FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 320 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | MAY 4, 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 Pak test-fires Abdali missile amid strained ties with India TRAGIC | Incident occurs during festival at a village in North Goa district in the wee hours of Saturday Six killed, 70 injured in Goa temple stampede PTI PANAJI Six persons including two women were killed and more than 70 sustained injuries after a stampede broke out during a temple festival at a village in North Goa district in the wee hours of Saturday, officials said. The state government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the tragedy at Shirgao village, and also transferred five officials including the district collector and superintendent of police. The stampede occurred at around 3 am when thousands of devotees thronged the narrow lanes leading to the temple of Goddess Sree Lairai Devi for an annual festival, police said. The village is located 40 km away from Panaji. "At least 30,000 to 40,000 people had gathered, and some were standing on a fp Briefs BENGALURU FIR against Sonu Nigam An FIR was registered at the Avalahalli Police Station in Bengaluru on Saturday against playback singer Sonu Nigam for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Kannadigas during a recent musical event in the city. The complaint was filed bythe proKannada organisation Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) against the singer for reportedly retorting, "Kannada. Kannada. This is the reason behind the incident in Pahalgam," in response to an audience member's request to sing in Kannada. IMPHAL/CHURACHANDPUR Shutdown in Manipur A statewide shutdown and mass gatherings marked the second anniversary of the ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities of Manipur on Saturday, amidst demands for free and safe movement of all residents, and a separate administrative rrangement. Shutdowns, observed in both the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo-dominated hill districts, brought life to a grinding halt across the state. In state capital Imphal, COCOMI organised a public convention at Khuman Lampak Stadium. Today in IPL MATCH NO. 53 (L) Rescue operation underway after a stampede broke out during a temple festival. Police personnel carry an injured after the mishap. slope. A few persons fell, causing others to tumble and fall on each other," Director General of Police Alok Kumar told PTI. About 50 people fell on the slope, and the stampede was confined to that spot, he added. Thousands of devotees from Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka attend the annual festival. Prime Minister Narendra PBKS Vs LSG DHARAMSHALA, 7.30 pm (Detail on Sports Page) Modi expressed anguish over the tragedy. "May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected," the PM wrote on X. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the injured persons at the North Goa district hospital, and also visited the stampede site. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said nearly 80 people sustained injuries, with 13 admitted at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC). Five of them were on ventilator support, while the remaining are in a specially-created emergency ward, he said. Six people, including two women, were brought dead to hospitals, Rane informed. 4Continued on | P8 Aides scared after main accused injured during escape bid Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL After prime accused Farhan Khan suffered a bullet injury in the leg during an escape bid late Friday night, the other accused in the high-profile rape and blackmailing case are petrified. Farhan, Sahil Khan and Nabeel are in custody of Ashoka Garden police for questioning in the case. While Farhan is now under treatment after receiving a bullet injury in his leg, Sahil and Nabeel are being questioned by police regarding their roles in the racket. Police sources said that the duo was in shock after receiving information about Farhan. They said Sahil and Nabeel were not speaking much and barely ate the food that was given to them in custody. During questioning, they regretted their acts while blaming Farhan for involving them in the rape RAPE AND BLACKMAIL CASE Farhan Khan undergoing treatment at Hamidia Hospital and blackmailing racket. To note, Farhan’s close aide Ali had broken his leg while attempting to flee when cops surrounded him at his hideout in Ashoka Garden some days back. DCP Zone-2 Priyanka Shukla said Farhan and one Abrar lived in Bilkisganj for some time and it was suspected that Abrar may have been hiding there. 4Continued on | P8 Tiger mauls farmer to death in Balaghat Our Staff Reporter NCW team in Bhopal A three-member team of the National Commission for Women headed by its president Nirmala Kaur reached Bhopal to conduct an enquiry into the rape and blackmailing case. The NCW had earlier issued notice to the police commissioner demanding a report in the case and progress in the action taken in this regard. Police officials said that the commission would independently conduct an enquiry into the case and it would be provided all assistance and relevant documents. The team may visit the private college where the victims and the accused studied earlier and may record statements of the victims besides examining the available evidence NIA obtains Rana's voice, handwriting samples BHOPAL/BALAGHAT A farmer was killed by a tiger in Goreghat Kudwa village, Balaghat, on Saturday morning, sparking angry protests from villagers who accused forest department of ignoring their prior warnings about the animal's presence. Prakash Pane, 50, was reportedly guarding his crop in a field adjacent to his home and was asleep in a makeshift hut when the tiger attacked him around 6 am. The animal is said to have emerged unexpectedly and pounced on the farmer, dragging him a considerable distance before he KKR Vs RR KOLKATA, 3.30 PM MATCH NO. 54 UJJAIN WORLD Romario’s rampage rocks Chennai P.16 BHOPAL Representative pic could raise an alarm. Following the tiger roars, villagers rushed to the scene and discovered the horrific sight. The tiger had killed the victim and partially consumed his thigh and waist areas. Upon seeing the large gathering of villagers, the tiger fled deep into the jungle. The incident has ignited anger among local community. 