FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 252 | INDORE | TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 18, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in India’s hopes ride on his lethal seam & swing P.14 NEW CEC NAMED, RAHUL OVERRULED Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI fp Briefs NEW DELHI PM receives Amir of Qatar Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, who arrived here on Monday on a two-day state visit to India, will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 18. Extending a rare gesture of hospitality, Modi went to the airport to receive the Amir of Qatar, who arrived in Delhi in the evening. "Went to the airport to welcome my brother, Amir of Qatar H H Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. Wishing him a fruitful stay in India and looking forward to our meeting tomorrow," the prime minister said in a post on X. A 1988 Kerala batch officer G yanesh Kumar, a 1988batch IAS officer from Kerala cadre, named as an Election Commissioner in March last year, has been appointed the Chief Election Commissioner. He will replace the outgoing  Rajiv Kumar. Gyanesh Kumar will oversee the conduct of the Bihar Assembly election later this year and the polls in Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu next year. He is the senior of the two commissioners on the threemember panel that was led by Rajiv Kumar till he demitted office this morning. The other commissioner on the panel is Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, an officer from the Uttarakhand cadre. Kumar, 61, was earlier a part of the Union Home Ministry. Pitroda and Cong at odds over China Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar INDORE UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Cinema Viral or Timeless? P.11 I have told everything to ED: Saurabh All 3 accused sent to 14-day judicial remand SAURABH’S ONE-TO-ONE WITH MEDIA While leaving, Saurabh said, it will be clear in the investigation. As soon as the ED team prepared to take Saurabh to jail after Court hearing, he answered questions of media persons. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Before being sent to judicial remand on Monday, Saurabh Sharma said that he had disclosed all the information to ED officials. The three accused in a corruption case—Saurabh, Chetan Singh Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal—were sent on judicial remand until March 3 by the Special Court of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), sources said. Moreover, Lokayukta Special Court extended their remand till March 4. Q - What do you want to say about allegations against you? A - ED is investigating. I have not done anything wrong. I have nothing to do with anyone. Q - Along with you, your family and other people have also been made accused. Saurabh said that he did not own any property in Dubai and emphasised that he had shared all the details he knew with the ED. The three accused were brought to the Court around 1:22 pm, where their family members and lawyers were Her hazel eyes sparkled as she waved, her smile bright enough to outshine Kerala's tropical sun. “Namaste Kerala, ellarum sughamalle?” (Is everyone doing well?), she greeted the sea of adoring fans. The crowd in Chemmanur erupted into cheers. Monalisa, also known as Mona Bhosle, had officially made her grand entrance into also present. The lawyers requested some time to meet their clients in the courtroom, which the court allowed. Thereafter, advocates provided their responses to the questions asked. 4Continued on | P8 EOW PE against former IFS officer Case is linked to illegal recruitment for Livelihood Mission Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL EOW has registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) against a former IFS officer LM Belwal for irregularities in the recruitment of staff for MP State Livelihood Mission. According to an EOW press note, the PE has been registered following a court notice. EOW registered cases on the basis of the reports of an IAS officer Neha Marvya. In an inquiry, Marvya found that during his stay in Livelihood Mission on deputation from 2015 to 2023, Belwal misused his office and illegally ap- pointed advisors to the posts of project managers. In the report, it was also said the directives of the ministers and the secretary of the department had been ignored. In the report, it was also said the human resources guidelines, on the basis of which the recruitments were made, were inexistent. The 40% hike in the honourarium given to the employees was also illegal. A man Rajesh Mishra lodged a complaint against Belwal that Sushma Rani Shukla, and her relatives Devendra Mishra, Anju Shukla, Mukesh Gautam, Omkar Shukla and Akansha Pandey were recruited, though they lacked proper qualifications. 4Continued on | P8 SC postpones Bhojshala hearing FP News Service DHAR The Supreme Court has postponed hearing of petition demanding removal of interim stay imposed by the Apex Court on implementation of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) report on Bhojshala. The petition had been filed by Hindu Front for Justice. Petitioner Ashish Goyal said only two judges were present today and the petition has to be heard by a three-judge bench. Goyal said the next hearing could be in March or April. 