FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 203 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | JANUARY 4, 2026 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL WORLD Sports Comeback Kings & Fitness Frontiers P.16 US STRIKES VENEZUELA, CAPTURES MADURO, WIFE AP CARACAS fp Briefs BASTAR 14 Maoists killed Security forces recovered the bodies of 14 Maoists following multiple encounters in Bijapur and Sukma districts of Chhattisgarh, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police P. Sundarraj said here on Saturday. He said the operation was launched based on specific intelligence indicating the presence of Maoists in the southern regions of the Bijapur and Sukma districts. KOLKATA Another BLO dies in Bengal Another BLO died on Saturday, with his family alleging that pressure related to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision work led to his deteriorating health. The incident took place in Cooch Behar district of north Bengal. Maduro to face drug, terror charges It was like watching TV show: Trump Praising US special forces again for successfully capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, US President Donald Trump has said that while a "couple of guys" were hit, no American lives were lost during the operation. Trump also said he watched the raid to capture the authoritarian leader live, and recalled that it was like watching "a television show" eatery. People wrapped themselves in Venezuelan flags, ate fried snacks and cheered as music was playing at the event. At one point, the crowd chanted "Liberty! Liberty! Liberty!" The rally took place in Doral, Florida, a city of 80,000 people surrounded by Miami sprawl and home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X that she had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the EU ambassador in Caracas. "The EU has repeatedly US Attorney General Pam Bondi says deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face criminal charges after an indictment in New York. In a post on X, Bondi said the couple will "soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts." "Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the US", she wrote on X. stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint." 4Continued on | P8 Stop Love Jihad at home: Bhagwat Western culture being imposed on us in name of modernity, says RSS chief Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said the process to stop Love Jihad cases should begin at home. The family members must see how their daughter has been influenced by an unknown person, he said. Bhagwat made the statement during an interaction with women in Bhopal on Sat- urday. Efforts are needed to stop Love Jihad at the third level by holding interactions with the family members. Girls should be imparted training in self-defence, and society should keep an eye on such incidents and deal with them, he said, adding that such efforts will stop Love Jihad. According to him, western culture is being imposed Ex-Waqf chief, 2 officials booked Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has registered an FIR against three former officials of Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board, including exchairman Shaukat Mohammed Khan, under the Prevention of Corruption Act for causing a financial loss by leasing Board properties at below-guideline rates. The FIR also names members Furkan Ahmed and Mohammed Juber. The alleged annual loss to the Board is estimated at Rs 2.54 crore. The case followed a com- on the people of India in the name of modernity, so everyone should think about the moral values they are imparting to the children. Women should be as courageous as Queen Lakshmi Bai, he said. ‘‘Our religion, our culture, and our society are safe because of women who are not confined to their homes today,’’ he said. Men and women together build a prosperous society, so the way women work for their families should also work for building the nation, he said. 4Continued on | P8 Doctor stabbed to death in broad daylight RENT SCAM FP News Service JABALPUR plaint filed with GAD deputy secretary in July 2023, which alleged that properties of Auqaf-e-Amma were leased in violation of the Waqf Board Act-1995 and Waqf Property Lease Rules-1914. Permissions for construction were also reportedly granted without proper approval. EOW began its investigation in October 2023 and found that around 185 properties covering 83,000 sq ft were leased at rates far below collector guidelines. A doctor was brutally stabbed to death in broad daylight in Jabalpur on Friday. Police found more than 11 deep stab wounds on his neck and body, indicating that he was attacked with a sharp weapon and stabbed repeatedly until he died on the spot. According to information, the incident took place under Sahajpur bridge on Jabalpur Bhopal highway. Passers-by informed police after spotting a blood-soaked body lying by the roadside. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Metro cancels 4 morning trips due to low ridership Our Staff Reporter Ridership trend BHOPAL Bhopal residents were initially excited about Metro train, but passenger numbers dropped sharply, especially during morning hours. Observing low footfall, Metro train management has cancelled four morning trips. Instead of 17 daily trips, only 13 will now operate. The revised timetable, effective from January 5, includes seven trips Dec 25 Dec 26 Dec 27 Dec 28 Dec 30 Dec 31 from AIIMS Station and six from Subhash Nagar Station. The first train from AIIMS will now depart at 12 noon and : : : : : : 4,264 1,473 1,870 2,349 959 1,113 reach Subhash Nagar by 12.25 pm, while the first train from Subhash Nagar leaves at 12.40 pm and reaches AIIMS by 1.05 pm. Evening commuters can catch the last train from AIIMS at 7.30 pm, which will arrive at Subhash Nagar by 7.57 pm, while the last train from Subhash Nagar departs at 6.55 pm, reaching AIIMS at 7.20 pm. Trains will continue to run at a headway of 75 minutes. Sources in Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation said per-hour traffic was carefully analysed, 4Continued on | P8 PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Readers’ Corner All Is Well… But Is It? P.6 Rioters must be put in their place: Khamenei RAPID TURN OF EVENTS | Venezuela prez flown out of country in an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by Trump The United States hit Venezuela with a "large-scale strike" early Saturday and said President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington - an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack. The legal authority for the strike - and whether Trump consulted Congress beforehand - was not immediately clear. The stunning, lightning-fast American military action, which plucked a nation's sitting leader from office, echoed the US invasion of Panama that led to the surrender and seizure of its leader, Manuel Antonio Noriega, in 1990 - exactly 36 years ago Saturday. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would face charges after an indictment in New York. Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4.30 am ET (0930 GMT) and said he would host a news conference at 11 am ET (1600 GMT). In South Florida, Venezuelans celebrated the news of Maduro's capture at a rally held outside a South American UJJAIN Cinema ‘Mera dimaag hila hua hai’ P.14 B’desh Hindu bizman dies 3 days after attack PTI DHAKA/NEW DELHI A Hindu businessman, who was brutally attacked, hacked and set on fire three days ago, died on Saturday in Bangladesh, reports and minority faith group leader said. This is the fifth death of a person from Hindu community since December and radical groups in Bangladesh are visibly trying to intimidate the minority faiths, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council spokesman Kajol Debnath said. Khokon Chandra Das, 50, was assaulted near Keurbhanga Bazar in Damudya in Shariatpur district, about 100 kilometres south of Dhaka, on Wednesday night while returning home after closing his shop. 4Continued on | P8 KKR releases Mustafizur Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman has been released by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders after being instructed to do so by the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) amid heightening diplomatic tensions between the two neighbouring countries. KKR had acquired the services of the 30-year-old left-armer for Rs 9.20 crore from a base price of Rs 2 crore after an intense bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at the players' auction last month BHAGIRATHPURA WATER CONTAMINATION 200 more taken ill Sharp spike in number of cases raises alarm Our Staff Reporter INDORE The water contamination crisis in Indore’s Bhagirathpura remains a serious concern as the number of patients continues to rise, even as no deaths were reported on Saturday. On Saturday, 200 new patients were reported, marking the sharpest spike in the past seven days and triggering fresh alarm among residents and authorities. Till Friday, 518 patients were admitted—310 in private hospitals and 208 in government facilities. The sudden addition of 200 cases in a day indicates that the health impact of contaminated water is far from being under control. As of January 3, a total of 354 patients, including 38 children, are still in the hospital, including 20 in the ICU, while 205 have been discharged. In response, the Health Department has intensified field operations. Sixteen medical teams, each comprising nine members—including medical officers, nursing staff, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, supervisors and NGO representatives—have been deployed across Bhagirathpura. 4Continued on | P8 Pic: Anand Shivre Cong-BJP workers clash ension prevailed in Bhagirathpura on Saturday when a fivemember fact-finding team formed by Congress committee, reached the area to meet locals and faced strong resistance from BJP workers. The visit led to a face-off between workers of both the parties, forcing police to step in to control the situation. As the Congress delegation entered the locality, BJP workers raised slogans of “outsiders go back,” while Congress supporters responded with chants of “Ghanta Party murdabad.” T Cong agitation from Jan 11 tate Congress chief Jitu Patwari announced a statewide agitation from January 11 over deaths allegedly caused by contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura area in Indore. He said the party will intensify protests if responsibility was not fixed by then. Speaking in Narmadapuram, he demanded resignation of minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and FIRs against the responsible, calling the government’s compensation and transfers inadequate and insensitive S