Vol. 67 No. 30 | THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 2, 2023 | 22 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Quality at Value www.freepressjournal.in EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper He told me to work very hard until I reach the best ALIZEH ON UNCLE SALMAN KHAN THE FP BULLETIN PYTHONS MISSING AT ZOO AISHWARYA IYER / MUMBAI A trustee of a Dadar-based animal museum has lodged a complaint alleging that animals such as pythons and lizards worth Rs4.55 lakh have been stolen from the establishment. Prithviraj Pawar, a trustee of the Marine Aqua Zoo, on Tuesday noticed that two ball pythons, 2 red-tail boas, 1 carpet python, 1 blue eyed Lucy 2 Argentine black and , white Tegu lizards, 1 exotic blue-tongued skinks and 1 iguana were missing from the zoo. These animals were to be taken to the Somaiya Vidyavihar College campus for exhibition, Pawar said. The police have registered an FIR against unknown person on the charges of theft and Shivaji Park police have initiated a probe. This is the same place from where the baby crocodile had disappeared last month. The hatchling was later retrieved from the nearby civic-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Olympic Swimming Pool. The BMC had alleged that the baby crocodile had come into the facility from the private zoo, which had denied the charge. The civic body had even lodged a complaint, prompting the forest department to initiate a probe. Forest officers, who scanned the CCTV footage submitted by the zoo, could not unravel the mystery of crocodile's entry into the pool. Opposition on board, Shinde government decides on a no-nonsense approach towards Manoj Jarange-Patil and tells him to cooperate and stop giving ultimatums; also told reservation will be given not in haste but within the framework of law, without doing injustice to other communities  SANJAY JOG / MUMBAI Amid a spate of incidents of violence and arson during the Maratha reservation protests and the warning by Manoj Jarange-Patil that he will harden his stand by not drinking water, the MahaYuti Government at an all party meeting on Wednesday succeeded in bringing the opposition on board and pass a unanimous resolution that reservation should be provided within the framework of the law A mob on Wednesday tried to ‘gherao’ the 1st Manipur Rifles complex, close to Raj Bhavan and the Chief Minister's Office in Imphal West district, demanding weapons, prompting authorities to order firing of several rounds in the air and leading to the withdrawal of the daily curfew relaxation from 5 am to 10 pm in Imphal East and West districts “with immediate effect”. without doing injustice to other communities. The ruling and opposition appeared to be on the same page when participants at the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde strongly condemned the violence and urged the activists to maintain peace. They also appealed to Jarange Patil, who is not in a mood to relent, to withdraw his fast and cooperate with the government in its ongoing efforts to provide a quota which will stand the leCONTD. ON NATION gal test.  AGITATORS VANDALISE MINISTER’S CAR rotesters for Maratha reservation smashed the glass panes of Maharashtra Minister Hasan Mushrif ’s car that was parked outside the Akashwani MLA hostel near Mantralaya on Wednesday The vandalising trio was . detained by the Marine Drive police but Mushrif refused to file a complaint against them.  Three youths shouted ‘Ek Maratha Lakh Maratha’, as they carried out their act of vandalism. The MLAs’ residence is close to Mantralaya. Bearing in mind the possibility of a Maratha agitation erupting in this sensitive area, a large police contingent has CONTD. ON NATION been deployed in this area. aharashtra Police have registered 141 cases in connection with the violence occurring in the protest for Maratha reservation and arrested168 people.    Maharashtra’s Director General of Police (DGP) Rajneesh Seth said on Wednesday that miscreants had damaged public properties worth Rs 12 crore across the state.  FIRs have been registered against the protesters involved in areas where incidents of arson have been reported. Apart from this, internet services have been temporarily stopped in Jalna, Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The opposition parties are alleging that the law-and-order situation in the state has deteriorated because of the ongoing stir. DGP Seth has informed that agitations have begun in many places in Maharashtra and while at some places, the movement has been peaceful, in others, there CONTD. ON NATION was violence. Teen loses life due to apathy on three fronts – lack of warning sign at blind traffic spot; a speeding biker who struck her, causing her to fall and now can’t be traced; and a bus that came along and crushed her to death WITH EYES SHUT AISHWARYA IYER / MUMBAI In the end it was three-fold apathy that claimed the life of Class XI student Riya Gupta at Wadala Bridge on Monday evening – that of the authorities who failed to place a warning sign at a traffic blind spot, a speeding Bullet and, then, a bus. The student was returning home from college on Monday evening when tragedy struck out of the blue. According to police, the accident occurred at a blind spot and for now, they remain in the dark about where the biker who hit the deceased, emerged from or disappeared. While inspecting the CCTV footage, police spotted the bike but discovered that the accident site was a blind spot. “In the existing footage, even though the bike is visible among a huge crowd of vehicles, its registration plate is not visible. We are making efforts to obtain the vehicle number from CCTV cameras elsewhere, from the routes that adjoin the Wadala bridge,” said a police officer.    