4Continued on | P8 A - Whatever happens, the truth will come out. I have told the truth to ED. Q - There has been inquiry about property in Dubai and abroad. Do you have property in Dubai? A - I do not have any property there. Q - What is the truth about the car full of gold and cash? A - Saurabh remained silent on this question. After this, the ED team took him in the car with Chetan and Sharad. Govt to present UC waste incineration plan in HC today Court had given 6-week time for confidence building amid public outcry Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL After one-and-a-halfmonths, the state government will inform High Court, Jabalpur, about its strategy and planning for the incineration of 337 MT of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) chemical waste at REEL, Pithampur, during a hearing on Tuesday. The government had requested a six-week period on January 6 to build public ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ FP News Service NEW DELHI day one,” Pitroda was quoted as saying. The overseas Congress leader stressed the need for India to “increase communication, collaborate, cooperate and co-create” with China rather than maintain “a command-and-control mindset”. He added “China is around, it is growing. You have to recognise and respect that.” His remarks contradicted the stance taken by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the issue of India’s resumption of ties with China last October. Earlier this month while speaking during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha, Gandhi had accused the Centre of losing territory to China. “Today, we have the Chinese (on our land) but the Prime Minister has denied it, whereas the Army disagrees with the Prime Minister,” he had said. 4Continued on | P8 Expressing displeasure over the filing of several new petitions on the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has said ‘enough is enough’. ‘‘There has to be an end to this," he Adani pledges Rs 2,000 cr to set up schools IANS AHMEDABAD remarked during a hearing on Monday and asserted that the Supreme Court will not hear any new petition in this matter. The court, however, has allowed the filing of an intervention petition with additional grounds. The Supreme Court also said a three-judge bench will hear in April the Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Gautam Adani, the Chairperson of the Adani Group, on Monday announced the building of world-class Schools of Excellence across India, making quality education affordable and accessible to all. With an initial donation of Rs 2,000 crore from the Adani family, the partnership will prioritise making world-class education and learning infrastructure affordable to people from all strata of society. 4Continued on | P8 the media world, leaving no doubt that this was just the beginning of a career that would include more advertisements, serials, and the glitz of the glamour world. Monalisa, like so many internet sensations, followed the well-worn path of becoming an overnight star. Her rise mirrored the rapid ascent of Ranu Mondal, who sang her way into fame with a Lata Mangeshkar song at a railway sta- tion in Bengal. Once their faces go viral, the world can’t get enough — until, of course, the frenzy fades away. The last time Kerala saw such a spectacle was with Sunny Leone, but Monalisa’s event, while smaller in crowd size, matched the fervor of a film star’s arrival. On February 14, Monalisa touched down in Kerala for a special event hosted by businessman Boby Chemmanur. The 16year-old, who had once sold pending petitions related to the 1991 law which mandates the religious character of a place to be maintained as it existed on August 15, 1947. The top court, through its December 12, 2024 order, effectively stalled proceedings in about 18 lawsuits filed by various Hindu parties seeking a survey to ascertain the original religious character of 10 mosques, including Gyanvapi at Varanasi, Shahi Idgah Masjid at Mathura and Shahi Jama Masjid at Sambhal where four people died in clashes. It had then listed all the petitions for an effective hearing on February 17. 4Continued on | P8 HC grants age relaxation to EWS candidates in UPSC High Court, principal bench of Jabalpur, has granted interim relief to Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates, allowing them to apply for UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 with age relaxation benefits similar to those provided to Other Backward Classes (OBC). Double bench of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain recently passed the order. The 10% EWS reservation was introduced in 2019 through Garlands to Glam: Monalisa charms Kerala Ketan Narottam Tanna E-paper Edit Europe out of US peace deal P.6 offgrid MUMBAI MUMBAI No new pleas will be entertained on Places of Worship Act: SC NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday distanced itself from the remarks of its Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda that “we need to change this mindset and stop assuming that China is the enemy,” after it triggered a political storm. The Bharatiya Janata Party has described the remarks as “condemnable” and a “very deep blow to India’s identity, diplomacy and sovereignty”. Pitroda, known to make controversial remarks, had while speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with US President Donald Trump stated in an interview to IANS that the threat from China was usually exaggerated. “I don't understand the threat from China. I think this issue is often blown out of proportion because the US has a tendency to define an enemy. I believe the time has come for all nations to collaborate, not confront. Our approach has been confrontational from the very beginning, and this attitude creates enemies, which in turn garners support within the country. We need to change this mindset and stop assuming that China is the enemy from EDITIONS: Paris huddle to find ‘voice’ SETTLED | Gandhi had objected to the rush to name the Chief Election Commissioner However, a controversial amendment replaced the Chief Justice with the Union Home Minister— a shift Gandhi says tips the scales in the government’s