Saturday, April 12, 2025 | 35 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Vol. 68 No. 162 | www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) Happy Hanuman Jayanti Briefs ED SHOULD THINK, TOO The Supreme Court has said ED should also think of the fundamental rights of the people and frowned upon the agency's plea seeking the transfer of the Nagrik Apurti Nigam (NAN) scam case from Chhattisgarh to New Delhi. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan questioned the agency on how it had filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution meant for individuals. Article 32 of Constitution guarantees the "Right to Constitutional Remedies," empowering individuals to seek redressal from the Supreme Court for violations of their fundamental rights, allowing them to directly approach the court for enforcement of these rights. HUGE STORM HITS NCR The Delhi-NCR region was hit by a massive dust storm and lightning on Friday. The gusty winds affected flight operations, with 15 flights flying to and from Delhi being diverted, sources said. However, the storm brought much-needed respite from scorching heat. On Monday, the national capital's maximum temperature had touched 40 degrees celsius for the first time this season. TESLA CHINA DEAL FREEZE Tesla has stopped accepting new orders in China for two car models that it imports from a factory in the United States, after the Chinese government imposed steep tariffs on American imports. GOLD PEAKS AT `96,450 Gold prices surged by Rs 6,250 to hit a record high of Rs96,450 per 10 grams on Friday due to heavy demand from local jewellers and retailers, according to the All India Sarafa Association. The precious metal hitting lifetime high levels in the international markets on strong safehaven demand amid escalating US-China trade tensions boosted the domestic prices. 12% REVEAL ASSETS Only 12 per cent of the Supreme Court and High Court judges have made their assets public after the top court recently said that all its serving judges and the judges appointed in future will disclose their assets to the public on the top court’s website. NATION Rahul takes ‘jumla’ jibe at employment scheme, BJP hits back GAMES Table toppers Gujarat Titans take on hosts LSG in the first IPL match on Saturday Cinema RRR featured in Academy’s stunt category debut Edit Will Navi Mumbai airport deal with issues of inconvenience? WHEELS OF JUSTICE | He is confined to a 14x14-foot cell at the NIA headquarters, access is restricted to a dozen designated investigators RANA GRILLED FPJ News Service MUMBAI The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a detailed interrogation of 64-yearold Tahawwur Hussain Rana, extradited from the United States for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. A special court has granted the agency 18 days of custodial interrogation. He is currently lodged in a high-security 14x14-foot cell at the NIA headquarters in Delhi's CGO complex, monitored 24x7 with CCTV surveillance and guarded by elite paramilitary personnel. Access is restricted to a dozen designated investigators, and Rana has been provided with basic amenities under strict supervision. DIG Jaya Roy, NIA's chief investigating officer in the case, is leading the probe. Officials said Rana’s interrogation will proceed in three key phases: his direct role in facilitating the attacks, his links to Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) operatives including Hafiz Saeed, and his suspected BJP ties poll knot with AIADMK for TN elections N Chithra CHENNAI A year before Tamil Nadu goes to Assembly polls, Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday successfully stitched an alliance between the AIADMK and BJP in Chennai. “The NDA will fight the elections under the leadership of (AIADMK general secretary) Edappadi Palaniswami. We will form a coalition government,” Mr Shah said at a press conference in the presence of the AIADMK leader. To facilitate the alliance, the BJP brought in a change in its state unit leadership with the popular but aggressive K Annamalai being replaced by a more amiable Nainar Nagendran, who is a former AIADMK Minister. The transition in the state leadership was smooth with Nagendran being the lone applicant for the post of president, with his name being proposed by Annamalai among others. Asked if the AIADMK placed any demands or con- The BJP brought in a change in its state unit leadership with the popular but aggressive K Annamalai being replaced by a more amiable Nainar Nagendran. ditions for the revival of ties, Shah denied it and said the alliance is mutually beneficial for the BJP and AIADMK. 