FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 106 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 29, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY Sports `1.02 L cr investment in Indian food processing sector in offing Mithun Manhas takes helm P.12 UJJAIN PUNE INDORE Edit NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper A dark night in Karur Brandsutra Milking The Festive Season P.14 KARUR STAMPEDE | Toll 40; inquiry panel begins probe FREE PRESS TVK alleges conspiracy Agencies CHENNAI Actor-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has alleged a criminal conspiracy by the ruling DMK behind the stampede at its Karur rally that killed 40 people and left nearly 100 injured on Saturday. Arivazhagan, the state coordinator of TVK's legal wing, said they will raise the matter before the Madurai bench of the high court. "There was a conspiracy, a criminal conspiracy in the incident at Karur, so we requested the honorable high court to investigate the matter independently, not by a state agency," he said. "The court has to constitute a special investigation team, or they have to transfer the case from Tamil Nadu police to fp Briefs KANKER 3 Naxalites gunned down Three Naxalites carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 14 lakh were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Sunday, a senior police official said. The gun battle took place on a forested hill near Chhindkhadak village along the border of Kanker and Gariaband districts. DUBAI Kuldeep’s web spins Pakistan out India’s spin magic lit up the Asia Cup final as Pakistan were bundled out for a modest 146 in 19.1 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. (Detail on Sports Page) Monsoon exit delayed as heavy rains continue Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Monsoon withdrawal from Madhya Pradesh and central India is likely delayed due to active weather systems like a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, officials said. These systems are causing heavy to very heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh and surrounding regions, preventing usual withdrawal conditions such as highpressure systems and a southward shift of the InterTropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Typically, monsoon withdrawal is marked by anticyclonic circulation at high India-Russia ties independent of US relations: Lavrov UNITED NATIONS: Russia fully respects India's national interests and the independent foreign policy being pursued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, asserting that India's ties with the US or any other country cannot be a benchmark for New Delhi-Moscow ties. Lavrov, addressed the UN General Assembly shortly before External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's speech 4Continued on | P10 Active low-pressure systems over Bay of Bengal bring heavy to very heavy rainfall altitudes, reduced moisture and ITCZ moving south. The current active systems indicate the opposite, delaying withdrawal from Maharashtra and central parts of the country. The meteorological department has issued a yellow alert for very heavy rain in Barwani, Alirajpur, Jhabua and Dhar districts over the next 24 hours. 4Continued on | P10 Mauganj tehsildar suspended for misbehaviour Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL On directives of CM Mohan Yadav, Mauganj in-charge tehsildar Veerendra Kumar Patel was suspended on Sunday. CM made it clear that misbehaviour by public servants against common men will not be tolerated at any cost. A video recently went viral showing Patel misbehaving and abusing a villager in broad daylight. Collector Mauganj recommended disciplinary action and Commissioner Rewa BS Jamod suspended Patel with immediate effect. CM stressed that treating citizens with sensitivity, empathy and a helpful spirit remains foremost duty of public servants. US needs to fix India, Brazil, says Lutnick PTI NEW YORK Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said that the US will have to "fix" countries like Brazil and India, asserting that these nations need to react correctly to America by opening their markets and refraining from actions that could harm American interests. The Trump administration has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, including a 25 per cent tariff on New Delhi's pur- chases of Russian oil, among the highest tariff rates imposed on any country in the world. "We have a bunch of countries to fix, like Switzerland, Brazil, India - these are countries that need to really react correctly to America. Open their markets, stop taking actions that harm America, and that's why we're off sides with them," Lutnick said in an interview with NewsNation. 4Continued on | P10 govt survey ‘More girls in MP choosing to marry after 21’ PTI BHOPAL In a notable shift in societal attitudes towards marriage, 62.5 per cent of girls in Madhya Pradesh are now preferring to marry after the age of 21, compared to 56 per cent in 2020, as per a government survey. This change is likely due to girls prioritising education and career over marriage, This change is likely due to girls prioritising education and career over marriage, and also government schemes providing support to them, experts feel and also government schemes providing support to them, experts feel. According to the recently P.8 released Sample Registration System (SRS)-2023, 62.5 per cent of girls in MP preferred to marry after the age of 21. These figures indicate a significant difference in attitudes towards marriage between girls in rural and urban areas. While 57.5 per cent of girls in rural areas preferred to marry after the age of 21, in urban areas the rate was 80.2 per cent. The national average for girls marrying after the age of 21 is 72.2 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh lags behind. But, considering the SRS-2020 data, the situation in the state has improved. While the data reflects a significant shift in the age of marriage in urban areas, there is still considerable room for improvement in rural areas. 4Continued on | P10 Man shoots 19-YO daughter, dumps body in river Cops suspect honour killing FP News Service MORENA CBI," he said. Asked if TVK does not trust the state police’s investigation, the lawyer replied, "There was a criminal conspiracy. We received reliable information from the local people, and we have some CCTV footage. A man shot his 19-year-old daughter and threw his body into a river, as reported from Morena district on Sunday.  According to information, the deceased was identified as Divya Sikarwar, a resident of Shivnagar in Civil Lines area. The case came to light after an anonymous call to Civil Lines police station on Saturday. The caller informed that a gunshot was heard from the house of Bantu Sikarwar in Shivnagar 4 days ago, after which his 19-year-old daughter Divya went missing. Following the tip-off, Civil Lines police, led by Station House Officer Darshan Shukla, reached Bantu Sikarwar’s house. The house was mostly empty and Sikarwar was taken into custody. During questioning, he revealed the horrifying details. 4Continued on | P10 4Continued on | P10 Vijay’s aides booked Two senior leaders of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s party have been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. N Anand, widely known as Bussy Anand, and CT Nirmal Kumar, along with the Karur district secretary, face charges under multiple sections