Thursday, May 22, 2025 | 32 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. 196 | 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 Murshidabad violence report has fully exposed TMC’s anti-Hindu agenda, says BJP Briefs CISF posted at Bhakra Dam Amid rising tensions between Punjab and Haryana over water allocation from the Bhakra Dam, the Centre has deployed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to safeguard the site. The Union Home Ministry has sanctioned 296 CISF posts for the dam’s security, instructing the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to arrange accommodation, transport, and necessary equipment. The move follows Punjab Police ramping up its presence and BBMB chairman Manoj Tripathi being gheraoed by protesters in Nangal. This comes as Punjab’s AAP government celebrated halting extra water release to Haryana, which had already used its allotted share for the September 2024–May 2025 period. Tip notice to Uber The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued a notice to Uber for encouraging users to pay advance tips to receive quicker service, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi announced. Joshi condemned this “advance tip” practice as unethical and exploitative, stating that tips should be voluntary tokens of appreciation, not a prerequisite for faster service. The CCPA, operating under the Consumer Affairs Ministry, is investigating Uber for potentially violating fair trade practices. Joshi emphasised the importance of fairness, transparency, and accountability in customer dealings. Uber has yet to respond to the notice issued by the authority. India expels Pak official India on Wednesday expelled yet another official from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi for “indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India.” The diplomat has been asked to leave the country within 24 hours.“The Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission was summoned and issued a demarche today,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. “He was instructed to ensure that no member of the Pakistani diplomatic mission in India misuses their privileges or official status in any manner.”This marks the second such expulsion in just over a week. On May 13, India had expelled another Pakistani official on charges of espionage.In keeping with diplomatic tit-for-tat practices, Pakistan is expected to respond by expelling an Indian diplomat. Bail for Puja Khedkar The SC on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to ex-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating to avail OBC and disability quotas in the UPSC exam. “She’s not a terrorist or drug lord,” the bench observed, slamming Delhi Police for overreach. Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma directed her to cooperate with the probe and barred her from influencing witnesses. Bail was granted under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, with a Rs 25,000 bond. GAMES Cinema Ishaan Khatter makes a stylish Cannes debut Gujarat Titans looking to finish in top two as they take on Lucknow Super Giants Edit A gambit, not glory, for Munir NATIONAL HERALD CASE | Daily hearings in Delhi court from July 2 to 8 after Enforcement Directorate makes submission ‘PRIMA FACIE CASE OF MONEY LAUNDERING’ Online Report and Agencies NEW DELHI The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told a court here that Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have enjoyed Rs. 142 crore of "proceeds of crime" linked to alleged National Herald money laundering case. IANS reports that Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the ED, said that the accused were benefiting from the proceeds of crime until the federal anti-money laundering agency attached assets related to the National Herald in November 2023. Further, ASG Raju claimed that the accused committed money laundering not only when they acquired the "proceeds of crime" but also when they continued to hold it. As per the ED, a prima facie case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was made out against the Gandhis, Congress Overseas Chief Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others. A Delhi Court will conduct day to day hearing from July 28. During the hearing on Wed- Online report The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad in the Haryana Police FIR over his social media posts about 'Operation Sindoor.' He was arrested on May 18. The Court refused to stay the investigation. It directed the Haryana DGP to constitute within 24 hours a Special Investigation Team comprising senior IPS officers, who do not belong to Haryana or Delhi, to investigate and understand the true meaning of the post. One SIT officer should be a woman. The SIT should be headed by an IG rank officer and the other two members must be nesday, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts permitted a copy of the complaint to be given to the complainant and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. As the proposed accused sought an adjournment to go through voluminous record, the ED opposed the same, Live Law reported. Advocate Zoheb Hossain also appearing for the ED submitted that the matter pertains to criminal conspiracy allegedly involving three entities Associated Journals Limited, Young Indian and All India Congress Committee (AICC). 