FREE PRESS The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms VOL. XXXX NO. 298 | INDORE | THURSDAY | APRIL 4, 2024 | PAGES 16 ‘COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED BETTER WITH CLEAR COMMUNICATION’ SPORTS `3 - EDIT ECONOMY NOT AN ELECTION ISSUE STRONGEST QUAKE OF 7.4 25 YRS ROCKS TAIWAN 9 dead; over 1,000 hurt HUALIEN PM Modi's first election meeting in Jabalpur on April 7 ESCAPING GOONS IN DATIA, 2 toll plaza employees drown OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address first election meeting in state in Jabalpur on Sunday, said party officials on Wednesday . The Lok Sabha elections in state are scheduled to be held in the first four phases--April 19, April 26, May 7, and May 13. In Jabalpur, the PM would seek public support of Ashish Dubey . BJP national president JP Nadda would address a public meeting in Chhindwara on Saturday in favour of Vivek Banti Sahu. NEWS BRIEF Telangana factory explosion kills 5 HYDERABAD: Five employees of a pharmaceutical company were killed in an explosion in Telangana's Sangareddy district on Wednesday, police said. The incident occurred at SB Organics Ltd at Chandapur village in Hatnoora mandal of the district. A fire broke out at the factory after a chemical reactor exploded. One of the structures at the industrial complex also collapsed under the impact of the explosion. The company's manager is reported to be among those killed. Magistrate asks rape victim to strip JAIPUR: Police have booked a magistrate in Karauli district for allegedly asking a Dalit rape victim to strip to show her injuries, an officer on Wednesday said. Deputy SP (ST-SC) cell Mina Meena said that the victim had filed a complaint on March 30 alleging that the Hindaun court magistrate asked her to strip in order to see her injuries. SEE PG 8 OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in Two Gwalior-Jhansi Highway toll plaza employees fell into a well and died while trying to escape from a dozen masked goons in Datia, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place on Tuesday. The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed at the plaza under Chirula police station. The footage showed masked men attacking toll plaza office, thrashing employees and damaging property. Fearing the attack, the employees were seen trying to escape. Two of them fell into a well adjacent to the plaza. SDOP Priyanka Mishra, said "Twelve miscreants on six motorcycles reached the toll plaza and RAJIV GANDHI ASSASSINATION CASE Three ex-convicts return to SL CHENNAI Three ex-convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, all of them Sri Lankans, returned to their home country on Wednesday, nearly two years after being freed by the Supreme Court. They had earlier served a three-decade prison term in connection with the killing of the former Prime Minister. V Murugan alias Srikaran, S Jeyakumar and B Robert Payas left by a Sri Lankan carrier for Colombo on Wednesday, officials said. The Tamil Nadu government had last month informed the Madras High Court that the Sri Lankan High Commission here had granted travel documents to Murugan and the rest and they could return home once a deportation order is issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). Murugan had earlier moved the court seeking a direction to authorities concerned to provide him a photo ID. The three persons were among the seven convicts in the case freed by the Supreme Court in November 2022. CONTD. ON P8 The miscreants fired around 20 to 30 rounds in 15 minutes, the police said opened fire at employees working there, causing panic. In the ensuing commotion, two employees fell into the well, leading to their tragic demise.” She said the reason for the assault was unknown so far and further investigation was underway. Their bodies were retrieved from the well. The deceased were identified as Shrinivas Parihar of Haryana and Shivaji Kandele of Nagpur (Maharashtra), she said. The police have registered case against the unknown miscreants and started investigations. The strongest earthquake in a quarter-century rocked Taiwan during the morning rush hour Wednesday, killing nine people, stranding dozens of workers at quarries and sending some residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings. The quake, which also injured more than 1,000, was centred off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed. Rajnath’s dig at I.N.D.I.A: ‘DESH KI JANTA MOYE MOYE KAR DEGI’ AGENCIES Ghaziabad In a dig at the INDIA bloc, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the alliance cannot face the NDA or BJP in the Lok Sabha elections as "desh ki janta moye moye kar degi" (the people will make the Opposition come a cropper in the elections). Campaigning for the seven-phased general elections in Ghaziabad, in favour of sitting MLA AND BJP candidate Atul Garg, Singh said the Opposition bloc will struggle to weigh up and face the NDA in the Lok Sabha elections. "Several Opposition parties came together to fight and defeat the BJP. However, you can all see that this is an alliance of convenience of some self-seeking Opposition leaders. CONTD. ON P8 37.40c. 22.80c Sunrise : 06.41 Sunset : 