favor. At a press conference held at the AICC headquarters, on Monday, Congress party treasurer Ajay Maken stated, “A meeting regarding the election of the Chief Election Commissioner took place today. The Supreme Court had indicated that it would hear the matter on February 19, with a decision on the composition of the committee. In such a scenario, today’s meeting should have been postponed.” Meanwhile, senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi expressed concern that the Centre was undermining the Supreme Court’s recommendations by replacing the Chief Justice of India with the Home Minister on the committee. iii QUALITY @ VALUE WORLD Sports Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as India’s 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC); he will succeed Rajiv Kumar, who will demit office on Tuesday upon turning 65. The selection process presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah was witness to a demurring Rahul Gandhi who opposed the decision and urged the government to defer the appointment until the Supreme Court hears a pending case on the selection process. The high-powered selection committee, unmindful of Rahul Gandhi’s objections, finalised Gyanesh Kumar’s name on Monday evening and forwarded it to President Murmu. The meeting’s timing had elicited sharp criticism from the Opposition, as the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case on February 19 concerning the appointment of Election Commissioners (ECs). Sources indicate that Rahul Gandhi appealed to the committee to withhold the recommendation until the court's verdict. He also raised concerns over recent changes to the selection committee. Previously, the committee included the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India. ESTD-1983 rudraksha garlands at the Mahakumbh Mela, was invited to inaugurate a showroom in Kozhikode. She arrived by plane, her firstever flight, and a video of her aboard the aircraft quickly spread across social media, much to the delight of her followers. Businessman Chemmanur had announced her arrival in an Instagram video, garnering over a million views. 4Continued on | P8 10% EWS reservation was introduced in 2019 through 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, providing benefits to EWS, who do not belong to SC, ST or OBC categories. The ruling comes in response to a writ petition challenging the exclusion of EWS candidates from age and attempt relaxations in Central government recruitments. As per order, the peti- tioners contested the Department of Personnel and Training’s (DoPT) Office Memorandum (OM) dated October 21, 2019 and its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) issued on September 19, 2022 which state that EWS candidates are not entitled to age or attempt relaxations. Petitioner advocate said as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and women are granted such relaxations, it is discrimination against EWS. 4Continued on | P8 confidence and dispel myths about the incineration of UCC waste. The government is now set to submit its report to the court. There has been significant public outcry over concerns of air and water pollution following the incineration. To address these issues, the local administration conducted outreach through camps to explain and clarify doubts regarding the potential pollution. The waste was transported on January 1, 2025, after the High Court's order on December 3, 2024, for its transportation from the UCC plant to REEL, Pithampur. 4Continued on | P8 As Russia, US meet, Zelensky on the sidelines Agencies KYIV Even as Saudi Arabia readies itself for talks between top diplomats from Russia and the United States on the war in Ukraine, it is understood that President Volodymyr Zelensky is also arriving in Riyadh but a day after the Russia-US meeting. This will be the first time that diplomats from Russia and the United States will meet for talks since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. But it is important to note that Ukraine has not been invited to these talks, leaving European nations wondering about the dramatic change in policy towards Moscow after the Trump administration took charge. A spokesperson said Zelensky was visiting Saudi Arabia with his wife as part of a "long-planned" official visit. Last week, Zelensky announced a trip along with stops in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, adding that he had no plans to meet Russian or U.S. officials. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also landed in Saudi Arabia and is due to speak with officials. Matsya-6000: Deep-ocean submersible clears wet tests IANS NEW DELHI India’s Fourth-Generation Deep-Ocean Submersible 'Matsya-6000' has successfully completed wet testing at the harbour, paving the way for conducting shallow-water demonstrations at depths reaching up to 500 meters by the end of 2025, according to an official statement issued on Monday. To ensure a seamless integration of all systems within its exo-structure, the Matsya first underwent a comprehensive series of integrated dry tests over a 500-metre operational range. Following the successful completion of these tests, it was transported to the L&T Shipbuilding facility located at Kattupalli Port, near Chennai from January 27 to February 12, 2025, for conducting wet tests and demonstrating the submersible functionality, the statement said. The tests aimed to meticulously assess Matsya's performance across several critical parameters. Evaluations focused on the robustness of power and control networks, floatation and stability of the vehicle, human support and safety systems, and manoeuvrability within limited degrees of freedom, specifically forward and reverse motion. 4Continued on | P8