Vol. 67 No. 199 | TUESDAY | MAY 21, 2024 | 24 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 Celebs cast their votes in their respective constituencies LOK SABHA 2024 ELECTIONS EDIT POLL SEASON ENDING, NO WAVE DISCERNIBLE GOVERNMENT RELEASES GUIDELINES TO PREVENT ETO CONTAMINATION IN SPICES BIG ROAR FOR VOTES ENDS IN WHIMPER At 5pm on Monday, only 48.66 per cent voting was reported in the state; it was alleged the poll process was deliberately delayed by the EC and many voters preferred not to exercise their franchise rather than wait in long queues in hot and humid weather KALPESH MHAMUNKAR / MUMBAI poor voter turnout in the fifth and A last phase of polling in Maharashtra Monon day has exacerbated the guessing game about the poll outcome. The six constituencies of Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Nashik, Dindori, Dhule, Bhiwandi and Palghar were the 13 that went to the polls on Monday By 5pm, only 48.66 per cent . voting had been reported in the state, including Mumbai. Whether the weather and the timing of the poll date during summer vacation caused this lacklustre turnout are points to ponder. According to political observers, because of the split in the Shiv Sena, many traditional supporters of the undivided party stayed away to register their un, happiness over the betrayal of the ideology of the party’s founder, the late Bal Thackeray The opposing Maha Vikas . Aghadi alleged bias on the part of the Election Commission. It alleged that the THE FP BULLETIN 57% TURNOUT IN 5TH PHASE V oting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections concluded on Monday across all 49 parliamentary constituencies spanning eight States and Union Territories with 57.47% approximate polling. According to the poll body, West Bengal recorded the highest voter turnout (73 per cent), followed by Ladakh (67.15 per cent), Jharkhand (63.00 per cent), Odisha (60.72 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (57.79 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (54.67 per cent), Bihar (52.60 per cent) and Maharashtra (48.66 per cent). BARAMULLA HIGHEST: Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, which was once militancy-infested, recorded its highest-ever voter turnout at 59 per cent. Parliamentary polls were first held here in 1967. I CMR HITS BACK AT BHU STUDY: The Indian Council of Medical Research has hit back at the authors of the study spotlighting numerous side effects associated with the Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, calling it “incorrect, misleading and unacceptable”. Also, the premier medical research agency has asked the publisher to retract the study. The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has said that is working on improving its research ecosystem. From skin disorders, nervous system disorders, menstrual abnormalities, and malfunctioning of eyes to hypothyroidism – the study published by the researchers at the BHU claimed to have found several “special events” or side effects. N O TO PIL ON CRIMINAL LAWS: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL petition challenging the validity of the three new criminal laws which have replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act. A Division Bench made it clear that it would not allow such petitions since the new criminal laws are yet to come into force. 112-year-old Kanchanben Badshah poll process was deliberately delayed by the EC and consequently many voters , preferred not to exercise their franchise rather than wait in long queues in hot and humid weather. With humidity at 81 per cent, even 35° C felt like 41° C. Dindori, a seat reserved for tribals in Nashik reported the highest percentage of voting at 57.06 per cent while Mumbai South, boasting the who’s who of India Inc, reported a poor 44.22 per cent. In Kalyan, where Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son, Shrikant Shinde is seeking re-election, only 41.70 per cent turned out to vote. In constituencies like Palghar (54.32 per cent), Nashik (52.16 per cent), Mumbai Northwest (49.79 per cent), Bhiwandi (48.89 per cent) and Dhule (48.81 cent) voting percentage was per the relatively high. Moreover, Thane (45.38 cent), the home turf of CM Ekper nath Shinde, Mumbai North (46.9 per cent), Mumbai North-Central (47.32 per cent) were among the constituencies where the turnout was low. Until 9 am, 6.93 per cent voting had been recorded; by 11am, it was 15.93 per cent; by 1pm, it was 27.78 per cent; at 3 pm it was 38.77 per cent and by 5pm, when the polls closed, it had it reached 48.66 per cent. The six constituencies of Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Nashik, Dindori, Dhule, Bhiwandi, Palghar were the 13 constituencies that voted on Monday . CONTD. ON NATION HSC RESULTS TO BE DECLARED TODAY FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education is set to declare the Class 12 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam results today (May 21) at 1 pm. The examination took place between February 21 and March 19. A total of 15,13,909 candidates registered for the HSC examination this year, including 8,21,450 boys and 6,92,424 girls. The Science stream saw the highest number of registrations with 7,60,046 students, followed by the Arts stream with 3,81,982 students, and the Commerce stream with 3,29,905 candidates. The Class 12 examination was conducted at 3,320 centers across the state, involving around 1.80 lakh personnel. In Maharashtra Board, students who score 75% or higher are awarded Distinction. CONTD. ON NATION FPJ NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, TEHRAN India has declared a day’s state mourning on Tuesday following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian. The Tricolour will be flown at half-mast on all government buildings and there will be no official entertainment on the day . It has been confirmed that 63-year-old Raisi, his foreign minister and seven others died in Sunday’s helicopter crash in the mountainous region of the country’s East Azerbaijan province. The crash is attributed to technical reasons and a high-level ONLINE REPORT / NEW DELHI The Supreme Court has directed the Central government to file an affidavit on the feasibility of introducing a comprehensive sentencing policy for criminal offences within six months. Bar and Bench and Live Law report that a Bench of Justices M M Sundresh and SVN Bhatti pointed out that “over the years, sentencing has become judge-centric; and there are disparities in awarding a sentence ... But sentencing shall not be a mere lottery It shall also not . be an outcome of a knee-jerk reaction. “This is a very important part of the Fundamental Rights conferred under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution; any unwarranted disparity would be