06.20 BREAKING BARRIERS CINEMA A ONLINE REPORT / New Delhi Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Enforcement Directorate traded sharp barbs and hard-nosed legal arguments in equal measure Wednesday, as the Delhi High Court heard the Aam Aadmi Party boss' plea for interim relief. Kejriwal was arrested last month - and has been sent to the national capital's Tihar Jail till April 15 - for his role as the "kingpin" in the alleged liquor policy scam. During the arguments Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, issued a strong rejoinder to arguments about the timing of Kejriwal's arrest, declaring "criminals are supposed to be arrested and put in jail". "Under-trial prisoners have no right to say, 'we will commit a crime and we will not be arrested because elections are here'. This is completely ridiculous," Raju declared. Earlier, appearing for Kejriwal, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi began his argument by claiming "sole purpose of the arrest (of the Delhi Chief Minister) is to humiliate... incapacitate" the AAP, which is seen by many as the only real challenger to the BJP for Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats. CONTD. ON P8 SANJAY SINGH OUT OF TIHAR Having spent six months behind bars in the Delhi liquor policy case, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has been released from Tihar jail. He walked out of the prison on Wednesday evening. ‘PROVIDE HIM ELECTRIC KETTLE, TABLE, CHAIR’ Delhi court on Wednesday directed Tihar jail authorities to provide an electric kettle to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in view his "medical condition" and a table and a chair for reading books. T AAP LEADERS TO GO ON FAST ON APRIL 7 Lost 4.5 kgs, alleges AAP; Tihar jail says vitals normal NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been rapidly losing weight since his arrest on March 21, senior AAP leader Atishi claimed on Wednesday and accused the BJP of putting his health at risk by keeping him in jail. She said the Aam Aadmi Party will seek legal help over the chief minister's health condition. However, the administration of Tihar jail, where Kejriwal is lodged till April 15, said his weight has been constant since his judicial custody began. CONTD. ON P8 he Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday gave a call for a nationwide collective fast on April 7 at Jantar Mantar against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, party leader Gopal Rai said on Wednesday. Rai, who is also the Delhi state convener of AAP, said the party has decided that on April 7, a nationwide collective fast will be observed to garner maximum support fm the public for Kejriwal's fight. Man slits his throat in front Boxer Vijender of Chief Justice in K’taka HC Singh switches NO SUICIDE NOTE BENGALURU: A man tried to end his life on the premises of Karnataka High Court on Wednesday by allegedly slitting his throat with a knife in front of Chief Justice Nilay Vipinchandra Anjaria in Court Hall One, police said. According to the police, Srinivas, who reportedly hails from Mysuru, handed over a file to security staff at the entrance of Court Hall One, and before anyone could realise what was happening, he had slit his own throat in the presence of Chief Justice Anjaria. The security personnel Rs 3K reward for info on absconding ex-VC, ex-registrar and retd financial controller Bhopal police have announced reward of Rs 3000 PROFESSOR REGISTRAR RTD FINANCE each on informaSUNIL KUMAR RS RAJPUT CONTROLLER, tion leading to arRISHI VERMA rest of former vice chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi to their private bank acProudyogiki Vishcounts, and went abscondwavidyalaya(RGPV), Proing after they were exfessor Sunil Kumar, the posed, the police said. then registrar RS Rajput, As per Gandhi Nagar poand retired finance conlice, an FIR was lodged troller Rishi Verma. The against the three around a trio on the run are wanted month-and-a-half ago. One in connection with Rs 19.48 of the finance controllers crore financial anomalies of the university, Kumar at the university. The acMayank, was arrested by cused trio had allegedly the police earlier. got the amount transferred CONTD. ON P8 www.freepressjournal.in ‘Sole purpose of the arrest is to humiliate... incapacitate party’ claims AAP boss’ team; ‘we have traced the money trail’, Enforcement Directorate rebutts FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIES AT RGPV OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in QUALITY AT VALUE r RNI No. 38281/83 Team Kejri vs ED in HC EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE Magnitude A damaged building in Hualien, after a major earthquake hit Taiwan’s east. r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; WEATHER FP Court rejects anticipatory bail plea of former VC The court turned down the anticipatory bail plea of former VC Sunil Kumar on Wednesday. Government pleader PN Rajput told that special judge SP Pandey rejected the bail application. As per sources in the police department , Kumar Mayank, who has been arrested in fund misappropriation case, has revealed before police that upon being directed by