FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. XLI No. 127 | INDORE | MONDAY | OCTOBER 14, 2024 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Sachin to inspire young athletes, sports fans in Texas P.10 fp Briefs BHOPAL Four IPS officers transferred Four IPS officers, including three SPs, have been transferred by the state government late on Sunday night, said the officials here. SP Sehore Mayank Awasthi has been appointed as AIG at PHQ, SP Vidisha Deepak Kumar Shukal is the new SP of Sehore. Commandant 29th SAF Datia, Manohar Singh Mandloi, is the new SP of Tikamgarh and SP Tikamgarh Rohit Kaswani is the new SP of Vidisha. BHOPAL Shah, Yadav appointed observers BJP Parliamentary Board has appointed Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav as the observer for the election of Leader of party legislature squad on Sunday. Notably, CM Yadav had done a whirlwind tour of Haryana during assembly election and BJP had won election on most of the seats where he had done canvassing. NEW DELHI IMA’s 24-hr hunger strike The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a 24-hour nationwide hunger strike on October 15 to support doctors in West Bengal, seeking justice for the young doctor who was raped and murdered at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. UDHAM SINGH NAGAR ‘UCC not to harass anyone’ Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday reiterated that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented soon and the law is not meant to harass anyone. GUWAHATI Drugs worth `4.5 cr seized Drugs worth nearly Rs 4.5 crore have been seized and four persons were arrested from Karimganj district of Assam on Sunday, a senior official said. According to Karimganj Superintendent of Police Partha Protim Das, who led the operation, a vehicle coming from Mizoram was intercepted at the Chewali Beel area after getting a tip-off from a source. ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MONEY MUMBAI E-paper Edit India can count on high growth P.8 Avg airfares around Diwali drop 20-25% on many routes Brand Sutra Brands Get Cracking This Festive Season P.12 KHAN LINKS | Gang member said they targeted Siddique because of his close ties with Bollywood actor Salman Khan Bishnoi gang claims Baba Siddique murder Pet Care Meghnagar: Mephedrone factory busted, drugs worth Rs 168 cr seized Four persons, including factory director arrested Our Staff Reporter MEGHNAGAR/INDORE ‘WHOEVER HELPS SALMAN...’ he post by gang member Shubuu Lonkar Maharashtra wrote, "Salman Khan, we did not want this war but you made our brother lose his life. The reason for his death was T IANS / PTI he 66-year-old NCP leader Siddique was waylaid by three persons at Kher Nagar in Mumbai's Bandra area just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office and shot at on Saturday night. He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he was declared dead. T NEW DELHI The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra Minister Baba Siddique. One police constable was guarding Siddique when he was fatally shot the day before, a Mumbai Police officer said on Sunday, adding that two pistols and 28 live cartridges were recovered from the two accused. Police are also verifying a social media post in which an alleged member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken up the responsibility for murder. 4Continued on | P6 his linking of Dawood and Anuj Thapan to Bollywood, politics, and property dealings." The writer goes on to say in the post, "We have no enmity with anyone. However, anyone who helps Salman Khan THE KILLING DETAILS Online report n The three accused received their weapons 15 days before the shooting through a human courier, according to sources. n The shooters were staying in a rented house in Kurla for the past 25-30 days, for ₹ 14,000 per month. n The shooters were paid ₹ 50,000 each. n The three accused arrived at the shooting spot in an auto rickshaw and waited for a while before the shooting took place or the Dawood gang should be prepared. If anyone gets any of our brothers killed, we will definitely respond. We never strike first. Jai Shri Ram, Jai Bharat, salute to the martyrs." SHOCKING: OPPN The opposition parties in Maharashtra on Sunday said the murder of NCP leader and former minister Baba Siddique was shocking and shameful for the state and claimed there was anarchy in Mumbai. If a leader from the ruling alliance is not safe, how can the government keep the common man safe? NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil questioned. The Congress demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over Siddique's murder. 4Continued on | P6 SIX ROUNDS OF BULLETS FIRED Salman Khan cancels Bigg Boss shoot n a latest development in the case of the killing of Baba Siddique, Mumbai Crime Branch on Sunday said that a total of six round of bullets were fired at Sid- ollywood superstar Salman Khan cancelled his shoot for Bigg Boss 18 on Saturday night after hearing the news of the NCP leader I dique, out of which three hit him. Meanwhile, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde announced that Siddique would be cremated with full state honours. B and his close friend Baba Siddique's tragic death. arrived at the house of the slain politician Baba Siddique on Sunday amid heavy security. In a significant operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Indore Zonal Unit uncovered an illegal mephedrone manufacturing unit in the Industrial Area of Meghnagar, Jhabua district. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials launched a search at the premises early on October 12 and discovered the factory engaged in the production of the psychotropic substance. A total of 36.1 kg of dry mephedrone dhinagar, where and 76 kg in liquid tests confirmed the form were seized presence of mepheF o l l o w U p drone. during the operation. The estimated interIn addition to the national market value of drugs, raw material and the confiscated drugs is apequipment used for producproximately Rs 168.15 crore. tion were also confiscated, Representative samples from and the factory premises the seized material were sent were sealed. Four individuals, to the Directorate of Forensic including the factory s direcScience Laboratory in Gantor, were arrested for their in- FP RG KAR HORROR 77 docs at Kalyani JNM Hosp threaten mass resignation PTI KOLKATA Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday urged the United Nations to evacuate its troops stationed in the peacekeeping pocket in Lebanon. Netanyahu  called on the  UN chief  to  move peacekeepers  deployed in  south Lebanon out of “harm’s way”, saying Hezbollah was using them as “human shields”. UN peacekeepers in Lebanon have, meanwhile, reported that Israeli tanks breached a gate to enter a Blue Helmet position on the Lebanese side of the border on Sunday, following an incident the previous day that blocked their movement. According to UNIFIL, “At around 4:30 am, while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the position’s main gate and forcibly entered the shelter” in the Ramia area, before departing 45 minutes later. This occurred after Israeli soldiers had previously halted a crucial UNIFIL logistical movement near Mais al-Jabal, preventing its passage. 