FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. XLII No. 83 | INDORE | SUNDAY | AUGUST 31, 2025 | Pages 18 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Drama, Dominance & Disappointments P.17 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE WORLD After a gap of 7 years, PM Modi lands in China All eyes on Modi, Xi talks today FP News Service MUMBAI fp Briefs NEW DELHI Choksi’s bail plea rejected The bail plea of fugitive diamonds trader Mehul Choksi, wanted in India in connection with over Rs 6300-crore fraud in PNB, has again been turned down by a court of appeal in Belgium, just ahead of his extradition hearing before a court in that country, officials said. INDORE Mahanaryam set to lead MPCA Mahanaryaman Scindia, 28, son of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, is poised to become the youngest-ever MPCA president, unopposed at the September 2 AGM. No rival nominations were filed by Saturday’s deadline. (Detail on Sports Page) PRESS PUNE Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome on his arrival to attend the SCO Summit, in Tianjin on Saturday. Ahead of Putin meet, Modi speaks to Zelenskyy rime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the phone and discussed the latest situation around Kyiv's war with Moscow, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Saturday evening. Zelenskyy said that he apprised PM Modi about his recent talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington. The telephonic conversation between the two leaders came just a day before PM Modi is scheduled to hold talks with Zelenskyy's adversary, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Tianjin, where they have gathered to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with the President of Ukraine, H.E. Mr Volodymyr Zelenskyy. President Zelenskyy shared his perspective on the recent developments related to Ukraine," a PMO statement said. P tan, Iran, and Belarus, with several observer states and dialogue partners. On the sidelines, Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Xi and Putin. His discussions with Xi are particularly significant given efforts in recent months to reset ties after years of strain. Measures have included reopening trade routes through Lipulekh Pass, Shipki La, and Nathu La, as well as steps to restore direct air connectivity and ease visa processes. 4Continued on | P8 BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Readers’ Corner Path to a safe society... P.6 Trump 'no longer has plans' to visit India for Quad: NYT SCO SUMMIT | Modi’s China visit tests diplomacy, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation unity amid US tariffs and tensions Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin on Saturday for a two-day visit to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, marking his first trip to China since the Galwan Valley clashes of 2020. Modi was received at Binhai International Airport with a warm welcome, including a cultural dance performance, by senior Chinese and Indian officials. The SCO summit comes at a delicate moment in India’s external relations, following the United States’ recent imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports, including a 25 per cent duty for importing Russian crude oil. The gathering, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, will also see the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of other member states. India, which joined the SCO as a full member in 2017, has actively contributed to the bloc’s agenda, having chaired the Council of Heads of Government in 2020 and the Council of Heads of State in 2022–23. Besides India, the SCO includes China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekis- UJJAIN Cinema Ayurveda over aesthetics P.16 Hostel operator gets life term for raping deaf-mute girls RAIN HAVOC GRIPS INDORE Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A district and session court in Bhopal has sentenced hostel operator Ashwini Kumar Sharma to life imprisonment for raping deaf and mute girls. According to ADPO Manoj Tripathi, the victim is a hearing-impaired girl from a Scheduled Tribe. She passed her 11th-class examination in 2016 from UmaviPalanbasa Ujjain, a school for hearing impaired run by the Social Justice Department. For further education, she was admitted to Government Gas Relief and Rehabilitation and Training Institute, Govindpura, Bhopal. The admission was facilitated by Superintendent Sandhya Sharma with help from local Social Justice Department officials. 4Continued on | P8 Traffic crawls on waterlogged Super Corridor on Saturday Our Staff Reporter INDORE The city witnessed a dramatic turn of weather on Saturday afternoon when heavy rain lashed the city, flooding large areas and sweeping away vehicles. Three people, including two children, narrowly escaped death after their car was Pic by Anand Shivre swept away by gushing rainwater. The Met Department has said that moderate to heavy rain is likely in the next 48 hours. (Detailed report on Page 3) Court deals blow to Trump over tariffs US appeals court lets tariffs remain until mid-October FP News Service WASHINGTON Donald Trump has lashed out at a US appeals court ruling that declared many of his global tariffs illegal, vowing to fight the decision in the Supreme Court. Writing on his Truth Social plat- form, Trump said the appeals court “incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end.” He added that he would fight back “with the help of the United States Supreme Court,” insisting that removing tariffs would be “a total disaster for the Country.” The 7-4 decision from the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said Trump had exceeded his authority when imposing sweeping tariffs by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The court upheld an earlier May ruling from the Court of International Trade that also rejected Trump’s arguments. However, the judges allowed the tariffs to remain in effect until October 14, giving the administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court. Trump first introduced the tariffs as “reciprocal” duties on nearly every country the United States trades with, imposing a 10 per cent baseline rate with higher levels on dozens of economies. He also invoked emergency powers to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, claiming they were not doing enough to stop the flow of deadly drugs into the United States. 4Continued on | P8 Finance dept ropes Regional Tourism Conclave attracts Explain, SC tells state as convict spends 8 yrs in Rs 3,500cr investment proposals in foreign firm Single-window jail against 7-yr term tourism policy, as consultant permissions cut Our Staff Reporter Directives issued to provide budget-related info to KPMG Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL The country is talking about Swadeshi. