FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS VOL. XXXX NO. 348 | INDORE | FRIDAY | MAY 24, 2024 | PAGES 16 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; `3 r RNI No. 38281/83 QUALITY AT VALUE www.freepressjournal.in - WE STARTED TO PLAY FOR OUR SELF-RESPECT: KOHLI SPORTS EDIT A JUDICIAL SLAP FOR MAMATA WEATHER EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE 33.10c. 23.90c Sunrise : 05.59 Sunset : 06.51 INDORE ROASTS UNDER RELENTLESS HEATWAVE, EQUALS 8-YR-OLD RECORD MERCURY CROSSES 44.50C MARK in May for the second time in a decade OUR STAFF REPORTER Indore Indore, facing an unprecedented summer onslaught, saw temperatures soar to a scorching 44.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, equalling an eight-year-old record. The last time May temperatures peaked higher was in 1996, hitting a blistering 46 degrees Celsius. This month has been relentless, with back-to-back temperature records being shattered. Remarkably, this marks only the second instance in the past decade where temperatures have breached the 44-degree mark. Wednesday night offered no respite, with temperatures hovering at a stifling 28.9 degrees Celsius. Hot winds persisted into the late hours, intensifying the discomfort for residents. With winds gusting at 32 ROADS BARREN Throughout the day, the city was engulfed by scorching hot winds, leading to a noticeable decrease in traffic on the roads during the afternoon. The streets remained eerily deserted as people opted to postpone their daytime activities. EXTREMES OF MAY HIGHEST DAY temperature of 46.00C on May 31, 1994 LOWEST NIGHT temperature of 16.70C on May 3, 1881 HIGHEST MONTHLY RAINFALL of 107.7 mm in May 1886 HEAVIEST RAINFALL in 24hrs was 99.1 mm on May 29, 1886 degrees Celsius, the daytime temperatures remained consistently above 40 degrees Celsius from 11 am to 6 pm. Regional meteorological officials attrib- ute this to the scorching hot winds blanketing the state, warning that conditions may worsen in some areas. Forecasters predict no relief in the coming days, with temperatures expected to rise further, potentially breaking previous records. Hope for pre-monsoon respite remains bleak until at least May 27, as no significant weather systems are on the horizon. For the past week, daytime temperatures have stubbornly hovered above 40 degrees Celsius, making Thursday's four-degree surge above normal particularly unbearable. Mean- Heatwave claims one life in Bhopal As Bhopal sizzled at 44.4 degrees Celsius, extreme heat wave claimed a life on Thursday. Police said that Nilendra Meena (40) of Neelbad died while working in his farm. Post-mortem report cited dehydration as the cause of death. Police said that he suffered heat stroke. while, the nighttime temperatures remained three degrees Celsius higher than usual, compounding the discomfort for residents enduring this relentless heatwave. RED SIGNAL TIMING TO BE CURTAILED Pedestrians and people driving their vehicles on city roads, especially those riding two-wheelers can hope for some respite at the traffic signals from the scorching sun beginning tomorrow morning. The traffic management police have decided to reduce the timing of red signals at city squares. PAGE 3 FROM SATIRE TO STUNT CINEMA 7 Naxalites killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh NARAYANPUR: Seven Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in a forest along Narayanpur-Bijapur interdistrict border in Chhattisgarh on Thursday, police said. The gunfight broke out around 11 am when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation and the intermittent firing was still underway, Narayanpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Prabhat Kumar said. Seven Naxalites in "Maoist uniform" have been gunned down in the exchange of fire so far, said the SP. Operation, involving personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard from Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bastar districts, Bastar Fighters and Special Task Force - all units of state police - was launched based on inputs about the presence of cadres from Maoists' Indravati Area Committee and Platoon No. 16, he said. Altogether seven firearms have been recovered from the encounter site, he said. CONTD. ON P8 Two electrocuted after coming in contact with high tension wire OUR STAFF REPORTER city.indore@fpj.co.in In a tragic incident, two youths including a B Pharma student were electrocuted in the balcony of the rented flat in Silicon City late on Wednesday. It is said that one of them mistakenly touched the electricity line and his friend got electrocuted while saving him. One of their friends, who was in the kitchen also received an electric shock but he is well. The police are investigating the case to know the exact reason behind the incident. Investigating officer MS Chouhan from Rau police station said that the deceased have been identified as Divyansh Kanoongo (22), a resident of Kamlapur in Dewas district and his friend Neeraj Patel, who resides in another flat in the same building and a permanent resident of Dewas. Divyansh was residing in a flat situated on the fourth floor with his friend Man- an. Manan is also pursuing B Pharma from the same college. Manan informed media persons that he was preparing food in the kitchen while Divyansh and Neeraj were sitting in the hall. Divyansh went to the balcony for some work where he mistakenly touched the electricity line passing from there. Neeraj touched his body to save him when he also got electrocuted. They died on the spot. According to Manan, when he touched Neeraj to save them he received an electric shock and fell there. CONTD. ON P8 HD DEVE GOWDA WARNS GRANDSON Abandoned by Return to India, SAILANA