FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 102 | BHOPAL | THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY Sports SANIA’S SECOND SERVE P.13 UJJAIN PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit SRK’s debut in National Awards P.6 India, US trade talks on at different levels: Official Cinema Heavy elegance P.12 Bikers snatch phones of IG (intel), dump iPhone, flee with Android Intelligence officer caught off guard in high-security zone Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Three greenhorn bikers left senior IPS officer Dr Ashish, IG (Intelligence), red-faced after snatching both his mobile phones during an evening walk in the high-security Char Imli area fp Briefs BENGALURU Noted novelist passes away Popular Kannada novelist and philosopher S L Bhyrappa died due to cardiac arrest at a private hospital here on Wednesday. He was 94, and is survived by wife and two sons. "The legendary Indian novelist, philosopher, Padma Shri, Padmabhushana and Saraswathi Samman awardee Shri S L Bhyrappa suffered a cardiac arrest today at 2.38 pm and reached the lotus feet of the Almighty. Om Shanti !!!," Rashtrotthana Hospital said in a statement. on Tuesday night. The trio, however, ditched iPhone and fled with Android handset, raising serious concern within the police department, as both devices may contain confidential internal security data of the state. Police launched a massive manhunt soon after the incident. A large team from multiple police stations, including crime branch, has been tasked with locating the culprits and recovering Android phone. phone was also in that area, after which the device was switched off.Based on CCTV and local intel, two suspects from Durga Nagar have been rounded up for questioning. Police commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra said a case has been registered under Section 304 (snatching) of the BNS. He said that intensive search operations are underway to track down remaining suspects and secure any leaked data. VIOLENCE, ARSON & STREET CLASHES | Curfew imposed in Leh; LG claims conspiracy, warns of stern action against culprits Ladakh burns in statehood clash 4 DEAD 70 HURT Agencies LEH DANTEWADA 71 Naxalites surrender As many as 71 Naxalites, 30 of them carrying a collective bounty of Rs 64 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Wednesday, a police official said. Hailing the development, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said, the double-engine government (BJP rule at the Centre and state) is committed to eliminating Naxalism by March 31, 2026”. The incident occurred around 9.30 pm when the IG was walking with his wife. The bikers approached from behind and snatched his phones before fleeing. Hours later, the iPhone was found abandoned near Kolar Guest House and returned to the officer. Habibganj police station in-charge Sanjeev Choukse said CCTV footage captured bikers fleeing towards Chunabhatti and Kolar. The last traced location of the Android People gather outside the burning Council Secretariat building after it was set ablaze by protesters in Leh The statehood for Ladakh movement descended into violence, arson and street clashes here on Wednesday, killing four people and injuring at least 70, including 22 police personnel, officials said. As the sun set on what is arguably the worst day of violence in recent memory in the cold desert region, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk called off his fortnight-long hunger strike to press for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh. With several of those injured in a critical condition, there are fears the death toll could go up. The morning began with a complete shutdown in the Ladakh capital. Hundreds of people took to the streets. The BJP office was vandalised and set on fire as were several vehicles. Police resort to firing and teargas shelling to bring the situation under control As the day progressed, flames and dark smoke clouds could be seen from afar. Police resorted to firing and teargas shelling to bring the situation under control after the protesters indulged in widespread violence, officials said. The administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS to ban the assembly of five or more people, they said. Besides, Congress leader and councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag was booked for allegedly making a provocative speech at the hunger strike venue on Tuesday. 