FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 141 | INDORE | TUESDAY | OCTOBER 28, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Messi event part of dubious business deal: Cong P.15 Farmer beaten to death by ‘BJP leader’ over land dispute One held, key accused on run ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE MONEY A 40-year-old farmer, Ramswaroop Dhakad, was beaten to death in Ganeshpura village of Guna district on Sunday, allegedly by local BJP leader Mahendra Nagar and his aides over a land dispute. The brutal attack also left his wife and two daughters injured when they tried to save him. According to police, one accused, Hukum Singh Nagar, Mahendra’s elder brother, has been arrested, while raids are underway to catch the remaining 13– 14 suspects. The police have registered a case of murder, assault and molestation under various sections of the IPC. Reports said Ramswaroop and his family were heading towards their field when a group of men led by Mahendra Nagar attacked him without warning. The accused allegedly beat him with sticks and rods and then ran a Thar vehicle over him several times, leaving his limbs fractured. Claiming that the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been “successfully completed” in Bihar with “zero appeals”, the Election Commission on Monday announced the start of SIR second phase from October 28 in 12 states and UTs that have nearly 51 crore voters. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the Election Commission had met election officials from all 36 states to discuss the process of the second phase of SIR in detail.  The phase 2 of SIR, he said, would be undertaken in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Puducherry, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, MP, UP, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Lakshadweep.  The CEC also announced that revision of electoral rolls in Assam will be announced separately despite the state also headed for Assembly elections in 2026. “A fresh SIR order will be issued for the state of Assam,” he said. Since the issue of validity of Aadhaar card as proof of residence had come up during the SIR in Bihar and the matter had gone up to the Supreme Court, Kumar clarified that fp Briefs AMARAVATI Cyclone Montha makes landfall Cyclone 'Montha', which is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, has begun, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Managing Director Prakhar Jain said on Monday. Coastal districts are experiencing rain and strong gales. Thai word 'Montha' means fragrant flower. "Cyclone has begun. Coastal districts are witnessing rainfall accompanied by gales," Jain said in a release, adding that the system would intensify further as it approached land. JAMMU Pak drones drop heroin Security forces on Monday foiled a major narcotic smuggling attempt from across the International Border in J&K’s Jammu district with the recovery of two bags dropped by a Pakistani drone containing over 5 kg of heroin, valued at over Rs 25 crore. The recovery was made near the Jatinder border outpost in the R.S. Pura sector of the international border during a joint search operation by the Border Security Force (BSF) and J&K Police. CJI Gavai recommends Justice Kant as successor FP News Service NEW DELHI CJI BR Gavai has recommended to the Centre the name of Justice Surya Kant as his successor. Once the government accepts the recommendation, Justice Surya Kant will take oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on November 24, a day after CJI Gavai retires. Justice Surya Kant, currently the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court after CJI Gavai, will have a tenure of a little over 14 months, serving till his retirement on February 9, 2027. The retirement age for Supreme Court judges is 65 , Live Law and Bar & Bench report. Justice Kant was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019, after serving as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. His judicial career spans over two decades, during which he has delivered several landmark verdicts and orders on issues ranging from the abrogation of Article 370 and the Pegasus spyware case to corruption, gender equality, and environmental protection. Justice Kant’s tenure in the top court has been marked by significant rulings on constitutional, criminal, and administrative law. 4Continued on | P8 MUMBAI E-paper SIR PHASE 2 BEGINS TODAY IN MP, 11 OTHER STATEs, UTs Voter list frozen from midnight Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar 4Continued on | P8 NASHIK Cinema Actor Sachin Chandwade dies by suicide P.16 NEW DELHI Eyewitnesses told police that the attackers, some armed with guns, prevented villagers from taking the injured to the hospital for nearly an hour, ensuring he succumbed to his injuries. BHOPAL POLL ROLL REVISION | First phase successfully completed in Bihar with zero appeals, says Election Commission Our Staff Reporter Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has instructed the Guna police to take strict action against the accused(s), who are involved in killing an innocent man in Fatehgarh police station area. On his social media account, the CM also expressed grief over the incident. He said an FIR has been registered against 14 accused and one has been arrested. “And none of them will be spared,”he stated. PUNE Edit Labelling AI deep fakes P.6 Growth outlook strong despite trade uncertainties: Fin Ministry BHOPAL CM asks cops to take strict action UJJAIN Our Staff Reporter Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, date of birth or domicile, but can be furnished as a valid identity document in SIR Gyanesh Kumar Chief Election Commissioner “Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, date of birth or domicile, but can be furnished as a valid identity document in SIR exercise”. As several Opposition parties had opposed SIR in Bihar and the pan-India expansion of the exercise, expressing apprehensions around its “misuse” to delete voters selectively, and some chief ministers like Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal had openly airing their opposition to the exercise, the CEC also 4Continued on | P8 FP News Service NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to all States and Union Territories, directing them to submit details of FIRs registered in connection with digital arrest scams. The Court also indicated that it is considering transferring all such cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a uniform probe across the country. A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a suo motu case it had initiated on October 17 to address the growing menace of digital arrest scams. In digital arrests, victims are coerced into paying money through threats of arrest by fraudsters impersonating officials of the CBI, Intelligence