HOSPITAL staff refuse bus conductor, sick youth dies at roadside face the law; don’t to keep body in mortuary test my patience FP NEWS SERVICE Sailana In a tragic incident that has left humanity shamed, negligence by a tourist bus conductor and hospital staff led to the death and mistreatment of a young man. The episode began around 4 pm on Wednesday when an unconscious youth, later identified as Rameshwar Aalam Banjara, a na- BENGALURU NEWS BRIEF Campaigning ends for 6th phase of LS polls NEW DELHI: Campaigning ended on Thursday for the penultimate phase of Lok Sabha elections in 58 constituencies across six states and two Union territories, including all the seven seats in Delhi. Besides the national capital, polling for the sixth round of the marathon sevenphase elections will be held Saturday in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, all 10 seats of Haryana, eight seats each in Bihar and West Bengal, six seats in Odisha, four seats in Jharkhand and one seat in J&K. Ponting turns down India head coach approach NEW DELHI: Australia great Ricky Ponting has revealed that he was approached for the soon-tobe-vacant India head coach position but he has declined the offer as it doesn't fit into his "lifestyle" right now. "...there were a few little oneon-one conversations during the IPL, just to get a level of interest from me as to whether I would do it," Ponting told the ICC. Bomb threat at Lady Sri Ram College NEW DELHI: Delhi University's prestigious Lady Sri Ram College received a bomb threat on Thursday, officials said, a day after a similar e-mail was received by the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs.A Delhi Fire Service officials said a call was received at 4.38 pm and two fire tenders have been P-8 pressed into service. JDS patron and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has issued a stern warning to his grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna to return to India from abroad and face the law in the obscene video case. Prajwal Revanna is facing a probe by an SIT constituted by the Karnataka government over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in his household. In a letter posted on X, the former PM says he is not aware of where his grandson is but has warned him to return home and face the law. "I have already said that he should be given the harshest punishment under the law if found guilty . I also cannot convince people that I was unaware of Prajwal's activities. I can- If he has any respect left for me he has to return immediately not convince them that I have no desire to shield him. I cannot convince them that I am not aware of his movements and that I was not aware of his foreign trip. I believe in answering my conscience. I believe in God, and I know the almighty knows the truth," the former PM wrote. Deve Gowda also appealed to his grandson to return if he have any respect left for him. At this juncture, I can only do one thing. CONTD. ON P8 Cyclone Remal to reach WB by Sunday NEW DELHI A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal will intensify and reach Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts as a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday evening, the IMD said on Thursday . This is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this premonsoon season and will be named Remal, according to a system of naming cyclones in the Indian Ocean region. "The system will concentrate into a depression over central Bay of Bengal by Friday morning. 6 killed, 48 hurt after triple blasts, fire in Thane factory THANE: At least six persons were killed and 48 others were injured after three powerful explosions followed by a massive fire engulfed a chemical factory located in the MIDC complex at Dombivali in Thane district on Thursday afternoon. The triple explosions at quick intervals were so huge that they shook nearby homes, and shattered windowpanes as terrified locals rushed onto the street. The sound of the explosions could be heard from several kilometres away locals said. , Minutes later, a huge fire engulfed the factory as thick clouds of smoke were seen billowing in the air even as half a dozen fire-tenders, water tankers, and rescue teams rushed to the spot. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that at least six persons died in the blast-cum-blaze while 48 others were rescued from the factory and rushed to nearby hospitals. Kaamya youngest Indian to scale Mt Everest SETS SIGHT ON Antarctica's Vinson Massif NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy on Thursday congratulated Kaamya Karthikeyan, a 16-year-old class XII student of Navy Children School in Mumbai, on becoming the youngest Indian and the second youngest girl in the world to summit Mount Everest from the Nepal side. In a unique father-daughter feat, Kaamya, along with her father Cdr S. Karthikeyan of the Indian Navy, successfully submitted the 8849 m Mount Everest summit on May 20. "Kaamya has exhibited immense courage and fortitude in summiting the highest peaks in six of the seven continents. Indian Navy wishes young Kaamya the very best in her aspiration to summit the highest peaks of all seven continents, becoming the youngest girl to do so," the Indian Navy posted on X. Kaamya has now completed six milestones in her mission to summit the highest peak of all seven continents and aims to summit Mt. Vinson Massif in Antarctica this December to become the youngest girl to accomplish the Seven Summits Challenge. CONTD. ON P8 Petrol pump CCTV shows Rameshwar Aalam Banjara (right) being dumped on road by bus conductor tive of Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, was found suffering in the sun at the Sai petrol