FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 205 | INDORE | WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 31, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports THE CROWN & THE COMEBACKS P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN MONEY PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK BHAGIRATHPURA TAP WATER TURNS TOXIC: 3 DEAD, 100 ILL COMPENSATION FOR FAMILIES Dr. Yadav announced an assistance of Rs. 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased. The government will also bear the full cost of treatment for the affected. INDORE A contaminated water crisis has shaken Bhagirathpura after a leak in the main drinking water pipeline mixed drainage into household supply. The outbreak has turned deadly, with three deaths officially confirmed, though seven deaths were reported by locals. Over 100 residents remain hospitalised across city hospitals. The incident erupted in the constituency of Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, drawing intense administrative and political scrutiny. The leak point, discovered beneath a public toilet near a police outpost, has fuelled suspicion that sewage entered the drinking line. Municipal Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav ordered immediate repairs fp Briefs FLORIDA Israel Peace Prize for Don US President Donald Trump will be awarded Israel's highest civilian honour, the Israel Prize for Peace, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday, following a bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Florida. Netanyahu said the Israeli government has decided to confer the Israel Prize for Peace on Trump, marking the first time in 80 years the award will be given to a non-Israeli citizen. BENGALURU Dhruv takes flight Marking a milestone in the country's indigenous aerospace manufacturing, the next generation, multi-role civil helicopter Dhruv NG, billed as an alternative to imported light twin-engine helicopters, made its maiden flight on Tuesday here. Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu flagged off the HAL-made helicopter and called it a symbol of the country's capability. CM ORDERS QUALITY CARE OFFICIALS SUSPENDED, ENGINEER DISMISSED Following stern instructions from CM Mohan Yadav to punish those responsible, District Collector Shivam Verma confirmed decisive action: Zonal Officer Shaligram Sitole and Assistant Engineer Yogesh Joshi have been suspended, while in-charge Sub-Engineer (PHE) Shubham Shrivastava has been dismissed from service with Full report inside immediate effect. and the work began without delay. Water supply has been halted until the area is cleaned, chlorinated and lab-tested. Officials reiterated that supply will resume only after safety clearance reports arrive. Hospitals confirmed the death of 75-year-old Nandlal Pal, admitted with severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Two others also died, taking the confirmed toll to three. Grieving families insist that symp- One more Hindu man shot in Bangladesh ED attaches RTO, clerk’s properties worth Rs 3.38 cr Agencies DHAKA An Ansar member named Bajendra Biswas (40) was killed after being shot by a colleague in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh. The accused Ansar member, Noman Mia, has been arrested, RTV Online reported. "Yes, the incident is confirmed", Monindra Nath, Acting Secretary General of Bangladesh Hindu Buddah Christian Unity Council said. "The incident took place on Monday (29 December) at around 6:30 pm at Sultana Sweaters Limited factory in the Mehrabari area of the upazila", the report said. "According to police and local sources, at the time of the incident, Ansar members Noman Mia and Bajendra Das were sitting together. During that time, a shot was fired from the shotgun in Noman Mia's possession, seriously injuring Bajendra Das in his left thigh", the report said. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bhopal zonal office, had provisionally attached immovable properties valued at Rs. 3.38 crore belonging to regional transport officer (RTO) Santosh Paul and senior clerk in the state transport department Rekha Paul, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, said officials on Tuesday. The ED initiated investigation based on an FIR registered against them by the Economic Offences Wing, Bhopal under the Prevention of Corruption Act, for accumulating assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. During the investigation, it was revealed that these public servants had acquired movable and immovable assets sig- toms began only after consuming tap water. Residents claim that around 150 people suffered vomiting and diarrhoea in the last week, though officials are still verifying figures. See page 3 nificantly exceeding their lawful income during the check period. The ED investigation revealed that with a verified lawful income of Rs. 73.26 lakh, Santosh Paul and Rekha Paul had accumulated assets and made expenditures of approximately Rs. 4.80 crore. This resulted in disproportionate assets amounting to around Rs. 4.06 crore. Further examination uncovered structured and repeated cash deposits in their bank accounts just before loan EMI payments, suggesting the placement and integration of unaccounted cash into the banking system. The attached properties include residential houses, residential plots, agricultural land and commercial shops located in Jabalpur district, which have been provisionally attached as Proceeds