FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 265 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | MARCH 9, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: Sports WORLD India’s Champions Trophy quest P.16 BHOPAL UJJAIN PRESS ‘Ukraine more difficult to deal with than Russia’ PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper readers’ corner Azad’s Legacy: A... P.10 Cinema When Naseeruddin Shah... P.14 INT’L WOMEN'S DAY | CM says those who coerce innocent girls and outrage their modesty will not be spared Govt seeks death penalty for converting girls Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that already the state government has made provision of capital punishment to rapists of minor girls (less than 12 years). Efforts will now be made to get death penalty for those who are involved in religious conversion of girls. He was addressing a programme organised on International Women’s Day at Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Centre on Saturday. He stated that along with this, those who coerce innocent girls and outrage their modesty forcibly will not be spared. The government has decided to take strict action in cases of conversion and rape. Earlier, it was in cases of rape of minor that capital punishment was given to the accused. In his speech, the CM highlighted the importance of women’s power and took name of deities such as Saraswati, Kali etc. He said his government is giving 35 per cent reserva- CM transfers Rs 1552.73 cr to Ladli Behnas CM Mohan Yadav through a single click transferred Rs 1552.73 crore into the accounts of more than 1.27 crore Ladli Behnas during the programme. He also transferred Rs 55.6 crore into the accounts of more than 26 lakh beneficiaries of gas cylinder refill scheme. Woman driver for Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on International Women’s Day on Saturday Israeli tourist, homestay operator gang-raped PTI KOPPAL Two women, including a 27year-old Israeli tourist, were allegedly gang-raped and assaulted while stargazing near Hampi, police said on Saturday. Three male tourists who were with the women were also assaulted and pushed into a canal and one of them was found dead, they added. No arrests have been made yet, but efforts are underway to apprehend the three identified suspects, the police said. India eyes CT amidst NZ challenge DUBAI: India faces New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in Dubai, aiming to overcome their historical struggles against the Kiwis. The match is also marked by an emotional focus on veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. India's strong spin attack will be key, countering New Zealand's own spin threat. (Detail report on Sports Page) fp Briefs NEW DELHI Rs 2.5K per mnth for Delhi women The BJP government in Delhi approved the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana on Saturday to provide a monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 each to eligible women and allocated Rs 5,100 crore for the scheme. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by CM Rekha Gupta. The incident occurred around 11 pm on Thursday. After dinner, a 29-year-old homestay operator, along with the Israeli tourist and three male tourists, was sitting by the left bank of the Tungabhadra Canal near Sanapur Lake, playing the guitar, enjoying music, and stargazing, police said. Among the male tourists, one was from the United States, while the others were from Odisha and Maharashtra, police said. According to police, in her complaint, the homestay operator alleged that while they were stargazing and playing music, three men on a motorcycle approached them, asking where they could get petrol. When she informed them that there were no petrol pumps nearby and suggested they get it from Sanapur, the accused demanded Rs 100. "Since the homestay operator did not know them, she told them they had no money. When the men repeatedly insisted, one of the male tourists from Odisha gave them Rs 20. 4Continued on | P8 Give immunity to women to commit one murder: NCP-SP leader urges Prez PTI MUMBAI The women's wing of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) has written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to grant immunity from punishment to women for committing one murder in view of atrocities against them. Rohini Khadse, the women's wing president of the Sharad Pawar-led party, in the letter written on the occasion of International Women's Day, said that women want to kill the tendency of oppressive mentality, rapist mindset and inactive law and order situation. Crime against women was rising, Khadse said, pointing out the recent gangrape of a 12-year-old girl in Mumbai. "We, on behalf of all women, are demanding immunity (from punishment) to commit one murder," Khadse said in the letter, aimed at targeting the state government over the law and order situation in the state. 4Continued on | P8 Man kills self by jumping into grandson’s funeral pyre Tragic end of family Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A grandfather allegedly committed suicide by jumping into the funeral pyre of his grandson, who hanged himself after killing his wife, in village Siholia under Bahri police station of Sidhi district, police said on Saturday. SDOP Gayatri Tiwari informed that the deceased Abhayraj Yadav (34) hanged himself after killing his wife Savita Yadav (30) on Friday. Their last rites were conducted in the same evening in presence of villagers. The death of grandson Abhayraj left his grandfather, Ramavatar shocked and traumatised, she said. She added that on Saturday morning, information was received that the grandfather also committed suicide by jumping into the burning pyre. His charred body was found on the pyre, she said. The reason behind Savita's killing was not yet known, Tiwari said, adding that investigation into the murder and subsequent suicide cases was underway. One killed, 25 hurt in clashes on Day 1 of Manipur ‘free movement’ PTI IMPHAL One protester was killed while 25 others, including women, were injured in clashes between Kuki demonstrators and security forces in different parts of Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Saturday, officials said. The deceased has been identified as Lalgouthang Singsit. The 30-year-old received bullet injuries during the clashes at Keithelmanbi and died on the way to hospital, police said. At least 25 protesters sus- A vehicle allegedly set ablaze by miscreants in Kangpokpi tained different types of injuries during the clashes with security forces at Gamgiphai, Motbung and Keithelmanbi, police said, adding they have been admitted to the nearby public health centre for treatment. 