FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 135 | BHOPAL | TUESDAY | OCTOBER 28, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports How time away from cricket fuelled his Australian masterclass P.15 Farmer beaten to death by ‘BJP leader’ over land dispute One held, key accused on run ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY A 40-year-old farmer, Ramswaroop Dhakad, was beaten to death in Ganeshpura village of Guna district on Sunday, allegedly by local BJP leader Mahendra Nagar and his aides over a land dispute. The brutal attack also left his wife and two daughters injured when they tried to save him. According to police, one accused, Hukum Singh Nagar, Mahendra’s elder brother, has been arrested, while raids are underway to catch the remaining 13– 14 suspects. The police have registered a case of murder, assault and molestation under various sections of the IPC. Reports said Ramswaroop and his family were heading towards their field when a group of men led by Mahendra Nagar attacked him without warning. The accused allegedly beat him with sticks and rods and then ran a Thar vehicle over him several times, leaving his limbs fractured. Claiming that the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been “successfully completed” in Bihar with “zero appeals”, the Election Commission of India on Monday announced the start of the second phase of SIR from October 28 in 12 states and union territories that have around 51 crore voters. Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the Election Commission had met election officials from all 36 states to discuss the process of the second phase of SIR in detail. The phase 2 of SIR, he said, would be undertaken in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Puducherry, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Lakshadweep. The CEC also announced that revision of electoral rolls in Assam will be announced separately despite the state also headed for Assembly elections in 2026. “A fresh SIR order will be issued for the state of Assam,” he said. Since the issue of validity of Aadhaar card as proof of resi- fp Briefs AMARAVATI Cyclone Montha makes landfall Cyclone 'Montha', which is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, has begun, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Managing Director Prakhar Jain said on Monday. Coastal districts are experiencing rain and strong gales. Thai word 'Montha' means fragrant flower. "Cyclone has begun. Coastal districts are witnessing rainfall accompanied by gales," Jain said in a release, adding that the system would intensify further as it approached land. JAMMU Pak drones drop heroin Security forces on Monday foiled a major narcotic smuggling attempt from across the International Border in J&K’s Jammu district with the recovery of two bags dropped by a Pakistani drone containing over 5 kg of heroin, valued at over Rs 25 crore. The recovery was made near the Jatinder border outpost in the R.S. Pura sector of the international border during a joint search operation by the Border Security Force (BSF) and J&K Police. CJI Gavai recommends Justice Kant as successor PTI NEW DELHI Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has recommended to the Centre the name of Justice Surya Kant as the next CJI. Justice Surya Kant, the second senior-most Supreme Court judge after the incumbent CJI Gavai, is set to become the 53rd chief justice of India on November 24 after CJI Gavai's retirement on November 23. CJI Gavai, who was sworn in on May 14 this year, recommended to the Union law ministry to appoint Justice Surya Kant as the next CJI. "Hon'ble the Chief Justice of India, Mr Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, recommends the name of Hon'ble Mr Justice Surya Kant, the senior most Judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor to be the 53rd Chief Justice of India," a press note from the top court said. Justice Surya Kant, who was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019, would have a tenure of nearly 15 months years as the CJI. He is due to retire on February 9, 2027. The retirement age of Supreme Court judges is 65 years. MUMBAI E-paper SIR PHASE 2 BEGINS TODAY IN MP, 11 OTHER STATEs, UTs Voter list frozen from midnight Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar 4Continued on | P8 NASHIK Cinema Actor Sachin Chandwade dies by suicide P.16 NEW DELHI Eyewitnesses told police that the attackers, some armed with guns, prevented villagers from taking the injured to the hospital for nearly an hour, ensuring he succumbed to his injuries. INDORE POLL ROLL REVISION | First phase successfully completed in Bihar with zero appeals, says Election Commission Our Staff Reporter Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has instructed the Guna police to take strict action against the accused(s), who are involved in killing an innocent man in Fatehgarh police station area. On his social media account, the CM also expressed his grief over the incident. He said an FIR has been registered against 14 accused and one has been arrested. “And none of them will be spared,”he stated. PUNE Edit Labelling AI deep fakes P.6 Growth outlook strong despite trade uncertainties: Fin Ministry BHOPAL CM asks cops to take strict action UJJAIN Our Staff Reporter SIR SCHEDULE Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, date of birth or domicile, but can be furnished as a valid identity document in SIR Gyanesh Kumar Chief Election Commissioner dence had come up during the SIR in Bihar and the matter had gone up to the Supreme Court, Kumar clarified that “Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, date of birth or domicile, but can be furnished as a valid identity document in SIR exercise”. As several Opposition parties had opposed SIR in Bihar and the pan-India expansion of the exercise, expressing apprehensions around its “misuse” to delete voters selectively, and some 4Continued on | P8 Description Date Printing/Training BHOPAL Oct 28 – Nov 3 With the Election Nov 4 – Dec 4 Commission of House-to-House India (ECI) an- Enumeration nouncing the sec- Publication of Draft Dec 9 ond phase of the Electoral Rolls Special Intensive Claims & Objections Dec 9 – Jan 8 Revision (SIR) of Notice Phase Dec 9 – Jan 31 electoral rolls in Publication of Final twelve states, inFeb 7 cluding Madhya Electoral Roll Pradesh, preparations began on Transfers restricted Monday at the Since the SIR schedule has been issued, Chief Electoral Of- the state government cannot transfer office. The last SIR in ficers engaged in voter list work, includthe state was con- ing Collectors and other key officials, ducted in 2003. without prior approval from the Election A senior official Commission of India. The SIR process said that the state’s will continue for about three months. voter list was frozen from midnight. Chief ficers (BLOs) has also been fiElectoral Officer (CEO) Sannalised. The training will be jeev Kumar Jha held a meetheld from October 28 to Noing with senior electoral vember 2. officers to review preparations BLOs to verify voters’ adand issued necessary direcdress- Joint Chief Electoral Oftives. An all-party meeting on ficer Ram Pratap Singh Jadon the SIR process will be consaid voters should remain vened on Tuesday. aware of ongoing revision. A seven-day training pro4Continued on | P8 gramme for Booth Level Of- One arrested for Rs 1.25 cr robbery FP News Service DEWAS The Dewas police arrested an accused involved in a robbery of Rs 1.25 crore from Dharmapuri area on Monday. The accused was identified as Namdar Khan of KherwaJagir, Manawar, from Dharmapuri. The police recovered the stolen money from him and are searching for his accomplices. According to police, the complainant Ashish Gupta, a jeweller from Nowgaon, Chhatarpur, reported that his clerk NiteshKumar Sen went to Indore on October 16 Didn’t officers read newspapers: SC fumes Agencies NEW DELHI STRAY DOGS CASE: Summons chief secys, slams states, UTs for not filing affidavits IANS NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to all states and Union Territories regarding incidents of digital arrest scams across the country. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked all the states to furnish details of cyber arrest cases pending for investigation and posted the matter for hearing on November 3. It also contemplated handing over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and inquired whether the CBI has the resources to handle all such cases across the country. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that the CBI was already dealing with a few such cases. "Please find out whether the CBI has the resources to handle all the cases," the bench said. The bench said that it wants a uniform probe but will not issue any directions today One of most dreaded threats to citizens: Prez Asserting that technology has substantially altered the space of policing, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said 'digital arrest' has become one of the most dreaded threats to citizens. Addressing a group of probationers of the Indian Police Service (IPS), who called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Murmu said people, especially the marginalised, should look at police as a source of support and not as a fearsome entity. without hearing the states. Earlier, the apex court took suo moto cognisance of incidents of digital arrest scams, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement agencies or judicial authorities to extort money from citizens, particularly senior citizens. 4Continued on | P8 The Supreme Court on Monday summoned the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories -- except West Bengal and Telangana -- for failing to file compliance affidavits pursuant to its previous directions on stray dog management. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria expressed displeasure that, despite clear directions issued in August this year, most state governments had failed to file compliance affidavits detailing steps taken to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. "Didn’t the officers read newspapers or social media? Haven’t they read...even if they are not served, the affidavit should have been here. All Chief Secretaries re- Energy trade principles applied selectively: EAM’s swipe at US PTI NEW DELHI India on Monday flagged serious concerns over increasingly "constricted" energy trade, selective application of norms and market access issues, in remarks that came against the backdrop of its frosty ties with the US over its procurement of Russian crude oil. In an address at the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also said that the EAM S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio world must adopt a policy of "zero tolerance" towards terrorism as the right of defence against the menace can never be compromised. However, what drew attention was his comments relating to energy trade, market access and supply chains. "There are growing concerns about the reliability of supply chains and access to markets. Technology advancement has become very competitive; the quest for natural resources even more so," he said. 4Continued on | P8 Musk may exit Tesla if $1 trillion pay plan rejected Elon Musk could leave Tesla as CEO if his proposed $1 trillion pay package was not approved, Chair Robyn Denholm warned in a letter to shareholders on Monday. The appeal comes ahead of the November 6 annual meeting, with Tesla's board having faced repeated criti- 4Continued on | P8 SC notice to states on digital arrest offgrid Online Report with Rs 1.25 crore for Diwalirelated gold and silver purchases. When the bus halted near Pappu and Pappu Resort in Sonkatch early the next morning, Nitesh found his bag missing. CCTV camera footage showed two men fleeing with the bag in a white car. cism for not acting in shareholders' best interests and governance experts and advocacy groups questioning its independence and oversight of Musk's influence. The proposed performance-based plan was designed to retain and motivate Musk to continue leading Tesla for at least another seven-and-a-half years, Denholm said in the letter. Musk's leadership was "critical" to Tesla's success, she said, and warned that without a plan that properly incentivises him, the company could lose his "time, talent and vision". Musk's role was vital as Tesla seeks to become a global leader in artificial intelligence and autonomous technology, she said. The proposed package would grant Musk 12 tranches of stock options tied to ambitious targets, including a market capitalisation of $8.5 trillion and milestones in autonomous driving and robotics. Denholm's letter portrays the package as necessary to align Musk's incentives with shareholder value and longterm growth, also urging investors to re-elect three long-serving directors who have worked closely with him. Tesla's board has been under scrutiny for years over its close relationship with Musk. A Delaware court earlier this year struck down his 2018 pay deal, finding it was improperly awarded and negotiated by directors who were not fully independent. main present here on November 3," the Justice Nath-led Bench remarked. The apex court noted that only the West Bengal and Telangana governments and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had filed compliance affidavits. 4Continued on | P8 Indian-origin woman raped in racial attack in UK, man held PTI LONDON A 20-year-old woman, identified as being of Indian heritage, was allegedly raped in what police believe was a "racially aggravated" attack in the West Midlands region of England over the weekend. The police said a 32-yearold man was arrested on Monday morning after a manhunt was launched in the wake of the attack on Saturday evening. The West Midlands Police said they were called to the Park Hall area of Walsall following concerns for the welfare of a woman in distress in the street. Detective Superintendent (DS) Ronan Tyrer, who is overseeing the investigation for the force, described the arrest in the Perry Barr area of the region as a "significant development". "Our investigation will progress today, and, as always, our priority is the woman who was the subject of this attack," said DS Tryer. 4Continued on | P8