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation of SP rank. As a condition of interim bail, the Court restrained Ali Khan Mahmudabad from writing any posts or articles in relation to the social media Top Naxal, 26 others shot dead in Bastar Agencies NARAYANPUR (CHHATTISGARH): In perhaps the most successful security operation in decades against the Naxals, security forces on Wednesday killed topmost leader of the Maoist insurgents, Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, and 26 other cadres in a fierce encounter in the dense forests of Abhujmad in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. Basavaraju, in his early 70s, took over from the former CPI(Maoist) general secretary Mupalla Laxman Rao alias Ganpathy sometime in 2017 and carried a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head. He held a BTech degree from the Regional Engineering College, Warangal. Hailing from undivided Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju was the brain behind several major attacks on security forces in Chhattisgarh. He was re- portedly the key strategist behind the 2010 Dantewada massacre, where 76 CRPF personnel were killed, and the 2013 Jhiram Ghati ambush in Chhattisgarh, which targeted senior Congress leaders. The operation on the trijunction of Narayanpur-BijapurDantewada districts was launched two days ago following intelligence inputs about the presence of key Maoists in the area. A member of the District Reserve Guard, a unit of Chhattisgarh Police, was also killed in the action while some others sustained injuries, police said. Hailing the "remarkable success", PM Narendra Modi said on X: "Our Government is committed to eliminating the menace of Maoism and ensuring a life of peace and progress for our people.” 4Contd on | nation Who was Basavaraju? ■ Backbone of the Naxal movement, he took over from Ganpathy in 2017 ■ Held BTech degree, carried `1 crore reward on his head ■ Was behind the 2010 Dantewada CRPF massacre and the 2013 Jhiram Ghati ambush of Congress leaders ‘Waqf not essential to Islam’ FPJ News Service MUMBAI The Centre has firmly asserted before the SC that Waqf is not an essential religious practice in Islam but merely a form of charity, which is recognised across all faiths. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, arguing on behalf of the government, stated on Wednesday that the concept of Waqf is secular in nature and does not constitute a fundamental religious right. "Waqf is an Islamic concept. But it is not an essential part of Islam. It is just charity in Islam," Mehta said. He pointed out that several Islamic countries function without a Waqf structure and yet remain deeply Islamic. 4Contd on | nation Agencies NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to hear a plea seeking an FIR against high court judge Yashwant Varma in connection with the discovery of cash from this official residence in the capital. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said a press release issued by the top court on May 8 records that the chief justice of India forwarded the report of the in-house enquiry committee along with the judge's response to President and Prime Minister of India. "You don't know the contents of the report (inquiry committee report), even we don't know. The CJI has sent the report to the Prime Minister and President", Justice Oka stated. Bail for Ashoka University professor NEW DELHI SC ‘no’ to plea for FIR against Justice Varma 4Contd on | nation SC sets up SIT to probe comments, with the caveat that the members are not from Haryana or Delhi cadre Ketan Narottam Tanna The Delhi High Court has ruled that just having a common Indian name as a brand—like "Neha"—won’t guarantee you legal monopoly, unless you back it up with hard commercial clout. In a squabble over the trademark "NEHA" between a mehendi brand and a face cream company, Justice Sanjeev Narula highlighted that everyday names need more than emotional attachment to qualify for protection—they need evidence of having carved out a strong consumer association. Think advertising blitz, big sales numbers, and brand loyalty metrics. The plaintiffs claimed they had been using "Neha" since 1992, inspired by the founder’s sister, for their herbal henna line. But the defendant swore by his own prior claim—using "Neha" since 1990 for his range of face creams, including cold, turmeric, and fairness variants reported Live Law. Banu Mushtaq and her translator Deepa Bhasthi have won the International Booker Prize for fiction on Tuesday for “Heart Lamp,” a collection of 12 short stories written over more than 30 years and which chronicle the everyday lives and struggles of women in southern India. The stories were selected and translated into English from Kannada, spoken in Karnataka, by Deepa Bhasthi who will share the £50,000 prize. The award was announced by Booker Prizelonglisted author Max Porter in his role as chair of the five-member voting panel, at a ceremony at Lon- Poonam Apraj MUMBAI National security agencies have uncovered evidence suggesting that social media influencer Jyoti Malhotra, arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan, made multiple visits to Mumbai and captured sensitive videos and photographs of key locations. Recovered files include visuals from Mumbai, Pahalgam, as well as the Golden Temple. It is suspected