Monday, May 19, 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. 193 | 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) GAMES NATION Former Union minister RCP Singh joins Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party in Bihar Cinema Babil Khan walks out of Sai Rajesh’s film Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh star in Punjab Kings’ victory over Rajasthan Royals Edit Twin Prahar on Bangladesh BAILOUT RIDERS | The global body imposes 11 conditions for release of next tranche of loans, saying India ties key to scheme's fiscal, external, reform goals IMF warns Pak of tension risks Agencies ISLAMABAD EC has been transforming the lives of differentlyabled children. Turn to the Mumbai page to find out how. SEE P3 S Top LeT ultra linked to 2006 RSS HQ attack killed in Pak PTI NEW DELHI Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Razaullah Nizamani Khalid alias Abu Saifullah Khalid, who was the brain behind the 2006 attack on the RSS headquarters, was killed by three unidentified gunmen in Sindh province of Pakistan on Sunday, officials here said. Khalid used to head the terror operations of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) from Nepal in early 2000 and had many aliases including Vinode Kumar, Mohammed Salim and Razaullah. 4Contd on | nation As part of its nod for two loan tranches worth $2.4 billion on May 9 for Pakistan, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reportedly slapped 11 new conditions for the release of the next instalment of its bailout programme and warned that tensions with India could heighten risks to the scheme's fiscal, external, and reform goals. The conditions include the parliamentary approval of a new Rs 17.6 trillion budget, an increase in the debt servicing surcharge on electricity bills and lifting restrictions on import of more than three-yearold used cars, Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper The IMF report came days after defence minister Rajnath Singh said that any financial aid to Pakistan was akin to terror funding. said on Sunday. The Staff Level report, which the IMF released on Saturday, also said that "rising tensions between India and Pakistan, if sustained or deteriorate further, could heighten risks to the fiscal, external and reform goals of the programme". The IMF report has shown the defence budget for the next fiscal year at Rs 2.414 trillion, which is higher by Rs 252 No expiry date: Army on Op Sindoor pause Online Report NEW DELHI There is "no expiry date" to the understanding reached between Indian and Pakistani Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) on cessation of hostilities nearly a week back, the Army said on Sunday. The clarification came follow- ing reports that the arrangement between the two militaries on stopping the hostilities would end on Sunday evening. "As far as continuation of break in hostilities, as decided in DGMOs interaction of May 12 are concerned, there is no expiry date to it," the Army said. 4Contd on | nation 17 CHARRED TO DEATH IN CHARMINAR HOUSE FPJ News Service HYDERABAD billion or 12%. Compared to the IMF's projection, the government has indicated allocating over Rs 2.5 trillion or an 18% higher budget, after confrontation with India early this month. With 11 more conditions on Pakistan, the total number of riders has risen to 50, the newspaper reported. It has imposed the new condition of securing "parliamentary approval of the fiscal year 2026 budget in line with the IMF staff agreement to meet programme targets by end-June 2025". The IMF report has shown the total size of the federal budget at Rs 17.6 trillion, including Rs 1.07 trillion for development spending. IIT Bombay cuts Turkish ties IIT Bombay has suspended all agreements with Turkish universities, following Turkiye's support to Pakistan amid heightened tensions with India. In a post on its official X handle, the institute said, "Due to the current geopolitical situation involving Turkiye, IIT Bombay is processing suspension of its agreements with Turkish universities until further notice." It currently has a faculty exchange programme with some Turkish institutions. Earlier, IIT Roorkee had cancelled its agreement with Turkiye's Inonu University. ‘Protocol lapse’ on Maha visit riles CJI FPJ News Service MUMBAI The Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai, on Sunday expressed his disappointment over a lapse in protocol during his first visit to Maharashtra after assuming the top judicial post. He pointed out that the state’s chief secretary, director general of police (DGP) and the Mumbai police commissioner were not present to receive him on his arrival in the city. Gavai, the 52nd CJI and the second Dalit to be appointed to the post, had taken oath on May 14. He was here to attend a felicitation event organised by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa. Speaking at the event, the CJI remarked, “If the chief secretary of the state, DGP or the Mumbai police commissioner does not want to come there, when the CJI, who is from Maharashtra, has arrived for the 4Contd on | nation Haryana arrests Ashoka varsity prof over ‘hypocrisy’ remarks Rajesh Moudgil CHANDIGARH Haryana police on Sunday arrested Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor of Sonepat-based Ashoka university, following the registration of a case against him in connection with his remarks on social media on Operation Sindoor. The case was based on a complaint lodged by the Haryana State Commission for Women chairperson (HSCW) Renu Bhatia and a complaint filed by BJP leader Yogesh Jatheri, sarpanch of Jatheri village. Mahmudabad was arrested from Delhi, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Rai, Ajeet Singh said. 4Contd on | nation Court in US shields Indian student from deportation first time, it's up to them to think about whether it is right or not.” After the event, the CJI went to the samadhi of Dr BR Ambedkar, Chaitya Bhoomi in Dadar, where the chief secretary, DGP and CP were present. Although he clarified that he did not want to dwell on “such small issues”, Gavai emphasised the importance of mutual respect among the three pillars of democracy — executive, legislature, and judiciary. “All three pillars of democracy are equal and must reciprocate and show and give respect to one another,” he said. He added, “When a chief of an organ or institution is coming for the first time to the state, especially when he too belongs to the said state, whether the treatment they gave was right or not, they themselves should think.” 