FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. XLI No. 345 | INDORE | FRIDAY | MAY 23, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE NATION Sports From IPL sparks to India flame P.14 Storm ravages Uttar Pradesh, claims 33 lives DIPLOMATIC FLASHPOINT| India signals tougher stance on backers of Pakistan and its cross-border terrorism Respect interests or risk ties: China, Turkey warned PTI Chinese side is aware that mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity remain the basis of India-China relations, says MEA NEW DELHI India on Thursday reminded China that "mutual" trust, respect and sensitivity are the basis of its ties with China -- in remarks that came against the backdrop of Pakistani military using several Chinese weapons systems during its four-day confrontation with the Indian armed forces. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said NSA Ajit Doval spoke to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 10 and conveyed India's resolute stance against cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Asked whether China's military support to Pakistan fp Briefs ISLAMABAD Pak expels diplomat Pakistan on Thursday expelled a staff member of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, declaring the official persona non grata and ordering him to leave the country within 24 hours. The Indian Chargé d'Affaires was summoned to the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formally convey the decision. The move came just hours after India expelled a Pakistani diplomat — its second such expulsion in a week. JAMMU Soldier killed in gunfight A soldier was killed and two others injured on Thursday in an ongoing gunfight between the joint security forces & terrorists in J&K’s Kishtwar district, officials said. Army jawan martyred in has been identified as Sepoy Gaykar Sandip Pandurang, resident of village Karandi, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra. JAMMU Chargesheet names Malik The CBI has filed a chargesheet against former J&K governor Satyapal Malik and seven others for alleged corruption in awarding Rs 2,200 crore civil works for the Kiru hydropower project. Malik, critically ill and hospitalised in Delhi, was accused alongside aides and Chenab Valley Power Projects officials. will have adverse impact on New Delhi's ties with Beijing, Jaiswal underlined the importance of "mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity" for the relations. The spokesperson was responding to a question at his weekly media briefing. "Our National Security Advisor (NSA) and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had spoken to each other on May 10 when the NSA conveyed India's resolute stance against crossborder terrorism emanating from Pakistan," Jaiswal said. "The Chinese side is aware that mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity remain the basis of IndiaChina relations," he added. Following the four-day-long military clashes between India and Pakistan, the Indian military released images that showed the Pakistan military's use of Chinese weapons in- cluding PL-15 missiles in targeting Indian military installations. Pakistan has been an "all weather friend" of China and Chinese fighter jets and missiles were used by the Pakistan military during the clashes. The use of Chinese platforms by Pakistan against India came at a time New Delhi and Beijing have been looking at normalising their ties following the eastern Ladakh standoff. India and China initiated a series of steps to repair their ties following the disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. 4Continued on | P8 SHOOTING RANGE HORROR COACH IN JAIL, SCANDAL GROWS: Fresh rape, molestation charges Two more ‘BIGGER THAN BHOPAL, COPS GOING SLOW’ victims speak out Bajrang Dal office-bearer Tannu Sharma said, “This love Our Staff Reporter INDORE Two more FIRs for rape and molestation have been registered against the director of a shooting range, who is currently in Accused jail for allegedly molesting a girl. The fresh cases were filed after two more victims came forward with complaints. Leaders of Hindu outfits have claimed that the scandal is larger than those reported in Bhopal and Ujjain, alleging that the accused Mosin Khan—who ran the Dream Olympic Shooting Range in Silver Oaks Colony—targeted nearly 150 Hindu girls. They alleged that he molested and jihad scandal is far bigger than what happened in Bhopal and Ujjain. The police are trying to suppress it. The accused lured Hindu girls into his trap and targeted nearly 150 of them. We have received objectionable videos and other evidence, which we are handing over to the police. We met the victim and helped her lodge an FIR.” raped the girls after recording objectionable videos of them. Some of these videos have gone viral on social media. However, police have refuted these claims based on their preliminary investigation and said that the accused’s mobile phone is being sent to the forensic department to retrieve deleted and hidden data, including photos and videos. Annapurna Police station in-charge Ajay Nair confirmed that two more victims had reached the police station to lodge complaints. Based on their complaints, two additional FIRs have been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the BNS. The police will seek remand of the accused for further investigation. Additional CP Amit Singh said, “We are recording the statements of other girls who had enrolled for training. We have not yet recovered any videos from the accused's mobile phone. However, the victim has shared some videos and recordings, which we are considering as evidence.” On Thursday, a 23-year-old woman filed a complaint of rape, while a 32-year-old woman lodged a complaint of molestation. 