FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 261 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | MARCH 6, 2026 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports ‘Not everyone retires on their own terms’ P.13 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN MONEY PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit DMK’s unity as strategy P.6 Middle East turmoil threatens crude-linked sectors, exports Cinema Sonu offers help to stranded travellers P.14 GULF CRISIS | We will continue to support every effort for a speedy end to the conflict and peace, says Modi No issue can be resolved through military conflict: PM IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India and Finland believe in the rule of law, dialogue and diplomacy as he expressed support for every effort made to end the ongoing conflict in West Asia and Ukraine. While addressing a joint press meet with Finland President Alexander Stubb following their talks at Hyderabad House in Delhi on Thursday, PM Modi said that India and Finland agree that reforming global institutions is necessary to address global challenges. "India and Finland believe in the rule of law, dialogue, and diplomacy. We are unanimous that military conflict alone cannot resolve any issue. Whether in Ukraine or West Asia, we will continue to support every effort for a speedy end to the conflict and peace. We also agree that reforming global institutions is not only necessary but urgent to ad- dress growing global challenges, and that eradicating terrorism in all its forms is our shared commitment," he said. "Your Excellency, you have completed the Ironman Triathlon. We are confident that with an energetic leader like you, India and Finland will also achieve a new triathlon of innovation, digital, and sustainability," PM Modi added. He noted that the growing cooperation between India and Europe is giving new strength to global stability, growth and shared prosperity. PM Modi also mentioned about the recently-signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU). 4Continued on | P8 India on Thursday condoled the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveying to the Iranian ambassador New Delhi's message of sympathy. Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi but it is not immediately known what transpired in the talks. Misri visited the Iranian embassy and signed the condolence book on behalf of the government of India. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also released photographs of the foreign secretary's conversation with Iranian envoy to India Mohammad Fathali. 4Continued on | P8 Modi speaks to Macron, discusses shared concern Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron and discussed shared concerns over the evolving situation in West Asia, and the need for a return to dialogue and diplomacy. After his telephonic conversation with Macron, Modi said they will continue to engage closely and coordinate efforts towards the early restoration of peace and stability in the region. "Spoke with my friend President Emmanuel Macron today. We discussed our shared concerns over the evolving situation in West Asia and the need for a return to dialogue and diplomacy. "We will continue to engage closely and coordinate efforts towards the early restoration of peace and stability in the region," Modi said in a post on X. fp Briefs Oil hope for India: Iran says Hormuz Strait closed to US, Israel, Europe India condoles Khamenei's death NEW DELHI Plumes of smoke rise as strikes hit Tehran during the US-Israeli military campaign Explosions over Doha, 6 hurt in Abu Dhabi Second Iranian ship awaits entry: Sri Lanka Iran has not yet elected supreme leader: Official A fresh round of explosions were heard in Qatar's capital, Doha on Thursday, with a column of black smoke rising over the horizon. Residents in Dubai and Manama also heard explosions earlier in the day. The fresh salvos came hours after Qatari premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani lambasted his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister during a call. Meanwhile in UAE's capital, Abu Dhabi, falling debris from an intercepted drone injured six people of Pakistani and Nepalese nationality Sri Lanka on Thursday said it is deliberating appropriate action after a second Iranian ship has sought entry to its territorial waters, a day after a frigate belonging to the Islamic country was attacked near the island nation. However, no decision was announced by 6 pm. Sri Lanka on Wednesday said it had recovered 84 bodies of Iranian sailors killed after a US submarine attack sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Galle, the island's southern coastal town. A detailed report will be presented to the Parliament Iran has not yet elected the successor of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a joint US-Israeli airstrike last week, a senior Iranian official said Thursday. Ayatollah Dr Abdul Majeed Hakeemelahi, the representative of Iran's supreme leader in India, also said that the process to elect a new