Monday, August 4, 2025 | Vol. 68 No. 259 | 27 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation NATION Prisoner number 15528: Visibly stressed Prajwal Revanna spends first night in K’taka jail GAMES Ex-India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar says KL Rahul prepared intensely for the England series Cinema Celebrating Kishore Kumar’s legacy on 96th birth anniversary Edit Govt accommodation: the lure of public service SIR STANDOFF | Congress says poll panel’s ‘neutrality’ under cloud as INDIA bloc plans August 8 rally to intensify protest Oppn sharpens attack on roll review, EC hits back FPJ News Service NEW DELHI enna Khan is bringing hands-on science and technology education to under-resourced schools. Turn to the Mumbai page to find out how. SEE MUMBAI H Fifth Test on knife’s edge New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday questioned the neutrality of the Election Commission and reiterated the opposition's demand for a discussion in Parliament on the revision of the voters' list. Sources said that leaders of the INDIA bloc are expected to hold a dinner meeting on August 7, followed by a protest march to the Election Commission office the next day. The move aims to intensify their objection to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The demand comes amid a continued standoff over the SIR process during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which has seen repeated disruptions and limited legislative activity. The opposition’s call for a debate on the issue has so far met with resistance from the ruling alliance. Senior Congress leader Gau- rav Gogoi, who is also the deputy leader of the party in Lok Sabha, questioned the Centre's decision not to allow a discussion on the EC even though the Chief Election Commissioner is appointed by it. "Today, there is a question mark in the minds of the people regarding the neutrality of the EC. That is why we want a discussion in Parliament. The government is trying to hide something. What is it? Is it their manipulation in the last assembly polls and Lok Sabha election?" Gogoi asked in Guwahati. 4Contd on | nation 2 voter IDs? Notice issued to Tejashwi Dheeraj Kumar PATNA Haridev Pushparaj MUMBAI Harry Brook and Joe Root struck timely hundreds to flatten India and help England get closer to victory but Indian pacers Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Mohammad Siraj kept the visitors in the hunt for a famous series-levelling win at The Oval in London on Sunday. Just when it looked England were well and truly running away with the game, Krishna scalped the wickets of Joe Root and Jacob Bethell while Deep sent Brook packing as India brought themselves back to the fore. Bad light eventually halted play on day four and stumps was called with the game on the knife’s edge heading into the final day with India needing in all likelihood three more wickets, unless an injured Chris Woakes decides to make himself available, to script the great win while England require just 35 runs as they ended the day at 339/6. Earlier, Shubman Gill’s men would have fancied their chances going into the fourth day but some ineffective bowling and insipid fielding and terrific middle order batting by Root and Brook powered England. 4Contd on | nation Brief Aiyar targets Tharoor, Cong ducks Former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has attacked Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, saying that the Operation Sindoor outreach delegation led by him did not quite convey India's message to the world and claimed that none of the countries the delegation visited said that Pakistan had a role to play in the Pahalgam terror attack. "No one believes our version. We don't have any evidence that can convince the world as to which Pakistani agency plotted it," Aiyar said. But Congress distanced itself from his statement. "Don't pay attention to these statements. They misguide the nation. He is not a Congress member," party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said. A day after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav claimed that his name was deleted from the draft electoral rolls, the Election Commission on Sunday issued a notice to him seeking details of the EPIC number he had mentioned during a press conference. The draft electoral roll was published as part of the SIR of the electoral rolls. On the other hand, BJP demanded registration of an FIR against former Bihar deputy CM for holding two EPIC cards as it was a criminal offence. Electoral registration officer (ERO) of Digha assembly constituency, who is also the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Patna Sadar, issued the notice asking Yadav to make available the details of EPIC card along with the original copy of ‘Murderous assault’ on airline staff, FIR against Army officer Agencies NEW DELHI A senior Army officer was charged with "murderous assault" after an issue regarding excess baggage with SpiceJet turned violent at the Srinagar airport last week. The airline said on Sunday that the officer, who was to board a flight to Delhi, assaulted four airline ground staffers on July 26, causing a spinal fracture to one of them. An FIR has been registered with the local police and the airline has initiated the process to place the passenger on the no-fly list in accordance with civil aviation regulations, SpiceJet said. The incident happened after the passenger was told to pay for extra cabin baggage, it added. Video clips of the incident shared on social media showed the passenger assaulting the staff and one of them being hit with a queue stand at the airport. The injured were taken to the hospital and are undergoing treatment. "A passenger grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26, 2025. Our staff members suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand," SpiceJet said in a statement. According to the airline, one employee collapsed unconscious on the floor but the passenger continued kicking and hitting the fainted employee. 