pump on the bypass after he was abandoned by a bus conductor on the roadside in the scorching heat. Despite the petrol pump staff notifying the police, the youth succumbed before help arrived. Upon reaching the scene, police shifted the deceased to Sailana Hospital in a private vehicle. However, the hospital staff, led by Block Medical Officer (BMO) Jitendra Raikwar, re- fused to keep the body in the mortuary, despite repeated police requests. The body remained in the hospital premises for four hours until section officer Manish Jain intervened, finally placing it in the mortuary at 10:30 pm. Later, senior officers arranged to shift the body to Ratlam Medical College around midnight, where it was safely stored and post-mortem a was conducted Thursday The body was on . subsequently handed over to the family for cremation in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. CONTD. ON P8 Won’t resign from Rajya Sabha, says Maliwal amid assault row NEW DELHI Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Thursday stated that even if someone wanted her Rajya Sabha seat she would have willingly given it and firmly asserted that "ab chaahe duniya ki koi bhi shakti lag jaye main resign nahi karungi" (even if any power puts pressure on me to resign I won't do). Maliwal asserted that she is the youngest woman Parliamentarian adding that she never showed any "desire" for any position. "Agar meri Rajya Sabha ki seat unhe chahiye thi, woh pyaar se maangte toh main jaan de deti, MP toh bohot choti baat hain. (If they needed my Rajya Sabha seat, they would have Kenyan delegation reviews prep for cheetah reintroduction MANDSAUR: A delegation from Kenya has visited the Gandhisagar sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh to take stock of preparations for cheetah reintroduction in the area, an official said on Thursday The six-member . team visited the sanctuary, spread across Mandsaur and Neemuch districts, on May 21 and 22, he said. After reintroducing cheetahs -- the animal was declared extinct from India in 1952 -- at Kuno National Park (KNP) in the state's Sheopur district two years ago, the government is planning to bring the big cats to Gandhisagar. On the first day, the Kenyan team watched a presentation on preparations for the translocation of cheetahs and successful reintroduction at KNP, the forest official said. KEJRIWAL WAS AT HOME I Asked whether she was claiming that Bibhav Kumar did what he did at someone's instructions, Maliwal said, "This is a matter of investigation. I am cooperating with the Delhi Police. I am not giving anyone a clean chit. The fact is that I was in the drawing room, Arvind Kejriwal was at home and I was beaten up very badly. I screamed and shouted, but no one came." have known Bibhav Kumar since 2006. Arvind Kejriwal 'ke sabse bade raajdaar, sabse karibi aadmi iss waqt Bibhav Kumar hain SWATI MALIWAL asked for it, I would have given my life, it is such a small thing). If you see my whole career I never showed any desire for any position. In 2006, I left my engineering job and joined this when nobody used to know us. Only three people were there and I was one of them. I have been working since then. The way they have beaten me, 'Ab chaahe duniya ki koi bhi shakti lag jaye main resign nahi karungi' (I will not resign now). I have been told that this is the reason my character is being assassinated. CONTD. ON P8 Inspector attached with CBI suspended OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in Police headquarters on Thursday suspended inspector Sushil Kumar Majoka. He was attached with CBI. The action was taken on instructions from CBI after the agency registered FIR against 23 accused, including four police officials, in Nursing College Bribery NURSING COLLEGE BRIBERY SCAM case. These officials are inspector Rahul Raj, DSP Ashish Prasad, inspector Sushil Kumar Majoka and Rishi Kant Asathe. The two inspectors of Madhya Pradesh police Sushil Kumar Majoka and Rishi Kant Asathe were attached with CBI. The CBI had registered FIR on May 18th. CONTD. ON P8 $20,000 per seat for India vs Pak game at T20 World Cup? Lalit Modi blasts ICC T he T20 World Cup 2024 is just round the corner and the cricket fans all around the world are waiting for the much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan on June 9 in New York. The two teams have not played a bilateral series for nearly a decade due to political tensions and as a result, their matches in ICC tournaments hold a special place in the hearts of cricket fans. While anticipation is at an all-time high for the match, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has alleged that tickets of the clash which will held at at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York is be- ing sold at around $20,000 (Rs 16.6 lakh) and he blasted the International Cricket Council (ICC) for hampering the promotion of the game. “Shocked to learn that ICC is selling tickets for Diamond Club at $20000 per seat for the #indvspak WC game. The WC in the US is for game expansion & fan engagement, not a means to make profits on gate collections. $2750 for a ticket It's just #notcricket #intlcouncilofcrooks,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). Recently, there has been multiple reports stating that match tickets are being sold on the black market and in a number of websites, fans can buy these tickets for way more than their actual prices. However, no official communication has come from the ICC regarding the allegations till now. India will begin their campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024 with a match against Ireland on June 5 before taking on Pakistan in the most high-profile Group A encounter in New York on June 9.