Wednesday, July 2, 2025 | 28 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. 231 | 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 Custodial death triggers row in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Stalin bats for CBI probe Cinema RajKummar Rao, Manushi Chhillar unveil Maalik trailer Shubman Gill-led India faces a selection dilemma for the second Test against England Edit The Sangh’s political avatar & the attack on democracy GREEN SIGNAL FROM CABINET | Employment-linked scheme will create 3.5 crore jobs in two years, enhance employability Trump-Musk feud reignites Huge Modi boost for jobs WASHINGTON Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar Announced in the Union Budget 2024-25, the ELI Scheme will offer one month’s wage (up to `15,000) to first-time employees. Employers creating new jobs will receive incentives for up to two years. The government has earmarked `99,446 crore for the scheme, which targets creation of over 3.5 crore jobs in two years. NEW DELHI Briefs SCBL to take over NICBL India’s largest urban co-operative bank, Saraswat Co-operative Bank Ltd (SCBL) on Tuesday announced its voluntary proposal to merge the beleaguered New India Co-operative Bank with itself. The bank said that it has approached the Reserve Bank (RBI) voluntarily for the amalgamation of New India Co-operative Bank Ltd. (NICBL) with Saraswat Co-operative Bank Ltd. (SCBL) subject to approval of shareholders of both banks. SCBL will be taking over all the assets and liabilities of NICBL, post merger. Interests of the Depositors will be proSEE MONEY tected fully. Before embarking on a fivenation, two-continent tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the Union Cabinet that approved a slew of major initiatives, including the ₹1 lakh crore Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, and the National Sports Policy 2025. The total financial outlay of these initiatives exceeds ₹2 lakh crore. Among the key decisions, the Cabinet approved the RDI Scheme with a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore to boost research, development, and innovation in strategic and sunrise sectors. Given the current geopolitical climate, the RDI Scheme was deemed the most significant. It aims to provide long-term financing or refinancing with extended tenures at low or zero interest rates to the private sector, driving innovation and commercialisation of research. A Cabinet note outlined the scheme’s objectives: encouraging private sector invest- US targets Russia oil trade A US Senate bill, supported by President Donald Trump, proposes slapping a 500% tariff on imports from nations continuing trade with Russia, notably India and China. Spearheaded by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, the bill has 84 co-sponsors. It aims to pressure countries into halting Russian oil purchases and isolating Moscow economically to force peace talks on Ukraine. Graham told ABC News that Trump greenlit the proposal during a golf game. “India and China buy 70% of Putin’s oil,” Graham said, accusing them of fuelling Russia’s war machine while avoiding support for Ukraine. Diplomatic fallout seems imminent. Agencies MUMBAI Farmers in several districts of Marathwada took to the streets on Tuesday to oppose the land survey for the proposed Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway project. Agitating farmers expressed concern over the acquisition of their fertile land INDIA-US TRADE AGREEMENT 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation 4Contd on | nation Watch this space, says EAM as talks enter last stretch Vidhi Santosh Mehta MUMBAI “Watch this space,” said External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar. “It’s not done till it’s done.” In an interview with Newsweek during a fireside chat on India’s evolving foreign policy and global stature, Dr Jaishankar characterised that India and the United States are currently engaged in “very intricate” trade negotiations offering insights into the depth and complexity of the ongoing trade dialogue between the two nations. “We are in the middle, hopefully, more than the middle of a very intricate trade negotiation,” he said. “My hope would be that we bring it to a successful conclusion. I cannot guarantee it because there’s another party to that discussion. But no question, we do think today that trade, you know, there will have to be give and take.” The comments came a week before the July 9 deadline set by Trump for imposing the tariffs. My hope would be that we bring it to a successful conclusion. I cannot guarantee it because there’s another party to that discussion. But no question, we do think today that trade, you know, there will have to be give and take. Dr S Jaishankar Minister of External Affairs The minister emphasised the realistic challenges of aligning expectations on both sides. “Just like the U.S. or people in the U.S. may have views about India, people in India have views about the U.S. too. 4Contd on | nation Urvi Mahajani from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly approaching a 17-year-old girl, holding her hand, and saying "I love you". A special court in Nagpur convicted him in 2017, prompting him to appeal the verdict before the High