leader is still underway. "This news is not true because, till now, they (the council) have not chosen or nominated anyone, and the process is still underway," Hakeemelahi told PTI IT’S BLUES Vs BLACK GUWAHATI Sukhoi jet ‘goes missing’ A Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft has been reported overdue after taking off from Jorhat in Assam, said the Indian Air Force in an official statement on Thursday. In a post on X, the IAF said the aircraft was last in contact at 7:42 PM. Authorities added that further details are being ascertained and a search and rescue operation has been launched. “An IAF Su-30 MKI is reported overdue. KATHMANDU Voting concludes in Nepal Tens of thousands of people voted on Thursday in Nepal's first general elections since violent Gen Z protests toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government, with corruption and generational change in leadership as the main issues in the politically fragile country. The election is being closely watched by India. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Team India beat England by 7 runs on Thursday to book place in T20world Cup finals at Ahmedabad. Earlier, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan scripted history with India’s highest partnership in a T20 World Cup knockout, adding 97 runs for the second wicket against England cricket team at Wankhede Stadium. Samson’s blazing 89 and Kishan’s 39 powered India to 253/7. England chase ended at 246/7 (Indian innings detail report on Sports Page) Holi sees 948 road accidents in MP, Sagar tops, Bhopal 8th Sachin Sharma INDORE The festival of colours saw a surge in accidents and emergencies across Madhya Pradesh, with the 108 Ambulance Service responding to 948 accident cases on Holi, according to official data. After Sagar and Vidisha, Indore ranked third in the state with 46 road accidents reported on the day. Among all districts, Sagar reported the highest number of accidents at 67, followed by Vidisha with 55 cases. Indore ranked third in the state with 46 accidents on the festival day. Jabalpur reported 45 accident cases, while Rewa and Satna registered 42 incidents each, placing them among the districts with the highest number of emergencies during Holi celebrations. The state capital Bhopal stood at eighth with 39 road accident cases reported on the day. Officials said festivals often see a rise in road mishaps due to rash driving, drunk driving and increased movement of people visiting relatives and friends. Emergency response teams remained active throughout the day to attend distress calls across districts. Tarun Singh, manager of the 108 Ambulance Service, told The Free Press Journal that ambulances were deployed across the state during the Holi festi- val. He said emergency vehicles reached the spots on time in every case and helped save hundreds of lives by providing immediate medical assistance. Despite repeated appeals by authorities to celebrate responsibly and follow traffic rules, the numbers highlight the persistent risk on roads during major festivals. A goldsmith from Jawad in Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch district has crafted what he claims to be the world’s smallest replica of an opium pod using pure 24-carat gold. The miniature artwork was created by Rajesh Soni, who is known for making micro gold sculptures. Inspired by the flourishing opium crop currently seen in the Neemuch and Mandsaur districts, he decided to design a tiny replica of the opium pod, often referred to as black gold. Earlier miniature creations A 50 mg replica The replica measures just 5 mm in length and 3 mm in width and weighs only 50 mg. It has been made using 24carat gold and is so small that it can be placed on the tip of a needle or among poppy seeds. Soni said it took two days of continuous effort to com- plete the piece, and the design had to be remade five times before achieving the final result. Due to the extremely PTI 4Continued on | P8 small size, the work required very fine tools and careful welding with a low gas flame. Even a small mistake could damage the delicate structure. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Chief Minister Mohan Yadav instructed district collectors to remain in touch with families of students stuck in Gulf countries due to the US-Israel-Iran war. He said control rooms have been set up at Madhya Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi and at Mantralaya in Bhopal to coordinate with such families. Yadav was addressing a meeting with senior officials at Mantralaya on Thursday. He also instructed all district collectors through video Opportunity to claim property The I-T department will give an opportunity to Sharma and Gour to claim their rights over the seized property. If they do not make a claim, the property will be auctioned and the amount will be deposited in the Government of India treasury under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act (PBPT Act), Mumbai, confirmed the provisional attachment order passed by the Benami Prohibition Unit, Bhopal, under the PBPT Act, 