FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 263 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | MARCH 7, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Axar’s ascent - Crafting his own legacy P.12 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY PTI LONDON/NEW DELHI fp Briefs NEW YORK Rana seeks stay on extradition Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana has moved an "emergency application" with the US Supreme Court against his extradition to India, claiming that he will be tortured there since he is a Muslim of Pakistani origin. Rana, 64, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks. CHENNAI ‘Anti-nationals are Hindi zealots’ Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin on Thursday said demanding linguistic equality is not chauvinism and alleged that the "true chauvinists and anti-nationals are the Hindi zealots" who believe their entitlement is natural but resistance is treason. Stalin, in a social media post said: "When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression. I am reminded of this famous quote when some entitled bigots brand us chauvinists and anti-nationals for the 'crime' of demanding Tamil's rightful place in Tamil Nadu." JAIPUR MBBS student kills self in Kota An MBBS student was found hanging in his hostel room in Rajasthan's Kota district, police officials said on Thursday. The deceased was identified as 28-year-old Sunil Bairwa and his body was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his room on Wednesday night, the police said. A suicide note was recovered in which Sunil expressed his inability to fulfil his parents' dreams and apologised to them. When Pak returns 'stolen part' pulling at an Indian flag. He was swiftly taken aside by Metropolitan Police officers and no arrests have been reported so far. 4Continued on | P8 The Kashmir dispute would be solved after the "return of the stolen part of Kashmir which is under illegal Pakistani occupation," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said Completely unacceptable: UK The UK on Thursday strongly condemned the security breach involving a pro-Khalistan extremist rushing towards External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's convoy, saying such attempts to "intimidate, threaten, or disrupt" public events are "completely unacceptable" EOW unearths Rs 5 crore scam in paddy procurement Our Staff Reporter The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has conducted a statewide crackdown on paddy procurement committees across 12 districts and detected irregularities amounting to over Rs 5 crore, according to officials on Thursday. The procurement centres were found to be involved in fraudulent activities such as registering fake farmer details and entering unprocured paddy into the e-Uparjan portal. Moreover, transportation and warehouse records were fabricated to cover up these illegal practices. DG EOW, Upendra Jain, said that 25 teams were de- Inspector shoots self in Chhatarpur Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A police inspector posted at Kotwali police station in Chhatarpur district shot himself with his service revolver on Thursday evening. The reason behind the suicide remains unclear, with no note found at the scene. ChattarpurSP Agam Jain told Free Press that inspector Arvind Kujur was found dead at his residence in the Orcha police station area. The sound of the gunshot alerted nearby residents, who promptly informed police. SP Jain said that Kujur had requested a day’s leaveto travel to Gwalior for personal work. However, instead of making the trip, he stayed at his home in Chattarpur. His family, currently residing in Sagar, have been told about the tragedy. Sources said that a possible family dispute may have driven the inspector to take such an extreme step. District Satna Balaghat Dindori Procurement Centre/ Cooperative Society Pindra and Hirondi Bajiadand Mehkapar-1 Mehkapar-2 Takabarra Ghunadi Kumadehi Charegaon Kumadehi Sarhari ployed since Thursday morning, conducting raids across districts of Balaghat, Jabalpur, Dindori, Rewa, Satna, Maihar, Sagar, Panna, Gwalior, Narmadapuram, Narsinghpur and Sheopur. The teams inspected 150 procurement committees and 140 warehouses, uncover- Shortage (in Quintals) 4203 747 1570 1779 601 1355 1487 1324 1050 ISLAMABAD According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025 report, Pakistan has now become the second-most terrorism-affected country in the world, moving up from its previous position at fourth, as reported by Geo News. The country saw a dramatic 45 per cent increase in terrorism-related fatalities, with deaths rising from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024. This sharp surge marks one of the highest increases globally. Additionally, the number of terrorist attacks more than doubled, jumping from 517 incidents in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024. This marks the first time since the inception of the GTI that attacks surpassed the 1,000 mark, as reported by Geo News. According to Geo News, this troubling rise in terrorism coincides with a recent terrorist attempt on the Bannu Canton- MUMBAI E-paper Reel addiction led to blast in Gwalior Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Addiction to creating viral video content led to a blast in a seven-story building in Gwalior on Wednesday morning, police said on Thursday. The explosion took place at the Legacy Plaza building, located in Gola Ka Mandir area of Gwalior, injuring two persons. Police investigation has found that the victims, both reel makers, were using highly flammable cooking gas to create special effects for their video. According to police, the incident