FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 212 | INDORE | WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 8, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Celebrating the Stars of Women’s Cricket P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE MONEY UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Governor, Restrain Thyself P.8 Real GDP growth to come at 6.2% in FY25: HSBC Cinema Who is Neha Sharma’s boyfriend Petar Sliskovic? P.16 Strife robs akharas of sheen ahead of Prayagraj Mahakumbh Vivekanand Nirukt Bhargava UJJAIN Fissures among akharas have come to fore ahead of ‘Prayagraj Mahakumbh’. For the first time ever since Akhara were established in 1768, a head of akhara was expelled by ‘Panch-Parmeshwars’ in an emergency meeting held in Prayagraj on December 16, 2024. Raghu Muni Das was expelled as Shri Mahan of Paschim (west) Paddat on Memorial, finally for Mukherjee The Central government has allocated land at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal within the Rajghat complex in Delhi for a memorial dedicated to former President Pranab Mukherjee, who passed away in August 2020. Mukherjee's daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision, calling it a "gracious" and "unexpected" gesture. It's more cherished considering that we didn't ask for it. Immensely touched by this unexpected but truly gracious gesture by PM...Baba used to say that state honours shouldn't be asked for, they should be offered. I'm so grateful that PM Modi did this to honour Baba's memory. Raghu Muni charges of amassing huge properties in his name and buying a Fortuner car in contravention of Akhara rules. Dharamdas Pilot Baba He was replaced by Ram Navmi Das. Akhara has four heads – North, South, East and West. They head Kumbh or Simhastha arrangements on rotation basis. As per Akhara rules, a mahant cannot amass prop- erty in his name and can only keep Innova Crysta. Talking to Free Press, Raghu Muni Das on Tuesday said he left Akhara on health grounds. He would not participate in Prayagraj Mahakumbh and stay put in his ashram at Trimbak in Nashi. He refused to comment on his expulsion. Mahant Shyamdas of Bada Udasin Akhara, Ujjain, too has quit Akhara and shifted to Haridwar. Nirvani Akhara was founded in 1200. Its head Swami Dharamdas stepped ALL OUT WAR| BJP corporator Kamlesh Kalra meets CP, seeks FIR against MiC member Jitu Yadav in assault case ‘WILL END LIFE WITH FAMILY IF JUSTICE DENIED’ Yadav will be booked if found involved: ACP Our Staff Reporter INDORE Kamlesh Kalra Our Staff Reporter INDORE Even as two new videos showing some people stripping his teenage son and slapping his wife in an alleged attack on his house surfaced on Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Kamlesh Kalra threatened to quit the party and commit suicide along with his family if he did not get justice in the case. Delhi votes Feb 5, counting on Feb 8 Additional commissioner of police (law and order) Amit Kumar Singh told media persons that an FIR had already been registered on the complaint of Kalra and Yadav would also be made accused if his involvement in the incident was found. After meeting police commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh, the corporator from Ward No 65 said that he had sought an FIR against Mayorin-Council member Jitu Yadav at whose behest some people had attacked his house and beaten his son and wife. “If I do not get justice in the case, I will resign from the BJP Jitu Yadav He said two audio clips were circulated on social and commit suicide along with my entire family. The entire responsibility for this will be of Jitu Yadav,” he told the media. He, however, said that the CP assured him of swift action into the matter and that he would get to see the results soon. Kalra said that the CP also spoke to his wife and children media and they were being verified to ascertain the facts. CCTV camera footage was also being examined to identify the accused. Meanwhile, Sindhi Colony’s traders downed shutters on Tuesday in support of Kalra. They also met the CP and demanded strict action in the case. and assured them too that appropriate action would be taken in the matter. On possible political pressure on the police, he said that he had no knowledge about it and added that he had got assurance from chief minister Mohan Yadav also about justice to him in the matter. 126 DEAD IN TIBET QUAKE Dams and reservoirs safe in the region, says China; search for survivors in freezing cold; tremors felt in Nepal & Bihar Agencies BEIJING Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced a single phase election to the 70member Delhi Assembly on February 5. The counting of votes will take place on February 8. In all, 70 seats would be contested of which 12 are reserved for Scheduled Castes. There are no Scheduled Tribe seats. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, while ad- dressing his last press conference on Tuesday, addressed concerns regarding the sanctity of the electoral process. Kumar said these allegations pertained to manipulation of EVMs, wrongful additions or deletions in electoral rolls, increase in voter turnout figures after 5 p.m. on voting day, mismatch in votes polled and counted, slow down in counting process and reduction in transparency due to changed rules. 