor doctors and institutes ical those reporting in people died 5,503 recorded the public health as a result of deaths as a result of system to be encourrespiratory respiratory failure aged to report these failure triggered triggered by Covidcases and not disby Covid-19 19 infections and WHO couraged," 54,435 fatalities with Health Emergencies underlying condiProgramme execuper cent tions, such as cancer director tive of those who or cardiovascular Michael Ryan said died were aged diseases, combined in Geneva. 65 years CONTD. ON NATION with covid-19, said or more GRIM NUMBERS 54,435 5,503 90 the caller and his background,” said director general of police Rajnish Sheth. It is learnt that the police are not inclined to dismiss it as a prank. “The fact that the caller claimed to speak on behalf of Pakistan-based the shows Dawood brazenness of the don,” an official observed. In the past, intelligence agencies AISHWARYA IYER / Mumbai Schools that fall under the jurisdiction of the Nagpada police will soon have CCTV cameras, will be properly lit, and will have guards during the day and at night. This comes as a result of a security audit done by the police nearly a week after a 5-year-old girl was allegedly raped in a civic school compound. The schools lacked CCTV cameras, day and night-time guards on the premises, and adequate lighting at the entrance and in the playgrounds, the audit showed. “The incident (of the alleged rape of the 5-year-old) was very unfortunate. Immediately after the accused in the case (a 15year-old) was arrested, we initi- asked the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to recomThe proposed construction of mend to the Ministry of Envithe Borivali-Thane twin tunnel ronment, Forests and Climate will involve diversion of 57.02 Change to divert 57.02 ha forest hectare of forest land from the area and grant approval to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, project. costa In show documents BORIVALI-THANE benefit analysis, relating to enviofficials put the ronmental clearTUNNELS environmental ance accessed by loss at a meagre Rs57.81 crore The Free Press Journal. The area involved is equiva- over a period of 50 years, which lent to almost 39 Wankhede sta- translates to a loss of just dia. The SGNP’s total area is Rs1.15 crore each year. The Forest Department has 106.5 sq km or 10,650 ha. That means the area sought to be di- a thumb rule to ascertain the verted is 0.5% of the total area environmental value of a hectare of fully stocked forest. of the national park. CONTD. ON NATION In a letter, MMRDA has reaches of Parsik Hill. The commission ordered CIDCO, MPCB, and NMMC to conduct an enquiry and submit a report. affidavit, CIDCO The signed by town service manager Deepak K Jogi, detailed the leave and licence arrangement with Bhumiraj Builders Private Limited and said that a joint inspection by the planning agency and other government bodies found violations by the developer. CBI team lands at Sisodia’s office A CBI team descended on the office of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday to seek some records related to the Delhi excise policy case, according to agency officials. While city government sources said that the CBI team was conducting “searches” at Sisodia’s office at Delhi Secretariat, agency officials maintained that the CBI “visited” the premises to collect documents. NATION ated a security audit in schools nearby Every officer in our po. lice station was tasked to identify isolated places and sensitive zones and come up with suggestions on things that can be done to increase security ,” said Nagpada police station senior police inspector Ma- heshkumar Thakur. Nagpada lies next to the Kamathipura and Mumbai Central areas and has several schools, both day and night. “There is a night school outside Mumbai Central Railway station,” Mr Thakur said. CONTD. ON NATION City has bad air day SHERINE RAJ / Mumbai The city has been experiencing bad air quality since The air quality of Mumbai the beginning of winter from worsened on Saturday with the month of November. the Air Quality Index (AQI) This is a result of pollutants reading of 324 placing the city being trapped because of the . in the ‘very poor’ category drop in temperature and the This is largely because of humidity levels, said SAthe winter and the low FAR director Gufran which , humidity Beig. “Mumbai is leads to pollutants surrounded by sea remaining in the on three sides air longer. The which naturally main causes of air gives it a clean and is the AQI of pollution continue breathable monMumbai on to remain vehicular soon season due to Saturday emissions and conthe high speed winds. struction work. However as winter sets The System of Air Quality in, the speed of winds decline and Weather Forecasting and and the cold temperature Research (SAFAR) has pre- keeps the pollutants in the atdicted that the city will remain mospheric level, resulting in in the ‘very poor’ category for the rise of bad air quality .” CONTD. ON NATION two days. 324 60-YR-OLD FLYING TO DELHI PASSES AWAY A n IndiGo flight from Madurai to Delhi was diverted to the Indore airport after a 60-year-old passenger’s health deteriorated mid-air on Saturday evening, a senior official said. When the flight landed at the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar international airport, the passenger was taken to a hospital near the airport where doctors declared him brought dead, he said. “Atul Gupta was bleeding from the mouth," said Mr Prabodh Chandra Sharma, director in-charge of the airport. Short clothes are no crime, Uorfi tells police VISHAL SINGH / Mumbai Social media starlet Uorfi Javed went to the Amboli police station in Andheri (W) on Saturday to record her statement after receiving a notice on a complaint of ‘indecent’ attire in public lodged by a BJP politician. The recording of the statement took about two hours, according to the police. Ms Javed said she likes to wear different clothes, which is no crime. “The clothes I wear are part of my profession and work,” the actress told police. “I wear clothes according to my work and get photo shoots done. Sometimes I am so busy with work that there is no time to change. In such a situation, CAA to reduce minorities’ role: Amartya Sen PTI / Kolkata AMIT SRIVASTAVA / Mumbai The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has, in a move that vindicated the stand of environmentalists, served a show cause notice on a realty developer for violating the conditions for maintenance and plantation