of Crime. HC notice to govt on all women faculty hiring in nursing colleges Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The principal bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court in Jabalpur has issued notice to the state government on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed about recruitment of all women faculty in nursing colleges in the state. Law Students’ Union president Vishal Baghel filed the PIL challenging advertisement for only women faculty. The petition argued that reserving the entire recruitment process for only one class or gender was a violation of constitutional principles. The high court has taken note of the matter and issued a notice to the state government, demanding a response. The court asked under what rule these positions were re- served exclusively for women, completely excluding men from the process. A total of 286 faculty positions were filled in government nursing colleges in Madhya Pradesh and all the selected candidates were women. The petitioner argued that full reservation was against the right to equality. The high court has scheduled the next hearing on January 5. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has directed that all those affected by the Bhagirathpura incident must receive prompt and quality medical treatment. He instructed the district administration and health officials to ensure proper care for every patient. INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY Collector Shivam Verma said the administration is closely monitoring the situation. Health officials have been instructed to review treatment regularly, and a detailed investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the incident. One could hardly have imagined that a certain Bhaijaan ensconced in Bandra’s Galaxy apartments would end up making Beijing see red. Yet that is precisely what the Salman Khan–starrer Battle of Galwan has managed to do. India, however, responded with a collective yawn — and a reminder that cinema, inconvenient as it Indian and Chinese forces clashed in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh in 2020, leading to multiple casualties on both sides, including Colonel Santosh Babu (C), whose character is portrayed in the Salman Khan–starrer. may sometimes be, is still art. On Tuesday, New Delhi underlined to selected media that artistic freedom is a protected and integral part of India’s democratic frame- work, pushing back against criticism from Chinese state media over the film. Govern- FP News Service MUMBAI Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India’s economic rise is being shaped not by headline-grabbing policy shocks but by sustained, methodical reforms that build credibility, stability and longterm confidence. Writing on LinkedIn, the Prime Minister argued that India has emerged as a global focal point because of the pace and depth of nextgeneration reforms that cut across sectors and amplify the country’s growth potential. According to Modi, the world today views India with “hope and confidence”, driven by the innovative energy of its people and a demographic advantage anchored in a young, aspirational workforce. He described India as having boarded a “Reform Express”, powered by institutional modernisation, simplified governance and a clear focus on inclusive, long-term growth. He said 2025 would be remembered as a year when reforms were pursued as a continuous national mission, building on work done over the past 11 years. The Prime Minister stressed that reforms have been designed not as abstract econ- Ashwin Ahmad Prime Minister Modi, along with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and key officials, interacted on Tuesday with a group of eminent economists and experts at NITI Aayog ahead of the 2026–27 Budget. India eyes economy third spot India has emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economy, overtaking Japan with a gross domestic product of $4.18 trillion, and is now poised to surpass Germany within the next two-and-ahalf to three years, the government said in its year-end economic review. On current projections, India’s GDP could rise to $7.3 trillion by 2030. Growth has exceeded expectations, with output expanding to a six-quarter high in the second quarter of 2025–26, JAPAN OVERTAKEN underscoring resilience amid persistent global trade uncertainties. The expansion has been anchored in robust domestic demand, led by private consumption and supported by buoyant industrial and services activity. The finance ministry said strong growth, structural reforms and social progress were laying firm foundations as India works towards high middle-income status by 2047. The RBI has raised its growth forecast for the year to 7.3%, citing easing inflation, improving exports and sustained economic activity. omic exercises but as tools to improve daily life — enabling citizens to live with dignity, entrepreneurs to innovate PM pays tribute. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to attend funeral in Dhaka today NEW DELHI Tributes flowed in as Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Begum Khaleda Zia passed away on Tuesday at age 80. Zia, who had been battling a prolonged illness for some time, had a fierce rivalry with former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from power in August last year. The two women had dominated Bangladeshi Act on obscene, unlawful content: Centre warns online platforms PTI NEW DELHI The Centre has warned online platforms, mainly social media firms, of legal consequences if they fail to act on obscene, vulgar, pornographic, paedophilic and other forms of unlawful content. In an advisory dated December 29, 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) asked social media firms to immediately review their compliance framework and act against obscene and unlawful content on their platform, failing which they may face prosecution under the law of the land. "Intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, are reminded that they are statutorily obligated under 4Continued on | P8 Galwan 2.0: Dragon attacks Tiger FP News Service PM: Sustained, methodical reforms drive India’s rise without fear, and institutions to function with clarity and trust. 4Continued on | P8 BEGUM KHALEDA ZIA DEAD offgrid MUMBAI P.12 Nation Shah accuses Mamata of allowing infiltration P.7 v DEADLY LAPSE | Rs 2L ex gratia for kin of deceased; CM, minister, mayor assure free treatment, refunds; Cong to file FIR, demands criminal probe Our Staff Reporter E-paper Edit SC ensured none is above the law Gold loans shine in credit mix, up 4X in 3 yrs Pipeline leak mixes sewer water into drinking supply; families say plaints ignored for 10 days MUMBAI ment sources stressed that filmmakers in India are free to exercise creative expression, however uncomfortable it may make foreign capitals, and that the government has no role in shaping, scripting or vetting cinematic narratives. In other words, while Beijing may see provocation, India sees popcorn, a projector — and the Constitution doing its job. 4Continued on | P8 politics ever since Zia took power in 1991. Prime Minister Modi was quick to pay tribute. Writing on X, he said was “deeply saddened” to learn about her passing away of the thr passing away and stated that her contribution “towards the development of India-Bangladesh relations would always be remembered.”   Only recently in an outreach, Prime Minister recalled Soon, automated fair collection for Indore, Bhopal Metro trains Cost of implementation around Rs 186 cr Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL With the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (MPMRC) signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Bhopal and Indore Metro trains will soon be operating with an automated fare collection system.  The implementation cost of the fare collection system with DMRC is almost equal to that of the previous contract which was given to Turkish company Asis Guard. Asis Guard’s contract was cancelled due to security concerns following Operation Sindoor. The company had bagged a Rs 186-crore contract to implement the automated fare collection system for both the Metro projects in the state. Until the automated system becomes functional, Bhopal and Indore Metro trains will run through a manual ticketing system. MPMRC Managing Director S Krishna Chaitanya told the Free Press that he sees the possibility of the automated ticketing system work getting completed within two months or a little later. The automated fare collection system will also have an online ticketing facility. Sources said a DMRC team is expected to arrive over the next few days to facilitate the implementation of the automated fare collection system. that he had met her in Dhaka in 2015 and more recently gladdened the hearts of BNP supporters when he enquired about her health.In another calibrated move, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be going to Dhaka to attend her funeral. It has been slotted for Wednesday where with full state honors she will be buried alongside her husband, late president Ziaur Rahman, the interim government said on Tuesday. 4Continued on | P8 Prez returns TN varsity amendment bill PTI CHENNAI President Droupadi Murmu has returned the Tamil Nadu University of Madras Amendment Bill, seeking to empower the state government to appoint its vice chancellor, an official source said on Tuesday. The TN Assembly, which passed the bill in April 2022, had sent it for presidential assent, aiming to take control of the 168-year-old university which has been managing the affairs without a vice chancellor for over two years. The bill sought to amend the University of Madras Act by transferring the power to appoint and remove the VC from the governor, now serving as ex-officio chancellor of the varsity, to the state government by replacing "chancellor" with "government" in the Act. 4Continued on | P8 28-DAY DIGITAL ARREST: Retd prof, wife lose Rs 1.34 cr FP News Service RATLAM A retired professor and his wife from Ratlam were kept under digital arrest for 28 days, during which fraudsters swindled Rs 1.34 crore from their bank accounts. The scam was exposed when their son returned from Canada. SP Amit Kumar revealed details during a press conference on Tuesday evening. The ordeal began on No- The ordeal began on Nov 15. The scam exposed when their son returned from Canada vember 15, when the professor received a call through a mobile app. The caller accused him of money laundering, claiming Rs 247 crore had been deposited in a Canara Bank account in Mumbai linked to his Aadhaar card. The scammers threatened him with immediate arrest and showed a fake courtroom on WhatsApp video call with officers in police uniform. Terrified, the professor revealed information about his three bank accounts and mentioned that his son is in Canada. The miscreants even threatened to prevent his son's return to India. 4Continued on | P8