FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 77 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | AUGUST 31, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Drama, Dominance & Disappointments P.15 EDITIONS: ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE BHOPAL WORLD After a gap of 7 years, PM Modi lands in China All eyes on Modi, Xi talks today PTI TIANJIN fp Briefs NEW DELHI Choksi’s bail plea rejected The bail plea of fugitive diamonds trader Mehul Choksi, wanted in India in connection with over Rs 6300-crore fraud in PNB, has again been turned down by a court of appeal in Belgium, just ahead of his extradition hearing before a court in that country, officials said. JAMMU 11 dead in J&K cloudburst At least 11 people, including seven of a family, died in two incidents of cloudburst and landslide triggered by heavy rains in remote villages of Reasi and Ramban districts, as Jammu and Kashmir, beset by a series of natural calamities in the past fortnight, labours to bring life back on track. PRESS PUNE INDOREL NASHIK US court declares Trump tariffs illegal Leaves them in place for now AP WASHINGTON A federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump had no legal right to impose sweeping tariffs on almost every country on earth but left in place for now his effort to build a protectionist wall around the American economy. In a rare public disclosure, the Indian Air Force has shed light on the covert military operation that followed the devastating April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Narm- The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled Trump wasn't legally allowed to declare national emergencies and impose import taxes on almost every country on earth, a ruling that largely upheld a May decision by a specialised federal trade court in New York. "It seems unlikely that Congress intended to ... grant the President unlimited authority to impose tariffs," the judges wrote in a 7-4 ruling. But they did not strike down the tariffs immediately, allowing his administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court. The president vowed to do just that. "If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America," Trump wrote on his social medial platform. White House spokesman Kush Desai said Trump had acted lawfully, and "we look forward to ultimate victory on this matter." The ruling complicates Trump's ambitions to upend decades of American trade policy completely on his own. Trump has alternative laws for imposing import taxes, but they would limit the speed and severity with which he could act. 4Continued on | P8 US brand in toilet: Ex-NSA blasts Trump’s tariffs on India Dog mauls 10-yr-old, 5 cases in 48 hours Agencies BHOPAL Our Staff Reporter WASHINGTON Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome on his arrival to attend the SCO Summit, in Tianjin on Saturday. Ahead of Putin meet, Modi speaks to Zelenskyy rime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the phone and discussed the latest situation around Kyiv's war with Moscow, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Saturday evening. Zelenskyy said that he apprised PM Modi about his recent talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington. The telephonic conversation between the two leaders came just a day before PM Modi is scheduled to hold talks with Zelenskyy's adversary, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Tianjin, where they have gathered to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with the President of Ukraine, H.E. Mr Volodymyr Zelenskyy. President Zelenskyy shared his perspective on the recent developments related to Ukraine," a PMO statement said. P second and final leg of his twonation trip. Modi was accorded a warm welcome at his hotel by a group of artiste with Indian classical music and dance. The prime minister is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a number of other leaders on the sidelines of the SCO summit. Ahead of his trip to Tianjin, Modi said it is important for India and China to work together to bring stability to the world economic order. 4Continued on | P8 A former White House official has ripped into President Donald Trump's hefty tariffs against India and blamed him for damaging the reputation of the American brand. Jake Sullivan, who was the National Security Adviser (NSA) to former President Joe Biden, also warned that such tariffs are making China look "more responsible" than the US. "China has moved ahead of the United States in popularity in a whole lot of countries, and that was not the case one year ago, where countries now are basically, you know, saying the US brand is in the toilet and China is looking like a more responsible player," Sullivan told Tim Miller on The Bulwark podcast. A 10-year-old boy was mauled by stray dogs in Pebble Bay Phase-1 Colony, Bagmugalia, late Friday night, adding to a disturbing series of similar attacks in the city. This attack is part of a worrisome trend, as five separate cases of stray dog bites on children have been reported in just 48 hours. The child was playing outside his home when two stray dogs suddenly attacked him, biting his legs. A nearby watchman managed to scare the dogs away, preventing further injury. The boy was quickly rushed to a private hospital and is now said to be out of danger. CCTV footage of the attack has gone viral, stirring outrage among local residents. Locals are accusing the Bhopal Municipal Corpor- Stray dogs attack 10-year-old boy in Bagmugalia. ation (BMC) of not taking proper action. While dogcatching teams are deployed regularly, residents claim that animal rights groups often obstruct these operations, preventing officials from removing dangerous dogs. “People who stop the civic body’s efforts should be held accountable,” said one local resident. Despite multiple complaints, the violent dogs involved in these attacks remain at large. ASHOKA GARDEN: Another alarming attack occurred outside a hospital on Ashoka Garden’s 80-Feet Road, where an eight-yearold boy was bitten while his family was visiting a patient. Despite urgent medical attention at the hospital, the stray dog responsible was not captured by the next day, with civic staff citing protests from “pet lovers.” 