former registrar, RS Rajput, he had purchased a laptop from a store in the city for Sunil Kumar, and had given it to a woman running a boutique. CONTD. ON P8 CONCERNS OVER SECURITY LAPSE C to BJP hief Justice Anjaria expressed concern about the security lapse on the high court premises and asked those in charge how the man managed to being a sharp object inside court. He also ordered police to conduct a panchnama (record of findings and evidence) of the spot and told them not to touch the knife responded immediately and rushed Srinivas to Bowring Hospital, where he is now under treatment, a senior police officer said. "We don't know why he took such an extreme step. He entered Court Hall One and slit his throat with a knife. Our security staff deployed inside saw it happen and immediately res- cued him. He is hospitalised," he said. No suicide note was found at the spot, he added. The contents of the file that Srinivas gave to the security staff are unknown, and the court has said it would not check the documents as it was not presented to court by a designated advocate. CONTD. ON P8 Rahul files nomination from Wayanad I WAYANAD: Eyeing a successive term from this Lok Sabha constituency, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday filed his nomination for the April 26 Lok Sabha polls, even as he took out a massive roadshow with his sister Priyanka and others in company . Thousands of persons, including party workers and supporters, had gathered to be part of his roadshow held here. The Congress leader held the roadshow from Kalpetta to Civil Station. Rahul, who registered a landslide victory in the 2019 polls from Wayanad told the local people that he is always with them on all issues, including the human-animal conflict which am deeply grateful to the people of Wayanad for their unwavering support. As we step into a new era of 'Nyay', I want to reaffirm my dedication to serving each and every one of you to the best of my abilities has claimed many lives in this district and has emerged as a key debating point of late. Later, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and other n RAHUL GANDHI senior party leaders including AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, he submitted his nomination papers to the Wayanad District Collector Dr Renu Raj, who is also the Returning Officer. CONTD. ON P8 Boxer and former Congress leader Vijender Singh being greeted by BJP leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri as he joins the party at BJP HQ in New Delhi NEW DELHI: Vijender Singh, India's first Olympic medallist in boxing who took a plunge in politics in April 2019 by joining the Congress, switched to the BJP on Wednesday . Addressing a joint press conference with BJP leaders at the party headquarters here, Singh praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the respect for Indian sportspersons has increased in the country and abroad since the BJP came to power at the Centre "I am the same old Vijender. Whatever I would feel wrong, I would call it wrong. I will call it right if I feel it is right," said Singh who had been a vocal critic of the BJP and had come out in support of farmers' protests and wrestlers' stir, often expressing his views on social media. A number of leaders have switched their parties ahead of Lok Sabha elections though Singh's entry into the BJP is among those that may have surprised many . CONTD. ON P8 Gigantic ocean hiding beneath Earth’s crust? S ONLINE REPORT ome scientific discoveries and achievements have captivated the world. From a massive black hole to South Korean fusion reactor reaching highest-ever temperature, these staggering discoveries blow our minds. Now, another scientific news has been gaining traction on social media - about a massive ocean hidden under the Earth's crust. The water is stored 700 A scientific news has been gaining traction on social media - about a massive ocean hidden under the Earth's crust. The water is stored 700 kilometres below the surface of the Earth in a rock known as ringwoodite. This subterranean reservoir is three times the volume of all the planet's surface oceans combined. kilometres below the surface of the Earth in a rock known as ringwoodite. This subterranean reservoir is three times the vol- ume of all the planet's surface oceans combined. The findings have been presented in detail in a 2014 scientific pa- per titled 'Dehydration melting at the top of the lower mantle'. It also presented the unique properties of ringwoodite. "The ringwoodite is like a sponge, soaking up water, there is something very special about the crystal structure of ringwoodite that allows it to attract hydrogen and trap water," geophysicist Steve Jacobsen, a key member of the discovery team, had said at the time. "I think we are finally seeing evidence for a whole-Earth water cycle, which may help explain the vast amount of liquid water on the surface of our habitable planet. Scientists have been looking for this missing deep water for decades," he had further said. Researchers made the discovery after studying earthquakes and discovering that seismometers were picking up shockwaves under the surface of the Earth. CONTD. ON P8