Monday, April 14, 2025 | 26 Pages | `5 & for State `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. 163 | Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) NATION BSP supremo Mayawati allows sacked nephew Akash into party after public apology GAMES TANKER STRIKE DAY 5 | Disaster Management Act invoked to enable BMC to supply water to housing societies, other entities BMC takes over tanker, borewell operations Devashri Bhujbal MUMBAI For the first time in the history of Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has had to invoke the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to address the ongoing tanker water supply crisis. On Sunday evening, the BMC announced that it had taken over the operations of all water tankers and borewells in Mumbai city and the suburbs. This comes in the wake of the Mumbai Water Tankers Association (MWTA) continuing its strike, having suspended supply for the last four days.  The MWTA struck on Thursday, April 10, protesting the notice issued to ringwell and borewell owners in the city, which asked them to implement the 2020 guidelines of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). As per the standard operating procedure Briefs 30 DIE IN SUMY Russian recent strikes on Sumy in Ukraine have killed more than 30 people. The attack hit the city centre on Palm Sunday when many people were on the street celebrating; a church is located near the strike location. Officials in Sumy said the missiles were packed with cluster munitions, which are designed to take as many lives as possible. 30-DAY RULE FOR US STAY Foreign nationals who stay in the US longer than 30 days must register with the government and a failure to comply can lead to fines and imprisonment, the Department of Homeland Security under the Donald Trump administration has said. This decision will not directly impact those in the US on visas such as H-1 B or student permits, but it signals stricter enforcement of laws to prevent foreign nationals from staying in the US without proper authorisation. In cases where an individual on an H-1 B visa loses the job but does not exit the country within the specified period, he/she may face action. Students and H-1 B Visa holders will, therefore, need to ensure that their stay in the US fulfills compliance requirements. Cinema Actrees Ridhi Dogra reacts to CBFC’s Phule controversy Phil Salt, Virat Kohli catapulted RCB to a comfortable victory over Rajasthan Royals (SOP) under the Disaster Management Act, a team at the BMC-ward level, in coordination with Mumbai Police and Transport Commissionerate, will supply water to housing societies and other entities. Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar said, “We will arrange drivers for the tankers and supply water to locations, as instructed by the BMC. It will be quite a task to arrange for drivers at such short notice, but drivers from the BEST, MSRTC and private players can be deployed. The aim is to start supply from Sunday night itself.”  BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said, “There has been at least one strike by the water tanker association in the past. But this is the first time we are invoking the provisions of the Disaster Act.” HAPPY DR BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR JAYANTI NATIVES ON THE RUN IN OWN LAND Aritra Singha KOLKATA Several families, believed to be Hindu, from Dhulian town in Murshidabad district in West Bengal,  were seen fleeing to Malda after their houses and properties were allegedly attacked by Muslims protesting against the amended WAQF law. Prohibitory orders were in force and internet has been suspended in several parts. In several videos that have surfaced many such families were seen crying over their ‘uncertain’ future. The BJP has claimed that no less than 400 families have fled from the region. As the fragments of violence surfaced, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose said he is holding regular discussions with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while the Centre is monitoring the situation in the violence-hit district. "Let me tell the miscreants it is going to be a no-nonsense approach against violence and criminals; none will be allowed to take the law into their hands," the governor said. He also said in Bengali: "Sang- 4Contd on | nation harsh, himsa habe na cholbe na" (there should not be any clash or violence). It is understood that nine companies of BSF are present at the spot. The CRPF and RAF are on stand by while the state police are active on the field. A man and his family who took shelter in a school in Malda said that he was left penniless after they were forced to flee, leaving everything behind in Murshidabad. This was in a desperate bid to cross a river to reach Malda. 4 Cong faces the music after state leader slams Mangeshkars YOGI LINKS IT TO WAQF S Balakrishnan MUMBAI The Congress party is facing major embarrassment in the state, after its senior leader Vijay Wadettiwar targetted the late singing legend and Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar and her family. Former Leader of the Opposition Wadettiwar attacked the Mangeshkars in the backdrop of the death of a preg- nant woman who was denied admission to the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune. The hospital had demanded a deposit of Rs 10 lakh before granting admission. Denied timely medical help, she died. Her death sparked a political storm. Wadettiwar said land for the hospital had been given by the government and instead of running it on a charitable basis, it was being operated as a business. He accused the family of being a ‘gang of lootersʼ and went on to ask what contribution had the family made to the nation. 4Contd on | nation Biswajeet Banerjee LUCKNOW Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has raised serious concerns over rising violence in the name of Waqf properties. He stated that across the country, lakhs of acres of land have been illegally occupied in the name of Waqf, without proper documents or revenue records. Referring to incidents in West Bengal, he said that in Murshidabad, three Hindus were dragged out of their homes and brutally killed. He mentioned that the victims were poor, marginalized Dalit Hindus who were most likely to benefit from land reforms and rightful land distribution. Tailpiece China tells US to trash tariffs Online Report BEIJING China on Sunday called on the United States to "completely cancel" its reciprocal tariffs after Washington announced exemptions for consumer electronics and key chip-making equipment. "We urge the US to... take a big step to correct its mistakes, completely cancel the wrong practice of 'reciprocal tariffs' and return to the right path of mutual respect", a commerce ministry spokesperson said in a statement. A US notice late on Friday said smart phones, laptops, memory chips and other products would be excluded from the global levies President Donald Trump rolled out this month. The exemptions will benefit US tech companies like Nvidia and Dell, as well as Apple, which makes iPhones and other premium products in China. Most Chinese goods still face a blanket 145 percent levy after the country was excluded from a 90-day tariff reprieve. Beijing's commerce ministry said the exemptions were a "small step" by Washington and China was "evaluating the impact" of the decision. It came as retaliatory Chinese import tariffs of 125 percent on US goods took effect on Saturday, with Beijing standing defiant against its biggest trade partner. The move has made companies not only anxious about securing future orders but has also left them questioning the long-term sustainability of their operations. 