Every day Riya, a Science , student, would leave for college from her house at Sangam Nagar in Antop Hill, around 1pm and return by 7pm. On that fateful day Riya , decided to come back home walking, instead of taking a bus, as she usually did. “My mother died a couple of weeks ago, so there were some rituals at our house. On Tuesday there was one such , observance and to lend a helping hand, my daughter Riya must have decided to rush home after college. CONTD. ON NATION M MAHUA: 47 DUBAI LOG-INS FPJ BUREAU / NEW DELHI A day before Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra appears before the Lok Sabha's Ethics Committee, which is probing BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's "cashfor-query" allegations against her, sources privy to the matter alleged that nearly 47 log-ins to her parliamentary account were made from Dubai. Dubey has accused Moitra of asking questions, which were keyed in through her parliamentary account, at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in return for bribes and favours from a Dubai-based scion of a well-known business family . CONTD. ON NATION The Bombay High Court has directed municipal corporations and municipal councils in the state to file affidavits explaining action taken in the last six months, including criminal action, against those who put up illegal banners and hoardings and whose photos are displayed on them. A division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor said it was surprised when the gov- Sunrise : 06:39 am Sunset : 06:06 pm Anita Goyal, and their son Nivaan Goyal,  across India and in London and Dubai.   The ED filed a chargesheet in the PMLA court on Tuesday against Naresh Goyal, his , family and four companies, in an alleged bank fraud case to the tune of Rs 538 crore.   Investigation by the agency has revealed that  JIL diverted loans obtained from a consortium of banks, primarily led by the SBI and PNB. This diversion of funds was executed through various means, such as inflated General Sales Agent (GSA) commissions, substantial payouts to professionals and consultants, and the granting of loans to JetLite Limited, a 100 per cent subsidiary formed to CONTD. ON NATION acquire Air Sahara. Rohit not a wimp but bad air gets his goat BCCI bans fireworks in World Cup host cities amidst air quality concerns FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI T eam India skipper was never the squeamish kind. Nonetheless, Rohit Sharma has expressed deep concern about the compromised air quality in Indian cities, emphasizing the need for future generations to live without fear. The lethal mix of fog and smoke, a recurring issue every winter, has particularly impacted Mumbai and Delhi, the cities that are hosting the World Cup. In response, the BCCI has taken action, announcing a ban on fireworks during the remaining World Cup games in these cities. While addressing the situation, Rohit acknowledged the less-than-ideal conditions, stating that steps are being taken to prevent CONTD. ON NATION a recurrence. GASP! FLIGHT TO NOWHERE AIR FILTERS FPJ FOREIGN DESK / GAZA STRIP The first batch of foreigners and seriously injured Palestinians trudged on Wednesday through the Rafah crossing toward checkpoints on Egypt’s border. From here some of them will be transported to hospitals. Video footage showed a convoy of ambulances and aid trucks crossing the border into Gaza. The Rafah crossing is the only access point not controlled by Israel where civilians can enter and leave Gaza by land. The decision to open the crossing came hours after an Israeli strike on the largest refugee camp in Gaza, where the health ministry said at least 50 people were killed. Incidentally Egypt has con, demned the strike on Jabalia ESCAPE FROM GAZA camp “in the strongest terms”, warning against “the consequences of the continuation of these indiscriminate attacks that target defenceless civilians”. Early in the morning, about 100 people — some lugging suitcases, others pushing hand carts or driving donkey carts laden with baggage — Have you (the state) prosecuted any of the political persons whose face was there on the hoardings? Has any FIR been taken to any logical end? If you don’t take action, then you can’t blame people’s mindset, says advocate for petitioners ernment pleader expressed helplessness and voiced his inability to keep a tab on every illegal banner and hoarding, saying that it should be tackled at local level. The submission came ON BEST BUS T had massed on the Gaza side of the crossing, according to livestreams provided by the Associated Press and Reuters. Among them were young children and at least one in a wheelchair. Palestinian sources said they expected 88 people to be taken across for treatment in Egyptian CONTD. ON NATION hospitals. HC exasperated at inaction on hoardings URVI MAHAJANI / MUMBAI 0 RS 538CR-WORTH ASSETS OF JET AIRWAYS, GOYALS SEIZED T   CASES, 168 HELD, 141 `12CR WORTH DAMAGE 0 34 c. 27 c. Turbulence for Goyal he Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 538.08 crore, belonging to Jet Airways, its founder chairman Naresh Goyal and his family in the , ongoing money laundering investigation against M/s Jet Airways (India) Limited (JIL), under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.   