FP FREE PRESS The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms VOL. XXXX NO. 317 | INDORE | TUESDAY | APRIL 23, 2024 | PAGES 14 `3 - r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE WBSSC TO CHALLENGE ORDER EDIT WAYANAD TYPIFIES INDIA CONTRADICTIONS WEATHER HUGE SCAM CATCHES UP WITH MAMATA VIRAT’S ABILITY IS TO GET A 40-BALL HUNDRED: GANGULY SPORTS 38.40c. 24.50c Sunrise : 06.01 Sunset : 06.50 25,753 teaching appointments made in 2016 declared null and void; told to return salaries with interest ARITRA SINGHA / KOLKATA The West Bengal government has suffered a huge setback with the Calcutta High Court on Monday cancelling all 25,753 appointments for teaching and non-teaching staff of State-aided schools, made under the 2016 Recruitment Process of the West Bengal School Service Commission. These appointments have not only been declared null and void, the teachers have been asked to return the salary they have received thus far with interest. The District Magistrate will have to collect the amounts,” the court ordered. It further directed the CBI to undertake further investigation in respect of the appointment process, and submit a report within three months. A fresh recruitment process is to be undertaken. A teacher s salary is Rs. 50000 (average); Group C staff — Rs. 30000; and SLST 2016 candidates posing a victory sign after the verdict of Calcutta High Court BJP INFLUENCING JUDICIARY: DIDI Hours after the West Bengal government suffered a big setback in Calcutta High Court in connection with alleged irregularities in teachers' recruitment, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that BJP leaders are "influencing judiciary and judgments". WB OPPOSITION WELCOMES JUDGEMENT The Opposition BJP has welcomed the high court's order. "The deserving candidates are smiling, now it's time for nephew and aunt to go," Bengal BJP said in a post on X, taking a swipe at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and nephew and senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee. Group D staff Rs. 20000 per month. Over 23 lakh candidates had appeared in the examinations for the 24,000 job vacancies in 2016. It was alleged that most candidates were given jobs after the OMR Sheets were wrongly evaluated. The bench noted that there was no clarity which of the 23 lakh sheets were evaluated properly and, therefore, ordered re-evaluation of all. If necessary, the CBI will also undertake custodial interrogation of persons involved (in the scam), reads the court order. The then state education Minister Partha Chatterjee has been in jail after crores of rupees were found in his procession — money which was said to be linked to the recruitment scam. Several Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including Manik Bhattacharya and Jiban Krishna Saha, are behind bars for their alleged involvement in the scam along with suspended TMC leaders like Santanu Kundu and Kuntal Ghosh. Several qualified job aspirants who have been agitating for several years broke into tears after the verdict and many claimed that justice has been delivered . Last Saturday Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had warned of an explosion on Monday and also said that it would shake the entire TMC. In a scathing attack on Adhikari, once her trusted lieutenant, Mamata said, “He predicted an explosion. How did they know what the court verdict will be before hand?” Adhikari has since clarified that he was referring to a political upheaval. Taking further potshots at the court order which says that salaries must be returned, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, How is it possible to return salaries for the last eight years? Those who have given the order, can they return their salary? CONTD. ON P7 Retired Justice Abhijit Ganguly, who had instituted a CBI probe in the case, is contesting as a BJP candidate Huts catch fire in Pandokhar Sarkar Delhi court nixes insulin request ALSO DENIES Kejriwal private consultation GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR NEW DELHI The court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja at Rouse Avenue Courts, which is hearing the Delhi liquor policy case, on Monday refused to allow Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal daily consultation from Tihar jail through video conferencing with his doctor and administration of insulin due to his acute diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar level. Kejriwal had also demanded that his wife, Sunita, be allowed to attend these consultations that should last 15 minutes each day . At the same time, the court directed the Tihar jail authorities to ensure that all necessary treatment is provided to the Delhi CM and to consult the medical board to be constituted by Director of AIIMS in case he requires special consultation. Since Aam Aadmi Party leaders and Kejriwal had also demanded that he be provided insulin in jail, the court held that the medical board will decide on this aspect and also prescribe a diet and exercise routines for the Delhi CM. It added that the ED and jail authorities never spoke about