4Contd on | Nation coordination with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Investigators believe Rana may have played a role in scouting other Indian cities for similar attacks. He is suspected to have travelled across Delhi, Agra, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai with his wife between November 13 and 21, 2008 — just days before the attacks. These visits, sources said, could point to a wider conspiracy that was never executed. As part of reconstructing the 17-year-old crime trail, Rana may be taken to several of these locations. “We need to physically retrace steps to better understand the scope of his involvement and whether he passed on key reconnaissance inputs to Headley or others,” an NIA source said. The agency told the court that Rana was in regular touch with ISI operatives codenamed ‘Major Iqbal’ and ‘Major Sameer’. His communication trail, including over 230 calls with Headley, forms a critical link in understanding how the conspiracy spanned continents. Aritra Singha KOLKATA Violent protests broke out across West Bengal on Thursday as minority groups rallied against the controversial WAQF (Amendment) Bill. The epicentre of unrest was Kolkata’s Park Circus area, where Aliah University students broke police barricades and threatened larger agitations if the bill is not revoked. In Murshidabad’s Sutir region, the protests spiralled out of control. Demonstrators pelted stones at passing trains and blocked National Highway 12 at Sajurmor and New Dakbangla intersections. Several vehicles were torched, and police had to resort to lathicharge and tear gas to quell the violence. A similar situation unfolded in Amtala, South 24 Parganas, The Ladki Bahin Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme of the Mahayuti government, played a pivotal role in securing its electoral victory. Announced just before the 2024 Assembly elections, it promised monthly financial aid to women aged 21 to 60. However, six months after the application deadline closed on October 15, 2024, no fresh registrations have been allowed. US Vice-Prez & NSA are scheduled to visit India from April 21 In a covert, high-security operation, Tahawwur Hussain Rana—a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks— was extradited from the United States to India aboard a discreetly chartered Gulfstream G550 business jet. The ultra-long-range aircraft landed at Delhi’s Palam airport on Thursday evening, having carefully avoided Pakistani airspace throughout the journey. 4Contd on | Nation where railway stations were vandalised. Dozens, including several police personnel, were injured in clashes. The SDPO of Farakka sustained injuries while attempting to control the mobs. A statement by Eastern Railway confirmed major disruptions, with over 5,000 people blocking the Azimganj– New Farakka section. 4Contd on | Nation FPJ News Service MUMBAI US Vice President JD Vance and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz are both scheduled to visit India from April 21, underscoring a significant moment in the deepening of Indo–US strategic and economic relations. While Waltz will focus on launching a hightechnology partnership, Vance’s visit is expected to give momentum to ongoing trade talks and bolster people-topeople ties. Marking his first official visit since assuming office, Vice President Vance will be in India from April 21 to 24. Accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance—who has Indian roots—the couple will blend diplomacy with a personal cultural journey, touring Agra and Jaipur as part of the iconic FPJ News Service MUMBAI India's industrial output grew at the slowest pace in six months at 2.9% in February, according to official statistics. The IIP numbers were hurt by tardy pace of manufacturing and mining sector growth. The sluggish numbers have come at a time industries globally are reeling under uncertainty over US import tariffs. Earlier this week, India's central bank cut its growth forecast for the current year by 20 basis points to 6.5% but econ- omists say growth could fall even further amid the global turmoil. “Worryingly, the output growth of all the sub-sectors at the use-based level declined in February 2025 compared to the previous month, after a gap of five months. This indicates the muted and volatile nature of industrial output growth,” said Paras Jasrai, senior economic analyst at India Ratings. “With the onset of the summer, the power demand has seen a pickup as it was up 6.6% year-on-year in March 2025, at a nine-month high. In addition, there has been an indication of pickup in government spending in March 2025 with the usual rush to meet capex targets both by state and central government,” Jasrai said. China mocks US with 125 % tariffs 238 AC RAKES Agencies BEIJING China declared on Friday that it will raise tariffs on American goods to 125 per cent from its previous rate of 84 per cent, matching the level announced by the Trump administration on Thursday. Beijing will also “simply ignore” any further tariff escalations from the US in the future, if Washington “persists with its tariff number games,” said a statement from the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, China’s cabinet. At current duty rates, American goods exported to China already have no market viability, the commission said, the South China Morning Post reported. “Even if the US further raises tariffs to even higher levels, it would be economically meaningless and would ultimately become a laughingstock in the history of global economics,” it added. “However, should the US insist on continuing to substantially harm China’s interests, China will resolutely institute countermeasures and see them through to the end.” Despite widespread