took place in a sealed room where the two were filming. In a bid to enhance visual appeal of their video, they opened the valve of a cooking gas cylinder, filling the room with highly inflammable liquid petroleum gas (LPG). The situation escalated when they switched on a halogen lamp, which ignited the gas and caused a massive explosion. The injured, identified as Rachna Jaat and Anil Jaat, were rushed to a hospital where they are currently receiving treatment. ‘FC to discuss issue of freebies with members’ MP seeks more share of central taxes on the basis of population, forest land, area Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission Arvind Panagariya has said the commission has so far kept away from taking decision on freebies. The commission will mull over the issue after interacting with all its members. Panagariya made the statement at a press conference in Bhopal on Thursday after watching a state government’s presentation. He, however, spoke only a few words on the issue. The MP government has sought more shares from central taxes on the grounds of the state’s population, area, forestland and SC/ST population, Panagariya said. Now that everything is within the expectable parameters, the commission members will discuss the issue Sixteenth Finance commission chairman Dr. Arvind Panagariya addressing media persons on Thursday. State has put up its points with expectable parameters, feels Finance Commission and make recommendations accordingly, he said. MP, like any other states, has demanded 10% on directly received cess and surcharge, he said. The government demanded 7% additional share on the basis of population, 10% on area, 10% to 15% on forestland, and 10% for SC/ST population, Panagariya said. Trump issues ‘last warning’ to Hamas to release remaining hostages in Gaza AP WASHINGTON ing a total of 19.91 quintals of paddy irregularities. In one instance at the Kanak warehouse in Satna, 533 quintals of paddy were found to have been replaced with paddy chaff. 4Continued on | P8 ment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces successfully thwarted an intrusion by killing all 16 militants involved. However, the attack resulted in the deaths of five soldiers and 13 civilians, as confirmed by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The GTI report highlights the role of Afghanistan's territory in fueling terrorism in Pakistan. It links the escalation in attacks to the rise of the Afghan Taliban's power in Kabul. Militant groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have intensified their operations, especially along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The TTP remains the deadliest group, responsible for 52 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan. In 2024, the TTP carried out 482 attacks, resulting in 558 deaths -- a sharp 90 per cent increase from the previous year, Geo News reported. 4Continued on | P8 President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued what he called a "last warning" to Hamas to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza, directing a sharply worded message after the White House confirmed that he had recently dispatched an envoy for unprecedented direct talks with the militant group. In a statement on his Truth Three killed in coal mine roof collapse Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Social platform soon after meeting at the White House with eight former hostages, Trump added that he was "sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job." "Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you," Trump said. "Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted!" The pointed language from T r u m p came after the White House said Wednesday that US officials have engaged in "ongoing talks and discussions" with Hamas officials, stepping away from a long-held US policy of not directly engaging with the militant group. 4Continued on | P8 IIT-ISM student from Indore found dead in hostel bathroom INDORE Tanmay Prajapati, a BTech student from Indore, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the washroom of the Aqua Marine Hostel at IIT-ISM Dhanbad on Thursday. Authorities discovered an injection needle near his body, raising concerns about possible drug use or poisoning. Tanmay was in his second year of the Electronics and Communication Engineering programme and was expected to graduate next year. The incident began when a student noticed the bathroom door locked from inside. After receiving no response, they alerted others and the hostel security. When the door was broken open, Tanmay was found unconscious. He was taken to hospital, but doctors declared him dead. The police, led by Dhanbad DSP Naushad Alam, investigated the spot. They believe the cause of death may be sui- cide, possibly involving drugs. However, they are still looking into all possibilities. A case for unnatural death has been filed and the police revealed that Tanmay had been facing mental health challenges and had attended a few counselling sessions. The incident has raised concerns about mental health on the IIT-ISM campus, which has seen several suicides in recent years, including those of a security guard and a professor's wife last year. Clerics split over Shami not observing roza IANS A fresh controversy has erupted over Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami’s decision not to observe a fast during the ongoing month of Ramzan. The issue has sparked a division among Muslim clerics and scholars, with some condemning his actions and others offering a more lenient view based on Islamic principles. Recently, a video went viral on social media where Mohammed Shami was seen drinking water during India's