4Continued on | P8 NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency on Saturday collected the voice and handwriting samples of Tahawwur Rana, the alleged mastermind behind the Mumbai terror attack, before a Delhi court. Rana was brought under tight security before Judicial Magistrate First Class Vaibhav Kumar, before whom the NIA recorded his handwriting specimens in an in-chamber proceeding. Rana wrote various alphabets and numerical characters, the source said. PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK Cinema Love served gently P.14 FLIGHT FROM CHENNAI SEARCHED IN COLOMBO India is conducting a rare and very sophisticated ‘dogfight’ in space between a 'chaser' and 'target' satellite orbiting nearly 500 kilometers above the Earth. This comes close on the heels of Chinese defence satellites practising ‘dogfights’ in low Earth orbits in 2024. Dogfighting in space refers to the concept of coordinated, close-range ma- neuvers between spacecraft, similar to the aerial dogfights between fighter jets. The Indian attempt is one more useful extension of the ambitious SPADEX Mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Two Indian satellites—zipping through space at 28,800 kilometers per hour, or at a speed which is 28 times faster than cruising a commercial passenger jet and 10 times the speed of a bullet— are autonomously participating in this precision flight pattern orchestrated by the ISRO. Both satellites have been conducting rendezvous and proximity tactics. India bans direct, indirect imports from Pakistan PTI NEW DELHI, PTI COLOMBO Sri Lankan police on Saturday searched a flight arriving here from Chennai after being tipped-off that a suspect linked to the Pahalgam terror attack could be on board, police spokesperson said here. A statement from the national carrier SriLankan Airlines said that its flight arrived at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport from Chennai at 11:59 am and underwent a comprehensive security inspection upon arrival. "The search was carried out in coordination with local authorities following an alert from the Chennai Area Control Centre regarding a suspect wanted in India who was believed to be on board", the statement said. 4Continued on | P8 India has banned direct or indirect import of all goods from Pakistan with immediate effect in the interest of national security and public policy, following the Pahalgam terror attack last month which killed 26 tourists, according to a government order. The decision will completely halt all inbound shipments of goods from Pakistan to India. India's exports to Pakistan in April-January 2024-25 stood at USD 447.65 million, while imports were meagre USD 0.42 million. A provision in this regard has been added in Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 "to prohibit direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan with immediate effect until further orders", the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notifi- Postal services suspended Pak test-fires Abdali missile India on Saturday suspended all postal services from Pakistan and banned entry of Pakistani-flagged ships at Indian ports, in fresh punitive measures against Islamabad in view of the cross border linkages to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. New Delhi's new measures came amid escalating tensions between the two countries Pakistan on Saturday announced that it has conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali Weapon System a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 km, amid heightened tensions with India following the Pahalgam terror attack. The army said the missile launch was part of "Exercise INDUS" without giving details about the exercise cation dated May 2. It added this restriction is imposed in the interest of national security and public policy. Any exception to this prohibition will require approval of Government of India, the order said. Inserting the provision under the heading "Prohibition on Import from Pakistan" PM vows firm and decisive action PTI NEW DELHI Terrorism is the "biggest threat" to humanity and India is committed to take "firm and decisive" action against the terrorists and their backers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, against the backdrop of escalating tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad over the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. He made these remarks after holding wide-ranging talks with visiting Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lour- enco. His assertion on strongly dealing with terrorism came even as India announced fresh punitive measures against Pakistan including complete ban on imports from Pakistan, suspension of all postal services from that country and banning entry of Pakistani-flagged ships at Indian ports. "We are unanimous that terrorism is the biggest threat to humanity. I expressed my gratitude to President Lourenco and Angola for their condolences to those killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam," Modi said in his media statement. "We are committed to take firm and decisive action against the terrorists and those who support them. We thank Angola for their support in our fight against cross-border terrorism," he said. It is learnt that the Pahalgam terror attack figured prominently in Modi-Lourenco talks. in the FTP, it said: "Direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether or not freely importable or otherwise permitted, shall be prohibited with immediate effect, until further orders". 