FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 152 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 14, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Jyothi leads India’s archery rampage at Asian C’ships P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY Export promotion mission hinges on clear guidelines, funding: GTRI UJJAIN PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Nithari accused to walk free P.6 Cinema Stars before stardom P.16 BABRI REVENGE| Investigators say phased conspiracy targeted Delhi, Ayodhya and major cities nationwide — a premature blast exposed the network 32 CARS, 200 IEDs: TERROR DOCTORS Rubio hails India’s PLANNED 26/11 STYLE STRIKES professional Agencies Diaries reveal blast code NEW DELHI The Red Fort car explosion has exposed a sprawling, meticulously planned terror conspiracy linked to a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) module centred in Faridabad. Investigators say the cell assembled dozens of vehicles, procured tonnes of explosive precursors and prepared as many as 200 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as part of a five-phase plan to carry out 26/11-style coordinated strikes across the National Capital Region and other Indian cities on symbolically charged dates. A premature detonation that killed 13 people interrupted the operation. Police detail a structured five-phase blueprint: Phase 1 — Formation and recruitment: creation of the module (linked to JeM and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind) and building manpower, reportedly using “white-collar” covers such as doctors to move freely across the NCR. Phase 2 — Procurement: sourcing raw materials and ammunition from markets in Gurugram, Nuh and nearby towns; operatives pooled roughly Rs 20 lakh and bought some 26 quintals of NPK fertiliser for IED manufacture. Phase 3 — Manufacture and reconnaissance: assem- fp Briefs BENGALURU Yeddi’s POCSO plea rejected People pay tribute to the victims of the Red Fort blast beside a banner displaying their photographs, at Sarojini Nagar Market in New Delhi on Thursday DNA confirms Dr Umar drove i20 Dr Umar Mohammad drove the i20 car that exploded near Red Fort said sources citing the DNA test results. The toll in blast rose to 13 on Thursday, said cops. Red corner notice Jammu and Kashmir Police has sought an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Dr Muzaffar from Kulgam, linked to the interstate white-collar terror module busted in Faridabad. Brother of arrested Dr Adil Rather, Muzaffar visited Türkiye in 2021 with key suspects and later fled to Dubai, now believed to be in Afghanistan, police sources said. bling chemical IEDs and conducting detailed recces — dump data and CCTV show repeated January visits to Red Fort to study security and KOLKATA HC disqualifies Mukul Roy The Calcutta High Court on Thursday disqualified senior leader Mukul Roy as member of the West Bengal Assembly under the anti-defection law for switching over to the ruling TMC, after having been elected on a BJP ticket in the 2021 elections. Bldg 17, Room 13 of Al Falah Univ Room 13 of Building 17 at Al Falah University in Faridabad served as the hub for planning the Delhi blast, police said. Doctors linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad allegedly met there, smuggled chemicals from the nearby lab, and stored explosives in Faridabad villages. Diaries, devices, and 2,000 kg of bomb materials were recovered. Final 48 Hours Traced Investigators tracked Dr Umar Nabi’s final movements before the Red Fort blast through 50 CCTV cameras, toll logs, and mobile data. He stayed overnight in his car near a Haryana dhaba, drove across Delhi, and parked near Sunehri mosque for hours before his i20 exploded, killing 13. crowds. Phase 4 — Distribution: moving assembled devices into vehicles and safe houses across the module’s network. Phase 5 — Execution: simultaneous strikes at multiple high-profile locations to maximise casualties and communal impact. 4Continued on | P8 FIR filed; Paswan slams ‘provocative’ statements Agencies Bihar Police on Thursday registered an FIR against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLC Sunil Singh for his “undesirable and BIHAR POLL RESULTS TODAY A day after US President Donald Trump defended the H-1B visa programme, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the "vision" is to bring in skilled overseas workers who train Americans and then go back home. "The President's vision here is to bring in overseas workers, where these jobs US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has characterised the Red Fort bombing as a “terrorist attack” and commended India’s “very professional” investigation. “Clearly, it was a terrorist attack. It was a car loaded with highly explosive materials that detonated and killed a lot of people”, he said at a news conference here on Wednesday. “It was a car loaded with highly explosive materials that detonated and killed a lot of people," he said. Praising India's follow-up to the attack, he said they “need to be commended; they have been very measured and cautious and very professional in how they’re carrying out this investigation”. “They’re doing a very good job of carrying out an investigation,” he said, adding, “and I think when they have facts, they’ll release those facts”. 