FREE PRESS The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms VOL. 13 NO. 339 | BHOPAL | TUESDAY | MAY 21, 2024 | PAGES 14 `3 - Dubai, May 20 (AP) Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and several other officials were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country's northwest, state media reported. The crash comes as the Middle East remains unsettled by the Israel-Hamas war, during which Raisi, who was 63, under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-andmissile attack on Israel just last month. During Raisi's term in office, Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels, further escalating tensions with the West as Tehran also supplied bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and armed militia groups across the region. Meanwhile, Iran has faced years of mass protests against its Shiite theocracy over its ailing economy and women's ‘INDIA STANDS WITH IRAN’ ANGUISHED India stands with the people of Iran at this time of tragedy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, expressing shock over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. "Deeply shocked to hear of the passing away of Iran's President Dr Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister H. AmirAbdollahian in the helicopter crash," Jaishankar said on X. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday condoled the death of Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi and said "The Indian National Congress is anguished and dismayed by the news. "India-Iran relations span centuries marked by meaningful interactions. Every Indian joins in extending our heartfelt condolences to his family in this hour of grief.” rights - making the moment that much more sensitive for Tehran and the future of the country . Khamenei hours later an- nounced Iran's first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, would serve as the country's acting president until elections are Gujarat ATS arrests four ISIS terrorists AHMEDABAD NEWS BRIEF Prachanda wins confidence vote KATHMANDU: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Monday won a vote of confidence in Parliament, the fourth within 18 months of taking office. Prachanda, 69, received 157 votes in the 275member House of Representatives. Woman stabs 2 to death in China BEIJING: May 20 (PTI) At least two people were killed and 10 others injured when a knife-wielding woman went on a stabbing spree at a primary school in east China's Jiangxi province on Monday, in the second such incident in the country this month. 18 killed in Chhattisgarh KAWARDHA: Seventeen women and a man were killed and four others injured when a mini goods vehicle they were travelling in plunged into a valley in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district on Monday, police said. The accident occurred around 1.45 pm on Banjari Ghat near Bahpani village under Kukdur police station limits, an official said. The victims were returning after plucking tendu leaves from a forest in the vehicle meant for transporting goods, he said. WORLD ICC PROSECUTOR FOR NETANYAHU’S ARREST ‘DEEPLY SADDENED’ TEHRAN The Gujarat AntiTerrorism Squad (ATS) arrested four Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists from the Ahmedabad airport on Monday . According to officials, all four accused Mohammad Nusrat, Mohammad Nufran, Mohammad Faris and Mohammad Razdin are Sri Lankan nationals and were active members of the banned terror outfit. "An information was received that they are coming to India to commit a terror attack," Gujarat DGP Vikash Sahay said. The top police official further said that these four terrorists had boarded an Ahembdabad-bound flight from Chennai. "The arrests were made after analysing the information and list of passengers coming from south". "All four of them are completely radicalised by the ISIS ideology and they are going to come to India to commit a terror attack. As per the information, they were going to reach Ahmedabad on May 18 or 19 either by railway or flight. Teams were formed and strategy was created based on the information received. Passenger lists of trains and flights coming from the south were analysed. CONTD. ON P7 PM Narendra Modi on Monday condoled the death of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and said he was "deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise". "Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr. Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His contribution to strengthening the IndiaIran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow," Modi said in a post on X. held. State TV gave no immediate cause for the crash that occurred in Iran's East Azerbaijan province. Among the dead was Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, 60. The helicopter also carried the governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province, other officials and bodyguards, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. CONTD. ON P7 PORSCHE CASE Teen’s father to be charged PUNE: The police have filed a case against the father of the 17-year-old Pune boy who killed two people while driving a Porsche at high-speed and under the influence of alcohol. The pub where the minor boy was served alcohol also faces a police case, sources told NDTV Monday evening. The father and the pub face charges der Section 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The former deals with the willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses, for which punishment can stretch to a three-year jail term and a fine of ? 