FP FREE PRESS The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms VOL. XXXX NO. 237 | INDORE | SATURDAY | FEBRUARY 3, 2024 | PAGES 16 `3 - r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; COUNTING HEADS, THE RIGHT WAY WEATHER EDIT 29.40c. 12.80c Sunrise : 07.07 Sunset : 06.13 OUR STAFF REPORTER Indore NEWS BRIEF Crime Branch at Kejriwal's door NEW DELHI: Days after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the the BJP was attempting to "buy" seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs to destabilise his government, cops from the Delhi Police Crime Branch visited the Chief Minister's residence to serve him a notice in the case, said sources. Mr Kejriwal had alleged that the BJP made an offer of ? 25 crore each to buy out seven of his MLAs. The BJP had filed a police complaint in the matter. The Delhi Police reports to the Union Home Ministry. Doubt even 40 LS seats for Cong: Didi KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday challenged the Congress to take on the BJP in the Hindi heartland states while doubting their ability to secure "even 40 seats" in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, hours after Rahul Gandhi expressed optimism about resolving the seatsharing deadlock in the state. "I proposed that Congress contest 300 seats (across the country where BJP is the main opposition), but they refused to heed. Now, they've arrived in the state to stir up Muslim voters. I doubt whether they will secure even 40 seats if they contested 300," Banerjee asserted. Blindfold off Justice statue in U'Khand NEW DELHI: In a strong symbolic message, a photo of the statue of Lady Justice on the draft of the Uniform Civil Code submitted to the Uttarakhand government does not have a blindfold to signify that the law will now treat everyone equally. The blindfold on the statue, incidentally, is meant to represent impartiality and objectivity, and sources said removing it takes this a step further. The symbolism extends to the title of the draft, which was submitted by a government-appointed panel to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday. The draft is titled 'Fostering Equality Through Uniformity'. Tamil superstar Vijay launches pol party CHENNAI: Superstar Vijay has launched a political party in Tamil Nadu days after leaders of the Tamizha Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) appointed him the party chief. Vijay is likely to enter the electoral battlefield ahead of the assembly election due in Tamil Nadu in 2026. "Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam" would loosely translate to "Tamil Nadu Victory Party." Vijay said his party will not contest the Lok Sabha election. The TVK will also not support anyone. P6 Chief Minister Mohan Yadav here on Friday linked cleanliness of Kshipra river in Ujjain to rivers in Indore. “If Kanh river in Indore remains clean only then will Kshipra become a clean river,” said he while addressing the programme organised on the banks of Sirpur Lake on World Wetlands Day . Kanh and Saraswati are among the rivers which feed Kshipra. Yadav said, “In India, which believes in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, trees, plants, rivers and ponds are also considered Gods. Hargobind Khorana, an Indian received the Nobel Prize for proving that plants have life. Nature is inherent in our culture. But with time we are forgetting it.” “Along with the proper use of water, we also need to be aware of the misuse of water. Earlier, water from Sirpur Lake was used for drinking, but with time it got polluted. However, it has become a Ramsar site. Such sites will be discovered and developed in the state also,” said CM Ya- CM Mohan Yadav, Dr Musonda Mumba, secretary general of the Switzerland-based Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav at Ramsar site Sirpur Lake on Friday. PIC BY ANAND SHIVRE dav.” The world can learn a lot from India regarding the conservation of biodiversity by saving wetlands,” said Dr Musonda Mumba, secretary general of the Switzerland-based Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Speaking at an event themed "Wetlands and Human Well-being", she congratulated the Union Government for the recent increase in the number of notified Ramsar sites in India from 75 to 80. CONTD. ON P8 Municipal corporations to get more powers: CM Yadav INDORE: Municipal corporations will be given more powers to make them financially self-reliant, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said here on Friday. Speaking after inaugurating the council hall of the Indore Municipal Corporation, Yadav said additional powers would include those needed to develop new colonies and markets. "We have decided to give more powers to municipal corporations to ensure they become financially self reliant. Why should only urban development authorities be responsible for developing new colonies and markets? Municipal corporations can also do this work. For this, we are going to give them more powers," he said. The CM underlined the importance of the local bodies as they execute the decisions of the Union and state governments. On the occasion, Yadav also announced assistance of Rs 50 crore to complete the construction of an IMC building. Class IV girl student made to clean toilet in Bhopal OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in A class 4 girl student was allegedly made to clean the toilet at a government school in Hathaikheda. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The family of the girl has accused the school administration of forcing the girl to clean the toilet and lodged a complaint with the police. The father of the girl, Babu Yadav, told Free Press that the incident came to light when the son of his elder brother went to the school to give tiffin to his daughter two to three days ago. “He saw that my girl was cleaning the toilet. He im- Indian troops to withdraw from Maldives by May 10 NEW DELHI: India will replace its military personnel in one of the three aviation platforms in the Maldives by March 10 and will complete the replacement by May 10, according to the Maldives Foreign Ministry . The second meeting of the high-level core group between the Maldives and India took place in the national capital on Friday . "Both sides agreed that the Government of India will replace the military personnel in one of the three aviation platform by 10 March 2024, and will complete replacing military personnel CONTD. ON P8 Similar horror story in K’taka mediately returned to the house and narrated the ordeal. CONTD. ON P8 BENGALURU: Another incident of school children cleaning school toilets at the Government Junior Primary School in Bynahalli village in Kolar district has gone viral on social media despite the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah warnings against such acts. The video -- which shows the school girl cleaning the toilet -was captured by the locals and demanded strict action against the school authorities. CONTD. ON P8 Al’bad HC refuses stay on puja in Gyanvapi PRAYAGRAJ The Allahabad High Court on Friday refused to allow the Gyanvapi Mosque committee's plea seeking an interim stay on puja being performed in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Mosque (known as Vyas Tehkhana). However, the Court has directed the state government to maintain law and order situation in the area. Puja inside the Tehkhana began on 31st January, shortly after the Varanasi District Judge passed an order directing the district magistrate to facilitate puja inside the area by making proper arrangements. The district magistrate complied with the order on the same day On Thursday . , an appeal was moved by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (which manages Gyanvapi mosque) challenging the order of the Varanasi District Court allowing Hindus to perform prayers in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque (Vyas Ji ka Tehkhana). The committee also sought a stay on the worship rituals. CONTD. ON P8 Lieutenant General Kavita Sahai has been appointed as the first woman commandant of Army Medical Corps Centre and College, Lucknow. She has succeeded Lt Gen V Sabid Syed who retired . from the service on January 29. A recipient of Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, Lt Gen Sahai was currently posted as addi- tional DGAFMS (HR) at the office of the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), Delhi. An alumna of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, she was commissioned in AMC in 1986. Lt Gen Sahai did MD (pathology) and DNB (pathology) from AFMC. The general officer also did fellowship in onychopathology from AIIMS Delhi and holds diploma in health profes- BEYOND BOUNDARIES CINEMA Criminal defamation should be retained, says Law Panel The Law Commission has recommended that criminal defamation should be retained within the scheme of criminal laws in India. In its report on the criminal defamation law, the panel asserted that it is important to keep in mind that the right to reputation flows from Article 21 of the Constitution, and being a facet of right to life and personal liberty, it needs to be "adequately protected" against defamatory speech and imputations. "Reputation is something which can't be seen and can only be earned. It's an asset which is built in a lifetime and destroyed in seconds. The whole jurisprudence around the law on criminal defamation has the essence of protecting one's reputation and its facets," it said. "We have identified the body double, which was used by Rahul Gandhi during the padyatra. We have now confirmed that during most of the roadshows, Rahul was not cheering the crowd. His body double was cheering the crowd," the CM claimed. Sarma said he will call a press meet on the issue and reveal the identity and other details of the "body double" once Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves the state, after completing his two-day trip, beginning Saturday. "After they (media outlet) exposed and uploaded the photograph, that person quietly left Assam from Guwahati airport to Delhi without participating in the last leg (of the yatra)," he said. sional education from FAIMER-Keele University, UK. In her 37-year-long career, Lt Gen Sahai has held various important administrative and staff appointments such as HOD and professor, lab medicine at Base Hospital, Delhi; professor in department of pathology at AFMC; HOD and professor, lab medicine at Army Hospital (research and referral) Delhi. CONTD. ON P8 India's Yashasvi Jaiswal walks back to the pavilion after scoring an unbeaten 179 at the end of the first day of the second Test cricket match between India and England at the YS Rajasekhara Reddy cricket stadium in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Many get death for heinous crimes, but none sent to gallows RAJESH THAKUR city.bhopal@fpj.co.in GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday claimed that the "body double" allegedly used by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in the state has been "identified" and details will be revealed later. Addressing a press conference here, Sarma also asserted that the "body double" left the yatra midway after a media outlet reported about his presence, creating a controversy. GREAT KNOCK AGENCIES New Delhi 23 DEATH PENALTY RAHUL USING 'BODY awarded since 1997 DOUBLE' DURING NYAY YATRA, CLAIMS HIMANTA Lt Gen Kavita Sahai is 1st woman commandant of AMC Centre & College LUCKNOW QUALITY AT VALUE www.freepressjournal.in EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE ‘PURE KSHIPRA POSSIBLE ONLY IF KANH IS CLEAN’ ANTIM, NOT INTERIM BUDGET AT CENTRE: MAMATA BANERJEE NATION r RNI No. 38281/83 In a blood-curdling incident, a man killed his two minor nieces with a piece of stone after violating them and threw their bodies into a lake in an area in Waraseoni, Balaghat district, on April 4, 2022. The Waraseoni court awarded capital punishment to the demon in human form just two days ago. But the question is – will he be sent to the gallows? The answer lies in what has happened to such cases so far. Twenty-three people have been awarded the death penalty for violating girls since 1997, but none of them have been carried out. Now, their appeals are pending either in the Supreme Court or in the High Court. Three cases of amnesty have been disapproved by the President, but again a petition was filed and the culprits are breathing in the jails of the state. Moreover, only two jails of the state, Jabalpur and Indore, have the facility of BILL PASSED IN 2017 During the winter session of Assembly-2017, the state government had passed a bill in which the criminals who rape the girls up to the age of 12 years, will get capital punishment. But years have passed and none of the culprits have been executed. CASES PENDING IN COURT Three cases in which the President had denied the amnesty petition, the case of execution could not take place. Because an NGO had filed the petition in the Supreme Court and the execution had stopped. Now the culprits of the cases are in the jails.Two different cases in Indore took place in the year 2003-04 and in 2012 in which the culprits had kidnapped, gang-raped a minor and then killed her. FEW OF THE CASES n The trio—Devendra, Jitendra and Ketan of Indore— had kidnapped a five-year-old girl and after raping her they killed and threw the body in 2012. They were awarded capital punishment by the SC. Their mercy petition was also rejected by the then President and now they have filed the curative petition which is pending in the court since 2017. n In Piplod of Ratlam district, one Warish Khan raped his six-year-old daughter and strangulated her. The High Court had confirmed the death penalty in 2019. n In Bhangarh of Sagar district, a minor was raped by culprit Rabbu along with one minor, after the incident, they doused her with kerosene and burnt her alive. The High Court confirmed his death penalty. gallows. Meanwhile, in the span of one week, at least two cas- 15 IAS officers shifted, Bharat Yadav is secy, CM OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in State government transferred fifteen IAS officers late on Friday night. Bharat Yadav, commissioner, Urban Administration and Development has been posted as secretary, Chief Minister with additional charge of commissioner, Urban Administration and Development. Excise commissioner, Omprakash Shrivastava has been appointed as secretary Home department with additional charge of executive director, Disaster Management Institute. Avinash Lavania, managing director, Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation, has been shifted additional secretary Chief , Minister with additional charge of MD, MP Road Development Corporation. Vinod Kumar, additional chief secretary, General Administration Department has been transferred LAST HANGING IN 1997 The last man who went to the gallows at Jabalpur jail was Kamta Prasad Tiwari. He was hanged on May 27, 1997 for stabbing to death an eight-year-old girl and then raping her. Since then none of the culprits had been ‘hanged till death’ in the jails of the state. as director general, RCVP Naronha Academy of Administration. Anirudh Mukerjee, principal secretary, Public Property Management Department with additional charge of DG, RCPV Naronha Academy of administration, has been appointed as principal secretary, Ayush department with additional charge of PS Public Property Management department and MD, MP State Property Management Company . Manish Rastogi, principal secretary, Jail Department has been posted as principal secretary, General Administration department with additional charge of PS, Coordination, chief secretary office and PS, Jail department. Dr Navneet Kothari, MD, MP Industrial Development Corporation Limited and MD, Madhya Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation Limited and ex officio secretary CONTD. ON P8 , es came to fore in which the girl was kidnapped and gang raped. 'Lock Upp' fame Poonam Pandey dies of cervical cancer MUMBAI: Actor and model Poonam Pandey passed away on Friday at the age of 32 due to cervical cancer, according to her media manager. A post on Pandey's official Instagram account read, "This morning is a tough one for us. Deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer. Every living form that ever came in contact with her was met with pure love and kindness. In this time of grief, we would request for privacy while we remember her fondly for all that we shared." Pandey's mediaa manager Parul Chawla has confirmed the news of the actor's demise. The news has sent shockwaves across the industry . Pandey was known for her bold photos and videos. She made her acting debut with the film 'Nasha' in 2013.