Vol. 67 No. 202 | FRIDAY | MAY 24, 2024 | 26 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Quality at Value www.freepressjournal.in MEMBER: AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2023 EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper PRABHAS’ KALKI 2898 AD THE FP BULLETIN WOULD HAVE GOT KARTARPUR: PM Working with legendary actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Hassan was a golden opportunity EDIT A JUDICIAL SLAP FOR MAMATA INDIA CLOCKS RECORD RISE IN EXPORTS: PMI DATA 8 HUM HONGE KAAMYAAB killed in massive blast in Dombivli factory, 64 injured P rime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted had he been in power in 1971, he would have wrested Kartarpur Sahib from Pakistan before freeing their troops. Addressing a rally in Patiala, his first in Punjab, PM Modi brought up the emotive issue of the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara, where Guru Nanak Dev spent the last years of his life, and blamed the Congress for the country's Partition. The Partition left Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab, just a few kilometres away from the Indian border. "For 70 years, we could have 'darshan' of the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara only with binoculars," he said. An opportunity presented itself to take back Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in 1971 when more than 90,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered before the Indian Army and "we had the trump card in our hands", he said. "Had Modi been there at that time, he would have taken Kartapur Sahib from them and then freed their troops," he said. FAKE BUZZ ON KISHOR T he buzz on social media that BJP has appointed poll strategist and as politician Prashant Kishor its spokesperson has been debunked by none other than Kishor himself. The grapevine went abuzz after a screenshot of a BJP letterhead claiming that party president JP Nadda has appointed Kishor as the party's national spokesperson started doing the rounds. It was shared by several users on X and Facebook. Among them was purportedly Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. On its official X handle, Kishore’s party Jan Suraaj shared a screenshot which it claimed proved that the document was shared by the senior Congress leader on WhatsApp. "Look at the irony! Congress, Rahul Gandhi You all talk about fake news and claim to be the victims. Now see yourself how the head of Communications of Congress Party, Jairam Ramesh, apparently a senior leader, is personally circulating a fake document," the party said in the post. The image went viral after Kishor predicted a victory for PM Modii and the BJP in an interview to a TV channel. VERIFY 6L MOBILE LINKS, SAYS DOT T he Department of Telecom has directed telecom operators to verify more than 6 lakh mobile connections suspected to have been obtained using invalid, nonexistent, or fake documents, an official statement said on Thursday. The DoT has issued directives to telecom operators to carry out immediate reverification of the identified mobile numbers within 60 days. The department has flagged around 6.80 lakh mobile connections as potentially fraudulent after advanced AI-driven analysis. Failure to complete reverification will result in the disconnection of the concerned mobile numbers,” the statement said. In April, DoT flagged 10,834 suspected numbers for re-verification. Of these, 8,272 mobile connections were disconnected failing re-verification. India’s flash composite PMI in May was 61.7 vs 61.5 in April 16-yr-old is youngest Indian to conquer Everest from Nepal MEGHA KUCHIK / MUMBAI BANG, BANG NARENDRA GUPTA/ THANE At least eight people were killed and 64 injured, many of them seriously in a mas, sive explosion at a chemical factory in the Dombivli MIDC complex on Thursday afternoon. So far-reaching was the impact of the blast that workers in four neighbouring factories were also injured. Windows of residential buildings nearby were shattered. The blast took place in Amudan Chemicals Pvt Ltd, which manufactures basic chemicals. Its director, Malay Mehta, has been summoned by the police for questioning. “The impact was so great that we could hear the sound two kilometres away from the factory said Sachin Rane, a local ,” resident. Plumes of smoke and fire spewed high in the sky and there was devastation. Other factories which suffered damage included Omega Fine, Saptavarne, Deccan Colour & Chemicals Pvt Ltd and Cosmo Co. Tehsildar Sachin Tejale told the FPJ that around 1.30pm, an ear-splitting sound was heard, triggering panic throughout Phase II of the MIDC complex. Apparently the blast occurred in , the chemical reactor of the factory because of overheating. According to the chief of the Thane Disaster Management Cell, Yasin Tadvi, the situation was complicated, with the explosion having ripped through neighbouring chemical factories in a few minutes. The local fire brigade was ill-equipped to handle the disaster and had to summon fire tenders from Navi Mumbai, Bhiwandi, Kalyan and other places. Sources said the managements of several industries in the area have been objecting to regular inspection of the boilers and other equipment; as a result, hazardous work was carried on without any external audit. However, this was denied by the secretary of Kalyan Ambernath Manufacturers’ Association, Amol Yeole. “We are complying with all the rules and regulations,” he emphasised. CONTD. ON CITY Porsche twist: ‘Driver was behind wheel’ FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI In a curious twist, the 17-yearold boy who was involved in , the fatal Porsche crash in Pune, has claimed that his family driver was behind the wheel