Tuesday, September 23, 2025 2 | Vol. 68 No. 301 | 33 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL MAA BRAHMACHARINI COLOUR: RED INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation NATION Assam announces closure of schools and colleges today for Zubeen’s funeral GAMES Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill are like fire and ice combination, says Suryakumar Yadav Cinema Does Manoj Bajpayee believe in the supernatural? Edit Govt must clarify just how swadeshi should Indians be? STRESS ON CONFIDENTIALITY | Apex court to examine whether the ongoing investigation into tragedy is ‘free, fair, impartial, expeditious & independent’ SC lens on AI-171 crash probe FPJ News Service NEW DELHI IT stocks lose `83,994 crore PTI NEW DELHI IT stocks dropped on Monday, with Infobeans Technologies tumbling nearly 9 per cent and Hexaware falling 7 per cent, amid concerns over the steep hike in US H-1B visa fees. Shares of Infobeans Technologies fell 8.93 per cent, Hexaware Technologies tumbled 7.08 per cent, LTI Mindtree tanked 4.54 per cent, Persistent Systems dropped 4.19 per cent, and Tech Mahindra declined 3.20 per cent on the BSE. The stock of Tata Consultancy Services slipped 3.02 per cent, Infosys edged lower by 2.61 per cent, Wipro declined 2.25 per cent, and HCL Tech went down 1.84 per cent. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | money The Supreme Court of India on Monday said it will examine whether the investigation into the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people, including 19 on the ground, is being conducted fairly and impartially. A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notice to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), seeking their response on the limited question of whether the probe is proceeding properly. The Court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Safety Matters Foundation, a non-governmental organisation that works on aviation safety. The NGO has alleged that the preliminary report on the crash was “selectively” released and that critical information was being withheld, creating a misleading impression that pilot error was responsible for the tragedy. The petitioner, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, argued that this undermines the credibility of the investigation. As reported by Live Law & Bar and Bench. During the hearing, the Court expressed concern about the way the preliminary inquiry report was leaked in parts, which fuelled a media narrative blaming the pilots. “That was very unfortunate,” Justice Kant observed. FPJ News Service NEW DELHI 4Contd on | nation PM letter harps ‘DON’T TREAT WEALTH on self-reliance CREATORS LIKE THIEVES’ Agencies NEW DELHI PM Modi on Monday said the next generation GST reforms will boost savings and directly benefit every section of society, as he emphasised on walking on the path of self-reliance to achieve the collective goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. In an open letter to Indians posted on X, he said from September 22, GST reforms have begun to make their presence felt, marking the FPJ News Service start of a 'GST Bachat Utsav'. "This year, the festive season brings an added reason to rejoice. These reforms will boost savings and directly benefit every section of society, be it farmers, women, youth, poor, middle class, traders or MSMEs. They will encourage greater growth and investments and accelerate the progress of every state and region." . 4Contd on | nation 4See also | money MUMBAI India cannot hope to become a developed nation by 2047 if it continues treating its wealth creators as “suspects-in-chief,” Supreme Court Justice Manmohan warned on Friday, delivering a hard-hitting critique of the country’s tax and regulatory mindset. Speaking at Nyaya Nirmaan 2025, a dialogue hosted by the General Counsels’ Association of India (GCAI), Justice Manmohan said, “How does an in- Time has come to decriminalise defamation: SC How does an income tax officer or a GST officer treat you when you are generating wealth for the country? He treats you as a thief. His mindset is that something must be improper if you are generating wealth. That whole mindset, that ecosystem has to change. – Justice Manmohan come tax officer or a GST officer treat you when you are generating wealth for the country? He treats you as a thief. His mindset is that something must be improper if you are generating wealth. That whole mindset, that eco- system has to change.” He cautioned that without a fundamental reimagining of India’s legal framework, the nation would fall short of its 2047 vision. 4Contd on | nation The Supreme Court on Monday said that the time has come to decriminalise defamation while hearing a plea filed by the Foundation for Independent Journalism, which runs The Wire, and its Deputy Editor Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprastha. The plea challenges the summons issued by a Delhi trial court in a criminal defamation case filed by former JNU professor Amita Singh. A Bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma issued notice on the petition and remarked, “I think time has come to decriminalise all this.” Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, agreed with the observation. As reported by Live Law and Bar & Bench. The case arises from a 2016 article published by The Wire titled “Dossier Call JNU ‘Den of Organised Sex Racket’; Students, Professors Allege Hate Campaign”. Singh alleged that the article imputed she had prepared a dossier labelling JNU as a “den of organised sex racket” and claimed that the portal published it without verifying authenticity, using it for monetary benefits and thereby harming her reputa- Crime to insult virtual stars? South Korean court has ruled that defaming virtual Kpop stars can lead to legal consequences. In May, the court ordered a social media user to pay 500,000 won ($360; £265) for making derogatory online remarks about Plave, a boyband made up of five virtual characters voiced and animated by anonymous performers. The defendant argued that the comments targeted only the fictional avatars, but the court rejected this, stating that if an avatar is widely recognised as representing real people, then attacks extend to them too. Plave debuted in 2023 and is among South Korea’s most successful virtual idols, with over a million YouTube followers and major music award nominations. A tion. The dossier in question was reportedly titled “Jawaharlal Nehru University: The Den of Secessionism and Terrorism.” 4Contd on | nation