FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS VOL. 13 NO. 295 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | APRIL 7, 2024 | PAGES 16 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; `4 r RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 QUALITY AT VALUE www.freepressjournal.in - READER'S CORNER RCB SHOULD TRY TO CHASE TARGETS TO REVIVE FORTUNES: GAVASKAR SPORTS OH! ELECTIONS COMING WEATHER EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE 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 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. Quake of magnitude 4.5 hits Pakistan ISLAMABAD: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale was recorded in Pakistan on Saturday, National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said. According to the NCS, the tremors were felt at 16:13:08 Indian Standard Time (IST). The depth of the quake was at the depth of 205 km. Sisodia's JC 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. Three held for parading woman CHANDIGARH: Three members of a family, including a middle-aged woman, were arrested on Saturday for allegedly assaulting and parading a semi-naked 55-year-old woman by in-laws of her son who eloped with a girl and married her against wishes of her family in a village in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, police said. A purported video of the crime came to light on social media on Friday. The incident occurred in Valtoha village on March 31 days after the victim's son eloped with a woman and married her against her family's wishes, the police said. According to the complaint, the victim was alone at her home when her son's in-laws allegedly assaulted her and tore off her clothes. Five people have been booked for the crime. NEW DELHI The National Investigation Agency on Saturday arrested two key conspirators in a 2022 blast case amid an attack on the probe agency's team by a crowd in West Bengal's East Medinipore district, an official said here. An NIA officer was injured and a vehicle belonging to the probe agency was damaged in the attack, a spokesperson of the federal investigating agency said. Saturday's incident brought back memories of January 5 when three officials of the Enforcement Directorate were attacked by a mob in North 24 Parganas district's Sandeshkhali during a search on the premises of then Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with alleged irregularities in the public distribution system. A spokesperson of the NIA on Saturday said, "In a major breakthrough in West Bengal's Bhupatinagar blast case, in which three persons were killed in December 2022, the NIA arrested two key conspirators amid stiff resistance from an unruly NIA official attacked villagers: Mamata Security personnel deployed outside a court where National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials produced men arrested in the 2022 Bhupatinagar blast case, in Kolkata on Saturday. 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. crowd in the state's East Medinipore district." The duo -Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana -- were arrested after extensive searches at five locations, in- cluding the house of Jana, where locals tried to obstruct the NIA team. The crowd tried to stop the NIA team and its security component from moving to- CONG DECLARES LAST THREE TICKETS Sikarwar from Morena, Pathak from Gwalior wards the Bhupatinagar police station to complete the arrest formalities. The NIA has lodged a complaint at the local police station in this regard. CONTD. ON P6 Another Indian student dies in US The student, identified as Uma Satya Sai Gadde, was pursuing his education in Ohio's Cleveland OUR STAFF REPORTER BHOPAL 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. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarti Parishad 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. 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 SAHARANPUR (UP) 'Does not know his history' the Leftists. Addressing an election rally in Saharanpur, PM Modi said people of the country feel that the Congress which fought for the country's independence was fin- 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 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 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 single 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 An Indian student has died in the US state of Ohio, the Indian Consulate in New York said on Friday, adding that an investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of death. The Indian Consulate expressed deep sorrow over the loss and extended condolences to the bereaved family. They assured that every possible support, including facilitating the transportation of his body to India, is being provided to the family (SEE WORLD) . 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 ished decades back. "You would have seen, the way Congress released its manifesto yesterday , it proved that today's Congress is cut off from the aspirations and expectations of today's India. The manifesto released by Congress reflects the same thinking that was prevalent in the Muslim League during the freedom struggle. The Congress manifesto completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League and the little remaining part, it is dominated by the Leftists. Congress is not visible in this," PM Modi said. CONTD. ON P6 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. 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. 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. India is going to become a super power, Singh said, adding that there should be one election in the country and the BJP is going , to take a step towards this direction. A committee presided over by former President Ramnath Kovind submitted a report on one nation, one election, but the Congress is opposing it, he said, adding that it will strengthen the Indian democracy CONTD. ON P6 . BSP candidate from Balaghat leaves home OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in 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 Rahul best 'finisher' in politics: Rajnath Has difference in ideology with Cong MLA wife He will return home after polls Cong manifesto bears imprint of Muslim League : PM Mounting a strong attack on Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the opposition party is cut off from the hopes and aspirations of today's India and its manifesto reflects the thinking that Muslim League had during the freedom movement. In his first reaction to Congress manifesto released yesterday, PM Modi said it "completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League" and the remaining part is dominated by CINEMA NEW DELHI Patel contesting from Khandwa 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- 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 selfdefence. "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? A LEARNING EXPERIENCE "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. ‘Maintenance payable after breakup of live-in relationship’ BHOPAL The Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken a significant step towards recognizing the rights of women in live-in relationships by ruling that a woman living with a man for a considerable period is entitled to maintenance upon separation, even if they are not legally married. The ruling came as a response to a petitioner who challenged a trial court order requiring him to pay a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to a woman with whom he had been in a live-in relationship. In a progressive move, the judges emphasized that maintenance cannot be denied if there is evidence of cohabitation between the couple. The High Court cited the trial court's finding, which concluded that the man and woman had been living as husband and wife. Additionally, considering the birth of a child within the relationship, the court affirmed the woman's enti- tlement to maintenance. This landmark decision underscores the evolving legal landscape regarding live-in relationships in India. It signifies a departure from traditional norms and a recognition of the rights and vulnerabilities of women in such partnerships. In February, Uttarakhand brought a uniform civil code to provide a legal framework for uniform marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance laws for all citizens. One of the sections of the bill made registration of live-in relationships mandatory. It also states that the parents of the couple will be notified if they are adults under the age of 21.