Vol. 67 No. 169 | TUESDAY | APRIL 16, 2024 | 26 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Quality at Value www.freepressjournal.in MEMBER: AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2023 EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper KANGANA MEETS DALAI LAMA THE FP BULLETIN TRUMP CRIMINAL TRIAL BEGINS “G ood morning, Mr Trump." The innocuous greeting from a New York judge belied the grim expression on Donald Trump's face as he sat flanked by his lawyers in the Manhattan Criminal Courts on Monday. While his legal team tussled with the prosecution over what evidence could be admitted, the first former US president to face a criminal trial listened intently and -barring a few words spoken in response to Judge Juan Merchan -- silently. The case could prove enormously consequential for both Trump and the country and change the political landscape before the elections. Trump wore his signature red tie with a white shirt, dark blue suit and a US flag lapel pin as the judge declared the trial open. The 45th president fixed the magistrate with a defiant look, having accused him of being "corrupt" on his Truth Social platform after the judge declined repeated calls from the defence to recuse himself. "We want justice to be done, that's all we want," said the judge. The case is scheduled to last up to two months and centers on payments made to former adult film star Stormy Daniel. SALLU ‘HIT TEAM’ HAD PANVEL LINK T he two motorcycle-borne riders, who allegedly opened fire outside Salman Khan's house in Bandra, had rented a house for a month in Panvel, where he has a farmhouse, an official said on Monday. During the day, the police interrogated three persons from Navi Mumbai, including the house owner, the previous owner of the twowheeler used in the crime, the agent who facilitated the sale, and several others as part of the probe into the firing. Meanwhile, security outside the superstar's residence has been stepped up. Salman’s brother Arbaaz Khan has issued a statement describing the incident as “disturbing and unnerving” and said they are cooperating with the police. SC ‘NO’ TO OUSTEES T he Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition to ensure that about 18,000 persons, who have been displaced due to the ethnic violence in Manipur, get to exercise their right to vote in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud with Justices JB Pardiwala Manoj and Misra said that the petition was filed too late and it would be difficult for the Election Commission of India to make arrangements for enabling displaced persons to cast their votes just three days before the date of polling on April 19. EDIT Actress called her meeting with spiritual leader an emotional experience AN EXERCISE IN CONTINUITY ALL WILL REGRET IT: PM FPJ NEWS SERVICE / NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi has defended the controversial electoral bonds, which were annulled by the Supreme Court, saying that they had bared a discernible money trail and ‘‘everyone would regret scrapping them when there is honest reflection." In an all-encompassing exclusive interview to the ANI, the Prime Minister further defended the electoral bonds as a means to combat the menace of 'black money’, and that he had "never claimed this was an absolute way" to reach that goal. To buttress his contention, he underscored that the scrapping of the bonds is a setback and it has "completely pushed the country towards black money ." OPPOSITION SPREADING LIES: Responding to his detractors in the Opposition, PM Modi explained that there was debate Scrapping of election bonds in Parliament on the electoral bonds and some of those who were now running down the decision had supported it in the House. He also attacked the opposition for spreading "lies" about the bonds -- that his Air turbulence for Rahul, now PTI / NEW DELHI India will experience abovenormal monsoon rain this season on the back of favourable La Nina conditions, the IMD said on Monday M Ravichandran, the . secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said the seasonal rainfall will be on the higher side of 'above-normal', and pegged it at 106 percent of the long-period average (87 cm). As parts of the country battle extreme heat a significant- Iran to give India access to ship crew OUR BUREAU / NEW DELHI Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said that Tehran will "soon" allow Indian authorities to meet 17 Indian crew members of a cargo vessel that was seized by Iran's military near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday . Amir-Abdollahian conveyed this to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a telephonic conversation on Sunday, according to an Iranian foreign ministry readout. It said Amir-Abdollahian also apprised India of Iran's "legitimate defence" and punitive measures against the Israeli regime, in a reference to Tehran's missile and drone attacks on the Jewish nation. CONTD. ON NATION ly high number of heat wave days are expected in the April to June period. This could strain power grids, and result in water shortages. While the monsoon news is critical, with 52 percent of the net cultivated area relying on it, normal cumulative rainfall does not guarantee uniform temporal and spatial