4Continued on | P8 Women's Day Women take over PM's social media PTI NEW DELHI Marking International Women's Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media handles were taken over by a group of extraordinary women who have excelled in diverse fields, from chess to science to rural entrepreneurship and financial empowerment to accessibility and inclusive development. Each of them shared their journeys, highlighting the power of India's 'Nari Shakti' and the strides being made towards a more inclusive and empowered nation. Chess grandmaster R Vaishali, farmer-entrepreneur Anita Devi, nuclear scientist Elina Mishra, space scientist Shilpi Soni, accessibility ad- vocate Anjlee Agarwal, and rural entrepreneur Ajaita Shah took over PM Modi's social media accounts on International Women's Day. Vaishali, who has been playing chess since the age of six and is the sibling of grandmaster Praggnanandhaa, encouraged young girls to follow their dreams. "Playing chess has been a learning, thrilling, and rewarding journey for me. But there is more... I want to give a message to all the women out there, especially the young girls - ?follow your dreams, no matter the hurdles. Your passion will power your success," she wrote from Modi's account on X. She also emphasised family support, acknowledging her parents and brother for their encouragement. Bihar's Anita Devi, a farmer-entrepreneur, shared her journey of self-reliance and rural empowerment. 4Continued on | P8 tion to women in recruitments. DGP Kailash Makwana said that all police stations of Women officials handle all responsibilities of CM Office n International Women’s Day, all responsibilities of CM office were handled by women officials. Whether it was driving the vehicle of CM or ensuring the security arrangement, all works were done by women officials. The responsibility of CM’s security was handled by DSP Bittu Sharma while CM’s vehicle driver was Irshad Ali. The responsibility of CM’s cavalcade was discharged by Sapna and other women drivers. The charge of OSD was with Under Secretary Srilekha Chotriya. The charge of Press Officer was executed by Bindu Sunil and Sonia Parihar. O the state are having women desk. Summons in cases of maintenance is being executed in the form of Mithilesh Pandey Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal to address the growing obesity epidemic, Madhya Pradesh is witnessing a concerning trend. According to the ongoing Nirogi Kaya Abhiyan screening, approximately 25% of the youth in the 30+ age group are classified as "obsessed." The initial findings have shocked both the public and the health sector in the state. In his monthly Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi had urged nation to focus on the obesity crisis, highlighting its growing Obesity can lead to a host of problems, including cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol prevalence across India. Obesity has become a major health concern, and it is crucial to understand the factors contributing to it and explore ways to stay healthy and prevent or combat the issue. The Nirogi Kaya Abhiyan, which began on February 20, aims to randomly screen individuals over the age of 30. The initiative has already screened PTI NEW YORK/WASHINGTON around 20 lakh people, with 1 lakh youth being assessed daily. Doctors from the National Health Mission (NHM) are taking waist measurements to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI), a key indicator of body fat based on height and weight. BMI helps determine if a person is underweight, healthy, overweight, or obese. Obesity can lead to a host of health problems, including cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and atherosclerosis, which can result in heart disease and strokes. US President Donald Trump said India has agreed to cut its tariffs "way down" as he reiterated his claim that the country charges America massive tariffs that make it difficult to sell products there. "Our country, from an economic standpoint and financial standpoint and a trade standpoint, has been absolutely ripped off by almost every country in the world," Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office on Friday. "Canada, Mexico and then you just go right down the line. India charges us massive tariffs, massive, you can't even sell anything into India. It's almost, it's almost restrictive. It is restrictive. We do very little business inside," he said. "They've agreed, by the way, they want to cut their tariffs way down now because somebody's finally exposing them for what they've done. And the same thing with China, same thing with a lot of other countries, and the EU has been a terrible abuser of this country," Trump added. Trump's comments came following Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to the US for trade talks with his counterpart Howard Lutnick. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 campaign. He spoke about various measures taken for women’s security. 25% of 30+ MP youth show signs of obesity: Screening report BHOPAL Trump says India agreed to cut tariffs way down