the visuals were sent to the ISI. According to highly placed intelligence sources, Malhotra travelled to Mumbai at least thrice between July and September 2024, using trains and luxury buses and once in 2023. During these visits, she extensively documented areas via videos and photos, some of which have now been recovered from her electronic devices. Sources say that during an earlier visit in September 2023, specifically under the pretext of taking darshan of famous Ganesh idols — Mumbai Cha Raja at Ganesh Galli and Lalbaugcha Raja, Jyoti Malhotra extensively filmed the massive crowds, local area layouts, entry/exit points, and surrounding infrastructure at both locations. don’s Tate Modern. It is the first time the award has been given to a collection of short stories. Bhasthi is the first Indian translator — and ninth female translator — to win the prize since it took on its current form in 2016. Mushtaq is the sixth female author to be awarded the prize since then. The short story -`Mehroon' by Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq reflects an incident from her own life. 4Contd on | nation CPEC set to cross Afghan border FPJ News Service Picture recovered from Jyoti Malhotra’s devices showing crowds in Mumbai. “These locations attract lakhs of devotees, and the visuals she recorded could potentially help anti-national elements understand crowd behavior, security gaps, and escape routes,” a senior officer involved in the probe said. Her first visit was in August 2024, when she travelled from Ahmedabad to Mumbai via Karnavati Express. She recorded videos throughout the journey, including footage from railway stations and enroute locations. The areas she visited and her accommodations in Mumbai during this trip are under scrutiny. Malhotra’s second visit was in September 2024, when she boarded the 12138 Punjab Mail from New Delhi Railway Station to Mumbai. In one of her social media posts she mentioned that Punjab Mail once connected Mumbai to Peshawar before Partition, and that she chose this train as a symbol of “love across borders.” Intelligence officials believe this narrative was a cover for her actual intent. During this journey, she travelled in a Second AC coach, documenting various locations enroute and upon arrival in Mumbai. 4Contd on | nation pretext of taking darshan of famous Ganesh idols — Mumbai Cha Raja at Ganesh Galli and Lalbaugcha Raja, Jyoti Malhotra extensively filmed the massive crowds, local area layouts, entry and exit points, and surrounding infrastructure at both locations. 2006, a 16-year delay that didn’t win him any brownie points. Neither party, unfortunately, brought convincing receipts. The court noted the absence of dated invoices, promotional For the first time short stories awarded Booker International Prize MUMBAI TARGET PRACTICE: In September 2023, specifically under the What’s in a name? Delhi High Court rules that even the most popular Indian names must prove market muscle to earn trademark exclusivity The twist? While the plaintiffs actually had a registered trademark, the defendant never got one—despite trying multiple times. His application only materialised in Vinay Madhava Gowda BENGLURU Malhotra recced Mumbai When ‘Neha’ isn’t enough to win a trademark tussle MUMBAI Banu Mushtaq to share Booker with translator material, or packaging from the 1990s. The earliest document? An income tax return from 1995. That’s not exactly the fireworks show the court was hoping for. The defendant tried the old "they didn’t object for years, so they must’ve been fine with it" defence. The court, unimpressed, shot that down— pointing out that silence doesn’t equal surrender, especially without proof that the plaintiffs knowingly sat back and watched. 4Contd on | nation In a significant step toward regional economic integration, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan. The decision was announced following a trilateral meeting of the countries' foreign ministers in Beijing. The informal dialogue, hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, brought together Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The ministers resolved to expand the multibillion-dollar CPEC project—a key component of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—to include Afghanistan, aiming to bolster trade, infrastructure and development across the region. A statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the agreement, stating the three nations “stand together for regional peace, stability and development.” The talks also focused on boosting connectivity through enhanced road, rail and pipeline networks linking China’s Xinjiang province with Pakistan’s Gwadar port and further into Afghanistan. 4Contd on | nation KARJAT TO MATHERAN: DRONEMAIL IN 16 MINS Sameera Kapoor Munshi MUMBAI In a first-of-its-kind aerial delivery, the Maharashtra Postal Circle has successfully completed a drone-assisted mail transport between Karjat and Matheran — charting a bold course for postal logistics in tough terrains. On May 16, a drone carried a 9.35 kg mailbag across the 23kilometre hilly stretch, known for its steep elevation and erratic weather. What normally takes 90 minutes by road was completed in a mere 20 minutes by air. The return trip — carrying a 9.168 kg bag back to Karjat — took just 16 minutes, despite dense clouds and rainfall. 4Contd on | nation