FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 350 | BHOPAL | TUESDAY | JUNE 3, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Will BCCI retire VK’s iconic jersey from Test? P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY 3 killed, 6 missing after landslide hits army camp Agencies 1,678 tourists evacuated MANGAN Altogether 1,678 tourists, stuck in north Sikkim's Lachung and Chungthang towns following rain-triggered landslides there, were evacuated on Monday, and more than 100 others are still stranded in Lachen, DGP Akshay Sachdeva said support to the bereaved families in this hour of grief, the Army said. "The Indian Army remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all its personnel, dem- PRESS PUNE onstrating its unyielding spirit and dedication to duty even in the face of nature's fury," the Army said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department of Sikkim announced on Mon- day that the Chungthang-Phidang road in Mangan District has been restored, allowing for the safe evacuation of stranded tourists to commence. 4Continued on | P8 Flood situation remains critical he India Meteorological Department's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati has said that moderate rainfall is very likely to occur at most places of Assam, while heavy to very heavy rainfall has been predicted at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. A report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Sunday night said that two more people lost their lives in Cachar and Sribhumi districts, and around four lakh people are reeling under the deluge across 15 districts. T INDORE NASHIK Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL/BURHANPUR In a proud moment for Madhya Pradesh, Majid Husain from Burhanpur has emerged as the state topper in JEE Advanced 2025, securing All India Rank (AIR) 3 with an im- IPL FINAL TODAY MATCH NO. 74 PBKS Vs RCB Pachmarhi to get tourism boost at Cabinet meet today AP BHOPAL ISTANBUL Delegations from Russia and Ukraine ended their latest peace talks Monday in Turkey after just over an hour, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian state media said. Speaking in Vilnius, Lithuania, Zelenskyy said both sides "exchanged documents through the Turkish side, and we are preparing a new release of prisoners of the war". Expectations were low for any breakthrough on ending the 3-year-old war after a string of stunning attacks over the weekend. Kyiv officials said a surprise drone attack Sunday destroyed more than 40 warplanes at air bases deep inside Russia, including the remote Arctic, Siberian and Far East regions more than 7,000 kilometres from Ukraine. The complex and unprecedented raid, which struck simultaneously in three time zones, took over a year and a half to prepare and was "a major slap in the face for Russia's military power", said Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the Ukrainian security service who led its planning. fp Briefs RANCHI IndiGo flight suffers bird hit Around 175 passengers had a close shave after an IndiGo flight suffered a bird hit and made an emergency landing at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport on Monday, an official said. All the passengers and crew members are safe while the aircraft Airbus 320 suffered damage, he said. BENGALURU Kamal Haasan moves HC Anticipating disruption in the release of his upcoming movie 'Thug Life', actor and politician Kamal Haasan on Monday approached the Karnataka High Court seeking urgent intervention for the smooth release of the film. RaGa to launch Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan today 4Continued on | P8 The results and final answer key were released by IIT Kanpur on Monday. Majid, the son of a civil engineering professor Mujahid Husain and Sakina, a 4Continued on | P8 Mehbooba bats for bringing Kashmiri Pandits back to valley IANS Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Russia is committed to delivering the remaining units of the S-400 air defence system to India by 2025-2026, the country's Deputy Chief of Mission in India, Roman Babushkin, said on Monday, highlighting that the system performed "very efficiently" during the recent India-Pakistan tensions. Babushkin also hinted at expanding bilateral cooperation with India in air defence and anti-drone systems. "We heard that the S-400 performed very efficiently during the recent clashes between India and Pakistan. We have a long history of collaboration. The air defence systems, according to what we are experiencing, the situation in Europe and here, this is one of the promising topics on Raja Bhabhut Singh in school syllabi. A major step toward development was the de-notification of 395.95 hectares of sanctuary land, which is now open for urban expansion and tourism activities in Pachmarhi. During his visit, the Chief Minister is likely to inaugurate the Dhoopgarh water supply scheme, as well as a newly constructed pathway at Jai Stambh. He is also expected to lay foundation stones for projects such as enhanced tourist facilities at Handi Koh and infrastructure development at Satpura Tiger Reserve. Missing Indore man’s body found in Meghalaya gorge NEET-PG 2025 postponed, revised date to be out soon Search on for wife; kin identify body through tattoo and clothing NEW DELHI Our Staff Reporter told reporters on Monday. State Congress president Jitu Patwari said observers would camp in their assigned districts for three months to assess the organisational strength at grassroot level and identify gaps and opportunities. Though there is no plan to take out a rally, the leaders of Bhopal division have told Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee that they want to install welcome gates on the way from airport to MPCC office. Local leaders will set up welcome gates at more than two dozen places. Party leader Shailendra Patel said Rahul Gandhi would be accorded traditional welcome by offering soot-mala. Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said the displacement of Kashmir Pandits was a blot on the Muslim community, and appealed for their political empowerment. Mehbooba Mufti said this while addressing a media conference in Srinagar after meeting Lt Governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhawan here. It was the first time in the last five years that she was called on the Lt. Governor. She gave a detailed letter to the Lt Governor, which scripted a roadmap for the return and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandits to their native places. Mufti called the migration of the local Pandit community out of the Valley 'a blot on Kashmir and Kashmiri Muslims'. “Meghalaya Police recovered a body on Monday, which was identified as that of Raja Raghuwanshi by his brother Vipin Raghuwanshi. The local superintendent of police also confirmed that the body was of Raja. According to Vipin, it was found in a deep gorge about 25 km from the location where the couple’s   scooter was recovered. The exact time and cause of death will be known through the post-mortem examination report. So far, police have found no clues regarding Sonam Raghuwanshi.” Family members expressed dissatisfaction over the Meghalaya government’s search operation, saying that they had been demanding army assistance from day one. 4Continued on | P8 Online Report The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has postponed the NEET-PG 2025 examination, which was earlier scheduled for June 15, 2025. The decision has been taken after a Supreme Court order. While hearing a petition last week, the court had asked the authority to conduct the exam for admission into MBBS and dental programmes in a single shift instead of two. In its directive, the court had emphasised the need for "complete transparency" and mandated that "secure centres are identified and commissioned" for the fair conduct of the examination. Complying with the Supreme Court's order, NBEMS on Monday announced that NEET-PG 2025 will now be conducted in single shift. This decision necessitates logistical adjustments, particularly in terms of increasing the number of test centres and enhancing infrastructure to accommodate all candidates simultaneously. Is it so difficult to be patriotic, asks Khurshid after backlash Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI Former External Affairs Minister and Congress MP Salman Khurshid, who is part of one of the seven all-party delegations, sent across the globe by the Centre to clear India’s position on Operation Sindoor, on Monday said it was “distressing” to be put under a political scanner for conveying the country’s message abroad. In a post on “X”, Khurshid, who is part of the delegation that visited South East Asia, said, “When on a mission against terrorism to carry India’s message to the world, it’s distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances. Is it so difficult to be patriotic?” Khurshid had earlier, while India to get remaining S-400 systems by 2026 PTI naming local institutions after him in the Narmadapuram belt. A local market may also be named in his honour. To spread awareness of his bravery and military strategy—similar to Shivaji Maharaj—the government may consider including a chapter The cabinet meeting will be conducted at Raj Bhawan, a historic colonial-era structure built in 1887. Initially owned by an unknown Jagirdar from Betul, the property was later acquired by the East India Company, which renamed it Governor House.Spanning 22.84 acres, the building boasts beautiful architecture, a dance hall and a council chamber, where the cabinet meeting will be held. offgrid NEW DELHI t was in 2022 that the then Shivraj Singh Chouhan government had held a cabinet meeting in Pachmarhi. Tuesday marks the second time such a session is taking place at the hill station. I SRINAGAR Welcome dais set up at over two dozen places Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will attend four meetings with the party leaders in the city and launch Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan on Tuesday. He will preside over meetings with members of party’s state political affairs committee, MLAs, former MPs, AICC and PCC members and over 50 leaders from other states designated as observers. "The Abhiyan is being launched to strengthen the organisation at grassroot level and enthuse among party workers. We have not been in power in Madhya Pradesh for a long time," former MP Congress president Arun Yadav and ex-minister Sajjan Verma management assistant professor, aims to pursue Computer Science at IIT Bombay. 2nd cabinet meet at hill station COLONIAL CONNECT The decomposed body of citybased Raja Raghuwanshi, who had gone missing in Meghalaya recently along with his wife, was recovered on Monday from a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls in Sohra (Cherrapunji). However, the search for his wife Sonam is still ongoing. To note, the newlyweds had gone missing in Sohra, Shillong, on May 23 during their honeymoon. Due to the decomposed state, Raja’s face was unrecognizable. His brother identified him through a distinctive tattoo on his right hand bearing the name “Raja” and by the clothes that he was wearing. DCP (Crime Branch) Rajesh Kumar Tripathi told the media, SC refuses to entertain plea on deportation drive in Assam The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea which alleged that the Assam government has reportedly launched a "sweeping" drive to detain and deport persons suspected to be foreigners without nationality verification or exhaustion of legal remedies. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma told the petitioner to approach the Gauhati High Court in the matter. "Why are you not going to the Gauhati High Court?" the bench asked senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, who appeared for petitioner All BTC Minority Students Union. Hegde said the plea was based on an order passed by the apex court earlier. "Please go to the Gauhati High Court," the bench observed. The state cabinet meeting being held at Pachmarhi on Tuesday is expected to bring a host of announcements aimed at boosting tourism and infrastructure development in the hill station. This special cabinet session is being held in memory of Gond King Raja Bhabhut Singh, and the government may propose installing his statue or In the JEE Advanced 2025 results, Chirayu Jain emerged as Indore’s city topper with a national rank of 28. His peers, Shantanu Patil and Atharv Airen, secured ranks 174 and 265, respectively. Among girls, Harshita Goyal topped Indore, the Kanpur zone, and Madhya Pradesh with a rank of 434, reflecting the city’s strong performance in India’s most competitive engineering exam. ebration, Majid was weighed in laddoos and was gifted a Bullet motorcycle, an iPad, and a mobile phone for his outstanding achievement. PTI Our Staff Reporter INDORE pressive 330 out of 360 marks. On Monday, Majid and his parents were honoured by Macro Vision Academy, where he studied. In a unique cel- NEW DELHI Ahmedabad, 7.30 pm Majid Husain P.9 Ukraine, Russia end latest round of direct peace talks in Istanbul Chirayu leads Indore Matter of joy, pride: CM Chief Minister Mohan Yadav extended heartfelt congratulation to Majid Husain for bringing glory to the state. In a post on X, he wrote:“Our youth from small districts of Madhya Pradesh are also waving the flag of their talent. It is a matter of joy and pride.” E-paper Nation Haasan approaches HC for ‘Thug Life’... Burhanpur boy tops MP in JEE Advanced with AIR 3 Harshita leads among girls; Arush top ranker from Bhopal MUMBAI Edit Attacks precede peace talks P.6 Modi govt woos global EV manufacturers NATURE’S FURY | Heavy rains trigger landslide at Chaten in Lachen town in Sikkim; rescue operation underway Three army personnel died and six others went missing after a landslide, triggered by heavy rainfall, struck the Indian Army military camp at Chaten in Lachen town in Sikkim on Sunday evening. Four individuals have been rescued with minor injuries, while the mortal remains of three brave personnel--Havaldar Lakhbindar Singh, Lance Naik Manish Thakur and Porter Abhishek Lakra--have been recovered, said the army. Lt Gen Zubin Minawalla, GOC Trishakti Corps, visited the site to oversee rescue efforts. Rescue teams are relentlessly working around the clock under extremely challenging terrain and adverse weather conditions to locate and rescue the six personnel who remain missing. The Indian Army expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the brave hearts who lost their lives in the incident. Every effort is being made to provide necessary UJJAIN of our partnership in defence preparation in general," Babushkin told PTI Videos. Babushkin confirmed that the contract for the remaining two S-400 units is on track, with deliveries expected to be completed by 2025-26, in line with publicly announced timelines. India signed a USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia in 2018 for five squadrons of the S-400 Triumf missile system, a state-of-the-art air defence platform capable of engaging multiple aerial threats at long ranges. 4Continued on | P8 speaking in Indonesia, supported the decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir saying it gave the impression that Kashmir was separate from India whereas following the decision over 65% people had participated in Assembly elections reinforcing their belief in democracy and that therefore Pakistan wants to undo the “prosperity that has come to Kashmir”. Though his post did not state any reason for his remarks, its timing is of signifi- cance as it comes a few days after Congress’s Dalit face Udit Raj had criticised fellow MP Shashi Tharoor for making statements during the visit abroad that were perceived by him to be in favour of the BJPled government. Raj had even labelled Tharoor a “super spokesperson of the BJP”. Adding to the rumblings within the Congress, ever since the Centre handpicked three of its MPs – Khurshid, Tharoor and Manish Tiwari – for the visits abroad, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh had endorsed the criticism of the party’s own by saying, “terrorists were roaming and MPs were also roaming,” a statement criticised by the BJP as “atrocious.” 4Continued on | P8 India, Japan agree on deepening maritime ties IANS OSLO India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal held a bilateral meeting with Terada Yoshimichi, Japan’s Vice Minister here on Monday to boost cooperation between the two countries in shipbuilding, ports, smart islands, and maritime training for a globally sustainable future. Sonowal’s discussions with Yoshimichi, Japan’s vice minister for International Affairs, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism (MLITT) were aimed at deepening maritime relations between the two countries in multiple areas including investment by Japanese Shipyards, collaboration on port digitisation and green port initiatives.