4Contd on | nation the card so that a through probe into the matter could be conducted. 4Contd on | nation ‘No appeals yet from parties’ he EC on Sunday said no political party in Bihar has so far approached it for inclusion or removal of names from the draft electoral roll published on August 1. Between 3 pm on August 1 and 3 pm on August 3, no demand under claims and objections has been received, it said. But individually, 941 claims and objections have been received from voters for the inclusion of names in the voters' list or for the removal of those they claim are ineligible. Political parties and voters have time till September 1 to demand inclusion or removal of names from the list. The EC maintains that it has ensured that no eligible person will be left out of the final electoral roll to be published on September 30. T Opec plans output hike as Trump targets Russian oil Agencies LONDON Opec+ agreed on Sunday to raise oil production by 547,000 barrels per day for September, the latest in a series of accelerated output hikes to regain market share, as concerns mount over potential supply disruptions linked to Russia. The move marks a full and early reversal of Opec+'s largest tranche of output cuts plus a separate increase in output for the UAE amounting to about 2.5 million bpd, or about 2.4% of world demand. Eight Opec+ members held a brief virtual meeting, amid increasing US pressure on India to halt Russian oil purchases - part of Washington's efforts to bring Moscow to the negotiating table for a peace deal with Ukraine. President Donald Trump said he wants this by August 8. In a statement following the meeting, the group cited a healthy economy and low stocks as reasons behind its decision. The eight countries are scheduled to meet again on September 7, when they may consider reinstating another layer of output cuts totalling around 1.65 million bpd, two Somendra Sharma MUMBAI The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Viresh Gangaram Joshi, former fund manager of Axis Mutual Fund, in connection with a front-running scam that allegedly generated illegal profits exceeding Rs 200 crore. He was arrested on Saturday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and remanded to ED custody till August 8 by a special PMLA court, the central I sources said following Sunday’s meeting. Those cuts are currently in place until the end of next year. Opec+ includes 10 nonOpec oil producing countries, most notably Russia and Kazakhstan. agency said on Sunday. Joshi’s arrest comes following searches conducted by the agency on August 1 and 2 across multiple locations including Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Bhuj, and Kolkata. These searches were part of an ongoing investigation into illegal profits allegedly made by certain individuals and entities through front-running trades involving confidential information from Axis Mutual Fund, which manages assets worth ED accused Viresh Joshi, former fund manager of Axis Mutual Fund, of masterminding a massive front-running operation that defrauded investors over Rs 2 lakh crore. The trades in question were executed between 2018 and 2021. During the operation, the ED seized assets worth Rs 17.4 crore, including shares, mutual fund units, and bank balances, which it identified as proceeds of crime. The money laundering probe is based on an FIR registered by Mumbai Police in December 2024, which alleged that Joshi exploited confidential trading information from Axis Mutual Fund to pre-emptively buy and sell securities for personal gain, a practice known as front-running. According to the agency,Joshi used a trading terminal located in Dubai to execute front-running trades through multiple mule accounts obtained from various brokers. "He not only misused privileged information but also routed the profits through shell entities and bank accounts controlled by him and his family members," the agency said in a statement. 4Contd on | nation Israel’s minister prays at MEA fact-check: Not mosque site, stokes anger reviewing US pacts FPJ News Service Agencies NEW DELHI JERUSALEM Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar BenGvir on Sunday visited the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem and prayed there, violating a decades-old arrangement covering one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East. Photos and videos of his visit show Ben-Gvir leading Jewish prayers at the compound, which is known by Jews as the Temple Mount, in occupied East Jerusalem. Praying at the site breaks a FPJ News Service MUMBAI ville, New York. The other victims were his wife Asha Divan (85), Shailesh Divan (86), and Gita Divan (84). Authorities located their light green Toyota Camry, bearing a New York licence plate, in a severely mangled ndia's annual oil import bill could rise by $9-11 billion if the country is compelled to move away from Russian crude in response to US threats of additional tariffs or penalties on Indian exports, analysts said. Russian oil, which accounted for less than 0.2% of India's imports before the war, now makes up 35-40% of its crude intake. SEE MONEY Ex-fund manager held in `200 cr scam long-time arrangement that allows Jews to visit the site but not pray, BBC reported. The Israeli prime minister's office released a statement saying there had been no change to Israel's policy of maintaining the status quo agreement that allows only Muslim worship there. 