4Continued on | P8 Omar calls on PM Modi Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and discussed various key issues, including last week's terror attack in Pahalgam, officials said. The meeting at the prime minister's residence lasted around 30 minutes, they said. This is the first meeting between the two leaders since the April 22 terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed Shoot love jihad accused in full public view: Sarang Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Reacting to the police encounter of a love jihad accused named Farhan, Minister Vishwas Sarang made a provocative statement, saying that the bullet should have been fired into his chest instead of his leg. "Such people have no right to live; they are a burden on earth," Sarang said, referring to those accused of Love Jihad. He said, “Those who indulge in such acts should not be allowed to live in the state or country.” Visibly agitated while speaking to reporters, the minister said, “It was wrong to shoot him in the leg. A bullet should have been pumped into his chest instead.” Sarang called for public executions in such cases. “They should be shot in full public view to send a clear message that such perpetrators will not be spared. Shoot them publicly and eliminate them,” he said. Seize book that mentions ‘Sabab’ for outraging modesty: MLA BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma also reacted strongly to the incident, claiming that the accused had cited a religious jus- tification, “Sabab”,for his alleged actions against Hindu girls. “If any religious book promotes such teachings, it must be confiscated,” Sharma said, adding that the Maulvi who taught such ideology must also be identified and arrested. He demanded a probe into mosques and madarsas where such content may have been taught. 4Continued on | P8 Prez pitches for legal empowerment of panchayats to settle disputes legal empowerment which leads to such cases failing to get settle at the vil- PTI NEW DELHI President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday made a strong pitch to extend the dispute resolution mechanism to rural areas so that the Panchayats are legally empowered to mediate and resolve the conflicts in villages. She said social harmony in villages is an essential prerequisite of making the nation strong. Murmu also said that while people who mediate in family or land disputes in village are socially empowered, they lack Indian sats practising ‘dogfights’ Dogfighting in space refers to the concept of coordinated, closerange manoeuvers between spacecraft E-paper Readers’ Corner Enough is Enough P.6 offgrid Online Report MUMBAI The current ‘dogfight’ was preceded by an extended but manually conducted circumambulation or parikrama between the chaser and target satellite a few weeks ago. In the SPADEX mission, India has already "successfully demonstrated docking and undocking twice over", ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan said. 4Continued on | P8 lage level itself. Addressing the first conference on mediation here, she said during resolution of disputes, affected parties know that the mediators lack delegation of legal powers, therefore, they do not agree with the decisions. The president said there was a need to create a mechanism where disputes at village level are settled there only and the atmosphere is not vitiated and people live in harmony. At times the disputes spiral out. Several small issues can be resolved at the grassroots level itself, she asserted. Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, CJI-designate B R Gavai and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal were also present at the event. Murmu said it could perhaps be due to an oversight or lack of time that a judicial system from the village to the Supreme Court has not been established. 4Continued on | P8 India approves $200 mn credit line for Angola PTI NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced a USD 200 million defence credit line for Angola and expressed commitment to act firmly and decisively against terrorists and their backers, an assertion that came days after the Pahalgam terror strike. Modi made the remarks after holding wide-ranging talks with Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Laurenco that focused on ramping up overall bilateral ties, including in areas of digital public infrastructure. In his media statement, the prime minister said Laurenco's visit to India not only gives a new direction to the bilateral relations but also strengthens the India-Africa partnership. "I am pleased to announce India's USD 200 million defence credit line to support modernisation of Angola's defence forces," he said. Albanese wins second term as Australia PM AP MELBOURNE Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has become the first Australian prime minister to win a second consecutive three-year term in 21 years. Opposition leader Peter Dutton conceded defeat in Saturday's election, saying, "We didn't do well enough during this campaign, that much is obvious tonight, and I accept full responsibility for that." "Earlier on, I called the prime minister to congratulate him on his success tonight. It's an historic occasion for the Labour Party and we recognise that," he added. The Australian Electoral Commission's projections gave Albanese's ruling centreleft Labour Party 70 seats and the conservative opposition coalition 24 seats in the 150seat House of Representatives, the lower chamber where parties need a majority to form governments.