4Continued on | P6 WHAT A ‘CATCH’ S paceX pulled off a feat of remarkable technical expertise on Sunday. It not only flew a 233-foot rocket booster back to its launch site, but also caught it out in the air with two giant mechanical arms. The 400-foot spacecraft blasted off at sunrise from close to the Mexico border before successfully landing on metal ‘chopsticks’ - a pad with mechanical arms - for the first time.  Elon Musk’s company has thus not only built and flown the largest and most powerful rocket, it has also demonstrated a key technology needed to make the vehicle completely reusable and able to fly again and again, more like a jetliner than a rocket. The feat followed four unsuccessful attempts by other Starships which ended up being destroyed, either soon after liftoff or by ditching into the sea.  ‘’The tower has caught the rocket!!’’ SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said via X as the spacecraft made the dramatic touchdown.  Company employees screamed with joy as the booster slowly lowered itself into the launch tower’s arms. Over 75 senior doctors at West Bengal's Kalyani JNM Hospital have threatened a mass resignation, seeking justice for the RG Kar hospital victim, and expressing solidarity with junior medics on a fast-untodeath to press for their demands. A total of 77 doctors of the medical facility have informed the Registrar of West Bengal Health University via email about their decision to stop work, starting October 14. They cited "mental devastation" and "inability to work in the current state of mind" among the reasons behind the move. In their communication, the doctors said they stand in solidarity with the junior medics on a fast-unto-death, whose health is deteriorating. They also expressed concern over the "apparent lack of visible effort from the state government to resolve the issue". The agitators have been demanding justice for the RG Kar hospital medic who was raped and murdered, immediate removal of Health Secretary N S Nigam, workplace security and other measures. The Kalyani JNM Hospital doctors have given authorities time till October 14 to take steps towards resolving the problem, failing which they plan to formally submit their mass resignation. 4Continued on | P6 Israel asks UN troops to evacuate FPJ NEWS SERVICE BEIRUT screenwriting Kishore Kumar Samman for Hirani Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Film director Rajkumar Hirani was feted with the ‘Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman’ for the year 2023 for screenwriting on Sunday.  The felicitation ceremony was organised by the culture department at the Police Parade Ground in Khandwa to mark the death anniversary of legendary singer and actor Kishore Kumar. The Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman is given by the Madhya Pradesh government to recognise contributions to Hindi cinema. Minister Vijay Shah felicitated Hirani, who is known for films such as ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’, ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘PK’. His last film was 2023 social drama ‘Dunki’. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards. He is referred to as one of the most successful filmmakers of Indian cinema. His movies are often lighthearted but revolve around significant societal issues with humour and emotional intelligence. 4Continued on | P6 volvement in the illegal manufacture and storage of the banned substance, in violation of the NDPS Act, 1985. Notably, Free Press was the first to break the news of this major bust, publishing an exclusive report in its Sunday edition. Investigations are ongoing to trace the larger network involved in the illegal operation. Minister Vijay Shah felicitating Rajkumar Hirani with ‘Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman’ in Khandwa Protesting doctors in Kolkata File pic This time patient’s relative is beaten up at Kolkata hospital FPJ News Service KOLKATA Amid ongoing protests by junior doctors and members of the public regarding safety and security in hospitals, a patient’s relative was brutally attacked by unknown assailants at SSKM Hospital on Sunday morning. Armed with hockey sticks and cricket stumps, the attackers inflicted serious injuries on the victim. Eyewitnesses reported that a group of 10 to 15 masked individuals arrived on motorbikes and stormed the trauma care centre of SSKM Hospital, the largest government hospital in West Bengal. They targeted Sourav Modak, the son of a patient from Bankura, who was set to be discharged that day. The mob violently assaulted him, leaving him lying in a pool of blood. Witnesses also noted that the police officers present at the scene appeared inactive during the attack. In the aftermath, law enforcement officials erected guard rails outside the trauma care centre to prevent unauthorised entry. The police later stated that they were reviewing CCTV footage to identify the perpetrators. The protesting doctors gathered at Esplanade expressed their outrage, asserting that their ten demands were not only for their safety but for the protection of all hospital staff and patients. “This incident highlights the administration’s empty assurances regarding hospital security. If they cannot ensure the safety of a patient’s family, how can they guarantee the security of doctors?” they argued. “While we have been told that steps are being taken to address our demands, the reality tells a different story.” In a related development, Anustup Mukhopadhyay, one of the doctors on hunger strike, was admitted to Kolkata Medical College after experiencing severe abdominal pain. Medical staff reported that although Anustup’s condition is stable, he will be closely monitored in the CCU for the next few days. Notably, he is among four doctors, including two in Kolkata and one in North Bengal, who have been hospitalised due to their hunger strike. Meanwhile, many citizens abstained from cooking on Sunday to support the junior doctors’ cause, with large crowds gathering in the Esplanade area in solidarity. The Indian Medical Association’s network in Delhi has written to Union Health Minister JP Nadda, urging swift action to resolve the escalating situation. 4Continued on | P6