4Continued on | P8 Finance dept ropes Regional Tourism Conclave attracts Explain, SC tells state as convict spends 8 yrs in Rs 3,500cr investment proposals in foreign firm Single-window jail against 7-yr term as consultant tourism policy, Our Staff Reporter Directives issued to provide budget-related info to KPMG Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL The country is talking about Swadeshi. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, all top politicians are encouraging people to opt for Swadeshi. On the contrary, the finance department has engaged a foreign company, KPMG, as a consultant. KPMG is a global firm with offices in London, New York and Gurugram. The many departments have been seeking advice from various companies. But, for the first time, the finance department has engaged a consultant outside the government. The director of finance issued an order asking the officers to provide the company with the budget manual, debt management process, and other information and documents. The information about a budget is considered the most secret document of the government. Since the finance Should consult our experts: Raghavji permissions cut down from 30 to 10 BHOPAL FP News Service Former finance minister Raghavji has said as there are many financial experts in the country, it is not justifiable to engage a private consultant. Engaging a private consultant indicates that we do not have financial experts, Raghavji said. It also affects the secrecy of the finance department, he said, adding that the government should keep away from such decisions. GWALIOR Investment proposals worth around Rs 3,500 crore were received in Gwalior, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced at the Regional Tourism Conclave on Saturday. The CM inaugurated the second day of the conclave, distributed land allotment letters to investors, unveiled new project plans, and carried out virtual foundation stone ceremonies. He said the conclave has brought many opportunities for local people and promised that Madhya Pradesh will continue on the path of progress. He announced that IndiGo Airlines will use Rs 100 crore from its CSR fund to renovate the historic Man Singh Fort in Gwalior. Before the event, he PMU formed A project management unit (PMU) has been set up to improve the functioning of the finance department. Together with PMU, KPMG has been engaged as a consultant. Two working groups have also been created under the PMU one for the budget manual and another for the debt management. Additional secretary-rank officers have been given the responsibility for each working group. department has engaged a private company as a consultant, the information about the budget may go into private hands. 4Continued on | P8 deshwar Tiwari revealed new footage and operational details of Operation Sindoor - India's precision strikes against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir."Planning began almost immediately after the attack. On April 23, all three armed services convened at their respective head- quarters to assess options. By April 24, a high-level team had reviewed a range of contingency plans, many of which had been prepared in advance for rapid deployment. Tactical planning intensified over the next few days, and by April 29, nine key targets had been finalised. The strike date was set for May 5. also held one-to-one meetings with several investors. Highlighting India’s achievements, the CM said, “Before 2014, India was ranked much lower, but today it has become the world’s fourthlargest economy and is on its way to becoming the third.” 4Continued on | P8 Ujjain commissioner, Indore collector to be posted soon Chicago’s murder rate 15 times higher than Delhi: WH After extension of CS, IAS officers’ transfer list may be released soon WASHINGTON: The White House has cited New Delhi’s relatively “low murder rate” to underscore the scale of gun violence in Chicago, as it seeks to push for greater federal intervention in the city. Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for President Donald Trump, said Chicago’s murder rate in 2024 was nearly 15 times higher than that of the Indian capital. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A transfer list of IAS officers may soon be released after the extension of the Chief Secretary, Anurag Jain. Many important places and departments in the state are functioning under the in-charge officers. Since there was a di- lemma over the extension of Jain, transfer orders could not be issued. Additional commissioner Ratnakar Jha has been working as in-charge commissioner of Ujjain for one month. Sanjay Gupta retired on July 31, but nobody was posted in his place. According to sources, the higher-ups in the government have reached a consensus over the appointment of the Indore collector, Asheesh Singh, as commissioner of Ujjain. 