when the accident happened. It is understood that the family driver, who was quizzed by the police on Thursday also ‘said in his ini, tial statement’ that he was driving the Porsche when the accident happened. The latest claim, purportedly substantiated by the minor’s two friends who were with him in the car on the fateful night, has given the case a new legal dimension and an insight into the possible stand the minor’s lawyer would take. The father of the minor, Vishal Agarwal, has also said that it was the driver employed by him who was driving the Porsche. This claim would enable the real estate developer to take the plea that he had handed over the car to his driver and not to his son, thus absolving himself of all Kaamya Karthikeyan & her father, Cdr S Karthikeyan, 45, accomplished the feat on May 20, 2024; the young veteran of the world’s steepest summits has now set her eyes on Mt Vinson Massif in Antarctica S BALAKRISHNAN / MUMBAI Reliance Industries has complained to the Mumbai cyber police about a deep fake video featuring its chairman Mukesh Ambani and NR Narayana Murthy of Infosys. The video, which shows well-known television anchor of India Today Rajdeep Sarde, sai, announcing a new investment platform and features Ambani, Narayana Murthy and RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, urges people to invest Rs22,000 and receive millions of rupees in return. It quotes Narayana Murthy as saying that the digital platform was developed with an investment of $2 billion. The programme is said to operate automatically in mobile phones. Narayana Murthy is quoted as saying that the best engineers had been hired to design the project. FPJ NEWS SERVICE / NEW DELHI MUMBAI MINOR IN FATAL BIKE CRASH MEGHA KUCHIK / MUMBAI An accident in Byculla on Thursday resulted in the loss of 32-year-old Irfan Shaikh’s life. At 7.15 am, two motorcycles collided head-on, leading to Shaikh’s untimely demise. A case has been filed against a 15-year-old boy, under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicle Act, at JJ Marg police station. The accused sustained minor injuries, and subsequently, CONTD. ON NATION At a press conference in Delhi, Sibal asked what the problem is in putting out polling station-wise turnout data when all the details in Form 17C are given to the polling agent at the end of voting. His remarks came a day before Supreme Court hears on Friday petitions challenging the non-disclosure of the booth-wise polling. Though it is summer vacation in the apex court, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud may himself head a bench on the matter. Incidentally on Wednesday , , the EC submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that “indiscriminate disclosure” of polling station-wise data and posting it on its website would cause chaos in the election machinery . Kejriwal’s parents are not to be questioned, for now GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR NEW DELHI The Delhi Police on Thursday deferred the questioning of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s parents in connection with the alleged assault on Aam Aadmi Party MP Swati Maliwal at his official residence on May 13. As per Maliwal, they were present on the premises when she was assaulted by Kejriwal’s personal assistant Bibhav Kumar, who was arrested by the police on May 19. Anticipating the questioning of his parents, Kejriwal posted on social platform ‘X’ on Thursday morning that “I am waiting for the police with my parents and wife. Yesterday the police called my parents and asked for time for interrogation. But they have not given any information yet whether they will come or not.” Kejriwal also reposted a video of him and his wife, Sunita, walking his parents through the lawn of his house that was uploaded by AAP MP Sanjay Singh. Sanjay Singh, who had admitted a day after the alleged assault that a “condemnable incident” had indeed taken place, CONTD. ON NATION RCB players down in the dumps after rout $20,000 per seat for NY The atmosphere in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) dressing room was more than somber after the Rajasthan Royals thrashed them by a margin of four wickets. The players were visibly crestfallen with star players like Virat Kohli, skipper Faf Du Plessis, and the agile wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik brooding over their elimination. The season was a tale of two halves for the RCB. Initially , they stumbled through a torrid first half, mustering a solitary pressed profound gratitude for the character and fortitude displayed by the players in orchestrating a dramatic turnaround. Kohli underscored the significance of playing for self-respect and lauded the WINDFALL FROM RBI: SENSEX ZOOMS ONLINE REPORT / BENGALURU India’s blue-chip indexes notched all-time closing highs on Thursday powered , by gains in financial stocks, as the central bank’s record dividend to the government kindled hopes of a reduction in the country’s fiscal deficit. Regaining the 75,000 level after its best single-day gain since January 29, the 30share BSE Sensex closed at all-time peak of 75,418.04, up by 1,196.98 points or 1.61 per cent over the last close. During the day it zoomed 1,278.85 , points or 1.72 per cent to reach its all-time intra-day high of 75,499.91. The NSE Nifty inched closer to the record 23,000 mark during the day The 50-issue . index went up by 369.85 points or 1.64 per cent to 22,967.65. During the day it , jumped 395.8 points or 1.75 per cent to 22,993.60 -- its intra-day record peak. Infusion of funds is akin to an indirect rate cut for the economy and can broadly have a positive impact across the financial markets, an analyst told Reuters. CONTD. ON