semi-final match against Australia. The criticism came from Muslim cleric Ibrahim Chaudhary, who expressed disappointment over Shami’s public actions during the sacred month of Ramzan. He questioned Shami’s commitment to his religious duties, particularly the observance of fasting during the holy month.Chaudhary labeled Shami a 'sinner' for allegedly breaking the fast during India's semi-final match against Australia, which was 'Not done enough' US President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about steps taken by him to avert the hike on tariff on Canadian goods were "not good enough". A hefty duty hike of 25 per cent on goods entering the US from Canada and Mexico went into effect on March 4 as scheduled 3-LANGUAGE FORMULA ROW REACHES SC Agencies NEW DELHI Our Staff Reporter Three men including a supervisor were killed after a roof collapsed in a coal mine of Western Coalfields Limited in Betul district on Thursday, police said. The accident occurred at about 3 pm in the underground mine of WCL, a subsidiary of state-owned Coal India Limited, in Chhatarpur area, about 65 km from the district headquarters. Betul Superintendent of Police Nischal Jharia said, "Three WCL workers who were pulled out from under the debris after a roof collapse in the coal mine are dead. Among them are Govind Kosaria, assistant manager, 37, Ramprasad Chauhan, mining sardar, 46, and Ramdev Pandole, overman, 49, died”. Two of the deceased were locals, while the third person was from Kawardha in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. His family is being contacted, the official said. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. offgrid NEW DELHI He appreciated agricultural growth in MP in the past few years. According to him, in the presentation, the government said it would encourage setting up industries in the coming days. The presentation of the MP contained more details than that of other states, he said. He said the commission would give its recommendations for the years from 2026 to 2031. About the tariffs imposed by the USA on several countries, he said as chairman of the commission he was unable to comment on the issue. ‘Release hostages or it is OVER for you’ Pakistan at second spot on Global Terrorism Index Agencies NASHIK 4Continued on | P8 MAJOR DEFAULTERS BHOPAL INDORE Cinema Moral dilemmas explored P.14 KHALISTANIS TARGET EAM CONVOY IN LONDON Pro-Khalistan supporters protest outside the venue where External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in a discussion held by Chatham House, in London on Wednesday. PUNE Edit Single solution for Kashmir P.6 Goyal in US for trade talks, waiting to see outcome: FM SECURITY BREACH | Man attempts to block Jaishankar’s path A pro-Khalistani protester attempted to breach the security perimeter outside Chatham House here as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar left the think-tank, drawing condemnation from India over the provocative activities of this "small group of separatists and extremists". The small group chanting pro-Khalistan slogans and waving separatist flags was barricaded and monitored by a significant police presence outside the venue on Wednesday night, with officers rushing to restrain the man as he ran past the barricade in an attempt to block the path of the minister's car UJJAIN held during Ramzan.Chaudhary emphasised that fasting during Ramzan is a 'farz' (obligatory) act in Islam and must be observed by every Muslim. "It is important to follow all the duties of Islam, whatever Allah has commanded. If any Muslim deliberately denies or skips these duties, especially when they are able to observe them, then they are committing a sin," said Chaudhary. He further elaborated that Islam calls for complete submission to its tenets, and only by embracing all its commandments can one attain success. According to Chaudhary, Shami’s actions, if deliberate, could lead to a loss of the reward that comes with fulfilling religious duties.Another Muslim scholar Maulana Qari Ishaq Gora came to Shami’s defence, offering a nuanced perspective. Gora acknowledged that fasting during Ramzan is indeed a fundamental responsibility for Muslims but pointed out that Islam permits certain exceptions when there are compelling reasons. "If someone is unable to fast due to compulsion, such as in the case of a professional athlete, Islam allows for breaking the fast. The key is that the reason must fall within the guidelines of Shariat," said Gora. 4Continued on | P8 In the ongoing debate on the alleged 'imposition of languages' in the Southern States, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking implementing of the three-language formula, proposed by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal. The plea filed by BJP lawyer GS Mani said the refusal or failure of the State government to implement the National Educational Policy of the Central government or sign an MoU may harm the public interest or infringe on citizens' rights. The petition sought direction to the State governments to implement the National Education Policy and sign an MoU, which involves fundamental public welfare and rights of Education, constitutional rights, or government obligations that are being neglected or violated and is very well maintainable. 4Continued on | P8 WORSHIP LAW PIL challenges bar on changing religious character NEW DELHI: A PIL has been filed in the SC against the constitutional validity of a provision of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which mandates maintaining the religious character of a place as it existed on August 15, 1947. The plea sought allowing courts to pass orders to ascertain original religious character of places of worship.