4Continued on | P8 LOCALS PROTEST AT ACADEMY, DEMAND STRICT ACTION Residents protest outside academy, demanding strict action Local residents gathered in large numbers outside the shooting academy and staged a protest on Thursday. They demanded strict action against the accused. 2,360 WAITING TO BE DEPORTED TO BANGLADESH IANS NEW DELHI 4Continued on | P8 PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK US was in the United States: EAM on Trump’s truce claim Agencies External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the cessation of firing and military action was negotiated directly between India and Pakistan. He said that India had made it clear to every nation, including the US, that Pakistan needs to call India's general and say that if it wants to stop the firing. In an interview with the Netherlands-based NOS, Jaishankar said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to him, and US Vice President JD Vance talked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stressed that it is natural that nations call up when there are two nations involved in a conflict. When asked whether both armies talked to each other, initiated by the Pakistani army, Jaishankar said, "Yes, we have a mechanism to talk to each other as a hotline. So, on the 10th of May, it was the Pakistani army which sent a message that they were ready to stop firing, and we responded accordingly." 4Continued on | P8 Blocking of seats during counselling for postgraduate medical courses disadvantages higher-ranked candidates and undermines merit-based selection, the Supreme Court said on Thursday, issuing several directions to prevent this practice during admissions after NEET-PG. Seat-blocking is a common practice across competitive exams. Candidates take admission to courses at multiple institutions as part of a contingency plan. Later, they choose the most preferred option and vacate the other seats. These seats are then up for grabs, but by then most candidates have already taken admission somewhere. So, candidates much lower on the merit list get a shot at these seats. The bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan said seat-blocking is not merely an isolated wrongdoing, but reflects deeper systemic flaws. Ab toh Modi ki naso mein lahu nahi garam sindoor beh raha hai (Not blood but sindoor runs in Modi's veins) Rahim Yar Khan airbase is in ICU PM Modi at Karni Mata temple in Bikaner. Agencies BIKANER (RAJASTHAN) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack, and that the country's enemies have learnt what happens when 'sindoor' becomes gunpowder. Speaking in Palana in Bikaner which shares a border with Pakistan he lauded India's armed forces for creating such a trap that Pakistan was forced to go down on its knees. The prime minister slammed Pakistan, and said in response to the attack on April 22, "we destroyed nine biggest Uploads a post on social media in minister’s support Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The nephew of Vijay Shah and Congress legislator, Abhijeet Shah, has come in support of his uncle, breaking the party line. Abhijeet has uploaded a post on his Instagram, saying the words may be wrong, but a person from Makrai Riyasat cannot be anti-national. He also posted a video of Shah. In the video, Shah is seen praising the Indian soldiers. SC reserves Waqf orders FP News Service MUMBAI 4Continued on | P8 The video is related to Kashmir. Before independence, Makrai Riyasat was one of the rare estates that gave all the land to the Government of India without any protest or conditions, Abhijeet wrote. The decision to give land to the government was not political, but it was a symbol of sacrifice for the motherland, he wrote. The Congress is demanding the resignation of 4Continued on | P8 candidates temporarily accept seats, only to abandon them later after securing more preferred options. This leads to those seats remaining unavailable in earlier rounds and opening up only in later stages, disadvantaging higher-ranked aspirants, who may have already committed to less preferred choices," the court said. 4Continued on | P8 Vijay Shah for his comments on Colonel Sofia Qureshi. The Congress’s central leadership also demanded Shah’s resignation from the ministry. After Vijay Shah’s comments went viral, Abhijeet kept mum. His post is against the party’s demand for Shah’s resignation from the cabinet. Efforts were made to take Abhijeet’s reaction to his post, but it was not available. Chairman of the Congress’s media committee Mukesh Nayak has said Abhijeet is a Congress legislator who has sent a post in praise of the Indian Army. The Congress sticks to its guns over Vijay Shah, Nayak said. Now there will be neither trade nor talk with Pakistan. If there will be talk, it will only be about Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Ye shodh pratishodh ka khel nahin, ye nyay ka naya swaroop hai, ye Operation Sindoor hai. This is not just a retaliation; this is the 'Raudra Roop' of a strong India. Ye Bharat ka naya swaroop hai. Pehle ghar mein ghus ke kiya tha vaar, ab seene pe kiya prahar hai. (First, we entered their house and attacked; now we have attacked them on their chests)... This is the policy and the strategy to destroy the fangs of terrorism... This is new India. Justice Sanjeev is acting CJ of HC Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL High Court judge Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has been appointed acting Chief justice (CJ) of Madhya Pradesh High Court. The Central government on Thursday notified the appointment of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva as Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. His appointment will be effective from May 24 as present Chief Justice Suresh Kait is set to retire on May 23. He was transferred to the Madhya Pradesh High Court with effect from May 30, 2024. STATE GETS 6 REDEVELOPED AMRIT BHARAT STATIONS PM virtually dedicates stations to nation File pic FP News Service BHOPAL/ NARMADAPURAM Six railway stations of Madhya Pradesh have become part of the Amrit Bharat Station Yojna virtually dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Bikaner in Rajasthan on Thursday. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was in Narmadapuram to inaugurate the Narmadapuram railway station, which is part of the Amrit Bharat Station Yojna. Besides Narmadapu- ram, there are five other stations which have become part of the project. These stations are Katni South, Shridham, Shajapur, Seoni, and Orchha. These stations will lay a strong foundation for modern India, Modi said. The railway stations will be equipped with all modern facilities, he said. The government will develop 1,300 SC stays ED probe on TASMAC “ED is crossing all NEW DELHI "This malpractice distorts the actual availability of seats, fosters inequity among aspirants, and often reduces the process to one governed more by chance than merit," the court said in its order. It said systemic flaws rooted in "fragmented governance, lack of transparency, and weak policy enforcement" were responsible for this. "Seat blocking in NEETPG counselling occurs when terror hideouts in 22 minutes. The world and the enemies of the country have seen what happens when 'sindoor' turns into 'barood' (gunpowder)," he said. "Ab toh Modi ki naso mein lahu nahi garam sindoor beh raha hai (Not blood but sindoor runs in Modi's veins)," he said, adding, Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack. He said, "If there is a terrorist attack on India, it will get a befitting reply. The time and methods will also be decided by our army and the conditions will also be ours. Comment on Col Qureshi: Cong MLA Abhijeet backs uncle Vijay Shah SC’s ‘chance vs merit’ order against seat-blocking Online Report ‘Pakistan was forced down on its knees’ AMSTERDAM NEET-PG NEW DELHI E-paper Cinema Aishwarya’s sindoor moment P.13 4Continued on | P8 AP MUMBAI Edit SC relief for Ali at what cost? P.6 at the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference. Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and a man came inside looking distressed, they said. 2 Israeli embassy staff killed in Washington Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, "Free, free Palestine" after he was arrested, police said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Lischinsky was a research assistant, and Milgrim organised visits and missions to Israel. They were leaving an event PRESS The SC on Thursday reserved its interim orders on three contentious aspects of the newly enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, following marathon arguments spread over three days. The law, which governs the administration of waqf properties, has triggered a legal challenge from prominent Muslim petitioners. A bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih heard senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, and Abhishek Singhvi arguing for the petitioners. They criticised the amendment as a “complete departure from historical legal and constitutional principles,” accusing the Centre of attempting to capture waqf properties via a “non-judicial process.” WASHINGTON India on Thursday urged Bangladesh to expedite the nationality verification process to facilitate the deportation of a large number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India. Addressing a weekly media briefing, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that people who are staying in India illegally, whether they happen to be Bangladeshi nationals or any other, will be dealt with as per law. UJJAIN The Enforcement Directorate is crossing "all the limits" and violating the federal concept of governance, the Supreme Court on Thursday said and stayed the money laundering probe against Tamil Nadurun liquor retailer TASMAC over alleged corruption in grant of wine shop licences. Issuing notice to the ED on the plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government and Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih told Additional Solicitor Gen- limits. You are totally violating the federal structure of the country” – Chief Justice of India BR Gavai eral S V Raju, appearing for the anti-money laundering probe agency, that "Your ED is crossing all the limits." The antimoney laundering probe agency has been rapped by several benches of the top court for allegedly misusing the rigors of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).< 4Continued on | P8 stations under the project. According to Yadav, the Amrit Bharat Station Yojna will make India self-reliant. The modernisation of the railway stations is the first phase of this development. He also said that Narmadapuram will be developed into a Mahanagar. 4Continued on | P8 SC seeks Centre’s reply to heatwave guidelines plea NEW DELHI Taking note of a PIL highlighting more than 700 heatwave deaths last year, the Supreme Court has sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking directions to strictly implement national guidelines to prepare an action plan on the management of heatwave conditions. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih issued notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, National Disaster Management Authority and others, seeking their response within two weeks.