FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS VOL. XXXX NO. 301 | INDORE | SUNDAY | APRIL 7, 2024 | PAGES 16 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; `4 r RNI No. 38281/83 QUALITY AT VALUE www.freepressjournal.in - EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE WEATHER READER'S CORNER RCB SHOULD TRY TO CHASE TARGETS TO REVIVE FORTUNES: GAVASKAR SPORTS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE – BALANCE OF HEART & MIND 35.30c. 20.00c Sunrise : 06.14 Sunset : 06.44 BENGAL 2022 BLAST CASE NIA arrests 2 amid attack by crowd; officer injured NEWS BRIEF Arrest warrant issued against Lalu GWALIOR: A special court in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh has issued a permanent arrest warrant against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav (75) in a case related to alleged illegal purchase of arms and ammunition in 1995-97. Mahendra Saini, Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) of the special court set up to try MPs and MLAs, issued the permanent warrant against Lalu Yadav, according to special public prosecutor Abhishek Mehrotra. 3 Naxals killed in Chhattisgarh RAIPUR: Security forces gunned down three Naxalites in an encounter in a dense forest in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district bordering Telangana on Saturday and recovered arms and ammunition from the scene, a senior police official here said. The exchange of fire took place around 5.30 am near Dolliguda village under the Usoor police station area along the interstate border when a team of Greyhounds, Telangana's elite anti-Naxal force, was out on an operation, he said. Sisodia's custody till Apr 18 NEW DELHI: A court in Delhi today extended the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia till April 18 in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja extended Manish Sisodia's judicial custody after he was produced before the court on the expiry of the judicial custody granted earlier. His party colleague Sanjay Singh, a co-accused who was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court in the case, also appeared before the court for the proceedings. SP springs Mukhtar Ansari poster LUCKNOW: In a move that has stirred controversy, a Samajwadi Party (SP) leader in Lucknow, Sudhakar Yadav, erected a poster of gangster-turnedpolitician Mukhtar Ansari outside the party's office on Friday night urging Muslims to refrain from celebrating Eid and instead observe a two-minute silence for Ansari. The poster was removed by police for being put up without the requisite permissions from district authorities. Mukhtar Ansari, a notorious figure known for his criminal past, passed away due to cardiac arrest while in jail on March 28. ARITRA SINGHA Kolkata Three months after an attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas of West Bengal, officials of another central agency were attacked in Bhupatinagar area of East Midnapore district of the state. Villagers attacked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials on Saturday when the team had gone to the area to investigate a 2022 bomb blast case there that claimed three lives. One officer sustained a head injury, while the windscreen of their car was also damaged. Around 9:30 am women of the area surrounded the car in which the NIA officials were travelling and hurled stones at the vehicle, according to an NIA officer. The attack took place even as the team was taking two Trinamool Congress (TMC) booth level leaders, Balaicharan Maiti and Monobrata Jana, with NIA official attacked villagers: Mamata Very serious situation: Bengal guv KOLKATA: Describing the attack on NIA officers as a "very serious issue", West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday said the matter should be treated with the "all seriousness that it deserves". He also said such an "attempt to bully the investigating agencies does not bring credit to anyone down the line" and the matter has to be dealt with an iron hand. This kind of 'goondaism' should not be allowed. them for investigation into the blast. The NIA has recorded statements of the two TMC leaders, according to the agency’s officials. “The arrested leaders had skipped summons twice earlier. This time we carried a search warrant. We recovered Rs2.36 lakh in cash from Maiti’s house CONG DECLARES LAST THREE TICKETS Sikarwar from Morena, Pathak from Gwalior Patel contesting from Khandwa OUR STAFF REPORTER BHOPAL The Congress announced its candidates for the rest of the three seats on Saturday . Satyapal Sikarwar will contest from Morena, Praveen Pathak from Gwalior and Narendra Patel from Khandwa. The Congress had declared candidates for 25 seats. Now, by announcing the names of three candidates, the party declared candidates for 28 seats. The Congress left one seat to the Samajwadi Party, a constituent of the IN- Praveen Pathak Satyapal Singh Sikarwar DIA alliance, but the candidate's nomination was cancelled on Friday . Sikarwar was a legislator of the BJP from Sumawali assembly constituency, and his brother Satish Sikarwar is a Congress MLA from Gwalior. The BJP has given a ticket to former legislator Shivmangal Singh Tomar from this constituency . Narendra Patel Former legislator Praveen Pathak, who has been given a ticket from Gwalior, lost the assembly election. The BJP has fielded Bharat Singh Kushwaha against Pathak from this constituency . Narendra Patel who has been given a ticket from Khandwa lost the assembly election from Barwah. CONTD. ON P6 BALURGHAT: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused NIA officials of attacking villagers at