4Continued on | P6 A massive earthquake struck near one of holiest cities in southern Tibet on Tuesday, killing at least 126 people and injuring 188. The quake also rattled Nepal and damaged buildings. Several places in Bihar too were jolted, but there was no loss of life, nor any damage to property. The China Earthquake Networks Centre said the quake was of 6.8 magnitude; the US Geological Service put it at 7.1. The quake jolted Dingri county in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region at 9:05 am (Beijing Time), with the epicentre located in Tsogo township in the city of Xigaze; it is the last border town of Tibet not far from the Nepal-Tibet-Indian tri-junction touching Sikkim. Xigaze, also Shigaste, is the seat of Panchen Lama, the sec- Damaged houses are seen after an earthquake in Tonglai Village, Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China’s Tibet Autonomous Region ond most influential Buddhist monk after the Dalai Lama. The CENC said the quake struck at a depth of 10 km. Shallow quakes cause maximum damage, and Tuesday's quake highlighted the ecologically fragile nature of the Himalayan region prone for volatile seismic activity. RESERVOIRS SAFE China claimed the quake had caused no damage to any dams or reservoirs in the country. The statement by the Min- istry of Water Resources came as the earthquake highlighted concerns raised by experts about China's plan to build the world's largest dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet near the Indian border. Footage shown by state-run Chinese TV showed people, including children, being pulled out from the rubble and being carried by stretchers to make shift medical camps. 4Continued on | P6 HC largesse More seats for NRI students in pvt med colleges Our Staff Reporter Authorities are directed to hold fresh stray/special counselling for vacant seats BHOPAL In a significant ruling, the Jabalpur principal bench of High Court has asked the state government to immediately conduct fresh stray/special counselling for vacant NRI quota seats in private medical colleges. The court’s order came in response to a petition challenging the allocation of NRI seats in postgraduate medical courses, highlighting discrepancies in the distribution of seats and the violation of prescribed quotas. The petitioner, who cleared the All India NEET PG 2024 examination, argued that the state government's practice of limiting NRI quota seats to just 8 out of 22 branches in private medical colleges was illegal and arbitrary. The petitioner claimed that this selective allocation reduced the number of available seats for both reserved and unreserved category students, as it restricted the 15% NRI quota to only 8 clinical branches. According to the petitioner’s counsel, the state government had reduced the number of NRI quota seats by allocating them only to 8 branches, whereas the 15% NRI quota should have been distributed among all 22 branches. This misallocation resulted in a severe shortage of seats for other deserving students. The petitioner argued that by applying the NRI quota rule to only 8 branches, the government was manipulat- ing the seat distribution in favour of NRI students and thereby depriving other students, particularly in nonclinical branches, of their rightful opportunities. The court observed the petitioner's contention that the selective distribution of seats was causing an imbalance, particularly in nonclinical branches, and ordered that the NRI quota be properly extended across all 22 branches. 4Continued on | P6 down allowing Murlidhar Das to take charge. The change stems from struggle for dominance in the Prayagraj Mahakumbh, as Murlidhar Das had been given the responsibility of Mahakumbh arrangements. Soar over the development, Swami Dharamdas, one of the spearheads of Ram Janmbhoomi movement, said, “I was informed that someone wanted to reduce my burden. Hence, I quit the headship.” 4Continued on | P6 UC WASTE DISPOSAL Orgn warns of fresh stir PTI DHAR A local organisation opposing the disposal of the Union Carbide waste in Madhya Pradesh's Pithampur area on Tuesday said it would move the Supreme Court or launch a fresh agitation if the state government went ahead with its plan. Pithampur, a large industrial hub in Dhar district, witnessed violent protests last week after 337 tonnes of hazardous waste from the defunct factory in Bhopal was brought to Ramky Enviro unit for incineration. The Madhya Pradesh HC on Monday directed the state government to take steps within six weeks for the disposal of the waste by following safety protocols. See pg 4 Yuva Mission launch on Jan 12 Will boost youth-oriented activities in MP Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The cabinet has given in-principle its nod for setting up Swami Vivekananda Yuva Shakti Mission. It aims to boost youthoriented activities and bring