demand, the government has not reopened enrolments. Thousands of women — including those who have recently turned 21 or had their previous applications rejected due to technical errors — remain excluded from the scheme. According to government sources, registrations can resume only after the state cabinet takes a formal decision. For now, the administration’s focus has shifted to scrutinising existing benefici- aries to weed out ineligible claimants. The scheme was approved on June 28, 2024, under then Golden Triangle circuit. In New Delhi, Vance will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also hosting a formal dinner in his honour. Vance’s visit comes at a crucial time in bilateral trade negotiations. On April 9, President Donald Trump announced a 90day suspension of tariffs on India and several other nations, offering a window for accelerated trade talks. A Reuters report, citing an Indian trade official, confirmed that both sides have finalised terms for the first round of discussions under a new bilateral trade agreement. Negotiators hope to deliver a “win–win” outcome within the next three months, ahead of a larger agreement expected by year-end. India and the US aim to scale up trade to $500 billion by 2030. 4Contd on | Nation Industrial output at 6-mnth low in Feb After a series of back-andforth tariff salvoes, Washington has imposed a 145 per cent duty on Chinese imports this year, bringing the effective rate to about 156 per cent. Meanwhile, Beijing’s new levies on US goods have risen to 125 per cent, also on top of previous tariffs. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce on Friday that “The US tariff measures represent a typical act of unilateral bullying and coercion, constituting a serious violation of World Trade Organization rules and severely undermining the rules-based multilateral trading system and international economic order.” FOR MUMBAI 4Contd on | Nation Kamal Mishra New enrolments still frozen for Ladki Bahin Prajakta Pol FPJ News Service US outreach as strategic ties prevail MUMBAI Tension in Bengal over WAQF law offgrid MUMBAI 26/11 accused was ferried on high speed jet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Between July 1 and October 15, roughly 2.5 crore women signed up and began receiving assistance. Their support was credited with bolstering the Mahayuti alliance’s win in the Assembly elections. However, once in power, the government began a strict review process. Concerns over fiscal strain led to the removal of approximately 13 lakh women from the beneficiary list. By March 2025, financial aid was deposited in the accounts of 2.47 crore women. 4Contd on | Nation MUMBAI Indian Railways will introduce 238 new air-conditioned suburban rakes designed specifically to cater to Mumbai. This announcement was made by Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw at a press conference in Mumbai on Friday, alongside Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at an event, themed “Better Infrastructure, Better Technology, Better Trains.” The new rakes are expected to revolutionize daily travel for millions of Mumbai's commuters. Designed with passenger comfort in mind, these rakes promise a more reliable and enjoyable travel experience. In addition to the introduction of new trains, the government is investing in infrastructure upgrades. Projects worth nearly Rs 17,000 crore are currently underway to expand the suburban network by over 300 kilometers of new lines. These are aimed to reduce congestion, increase train frequency, and meet the growing demand for suburban services. Vaishnaw also unveiled plans for the upcoming launch of Kavach 5.0, an advanced safety and signaling system designed specifically for the suburban sections. The mining sector output grew just 1.6% on year in February, the slowest rate of expansion in four months, and much lower than the 4.4% growth seen in January. Electricity sector output rose 3.6% on year in February compared to 2.4% a month ago. Primary goods output growth fell to a three-month low of 2.8% in February, while the production of intermediate goods fell to a 24-month low of 1.5%. Primary goods and intermediate goods output had risen 5.5% and 5.3%, respectively, in January. Tailpiece US fires Greenland military base chief The head of the US military base in Greenland has been fired after she reportedly sent an email distancing herself from Vice-President JD Vance's criticism of Denmark. The US military's Space Operations Command said Col Susannah Meyers had been removed from her role at Pituffik Space Base due to a "loss of confidence in her ability to lead". Last month, Vance said Denmark had "not done a good job" for Greenlanders and had not spent enough on security while visiting the Danish territory. Meyers’ email reportedly reaffirmed the base’s partnership with Denmark and Greenland, directly clashing with President Donald Trump’s push to annex the Danish territory for national security reasons. Vance’s March visit had already escalated tensions, with Trump refusing to rule out military action. A Pentagon spokesman warned that undermining the chain of command or Trump’s agenda "will not be tolerated." 4Contd on | Nation