4Continued on | P8 Quota without concrete data, SAPAKS tells HC Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The petitioner, SAPAKS,told High Court on Thursday that the government determined reservation representation without concrete data, a move likely to create discrepancies. The next hearing is scheduled for November 20. A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf heard further arguments in a batch of petitions related to ongoing reservation dispute in state. The petitioner said government enacted reservation rule without understanding which classes are actually represented, contrary to Supreme Court directives. SAPAKS cited the Supreme Court’s M. Nagaraj and Jarnail The controversy concerns quota in promotions for roughly 90,000 posts in MP Singh cases, challenging the new promotion policy. These cases, the petitioner argued, make it clear that reservations must be determined based on data showing which classes remain backward and their level of representation. The controversy concerns reservation in promotions for roughly 90,000 posts in Madhya Pradesh. The government did not provide category-wise data before implementing the policy. 4Continued on | P8 inflammatory” statement warning election officials of public unrest if the people’s mandate was “stolen.” The action came hours after Singh said that if attempts were made to manipulate the results, “scenes like those in Nepal, Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL The government is gearing up to for a function to celebrate the completion of two years of the Mohan Yadav-led government. Yadav is completing two years on December 13. The state government is planning to invite Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the occasion. The Industries Department will hold the main function. According to reports, efforts are also underway to request Shah to lay the foundation of industrial projects worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore. 4Continued on | P8 The Election Commission has deployed over 18,000 counting agents and 4,372 tables for Friday’s Bihar vote count. With a record 67.13% turnout and zero repolls, counting begins 8 a.m. under tight supervision. Officials hailed the poll as a milestone in transparent electoral management. Investment will generate 64,000 jobs in the state SC’s ‘ban luxury cars’ tip for promoting EVs Plans afoot to request Shah to lay foundation of industrial projects worth Rs 2.5L cr Govt will put up its report card Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka will be seen on the roads of Bihar.” Confirming the development, Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar said that “an FIR is being registered over this undesirable and inflammatory statement.” nearly Rs 16K cr investment Agencies NEW DELHI Shah will lay the foundation of all the projects, which the industrial houses are going to set up in the state. Besides organising the Global Investors’ Summit, the government held regional 2 YEARS OF YADAV GOVT IN MP investors’ conclaves in divisions. The government has received investment proposals worth Rs 30 lakh crore. Out of the investment proposals worth Rs 30 lakh crore, Shah will lay the foundation of the proposals which are at the stage of launching. 4Continued on | P8 Phasing out luxury petrol and diesel cars could be the starting point for a proper implementation of the Centre's plans to promote Electric Vehicles (EVs), the Supreme Court said today. The bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a public interest litigation that seeks effective implementation of the government's EV promotion policies. "One idea based on some experiences in dealing with cases ... now in electric vehicles also, there are very good bigger cars introduced in the market which can be as convenient as the other gas guzzlers which many VIPs and big companies are using," Justice Kant said. "I am not naming anyone because I don't want to cause any prejudice. Just think of imposing a ban on the very high-end vehicles first of all. So it will not affect the common man. Because very small part of the Indian population can afford that," he added. Attorney General R Venkataramani, who was appearing for the Centre, said the government, too, favours this idea. He said 13 ministries are actively involved in this matter and that the government is proceeding on this front. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, said the prices of electric vehicles were earlier high, and incentive schemes were introduced to encourage people to buy them. The key challenge now is the lack of adequate charging stations for such cars. 4Continued on | P8 Train Americans, then go home: Trump’s H-1B vision PTI IANS HAMILTON (CANADA) 4,372 counting tables set up offgrid NEW YORK/WASHINGTON probe, calls Delhi blast terror attack RJD leader warns of Nepal-like protests if mandate stolen Tech growth conclave attracts PATNA The Karnataka High Court on Thursday refused to quash the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case filed against former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa. Justice M I Arun upheld the trial court's February 28 order taking cognizance of the alleged offence and issuing summons to the senior BJP leader. Two diaries with encrypted notes and repeated references to “operation” were recovered from Al Falah University in Faridabad, linking suspects Dr Umar Mohammad and Dr Muzammil Shakeel to the Red Fort blast that killed 13. Sources said the duo used coded words like “package” and “shipment” for explosives and followed encrypted foreign instructions. Scan & Watch Primary targets included Red Fort, India Gate, Constitution Club, Gauri Shankar Temple, major railway stations and shopping malls. Investigators also say the module planned a high-profile attack outside the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. To amplify reach and terror, the