The attached properties include 17 residential flats, bungalows, and commercial premises. These properties are registered under various companies and individuals, including M/s Jetair Private Limited, M/s Jet Enterprises Private Limited, Naresh Goyal, his wife VISHAL SINGH / MUMBAI P It is the second highestever, helped by momentum in the economy and festive demand ASHISH SINGH / MUMBAI VISHAL SINGH / MUMBAI A MANIPUR MOB IS AT IT AGAIN THE RETURN OF NAWAZ SHARIF GST MOP-UP IN OCT RISES 13% TO RS 1.72 TRILLION ENOUGH IS ENOUGH SAME-SEX CASE: REVIEW PLEA ON review petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday challenging the top court's October 17 verdict which refused to recognize the right of same-sex couples to enter into marriages or have civil unions. A Constitution Bench had on October 17  said that the law as it stands does not recognise the right to marry or the right of same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, and that it is up to the Parliament to make laws enabling the same. The majority of judges had also held that the law does not recognise rights of same-sex couples to adopt children. However, CJI Chandrachud and Justice Kaul in their separate  minority opinions  ruled that samehad sex couples are entitled to recognise their relationships as civil union and can claim consequential benefits. EDIT when the court was hearing a batch of public interest litigations on the issue of illegal banners, hoardings and posters put up by political parties across the state in public places. The court had on January LAST WORD 30, 2017, directed the state government and all municipal corporations to ensure that illegal hoardings are not put up in public places. The Maharashtra government had even enacted the Defacement Act and the Aurangabad bench had directed authorities to initiate action against those whose names and photos are displayed on the illegal banners and hoardings, Uday Warunjkar, advocate for the petitioners, informed the court. CONTD. ON NATION he BMC is all set to try out six technologies to make the city’s air more breathable. These include vehicle-mounted air filters on 350 BEST buses, virtual chimneys at 10 locations, and air-purification systems in gardens. The biggest culprits, the construction sites, have been given a 15-day deadline to take preventive measures and 30 days to buy equipment that will check the rising dust. The technologies have been identified by the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT), BMC officials said. BMC STEPS FROWNED AT T he BMC’s measures to rein in air pollution are being frowned at. The Bombay High Court is unhappy that the suspended particulate matter is rising at an alarming rate. “Although the BMC has taken certain steps, the air quality is nowhere within healthy limits,” the court said on Wednesday. It also took note that the civic body has not taken steps to spread awareness amongst citizens on how to protect themselves. DETAILED REPORTS CITY TAILPIECE AI one of the biggest threats to humanity: Musk No mouthwash for pilots, crew FPJ NEWS SERVICE / LONDON Elon Musk has warned that artificial intelligence is ‘‘one of the biggest threats’’ to humanity This is because hu. mans face the threat of being outsmarted by machines for the first time. "There is some chance, above zero, that AI will kill us all. I think it's slow but there is some chance. I think this also concerns the fragility of human civilization. If you study history you will realize that , every civilization has a sort of lifespan," he said. Musk said he hoped the two-day summit could be used to establish an 'international consensus' and the creation of a 'third-party referee' to monitor technology . His remarks came during a media interaction as he arrived to attend the United Kingdom hosted world's first global Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit. Musk, one of the world's richest men, is a well-known critic of AI. His intervention came after  senior  Meta  executive Nick Clegg -- a former UK deputy prime minister -- warned generative AI 'deep fakes' may  pose a risk to upcoming elections in the US and UK next year. Clegg, however, feels that civilisation-ending threats had been overblown and urged governments to avoid heavy-handed regulation. But he said there were risks to elections from technology that allows convincing fake material to be created. The event arranged by Rishi Sunak will host discussions with world leaders, tech firms and scientists on the risks of new technology .  Prime Minister Sunak had last week stated that the summit will focus on understanding the risks such as potential threats to national security , including the dangers of loss of control the technology could bring. On the agenda are discussions around issues likely to impact society such as elec, tion disruption and erosion of social trust. CONTD. ON NATION FPJ NEWS SERVICE / NEW DELHI Pilots and crew members cannot use mouthwash and tooth gel, according to the latest directive from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The move, which comes against a backdrop of increasing number of pilots and crew testing positive for alcohol, blurs the line between personal hygiene and safety requirements. The civil aviation regulator is convinced that these products, which have alcoholic content, with some mouthwashes reporting even a high- er content than, say cough , syrup and strong beer, could result in a positive breath analyser test and subsequent de-rostering. This is part of the changes made by DGCA in the procedure for medical examination of aircraft personnel for alco- hol consumption. The objective is to enhance safety of aircraft operations and streamline regulations in line with feedback from industry and stakeholders. “No crew member shall consume any drug/ formulation or use any substance such as mouthwash/ tooth gel or any such product that has alcoholic content. This may result in a positive breath analyser test. Any crew member undergoing such medication shall consult the company doctor before undertaking flying assignment,” the reguCONTD. ON NATION lator said.