Kejriwal requesting that he be administered insulin. Further, it said, Kejriwal s plea on his not getting insulin despite repeated requests cannot be accepted since insulin cannot be administered to a person suffering from Hyperglycemia only on the basis of his request. The court said the jail authorities have stated that doctors are available in jail round the clock and that Kejriwal’s blood sugar levels were being measured twice daily CONTD. ON P7 . BJP wins Surat seat unopposed SURAT: BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was on Monday elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat after all other nominees withdrew from the fray, a poll official said. The development marks the first victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. "I declare that Mukeshkumar Chandrakant Dalal, sponsored by the BJP, has been duly elected to fill the seat in the House from Surat parliamentary constituency dis," trict collector cum election officer Saurabh Pardhi told media persons as he handed over the Certificate of Election to Dalal. Voting for all 26 constituencies in Gujarat is scheduled for May 7, but with the result of Surat seat already out, polling will be held on 25 seats. CONTD. ON P7 Rs 10K cash also burnt OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in A temporary thatched ashram was gutted in fire that broke out in Pandokhar Sarkar ashram in Datia district on Monday. In the incident cash more than Rs 10 lakh was gutted, said police. A massive programme was scheduled to start from Tuesday on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti at the venue. The cash was kept in the almirah of the office which Senior woman cop dies of heart attack while travelling AIG PRATIBHA Tripathi was en route to Bhopal from Indore NEWS BRIEF 1 killed in firing in busy Delhi market NEW DELHI: The four men, on two bikes, came wearing helmets, fired upon the two and fled away. A tempo driver died on the spot while another person was injured when unknown assailants fired at them at a busy Delhi market on Monday afternoon. The incident was reported from outer Delhi's Dayal Market in Alipur area. OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in Assistant inspector general of police (AIG) Bhopal women's cell, Pratibha Tripathi, suffered a cardiac arrest when she was returning from Indore to Bhopal on Monday noon to join her duty. She suffered the cardiac arrest in Sonkatch, and was rushed to a nearby hospital by her husband, where she was declared dead on arrival. Commissioner of police (CP) of Bhopal, Harinaryanachari Mishra confirmed the demise of AIG Tripathi, telling Free Press that Tripathi had contracted Coronavirus in 2020, and had also had a baby boy the same year. Following this, she often remained unwell, and used to seek consultation from a doctor in Indore. He added that Tripathi, along with her kid, aged three and husband Shishir Pandit had gone to Indore by her car on Saturday for medical check-up. While returning from there on Monday noon at around 1 pm, she suffered a cardiac arrest inside her car in Sonkatch. As her condition began deteriorating, her husband Shishir rushed her to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared her dead on arrival. CP Mishra said that Tripathi belonged to the 2008 batch of the state police service, and her husband Shishir resides in Delhi owing to his professional commitments. He is a native of Indore, and had arrived there to assist Tripathi during her medical check-up. was completely burnt along with office furniture and other equipment. The fire broke out at around 3 pm. From Tuesday a religious programme is going to start and people were involved in making arrangements when they spotted the fire. The spread of fire was so fast that in around 10 minutes it covered the entire area where the huts were constructed. The police station incharge Murli Sharma added that the huts were well furnished, in some of them air conditioners, fans, coolers, sofa, beds were kept. Results of Class 5 & 8 today OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in The result of board pattern exam held for Class 5 and 8 will be declared on Tuesday. The director of Rajya Shiksha Kendra, Dhanraju S will declare the result. School Education Minister is likely to be present on this occasion. More than 12 lakh students participated in Class 5, and more than 11 lakh students appeared for the Class 8 exam. Notably, Madhya Pradesh is the pioneering state in organising board pattern exam. r RNI No. 38281/83 QUALITY AT VALUE www.freepressjournal.in MEET THE ASHWATTHAMA CINEMA Gukesh wins Candidates Chess TORONTO: India's 17year-old Grandmaster D Gukesh scripted history by winning the Candidates Chess Tournament here to become the youngest ever challenger to the world title, bettering a record created by the legendary Garry Kasparov 40 years ago. Gukesh played out an easy draw with American Hikaru Nakamura in the 14th and final round to finish with nine out of a possible 14 points in the tournament that is held to decide the challenger to the world champion. The triumph entitles Gukesh a clash against reigning world champion Ding Liren of China in the last quarter of the year. The Chennai-based teen bettered Kasparov's record by quite a distance as the Russian great was 22 when he qualified in 1984 to clash with compatriot Anatoly Karpov. PG-14 MASALA ROW: FSSAI to check quality of spices NEW DELHI: Food safety regulator FSSAI has started taking samples of spices in powder form of all brands, including MDH and Everest, from across the country in view of quality concerns flagged by Singapore and Hong Kong, a government source said. "In view of the current development, FSSAI has taking samples of spices of all brands, including MDH and Everest, from the market to check whether they meet the FSSAI norms," the source told PTI. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) does not regulate quality of exported spices, they said. FSSAI, which operates under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, takes samples of spices regularly from the market to check the quality of product sold in the domestic market. Meanwhile, the Spices Board of India is looking into the ban imposed by Hong Kong and Singapore on the sale of four spicesmix products of Indian brands MDH and Everest, which allegedly contain pesticide 'ethylene oxide' beyond permissible limits. "We are looking into the matter. We are at it," Spices Board of India Director A B Rema Shree told PTI. The companies could not be contacted immediately . The Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety (CFS) has asked consumers not to buy these products and traders not to sell, while the Singapore Food Agency has directed a recall of such spices. These products are MDH's Madras Curry Powder (spice blend for Madras curry), Everest Fish Curry Masala, MDH Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder, and MDH Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder. CM: EC, weddings, behind low turnout Non-availability of vehicles to reach polling stations is a major cause OUR STAFF REPORTER Bhopal The BJP is brooding about the low voter turnout in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election. In an interaction with a private TV channel, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has indirectly blamed the Election Commission (EC) for low turnout of voters. Yadav said the EC would think about it and that the polling booths are set up very far from the residences of voters. Despite this, political parties are not allowed to use vehicles to take voters to polling stations and the EC does not provide its vehicles to carry voters to their destinations, he said. Voters have to face a lot of difficulties to reach a polling station to cast votes, he said. In areas, where tribal ‘MANGALSUTRA KHATRE MEIN’ PM Modi repeats his charge but without mentioning Muslims BISWAJEET BANERJEE Lucknow Even as the political row over his mangalsutra remarks in Rajasthan is simmering, PM Modi reiterated his property redistribution charge in a fiery address at an election rally in Aligarh on Monday but without mentioning Muslims this time. He also refrained from referring to Manmo- han Singh or his comment that Muslims have the first right to national resources. “The Congress and the Opposition alliance have their eyes on your earnings and property,” PM Modi warned, highlighting what he said was a nefarious and sinister agenda. “The ‘Shehzada’ of the Congress says that if their government comes to power, they will ascertain who earns how much and how many properties they possess. Not just this, they will take control of your property and redistribute it. CONTD. ON P7 people live, the polling booths are far off their houses, he said. He further said something should be done, so that voters might reach the polling stations without any hassle. In April, weddings are held and harvesting is done, so the voting percentage was less than expected, he said. There was only 49% of voting in Bihar, Yadav said, adding that the voting percentage was low in the assembly constituencies represented by the Congress members. So, the low turnout of voters will not come in the way of BJP's chances to win all the 29 seats in the state, he said. Ranveer files complaint over deepfake video MUMBAI Days after a deepfake video of him promoting political views went viral on social media, 'Padmaavat' actor Ranveer Singh has taken decisive action by lodging a complaint with Mumbai police against those responsible for its creation. Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the 'Padmaavat' actor fell prey to deepfake menace after his video surfaced online in which he was purportedly heard voicing his political views. However, it turned out that the video was made using an artificial intelligence (AI) voice clone of the actor. CONTD. ON P7 Exam results of Class 10, 12 on cards The exam result of Class 10 and 12 are on cards. Sources in Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) said that exam results of Class 10 and 12 are likely to be declared before April 27. Students of Patna Women’s College form a human chain during a demonstration on the occasion of Earth Day in Patna on Monday