Bureau, and the judiciary, Live Law and Bar & Bench report. “We are not issuing directions today. We are issuing notice to the States to ensure there is a uniform in- Description Date Printing/Training BHOPAL Digital arrests: SC mulls CBI probe Notice to states SIR SCHEDULE Oct 28 – Nov 3 With the Election Nov 4 – Dec 4 Commission of House-to-House India (ECI) an- Enumeration nouncing the sec- Publication of Draft Dec 9 ond phase of the Electoral Rolls Special Intensive Claims & Objections Dec 9 – Jan 8 Revision (SIR) of Notice Phase Dec 9 – Jan 31 electoral rolls in Publication of Final twelve states, inFeb 7 cluding Madhya Electoral Roll Pradesh, preparations began on Transfers restricted Monday at the Since the SIR schedule has been issued, Chief Electoral Of- the state government cannot transfer office. The last SIR in ficers engaged in voter list work, includthe state was con- ing Collectors and other key officials, ducted in 2003. without prior approval from the Election A senior official Commission of India. The SIR process said that the state’s will continue for about three months. voter list was frozen from midnight. Chief ficers (BLOs) has also been fiElectoral Officer (CEO) Sannalised. The training will be jeev Kumar Jha held a meetheld from October 28 to Noing with senior electoral vember 2. officers to review preparations BLOs to verify voters’ adand issued necessary direcdress- Joint Chief Electoral Oftives. An all-party meeting on ficer Ram Pratap Singh Jadon the SIR process will be consaid voters should remain vened on Tuesday. aware of ongoing revision. A seven-day training pro4Continued on | P8 gramme for Booth Level Of- Asserting that technology has substantially altered the space of policing, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said 'digital arrest' has become one of the most dreaded threats to citizens. Addressing a group of probationers of the Indian Police Service (IPS), who called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Murmu said people, especially the marginalised, should look at police as a source of support and not as a fearsome entity. vestigation,” Justice Kant said during the hearing. The Court sought details from all States and Union Territories on the number of FIRs filed over such crimes and asked them to place the information on record within a week. 4Continued on | P8 FP News Service DEWAS The Dewas police arrested an accused involved in a robbery of Rs 1.25 crore from Dharmapuri area on Monday. The accused was identified as Namdar Khan of KherwaJagir, Manawar, from Dharmapuri. The police recovered the stolen money from him and are searching for his accomplices. According to police, the complainant Ashish Gupta, a jeweller from Nowgaon, Chhatarpur, reported that his clerk NiteshKumar Sen went to Indore on October 16 NEW DELHI The SC on Monday directed the Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs except West Bengal, Delhi, and Telangana to appear before it next Monday for failing to file compliance affidavits on the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. A bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice N.V. Anjaria expressed strong displeasure, noting that only West Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had submitted their affidavits despite earlier directions. “Didn’t the officers read newspapers or social media? Once they are aware, they should have been here,” Justice Nath remarked. The bench warned that if the Elon Musk could leave Tesla as CEO if his proposed $1 trillion pay package was not approved, Chair Robyn Denholm warned in a letter to shareholders on Monday. The appeal comes ahead of the November 6 annual meeting, with Tesla's board having faced repeated criti- years, Denholm said in the letter. Musk's leadership was "critical" to Tesla's success, officers fail to appear on the next date of hearing, costs will be imposed or coercive steps will be taken. “All Chief Secretaries to remain present on November 3, else we will hold the Court in auditorium,” Justice Nath said, Live Law and Bar & Bench report. 4Continued on | P8 Energy trade principles applied selectively: EAM takes swipe at US PTI NEW DELHI ritual reverence Women make offerings to setting Sun during Chhath Puja at Pipliyahana Talab in Indore on Monday. Pic by Pintu Namdev Musk may exit Tesla if $1 trillion pay plan rejected cism for not acting in shareholders' best interests and governance experts and advocacy groups questioning its independence and oversight of Musk's influence. The proposed performance-based plan was designed to retain and motivate Musk to continue leading Tesla for at least another seven-and-a-half 4Continued on | P8 STRAY DOGS CASE: Summons chief secys, slams states, UTs for not filing affidavits offgrid Online Report with Rs 1.25 crore for Diwalirelated gold and silver purchases. When the bus halted near Pappu and Pappu Resort in Sonkatch early the next morning, Nitesh found his bag missing. CCTV camera footage showed two men fleeing with the bag in a white car. Didn’t officers read newspapers: SC fumes FP News Service One of most dreaded threats to citizens: Prez One arrested for Rs 1.25 cr robbery she said, and warned that without a plan that properly incentivises him, the company could lose his "time, talent and vision". Musk's role was vital as Tesla seeks to become a global leader in artificial intelligence and autonomous technology, she said. The proposed package would grant Musk 12 tranches of stock options tied to ambitious targets, including a market capitalisation of $8.5 trillion and milestones in autonomous driving and robotics. Denholm's letter portrays the package as necessary to align Musk's incentives with shareholder value and longterm growth, also urging investors to re-elect three long-serving directors who have worked closely with him. Tesla's board has been under scrutiny for years over its close relationship with Musk. A Delaware court earlier this year struck down his 2018 pay deal, finding it was improperly awarded and negotiated by directors who were not fully independent. India on Monday flagged serious concerns over increasingly "constricted" energy trade, selective application of norms and market access issues, in remarks that came against the backdrop of its frosty ties with the US over its procurement of Russian crude oil. In an address at the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also said that the world must adopt a policy of "zero tolerance" towards terrorism as the right of defence against the menace can never be compromised. However, what drew attention was his comments relating to energy trade, market access and supply chains. "There are growing concerns about the reliability of supply chains and access to markets. Technology advancement has become very competitive; the quest for natural resources even more so," he said. 4Continued on | P8