distribution of rain across the country with cli, mate change further increasing the variability of the rain-bearing system. Parts of northwest, east and northeast India are expected to receive below-normal rainfall during the season, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director general of the IMD, said during the presser. Models have not given any "clear signal" about monsoon rainfall for several parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, which form the core monsoon zone (agriculture primarily rain-fed). CONTD. ON NATION 0 0 39 c. 29 c. Sunrise : 06:20 am Sunset : 06:56 pm Heat stirs up city dust bowl HEAT WAVE: IMD ISSUES YELLOW ALERT FOR MUMBAI, THANE & RAIGAD Mumbai Director Sunil Kamble has attributed the If you have been feeling as northerly gusts to the sudden though the city has been con- spike in temperatures. quered by a tyrant ball of According to the IMD, heat, you are not far off the maximum temperatures in mark and there's more in Mumbai are expected to store. The India Meteorolog- range from 37 to 38°C in the ical Department (IMD) has next two days. issued a ‘yellow’ heat wave ‘‘ heat wave alert has A warning for Mumbai, Thane been issued as we are expectand Raigad for Tuesday . ing temperatures up to 37-38 On top of the searing heat, degrees Celsius over the next for the last few days, strong couple of days. The city can northerly winds have been expect a significant rise in blowing, stirring up dust temperatures, as currently storms across the city -- a we are receiving strong fall-out of the various infra northerlies, instead of the projects and construction ac- westerlies,’’ Kamble stated, tivities that are in full swing. couching his explanation in Citizens and authorities weather jargon. The warning must not only contend with comes as no surprise, as soaring temperatures but Mumbai has been experiencalso brace for dust gusts ing a gradual rise in temperblowing across the city IMD atures. . CONTD. ON NATION RUCHA KANOLKAR/ MUMBAI Fatal triple-seat ride for 2; 3rd youth critical The two deceased have been identified as Bhavesh Dharme, 27, and Nilesh Patil, 25. Patil was driving the twowheeler, while Dharme and Vikas Sonawane, 28, were riding pillion. Sonawane is currently under critical care. “The road was empty with , some buses parked on the side. It was empty enough AISHWARYA IYER / MUMBAI A furious Congress party criticised the BJP and wondered if the Election Commission would dare check the aircraft of Prime Minister Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah, or, for that matter, that of any BJP leader. CONTD. ON NATION Two youths died while the third is in critical condition, after an accident while riding triple-seat on a motorcycle at Senapati Bapat Marg on Sunday night. The third person is currently battling for his life at KEM Hospital, police said on Monday . RIGHT TO SLEEP Retired judges flag concerns Aircraft lands with 2 minutes of fuel in tank URVI MAHAJANI / MUMBAI OUR BUREAU / NEW DELHI AGENCIES / NEW DELHI The Bombay High Court has said that the right to sleep is a basic human requirement which cannot be violated. It also said that statements must be recorded during earthly hours and not in the night, when a person’s cognitive skills may be impaired. The court has directed the ED to issue a circular/ directions on timings for the recording of statements, when sumTakes dim mons are issued. A view of ED’s bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere questioning of and Manjusha Deshsexagenarian pande rapped the past midnight Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning a senior citizen in connection with an alleged money laundering case through the night. The bench was hearing a petition by one Ram Issrani, 64, challenging his arrest by the ED in August last year. He claimed that his arrest was illegal and unwarranted as he had been cooperating with the probe. CONTD. ON NATION A group of 21 retired judges of the Supreme Court and different High Courts, in a letter to the Chief Justice of India, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, have expressed concern over the attempts by certain sections to undermine the judiciary through 'calculated pressure, misinformation, and public disparagement,' thereby attempting to erode the public confidence in the judicial system. Underscoring the importance of protecting See bid judicial independence and to erode autonomy, the joint letter by 21 former judges, includconfidence ing four from Supreme in judicial Court, says that the strategy employed by these system groups is deeply troubling as it seeks to use overt and covert attempts to influence judicial outcomes in their favour. “The strategy employed by these groups is deeply troubling - ranging from the propagation of baseless theories intended to malign the judiciary's reputation, to engaging in overt and covert attempts to influence judicial outcomes in their favour. CONTD. ON NATION Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch in Delhi) Satish Kumar has claimed that an IndiGo flight, originating from Ayodhya and bound for Delhi, landed in Chandigarh after a diversion with only 1 or 2 minutes of fuel remaining. The airline, however, said that their flight had sufficient fuel at all