Bhupatinagar in Purba Medinipur district and not the other way round. Claiming that officials of the central probe agency had barged into several houses in the early hours over an incident of "bursting of crackers in 2022", she defended the villagers' response as self-defence. "The attack was not perpetrated by the women of Bhupatinagar, but rather by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) team," she said at an election rally in Dakshin Dinajpur district's Balurghat. "Will the women sit back if they (NIA) go to their houses at night? and seized four mobile phones from them. The two arrested leaders have direct connection with the attack,” said NIA officials. CONTD. ON P6 Singhvi moves HC challenging his RS poll defeat SHIMLA Weeks after he lost the Rajya Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Saturday filed an application in the high court challenging the interpretation of draw of lots rules by the poll officer after there was a tie in the poll. BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan won the February 27 election through draw of lots after both candidates secured 34 votes each. "There is nothing in the law, neither in the act nor in the rules which compels an interpretation which requires that the person whose name is drawn in the draw of lots is a loser," Singhvi told reporters after filing his petition in the Himachal Pradesh High Court. PM sees Muslim League stamp in Cong manifesto BISWAJEET BANERJEE SAHARANPUR In his first reaction to the Congress Manifesto released on Friday the Prime Naren, dra Modi launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing it of veering away from its historical roots and aligning with influences antithetical to India's founding principles. He was speaking at an election rally in Saharanpur which goes to polls along with seven other seats in Uttar Pradesh on April 19. Modi equated the Congress with the Muslim 'Does not know his history' League, suggesting a departure from its legacy of contributing to India's independence struggle. "The Congress, once synonymous with the fight for India's independence, now Hitting back at the PM for his remarks, the Congress said the PM does not know his history and pointed out that Jan Sangh founder BJP ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee himself was part of a coalition government in Bengal with the Muslim League in the early 1940s. It is the BJP, not the Congress, that believes in and practices the politics of divisiveness," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said finds its ideology overshadowed by the Muslim League and leftist influences," asserted PM Modi, underscoring a perceived ideological shift within the party . Highlighting the disconnect between the Congress' manifesto and contemporary India's aspirations, PM Modi lamented its lack of vision and relevance. "Their manifesto reflects outdated ideologies, reminiscent of past eras, devoid of relevance in today's dynamic landscape," he remarked, questioning the party's commitment to addressing current challenges. CONTD. ON P6 A LEARNING EXPERIENCE CINEMA SIT arrests two in RGPV scam OUR STAFF REPORTER Bhopal The SIT of police investigating the Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya arrested two persons on Saturday Those . arrested are the then bank manager of a private bank of Pipariya, Ramkumar Raghuvansi and a member of Dalit Sangh, Sunil Suryavansi. A member of SIT told Free Press that the former bank manager had helped the member of Dalit Sangh in preparing concocted documents. A sum of Rs 9.5 crores was transferred into the account of Dalit Sangh. Further investigation is underway In the meantime, . efforts are still underway to arrest the main accused including former vice chancellor Professor Sunil Kumar, ex-registrar RS Rajput and former finance controller Rishikesh Kumar. ABVP stages demonstration The ABVP staged demonstration at all five major squares of Bhopal on Saturday evening to protest against the failure of the authorities to arrest the main accused n the case. ABVP member Shubham Jatt told Free Press that if the main accused are not arrested immediately then ABVP will approach the election commission, demanding removal of police commissioner. KAVRATTI As a ripple effect of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Lakshadweep Islands in January this year, tourism officer Imthias Mohammed T B has confirmed a rise in inquiries to visit the island region. When asked about the impact of PM Modi's visit, Imthias said, "Impact is huge, we are receiving lots of inquiries." Talking about future initiatives of the tourism department, he said, "Lakshadweep seeks to promote more cruise ship companies." About the connectivity issue with mainland India as few airlines operate in Lakshadweep, he hopes that when air connectiv- ity is streamlined, it will boost the influx of tourists. Meanwhile, a tourist from Mumbai, Aman Singh, said, "We wanted to come for a very long time to Lakshadweep but there were many myths associated with the island but PM Modi's visit had an impact that it is possible to go." Another traveller, Sumit Anand who is from Delhi, said he always had the desire to come to Lakshadweep island but made the archipelago his next designation only after seeing PM Modi's photos and videos. Earlier on Januray 4, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep has drawn global attention to the archipelago and its immense tourism potential. 