Vol. 67 No. 196 | FRIDAY | MAY 17, 2024 | 29 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 VINAY WAIKUL’S THE BROKEN NEWS S2 I feel, once you have the intention of characters right, then it organically becomes very relatable EDIT UAPA DOESN’T OVERRIDE IPC INDIA TO BECOME $4 TRLN ECONOMY IN FY25: SANYAL Says India will surpass Japan by early next fiscal to become world's 4th largest economy 0 0 35 c. 29 c. Sunrise : 06:03 am Sunset : 07:07 pm FOR NOW, BAN ON NEW SC curtails ED power BANNERS IN CITY: BMC To arrest an accused under Sec 19 of PMLA ONLINE REPORT / NEW DELHI Expert panel to formulate outdoor advertising policy SHEFALI PARAB-PANDIT MUMBAI After the hoarding collapse in Ghatkopar on Monday that claimed 16 lives, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation has decided that presently no new hoardings will be , permitted in the city Munici. pal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has said that it is mandatory to follow the standards set by the BMC, as well as traffic police, whenever hoardings are sought to be displayed on public or private land in Mumbai. Action will be initiated under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, if the authorities fail to comply with the norms, he warned, at a joint meeting held in the BMC headquarters on Thursday evening. The urgent meeting called SC junks plea on Delhi CM GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR NEW DELHI The rescue operation at the site of the crash in Ghatkopar has been successfully concluded. The operation was delayed as there was an active petrol pump at the site. Only the debris – the wreckage of cars hit in the crash – remains to be cleared. PIC: PTI by the civic chief was attended by Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Joshi, Joint Police Commissioner (Traffic) Anil Kumbhare, Deputy Municipal Com- missioner Kiran Dighavkar and Minesh Pimple, Western Railways Commercial Manager Vineet Abhishek, Central Railway officials and experts from the Indian Insti- BILLBOARD BHINDE HELD IN RAJASTHAN MEGHA KUCHIK / MUMBAI The fugitive owner of EGO Media, Bhavesh Bhinde, 51, was apprehended by the Mumbai Crime Branch - 9 in Udaipur, Rajasthan, on Thursday in connection with , the Ghatkopar hoarding crash incident. According to a Crime Branch officer, “Bhinde was arrested from a hotel in Udaipur, and police will bring him to Mumbai on THE FP BULLETIN TEAM CHECKS SHINDE COPTER RESCUE WORK AT PUMP IS OVER B MC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has confirmed that the rescue operation at the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse site has been was successfully concluded. Expressing deep sorrow over the tragic incident, he said the operation was delayed as there was an active petrol pump at the site. Gagrani divulged that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a thorough inspection of all hoardings in the city which will now need a structural stability certificate. BISWAJEET BANERJEE AZAMGARH A day after the first set of citizenship certificates under the CAA had been handed over to 14 people in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday de, clared the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) was here to stay and nobody can scrap it. He further denounced the Opposition for trying to push the country towards riots by spreading lies about CAA. “Parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have spread lies about CAA. They tried their BJP WILL END QUOTA: KEJRI best to burn the country in, cluding UP in riots. Even to, day INDI alliance is saying , that Modi has brought CAA and the day he goes, CAA will also be junked,’’ the prime minister said while addressing a rally in Azamgarh. Then, at his rhetorical best, he declared with aplomb, ‘‘Desh mein koi maai ka laal paida hua hai jo CAA hata sake? (Has anyone been born yet who can repeal the CAA?). Nobody can remove CAA.” “The work of giving refugees citizenship under CAA has already started. These are Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists who have been living in the country for a long time as refugees and were victims of partition of the country done on the basis of religion,” he added. The Prime Minister addressed four rallies in UP – in Azamgarh, Kaushambhi, Bhadohi, and Pratapgarh on Thursday In Azamgar, he . said, “These (Congress) people climb the stairs of power invoking Mahatma Gandhi's name, but they forget his words. Mahatma Gandhi himself assured these people (minorities in neighbouring countries) that they can come to India whenever they want," Modi said. CONTD. ON NATION MODI MEDIA CHAT QUOTE/ UNQUOTE ON EC: The poll body has became "truly independent" under the BJP regime ON INDUSTRIALISTS: If I have been dishonest, then I should be hanged. If I have (benefited anyone) in a wrongful manner, then I should be hanged. But I will respect the wealth creators in my country ON HUGE ED SEIZURES: The government is exploring options to return the money seized by the ED in corruption cases to the poor. I have instructed the judiciary to advise me on what to do with the money that is lying around ON CONSTITUTION: Will sacrifice even my life to safeguard the Constitution ON ED: Says ED was useless under the Congress government, and it had begun functioning effectively under the BJP On Friday Mumbai Police , have their task cut out for them, given that it is a day of VIP engagements in town. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and MNS chief Raj Thackeray are scheduled to address a mega rally at Shivaji Park; then there is the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is expected to hold a road show at Kurla for the BJP Mumbai north-central candidate Ujwal Nikam and GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR NEW DELHI Former Delhi Commission for Women chairperson and Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Thursday complained to the Delhi police that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal assistant Bibhav Kumar slapped her five to six times and also hit her on the chest, stomach and lower body at the CM’s residence on Monday Following her com. plaint, the police have registered a First Information Report in the matter. Maliwal recorded her statement before the police when Additional Commissioner Special Cell and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North District) visited her at her residence this afternoon. She is also learnt to have told the police that Kejriwal was at his residence at the time of the assault and knew about it. Later, in the evening, Maliwal also issued a statement on social media platform ‘X’ Kapil Sibal is SCBA president FPJ NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI Senior advocate Kapil Sibal was on Thursday elected as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). Sibal, a Rajya Sabha MP , last served as SCBA president in 2001-02, according to Bar and Bench. He has served twice before that as well — in 1995– 1996 and 1997–1998. A Harvard Law School graduate, Sibal, who completed 50 years at the Bar last year, was the additional solicitor general of India in 1989-90. He was designated as senior advocate in 1983. “This is a big win for liberal, secular, democratic, and progressive forces. The soon to be former regime's legal drumbeaters and cheerleaders must be shocked,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. CONTD. ON NATION in which she wrote: “What happened to me was very bad. I have given my statement to the police on the incident that happened. I hope appropriate action will be taken. The last few days have been very difficult for me. I thank those who prayed for me. Those who indulged in character assassination and said that she was doing so on the instructions of the other party may God , keep them happy too.” The MP who made a name , for herself for speaking about women’s rights and empowerment, also urged people to not do politicise the incident. “ important election is on, An Swati Maliwal is not important, the issues of the country are important. This is a special request to BJP to not to politicise this incident,” she wrote. The Delhi Police twomember team met Maliwal, incommunicado since the assault, at her home; This was hours after the National Commission for Women issued summons to Kumar. CONTD. ON NATION Deport 17 foreigner detenus in Assam: SC ONLINE REPORT / NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Central government to take immediate steps to deport 17 foreigners currently detained in camps in Assam . Bar and Bench reports that a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan passed the order after noting that the 17 persons have no pending cases against them. "The report shows that there is a detention centre which is also known as a transit camp in Assam. There are 17 declared foreigners in the detention centre out of which four have spent two years at the facility We are of the view . that the Union must take immediate steps for deporting these 17 foreigners as there is no offence registered against them. Priority should be given to the 4 persons detained for two years," the court said. The court added that a compliance report should be furnished within two months. The order was passed in a case regarding the condition of detention centres in Assam that are used to lodge those with doubtful cit- izenship and those deemed foreigners by tribunals. During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Oka, in a lighter vein, remarked that the 17 foreigners were being given facilities that should be availed of by Indian citizens. The bench also directed the legal services authority to constitute a team to visit the detention centres to find out the facilities made available to foreigners. Justice Bhuyan quizzed the Union government on the procedure for deportation of those without pending proceedings. "These foreigners tribunals once they have given a finding, what is the next step? Do you have a deportation treaty with the neighbouring country? If they have to be sent there, how will they (without treaty)? You cannot keep them in the centres only ,"he said. TAILPIECE On a Friday full of VIP events, cops have hands full S BALAKRISHNAN / MUMBAI twin test for bail under Section 45 of the PMLA. In essence, ED officers cannot use their special powers to arrest an accused under Section 19 of the PMLA once they have moved a complaint against the accused who was not arrested during the course of investigation. CONTD. ON NATION FIR registered after DCW chief files formal complaint three days after assault – INDIA TODAY LAST WORD the 2-judge Bench said. The Bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan also ruled that an accused who is not arrested by the ED during a money laundering probe, but appears before the special court pursuant to summons issued by such court, need not satisfy the stringent KEJRI AIDE ‘SLAPPED AND PUNCHED’ SWATI Nothing wrong in seeking votes by saying he would not have to go back to jail Desh mein koi maai ka laal paida hua hai jo CAA hata sake? oll officials on Thursday checked the luggage of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on his arrival at a helipad in Nashik, days after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that the CM was carrying bags stashed with cash in a helicopter. The officials did not find anything objectionable in Shinde's bags. "I carry this much luggage. It contains my clothes," Shinde told reporters. He was in Nashik to seek support for incumbent MP Hemant Godse who has been re-nominated by Shiv Sena. am Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted on Thursday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will alter the Constitution to abolish reservation if it secures victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Friday evening. Nine police teams were formed for his search and with human and technical assistance, he was apprehended.” An illegal 120ftx120ft hoarding had collapsed on a Bharat Petroleum petrol outlet on Eastern Express Highway , Ghatkopar (E), on Monday , killing 16 people and injuring numerous others. Following the incident, CONTD. ON NATION tute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) – Professors Nagendra Rao Velaga and Shri Kumar and Licence Superintendent Anil Kate. CONTD. ON NATION The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the contention of the Enforcement Directorate that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had violated the condition of his bail term by telling voters that he won’t be going to jail on June 2, if they voted for AAP . A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, which had granted interim bail to Kejriwal on May 10, was hearing the Delhi CM’s petition challenging his arrest by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy case, when appearing for the investigating agency Solicitor General of , India Tushar Mehta raised the issue. Mehta submitted before the court that Kejriwal has been saying that “if you vote for broom (election symbol of AAP), I won't have to go to jail on June 2.” CONTD. ON NATION MODI’S DARE ON CAA P A The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) cannot arrest an accused who appears after special court summons in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) complaint, without seeking permission of such court, reports Bar and Bench. ‘‘If ED wants custody of accused after the person responds to summons, it can do so after submitting an application to the special court. The court will only grant custody after it is satisfied with the reasons why custodial interrogation is needed," the Maha Vikas Aghadi will hold a rally on the BKC grounds, which will be addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Uddhav Thackeray , Sharad Pawar and Arvind Kejriwal. Elections are scheduled for May 20. On Wednesday cops provid, ed excellent bandobast for Modi’s roadshow in Ghatkopar, which was attended by lakhs of people. The event went off without any glitch. Policemen from several police stations were deployed for the roadshow. But on Friday police strength will be , spread really thin, ensuring security at three mega events. Raj Thackeray earlier a , staunch critic of Modi, will be sharing the dais with him at Shivaji Park. He had recently flown to New Delhi, where he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and offered his ‘unconditional’ support to the BJP in the elections. Since then he has addressed at least three rallies. Many in the BJP are uncomfortable about Modi and Thackeray sharing the stage. In the past, not only had Thackeray accused north Indians of stealing jobs of Marathis in Mumbai, Nashik and other places but his supporters had even attacked north Indian candidates who had arrived at Kalyan to take part in a railway recruitment programme. The violent incidents had found echoes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. CONTD. ON NATION 66.95% voter turnout thus far OUR BUREAU / NEW DELHI T he turnout in the first four phases of the Lok Sabha elections has been recorded at 66.95 per cent, the Election Commission said on Thursday with , 45.10 crore of the nearly 97 crore electorate having voted. According to the poll authority, the updated voter turnout in the fourth phase of polling held on May 13 was 69.16 per cent, 3.65 percentage points higher than the corresponding phase in the 2019 parliamentary polls. The updated voter turnout figures for the third phase of polling in the Lok Sabha election is 65.68 per cent. In the third phase of the 2019 general election, the turnout was 68.4 per cent. In the second phase of the election held on April 26, the turnout was recorded at 66.71 per cent, as against the 69.64 per cent in the second phase of the 2019 polls. In the first phase of the ongoing general elections, a 66.14-per cent turnout was recorded. In the 2019 polls, the turnout in the first phase was 69.43 per cent. A total of 379 seats across 23 states and Union Territories have voted in the first four phases of elections. The poll panel also listed out outreach efforts undertaken by various private and public bodies to enhance voter participation in the elections. Banks, post offices, private entities and telecom platforms are using their public interface to encourage registered voters to turn up at the polling stations on various voting days.