against the very concept of a fair trial and, therefore, against justice” court observed. the “ it is an important asAs pect which has escaped the attention of the Government of India, we ask the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, to consider introducing a comprehensive policy possibly after getting an , appropriate report from a duly constituted Sentencing Commission. CONTD. ON NATION T he Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) foiled a potential terror plot with the arrest of four suspected ISIS terrorists at the Ahmedabad airport on Monday They were . acting on a tip off. According to officials, the suspects, Sri Lankan nationals, arrived in Ahmedabad via Chennai. Their purpose for entering India and their intended target remain under investigation. The arrests come amidst heightened security concerns as Ahmedabad gears up to host upcoming IPL matches, with several cricket teams arriving at the city’s airport. probe has been ordered. The sudden death of Iran’s president may usher in a period of instability as he was tipped to succeed the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, 85, who is in declining health. Raisi, 63, was especially favoured by the powerful Revolutionary Guards as a successor. CONTD. ON NATION TAILPIECE PATRA PUTS FOOT IN THE MOUTH T he Odisha Congress hit out at BJP leader Sambit Patra for calling “Lord Jagannath a devotee of PM Modi.” Though the comment looked more like a slip of tongue rather than an attempt to deliberately provoke, the Odisha Congress was quick to attack Patra. PM Modi had visited Lord Srijagannath Temple in Puri on Monday . Patra later told a reporter apparently he got carried away when he made the remark. He also said that Modi visiting the temple was a special day for the people of Odisha and that “he was unable to control his emotions.” However, the Congress and several handles took to X and objected to the comment. “ According to Sambit Patra – ‘Modi’s bhakt is Jagannath.’ This is a direct attack on Odia Asmita?’’ LAST WORD SNDT Univ told to pay pension in 3 months URVI MAHAJANI / MUMBAI Observing that university functioning cannot be at the cost of the employees’ welfare, the Bombay High Court has directed the Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) University to pay the retirement benefits to employees as per the 7th Pay Commission within three months, in three instalments. The court also took exception to the university’s stand that it would generate sufficient corpus by June 2025 after which it would start paying these employees, who Observing that University’s functioning cannot be at the cost of the employees’ welfare, the Bombay High Court directed that retirement benefits to employees be paid as per the 7th Pay Commission within three months, in three instalments. were non-teaching staff. “When 7th pay commission was made applicable, the university ought to have started on the path of securing funds and creating of corpus. It is not to be created and efforts are not to be made, only after a petition is filed in this court,” a bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Milind Sathaye said. The bench remarked that when it had asked the university to submit a time limit, the university in its affidavit did , not state efforts made by it to raise the funds. “That leaves us no option but to set a time limit for the payment. It cannot be that there is absolute refusal even to consider paying any Evergreen Jhanvi Kapoor FPJ NEWS SERVICE / AHMEDABAD INDIA DECLARES ONE-DAY MOURNING Sentencing cannot be a lottery: Court Deepika with baby bump? amount till after one year i.e. till June 2025. Such a stand on the part of a statutory university in respect of its own employees, cannot be accepted,” the bench added. It added that if such a conduct of the university is accepted, the colleges affiliated to it “will be emboldened to disregard dues of its own teaching and non teaching staff”. The HC was hearing a batch of petitions, filed between 2022 and 2024, seeking directions to the university to release their pensionary benefits as per the 7th Pay Commission. CONTD. ON NATION Director General of Police Vikas Sahay said the accused, Mohammad Nusrat (35), Mohammad Faarukh (35), Mohammad Nafran (27) and Mohammad Rasdeen (43), took a flight from Colombo and reached Chennai in the wee hours of Sunday They then took another flight . to Ahmedabad, where they landed around 8 pm Sunday PTI reports. , CONTD. ON NATION 0 0 33 c. 38 c. Sunrise : 06:03 am Sunset : 07:08 pm Juvenile task for killer teen driver Fast and furious minor who killed two youngsters asked to write essay & vet traffic rules or personal safety of others, which carries a maximum of The wheels of justice two years in jail and a fine. turn slowly but grind exceed- The police commissioner has , ingly fine, it is said. But, for said they will seek once, the long arm of the law permission from a higher has clearly handled with kid court to try the minor as an gloves the case of a adult, so that harsh17-year-old driving a er sections of the Porsche at breakIPC could be inneck speed; he voked. rammed into a bike, However, the bail causing the death of conditions detera man and a woman mined by a Juvenile on the spot. The Justice Board seem ‘killer’ driver, son of to suggest a refora prominent Pune matory rather than builder, was out on a punitive system at VICTIMS bail 15 hours after work. his arrest having His lawyer submitted a surety Prashant Patil said of Rs 7,500. It was the court had grantcontended that the ed the minor bail on crime was not “serithe condition that ous” enough to deny (a) he would work bail. with the traffic poNot just that, he lice of Yerwada for was reportedly 15 days; (b) write a served pizza at the Pune 300-word essay on road accipolice station and his blood dent and its effects; (c) assist sample was not taken even 11 an RTO officer and study trafhours after the deadly fic rules for 15 days; (d) undermishap, media reports said. go treatment for his drinking The sample would have likely habit; and (e) take psychiatric been a highly incriminating counselling sessions. piece of evidence, as CCTV The Porsche, eyewitnesses footage shows the minor said, came barrelling down drinking with his friends at more than 200 km/ hour at a Pune pub prior to the and had no number plates; the accident. victims were two 24-year-olds: The youngster has been Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashcharged with rash and negli- wini Koshta, both engineers gent driving, and causing from Madhya Pradesh, harm by endangering the life CONTD. ON NATION FPJ NEWS SERVICE / PUNE 4 ’ISIS terrorists’ from Lanka land in Ahmedabad, arrested Iran: new chapter of instability? The government has put in place other preventive measures as well.