4Continued on | P8 REASON BEHIND THE YOUTH-LED PROTESTS Protests centre on a four-point agenda that locals say is essential for safeguarding Ladakh’s interests following its separation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019: STATEHOOD FOR LADAKH: Campaigners argue that full statehood is necessary to ensure political autonomy beyond its current centrally administered union territory status. INCLUSION IN THE SIXTH SCHEDULE: Protesters want Ladakh brought under Article 244, which Godman booked for ‘molesting’ 17 students PTI NEW DELHI A self-styled godman and "chairman" of a private management institute in southwest Delhi's Vasant Kunj has been booked for sexually harassing 17 students of the institute run by the Sri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka's Sringeri. According to police, 62year-old Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati alias Swami Parthasarathy, a 'sanchalak' at the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management, would allegedly target students who had gained admission under the EWS quota and threaten to fail them in exams. He provides greater autonomy to tribal areas through Autonomous District Councils. They argue this will preserve local land rights, customs and governance structures. SEPARATE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION: With unemployment among Ladakhi graduates at 26.5%, the second highest in the country, CBSE BOARD EXAMS FROM FEB 17, 2026 PTI Fake number plate NEW DELHI he police also found a Volvo car with a forged diplomatic number plate -39 UN 1 -- in the institute's basement. The car was allegedly used by Saraswati. Meanwhile, another FIR was lodged on August 25. The police also seized the vehicle. T would also lure them by promising foreign trips, police said. Police have formed multiple teams to nab him and also issued a lookout circular to prevent him from fleeing the country. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct Class 10 and 12 board exams from February 17 next year, officials announced on Wednesday. The board announced a tentative datesheet for the crucial exams. This is the first time that board exams for Class 10 will be conducted twice in an academic session. "While the first edition will be conducted from February 17 to March 6, 2026, the second edition is scheduled from May 15 to June 1," CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 residents are demanding their own service commission to speed up recruitment. TWO PARLIAMENTARY SEATS: Currently allocated only one Lok Sabha constituency, Ladakhis want representation through two seats to reflect the region’s size and diversity. SC pulls up govt, nodal counsel over 27% OBC quota delay Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday reprimanded Madhya Pradesh government and nodal counsel for seeking more time on the 27% OBC reservation case. Next hearing is scheduled for October 8. Nodal counsel representing the general category opposing the reservation argued that 15,000 pages of documents provided by the government just a day before the hearing need time to be reviewed. SC expressed frustration over stakeholders’ lack of seriousness despite its emphasis on day-to-day hearings. SC directed the government and nodal counsel to prepare a strict timeline and be ready for daily hearings. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta successfully argued to separate the Chhattisgarh reservation issue from Madhya Pradesh, with SC agreeing to the request. Senior advocate Tarun Thakur, representing OBC Mahasabha, told Free Press that SC was clear about proceeding, but government and counsel demanded delays. 4Continued on | P8 rodent menace Now, rat bite incident at Indore Airport Our Staff Reporter INDORE Just days after the ‘rat bite’ incident in MY Hospital, a similar shocking incident took place at the city’s  Devi Ahilyabai Holkar (DABH) Airport  on Tuesday afternoon when a rat bit a passenger there , tarnishing the reputation of what was once ranked Asia-Pacific’s No.1 airport for passenger satisfaction. The episode also exposed glaring lapses in the airport’s medical preparedness. The victim,  Arun Modi, a software engineer from Bhopal, was waiting to board IndiGo flight 6E-6739 to Bengaluru, scheduled to depart at 3:05 PM. With time to spare, he reclined on a seat in the lounge area when he suddenly felt something un- usual inside his trousers. To his horror, he discovered that a rat had crawled into his pants. He tried to catch the rat from outside but was unsuccessful in his attempt and the rodent bit him behind the knee. Modi quickly removed his trousers and was shocked to find a bleeding injury where the rat had bitten him. 4Continued on | P8 We conducted pest control just eight days ago, on September 15. I have spoken to the victim and our staff. We are imposing a penalty on the pest control agency and will conduct another round of treatment. We've also received complaints about the conduct of the duty doctor, and he is being replaced -Vipin Kant Sheth, Director, DABH Airport Man who gave logistical support to Pahalgam terrorists held PTI SRINAGAR Police on Wednesday arrested a person from South Kashmir who had allegedly provided logistical support to terrorists responsible for the April 22 Pahalgham terror attack, officials said here. "Based on an