FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 144 | INDORE | FRIDAY | OCTOBER 31, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Training tragedy stuns cricket again P.13 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE WORLD Trump rates meeting with Xi a 12 out of 10 ICC WOMEN’S WORLD CUP | Hosts chase record 339 in epic semifinal, set to meet SA in final on Nov 2 INDIA STUN AUSTRALIA IN SEMIFINAL RUN-FEST 15 – Winning Streak Snapped Australia entered the semifinal with 15 consecutive wins in Women’s World Cups — the joint-longest streak in tournament history. Their previous 15match streak spanned the 1997 & 2000 editions. Australia’s Only Semifinal Losses Indian players celebrate after Team India’s victory over Australia IANS Agencies NAVI MUMBAI India's women cricketers created history on Thursday, pulling off the first-ever 300+ chase in ODI World Cup knockout history to dethrone defending champions Australia by 5 wickets and end their formidable 15-match winning streak in the tournament. The record-shattering victory was built on Jemimah Rodrigues' magnificent 127* and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's blistering 89, who combined for a historic 167run partnership – India's highest for any wicket in Women's World Cup knockouts. (Detail on Sports Page) 4Continued on | P8 Six-month US sanctions waiver for Chabahar port HPCL-Mittal halts Russian oil purchase Ashwin Ahmad NEW DELHI India is being given a sixmonth sanction waiver from the US on the Chabahar port, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal revealed on Thursday. He confirmed at a media briefing that recent reports that had been circulating on this were true. He added that the exemption on the port in south eastern Iran had been granted a few days ago, though he could not confirm the exact date. This Chabahar port is crucial to India’s interests as it grants the country a gateway into resource-rich Central Justice Surya Kant appointed next CJI Justice Surya Kant was on Thursday appointed as the 53rd Chief Justice of India and he will assume charge on November 24. Asia by bypassing Pakistan. However, some diplomats believe that the move may be of “limited value” given the short time period of the sanctions waiver for India and more to do with President Trump’s personal agenda. NEW DELHI: Indian statebacked refiner HPCL-Mittal Energy has halted purchases of Russian crude after US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Moscow’s two largest oil companies, the firm said. AFP reports that HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL), a joint venture between steel tycoon Lakshmi Niwas Mittal and state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), said it had “taken the decision to suspend further purchases of Russian crude”. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Two killed as crane collapses on vehicles CBSE board exam datesheet out The CBSE has released the final date sheet for the 2026 board exams for both Class10 and 12. According to the final CBSE board exam datesheet, exams start from February 17, 2026 for both classes. FP News Service PITHAMPUR Two persons were killed after a crane collapsed during girder installation work on an under-construction railway bridge in Sagore, Pithampur Sector 3, on Thursday morning. The incident occurred around 9:15 am when two cranes were lifting heavy slabs on the bridge. Suddenly, one of the cranes on the Sagore side tilted and fell, crushing two loading vehicles, passing through the diversion road. Ajay Kumar, a tire shop worker from Sehore residing in Betma and Kalyan, a truck driver from Sagore Thana Road, were trapped under the heavy crane and died before rescue teams could reach them. Their bodies were retrieved after two hours of effort. Preliminary investigation revealed that no support plates were placed beneath the crane’s legs, causing the soil to subside under its weight. 4Continued on | P8 State boasts of best Naxal surrender policy, but no takers Rajesh Thakur BHOPAL Despite Madhya Pradesh having one of the most liberal and attractive Naxal surrender policy in the country, not a single Naxalite has laid down arms in state in recent years. In contrast, neighbouring Chhattisgarh has seen over 2,000 Naxalites surrender since January 2024. Within just two days this month, 258 Naxals surrendered in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Three districts of Madhya Dindori out of list According to a post on X by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 1, 2025, only Balaghat now features among the 38 Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts in the country. The district has been reclassified from “Most Affected” to “District of Concern.” Mandla figures in the “Others” list, while Dindori has been declared free from Naxalism. Only 3 Naxals from MP Only three Naxals operating in the forests of Balaghat district are from Madhya Pradesh — Deepak from Taligonda, and Sampat and Sangeeta from Rashimeta. Pradesh — Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori — are considered affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The state has deployed CRPF, Hawk Force, Cobra Battalion, SAF and district police to counter the problem. 