times to divert to an alternate airport, as per regulations. "IndiGo flight 6E 2702 operating between Ayodhya and Delhi on April 13 was diverted to Chandigarh due to bad weather in Delhi. The captain executed a go-around which is in line with the standard operating procedure. This is an absolutely safe manoeuvre," said the airline spokesperson. "The aircraft had sufficient fuel at all times to divert to an alternate airport, as per regulations. The safety of our esteemed passengers is of prime importance to us. We regret any inconvenience that may have been caused due to factors beyond the airline's control," the spokesperson added. That is not how Satish reports it. He took to X to say , "Had a harrowing experience yesterday with IndiGo6E Flight No. 6E2702 from Ayodhya to Delhi. Scheduled departure time 3:25 p.m. and schedule arrival time 4:30 p.m. Around 4:15 p.m., the pilot announced that there's bad weather at Delhi Airport and assured that the plane has 45 minutes of Holding Fuel," the DCP wrote on X. Satish further said that the pilot attempted landing twice, but couldn't due to bad weather and still wasted a lot of time deciding the next course of action. CONTD. ON NATION HC UPHOLDS A diplomatic Apsara in Cambodia Devyani Khobragade, an Indian Foreign Service officer and ambassador to Cambodia, has made the headlines yet again, albeit fleetingly This time for . taking cultural diplomacy several steps forward in the country she has been posted to. She dressed up as Apsara in a traditional Khmer costume for Khmer New Year celebrations. The Indian mission characterised the cultural outreach as a manifestation of a "deep admiration for Khmer culture" and described her there were 16 which took electoral bonds. “Of these (16 companies), 37 per cent of the amount went to the BJP and 63 per cent to the opposition parties which were not aligned with the BJP "So, this is the . success story of electoral bonds -- you are getting a (money) trail of which company gave how much and where,’’ the prime minister said. 97% CASES NOT AGAINST NETAS: Regarding Opposition allegations that the BJP was using investigative agencies like the CBI, IT and the Enforcement Directorate as its handmaiden, the prime minister gave the ED a good testimonial. ‘‘97 per cent of the cases are against those not involved in politics," he stressed. PAAP KA DAR WILL REMAIN: He also declared those involved in corruption would nurture a "paap ka dar", or fear of sin; conversely honest persons had noth, ing to fear. CONTD. ON NATION Inflation in vegetables was 19.52%, up from (-2.39%) in the same month a year ago Above normal monsoon rain forecast SHANKAR RAJ / Thiruvananthapuram The helicopter of Congress party's Wayanad candidate Rahul Gandhi ran into some political turbulence, while he was on his way to Kerala. It was intercepted by Election Commission officials in the Niligiris but released after a thorough search. Later, there followed some tense moments when the Army allegedly 'delayed' permission for the helicopter to land at Hill Palace Ground in Kozhikode, where the Congress leader was due to address a rally After a few hours, . the permission was granted. The Army however clarified that there was no delay on its side and that the party had not applied for permission on time. The request had to be sent to Bengaluru for the final clearance. party was the largest beneficiary The prime minister ex. plained that of the 3,000 companies that gave donations under the scheme, 26 faced action by probe agencies like ED. He said of these 26 companies, DEVYANI KHOBRAGADE, AN IFS OFFICER, HAILS FROM MAHARASHTRA FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI WPI INFLATION HITS 3-MTH HIGH OF 0.53% IN MAR outing as "elegantly dressed Khmer Apsara." Although many eye brows went up in appreciation, for not many can carry it off the way Ambassador Khobragade, a one time MBBS doctor, did, there were the usual demurrals. The TMC spokesman and the second youngest MP , Saket Gokhale, bared his political fangs on X: "Over 5000 Indians are currently trapped in Cambodia and kept hostage by traffickers. But what's the Indian Ambassador there doing? Playing fancy dress by "dressing as an Apsara" and doing photo shoots." He may be slightly off the tangent. It is questionable if her political boss Dr Jaishankar could have carried it off with similar aplomb but it may be gently pointed out that the Prime Minister too wears fancy dresses and headgear, often to strike a chord with the local population. Ultimately Devyani, a Ma, harashtrian, a certified yoga instructor, a distance runner and an author of two books is obviously a woman of many CONTD. ON NATION parts. that bikes and even fourwheelers could pass comfortably It is likely that the al. ready speeding bike may have hit the speed bump and this might have led to the trio losing their balance. The twowheeler went out of control and crashed into a bus,” said a police officer. “Since the bike was speed- ing, even the collision with the bus couldn’t stop it and it dragged the driver and the two others. All three, as per preliminary reports by the doctors, had severe head injuries and other bodily injuries. But the cause of death was due to severe injuries to the head and skull,” he added. CONTD. ON NATION