4Contd on | nation NAAC 'A++’ Grade with CGPA of 3.60 (4th Cycle) 'A' Grade University Status by MHRD, Govt. of India Category-I University Status by UGC NIRF Ranking-78th FOUNDER CHANCELLOR DR. PATANGRAO KADAM Agencies A devastating fire broke out early Sunday morning in a building less than 100 metres from the iconic Charminar here, claiming the lives of 17 people, including 8 children, belonging to an extended family. Several people were injured in the blaze, which started on the ground floor around 6.16 am and quickly spread to the upper residential floors of the Gulzar House, trapping families inside. The youngest victim, Pratham, was just 1.5 years old. Firefighting, search, and rescue operations were launched immediately. In a massive effort, fire personnel managed to rescue 17 individuals trapped on the first floor and shifted them to hospitals. A narrow staircase was the only escape route for the inmates of the building, but they could not rush out, a fire department official said. The building housed jewellery shops on the ground floor and people were residing in a flat above. Due to the narrow lanes and poor access to the site, assistance was quickly called in from several fire stations. 4Contd on | nation WASHINGTON Bodies in cupboard Recounting the Gulzar House horror, a local resident, Mohn Ibrahim, said: “We found bodies of children in a charred cupboard. Apparently, their parents had forced them into it to save them." “There were signs of struggle till the last minute. The victims did their best to save themselves, but unfortunately lost their lives,” said his friend Aamir. SEE P9 8 killed in Solapur fire Eight persons, including three women and a child, were killed in a massive fire at a factory in Solapur district on Sunday, officials said. Prima facie, a short circuit triggered the blaze at Central Textile Mills. Among the deceased were the factory owner, Haji Usman Hasanbhai Mansuri, and three members of his family, including his one-and-a-half-year old grandson. An Indian PhD graduate studying at a university in South Dakota, whom the Trump administration has been attempting to deport, was granted an injunction by a federal judge, allowing her to stay in the country after having received her degree. Priya Saxena’s student visa was terminated by the Trump administration in April, which would have prevented her from completing her doctoral program and graduating on 10 May, the Guardian reported. According to court documents, Saxena’s student visa was revoked due to having a “criminal record”, but her only infraction was from a minor 2021 traffic violation – “failure to stop for an emergency vehicle” – for which she paid a small fine. According to her attorney, immigration law states the minor infraction is not a deportable offense. Due to her visa being terminated, which was still valid until February 2027, her Student and Exchange Visitor Program (Sevis) record was deleted. 4Contd on | nation 12th-min PSLV setback renders Isro’s 101st mission impossible Agencies SRIHARIKOTA The Isro on Sunday failed to put its earth observation satellite in orbit after its trusted PSLV rocket developed a fault minutes after launch from the spaceport here. In Isro's 101st mission from the spaceport here, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61) had a textbook lift off at 5:59 am, only to experience an anomaly in the 12th minute of the flight. "Today we targeted the 101st launch from Sriharikota, the PSLV-C61 EOS-09 mission. The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle and up to the second stage, the performance was normal. The third stage motor started perfectly but during the functioning of the third stage we are seeing afn observation and the mission could not be accomplished," Isro chairman V Narayanan said. "We are studying the entire performance, we shall come back at the earliest," Narayanan said post the unsuccessful launch. This was the third failure of the PSLV, Isro's trusted warhorse rocket that launched the Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter Mission. The PSLV has had 63 launches so far. The previous failures were in 1993, the inaugural flight of the PSLV, and in 2017 when it did not succeed in putting in orbit a navigation satellite. 4Contd on | nation SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH DYNAMIC EDUCATION Admissions 2025-26 Through BV(DU) - Entrance Test Pioneer Multi Disciplinary & Multicampus University Merit Based Scholarship worth Rs. 10 cr. NEP Compliant skill based curriculum Excellent Placements (Networking with 500+ Companies) 5 Lakh+ Alumni Globally Industry Connect National & Global 189 th Rank in 2024 State of the art Healthcare Facilities Innovation and Startup Support Dual / Joint degree and Twinning programs Hub for Transformative Research & IPR Ranked in in South Asia 78th Ranked AI & ML, Data Analytics, Cyber security, Cloud computing integrated with syllabus UG / PG & Ph.D Programs BBA / BCA / B.Com (A & F) / MBA / MCA / MHA B.Tech / M.Tech B.Pharm / M.Pharm / Pharm D. B.Sc. (H & HA) M.S.W. B.Sc. / M.Sc. Biotechnology BA. LLB / BBA. LLB / LLB / LLM. B.Sc. 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