4Continued on | P8 This was just Australia’s second-ever defeat in a Women’s World Cup semifinal (4 wins, 2 losses). Both losses came at the hands of India — first in 2017, and now in 2025. India March into the Final Again India have now reached the Women’s ODI World Cup final for the third time. Previous finishes: Runners-up in 2005 and 2017. ED attaches 3 properties of 2 industrial units Our Staff Reporter UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Pay Commission has task cut out P.6 Cinema Mumbai feels Enrique’s magic P.14 Ayurvedic cough syrup claims 5-month-old girl in Chhindwara Hostage drama ends: 17 kids rescued, accused shot Our Staff Reporter Megha Kuchik CHHINDWARA MUMBAI There seems to be no end in sight to cough syrup deaths in the Chhindwara district. After 27 children died consuming toxic cough syrup recently, an Ayurvedic cough syrup and some packets of Ayurvedic medicine claimed the life of a five-month-old girl child, Ruhi Minote, on Thursday. According to reports, Ruhi, the daughter of Sandeep Minote, was down with a seasonal cough and cold on October 27. The family members bought cough syrup from a local medical shop in the Bichhua area in the city. The medical store owner prescribed Kasamrita, a cough syrup, and gave 16 small packets of medicine. The condition of Ruhi began to deteriorate after she consumed the medicines. She was admitted to a primary health centre at 4:30am on Wednesday. Sandeep told media persons that when he had brought his daughter to the health centre, the doctors were not available. In a dramatic incident, police shot dead a man who had held 17 children and two adults hostage at RA Studio, Powai, on Thursday afternoon. The children, with an average age of 15, had come to the studio apparently for an audition organised by Rohit Arya (50), who claimed to be a director of web series films, Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade said. In a scene straight out of Yami Gautam’s film A Thursday, in which she plays a schoolteacher who holds children hostage to speak to the Prime Minister and others, Arya, a native of Nagpur, released a video threatening to harm the children, end his own life, and set the studio on fire if he was not allowed to speak to certain persons. According to reports, Arya had produced a film for the education department at the behest of then Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar but was not paid. He wanted to speak to Kesarkar, Nalawade said. Kesarkar was unavailable for comment. This is probably the first 4Continued on | P8 Children ‘held hostage’ in Mumbai’s RA studio at Powai were rescued; accused (inset) shot dead. PIC: VIJAY GOHIL such incident to take place in Mumbai. Arya had reportedly been conducting auditions at the ground-floor studio owned by the Agnihotris for the past four days. He had published an advertisement calling for auditions for a web series, targeting children aged be- tween 12 and 15. Police are investigating how and through which medium the advertisement was circulated, as well as the exact wording used. The children had travelled from rural parts of Maharashtra to attend the audition. 4Continued on | P8 INDORE The ED on Wednesday attached three properties of two industrial units worth Rs. 1.14 crore in Indore. The ED revealed about the development on social media late Thursday evening. The action was taken by ED's Bhopal Zonal Office. The ED has provisionally attached three immovable properties belonging to M/s Ambika Solvex Limited and M/s Vardhman Solvent Extraction Industries Ltd. The attachment was made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 in the case of M/s Narayan Niryat India Pvt Ltd. in a matter related to bank fraud. So far, total attachments in the case stands at Rs. 27.69 Crore. Unseasonal rains damage Rs 5K-cr paddy, maize Our Staff Reporter Rabi sowing delayed BHOPAL Unseasonal rain has caused extensive damage to paddy and maize crops worth around Rs 5,000 crore across 22 districts of Madhya Pradesh. Both crops were in the harvesting stage and lay exposed in open fields, making them highly vulnerable to heavy rain and strong winds. The untimely showers have also delayed sowing of Rabi crops, dealing a blow to farmers on both fronts. Farmers said the worst-af- Joint Director (Agriculture) Rewa Singh Sisodiya told Free Press that unseasonal rain has not only damaged standing paddy and maize crops but also delayed sowing of Rabi crops such as gram and wheat across the state fected districts include those in the Chambal, Jabalpur, and Narmadapuram divisions, notably Bhind, Morena, Sheopur, Jabalpur, Katni, Narsinghpur, Seoni, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Mandla, Dindori, Hoshangabad, Harda, Betul, Sehore, Raisen, Ashok Nagar, Guna, Barwani, Khargone and Dhar. Farmer Rahul Dhoot said, “The rain has damaged up to 70 per cent of maize and paddy crop in some areas. The losses could increase if the spell of rain and thunderstorms continues.” Another farmer Kedar Si- rohisaid, “The Guna belt is known for maize cultivation. The crop, which was nearly ready for harvest, has suffered heavy damage due to rainfall. Paddy fields too have been hit badly, and quality of produce has deteriorated.” 4Continued on | P8