of the Parsik Hill slope in Belapur and using the area for advertising. This follows a joint inspection by the planning agency and other government bodies, which found violations by the developer. The Human Right Commission (HRC) Mumbai took suo motu note of media reports based on complaints by environmental groups that developing the plantation by destroying existing greenery and digging along the slope endangered the lives of the people living in the higher had reported that D gang was planning to target senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but the direct threat made to Mr Gadkari’s office is worrying the security agencies. Political rivalry has been ruled out as Mr Gadkari is known to be an amiable leader popular within the BJP and also among the opposition. In the past the D gang had extorted huge amounts from big builders and businessmen. However, the frequency of such calls had reduced in the past few years. Saturday’s incident could be a sign that the gang is rearing its head CONTD. ON NATION again. Schools in Nagpada to have CCTV cameras, night guards Developer served notice over Parsik Hill maintenance 57.02 hectare forest land sought ATEEQ SHAIKH / Mumbai Let the drum roll The builder violated the agreement by “illegally” con, structing a PCC pathway a concrete platform of 4 meters x 4 meters for erecting an adhoarding vertisement without permission, according to the affidavit. CIDCO, therefore, served notice on the builder on January 5 asking him to remove all constructions within 15 days or face legal action, showed documents produced by CIDCO at HRC. CONTD. ON NATION Implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) could reduce the role of , minorities in the country while encouraging majoritarian forces, said Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen. Mahatma Gandhi had worked for a “just polity and a good sense of national identity", for all sections of soci, ety he said. “As far as I can see, one of BJP’s purposes (by implementing CAA) is to reduce the role of minorities and make them less important and, in a direct and , indirect way increase the role of the Hindu majoritarian forces in India and to that extent undermine the minorities," the economist said. CONTD. ON NATION sometimes I have to go out [in the same clothes]. That is when people take my pictures and make them viral.” She told the police she is a citizen of India and has the liberty to decide for herself what to wear. The BJP’s Chitra Wagh had met the Police Commissioner on Dec 31 to complain about Ms Javed’s “nudity” in public, Bodies get swapped at KEM mortuary SWAPNIL MISHRA / Mumbai Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has initiated an inquiry against the mortuary staff of the King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital after two bodies were swapped on . Friday According to the hospital, the body swap was a result of incorrect tagging and improper verification of by the nurse at KEM Hospital. “There will be an inquiry into this matter and strict action will be taken against the ,” guilty said additional municipal commissioner Dr Sanjeev Kumar. Cerry Road resident Ram Sajan Jaiswal (75) was admitted to KEM Hospital on Thursday with complaint of breathing issues. Mr Jaiswal passed away on Friday morning. The same morning, Nalla Sopara resident Chandrakant Gunaji Jadhav (57) also . passed away Both patients had been admitted to the same ward and both bodies were tagged by the same nurse before being , sent to the mortuary said a senior official of the hospital. However, Mr Jadhav’s family took away the body of Mr Jaiswal and when the latter’s family came to claim the body they identified that it was not that of their relative. CONTD. ON NATION 3-yr wait over, runners raring to go MUMBAI MARATHON IS BACK JOE WILLIAMS / Mumbai Distance (in km) PIC: SALMAN ANSARI A soupy saga Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 The city will reverberate once again with the sound of running feet as thouMumbaikars, of sands young and old, hit the streets on Sunday morning when the muchMumbai awaited Marathon is flagged off at CST. “This is an event I have been waiting for,” said Savio D’Souza, a Std V student and budding athlete from Don Bosco School, Matunga. Sunita Kamble, a city homemaker who had come to the media centre near the to headquarters BMC Marathon Dream Run 42.195 Half marathon 21.097 6 Senior Citizens 4.4 Indian atheletes (L-R) Gopi Thanokkal, Jigmet Dolma, Sudha Singh and Srinu Bugatha pose ahead of the Tata Mumbai Marathon in Mumbai. collect her bib number, said, “I have been waiting for two long years, and it is finally happening!” Ms Kamble had participated in the previous four editions. While Sunday will be a fun-and-frolic day for the public, it is serious business for athletes taking part in the mega event. Defending champion Derara Hurisa will eye a winning return from injury in the men’s elite section.CONTD. ON NATION saying her clothes had become a topic of discussion on social media. Ms Wagh had said the freedom given by the Constitution should not be used for such things. She said walking on the streets partially clothed is unacceptable in Indian culture and Ms Javed should wear such clothes only in her house and studio. Iran hangs ex-min official over spy claim AP / Dubai Iran said on Saturday it had executed an Iranian-British national who once held a high-ranking position in the country’s defence ministry despite international warnings to halt his death sentence, further escalating tensions with the West amid the nationwide protests now . shaking the country The hanging of Mr Ali Reza Akbari, a close ally of top security official Ali Shamkhani, suggests an ongoing power struggle within Ali Reza Akbari Iran’s theocracy as it struggles to contain the demonstrations over the September death of Ms Mahsa Amini. It also harkened back to the mass purges of the military that followed Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Mr Akbari’s hanging drew immediate anger from London, which along with the US and others, has sanctioned Iran over the protests and its supplying of Russia with the bomb-carrying drones now targeting Ukraine. “The execution of British-Iranian Ali Reza Akbari is a barbaric act that deserves condemnation in the strongest possible terms," foreign secretary James Cleverly said. “Through this politically motivated act, the Iranian regime has once again shown its callous disregard for human life. This will not stand unchallenged," he said. CONTD. ON NATION