79 patients had undergone cataract surgery in a camp under NPCB at Choithram Netralaya OUR STAFF REPORTER Indore Eight patients who recently underwent cataract surgeries at a Choithram Netralaya in Indore have reportedly lost their eyesight due to infection. The surgery was done by in a camp under the National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB) on March 20. A team of health department swung into action after the incident and sealed the operation theatre of the hospital where surgery was performed. Moreover, a three-member probe panel was constituted in the matter by the health department while district collector Asheesh Singh also sought a report over the same. According to Dr Pradeep Goyal, district nodal officer of NPCB, eight patients, mostly hailing from Indore, Ujjain, and Dhar districts, underwent cataract surgeries in Choithram Netralaya at a camp under the National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB) on March 20. CONTD. ON P6 Three member probe panel constituted “Cataract surgeries were performed under NPCB. A three member team constituted with Dr Anubha Shrivastava, Dr Shweta Walia, and Dr Pradeep Goyal. Action would be taken on the basis of the report.” n Dr BS Saitya, CMHO, Indore We will call the patients on Monday “We are probing the matter and will call the affected patients on Monday. The OT has already been sealed and hospital has been asked for explanation.” n Dr Pradeep Goyal Nodal Officer, NPCB It was only reaction, we informed the health dept “There is no case of loss of eyesight and are just rumours. Some patients complaint reaction in their eyes and they were immediately treated.’’ n Ashwini Varma Managing Trustee, Choithram Netralaya Matter being probed “A team of doctors are probing the case. We will ensure no repetition of such incidents. Reasons of the same are also being reviewed.” n Asheesh Singh, Collector, Indore BSP candidate from Balaghat leaves home Has difference in ideology with Cong MLA wife He will return home after polls OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in The BSP candidate from Balaghat Lok Sabha seat, Kankar Munjare has left home and started living in a hut near a dam due to ideological difference with his wife who is a Congress MLA. He is of the view that two persons following two different ideologies shall not stay under the same roof during the polls. He said to the media that he left his home on Friday NIA raids 12 Naxal hideouts in UP, Bihar NEW DELHI: In a massive crackdown on the banned Naxal outfit in an anti-India conspiracy case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday swooped down on the premises of accused and suspected persons at 12 places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Of the total, 11 locations were searched in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh and one location in Kaimur district of Bihar in connection with the case registered originally by Uttar Pradesh's Anti Terror Squad (ATS). Lakshadweep's popularity soars after PM Modi's visit Tourism officer Imthias Mohammed T B mentioned that Lakshadweep is receiving inquiries both from the national tourism arena as well as the international tourism market 8 patients complain loss of eyesight after surgery "By visiting Lakshadweep, PM @narendramodi has focused attention on its immense potential for tourism. This is a great inspiration for all of us. More visitors will contribute to Lakshadweep's prosperity They will also experi. ence its unique culture and traditions," the External Affairs Minister posted from his official X handle. PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and shared several pictures, including an 'exhilarating experience' after he tried his hand at snorkelling. CONTD. ON P6 and will return home after the polling day i.e April 19. He opined that if two persons of separate ideologies share the same roof, people get the impression that it's a match fixing. In the meantime, Anubha Munjare is deeply hurt by the decision of husband and is also equally surprised. She told that when her husband was Gondwana Gantantra Party candidate from Paraswada and she was contesting election of Balaghat on a Congress ticket but both of them have stayed together. Both of them are married for 33 years and lived happily with their son. She however claimed that she is a loyal Congress worker and will make all efforts that party Candidate Samrat Saraswat wins Balaghat Lok Sabha election. But she will not speak ill against husband during the polling. Rahul best 'finisher' in politics: Rajnath Defence minister Rajnath Singh addresses public rally at Singrauli Congress's relation with corruption is that of 'tu chaal main ayee' OUR STAFF REPORTER Bhopal/Singrauli Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a finisher. MS Dhoni is a finisher in cricket, but Rahul Gandhi is a top finisher in politics, and it is because of him, that the Congress men are leaving the party, Singh said. Singh made the statement at an election meeting held in favour of party candidate Rajesh Mishra in Singrauli on Saturday. Singh said that not a sin- Shivraj, Mohan get pats on their back Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that before 2003 MP had been called an ailing state. Shivraj Singh Chouhan worked hard for development of the state and, now, Mohan Yadav is doing it. Now, MP has become an engine for growth, he said. gle minister in Modi government had faced corruption charges in the past ten years, but the relation between the Congress and corruption is similar to that of a Bollywood number from Maine Pyar Kiya - tu Chal Main Ayee. Once India's words were not taken seriously, but the entire world is listening to the voice of India after the Modi government has taken over, he said. CONTD. ON P6