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, all top politicians are encouraging people to opt for Swadeshi. On the contrary, the finance department has engaged a foreign company, KPMG, as a consultant. KPMG is a global firm with offices in London, New York and Gurugram. The many departments have been seeking advice from various companies. But, for the first time, the finance department has engaged a consultant outside the government. The director of finance issued an order asking the officers to provide the company with the budget manual, debt management process, and other information and documents. The information about a budget is considered the most secret document of the government. Since the finance BHOPAL Should consult our experts: Raghavji down from 30 to 10 FP News Service Former finance minister Raghavji has said as there are many financial experts in the country, it is not justifiable to engage a private consultant. Engaging a private consultant indicates that we do not have financial experts, Raghavji said. It also affects the secrecy of the finance department, he said, adding that the government should keep away from such decisions. GWALIOR Investment proposals worth around Rs 3,500 crore were received in Gwalior, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced at the Regional Tourism Conclave on Saturday. The CM inaugurated the second day of the conclave, distributed land allotment letters to investors, unveiled new project plans, and carried out virtual foundation stone ceremonies. He said the conclave has brought many opportunities for local people and promised that Madhya Pradesh will continue on the path of progress. He announced that IndiGo Airlines will use Rs 100 crore from its CSR fund to renovate the historic Man Singh Fort in Gwalior. Before the event, he PMU formed A project management unit (PMU) has been set up to improve the functioning of the finance department. Together with PMU, KPMG has been engaged as a consultant. Two working groups have also been created under the PMU one for the budget manual and another for the debt management. Additional secretary-rank officers have been given the responsibility for each working group. department has engaged a private company as a consultant, the information about the budget may go into private hands. 4Continued on | P8 Chicago’s murder rate 15 times higher than Delhi: WH After extension of CS, IAS officers’ transfer list may be released soon WASHINGTON: The White House has cited New Delhi’s relatively “low murder rate” to underscore the scale of gun violence in Chicago, as it seeks to push for greater federal intervention in the city. Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for President Donald Trump, said Chicago’s murder rate in 2024 was nearly 15 times higher than that of the Indian capital. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A transfer list of IAS officers may soon be released after the extension of the Chief Secretary, Anurag Jain. Many important places and departments in the state are functioning under the in-charge officers. Since there was a di- lemma over the extension of Jain, transfer orders could not be issued. Additional commissioner Ratnakar Jha has been working as in-charge commissioner of Ujjain for one month. Sanjay Gupta retired on July 31, but nobody was posted in his place. According to sources, the higher-ups in the government have reached a consensus over the appointment of the Indore collector, Asheesh Singh, as commissioner of Ujjain. 4Continued on | P8 Brand US in the toilet, opines ex-NSA FP News Service MUMBAI The American brand globally is in the toilet. Look at India. Trump has executed a massive trade offensive against them. Now, India is thinking, sh*t, we have to go sit down with China to hedge against America. Jake Sullivan van said, “The American brand globally is in the toilet. 4Continued on | P8 Ujjain commissioner, Indore collector to be posted soon offgrid Former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has sharply criticised President Donald Trump’s decision to impose steep tariffs on Indian goods, warning that the move is damaging America’s global standing and pushing New Delhi closer to Beijing. Speaking on The Bulwark podcast with Tim Miller, Sulli- also held one-to-one meetings with several investors. Highlighting India’s achievements, the CM said, “Before 2014, India was ranked much lower, but today it has become the world’s fourthlargest economy and is on its way to becoming the third.” Look at India. Trump has executed a massive trade of- fensive against them. Now, India is thinking, shit, we have to go sit down with China to hedge against America." He said that US allies now view Washington as a “big disruptor” that cannot be counted on, while China is gaining popularity worldwide. “When I go to these places now and I talk to leaders, they are talking about derisking the United States. 4Continued on | P8 The Supreme Court (SC) has demanded an explanation from the Madhya Pradesh government regarding a convict who remained in jail for over eight years beyond his seven-year sentence. Terming the lapse as “quite shocking,” the SC granted the State two weeks to respond to the serious error. Sohan Singh, convicted for rape, was originally sentenced to life imprisonment by a Sessions Court in 2004. However, the Madhya Pradesh High Court later reduced the sentence to seven years, citing factors like the victim being a married woman, delay in lodging the FIR and lack of corroborative medical evidence for rape charge. Despite the High Court's order, Singh remained incarcerated for over eight years beyond the stipulated sentence. He was finally released on June 6, 2025, after completing the entirety of his reduced sentence. Singh was originally sentenced to life term by a Sessions Court in 2004. HC later reduced sentence to 7 years The bench, led by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan, expressed concern over the prolonged incarceration of Singh, urging the state government to clarify how such an oversight occurred. The SC emphasised that such serious lapses cannot be ignored and must be rectified promptly. Sohan Singh was convicted under Sections 376(1), 450, and 506-B of the IPC for rape of a married woman. The original trial court in Khurai, District Sagar, had imposed life imprisonment along with a Rs. 2,000 fine. However, in 2017, the Madhya Pradesh High Court reduced the sentence to seven years of rigorous imprisonment while maintaining the conviction under the same sections of the IPC. OP SINDOOR: LESS THAN 50 WEAPONS, MAXIMUM IMPACT IANS NEW DELHI In a rare public disclosure, the Indian Air Force has shed light on the covert military operation that followed the devastating April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari revealed new footage and operational details of Operation Sindoor - India's precision strikes against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir."Planning began almost immediately after the attack. On April 23, all three armed services convened at their respective headquarters to assess options. By April 24, a high-level team had reviewed a range of contingency plans, many of which had been prepared in advance for rapid deployment. Tactical planning intensified over the next few days, and by April 29, nine key targets had been finalised. The strike date was set for May 5. Between May 6 and 9, Indian forces executed a series of calculated strikes," he said.According to Air Marshal Tiwari, fewer than 50 weapons were used to achieve what he described as "conflict limination"."The objective was clear: deliver a strong, visible response, deter future attacks, and grant the armed forces full operational freedom - even in the face of potential escalation. 4Continued on | P8