4Continued on | P8 Less than 50 weapons, maximum impact NEW DELHI E-paper Cinema Ayurveda over aesthetics P.14 Op Sindoor IANS MUMBAI Readers’ Corner Love & diplomacy... P.6 Trump 'no longer has plans' to visit India for Quad: NYT SCO SUMMIT | Modi and Xi are expected to take stock of India-China economic ties and deliberate on steps to further normalise relations After a gap of over seven years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in China on Saturday evening on a keenly watched visit that assumed greater significance in view of a sudden downturn in India-US ties triggered by Washington's policies on trade and tariff. Modi is visiting this northern Chinese city primarily to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on August 31 and September 1. However, his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday on the margins of the summit has assumed greater significance in the face of Washington's tariff tussle that has impacted almost all leading economies across the world. In the talks, Modi and Xi are expected to take stock of India-China economic ties and deliberate on steps to further normalise relations that came under severe strain following the eastern Ladakh border row. "Landed in Tianjin, China. Looking forward to deliberations at the SCO Summit and meeting various world leaders," the prime minister said in a social media post, shortly after arriving here from Japan in the UJJAIN Between May 6 and 9, Indian forces executed a series of calculated strikes," he said.According to Air Marshal Tiwari, fewer than 50 weapons were used to achieve what he described as "conflict limination"."The objective was clear: deliver a strong, visible response, deter future attacks, and grant the armed forces full operational freedom - even in the face of potential escalation. Pakistan responded with attempted strikes on Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. These were met with fierce counter-attacks, targeting several Pakistani military installations," he said.After four days of intense cross-border drone and missile exchanges, both nations reached an understanding on May 10 to end hostilities." 4Continued on | P8 The Supreme Court (SC) has demanded an explanation from the Madhya Pradesh government regarding a convict who remained in jail for over eight years beyond his seven-year sentence. Terming the lapse as “quite shocking,” the SC granted the State two weeks to respond to the serious error. Sohan Singh, convicted for rape, was originally sentenced to life imprisonment by a Sessions Court in 2004. However, the Madhya Pradesh High Court later reduced the sentence to seven years, citing factors like the victim being a married woman, delay in lodging the FIR and lack of corroborative medical evidence for rape charge. Despite the High Court's order, Singh remained incarcerated for over eight years beyond the stipulated sentence. He was finally released on June 6, 2025, after completing the entirety of his reduced sentence. Singh was originally sentenced to life term by a Sessions Court in 2004. HC later reduced sentence to 7 years The bench, led by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan, expressed concern over the prolonged incarceration of Singh, urging the state government to clarify how such an oversight occurred. The SC emphasised that such serious lapses cannot be ignored and must be rectified promptly. Sohan Singh was convicted under Sections 376(1), 450, and 506-B of the IPC for rape of a married woman. The original trial court in Khurai, District Sagar, had imposed life imprisonment along with a Rs. 2,000 fine. However, in 2017, the Madhya Pradesh High Court reduced the sentence to seven years of rigorous imprisonment while maintaining the conviction under the same sections of the IPC. Hostel operator sentenced to life term for raping deaf-mute girls Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A district and session court in Bhopal has sentenced hostel operator Ashwini Kumar Sharma to life imprisonment for raping deaf and mute girls. According to ADPO Manoj Tripathi, the victim is a hearing-impaired girl from a Scheduled Tribe. She passed her 11th-class examination in 2016 from UmaviPalanbasa Ujjain, a school for hearing impaired run by the Social Justice Department. For further education, she was admitted to Government Gas Relief and Rehabilitation and Training Institute, Govindpura, Bhopal. The admission was facilitated by Superintendent Sandhya Sharma with help from local Social Justice Department officials. Following arrangements made by the ITI Institute and the Social Justice Department, she was placed in Kritarth Boys Hostel, which was run by the accused, Ashwini Kumar Sharma. The accused, Ashwini Kumar Sharma, had a residence at house no. 172, Crystal Ideal City, Awadhpuri, Bhopal. He used victim U and three other girls for cooking and doing household work at this house, which he operated as an illegal residential hostel. Sharma showed the girls obscene and provocative photographs separately on his mobile phone and used to touch the private parts of victim U and other hearing-impaired girls. In October 2017, he showed obscene photographs on his mobile to victim and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. 4Continued on | P8