1 lakh. The latter deals with supplying a child with intoxicating liquor, or any narcotics or drugs, unless prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner, and those convicted could face up to seven years in jail. CONTD. ON P7 CBI books Indore man for sexual abuse of minor from Australia OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against accused from Indore Ankur Shukla on allegations of Online Sexual Abuse, Intimidation of a minor girl from Australia, said the officials on Monday . CBI had received input from Interpol in this regard. It was alleged that the accused befriended the said minor girl on a social media platform Instagram. During conversation with the said minor girl, he allegedly groomed her into sending him, her objectionable images and videos. It was further alleged that over a period of time when the said minor girl was reluctant to share images and videos, the accused started threatening her that he would release her images and videos to her friends and family members, as a result, she continued to share the videos and images under duress. Later, the victim blocked the accused on the said social media platform. However, the accused again contacted the said minor girl over WhatsApp to further intimidate her. CBI developed the inputs by utilizing its expertise to geolocate the accused and to zero-in on his exact whereabouts and also to gather evidence. Searches were conducted at the premises of the Shukla which led to recovery of incriminating materials like computer hard disk, mobile phone etc. Kaliasot dam crocs become menace for people 16 attack incidents, 2 lives lost in 18 yrs RAJAN RAIKWAR / BHOPAL The Kaliasot dam situated near the outskirt of the city was once a picturesque landscape. People loved to have a swim in the deep blue water of the dam or used to sit near the bank of dam during hours. However, now the things have changed as Kaliasot dam is infested with fearful crocodiles and their population is just in- creasing every year. This thing is instilling fear into QUALITY AT VALUE r RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE IRAN PREZ, FM DIE IN CHOPPER CRASH, 1 DAY MOURNING IN INDIA COUNTDOWN OF DISINTEGRATION OF INDIA BLOC HAS BEGUN: MODI NATION r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026; the heart of the masses. People claim that till 2006, there were no crocodile in the Kaliasot dam. It was during the heavy downpour of 2006 that many crocodiles of Van Vihar spilled over to Upper Lake and from there they reached Kaliasot dam and made it as their permanent home. Earlier, the number of crocodile was less but now they are having a flourishing population. CONTD. ON P7 WEATHER FP 43.10c. 29.00c Sunrise : 05.44 Sunset : 07.00 BLAME GAME CINEMA LS POLLS NURSING COLLEGE SCAM Over 57% turnout in 5th phase CBI SEIZES Rs 2.33 crore 4 gold bars, 36 digital devices NEW DELHI Over 57 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Monday in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union territories in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election amid sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal, besides EVM glitches at some booths in the state and neighbouring Odisha. While Maharashtra recorded the lowest voter turnout at 48.88 per cent, West Bengal recorded the highest polling percentage at 73. Among other states, Bihar recorded 52.55 cent turnout, Jammu and Kashmir 54.21 per cent, Jharkhand 63 per cent, Odisha 60.72 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 57.43 per cent and Ladakh 67.15. According to the figures made available by the Election Commission till 7 pm, the approximate polling percentage was at 57.38. Although voting time was till 6 pm, people already in queue by that time are allowed to vote. Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency recorded a voter turnout of more than 54 per cent, already registering its highest polling percentage in almost four decades. The overall polling percentage of 54.21 this time is second only to the 58.84 per cent turnout the constituency saw in 1984. CONTD. ON P7 SEARCHES AT 31 places in Bhopal, Indore, Ratlam Jaipur One more CBI inspector arrested OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in CBI have conducted searches at 31 places in Bhopal, Indore, Ratlam and Jaipur and effected recoveries of over Rs 2.33 crore in cash four gold bars, 36 digital devices and over 150 incriminating documents, said the officials on Monday . CBI, ACB, Bhopal had constituted seven core teams and three four support teams comprising of officials from CBI, those nominated by Nursing Colleges in MP and patwaris, in compliance of directions of High Court for conducting State-wide inspections to as- certain whether the nursing colleges satisfied the laid down norms and standards for nursing colleges in respect of infrastructural facilities and faculty . During monitoring of inspections being carried out by various teams, officials of one of the support teams, including CBI inspector Rahul Raj, were found to be indulging in corrupt activities, It was observed that they were giving favourable inspection reports in lieu of bribes collected through conduits. CONTD. ON P7 BHOPAL: CBI has arrested one more CBI officer in the nursing home scam case on Monday. The sleuths have presented four accused in the special Court of CBI including the inspector, here on Monday, said officials. Till Monday the CBI had presented 13 accused in the case, and they are sent on 10 days police remand on Court's order. On Saturday the CBI sleuths have conducted raids in different locations of three districts Bhopal, Indore and Ratlam. On Sunday the CBI team has presented nine accused of the scam into the Court including an inspector. According to officials, on Monday the CBI has arrested one more inspector Suchil Mejokar who was also the part of the ongoing scam investigating team. CONTD. ON P7 AAP got over Rs 7-cr foreign funding: ED AGENCIES New Delhi The Enforcement Directorate has written to the Union Home Ministry alleging the Aam Aadmi Party, which rules Delhi and Punjab, has received more than Rs 7 crore foreign funds in contravention of Atishi’s counter "BJP does this before every election... many such false allegations will be made over the next four days (before Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats vote, all of which were won by the BJP last time)," she said. the FCRA, official sources said Monday . The federal probe agency sent the communication after it recovered some documents and emails during a drugs-linked money laundering probe against former Punjab AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and some others. CONTD. ON P7