them to a platform for socioeconomic development. The objective of the Mission is to create a partnership platform to coordinate youthoriented activities, fostering the state’s holistic development. The mission will be officially launched on January 12, commemorating Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary (Youth Day). The mission focuses on three main components: Dialogue, ability, and prosperity, designed to ensure a holistic approach to empowering the youth. Yuva Mission has outlined three key goals to empower the youth. The first goal is to ensure that the income level of every youth meets or exceeds the rate of a minimum-skilled category worker. Second is striving to ensure that every youth completes education up to Class 12. This goal will be achieved in class 10 by 2028 and in class 12th by 2030. The third goal is to encourage the youth’s participa- CO-OP DAIRY FED-NDDB PACT GETS NOD he Cabinet approved a collaboration agreement between the MP State Co-operative Dairy Federation Ltd associated milk unions, and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Under the collaboration agreement between the MP State Co-operative Dairy Federation Limited and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), collection centers will be established in every Gram Panchayat to ensure fair pricing for milk producers. Milk unions’ processing capacity will be expanded. Approximately Rs 1,500 crore will be invested over the next five years. The number of milk committees will increase from 6,000 to 9,000. Daily milk collection will grow from 10.5 lakh kg to 20 lakh kg. Annual income for milk producers is targeted to rise from Rs 1,700 crore to Rs 3,500 crore. Efforts will be made to promote the Sanchi brand at the national level. T tion in social initiatives for the betterment of society. The mission aims for 70 percent participation by the year 2030. 2 directors of Indore-based co arrested for GST evasion of `15 cr Our Staff Reporter INDORE The officers of the Preventive Wing of Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) department detected GST evasion of about Rs 15 crore in the form of Input Tax Credit (ITC), after searching four premises of a bitumen company. Two directors of the company were arrested on Tuesday and sent to 10-day judicial custody till January 17. According to official information, the CGST and Central Excise Commissionerate, Indore, arrested Kartik Agrawal and Sheel Panchal, directors of citybased company M/S Pyrol Fuel Industries Private Limited, for evading goods and services tax (GST) to the tune of approximately Rs. 15 crore. Investigation found Probe found that both directors had availed fraudulent Input Tax Credit (ITC) from bogus, non-existent firms without the actual receipt of goods Credit (ITC) from bogus, non-existent firms without the actual receipt of goods. The fraudulent ITC was used to discharge their outward tax liabilities in clear violation of Section 16 of the CGST Act, 2017. Despite multiple summons issued by the department under Section 70 of the CGST Act, 2017 the accused failed to comply. that both directors had availed fraudulent Input Tax 4Continued on | P6 Microsoft to put $3 bn in AI, cloud expansion FPJ News Service BENGALURU IT RAID IN SAGAR Tax evasion, transactions worth crores found Our Staff Reporter Microsoft will invest USD 3 billion (about Rs 25,700 crore) to expand its cloud computing and artificial intelligence capabilities in India, its chief executive officer Satya Nadella said on Tuesday. The tech giant will also train 10 million people in AI skills in India by 2030, Nadella said, addressing a conference attended by startup founders and executives from technology firms here. Nadella is the latest in the list of tech tycoons to have visited India – the nation of 1.4 billion people that is emerging as an AI battlefront. Chip maker Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, AMD's Lia Su and Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun had in recent months visited India, home to millions of programmers and BHOPAL technology services providers like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro. Nadella said the USD 3 billion investment in India would be the "single-largest expansion" done in the country. "The diffusion rate of AI in India is exciting." He, however, did not give a time frame for the spending. Microsoft provides its cloud computing services under the Azure brand name. It has over 60 Azure regions comprising more than 300 data centres. Income Tax sleuths unearthed unaccounted business transactions worth Rs 150 crore during ongoing search at the premises of BJP ex-corporator Rajesh Kesharwani and ex-BJP MLA Harvansh Singh Rathore in Sagar said on Tuesday. The IT raid continued for the third day on Tuesday at three different locations, against the duo. During the raid at Kesharwani group, the tem came across lockers, bank accounts, property-related documents etc. The tax evasion is being assessed by the IT officers. Piles of incriminating documents have also been seized. 4Continued on | P6 4Continued on | P6