4Contd on | nation Contd on | nation TRUMP FIT AS A FIDDLE P Tilak propels Mumbai Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Varma plays a shot during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi. PIC: PTI resident Donald Trump’s physician has hailed the 78-year-old as fit to serve after his first annual physical since returning to office. 'President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,' says a physician to the president.  The summary of Trump's physical stated his blood pressure was 128/74 mmHg and his resting heart rate was 62 beats per minute. His cognitive functions were also tested and his results came back normal with a score of 30 out of 30. Who is answerable In Murshidabad? By invitation Suvojit Bagchi M iddle Bengal’s historic Murshidabad district witnessed unprecedented violence over the Wakf (Amendment) Act, resulting in deaths of three persons on Saturday. None of the deceased – Ijaz Ahmed, a student, and a father and son of one Das family, Haragovinda and Chandan – were actively instigating violence or part of any political outfit, as their friends and neighbours claimed, and yet they were killed. A blame game has started identifying hitherto ‘unknown miscreants’, while an important question has to be asked. Who is responsible for the violence? Interestingly, while asking the question, hardly anyone is underscoring significant information. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) overwhelmingly bagged almost all the seats in nearly all the elections in the last few years. Let us look at the nature of TMC’s control. Murshidabad has more than 66 percent Muslim population, as per 2011 census, and TMC bagged all three parliamentary seats in 2024, including Jangipur at the epicentre of weekend’s violence. Out of the district's 22 assembly seats, TMC has 20; the party controls all 26 Panchayat Samitis and nearly all of 250 Gram Panchayats. Out of eight Municipalities of the district, TMC has seven and the one that is left out – Domkal – is run by a TMC-appointed administrator. Rarely can a party have such an outstanding control over every tier in a huge district with more than seven million people. 4Contd on | nation TN Governor in row over Sri Ram chant FPJ News Service CHENNAI Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, who was recently castigated by the Supreme Court for holding up 10 bills for over three years, has landed in a fresh row, after allegedly asking students at a function to chant "Jai Sri Ram". His action has been condemned by leaders of the ruling government and academic bodies. An academic body has also sought his removal from the post for failing to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions. It has been further contended that he should be removed from the Office of Governor of Tamil Nadu forthwith for deliberately violating Article 159 of the Constitution of India".  Senior Congress leader Sa- sikanth Senthil, in a post on X, mocked the Governor. "After being slammed by the Supreme Court and blocked by the State Government, he's now resorting to stunts like making students chant 'Jai Sri Ram' just to irritate the system," read a rough translation of his post.  "Clearly frustrated, he's sending a message that "even if the courts rule against me, I will find other ways to push my agenda." It's a dangerous mix of arrogance and defiance that undermines democratic institutions and the principles of the Constitution!" he added. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court termed Governor RN Ravi's decision to withhold assent to 10 key Bills "illegal" and "arbitrary". The court said the Governor had not acted in "good faith.’’ offgrid Rape-murder accused found hanging in Taloja Banks seek power to freeze accounts Raina Assainar & Narendra Gupta NAVI MUMBAI / KALYAN A 30-year-old accused of rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl was found hanging in the Taloja Central Jail early on Sunday. According to police, Vishal Gawli had been lodged in the jail near Kharghar since January 2025. “At 4.30 am, Gawli went to the toilet. When another inmate followed, he saw him hanging from a ‘gamcha’ (towel). The bathroom has a grill above the wall and the deceased possibly used the gamcha to hang himself,” Taloja jail superintendent Pramod Wagh said. “Prima facie, there seems to be no foul play. Further investigation is on,” Kharghar police station senior inspector Deepak Surve said. “We found a diary in his cell. In a note to his wife, Gawli said he was upset as she had stopped talking with him. He has not blamed anyone but is distressed over his wife not believing him. He said she would realize it after the verdict. Nobody believed him, not even his wife,” Surve lamented. Vishal Gawli's lawyer Sanjay Dhanke said, “I suspect foul play. Owing to apprehensions stemming from Akshay Shinde encounter, I moved an application in court during the remand stage and prayed for his protection. It is pending. I visited the jail and met Vishal 20 days ago. Vishal told me he did not commit the crime and he feared for his life. I asked him not to worry as he was in jail.” Gawli was accused of alleged rape and murder of the girl who went missing on December 23 last year. It was al- leged he had disposed of the body with the help of his wife Sakshi Gawli, who is lodged in Byculla jail. The body was found in a nearby graveyard on the December 24 morning. Police said Sakshi married him two years ago, and worked at a private bank. The victim left home with Rs20 to buy chocolate from a shop but did not return. After a futile search by her family, a kidnapping complaint was lodged late at night. 4Contd on | nation FPJ News Service NEW DELHI To check cyber fraud through mule accounts, banks are seeking authority to freeze accounts involved in channelling illicit transactions without wasting precious time in seeking permission from authorities. Banks freeze/block accounts based on internal triggers; however, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they do not have the authority to freeze or block customer accounts without proper authorization from a court or law enforcement agencies (LEAs). "In light of this, we may propose this as a suggestion for further consideration by the RBI," a working group constituted by the Indian Banks' Association said in a report. Mule accounts are used by fraudsters to move illegal funds through the banking system. Although banks freeze thousands of these accounts every year, fraudsters quickly create new accounts using loopholes in the system. Besides, it said, banks may look to verify and restrict accounts most vulnerable to misuse as "mule" accounts for channeling illicit money. 4Contd on | nation