NATION The voices of Sardesai, Ambani and Narayana Murthy have been cloned and the video makes one believe that the scheme is indeed true. A Reliance spokesperson told the FPJ that the video is a deep fake and they have told the police about it. The incident shows how AI can be used to dupe people and comes against the backdrop of the police warning people not to fall for get-rich schemes. The poll panel has further argued that public posting of Form 17C – which gives the number of votes polled in a polling station – was not provided in the statutory framework and could lead to mischief and vitiation of the entire electoral space, as it increased the possibility of the images being morphed. CONTD. ON NATION TAILPIECE win in their first eight encounters. However, they scripted a remarkable turnaround, seizing victory in their subsequent six matches with convincing margins. This surge catapulted them into the big league, culminating in a nail-biting triumph over the defending champions, the CSK, in a virtual knockout encounter, thus clinching the final playoff berth based on net run rate. In a heartfelt video shared on RCB’s official platform, Virat Kohli candidly acknowledged the team’s lackluster performance in the early stages of the season. He ex- Sunrise : 06:02 am Sunset : 07:09 pm SC HEARING ON opacity on Form 17C TODAY EC DATA Sibal smells something fishy in EC’s LAST WORD JOE WILLIAMS / MUMBAI 0 Ambani, Murthy in deep fake Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Thursday said the failure of the Election Commission to put out polling station-wise voter turnout data on its website has given rise to doubts among political parties that there is “something fishy”. vicarious responsibility in the matter. Meanwhile, the mobile phone of Vishal Agarwal has been recovered and efforts are on to uncover the details of the accident, reports a news portal. Pune crime branch are also quizzing Surendra Agarwal, the grandfather of the minor, to ascertain what conversations he had with his father and grandson on the day of the accident. This would give the cops a better idea of what transpired. A Class XII student of the Navy Children School, Mumbai, Kaamya Karthikeyan, 16, and her father, Cdr S Karthikeyan, 45, successfully summited Mount Everest (8,849 metres) and unfurled the Tricolour on the peak on May 20, 2024. Kaamya has become the second youngest girl in the world and the youngest Indian mountaineer to summit the world’s highest peak from the Nepal side. Father and daughter set off on their expedition on April 6, 2024, from Kathmandu, and it took them about seven weeks to reach the top of the mountain. During the 1.5-month-long climb, the climbers faced and overcame various challenges that included harsh weather conditions— crossing the dangerous Khumbu icefall and making several trips to higher camps for acclimatisation. There are four camps en route to the summit, after the base camp, with the final climb starting from Camp 4, located in the death zone, at an altitude of 7950m. CONTD. ON NATION 0 32 c. 29 c. collective endeavour that saw the team rebuild its confidence and secure a coveted playoff berth. Skipper Faf Du Plessis echoed Virat’s sentiments, extolling the team’s extraordi- nary transformation in the latter part of the season. Despite the bitter taste of defeat in the eliminator, he expressed immense pride in the team’s resilience and acknowledged the unwavering support of fans amidst the highs and lows of the season. Dinesh Karthik, potentially in his final IPL campaign, offered poignant reflections on the bittersweet culmination of RCB’s journey While . lamenting the missed opportunity to hoist the coveted trophy , he underscored the importance of attitude and belief in navigating adversity . CONTD. ON NATION clash bothers Lalit Modi FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI T he forthcoming T20 World Cup promises a blockbuster showdown as perennial rivals India and Pakistan reignite their intense rivalry on June 9 in the bustling metropolis of New York. Reminiscent of their previous encounters, cricket enthusiasts worldwide anticipate a clash of titans, vividly recalling Virat Kohli’s remarkable display during their last T20 World Cup encounter. This edition of the T20 World Cup, set to unfold from June 1st, will be jointly hosted by the United States and the picturesque Caribbean islands, culminating in a grand finale on June 29th. Amidst fervent anticipation, the Group A showdown between India and Pakistan has captured the imagination of fans, transcending borders and cultures. However, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has cast doubts on the ICC commitment to foster the game’s growth in the United States. CONTD. ON NATION Mob has no religion: HC in riots case ONLINE REPORT / JAIPUR A mob has no religion, the Rajasthan High Court recently said while commenting on the difficulties in identifying the perpetrators during communal clashes, reports Bar and Bench. The court made the observation while granting bail to eighteen men accused of being part of a mob that allegedly attacked the participants of a Hindu procession on March 19 in Chittorgarh. The court observed that while a clash between two communities had occurred and religious sentiments may have been hurt, it was hard to determine who was responsible for the “eruption of affray” or who may have caused injuries. Justice Farjand Ali said that in mob attacks, it becomes very difficult to separate the culprits from the innocent. “There is no religion of a mob. When a large group of people is alleged to have committed an offence, it becomes very tedious task to make separation between the innocent and the real culprits. CONTD. ON NATION