Court. On Monday, Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke set aside the conviction, noting that there was no indication that the accused intended to establish sexual contact with the girl. "Mere pronouncement of the words ‘I love you’ would not, by itself, amount to sexual intent as contemplated by the legislature," the judge stated. The court further observed that a sexual intent must be demonstrated through conduct or context suggesting an overture of physical or sexual nature. “Words uttered must expressway will pass through the districts of Nanded, Hingoli, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, and Dharashiv in the Marathwada region. In Nanded district’s Ardhapur taluka, farmers staged a sit-in protest at Malegaon, vowing not to part with their land. 4Contd on | nation Vinay Madhava Gowda BENGALURU In a major embarrassment to the State government, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has set aside the government order suspending IPS officer Vikas Kumar for dereliction during Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory parade on June 4, leading to a stampede where 11 persons lost their lives. Vikas Kumar was Bengaluru City Additional Commissioner of Police at that time and had approached CAT against his Mayor’s bungalow can house Balasaheb memorial, says HC Police personnel are also human beings. They are neither magicians, nor do they possess Alladdin's lamp to do magic. Police should have been given some time to make preparations. Without proper reasons, the police personnel have been suspended. The suspension of the Additional Commissioner of Police (West) should be revoked ...... – CAT suspension, after the UPSC accepted the recommendation made by the State government. Apart from revoking his suspension, the CAT bench comprising Justice B K Srivatsava and Justice Santhosh Mehra said it hoped that the State government would extend the same directions to the other police officers who were suspended on similar grounds. 4Contd on | nation Urvi Mahajani MUMBAI The Bombay High Court has dismissed a batch of PILs challenging the establishment of the Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak (national memorial) at the site of the Mayor’s bungalow at Shivaji Park, Dadar. Upholding the decision of the Maharashtra government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the HC termed it a policy decision not warranting judicial interference. A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne noted that the site falls within Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)-II and has been cleared by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) from an environmental standpoint. “Therefore, there is no violation of environmental norms Telangana pharma plant blast toll 45 FPJ News Service HYDERABAD TN cracker unit explosion kills 8 The death toll in the Sigachi Industries chemical factory explosion in Pashamylaram, near Patancheru, rose to 45 by Tuesday evening, making it one of the worst industrial disasters in Telangana’s history. The explosion, which occurred on Monday, left the factory in ruins and several workers trapped under the debris. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection ight workers were killed and several others sustained burn injuries in a powerful explosion at a private fireworks unit in Chinnakamanpatti village near Sivakasi on Tuesday. The blast occurred around 8.45 am at Gokhale’s Fireworks unit. Police said the explosion was triggered by friction while handling chemicals used – N CHITHRA to make aerial fireworks. HC dumps ‘I love you’ conviction MUMBAI for the 802-kilometre greenfield, access-controlled, sixlane corridor that will connect central and western Maharashtra to Goa. The protests gained momentum recently after the Maharashtra Cabinet, on June 24, approved the acquisition of land for the project. According to officials, the CAT blames RCB for stampede offgrid The mere expression of the words "I love you" constitutes a declaration of feelings and does not, by itself, amount to sexual intent, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has held, while acquitting a 25-year-old man who had been accused of molesting a teenage girl in 2015. The man had been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children chaired by the Prime Minister, and will follow a two-tiered funding model. The Cabinet also approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme to foster employment generation, enhance employability, and provide social security— particularly in the manufacturing sector. Tech billionaire Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump reignited their public feud over the Big Beautiful Bill, with Trump threatening to cut federal subsidies to Musk’s companies. In response, Musk hit back on social media and floated the idea of launching a new political party. Trump launched a sharp attack on Tesla CEO Elon Musk, claiming that Musk's businesses would collapse without government support. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump suggested that Musk would "probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa" if subsidies were removed. Farmers protest Shaktipeeth Expressway survey Email FIRs now valid The Kerala High Court has ruled that police must register an FIR if a cognisable offence is disclosed, even if the complaint is emailed from abroad and unsigned. This follows the introduction of Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, which recognises the Zero FIR concept. The judgment came after a woman in Australia emailed a complaint against her husband in 2020, which police rejected due to a missing signature. The court said such refusal defies legal mandate and directed Muttom police to accept her fresh complaint. It upheld victims' rights regardless of jurisdiction or communication mode. ment in research and innovation tied to economic security and strategic needs; funding high-TRL (Technology Readiness Level) transformative projects; supporting acquisition of critical technologies; and establishing a “Deep-Tech Fund of Funds.” The scheme will be guided by the Governing Board of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Agencies be accompanied by actions or indications of sexual involvement, physical contact, or gestures implying sexual overtures,” the judgment read. According to the prosecution, the incident occurred while the girl was returning home from school. The accused allegedly stopped her, held her hand, asked for her name, and said "I love you". The girl managed to escape and later informed her father, who filed a police complaint. 4Contd on | nation E Agency (HYDRAA), Telangana Fire Disaster Response, and Fire Department working roundthe-clock to retrieve bodies and locate missing workers. Officials informed the Chief Minister that out of the 143 workers present at the plant, 58 have been identified so far. According to officials, 35 people are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals, and the condition of 10 of them is critical. Many workers are feared to be still under the rubble, including those who had gathered at the site to locate missing family members when the structure collapsed. This means that 63 workers remain unaccounted for. The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to the Patancheru Government Hospital for postmortem examinations. Arrangements have been made by the government to transport the mortal remains to the victims’ hometowns by ambulance. CM A Revanth Reddy visited the accident site on Tuesday, accompanied by several ministers. 4Continued on | P19 ‘NO CHANGE IN KARNATAKA LEADERSHIP IN OFFING’ Vinay Madhava Gowda BENGALURU AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday denied there was any agenda to change the Karnataka CM Siddaramiah and defended his government saying it was giving good administration. As he continued his interaction with party MLAs for the second day, Surjewala said that he had not elicited information from the MLAs over changing the CM while the MLAs briefed him on issues ranging from their constituency problems, corruption and internal bickering in district levels. Surjewala let Deputy CM D K Shivakumar handle the question of leadership change. To mitigate speculation, Shivakumar said “This meeting is in the backdrop of Congress party changing the leadership in block and district levels. AICC President has declared this year as the year of organisation and has asked us to empower district party Presidents. Surjewala is here to receive pleas from MLAs and guide us on party organisation. He is trying to bring discipline amidst public statements made by some of the MLAs. Our focus is 2028 elections.'' 4Contd on | nation in setting up the memorial,” the court observed. It also considered the advanced stage of construction of the memorial. “The work of setting up of the memorial is virtually complete… the grandiose structure of Mayor’s bungalow has not only been kept intact, but has been restored. Its heritage significance is not disturbed,” the bench said, referring to photographs placed on record. The petitions had questioned the decision on multiple aspects, including the change in land use, constitution of the Trust, nominal lease of land worth Rs 205 crore at Re 1 per year, and exemption from stamp duty. The state had amended Section 92 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act to permit such a lease. 4Contd on | nation Senate clears Trump’s ‘big’ bill as Vance breaks tie Agencies WASHINGTON After hours of stalemate, Republicans in the US Senate have narrowly passed Donald Trump's mega-bill on tax and spending, meaning the proposed legislation has cleared one of its key hurdles. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed with Vice-President JD Vance casting a tiebreaking vote after more than 24 hours of debate. It now heads back to the House, or lower chamber, where it still faces more opposition. An earlier version was cleared by House Republicans by a single-vote margin. After days of negotiations, Republican leaders were finally able to secure the support of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who had been withholding her support over concerns of the impact of cuts to Medicaid in her state. Murkowski's support made the final Senate vote tally 5050, and prompted Vance to step in to cast his tie-breaking vote. Trump had given the Republican-controlled Congress a deadline of 4 July to send him a final version of the bill to sign into law.