intelligence lead, Srinagar police arrested an Over Ground Worker from South Kashmir's Kulgam district. He was identified as Mohd Yousuf Katari (26)," an official said. The officials said that he had a role in providing logistical support to the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack who were later killed during Operation Mahadev. In the July 29 encounter, the Army's elite para commandos had gunned down the three terrorists on the outskirts of Srinagar. They included Sulieman alias Asif, who is believed to be the mastermind of the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The other two were identified as Jibran and Hamza Afghani. Jibran was involved in the Sonamarg Tunnel attack in October 2024. ‘Social media regulation must’ K'taka HC rejects Musk-led X Corp's challenge to censorship IANS BENGALURU In a major development, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday delivered its verdict in the case of Elon Muskled social media platform X Corp, formerly known as Twitter Inc, versus the Union of India, concerning freedom of speech and alleged unchecked censorship. The Bench emphasised that regulation of social media is necessary and upheld the Centre’s authority, through the Sahyog Portal, to block content in this regard. The Bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order in the case and stated that regulation of social media is must and the challenge by 'X' to onboarding Sahyog portal is without merit. Unregulated speech under guise of liberty results into lawlessness, Bench underlined The High Court also dismissed X Corp's plea which sought a declaration that Section 79 (3)(B) of the Information Technology Act does not confer authority on the Centre to issue information blocking orders. Justice Nagaprasanna while delivering the verdict stated, "The content on social media must be regulated and its regulation is a must, more so in cases of offences against women in particular, 4Continued on | P8 KILLING COW BANNED IN MP, says CM reacting to Cong allegations Our Staff Reporter Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said cow killing is banned in MP. He made the statement in reply to the Congress’s allegation of a ‘beef tax’. It is impossible to kill a cow in the state, be- cause nobody can think of such things about Gaumata, he said. “Forget about killing a cow. If someone teases a cow, he is sent to jail,” Yadav said. Yadav said whenever cow killers were held, the Congress made a hue and cry. The Congress has some relationship with the cow Marriage using fake conversion certificate invalid: HC Bhopal mountaineer 1st in world to reach Everest base camp on bike BHOPAL Biswajeet Banerjee Our Staff Reporter LUCKNOW BHOPAL Allahabad High Court has ruled that marriages conducted using fake religious conversion certificates are legally invalid. The verdict comes amid a rise in cases where couples presented forged documents from organizations such as Arya Samaj to legitimize interfaith marriages without actual conversion. A mountaineer Bhagwan Singh from Bhopal became the first person in the world to reach Mount Everest base camp on an MTP bicycle. He hoisted the National Flag by reaching the camp located at an altitude of 5364 metres on his MTP bike. According to sports department, Singh became the first person in the world to accept this challenge and reach a killers, he said, adding that his government has made a rule in which a vehicle of a cow smuggler is confiscated.  A day before, MPCC president Jitu Patwari alleged that a tax on the import of beef was withdrawn under GST 2.0. Patwari cited a notification of September 18 issued by the commercial tax department. The government has been giving explanations after the Congress’s allegation. 4Continued on | P8 height of 5,364 metres on his two-wheeled bike. 4Continued on | P8 Union Cabinet okays `15,000 cr funds for med education expansion Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the PhaseIll of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for strengthening and upgradation of existing medical colleges and government hospitals through which 5,000 post-graduation PG medical seats and 5,023 MBBS seats would be increased. The Cabinet said an en- The scheme will increase over 10,000 MBBS & PG medical seats hanced cost ceiling of Rs. 1.50 crore per seat has been approved and this initiative would lead to augmentation of undergraduate medical capacity; availability of specialist doctors by creating additional postgraduate seats; and introduction of new specialties across government medical institutions. Stating that the upgradation would increase the overall availability of doctors in the country, the government said the total financial implications of these two schemes would be Rs 15,034.50 crore for a period from 2025-26 to 2028-29. Out of this amount, the Centre’s share would be Rs.10,303.20 crore. 4Continued on | P8