cell intended to expand operations to cover major cities across India — plans reportedly named cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur in Maharashtra; Guwahati and Shillong in the Northeast; and Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai in the South — alongside coordinated strikes in Gurugram and Faridabad. December 6 (anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition) and Republic Day (January 26) were flagged as preferred dates, with August 15 once considered. Seizures following the bust include roughly 2.5 tonnes of explosive precursors and fuel; 360 kg of ammonium nitrate was recovered in Faridabad. Thirty-two ageing cars were earmarked as bomb vehicles — chosen for their multiple resale histories to complicate tracing — including the Hyundai i20 that exploded, a Maruti Brezza found on the Al-Falah medical campus, a Dzire that yielded an assault rifle, and an abandoned EcoSport. went, who have the skills. Three, five, seven years to train the US workers, then they can go home. The US workers fully take over," Bessent said in an interview to Fox News on Wednesday. Bessent was asked about Trump's latest remarks on the H-1B visa programme, where the President said America has to bring in talent since it does not have "certain talents". Bessent said that for 20-30 years, the US has offshored precision manufacturing jobs. "And the President's point here is, again, we can't snap our fingers and say, 'You're going to learn how to build ships overnight'. We want to bring the semiconductor industry back to the US." "So this idea of overseas partners coming in, teaching American workers, then returning home, that's a home run," Bessent said, adding that Americans can't have those jobs now because "we haven't built ships in the US for years, we haven't built semiconductors." Trump defended the H-1B visa programme, saying America has to bring in talent from around the world. "I agree, but you also do have to bring in talent," Trump had said in an interview to Laura Ingraham on Fox News. 4Continued on | P8 Our Staff Reporter INDORE The state attracted investment of about Rs 15,896 crore in science and technology through a one-day MP Tech Growth Conclave 2.0 held here on Thursday. The investment will generate 64,000 new jobs in the state. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has announced that a Knowledge and AI City will be built on 2,000 acres in Bhopal and 25 acres of land will be allotted for the Science City project. With this, the state is poised to become a hub for artificial intelligence (AI) in the country in future. Talking to the media at the end of the conclave, a jubilant Dr Yadav said that the state was now poised for a new leap in the field of space technology. “We will soon implement the Space Tech Policy-2025, which will encourage satellite data, remote sensing, and space start-ups in the state. A Major milestones » 7 MoUs signed. These will attract investment of about Rs 800 cr. And generate 10,500 jobs. » MOU signed between State govt & Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow for joint research and development in the field of cyber security & AI. » CISO portal launch. Developed by MP Computer Emergency Response Team (MPCERT). » CM launches Drone Data Repository (DDR). » The draft of Space Tech Policy 2025 unveiled. » 22 new units digitally inaugurated. » Bhoomi pujan of 4 major projects performed. Knowledge and AI City will be developed on 2,000 acres of land in Bhopal. This city will be modelled after a modern hi-tech city and cyber city. World-class institutions, re- search centres and start-ups will come up here, making Madhya Pradesh India’s AI hub.” 4Continued on | P8 ‘Ukraine war a living lab for modern warfare’ SC bans mining within 1-km radius of nat’l parks Agencies NEW DELHI PTI NEW DELHI Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday described the Ukraine war as a “living lab” for modern warfare, saying it offers valuable lessons for India given its border conditions. Speaking at the Delhi Defence Dialogue 2025, he said today’s battlefield is marked by “jostling and competition” as long peace gives way to complex conflicts driven by technology. “Drones stalk armour columns, electronic warfare jams radios, and precision fires reach beyond 100 km,” he said, adding that information campaigns can “win wars before a single shell lands.” He highlighted three key trends shaping warfare: democratisation, diffusion & demography. The Supreme Court on Thursday banned mining activities within an area of one km from national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, noting that such activities will be hazardous to the wildlife . A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was considering pleas on issues related to the notification of areas under Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary (SWL) and the Sasangdaburu Conservation Reserve (SCR) as a conservation reserve in Jharkhand. "It has been the consistent view of this court that mining activities within one km of the protected area will be hazardous to the wildlife. Though in the case of Goa Foundation, the said directions were issued with respect to the State of Goa, we find that such directions need to be issued on a pan-India basis. "We direct that mining within national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and within an area of one km from boundary of such national park or wildlife sanctuary shall not be permissible," the bench said. The top court also directed the Jharkhand government to notify the region as a wildlife sanctuary. 4Continued on | P8