4Contd on | nation 4 elderly PIOs killed in US road crash Four senior citizens of Indian origin who went missing during a road trip in the US five days ago were found dead on Sunday in a tragic car crash. The Marshall County Sheriff's Office confirmed that all four victims, aged in their 80s, died when their vehicle veered off the road and crashed down a steep embankment in a remote area. Among the deceased was 89-year-old Kishore Divan, a retired anesthesiologist who lived and worked in Williams- ‘India’s bill may go up by $11 bn’ The group, which pumps about half of the world's oil, had been curtailing production for several years to support oil prices. It reversed course this year in a bid to regain market share, spurred in part by calls from Trump for Opec to ramp up production. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak made a rare visit to Riyadh on Thursday to discuss “cooperation between the countries” with Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. The two countries have jointly led OPEC since its creation almost a decade ago. The eight began raising output in April with a modest hike of 138,000 bpd, followed by larger-than-planned hikes of 411,000 bpd in May, June and July, 548,000 bpd in August and now 547,000 bpd for September. Oil prices have nonetheless remained elevated with Brent crude closing near $70 a barrel on Friday, up from a 2025 low of near $58 in April, supported by part by rising seasonal demand. As well as the voluntary cut of about 1.65 million bpd from the eight members, OPEC+ still has a 2-million-bpd cut across all members, which also expires at the end of 2026. condition near Big Wheeling Creek Road in Marshall County, West Virginia. Due to the rugged and isolated terrain, it took rescue teams over five hours to reach the crash site. Sheriff Mike Dougherty offered his condolences to the family and stated that the cause of the crash remains under investigation. The group was last seen on the morning of July 29 at a Burger King on Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. Their final credit card transaction also occurred at that location. They were en route to the Palace of Gold, a well-known spiritual site developed by followers of Swami Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, and had planned to stay there that night. However, they never checked into their accommodation, according to local media reports citing law enforcement officers. None of the individuals had responded to phone calls since July 29. Cell tower data last registered signals from their phones around 3 am on Wednesday in the town of Moundsville, West Virginia. In the days following their disappearance, multiple law enforcement agencies launched an extensive search operation, deploying helicopters and search teams across the area. Their bodies and the vehicle were ultimately discovered on Sunday, bringing the search to a heartbreaking end. The Ministry of External Affairs has refuted media reports claiming that India is reviewing the list of US goods that are exempted from tariffs. The reports surfaced as India is currently weighing its response after US President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariff on goods coming in from India. The fact-check unit of the ministry rejected the claims in a post on X, also dismissing rumours that India is reviewing its bilateral agreements with the US and considering suspending them “if hostile econ- omic policies continue.” The government maintains that both nations are "intensely engaged in efforts" to establish a mutually beneficial trade agreement. The Centre had earlier said that "India and the US share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-topeople ties." "This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday. "We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to.” 11 on way to temple die as SUV falls into canal Biswajeet Banerjee LUCKNOW In a tragic incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district, 11 people, most of them from the same family, lost their lives after a Bolero vehicle carrying 15 passengers veered off the road and fell into the Saryu canal on Sunday. The accident took place around 10 am in the Motiganj police station area when the group was on their way to offer prayers at the Prithvinath temple. The vehicle reportedly lost control and skidded into the canal, trapping those inside. Eyewitnesses said villagers rushed to the spot after hearing screams for help. Within ten minutes, more locals and police personnel reached the site and began rescue operations. However, the doors of the vehicle were jammed shut, making it extremely difficult to rescue the passengers. 4Contd on | nation