1988. The attachment included 52 kg of gold, Rs 11.6 crore in cash and a vehicle, with a total value of Rs 52 crore at the time of attachment in August 2025. The assets are now estimated to be worth around Rs 100 crore. The transaction has been adjudicated as a benami transaction under Section 2(9)(A) of the Act, with Chetan Singh Gour identified as the benamidar and Saurabh Sharma as the beneficial owner. conferencing. The Chief Minister said employees should adhere to office timings. If there is no improvement, a six-day working week for officials will be implemented. He said that while employees have the right to facilities, they must ensure work accordingly. Supervision and inspections will continue. Collectors have also been instructed to ensure smooth procurement of wheat and to make sure farmers do not face problems at procurement centres. 4Continued on | P8 Prayers at any spot not religious right: HC PTI MUMBAI Security overrides religion, the Bombay High Court said on Thursday while refusing any relief to taxi and autorickshaw drivers seeking to offer namaz at the site of a now demolished temporary shed near the city airport during Ramzan. A bench of Justices B P Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla noted that while Ramzan was an integral part of Islam, its adherents cannot claim to have a religious right to offer namaz (prayers) at any place during the holy month, especially in the vicinity of an airport where security concerns are high. Repeatedly stressing on the aspect of airport security, the HC said it will not throw caution to the wind. The court was hearing a petition filed by the Taxi-Rickshaw Ola-Uber Men's Union claiming that a temporary shed in the vicinity of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, where they used to offer prayers, was demolished by authorities last year. 4Continued on | P8 Nitish files papers for RS, says will guide new govt KOLKATA 4Continued on | P8 MP goldsmith crafts smallest opium pod replica Kajal Kumari Bengal Guv resigns This is not the first time the goldsmith has created such miniature artworks. offgrid INDORE The Income-Tax department will seize 52 kg gold, Rs 11 crore in cash and the car from which the gold and cash were recovered. The assets allegedly belong to former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma and his associate Chetan Singh Gour. The property will be deposited in the government treasury. The I-Tax department's adjudicating authority has upheld the action taken by the Bhopalbased Benami Prohibition Unit (BPU). The authority declared Saurabh Sharma the real owner of the gold. Saurabh came into limelight in December 2024 when the Lokayukta, the ED and the I-Tax department raided his premises. During the raid, Rs 11 crore in cash and 51.8 kg of gold were seized from an Innova car in Mendori, Bhopal, on the night of December 18 and 19. The seizure was also linked to Sharma. The adjudicating authority In a sudden move days before the assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled to be announced, Governor CV Ananda Bose resigned from his chair in New Delhi on Thursday. A "shocked" West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that Tamil Nadu Governor and ex-deputy NSA, R N Ravi, will hold additional charge of West Bengal following Bose's exit.Bose, who was appointed Bengal governor on November 17, 2022, told PTI: "Yes, I have resigned. I have been the Governor of Bengal for three-and-a-half years; it's enough for me." 4Continued on | P8 Keep in touch with kin: CM to collectors I-T dept to seize Saurabh Sharma’s Rs 100 cr ‘booty’ Dept finds Gour as benamidar, Sharma beneficial owner Axar Patel tries to run out England's Jacob Bethell during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday ANI Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that the Strait of Hormuz is closed exclusively to vessels from the US, Israel, Europe and their Western allies. The announcement was made on Thursday through Iran's state broadcaster IRIB. It follows days of uncertainty over one of the world's busiest shipping passages, which has seen almost all commercial traffic halt since the outbreak of hostilities in the Gulf. The Revolutionary Guards said it had already made clear, in line with international law and relevant resolutions, that the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to regulate passage through the Strait of Hormuz during wartime. Any ships belonging to the United States, Israel, Europe "and their supporters" that are spotted in the waterway "will certainly be hit", the statement warned. Dheeraj Kumar PATNA After nearly three-and-a-half months of being sworn in as Chief Minister of Bihar for the 10th time, JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Nitish was credited with ef- fectively spearheading the NDA to an absolute majority in the Assembly polls, with the alliance winning 202 of 243 seats. However, the decision to move him to the Upper House has surprised many as elections to four states are expected to be notified in the coming days. 4Continued on | P8